Dear Watchers: an omniversal comic book podcast

🎙 The Forbidden Door Is Open — and Nobody's Ready

Find us at https://linktr.ee/dearwatchers

The championship belt is broken. Element X is scattered across the universe. And the only ones who can recover it? A Justice League of DC heroes — and the All Elite.

In our first-ever wrestling episode, Guido and Rob share their origin stories as brand-new AEW converts — 44 combined years of indifference, undone in a matter of months — and unpack why pro wrestling is the ultimate genre crossover: drag queens plus comic books plus soap opera. From Hulk Hogan to NWO to finally falling for AEW in 2025, they trace the path that brought them to this Forbidden Door.

We kick off with AEW Origins: Special Edition #1, writer Steve Orlando's promo-style introduction to the AEW roster for DC readers. Timeless Toni Storm, Orange Cassidy, Darby Allin, Will Ospreay, Swerve Strickland, Dr. Britt Baker DMD, and more get their two-page origin moments — with the economy and absurdist charm that only a true wrestling fanatic writing comics could deliver. (Orange Cassidy's "origin": he found a pair of aviator sunglasses. Perfect.)

Then we step through the door into DC x AEW #1–2, where Orlando and artist Travis Mercer throw everything at the wall — and most of it sticks. Nightwing and Will Ospreay take on the League of Assassins. Guy Gardner and Jon Moxley clean up the Mutant Gang. Hawkgirl and Hangman Adam Page battle evil Puritans from Limbo (the skeptical cowboy very much not buying Hawkgirl's past lives story). Orange Cassidy and Harley Quinn trade deadpan one-liners while dismantling the Royal Flush Gang. Zatanna and Timeless Toni Storm face Johnny Sorrow — with Toni absolutely unable to stop flirting with Zatanna. Batman and Darby Allin confront the Joker, with Sting stepping out of the shadows to lend a hand. And in the climax, Kenny Omega becomes the God of Wrestling through the power of a Mother Box — before giving it all up to restore the universe.

Oh, and Mercedes Moné turns heel and sides with Lex Luthor. Because of course she does.

They wrap by pondering what comes next for the DC x AEW universe: more heels, a Don Callis and Lex Luthor team-up, a potential Lobo/Supergirl promotional tie-in, and whether Jason Momoa was always destined to step through the ropes.

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