The Ultimate Comics Podcast
A podcast exploring the Ultimate Universe of Marvel Comics and its influence on culture. Join hosts Nabeel Gaber and Josh Kang every week as they read through the entirety of Ultimate Marvel!
Episodes
And we're back to Ultimate Fantastic Four! Josh and Nabeel dive into the beginning of the Mark Millar/Greg Land run on Ultimate FF! First up: the first appearance of Marvel Zombies! The guys have a blast with these issues, despite their issues with Greg Land's art. Josh calls it the Michael Bay movie of comics, and Nabeel agrees. Lots of comparisons to 616 Marvel, lots of oversexualized artwork, and lots of explosions. Oh b...
The guys are finally talking about Ultimate Marvel again! Nabeel and Josh dive back into Ultimate X-Men! An exciting arc by Brian K. Vaughan and Andy Kubert, featuring the return of Gambit! The guys really enjoy these issues, despite some problematic aspects of the story. These issues are full of relationship drama, superhero action, incestuous supervillains, and more (yes, you read that last part correctly)!
SPOILERS FOR ALL-NEW VENOM AHEAD! A crazy special episode on possibly the most infamous Spider-Man character of all time: Paul! Given recent events in All-New Venom, Nabeel and Josh take the opportunity to discuss Paul Rabin and his reviled place in spider-fandom. Returning guest Annika Falconer moderates a debate between the boys! Nabeel thinks Paul sucks and should be gone from the Spider-Man comics, while Josh accepts that Paul ...
SPOILERS FOR FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS! Josh and Nabeel review the new Fantastic Four film! Surprise, surprise: they loved it! As two major Fantastic Four fans, Nabeel and Josh have been waiting for years for this film, and it didn't disappoint! The guys rave about almost everything, from the Easter Eggs to the wonderful characterization of the titular heroes. All this, plus we get to hear Josh's New York accent!
And we're back to Ultimate Fantastic Four (conveniently timed, just when the movie is coming out)! Josh and Nabeel dive into the third major story arc in this series, and it's a big one! The Fantastic Four delve into the Negative Zone, meet Annihilus, and one member undergoes a startling metamorphosis! The guys love this story arc, as it delivers the classic sci-fi adventure tale that the FF comics are known for. They also ...
MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SUPERMAN (2025)! Josh and Nabeel both saw Superman and were very eager to give their thoughts! The guys have a spoiler-filled discussion about the story, the characters, and the comics that inspired the latest Superman film! As usual, Josh and Nabeel geek out a little too much and Josh goes on several unnecessary tangents!
The boys continue with Ultimate Spider-Man! We got an exciting series of two-parters, with guest-stars galore! The infamous body-swap issues with Wolverine! A classic teen-team-up with The Human Torch! And a trek through Spidey's nightmares with Doctor Strange('s son)! Josh and Nabeel think these issues are super fun and a great breather from some of the heavier content. All this, plus, the boys sing along to some of their ...
Aaand we're back to Ultimate Spider-Man! Josh and Nabeel dive into the Ultimate Carnage storyline! This unique spin on Carnage combines elements of several classic Spider-Man stories into its own stand-alone tale! The guys love this arc, although Nabeel feels the storylines are getting a bit repetitive. The stakes are upped, drama unfolds, and a key Spidey character dies! All this, plus the usual Josh tangents!
Our longest cold open to date! Josh and Nabeel dive into Ultimate X-Men, under the new creative team of Brian K. Vaughan (if you've heard of him) and Brandon Peterson! Josh doesn't feel that this specific story arc is super important, but he's okay with that. Nabeel thinks this arc is important because it introduces Mister Sinister and Apocalypse to Ultimate Marvel! The guys both enjoy the character dynamics/character s...
Josh and Nabeel dive into the second arc of Ultimate Fantastic Four! The guys talk a lot about the featured villain: Doctor Doom himself! It's an exciting story arc that continues to explore the FF and flesh out their arch-nemesis. Featuring: a lot about the FF's biology! Sue Storm character analysis! Great feats by The Human Torch! An anarchist commune in Denmark! And so much more! Plus: Josh tells us how Ozzy Osbourne bec...
The conclusion to the short-lived Brian Michael Bendis/David Finch run on Ultimate X-Men! The guys have a lot to say about these issues! We get introduced to a slew of X-Men characters, including Angel, Emma Frost, Dazzler, and more! There is also an incredible single issue spotlighting Wolverine and the problem with the mutant metaphor. Josh and Nabeel have a lot of opinions on Professor X, his dream, and all the mutants along the...
Back to Ultimate Spider-Man! Josh and Nabeel cover the "Hollywood" arc, which guest-stars Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi! A very fun storyline which features the return of Doc Ock (looking more and more like Alfred Molina) and drama with Gwen Stacy. The guys end on a tangent about Spider-Man 3, because why not? Plus: several wacky tangents from Josh!
Josh and Nabeel finally get to Ultimate Fantastic Four! The guys dive deep into Marvel's First Family and the significance of this updated origin (Josh also made Nabeel watch Fant4stic before this, so your hosts have done their due diligence). Adam Kubert's artwork is gorgeous as ever, and we see a rare collaboration between Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar! Join us for this seminal episode!
MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THUNDERBOLTS* AHEAD! The guys give their full review of Thunderbolts*! Surprise surprise, they loved it! Josh and Nabeel talk about the Thunderbolts from the comics, how the movie adapts the team, and overall thoughts about the film. The boys discuss the overarching plot, specific characters, and the future of the MCU as a whole. An exciting break in format, perfect for new listeners!
The guys dive into Ultimate Six! A seminal series that not only introduces us to the Ultimate Sinister Six, but also features a major crossover between Spider-Man and The Ultimates! Needless to say, Josh and Nabeel love these issues. Ultimate Six features thought-provoking themes, great character moments, and blockbuster action. Plus: Nabeel and Josh go on tangents about washing your hair, wine tasting, Freddie Prinze Junior, and m...
The guys take a weird turn into Ultimate Adventures! This mini-series honestly has a more interesting behind-the-scenes story than the actual plot of the comic. Josh and Nabeel don't think it's the worst thing in the world, but it certainly feels out of place in Ultimate Marvel. An interesting commentary on Batman and Robin, an insanely goofy villain, and some overly quippy dialogue keep the guys talking. Plus: Josh shares his meth...
More Ultimate Spider-Man! Josh and Nabeel cover a couple of major story arcs, including the milestone 50th issue spectacular! Featuring: The debut of Ultimate Black Cat! The return of The Kingpin (and The Enforcers)! Character development for both J. Jonah Jameson and MJ! Elektra ('cause why not)! Not to mention a problematic political candidate, more slander on Spider-Man's name, and the mysterious Lifeline Tablet! Join us...
A new era of Ultimate X-Men! Josh and Nabeel cover the first arc of Ultimate X-Men by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch (Spoiler: they love it!) Guest stars galore, in this Wolverine-centric comic. Spider-Man! Daredevil! Black Widow! It honestly feels more like a Spider-Man or Marvel Team-Up comic than an X-Men comic at times! The guys love how this issue works to redeem Ultimate Wolverine while being a fun, fast-paced action th...
The boys are finally back to Ultimate Spider-Man! After a long streak of X-Men-related content, Josh and Nabeel are relieved to be back to good ol' Spidey. The guys love how personal and down-to-Earth these issues are. These issues are full of character analysis, romance, parties, and a few exploding vehicles! Of course, just when you think you've got a break, the X-Men make a guest appearance! Plus: plenty of witty reparte...
Now for something completely different! Josh and Nabeel take an episode to reflect on Mark Millar and Adam Kubert's run on Ultimate X-Men. The guys talk about it all: the characters, the stories, the artwork, the writing, you name it. The boys get into the good, the bad, and the very weird. Josh and Nabeel even pull up an old interview from Mark Millar himself, talking about his approach to Ultimate X-Men! A great catch-up epis...
Popular Podcasts
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Season Two Out Now! Law & Order: Criminal Justice System tells the real stories behind the landmark cases that have shaped how the most dangerous and influential criminals in America are prosecuted. In its second season, the series tackles the threat of terrorism in the United States. From the rise of extremist political groups in the 60s to domestic lone wolves in the modern day, we explore how organizations like the FBI and Joint Terrorism Take Force have evolved to fight back against a multitude of terrorist threats.
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.