In the latest episode of the Tuesday Night Comics podcast, Billy and Dave go deep into The Multiversity #1 by Grant Morrison, Ivan Reis and Joe Prado. We breakdown who’s who and what’s what, as well as point out references to other companies’ heroes, and try to figure out how this fits in with Grant Morrison’s previous DC story, Final Crisis. If you read The Multiversity, then LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST!
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I’ve touted the team of screenwriter Heath Corson and director Jay Oliva before in my review of Justice League: War, and they live up to that high praise with the newly released Batman: Assault on Arkham. This movie, the latest in DC’s direct-to-video releases, takes place in the same continuity as the Batman: Arkham line of video games. The characters are modeled after the designs in those games, and like in the games, Batman is voiced by perennial Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy. Sadly, Mark Hamill does not voice The Joker.
What might be the best thing about Batman: Assault on Arkham is that this is almost a Suicide Squad movie in disguise. I say almost, because there is still plenty of the title character in Batman: Assault on Arkham. But the Squad is given as much screen time, if not more, than the Dark Knight. Batman: Assault on Arkham is the Suicide Squad movie we’ve always wanted.
Corson captured the voices of the individual squad members perfectly. Captain Boomerang and Deadshot barely get along. Harley is psychotic, flirtatious and hilarious all at the same time. And I love that the Amanda Waller we’re presented with is the pre-New 52 Amanda Waller. This Amanda Waller won’t be confused with Vixen anytime soon (unlike her New 52 counterpart). She’s large and she’s in charge.
Because it’s set outside the regular continuity of DC’s animated movies, Corson and Oliva are given free reign to really play around with the characters. Also, the Suicide Squad definitely lives up to its name, as not all of its members live long enough to appear in a potential sequel. Sure, you know that Batman, Deadshot, Harley and The Joker can’t die, simply based on when this happens in Arkham continuity, but everyone else in fair game.
Like many other DC Animated movies, the extras are just as good as the movie itself. We get a nice piece on Harley’s history, a preview for Throne of Atlantis that was so good that it has me ready to pronounce that as the next BEST DC animated movie, and some episodes from previous Batman cartoon series.
Batman: Assault on Arkham is not a movie I would recommend picking up for the tiny Batfan in your life. It is definitely not small child appropriate. The video games are all rated Teen, and I would consider that an appropriate rating for this movie as well. If you’re not comfortable with your child witnessing the violence and sexual humor in the games, you probably wouldn’t be with this film either. Stick to Batman: The Brave and the Bold for the Bat-tykes.
For the teen to adult fan though, Batman: Assault on Arkham should not be missed!
This review contains Amazon product links. Shopping at Amazon through these links help support Tuesday Night Movies.
Welcome to another episode of the Tuesday Night Comics podcast, brought to you by tuesdaynightmovies.com. In this episode, Billy and Dave preview new comics coming out Wednseday, 8/20/14, including Grant Morrison’s Multiversity, and discuss their recent reads.
Plus, they go in depth on the Easter eggs in Chris Roberson and Dennis Culver’s Edison Rex.
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I had been counting down the days until the release of Guardians of the Galaxy since last year’s New York Comic Con Marvel Unlimited Plus Members Only panel. It was in that panel that we were shown, months before others were, an extra long trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy. Twice. I remember walking out of that panel and telling my friends, “Guardians of the Galaxy is the movie I’m looking forward to most in 2014.” I was convinced that even though many superhero movies were making their way to the theater in 2014, Guardians would be the best.
Guardians of the Galaxy totally lives up to the hype that I built up for it in my head. This is awesome news for regular folks. I don’t think the average guy on the street built this movie up in his head the way I did. Most people I talked to in the weeks leading up to Guardians of the Galaxy’s release date were a mix of cautiously optimistic or just flat out confused. One person told me, “Bradley Cooper voicing a raccoon? I don’t know how I feel about that.” I wanted to say, “I’ll tell you how you feel about that. Awesome. That’s how you feel. Awesome.” But every now and then I like to keep the obnoxious craziness inside me and I just smiled.
The characters in Guardians of the Galaxy are not household names. This movie could have easily flopped. I think it’s the strength of the script, director James Gunn and the stellar cast that made it work big time. Chris Pratt is awesome as Star-Lord. I’m currently reading a Guardians of the Galaxy comic, and Chris Pratt’s is the voice that hear in my head for Star-Lord. I love Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man, but Andrew Garfield is not the voice I hear in my head when I read Spider-Man comics. Neither is Toby Maguire. Maybe it’s that Star-Lord hasn’t had countless iterations on film and television the way Spider-Man has, but whatever the reason, Star-Lord is Chris Pratt to me.
One of the reasons that I made sure to see Guardians on opening weekend was that AMC was giving away Guardians of the Galaxy pins to their Stubs Card members if you saw it that weekend. You had the chance of getting Star-Lord, Rocket, Groot, Gamora and Drax. There was also a rare 1 in 100 chase pin of the Guardians insignia. I really wanted that pin. Luckily, I got my second choice, Rocket. Unfortunately, so did my wife. I wanted to trade one of our Rocket pins with a friend who got Groot, but didn’t have a chance to do so before the movie started and he saw how awesome Groot is.
Groot steals the movie. He’s like a more awesome Hodor. I would totally go see a Groot and Rocket buddy movie. Just the two of them out in space ripping shit up. Yes, please. I would see that movie in 3D, possibly even twice. Marvel, give us a Rocket and Groot movie, or even better, a season of Rocket and Groot on Netflix!
In case there was any question, Zoe Saldana is just as hot green as she is brown. Yeah, I wasn’t surprised by that one either.
Can we talk about the soundtrack for a minute? Hooked on a Feeling, The Pina Colada Song…this is my favorite soundtrack of oldie but goodies since Reservoir Dogs. Sorry, The Big Chill…
If you haven’t seen Guardians of the Galaxy yet because you don’t think it counts because the Avengers aren’t in it, stop thinking that and go see it. Thanos, the mastermind bad guy of The Avengers film, is the mastermind bad guy of this movie. I don’t think Guardians necessarily plays into what’s going to happen in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but it definitely contains a lot of necessary exposition for The Infinity Gauntlet movie that we are undoubtedly heading towards.
Yes, Guardians of the Galaxy is worth seeing in the theater, and worth seeing in 3D at that. Sadly, it is not the best superhero movie of 2014, but that is only because Captain America: The Winter Soldier was so damn good. Go see Guardians of the Galaxy. And then see it again.
Hey comic book fans! Billy and Dave are back with another episode of the Tuesday Night Comics podcast! We’re previewing new comics coming out Wednesday, August 13, 2014, as well as talking about the books we’re loving right now. Dave is on a huge Jonathan Hickman read, and Billy is swimming in X-Men comics. Plus, the guys discuss the newly released Batman: Assault on Arkham DVD, and Billy recounts what it was like trying to get New York Comic Con tickets in New York City last week.
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When it was announced that James Tucker was going to succeed Bruce Timm as the head of DC’s animated film line, I think people thought Tucker would succeed, but did they think he would succeed this well? Ladies and gentlemen, there is a new king in town. It started with Justice League: War, which quickly rivaled Under the Hood as my favorite DC animated movie. Son of Batman is even better. James Tucker is now responsible for two of the three best DC animated movies, or the two best, depending on which day of the week you ask me the question (Justice League: War and Under the Red Hood are so close! Might as well give them the tie for the #2 spot).
Ethan Spaulding directs Son of Batman. Judging by the quality of the movie, you would not think that this is directorial debut, but I believe it is. The first five minutes of the movie are immediately exciting. Far from Gotham City, R’as Al Ghul’s League of Assassins is under attack in their impenetrable mountain stronghold that turns out to be not that impenetrable. This fight scene is awesome! The first five minutes of the movie are worth the price of the DVD alone.
Tim Drake is nowhere to be found in Son of Batman. His parts from the comic have been transferred to Dick Grayson, aka Robin I aka Nightwing.
But if I have any quibble with Son of Batman, it’s in this scene. It’s a minor quibble, but it’s so ridiculous it kind of makes my head hurt: the League of Assassins’ Gatling gun full of arrows. I don’t remember if the arrow Gatling gun was in the original comic book story. It’s something that I can see Grant Morrison writing; it’s that crazy, or it could be solely from the mind of the screenwriter. In this movie, the League are pretty much all ninjas. The invaders have guns, but the assassins in the League wield no guns, just swords, bows and arrows. You’d think a group called the League of Assassins would be up on the latest in assassination technology, they seemed to have stopped looking for new equipment somewhere around Feudal Japan. Except for the arrow Gatling gun. At some point, R’as must have been mighty impressed with the might of the Gatling gun and commissioned his own, but his was to fire only arrows. This special gun must have cost the League a lot of money; it’s no small task to say, “No, I don’t want this gun to fire bullets. I want it to fire arrows.” And R’as got his way. Arrows it did fire. Enough to knock helicopters out of the sky. I guess if you’re an immortal with wealth going back centuries, you’re allowed a certain amount of levity with how you choose to spend your money. I probably would have gone with grenade launcher that shot Fribbles, but that’s just me.
But I digress…
In case you’re not familiar with the premise of the movie, Batman has a son. Okay, I guess that’s there in the title. This isn’t some future story line; it takes place in the present. Years ago, R’as Al Ghul’s daughter Talia drugged Batman, had her way with him and secretly had his baby, whose existence she kept hidden for years. The fallout of the first five minutes of the movie lead to Batman’s now teenage son being dropped at the foot of the Batcave.
One of the coolest villains in the DC Universe, Deathstroke, is the main villain in Son of Batman. Deathstroke is an assassin who is blind in one eye. The DC Animated Universe gets its version of how Deathstroke was blinded in that eye in this movie…and…It. Is. Awesome.
Seriously, I want to gush about this movie more, but I don’t want to ruin it. Go rent or buy Son of Batman. It rocks.
Make sure to watch the movie all the way through the credits. There’s not a special end credit scene, but there is something very cool. Nightwing and Damian’s fight on the streets of Gotham is told in stills as the credits roll. In the movie, we see them encounter each other, and we see how it ends, so it’s cool to see the (very awesome) middle part here. If only they put that scene in the movie!
The bonus features have some Robin-centered Batman cartoons. I watched all of them and enjoyed all of them, especially the seeing the original Teen Titans on Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
Son of Batman is a very strong follow-up to Justice League: War, and really has me excited for the future of DC animated movies under James Tucker.
This review contains Amazon product links. Shopping at Amazon through these links helps to support this site.
Have you bought your New York Comic Con 2014 tickets yet? NYCC tickets sold out in record time online this year. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 3-Day and 4-Day passes are all sold out on the NYCC website. You’ll have one last opportunity to buy tickets starting this Thursday, 8/7/14 when NYCC 2014 tickets will begin being sold in comic book stores.
Here’s how it works. On Thursday, 8/7/14, the downtown location Midtown Comics on Fulton St will kick off retail sales of NYCC 2014 tickets. This location of Midtown Comics will be the ONLY store selling tickets on Thursday. I have to say, after last year’s fiasco of having lines snaking for blocks and people having to wait hours and hours in line, I’m surprised that New York Comic Con and Midtown Comics have decided to have the downtown store sell tickets one day early again. It couldn’t have been more of a snafu last year for both customers and Midtown’s staff.
In case you missed our announcement, Midtown Comics will have #NYCC tix for sale next week! http://t.co/VdHxVBoaK7 pic.twitter.com/mSTLNzfY3Q
— Midtown Comics (@MidtownComics) July 29, 2014
On Friday, 8/8/14, the other stores selling NYCC 2014 tickets will begin their sales.
#NYCC Tickets will be on sale at a retailer near you on August 8! Find a retailer near you: http://t.co/BWSoWlLqLw pic.twitter.com/ItvJ8we5gI
— New York Comic Con (@NY_Comic_Con) July 31, 2014
Here is a list of all the stores selling NYCC tickets, and which tickets they’ll be selling. If you’re looking for a 4-Day pass, Midtown Comics is the only store carrying it. Demand for NYCC tickets is higher than its ever been. If you want a NYCC 3-Day or 4-Day pass, I recommend making it a priority to get yourself early to a store that is selling one.
New York
Selling Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Kids and 3-Day Tickets
61 Railroad Avenue, Sayville NY, 11782
631-567-8069
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Kids and 3-Day Tickets
77 Searing Ave, Mineola, NY 11501
347-438-1296
Selling Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 3-Day Tickets
895 Montauk Hwy, Shirley, NY 11967
631-772-5233
Selling Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 3-Day Tickets
1300 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park, NY 11040
516-328-1900
Selling Friday, Saturday and Sunday Tickets
3 Maiden Ln #1, New York, NY 10038
212-587-3411
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday Tickets
2220 Forest Ave, New York, NY 10303
718-448-1234
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 3-Day Tickets
246 Merrick Rd, Oceanside, NY 11572
516-763-1133
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 3-Day Tickets
33 Rte 111, Smithtown, NY 11787
631-366-4440
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 3-Day Tickets
131 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012
646-470-2572
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 3-Day Tickets
1073 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10018
212-869-1700
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Kids, 3-Day and 4-Day Tickets, as well as Super Week Cards
Fulton Street (corner of Gold St.) New York, NY 10038
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Kids, 3-Day and 4-Day Tickets, as well as Super Week Cards
459 Lexington Avenue (corner of 45th St.) New York, NY 10017
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Kids, 3-Day and 4-Day Tickets, as well as Super Week Cards
200 W. 40th Street (corner of 7th Ave) New York, NY 10018
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 3-Day Tickets
70-17 Austin Street, 2nd floor, Forest Hills, New York 11375
718-575-8815
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 3-Day Tickets
431 5th Ave, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10016
212-683-2018
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 3-Day Tickets
1120 Fox St, New York, NY 10459
347-302-8313
Selling Friday, Saturday and Sunday Tickets
9601 Metropolitan Ave, Flushing, NY 11375
718-793-0542
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 3-Day Tickets
91 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
212-673-5424
New Jersey
Selling Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Kids and 3-Day Tickets
393 Park Ave, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076
908-322-9402
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday Tickets
563 Cedar Ln, Teaneck, NJ 07666
201-801-0500
Selling Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 3-Day Tickets
13 Park Ave, Madison, NJ 07940
973- 593-0042
Selling Friday, Saturday and Sunday Tickets
53 A Parsippany Rd, Whippany, NJ 07981
973-884-4898
Selling Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 3-Day Tickets
17 Coles St, Jersey City, NJ 07302
201-946-2200
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 3-Day Tickets
12-23 River Rd, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
201-794-6830
Selling Friday, Saturday and Sunday Tickets
320 Raritan Ave, Highland Park, NJ, 08904
732-354-4520
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 3-Day Tickets
574 Valley Rd, Wayne, NJ 07470
973-628-4500
Connecticut
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday Tickets
43 Grassy Plain St, Bethel, CT 06801
203-794-6434
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and 3-Day Tickets
1655 Straits Turnpike #4, Middlebury, CT 06762
203-577-2445
Other
Selling 4-Day Tickets Only
515 N. Century Blvd, Rantoul, IL 61866
217-714-9995
Selling Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday Tickets
464 Commonwealth Ave #13, Boston, MA 02215
617-266-4266
Dave and Billy are here with previews and picks for this Wednesday’s trip to the comic book store (or digital storefront). They also talk about their recent reads. Dave’s been catching up on Manhattan Projects and Billy has been taking out a bunch of graphic novels from his local library (FREE COMICS!!!!).
The guys talk about Stephanie Brown aka The Spoiler’s return to the DCU in Batman Eternal. Since we talk about a very specific images, we’re including them here.
New 52 Spoiler
Future Stephanie Brown as the new Nightwing
Smallville Stephanie Brown Nightwing and Batman
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