More Like The Trauma-bolts – A Review of Thunderbolts pt.1

Is therapy stronger than punches? Join Kareem, Ken, and Pat as they welcome back special guest Mayday for a three-part review of Marvel’s most streamlined story to date, Thunderbolts*. It’s an hour-long therapy session that starts with the strategic beating of a gorilla. We promise, no actual gorillas were hurt in the filming of this podcast.

Show notes

Episode 117: Gorilla Tactics & Serum Science (feat. Mayday)

Episode Summary:

This episode kicks off in the middle of the action with a passionate and deeply tactical debate on the age-old question: Can 100 unarmed men really defeat a single gorilla? After settling the primate problem, hosts Kareem, Ken, and Pat finally take a breath to formally welcome their fantastic guest, Mayday, and set the stage for the episode’s main event: a movie review.

The crew dives into the film, but the lure of a good tangent proves too strong. The discussion of the Super Soldier Serum begins as a small point and quickly proves so fascinating that it takes over the entire back half of the show. The guys explore every angle—from the ethics of its creation to the many botched attempts to replicate it—leaving the movie behind and the episode concluding mid-conversation.

Meet Our Guest:

This week, we’re honored to be joined by Mayday! Mayday is a content creator and artist.


Key Topics & Timestamps:

  • 0:00 – Cold Open: The Great Gorilla Debate
    • Listeners are dropped directly into the chaos as the guys hash out the definitive strategy for 100 men to overcome a single, determined gorilla.
  • 10:30 – Official Welcome & Introductions
    • We hit the theme music and finally explain what’s going on. Kareem, Ken, and Pat properly welcome the heroic Mayday to the show.
  • 14:00 – The Actual Movie Review
    • With the tangents temporarily purged from their systems, the crew dives into the movie, discussing its plot, characters, and overall themes.
  • 35:00 – Deep Dive: The Super Soldier Serum
    • The conversation pivots and never looks back. The crew becomes obsessed with the lore behind the Super Soldier Serum, exploring every iteration from Dr. Erskine’s original formula to the flawed versions seen throughout the MCU. The episode ends here, mid-debate!

Question of the Week:

We want to hear from you! What is your definitive strategy for 100 unarmed men vs. 1 gorilla? Who wins and why? Email us or let us know in the comments!

EP.119 – Don't Trust Billionaires – A Review of James Gunn's Superman pt.3 Tangential Giants Podcast

The Tangential Giants return for their third strike at reviewing the three-quarter mark of James Gunn’s Superman, and somehow, the chaos only gets more refined with age. Kareem, Ken, Pat, and guest Tim settle in to talk about the movie, but as always, tangents emerge like uninvited cousins who still somehow run the show.This time, the crew dives into how the fictional citizens of Metropolis and the very real citizens of the United States share a troubling weakness for any rich guy with a shiny suit and a PR team. From there, they spiral into a celebration of Guy Gardner’s comedic menace as Green Lantern, because apparently the universe needed a man who is equal parts hero and walking HR violation.Naturally, the group also questions the logistics of a pocket universe prison. Is it science, magic, or just James Gunn saying, " Trust me and hoping no one asks follow-up questions? The Giants ask them anyway. And that is only scratching the surface of the detours they take while trying to talk about Superman’s journey.If you enjoy passionate nonsense, comic book philosophy, and four grown adults trying to make sense of a movie that refuses to stay on the rails, this episode is your comfort food. Settle in and enjoy another round of heroic chaos.#tangentialgiants #superman #jamesgunn #dcu #dcuniverse #supermanmovie #dccomics #comicbookmovies #nerdpodcast #superherotalk #moviebreakdown #GuyGardner #greenlantern #metropolis #PocketUniverse #popculturepodcast #dcfans #supermananalysis #moviediscussions
  1. EP.119 – Don't Trust Billionaires – A Review of James Gunn's Superman pt.3
  2. Shawarma vs Falafel vs Vaccines – A Review of James Gunn's Superman pt.2
  3. Super Woke or Super Broke – A Review of James Gunn's Superman pt.1
  4. EP.116 – When Winking Makes you Blind – Brainstorming Ideas for Comic-Con pt.2
  5. CAPES, CHOAS, AND COLLECTIBLES – Reviwing content for our 2025 Comic-Con panel

Images from the show

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