The iconic Marvel Comics event series Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars is celebrating its 38th anniversary this year. Everyone knows that’s the Podcast Anniversary, and comics criticism site Shelfdust is marking the occasion with a new twelve-part weekly podcast series. The War Effort will be hosted by Al Kennedy, and will break down Secret Wars issue-by-issue with a lineup of noted comics critics.
Here’s how Shelfdust describes The War Effort:
The line-up for the inaugural season of THE WAR EFFORT will include guests Paul O’Brien (House to Astonish), Jay Edidin (Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men), Kirsten Howard (Den of Geek), Claire Napier (WWAC, the Guardian), Dan White (Mindless Ones, SILENCE!), Fraser Geesin (Mindless Ones, SILENCE!), Kelly Kanayama (The Independent, Media Diversified), Chloe Maveal (NeoText) and The Rabbit, Steve Morris.
(Hey, I know some of them!)
Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars was a twelve-issue series that ran from 1984-1985. Written by Jim Shooter and illustrated by a team including Michael Zeck, John Beatty, and Bob Layton, the series saw dozens of Marvel Comics characters transported to Battleworld by the mysterious Beyonder and forced to do battle. The series is most noteworthy for introducing Spider-Man’s alien symbiote suit, which would go on to become one-half of Venom. A page from Secret Wars #8 featuring Spidey donning the suit for the first time recently sold at auction for $3.36 million.
The War Effort is Shelfdust’s latest entry into the world of podcasts. The site’s self-titled podcast, Shelfdust Presents, launched in 2020, with its most recent episode released in August of 2021. The announcement for The War Effort indicates the initial 12 episodes will just be the first season of the series; with multiple Secret Warses out there from Marvel, here’s hoping we eventually get an episode where Kennedy and a special guest discuss one of the most iconic moments in comic book history: Spider-Man teaching The Beyonder how to go to the bathroom.
The first episode of The War Effort is available to listen to right now on Shelfdust, or on all major podcasting platforms.
