The Incomparable Mothership

This past summer’s superhero movies are in the spotlight! Are the gods just aliens? When are mutant strippers unrealistic? Why would you beat up people after costing them their jobs? And why do the Stark boys enjoy themselves—and cheesy foodstuffs—so much? Our esteemed panel breaks down how “Captain America,” “Thor,” “X-Men: First Class,” and “Green Lantern” fared.

Press the Green Anchor and jump into a parallel timestream: it’s time to talk “Doctor Who.” In this flash episode we deconstruct the two most recent episodes, “Night Terrors” and “The Girl Who Waited.” And here’s a hint: we liked one of them way more than the other.

This podcast is cancelled! We discuss TV shows that failed to reach their proper natural lifespan. When all is said and done, you’ll hear recommendations for 25 excellent series that burned bright and weren’t allowed to fade away. Fantasy football drafts were never this good.

Strap on your jet pack and locate your pet monkey! Our Comic Book Club reconvenes to discuss works by writer Brian K. Vaughan, who excels at the high-concept premise. In the spotlight: “Runaways,” “Y: The Last Man,” and “Ex Machina.” With plenty of digressions along the way, about feminism, parenting, sexism, and (once again) how hard it is to write an ending.

Flash podcast! A largely unedited Skype conversation after this weekend’s “Doctor Who” midseason premiere, “Let’s Kill Hitler.”

Rip off your hearing limbs and join us for the first anniversary edition of The Incomparable. As with the first podcast, the Book Club discusses a China Mieville novel: in this case, “Embassytown.” Also: What are we reading? Glenn is reading a comic book. We are disappointed.

We read the 2011 Hugo nominees for Best Novel. Sit back and enjoy our reviews of “Blackout/All Clear,” “Cryoburn,” “The Dervish House,” “Feed,” and “The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.” Plus, we recommend a few of the nominated short stories.

Talking “Finding Nemo,” “Toy Story 2,” and “Wall-E.” Plus, we discuss what Pixar should do next to challenge itself, try to understand why “Cars 2” was made, and pick out our least favorite thing Pixar has ever done. Hint: Jason has a problem with rats. (Part 2 of 2.)

Old men with balloons! Wisecracking monsters! Superheroes with mid-life crises! The films of Pixar are in our sights this week. Join us as we pick our favorite films and explore why Pixar’s movies are better than those from other animation studios. (Part 1 of 2.)

From the Wall in the north (behind which lurk the fearsome White Walkers) to across the Narrow Sea (which is sort of dull), the first season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” has everything the George R. R. Martin book has, with perhaps more attractive naked people having sex in front of you. Also: Uncomfortable chairs.