Something we’ve talked about a lot on the show is how much we like stories and series with deliberate endings. Endings are important: They provide closure and meaning. They give narratives shape. And it’s with that in mind that we want to let you know that Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men will be ending later this year.
We never meant for this to be a forever podcast. That it has lasted for going on twelve years is amazing–a gift we never could have imagined when we started out–and it’s important to us to finish it right, to go out deliberately instead of fading off or hitting an abrupt wall.
Don’t worry–we’re not going away next week, or even next month. We’re going to hit a few bucket-list episodes, and then go into one last series: Grant Morrison’s seminal run on New X-Men.
There are a few reasons we’ve decided to wrap with the Morrison run. It’s an incredible high note, one of the most groundbreaking single runs in the history of the franchise. Moreover, it’s a beginning. Morrison’s run on New X-Men signals a sea change in the X-books and their readers’ relationships to them, and feels like the right time to pass the torch to our listeners.
We hope that over the last nearly-twelve years–more than twelve by the time we end–we’ve not only taught you about X-Men continuity and the perils of time travel, but helped you build the tools that’ll let you engage critically with the stories you love and find joy even in the ones you don’t.
You’ve got this.
We believe in you.
(We’ll also be around for the next five-or-so months, so, there’s that.)
Love,
Jay & Miles
Wow I knew it was coming eventually but this is a little sad. Honestly I’ve checked out for a bit but was excited to jump back in seeing how close we were getting to the “modern era “ ( well there’s in which I was actively collecting) at least there were still he new X-men episodes. Thank you for it all.
Thanks for everything.
Cue “One Last Time* from Hamilton then cue my tears!
That being said, you have both earned this and should feel extremely proud.
Long time listener, first (second?) time commenter. This was the second ever podcast that I listened to and, after working my way through the backlog, one that I have looked forward to every week for eight years now. It’s been a constant through some very tumultuous times in my life and I am of course sad to say good bye. But I understand letting this be the final chapter. Thank you for all the good times and I look forward to any future projects from you amazing people. I think I’ll have to re-read New X-Men along with the podcast now.
I distinctly remember driving home from a camping trip 12 years ago with a friend and wondering if we’d be able to fill the time or if it’d be awkward – I said “hey do you know about this one podcast” and boom, two hours of X-Men talk. You have bonded people!
Morrison’s run is a perfect capper, and you two should be really proud of all this (but also yeah you can stretch out New X-Men as looooong as you want – wanna throw in some Chuck Austin? I’ll be here for some Chuck Austin)
Oh I forgot, I got to sing in a Les Mis parody song!
What a ride it’s been
Jay and Miles…ugh, I’m so saddened to hear this news. I’m sure it’s for the best and I truly do wish you both the best.
I’ll be very honest, you have both meant so much to me all these years. You have opened my eyes to ideas, entertained me, provided me with some stability and routine, and most of all, given me hope and light that there are amazing people out there. I’ve been listening since episode 4 in real-time, finding your pod original on YouTube (of all places) and have been glued since.
Love you both for your work and your care for others (including each other).
I will continue to listen until the end, but I hope I get to meet either of you sometime in the future to tell you this in person.
-Tony (he/him)
Farewell – and THANK YOU for all you have done, for every episode you have recorded and for every piece of happiness you have given us!
I just discovered this podcast two years ago and starting listening during the early sleepless nights of fatherhood. It’s been an absolute blast going through the backlog, but a little bittersweet that I’ll never catch up and get to listen live! Fantastic show though, and New X-Men is such a perfect stopping point if it has to end. Thank you for everything!
I fell off from listening around the end of Age of Apocalypse (not all that far off from when I stopped reading/getting X-men comics – a little earlier than that) with plans to jump back in when you got to the Morrison run (which I when I jumped back in to the comics temporarily) and now I learn that it’s the last thing you’ll be covering – so even if I wasn’t gonna come back for the finale regardless, you definitely roped me back for it.
Thanks so much for a fantastic podcast. It was a entertaining and a big inspiration for my own comic book reading and scholarship. Best of luck with whatever you go on to do next – and if you ever want to go comics shopping in Pittsburgh, shoot me a message!
Peace!
I agree it seems like a fitting end to the podcast. Y’all are in such different places in your lives now than you were 12 years ago when you started this journey. That being said, thank you both so much (and by extension all the producers, your spouses and families, and other creators who contributed over the years) for everything you’ve done and for helping build this amazing community around your podcast. I was overjoyed to discover Jay & Miles back in the summer of 2015 with the Giant-Size Summer Special and have been hooked ever since. This podcast was what helped me to get into podcasts in the first place. I’ll miss having your voices keeping me company at work every Monday morning after uploads. Wishing you all the best!
Hey Jay and Miles! I’ve been listening since 2015, and I can’t quite put into words what your podcast means to me. Taking time to process the end, but I wanted to start by helping a little. I am a rabbi, so I can tell you about the cover to X-Men #111!
The Hebrew letters are ‘pay’ and ‘nun’, which make the “P” and “N” sounds. The little flourishes to the left of each letter are called ‘chupchiks,’ and they indicate common abbreviations in the Hebrew language. Pay-Nun (‘פ’ נ) is short for “po niftar,” which means “here is the deceased.” All in all, a fitting way to mark the grave as a Jewish one!
Wow, truly the end of an era. I’m not 100% certain when I started, but I know it was during your first year and I’ve been listening ever since. If it wasn’t for this podcast, I don’t know if I would have ventured into New Mutants, for example.
For a while, I was actually reading along to X-Men in parallel to what you were doing. When I ended up outpacing it, I started thinking “I can’t wait to hear Jay and Miles’ thoughts on this thing.” But, in retrospect, I think X-books were outpacing the pace of the podcast at parts, so it was a never ending project. That being said, I don’t suppose you want to give your thoughts on Lifeguard?
Looking forward to your final run. Even if it isn’t a winter special (i.e., you finish early), can you please finish with one final awards episode?
I applaud your decision to finish with grace and intention rather than succumb to burnout and podfade. It’s been quite a ride. Thank you for your years of effort on this project, and thank you even more for the next several months.
…sure you don’t want to go out on a nice even 13 years? 😁
Awwww I was really looking forward to hearing y’all talk about the upcoming MCU X-Men. But I can’t really complain about 12 years of great content. Thank y’all for everything!!