Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men artwork

Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men

514 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1.6K ratings

Because It's About Time Someone Did

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Episodes

407 – Freshening Up

April 10, 2023 03:08 - 48 minutes - 66.4 MB

In which X-Factor bounces from one rock-bottom to another; Sabretooth gets his (murderous) groove back; Dark Beast embraces the iMac aesthetic; the tip was righteous; Mystique multitasks like a pro; and Shard Bishop has come unstuck in time.

406 – The Most Dangerous Mini-Game

April 03, 2023 02:07 - 55 minutes - 75.6 MB

In which we disagree about the value of Stan Lee intros; everybody wants Wolverine; Mister Sinister lurks; Haley Blanding deserves better; Thunderbird fights a tiger; and Xavier and Magneto do their usual thing.

405 – Morally Purple

March 28, 2023 01:24 - 55 minutes - 76.6 MB

In which Jay returns; babies are bad at pretty much everything; continuity flies straight out the window; Cable should speak English with a Scottish accent; Harry Leland knows how to dress; Tanya Trask makes the same time travel mistake everyone makes; and we love Al Kennedy forever.

404 – Marvel UK, Yes?

March 13, 2023 02:19 - 1 hour - 101 MB

And now for something completely different. (Death's Head II #1) In which Death's Head gets around universes; AIM fails to recognize closed narrative loops; we need more huscarls in comics; time travel occasionally solves the problems it creates; and we bid a fond farewell (for now) to Al Kennedy. X-PLAINED: Death's Head Death's Head II #1-4 Marvel UK Death's Head I Minion Earth-8410 The far future of 2020 Dr. Evelyn Necker How to dress for time travel Reed Richards's m...

403 – Sneaky-Peeky Stuff

March 06, 2023 06:55 - 1 hour - 86.9 MB

Did the Astral Plane used to be this cramped? (Kitty Pryde: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #3) In which Shadowcat gets a new miniseries; people don't talk that way (but probably should); holograms are magic; the Helicarrier gets possessed; Wolverine fights a computer; and Miles and Al pitch live-action X-series. X-PLAINED: Possession Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde) (more) (again) Kitty Pryde: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1-3 A surprising helicopter Frictionless bed sheets S.H.I.E.L.D. vs. S.H.I.E.L.D....

402 – What the Damn?!

February 27, 2023 03:12 - 58 minutes - 79.9 MB

Captain Mustache, Part the Second. (Excalibur #115) In which Marvel UK was a wild ride; everyone has a definitive Kitty Pryde; Sari St. Hubbins studies her X-Men; Moira MacTaggert discovers contagion theory; ideas do not stories make; Meggan is the heart of the team; and Excalibur inches towards its finale. X-PLAINED: Marvel UK Digitek Excalibur #114-117 What Excalibur's been up to Tunnels vs. sewers An unexpected callback Slang The mutability of Kitty Pryde Friendship S...

401 – True Tales of Double-Entry Bookkeeping

February 13, 2023 06:23 - 1 hour - 88.1 MB

And now for something completely different. (Generation X Holiday Special #1) In which Santa Claus makes problematic choices; we make good on a promise; Sebastian is the new Deadpool; Skrulls get stuck as animals more than you’d think; Nanny and Orphan-Maker celebrate; and Jubilee stops worrying and learns to love Christmas. X-PLAINED Santa Claus’s flirtations with villainy A new direction for Generation X Larry Hama Al vs. U.S. geography Generation X #32-33 Generation X Holiday ...

400 – Loud Noises

February 06, 2023 04:54 - 1 hour - 99.5 MB

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line! In which legacy numbering is best left alone; all roads lead to the Antarctic; we finally learn Gambit’s big secret; Erik the Red gets yet a third identity; no one soils the Juggernaut; Maggott saves the day; and we have somehow made (technically more than) 400 of these things. X-PLAINED Spat The tragic loss of the Cyber Comics How not to back up your work Uncanny X-Men #350 X-Men #70 A shambles What’s been happening ...

399 – The Cybertronic Spree

January 29, 2023 21:20 - 1 hour - 91.3 MB

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line! In which the X-Force road trip era begins; Team X takes on a new dimension; Dani Moonstar gets her subtext back; pointing out a stereotype doesn’t excuse using it; Tabitha Smith generally deserves better; platypuses are underrepresented in the superhero genre; Hell becomes Stryfe; and Domino gets back in the game. X-PLAINED A dastardly plot X-Men 2099 Road trips X-Force #71-74 Team X A Love & Rockets reference Stan a...

398 – Shanna the Wee Devil

January 16, 2023 03:54 - 1 hour - 93.2 MB

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line! In which the rest of the X-Men return from space; Maggott is the new cool; Gambit's past catches up with him; Chris Bachalo takes over as regular artist on Uncanny X-Men; Deathbird flirts singularly aggressively; Eany and Meany eat a truck; dating a telepathic ninja is going to take some getting used to; and Havok predictably remains ABD. X-PLAINED Motormouth (Harley Davis) Motormouth and Killpower Uncanny X-Men #347-349 ...

397 – Mürdr at IKEA

January 10, 2023 06:51 - 1 hour - 90 MB

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line! In which Al Kennedy and Miles enter a somewhat post-OZT world, the art of Frank Teran (whose uncle built a jetpack) elevates an otherwise merely decent story, Puck is played by Bob Hoskins, Wild Child gets a chance to shine, Mystique and Forge are sitting in a tree, and Swamp Thing is amazing. X-PLAINED: Spider-Man's head cold Sabretooth: Back to Nature #1 Sabretooth (Victor Creed) Wild Child (Kyle Gibney) Horrible viol...

396 – Giant-Size Special #11

January 02, 2023 06:44 - 2 hours - 192 MB

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line! In which we spend too long trying to place a time-travel miniseries in continuity, Al Kennedy does us a solid, Bernard Chang draws some excellent New Mutants young and old, Al Ewing x-plains X-Men: Red, Forearm and Random play Nintendo, and we reveal the winners of The Ninth Annual Super Doctor Astronaut Peter Corbeau Awards for Excellence at X-Cellence! X-PLAINED: Jay's spatial and temporal whereabouts Cannonball, Mirage, Ma...

395 – Boxer Briefs of Humanity

December 19, 2022 04:18 - 44 minutes - 60.7 MB

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line! In which Jay has exciting news, Rick Leonardo draws an impressively creepy mad scientist’s lair, the clouds are purple and so is the prose, Powers of X gets a subtle prequel 21 years early, Cable’s own tolerance has finally reached zero, and we summarize Bastion’s backstory way, way faster than Bastion does. X-PLAINED: Machine Man (X-51) (Aaron Stack) Operation Zero Tolerance (more) (again) Jay’s upcoming parental leave B...

HAWK TALK – Keeper

December 12, 2022 14:05 - 44 minutes - 60.5 MB

This would usually be a skip week, but thanks to some generous donors to Equality Florida, Hawk Talk is back! This week: Dave Tomaine and Rho Sovia's graphic novel, Keeper! LINKS AND FURTHER READING You can buy Keeper digitally at BigCartel or physically at Studio Two Boys! Check out Dave's band Cave People! Find Dave on Twitter (twice)!

394 – We All Have to Go Sometime

December 05, 2022 03:03 - 58 minutes - 80.5 MB

In which there’s always room for another X-cast; Cecilia Reyes wasn’t even supposed to be here today; Sabra has indestructible underwear; prime sentinels are probably even worse pets than quail; Marrow probably swears more than superhero comics allow for; and Operation Zero Tolerance comes to an end.

393 – Camping With Uncle Mustang

November 28, 2022 04:19 - 50 minutes - 69.4 MB

In which Operation Zero Tolerance continues; the X-Men take over Wolverine; wolverine is the designated John McClane of the X-Men; torsos are confusing places; and we sincerely hope that Jean Grey got to do some off-panel dating.

392 – The Mullet of Leadership

November 21, 2022 03:44 - 54 minutes - 74.6 MB

In which Chris Bachalo changes things up; we theorize about Prime Sentinel hierarchy; the headmasters go undercover; fictional characters spend a lot of time in sewers; M’s secret comes to light; J. Jonah Jameson is at his best in X-books; Jay pitches a video game; Marrow gets a makeover; and part of journalistic integrity is choosing what not to cover.

HAWK TALK – Lawyers

November 14, 2022 03:41 - 57 minutes - 78.9 MB

This would usually be a skip week, but thanks to some generous donors to Equality Florida, Hawk Talk is back! This week, we talk about lawyers and law. LINKS AND FURTHER READING Follow Lyra Foster on Twitter! Check out the Trans Family Network!

391 – Mansion of Theseus

November 07, 2022 04:13 - 50 minutes - 69.1 MB

In which the X-Mansion has unusually large vents; Cable’s hair should not be floppy; Nate Grey meets his maternal grandparents; and we would really like to know more about the Siege of the Vapor Ants.

390 – Corners and Conspiracies

October 31, 2022 02:41 - 52 minutes - 71.9 MB

In which Danielle Moonstar quiet quits; a bunch of people regular quit; we are pleasantly surprised by the survival of a minor character; tough guys wear hearts; and X-Force once again takes its place as the best comic of the line.

389 – Wreck Gotta Recognize

October 24, 2022 02:57 - 53 minutes - 73.3 MB

In which some puns are fundamentally visual; Jubilee is a really good kid; Bastion is a bad person but a good villain; Bachalo does Romita; Seagulls are assholes (but reasonably good narrators); Skin has no time for fantasies; Hitch does Cockrum; and Operation Zero Tolerance (unofficially) begins (again).

HAWK TALK – Basketball

October 17, 2022 00:41 - 31 minutes - 43.9 MB

This would usually be a skip week, but thanks to some generous donors to Equality Florida, Hawk Talk is back! This week, we talk about basketball. (Kind of.) LINKS AND FURTHER READING Check out donor Dave Buesing's site, Comic Book Herald!

388 – Deceit and Death

October 10, 2022 02:36 - 47 minutes - 65.1 MB

In which there’s a lot of good television out there; Shang-Chi says the title of the story at every possible opportunity; Wolverine is probably not a Deadhead; Sebastian Shaw thinks he’s a bigger deal than he is; and Operation Zero Tolerance officially begins.

387 – You’ve Got Vid-Mail

October 03, 2022 02:42 - 48 minutes - 66.1 MB

In which Colossus is good at friendship; nobody notices when Amanda Sefton disappears; evil peaked in the disco era; and Pete Wisdom had hot claws before it was cool.

386 – No Puppies for Storm

September 26, 2022 02:39 - 49 minutes - 68.2 MB

In which treading water isn’t always a bad thing; Storm remains an irresponsible leader; nobody should ever trust Dark Beast; we are befuddled by a large metal man; Maggott makes his debut; and we ship the heck out of Deathbird and Bishop.

HAWK TALK – Galaxy: The Prettiest Star

September 19, 2022 01:39 - 40 minutes - 55.1 MB

  This would usually be a skip week, but thanks to some generous donors to Equality Florida, Hawk Talk is back! This week: Jadzia Axelrod and Jess Taylor's graphic novel, Galaxy: The Prettiest Star!

385 – Super Whiny Adults Simulator 64

September 12, 2022 04:06 - 48 minutes - 66.4 MB

In which we make an omission; X-Factor’s concept of “underground” is somewhat unconventional; Trevor Chase turns uncanny moppet; and Strong Guy and Lila Cheney have some very stilly space adventures.

384 – The Banality of Evil

September 05, 2022 03:19 - 45 minutes - 62 MB

In which it’s hard to be a mutant post-Onslaught; two Chrises make friends; X-Force goes to off-brand Disney World; we are Team Risque; and you can go to the punch dimension but probably shouldn’t stay long.

383 – A Dude and His Ninjas

August 29, 2022 02:37 - 58 minutes - 80.6 MB

In which the Crimson Dawn is secretly a bad Daredevil arc; shadow-based transportation requires careful lighting; Dark Phoenix Saga references will not always do you favors; and Earth is big.

HAWK TALK – Ads

August 22, 2022 01:29 - 37 minutes - 51.1 MB

This would usually be a skip week, but thanks to some generous donors to Equality Florida, Hawk Talk is back! 

382 – Seven Swords

August 15, 2022 03:14 - 47 minutes - 65.2 MB

In which Brian Braddock has grown as a person; we remain unimpressed by the Crimson Dawn; Marvel discovers email; seven swords to two people is a pretty good ratio; everyone hates Spiral; and love may or may not save the world.

381 – If We Told You, We’d Have to Kill You

August 08, 2022 02:37 - 52 minutes - 71.6 MB

In which real life sucks; Havok may or may not be a bad enough dude to rescue mutantkind; X-Factor quits; CD-ROMs were never THAT cool; subtlety is for suckers; Val Cooper hates nothing more than she hates the U.S. government; and Jamie Madrox wants nothing to do with your nonsense.

380 – Arbor Day

August 01, 2022 14:56 - 51 minutes - 70.6 MB

In which no one wants to be compared to Chris Bachalo; it’s always a holiday for Generation X; you may already be a Guthrie; M is a fascinating mystery; and Black Tom Cassidy (finally) makes his move.

HAWK TALK – Joy

July 25, 2022 05:27 - 37 minutes - 51.7 MB

This would usually be a skip week, but thanks to some generous donors to Equality Florida, Hawk Talk is back! This week’s topic was chosen by Blindseer0.

379 – Stardate: Today

July 18, 2022 05:26 - 55 minutes - 76.4 MB

In which what happens in space stays in space; a horse is imperiled; Joseph does some dubious science; Gladiator’s name is absolutely not Gary; everybody gets new costumes; and we learn where babies come from.

378 – The Unstoppable Huggernaut

July 11, 2022 02:47 - 49 minutes - 68.3 MB

In which our favorite(?) fear lord returns; Sirocco Sprawls is an extremely unpleasant fictional town; the Juggernaut is not a subtle man; we really need to get our hands on the Generation X novels; Tarot gets a logo font; and Banshee is menaced by spectral leprechauns.

377 – Sam Hill

July 04, 2022 05:46 - 56 minutes - 77.3 MB

In which Domino’s miniseries earns a grade of “present”; Miles gets to know Sam Hill; Domino trades pouches for boots; and we would prefer that you not sexualize Lady Deathstrike. X-PLAINED: Halloween Jack Domino (Neena Thurman) Domino #1-3 Milo Thurman The idiomatic Sam Hill Lady Deathstrike (again) The Reavers (again) Pico Boot pouches Puck (Eugene Judd) Dante’s Beatrice Several Skullbusters Robot tits The E.T. Atari game One way to get out of saying “I love ...

HAWK TALK – The Voyage of the Mimi

June 27, 2022 02:37 - 30 minutes - 41.5 MB

This would usually be a skip week, but thanks to some generous donors to Equality Florida, Hawk Talk is back! This week’s topic was chosen by Chuck Reynolds.

376 – Moore of This

June 20, 2022 05:35 - 54 minutes - 74.6 MB

In which we begin John Francis Moore’s run on X-Force; Latveria is less fun without Doctor Doom; there may still be a tiny clone of Meltdown running around; Forearm is a good pal; Marvel Asgard is a realm of crossover fan fiction;  and you should totally watch both Our Flag Means Death and Doom Patrol.

375 – One Thousand Kicks to the Face

June 13, 2022 03:04 - 53 minutes - 74 MB

In which there is definitely a wrong way to enjoy your comics; Storm could probably use a more secure storage system; the Externals need more camp; and Joseph makes some valid points.

374 – SMEK

June 06, 2022 03:09 - 53 minutes - 73.8 MB

In which Frank Punisher is not a role model; Carl the X-Cutioner is not very good at secret identities; Miles tries his hand at poetry; and everything’s funny with a sidecar.

HAWK TALK – Doonesbury

May 29, 2022 22:29 - 42 minutes - 58.6 MB

This would usually be a skip week, but thanks to some generous donors to Equality Florida, Hawk Talk is back! This week’s topic was chosen by Andy Bartholomew.

373 – Tainted Loins

May 23, 2022 03:41 - 56 minutes - 77.3 MB

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line! In which the Drake Roberts identity is retired; Gambit bonds with William Drake; Graydon Creed is evil but nondescript; tales of Pyro’s death have been somewhat exaggerated; and some mysteries resolve better than others. X-PLAINED: Damian Tryp X-Factor (more) (again) Uncanny X-Men #340 X-Factor #128-30 More Drake family dynamics The Sword of Shannara The general vagueness of Graydon Creed Several ninjas Hound st...

372 – Monty Python’s Life of Magnus

May 16, 2022 01:33 - 48 minutes - 66.3 MB

In which the first Magneto miniseries is actually a Joseph miniseries; Magneto lost a lot of nuance in the ‘90s; Fabian Cortez is friend to neither man nor bird; Joseph finds his inner supervillain; Marvel’s United Nations is unusually heavily armed; and bears are much cooler than guns.

371 – Beware of Psychodrama

May 09, 2022 01:49 - 57 minutes - 78.8 MB

In which Douglock is Douglock; Kitty Pryde gets lost in nostalgia; it continues to suck to be Colossus; Professor Xavier is a jerk; the MLF makes one and only one valid point; Ben Raab’s Excalibur run begins; the Acolytes try to get the band back together; and the land mines are a metaphor that are also real land mines.

HAWK TALK – Online Communities

May 01, 2022 20:53 - 33 minutes - 45.8 MB

This would usually be a skip week, but thanks to some generous donors to Equality Florida, Hawk Talk is back! This week's topic was chosen by Play Comics.

370 – The Sound of Evil (feat. Max Carleton)

April 25, 2022 01:59 - 1 hour - 102 MB

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line! In which Max Carleton and Miles take a trip back to the Silver Age, the origins of Marvel Girl's telepathy are questionable, the nature of Polaris's parentage is also questionable, and the quality of Sauron's origin story shall never be questioned. X-PLAINED: The Locust (Dr. August Hopper) Uncanny X-Men #46, 52, and 60 Genuine tragedy Funereal fashion Frederick "Amos" Duncan The Juggernaut (Cain Marko) (again) The C...

369 – Carly Askani

April 17, 2022 22:55 - 57 minutes - 79.2 MB

Art by David Wynne. Wanna buy the original? Drop him a line! In which Storm & Joseph X-Plain the X-Men, Alex Summers is not brainwashed this time, he promises, Scott Lobdell writes better moments than stories, Ed McGuinness draws very large chins, and it’s Denver the Last Dinosaur, not Denver the Lost Dinosaur X-PLAINED: Uncanny X-Men #339 Spider-Man disambiguation A. Kubert disambiguation J. Jonah Jameson (again) (hooray!) Sneaking songs The history of smoking regulation on ai...

368 – Six Teenagers in a Van

April 11, 2022 01:54 - 48 minutes - 67.2 MB

In which we return to Rutland, Vermont; Emma Frost faces her salad demons; Banshee is not even supposed to be here today; no one should ever have to drive in New York City; Fenris is both evil and obnoxious; and we’re still not over that one Senator Kelly action figure.

X-TRA – Fighting the Fight

April 03, 2022 21:08 - 10 minutes - 14.5 MB

Sometimes when the world's a trash fire, it's hard to figure out where to start. We talk activism, figuring out how you can help, and what we're doing to fight back against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Florida. Click through here to find out more about our campaign to raise funds for Equality Florida!

Guests

Seanan McGuire
3 Episodes
Chris Claremont
2 Episodes
Louise Simonson
2 Episodes
Kurt Busiek
1 Episode

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