Tag Archives: Batman

by

Who Is The Outsider?

Since his first appearance leading The Secret Society of Super-Villains, fans have guessed at the identity of The Outsider. I have my own theory about The Outsider’s true identity, which I will reveal now.

the outsider
I believe that The Outsider is the Alfred Pennyworth from The Crime Syndicate of America’s Earth-3.

Here are my reasons for believing this is so.

The original Silver Age Outsider was Alfred Pennyworth.
 
The character The Outsider goes back to the 1960s. In 1964’s Detective Comics #328, Batman’s butler Alfred is killed when a boulder crushes him. Shortly thereafter, a mysterious criminal mastermind named The Outsider begins working in Gotham. In Detective Comics #356, it is revealed that a mad scientist brought Alfred back to life using a machine that also made Alfred evil and gave me the worst case of eczema ever.
Side effects of regeneration machine include skin irritation and insanity.
At the end of the issue, Batman punches The Outsider onto the machine, activating it. This restores Alfred back to his usual happy, not-dead, not-evil self.
The New 52 Outsider looks like Alfred Pennyworth.
 
More than any other DC character, The Outsider looks like Alfred Pennyworth. Remove the color from the panel below and you’d be hard pressed to say if this was Alfred or The Outsider.
The Outsider knows where Batman lives.
 
Justice League of America #5 gives us many clues to the Outsider’s identity, as you’ll see in the panels below. After The Outsider kills Catwoman, he announces he’s going to drop her body at Batman’s doorstep. Signalman asks, “You have Batman’s home address?” The Outsider responds, “Yes. Ha. I do.”

 

 
The Outsider knows The Joker.

 

“If The Joker could see me now.” It almost sounds like a throwaway line, so I wouldn’t be surprised if most readers glossed over that panel as they read Justice League of America #5. But Geoff Johns is too good a writer to put that line in for no reason.
I think that line gives us a glimpse to the origin of both The Outsider’s stark white skin and his tic where he says “Ha.” in between lines of dialogue. Perhaps at some point on Earth 3, Alfred fell into a vat of the same acid that made The Joker.

The Outsider has a deep knowledge of all-things Batman.

He calls Catwoman Selina.

He has a map of the Batcave.
He knows everything there is to know about The Scarecrow.
The Outsider watched his world die.

 

This has been the clue most cited by people who think the New 52 Outsider and The Outsider from Flashpoint are one and the same. The Flashpoint universe in no more, perhaps The Outsider is the only survivor of it. But The Outsider from the Flashpoint universe looked nothing like Alfred. He was an Indian man named Michael Desai. Michael Desai and the current Outsider share little in common other than a love of well-tailored suits.
Michael Desai, The Outsider of Flashpoint

I think the world that the New 52 version of The Outsider watched die was not the world of Flashpoint, but rather the Earth that is home to the Crime Syndicate of America. In Earth 2 #1, it is revealed that Apokolips attacked Earth 2 and the main New 52 Earth at the same time. The main New 52 Earth’s heroes fought off Darkseid and his hordes before they could do much damage. Earth 2 didn’t get off as lucky, losing both Gotham, Metropolis and other cities, as well as Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman before the might of Apokolips. There’s a chance Earth 3 fared even worse.

On Earth 3, characters who are heroes on the main Earth are villains. The Justice League is the Crime Syndicate. Perhaps self-interest got in the way of the villains of Earth 3 being able to work with one another to fight back the hordes of Apokolips. I think this Outsider made his way through a boom tube from Earth 3 to the New 52 Earth, and has been plotting for a way to bring the Crime Syndicate of America over to the New 52 Earth since then. I strongly believe that Pandora’s Box, the focus of the Trinity War crossover, will be the key to bringing the Crime Syndicate of America to the main Earth.What if this scene that Madame Xanadu sees in her vision in Justice League #22 isn’t a vision of the future, but a glimpse into Earth 3’s past or present? Instead of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman, what if that’s Ultraman, Superwoman and Owlman?

The Crime Syndicate of America plays a huge role in Forever Evil.
 
Right after Trinity War concludes, the DC Universe will be thrust into Forever Evil. It is revealed in the promotional image below that the Crime Syndicate of America will be major players in this event. This makes me more firmly believe that the evil Alfred Pennyworth of Earth-3 is their herald on the main Earth, setting things up for the Crime Syndicate to take over. By settings things into motion for the Justice League to square off against the Justice League of America in Trinity War works in the Crime Syndicate’s favor. Divide, conquer, and pick up the pieces.
“Forever Evil” is also the translation of the Latin phrase “Aeternus Malum” from the Secret Society’s communicator coins, the face of which looks a lot like Death Storm from the Crime Syndicate of America.
With only one week to go before Trinity War concludes in Justice League #23 and two weeks before Forever Evil #1, I believe The Outsider true identity will be revealed very shortly, and that he will be revealed as the Alfred Pennyworth of Earth 3!
UPDATE! Two pages from the Justice League: Trinity War Director’s Cut #1 give more credence to my theory that The Outsider is the Alfred from The Crime Syndicate’s Earth!
Justice League: Trinity War Director’s Cut #1 is a reprint of Justice League #22, but featuring Ivan Reis’s artwork in penciled form. In the back of the issue is Geoff Johns’s full script for Justice League #22.
During Madame Xanadu’s horrific vision, Johns specifically calls for Reis to draw Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman in sillouette, and then refers to them as SUPERMAN-LIKE FIGURE, BATMAN-LIKE FIGURE and WONDER WOMAN-LIKE FIGURE. If these were the actual Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman, there would be no need for him to refer to them in that way.
But it’s later in the script that he get the closest thing to definitive confirmation I feel like we’re going to get until it’s revealed in-story. Geoff Johns refers to The Outsider as Leader/Alfred. That’s right. It’s right there in the script. The leader of the Secret Society is Alfred. 
I’m surprised DC would let that LEADER/ALFRED line go to print. I can only speculate that the inclusion of this was an oversight by the team who put this script book together, as it is a HUGE reveal!
by

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 – Review

After months of waiting, it’s finally here, the conclusion to the animated adaptation of Frank Miller’s epic, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.  Like Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1, the folks at DC’s animated division have once again created a movie worthy of the source material.

When I first heard that DC was dividing The Dark Knight Returns into two movies, the cynic in me saw this as a cash grab. But now that I’ve seen both movies, I’m glad the decision was made to divide the story into two movies. Nothing feels rushed, nothing feels left out.

Michael Emerson did a great job voicing the Joker. His Joker is not Mark Hamill’s Joker, but it is terrific in its own way. While I love Batman: The Animated Series, and hear Mark Hamill’s Joker and Kevin Conroy’s Batman when I read those characters, I like that Andrea Romano was tasked with finding all-new voice talent for the two Dark Knight Returns movies.

The climatic fight scene between Superman and Batman was awesome, as was the scene where Superman is hit by the nuclear bomb. Both scenes were like seeing what my mind’s eye sees in the gutters of the comic brought to life. The producers did an amazing job with both.

My only complaints about the movie are minor. The lighting seemed too bright for some of the street level action. I would have expected more shadows and murkier colors. The comic is full of a lot of blacks and  grays, but the animated movie has a more colorful overall palette.

There were two character designs that stood out for me that seemed very off from their comic book counterparts. In The Dark Knight Returns comic, Bruno, the Joker’s swastika-adorned, Neo-Nazi goon always looked like a post-op tranny to me. She’s more obviously a woman here in the movie. Batman’s bag lady disguise is the other design that was jarring to me. In the comic, this is a scary looking disguise. The bag lady looks like disease and death in an overweight bag. But her gruesome features are gone in the movie. Sure, she’s not winning any beauty contests, but they definitely gave her an upgrade in the looks department.

Bruno from the Dark Knight Returns comic

Having recently watched Batman: Year One, it was nice to see a couple of Easter eggs for that movie in this one. On the Gordan’s apartment wall, you can see photos of Gordan’s first wife, Barbara and their infant son James Jr.

I bought the limited edition version of the movie at Best Buy, which comes with a small Joker figure. Was this  figure worth the extra five bucks? I’m going to say no. The Joker’s face looks more like David Bowie by way of Gene Simmons and there is virtually no articulation.

Not the best Joker figure.

I definitely recommend watching Batman: Year One and then both parts of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. All three movies are very faithful and very well done adaptations of what I think are the two greatest Batman stories ever told.

by

Batman: Year One – Review

5/5 – Perfect adaption of THE Batman origin story.

Batman: Year One might be my favorite comic book story ever published. Like Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, it’s a story that I’ve come back to year after year and it’s never felt old. When I heard that DC was planning an animated adaptation of Year One, I was a bit worried. Would they change the story? Would they stay true to Mazzucchelli’s line work or attempt update the art style?

My worries proved to be unfounded. Bruce Timm and Andrea Romano have once again put together the pieces to make a great animated movie. Batman: Year One should be considered a must-see for any Batman fan. I would also say that Batman: Year One, the comic this movie was based on, is mandatory reading for any Batman fan. After hearing Bruce and Andrea talk at New York Comic Con, and seeing the quality of Year One and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1, I’m very excited for everything coming down the DC Animated pipeline.

This movie shows Batman at his most fallible. He’s inexperienced and unsure of himself. He doesn’t have the super computer, all the fancy gadgets (though he does have some), the fancy car or the network of crime fighting colleagues to call upon. It’s cool to see Batman make mistakes, like when he attempts to foil a home burglary. And I was very happy to see that the coolest scene from Year One, which was also used in Batman Begins, was kept in the animated movie, namely Batman calling the cloud of bats to come to his aid when fleeing the Gotham PD.

Batman: Year One is much Jim Gordon’s story as it is Bruce Wayne’s. This isn’t only Batman’s first year in Gotham. It is also Gordon’s first year there as well, after uprooting from Chicago with his pregnant wife. The Gordon presented in Year One is unlike any Jim Gordon presented before. He’s trying hard to be an honest cop in a corrupt city full of corrupt cops and politicians. He’s not an infallible knight in shining armor though. He is full of pathos. He questions his decisions. You probably will too. But at the end of the day, he’s the most upstanding cop on the Gotham force. It’s interesting to watch Batman and Lt. Gordon do their dance, unsure if they can trust each other.

The Year One movie, like the Year One comic, accomplishes
 the amazing feat of making Jim Gordon as interesting as the Batman.

The only slight I have against the movie is the coloring of characters eyes. The whites of people’s eyes are the same color as the rest of their face. It’s not jarring when I see it in a still, but in the movie, I kept being distracted by it. I’m guessing the decision stemmed from wanting the animation style to match the book as much as possible, but I just found the flesh colored eyes to be weird.

I highly recommend watching Batman: Year One on DVD or Blu-ray. The special features included in it are great. There are two short interview-style featurettes, the first one focusing on the impact Frank Miller had on the Batman mythos. Miller doesn’t appear here himself, but a lot of other comic creators do, including Dennis O’Neil, Mike Carlin, Dan Didio and Scott Snyder. Producer Michael Uslan sits down with Dan Didio, Dennis O’Neil and Scott Snyder to talk about how Batman has changed over the years in the other featurette. Snyder, Didio and O’Neil each grew up during different eras of Batman, so it was very interesting to hear them talk about the differences and similarities of what defined Batman for them.

There’s also a Showcase animated short featuring Catwoman. I thought Eliza Dushku did a better job voicing Catwoman in Year One than she does here. In the short, she sounds stilted, as if she’s reading off of cue cards.

We’re coming up to the release of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 very soon. I recommend watching Batman: Year One and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 in anticipation of it.

by

Best Comic Books of 2012

Tuesday Night Movies presents a look back at the best comic books of 2012. These are the books that reminded us in the past year why we’re comics fans. 

Billy says…

Hawkeye– If you are not reading Hawkeye, then you are missing out on Marvel’s best series. Matt Fraction and David Aja show what Purple Arrow does when he’s not on missions with the Avengers. Fraction’s scripts are thrilling and witty. Aja’s artwork is amazing. The way he breaks down the page story-wise is unlike anything being published today. I defy anyone to read issue #1 and not become a fan. I love this series so much that I want a pair of purple Chuck Taylors.
 
The Walking Dead– 2012 was the year where I went from reading The Walking Dead in the collected softcover books to buying the individual issues. The build-up to issue #100 was just too much for me. I used to be able to wait. I can’t anymore. When part 1 of Something to Fear was released in issue #97, I had to read it immediately. Issue #100 was a punch to gut. I love this series so much.
 
Spider-Men– The Spider-Man from the Marvel Universe, Peter Parker, meets his Ultimate Comics counterpart, Miles Morales, in this awesome adventure. Which was the better scene? Peter interacting with Ultimate Gwen Stacey or Ultimate Aunt May getting some more time with Peter?


Uncanny X-Force– Rick Remender, you magnificent bastard. What an end-cap to an amazing series. This series will make you a fan of Deadpool and Fantomex if you aren’t already. Remender’s Uncanny X-Force is an instant classic, and is easily the best X-Men comic to be released in years. When’s the omnibus for this series coming out?

Batman– Scott Snyder and Greg  Capullo are killing it with every issue of Batman. From the Court of Owls to the current Death of the Family story line, Batman is consistently the best book DC is publishing since the beginning of the New 52.
 
Earth 2– When DC relaunched their line of comics in 2011 with the New 52, the Justice Society of America was nowhere to be found. The series Earth 2 launched this year as part of DC’s New 52 Second Wave. It takes place on an Earth in another dimension from the main DC Earth. Green Lantern and Flash are here, but it’s their Golden Age JSA versions. Remember when it was in the news that Green Lantern came out of the closet? That was Earth 2.
Green Lantern– Geoff Johns’s run on Green Lantern has consistently been one of the best comics on the stands every year since 2005. This year saw Johns replace Green Lantern Hal Jordan with the first Muslim Green Lantern from Earth, Simon Baz. Baz is imprisoned by the US government when the ring chooses him as Hal’s replacement. The Justice League hunted him down, leading to one of my favorite sequences of the year:
 
Edison Rex – Edison Rex is a reason to own an iPad. The digital-exclusive series from Monkeybrain focuses on a Lex Luthor-like villain who manages to take out his heroic archenemy and has to figure out what to do next. And each issue is only $0.99! It’s a bargain for this level of quality!
Daredevil– If you told me two years ago that Daredevil would be one of my favorite comics, I would have rolled my eyes so hard that I might have suffered from a detached retina. But man, Mark Waid, Chris Samnee and Paolo Rivera have made this such a fun read, month in and month out. I love the new take on Daredevil’s radar sense. The art is stellar and the writing is great as well. This is Marvel’s best currently published title not named Hawkeye.

John Romita Amazing Spider-Man Artist Edition– I love Spider-Man. I love the art of John Romita. On the Wednesday this book was released, the staff of my LCS and I stood around trying our best not to drool on the pages as we flipped through this book. It is so, so pretty. I highly recommend buying a copy. The black and white art is reproduced in full color so that you can see every blue line, white out and editorial note on the page. IDW is coming out with an Amazing Spider-Man Gil Kane Artist’s Edition in 2013. Expect that to appear on my list at the end of 2013.

 
Nick says…
 
When it came time to make a “top 10 comics” list from this year, I ran into a slight problem: while I read a ton of stuff in 2012, a lot of it was not actually released this year – I re-read a few favorite series, finally got around to reading books I’d had for a long time, discovered a few things that were “new to me” but not anyone else, etc. So, with that in mind, I decided to put together a list of my favorite comic book related things from this year – some are comics, some are books, some are movies…but it’s all stuff I liked, and it all was released in the last 12 months. In no particular order:
Hawkeye, by Matt Fraction and David Aja – Last year’s unexpected hit for Marvel was definitely Mark Waid’s Daredevil series, which is a fun superhero book that exists outside of the company’s current event-driven mentality. Hawkeye is the same kind of book – a well-made series that doesn’t require a reader to know anything other than “Hawkeye is an Avenger, but he does other stuff when he’s not fighting aliens.” Fraction puts as much information as possible into each issue – I’ve never really minded “decompression” in comics, but as single issues get more and more expensive, I appreciate the effort to make each comic stand-alone. As for the art, David Aja is channeling David Mazzucchelli circa Batman: Year One, and it couldn’t be a more perfect fit. The comic is one of the best-drawn on the stands today. If you’re looking for an entry point, issue #7 is out soon, and Fraction will be donating all of his proceeds for the issue to Hurricane Sandy relief – it’s a good opportunity to check out a great book and support a great cause. Times are tough for any comic series without an “X” or “Avengers” in the title; hopefully Hawkeye will stick around for as long as Fraction and Aja want to make it.   
Groo Artist’s Edition, by Sergio Aragones – Aragones is my all-time favorite cartoonist – a few years ago I flew from Charleston, SC to Baltimore, MD just so I could go to a comic convention for one day in order to meet him – so when I heard that IDW was releasing an Artist’s Edition featuring his work, I was ecstatic! I’d resisted the urge to buy past Artist Editions (I knew once I started, it’d be hard to stop) but this one was a no-brainer. This book reprints a four-issue story from the latter days of Groo’s Epic series, along with covers and two page spreads from other issues in the run – all at “actual size!” The only “downside” of the book is that, by this point, Aragones was such a good cartoonist that there’s hardly any “work” that can be seen. There might be some white-out here and there, but for the most part, looking through this book is an exercise in “let’s watch this craftsman be perfect.” But to be honest, that’s fine by me.  
 
King City, by Brandon Graham – Graham’s work may be my favorite discovery of 2012. I had heard a ton of good stuff about King City, and picked the collection up as soon as it was available. There’s a strong Manga influence in his comics, which I don’t have a lot of knowledge about, but there’s just something about his art that really grabs me. Even though he has a very simple line, his pages are just packed with visual information – there’s always something happening in the background. The story is great as well – Graham has taken many different story threads (some of which you wouldn’t think would work together) and created a story that deals with how our memories can influence (and in some case impede) our progress in life – of course, this is wrapped up in action and romance and sex and puns (so many puns!). Image is currently publishing Graham’s new Multiple Warheads series in full color, and I cannot wait to dive into them.
Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, by Sean Howe – This was released just in time for this year’s New York Comic-Con, and it made for the perfect plane/subway reading for my trip. This book is a must-have for anyone who’s ever loved Marvel Comics; it covers the entire history of the company, providing tons of behind the scenes anecdotes and stories. 
 
My favorite parts of the book were the chapters dealing with the company during the 1970’s – I started reading comics in the 80’s, and have gone back and read a lot of the classic books from the 60’s, but was almost completely unfamiliar with what the company was doing during that decade – it was interesting to see how the company changed as the old guard left and the books were taken over by younger talent. I also loved the chapters dealing with the formation of Image Comics in the early 1990’s. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the history of the comic book industry.

Richard Stark’s Parker: The Score, by Darwyn Cooke – This is the third of Cooke’s adaptations of Richard Stark’s classic crime series, and if you’ve read the others, you’ll know what to expect here. I’ve been making my way through the novels over the last few years, and The Score is definitely my favorite of the ones I’ve read so far – who could resist a story about a small group of criminals attempting to knock over an entire town? Cooke’s art keeps getting better and better, and he keeps finding interesting ways to make the books (which are very exposition heavy) into comics. In addition, he keeps most of Stark’s dialogue intact, with only a few tweaks here and there. I feel that Cooke’s involvement in the ill-conceived Before Watchmen debacle overshadowed this book’s release – I say you ignore all of that and pick this up. 
Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples – Y the Last Man is one of my two favorite comic series ever, so I was super excited when this new series was announced. Only 8 issues have been published so far, but the book has already exceeded my expectations. Vaughan and Staples have created a sci-fi love story, leaning heavy on the “Romeo & Juliet in space” angle, introducing a huge cast of characters without ever getting too confusing. Staples’ art is fantastic, and she’s designed characters that are completely unlike those that we’ve seen in science fiction in the past, which is no mean feat. I know this list is not in any specific order, but if I was forced to assign numbers, this would be my #1 pick.   
The Dark Knight Rises–  First off, I will state for the record that this movie is a mess. The plot didn’t really make any sense and movie was filled with dei ex machina (in the case of “clean slate,” literally). That said, it was probably the most fun I’ve had at the movies this year, and I’m not just saying that because I have an unnatural love of (almost) all things Batman. One of the weird things about Nolan’s Batman films is that due to the acting talent on display, Batman almost becomes a supporting character in his own movies – but I think that that works – Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine – hell, I don’t usually care about Joseph Gordon Levitt but I loved him here. And I may be one of the few that absolutely loves Tom Hardy’s Bane voice – if I could sound like a jaunty Sean Connery, I would always talk like that. Billy and Bryan were kind enough to let me yammer on about the movie (and Batman) for like 2 hours on their podcast, so I’ll just say: as long as you don’t pay too much attention to the plot, The Dark Knight Rises is a ton of fun.
Hellboy in Hell, by Mike Mignola – Over the last 10 years or so, while Marvel and DC have been turning out endless iterations of phony deaths and “big changes,” Mike Mignola and his colleagues (most often John Arcudi) have been quietly creating the best superhero comics with his Hellboy and B.P.R.D. series. Over dozens of books, Mignola’s been able to craft stories where things change and stay changed, and where “nothing will ever be the same” actually means something. Favorite characters have died, never to be seen again, and cities have been leveled. Mignola took a few years off from drawing the Hellboy books, but Hellboy in Hell marks his return to the drawing board, and while only one issue has been released so far, it is (of course) one of the best looking books on the stands. The series picks up after the shocking events of the Storm & the Fury and allows Mignola to dive right in to what he does best – draw Hellboy punching monsters, and crackin’ wise. I don’t know if the series is necessarily “new reader friendly” (I’ve been reading them all along, so I know what’s happening/who’s who, for the most part), but I recommend giving it a try. Besides – if you like superhero/adventure comics, and you’ve never read Hellboy/B.P.R.D….well, boy, I don’t even know.    
God and Science: Return of the Ti-Girls, by Jaime Hernandez – Much like Sergio Aragones, Jaime Hernandez is a cartoonist’s cartoonist. He (along with his brothers) has been making Love & Rockets for 30 years now, and it’s one of the best series in the history of comics. I’m not really a fan of Gilbert’s work, but I’ve fallen hard for Jaime’s comics over the last few years, and this book is a prime example as to why. Most of the story was originally published in the first 2 issues of Love & Rockets: New Stories, but Jaime has added pages, turning this into its own book. The story (sort of) introduces superheroes into the “Locas” universe, and allows Hernandez to focus on Penny Century, along with some of the other characters that have been on the fringes. It’s a pretty light, fun story, and (as usual) is an absolute joy to look at.    

Scott Pilgrim Deluxe Color Editions, by Bryan Lee O’Malley –  Remember when I said that Y the Last Man was one of my two all-time favorite comic book series? Well, this is the other one – I’ve read the original comic series multiple times, and probably watch the movie adaptation every few months. That said, when these color editions were first announced, I was a little hesitant to double-dip – there was never a point when reading the original books that I felt like color was needed. Once I started seeing previews online, however, I knew I’d pick them up – these new editions are just fantastic. Much like the color editions Bone, the colors (by Nathan Fairbairn) add to the story without being overbearing. In addition, this has allowed O’Malley to make subtle changes to the art throughout the books. As an added bonus, there’s also tons of supplementary material in the back. Now that I’ve seen the new versions, the only downside of buying them again is that we have to wait until 2014 to get all six books. 

Dave says…
 
Justice League Dark– When I was a kid I always enjoyed the mystical C to Z list characters. When they would be involved in some sort of team-up with each other I’d wish it was a regular event. A series based on a team of mystic loners seemed always just out of reach. There was a group called the Conclave in the Fate series just after Zero Hour. Though Dr. Mist’s team, The Leymen in Primal Force almost fit the bill, that series was canceled almost as soon as it was started. Geoff Johns gave us the Sentinels of Magic in Day of Judgement but they never were given their own book. It took the horribly entitled; Justice League Dark to bring a team of magic based characters into a team book. I was really excited to read the first issue but the book didn’t live up to what I expected. It felt depressing, slow, and a tad boring. I didn’t read past there until Jeff Lemire took over writing duties with issue #9. I’ve been loving this series since then. If characters like Felix Faust, John Constantine, Zatanna, Deadman, Black Orchid, Dr. Mist, Tim Hunter, Amethyst, Frankenstein, and Madame Xanadu are you cup of tea, I’d suggest picking it up. 
Jeff and new co-writer Ray Fawkes start a new storyline in January with #15.
 

Batman Inc.– Grant Morrison has been by favorite writer for a long time and this series is one of the many reasons to love his writing. Relaunched a few months after the start of the New 52, this series continues from where Grant left off in his epic batman story he started back in 2007. The new series should be penetrable to new readers but is so much more rewarding if you have been reading from the beginning.

Spider-Men– I got hooked reading the adventures of Miles Morales with his start in his own series. Brian Michael Bendis was doing very interesting this with Miles in the series. This year it seems to have slowed down and with the past few issues being a crossover with  the rest of the Ultimate Marvel Universe I am becoming uninterested. This cannot be said of the limited series Spider-Men where the 616 Spider-Man (Peter Parker) makes his way into the Ultimate Universe to meet Miles. Bendis tells a very touching, action-packed, and heartfelt story here. I came out wanting to read more Peter and Miles adventures. I’d suggest picking this up in trade.

 
Aquaman– I recently was complaining to Billy how All-New X-Men by Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen was moving too slow for me. I felt like the first three issues of story I could have obtained from looking at the cover of the first issue showing the original X-Men time displaced in our present. I had almost the same complaint when I initially started reading Aquaman with the start of the New 52 except I felt there was too much action. I felt like tore through those books in a couple minutes. As the book as gone on that problem has seemed to dissipated. The story in this book has been great from the beginning. The first arc we meet a new life form from the seas that makes Jaws look like a guppy. And with the second arc series writer Geoff Johns builds on Aquaman’s mythos by giving him a whole team of new characters from his past which all builds to the “Throne of Atlantis” Crossover between Aquaman and Justice League. Johns and Ivan Reis are doing what they did on Green Lantern on Aquaman but ten-fold. These stories are funny, action-packed, gorgeous, and challenge the idea of who people think Aquaman is. Check this book out!
 
The Flash– Month in and month out Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato provide gorgeously written and drawn comics that make the make the reader stop, slow down, and take in the art. The Flash is anything but a quick read. It’s a book that always keeps me guessing and amped for the next issue. The only time I am not completely into this book is when there is a fill in artist. Manapul and Buccellato have such a distinct storytelling style it feels jarring when a fill in artist comes aboard, no matter how good he or she is. All in all this is a series definitely worth reading.

 

Action Comics– As I stated in my review of Batman Inc., I love Grant Morrison’s writing. What is better is I also love Superman and the art of Rags Morales. Grant brings us stories about the early days of Superman’s career. He reinvents much of Superman’s story. He gives it a modern twist and often a heartfelt one. This series starts off as a tale of Superman for the people. The story grows and twists and often requires more than one reading. I’d suggest reading this series in trade or re-read the single issues a lot to get the most enjoyment out of them. I highly recommend it.

The Shade– This 12 issue series should be collected soon because it just wrapped up a few months ago. When James Robinson writes the Shade he is at his best. When James Robinson writes the Shade with top-notch artists like Cully Hamner, Darwyn Cooke, Jill Thompson, and Gene Ha he is even better. The Shade was a character Robinson breathed life into in the Starman series from the late ‘90s. In this series he sends Shade on a globe trotting mission and gives us his origin. I highly recommend this series for anyone who is a fan of James Robinson, Starman, The Shade, Earth 2, JSA, or good comics.

Earth 2– James Robinson is also the scribe on Earth 2. The extremely talented Nicola Scott joins him on the art. Scott brings a unique style to this parallel world. The characters are reinvented from their original Golden Age/Justice Society counter parts with new updated origins. Robinson and Scott are building a diverse world of heroes that has nod to the old. This is a perfect comic for someone who doesn’t want to worry about the rest of the DC Universe because this is a universe unto itself.

Daredevil– Daredevil has been gorgeous, fun, and insightful since the start of the series. Mark Waid has brought a look at Matt Murdock we have not seen in a long time. This series shows how Waid knows how to write to his artist and his character. He is doing something here that will be looked at again and again in years to come.

Wonder Woman– This year Wonder Woman has edged out Daredevil as my favorite book. Brian Azzerello has turned Wonder Woman’s origin on it’s head and made her a much more interesting character. She now has a family of gods and goddesses that act like a crime family. Azzerello’s use of mythology reminds me of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. This series is filled with reveals, twists, and gorgeous art.


Written by Billy Henehan, Nick Doyle and Dave Tomko.

Now it’s your turn. What are your top comics of 2012?

by

Bruce Timm Interview at NYCC 2012

At New York Comic Con, I was able to sit down with Producer Bruce Timm and Casting Director Andrea Romano to discuss Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 and 2, and the enduring legacy of Batman: The Animated Series.

Bruce Timm and his team meet every week with people from Warner Home Video, DC Comics and Warner Brothers Animation in order to discuss everything that’s in production and what they might want to put into production. The idea of doing an adaptation of Batman: The Dark Knight returns was first brought up when DC began producing animated movies. There was some objection to it at the time, and they did other projects. The idea didn’t come up again until a couple of years ago, in between Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight’s release and the start of production on The Dark Knight Rises. There was concern that Christopher wanted to use The Dark Knight Returns for The Dark Knight Rises, so they had to again, not move forward with an animated Dark Knight Returns movie. Later on, once The Dark Knight Rises was in production, DC said it was different enough from The Dark Knight Returns to do an adaptation. “I jumped on it,” said Bruce Timm.

According to Bruce, it’s tricky finding the right project to pitch. “Sometimes we’ll have a favorite Batman comic that we loved as a kid or a teenager, and we’ll throw the idea out, but not all of those make good movies.” He went on to explain that with the realities of the marketplace is that even with the tight budget they work with, the movies still cost X millions of dollars. “The Home Video people want a sure thing. That means you’re going to get a lot of Batman movies, a lot of Superman movies, a lot of Justice League movies. I’m hoping that something happens along the way that allows us to broaden our horizons and lets us do a Nightwing movie or a Batgirl movie, but what something might be, I don’t know,” explained Bruce. I asked him, if Arrow continues to be popular, will we see a Green Arrow animated movie? “Who knows? Maybe. Possibly. We’ll see.” was his response. That sounds hopeful to me, Arrow fans.

When asked if he was concerned bringing the politics of the comic to the film version of The Dark Knight Returns, Bruce said, “Fortunately for me, my takeaway from reading the original in terms of political mind view is that Frank Miller seems to hate everybody. You know? It’s not that he hates liberals or he hates conservatives.”

Bruce caught himself and said, “I shouldn’t have said that. Frank doesn’t hate everybody. I don’t think Frank hates anybody.”

(Just kidding, Frank)
In talking about the actual script for The Dark Knight Returns, Bruce Timm said that screenwriter Bob Goodman hit all the high points in his outline. After Bob turned in his first draft, Bruce made notes about important dialogue from the book that needed to be in the script, or an important moment that needed to be put in. “It’s a little back and forth, but it’s a complicated process,” said Bruce.
The art direction is also something that was labored over. “We wanted to make it as much like the source material as possible,but knowing we weren’t going to make it look exactly like the comic…It’s always a trick to find what are the most iconic looking things about the original art that makes it look like Frank Miller art and yet at the same time can also be translated into animation.” Bruce commented. They referred to the comic on every background, vehicle, location and color schemes. Their goal was to make it look like the original comic as much as possible. Finding an art style that worked was difficult. It was something they struggled with for weeks. It had to be true to the original, but still able to be animated. They even went back to the original model sheets from the Batman: The Animated Series episode that dealt with The Dark Knight Returns, but didn’t get any help from there. “They were too simplified.” said Bruce. “We put our nose to the grindstone, sweat more bullets and eventually came up with what we came up with.”
Our discussion turned to Batman: The Animated Series. When I asked if he had a favorite episode, he said, “No. Too many. I couldn’t narrow it down.” When I followed that up with if there was an episode he didn’t like or that he was really unhappy with, he responded similarly: “Oh, I have tons that I don’t like. Are you kidding me? Again, I couldn’t narrow it down either. Which one’s the worst? There’s too many.” When asked who his favorite Batman composer was, Bruce said “That’s like asking me which one of my kids I love best.” Naturally, I immediately followed up with, “Which one of your kids do you love best?” Without missing a beat, Bruce said, “My daughter.” and then went on to say, “That’s an easy one, because I only have one.”
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 is available now. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 will be released on January 29, 2013.
Interview by Billy Henehan.
by

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 Review

Around the time that the first Tim Burton Batman movie was released, I had a case of full-on Batmania. I had enough Batman t-shirts to last over a week. I had multiple Batman buttons pinned to my jackets. I even had a giant Batman movie poster from the NYC subway hanging in my bedroom.

It was around this time that I was given a copy of The Dark Knight Returns. It immediately became one of my favorite comics. It’s one of those comics that I read almost every year.

When it was announced that Dark Knight Returns would be adapted into an animated movie, I couldn’t help but feel hesitant about it. I’m not a fan of the Death of Superman animated film and I worried that they would use the wrong art style or water down the story on DKR. The box art scared me; this wasn’t the Batman from The Dark Knight Returns on the box art.

I shouldn’t have worried. The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 is a very faithful adaption of the first half of The Dark Knight Returns. The art style is very reminiscent of Frank Miller’s art from the comic, but updated to not look dated, less rough, and more streamlined. It’s a very subtle shift in style and it works well. The story has barely been changed. It’s not a shot-for-shot, line-for-line remake of the comic, but while watching it, I couldn’t pick out any scene that was missed. Batman’s inner monologue is gone, but that may be for the better. I don’t know if I’d have enjoyed the movie if every scene was narrated by The God Damn Batman.

Yessssss!

The story in Part 1 deals with Batman coming out of retirement to deal with the Mutant Gang, who have been terrorizing Gotham City. The leader of the Mutants is a ‘roided up, razor teethed psycho. It’s a cool story that works both on its own and as a set-up for Part 2, which is being released on January 29, 2013. The climatic battle between Batman and the leader of the Mutants is simply awesome.

The Mutant Gang have a similar eye-wear fashion sense as Cyclops from the X-Men.

The hardest part of enjoying any animated Batman movie for me is dealing with Kevin Conroy not voicing Batman. To me, and many others, Kevin Conroy is Batman, so hearing someone else’s voice come out of the character’s mouth can be jarring. But Peter Weller is great as Batman.

I highly recommend checking out Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1. It has replaced Batman: Under the Red Hood as my favorite DC animated feature. If you enjoyed the recent The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight rises movies, it’s worth checking out the story that helped inspire those two films.

I can’t wait for Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2 to be released. In the meantime, I think I’ll check out the DC animated movie of my other favorite Batman tale: Year One.

You can also read my interviews with Bruce Timm and Andrea Romano about the making of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

by

Sunday at NYCC 2012 Planning Guide

If this year is anything like last year, Sunday at NYCC 2012 will be very crowded. It won’t be Saturday crowded, but it will still be crowded, especially in the early afternoon. With it being Kids Day, at least the average height of the crowd will be greatly reduced.

Need a break from the crowds on the show floor? Get thee to a panel! There aren’t as many options as Saturday, but there are some very, very good options.

10:45 AM – 11:45 AM Minimates Turns 10: Small Toys, Big Plans
People seem to either love or hate Minimates. I’m in the love camp, despite not actually currently owning any Minimates. With Marina getting a Minimate this year, I have to ask what Marvel character is left that hasn’t received the Minimate treatment? D-Man? Maybe this is his year!

10:45 AM – 11:45 AM Marvel NOW!: Amazing Spider-Man and Beyond
Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott has said that he will have to go into hiding once Amazing Spider-Man #700 comes out. What is he planning?! Expect some ominous clues here. And Mark Waid will also be here talking about my current favorite Marvel title, Daredevil.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM DC Entertainment – Meet the Co-Publishers
The line for this was LONG last year. With the New 52 still as popular (or unpopular, depending on the person you ask) as last year, expect this to be crowded again this year, with Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, Dan DiDio and Bob Wayne talking about the plans for the New 52 in 2013. Get here early if you want to get a good seat. When do you think the first Wally West/Donna Troy question gets asked? I predict it will be before the 3rd question in the Q&A.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM 666 Park Avenue Special Video Presentation and Q&A
It looks like the whole cast and the executive producers will be at this panel. I haven’t watched 666 Park Avenue yet. Is it any good? I did like Terry O’Quinn in Lost and once had a crush on Vanessa Williams when I was about 14.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Tom Felton Q&A
I really hope a young fan treats Tom Felton as if he were actually Draco Malfoy and asks why he’s always such a jerk to Harry. Or better yet, a middle aged fan does this.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Arrow Special Video Presentation and Q&A
Executive Producers Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, and the cast of Arrow are going to discuss the show and give a sneak peak of upcoming episodes. Arrow is very smartly making its TV debut the night before New York Comic Con starts. I’m excited for Arrow, but I think if I went to this panel, I’d end up asking questions about my current Netflix obsession, Eli Stone.

12:15 PM – 1:15 PM DC Comics: Batman – Death Comes to Gotham
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are killing it on Batman right now. I don’t remember the last time I enjoyed the main Batman title this much. The Joker is returning in the upcoming Death of the Family. If you read the other Bat-titles (I don’t), creators from most of those will be here as well, including Grant Morrison. At SDCC, DC handed out Court of Owls masks at the Batman panel. Hopefully we’ll get lucky as here.

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Kirkmania!
An hour of Robert Kirkman taking questions directly from fans. Remember people, questions begin with what and how, not I.

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM Ian McDiarmid Spotlight
The listing says that Ian McDiarmid is going to talk about his entire prolific career, but I’m pretty sure I’ve only ever seen him play one role across five movies.

Written by Nick Doyle

by

NYCC 2012 Exclusives (UPDATED!)

UPDATED 10/5/12!
UPDATED AGAIN 10/9/12!!

New York Comic Con is less than three weeks away and I am getting seriously excited for it. One of the best things about New York Comic Con is having access to limited edition items, many of which are either debuting or only available at NYCC.

Here are the ones I’m more excited about! …and some that just have me shaking my head.

4-LOM and Zuckuss Christmas Ornaments (Hallmark)

Price: ???, Limited to 800 sets.
True story: I love Christmas and I love Star Wars. I already have a lot of Star Wars ornaments on my tree each year, but what’s two more, right? Last year’s droids two-pack sold out pretty quickly. This might be the first thing I buy on Thursday.

The Dark Knight Returns Christmas Ornament (Hallmark)
Price: ???, Limited to 700 sets
This was an SDCC exclusive, and I was jealous of anyone who bought it! I love Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. It’s one of the few comic book stories that I go back and read year after year. Would I be more excited if it was a David Mazzucchellli Year One Batman? Yes. Am I complaining?
No. This will be mine!

Cylon Centurion Christmas Ornament (Hallmark – Booth 1229)
Price: ???, Limited to 600
While you’re at the Hallmark booth, you might want to pick up this limited edition Cylon Centurion Christmas Ornament. It’s a gold plated variant of last year’s Cylon ornament. It makes sound. I probably won’t buy this one. My only exposure to Battlestar Galactica was playing with my cousin’s Cylon action figure when were kids. I never watched either the original show or the recent series. But that Cylon toy from my youth was so cool looking. It looked like a more bad-ass Stormtrooper. Did Cylons shoot beams out of the their eyes? Five year old me thought so.

The Walking Dead Hardcover Compendium NYCC Red Foil Version (Image/Skybound)
Price: $100, Limited to 1500
It’s the big Walking Dead phone book sized collection, but in hardcover. SDCC had a similar exclusive. This is going to go fast. I don’t know how Skybound plans on selling this: if it’s just first come, first served; if they’re planning on allocating a supply for each day, but I get the feeling that no matter how they decide to sell this, it is going to sell out and sell out quickly.

Thief of Thieves Volume 1: “I Quit!” NYCC Exclusive Hardcover (Image/Skybound)
Price: $30, Limited to 1000
I want there to be a Thief of Thieves movie, and I want Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) to star in them. If you haven’t read Thief of Thieves yet, I highly recommend picking up this collection of the first storyline, “I Quit!”

Saga Bookplate (Image) (Image)
Price: Free with purchase of Saga Volume 1, Limited to 200
You know what, Image, just go and take all my money. Saga, by Bryan K. Vaughn (Lost, Y: The Last Man) and Fiona Staples has quickly become one of my favorite comic books. If you’re one of the first 200 people to buy Saga Volume 1 at the Image booth, they will include an exclusive NYCC bookplate. Plus, both Vaughn and Staples will be at NYCC if you want to get it signed. I expect this to be gone by Friday.

Skullkickers #15 Kitten Variant (Image/Jim Zub and Edwin Huang)
Price: $10 signed, $5 personalized.
I’m not sure if I read that price right. Is it $10 if you want a signed version and $5 cheaper if you want it personalized? If so, that is very cool. Because, basically, if you’re a true fan, you’re getting it personalized, and if your goal is just to throw it on eBay for some quick cash, then you can pay a little more.

Master of the Universe Skeletor Power Sword Letter Opener (AFX)
Price: $20
Remember the He-Man Power Sword Letter Opener from SDCC? Here’s its evil twin. The Skeletor Power Sword Letter Opener is best for opening bills, junk mail and letters from the IRS.


Alpha Flight Minimates Series 2 (AFX)
Price: ???
AFX brought you Series 1 of Canada’s premier superhero team at San Diego Comic Con this year, and now you can add Sasquatch, Snowbird, Talisman and Aurora to join Guardian, Puck, Marina and the recently married Northstar to defend the northern part of your bookshelf. Both Series 1 and 2 will be available at the AFX booth.


Thundercats Minimates Series 2 (AFX)
Price: ???
The Alpha Flight Minimates where distributed much more evenly in terms of coolness compared to the Thundercats Minimates (but maybe that’s because all of Alpha Flight is lame. What? I said it!). Thundercats Series 1 nets you Lion-O, Panthro, Jaga, Mumm-Ra and a bonus Snarf figure, while if you buy Series 2, you’ll find yourself owning Mumm-Ra’s lackeys: Jackalman, Monkian, Slithe, Vultureman and Wolfrat, aka “That one, the other one, the lizard guy, the bird dude and oh, who cares?” No wonder, with the exception of Mumm-Ra, I only remember the good guys from Thundercats. Both sets will be available at NYCC. Honestly, I think you’d be better off buying two sets of Series 1.

Doctor Who Masterpiece Collection: Tenth Doctor (Sound of Drums Variant) Maxi-Bust Comic-Con Exclusive (Titan Entertainment)
Price: ???
I don’t usually buy statues. I’m usually content enough to just see them in the comic book store. But I kind of want to buy this one. I just got into Doctor Who last year and love David Tennant as The Doctor. Shameful admission: I actually haven’t reached the end of season three yet, so I haven’t seen the episode from which this statue is based. Okay, if I don’t watch Sound of Drums by NYCC, I won’t buy this. That seems fair, right?

Aardman Batman Action Figure (DC)

Price: $25, Limited to 2000
I haven’t seen the shorts that this figure is based on, but that doesn’t stop me from thinking this guy would look awesome on my desk, peeking over my Mr. Met Bobble Head. 


John Stewart and Atrocitus Action Figure Two-Pack (DC/Graphitti Designs)
Price: $25, Limited to 2500
DC wins the “Phoning It In” Award with this two-pack. Where’s Baz, the Green Lantern who made his debut right before NYCC? Or how about Green Lantern Jon Stewart? If they did either of those, I wouldn’t be able to hand them my money fast enough. And what is going on with that John Stewart action figure? He looks terrible. He’s posing for the cover of Muscle & Fitness. His head looks like a white guy in black face make-up. The only cool thing about this two-pack is John’s rifle construct, which is hopefully green and not yellow in the final product. I’m guessing if you’re buying this two-pack, it’s for that constuct. I think John Stewart is an awesome Green Lantern. The sculpt of him here in this two-pack is an insult to the character. 

The Walking Dead: The Official Magazine #1 with NYCC Exclusive Michonne Cover by The Walking Dead Artist Charlie Adlard (Image)
Price: ???
First there was The Walking Dead: The Comic, then there was The Walking Dead: The TV Series, followed by The Walking Dead: The Action Figures and The Walking Dead: The Prose Novel. Now there’s The Walking Dead: The Magazine. The Walking Dead is becoming the new Spaceballs. I’m not kidding. I saw a Rick Grimes plush doll last week. We’re 10 months away from The Walking Dead: The Toiler Paper, you take my word for it.

This isn’t the only The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine #1 Exclusive Cover that will be available at NYCC. Midtown Comics has their own exclusive variants as well, both of which will probably be available at their booth.

Wolverine Brown Classic Costume Funko Pop Figure (Zappi comics)
Price: ???, Limited to 1000
This is, without a doubt, my favorite Wolverine costume. I don’t own any of Pop Funko’s figures, but I think they’re very cool looking. I’ve come very close to buying their Han Solo before.

The Walking Dead Bloody Rick and Daryl Funko Pops Figures (Harrisons)
Price: ???, Limited to 3000
You know what, Kirkman? just take my money.


DC Skelanimals Dark Knight Batman Jae Plush
Price: ???
12”, plush, too adorable not to make this list.


G-Man: Coming Home #1 (Chris Giarrusso & Jacob Chabot)
Price: ???
Stop by Chris’s table and you’ll be able to pick up this issue before it hits stores!


Khem, Captain Action’s Black Panther (Captain Action Enterprises)
Price: $25, Limited to 200
I’m a little too young to have any memory of Captain Action, but in the 60’s, Captain Action’s sidekick, Action Boy, had a pet; Khem the Black Panther. Frankly, this just makes me question whether or not Captain Action is fit to have a sidekick. You’re giving a kid a black panther to play with? Shame, Captain Action, Shame.

UPDATE!! Marvel has announced some pretty cool NYCC exclusives. Check them out!

Rocket Raccoon Coffee Mug (Marvel)
Price: $12
Something I don’t need: another coffee mug. Something I want: This coffee mug.

I Survived the Battle for New York T-Shirt (Marvel)
Price: $20
What’s the over/under on the number of people you see wearing this while waiting in line opening night of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie?

Avengers Album T-Shirt (Marvel)
Price: $20
Need a t-shirt that works on both Free Comic Book Day and Record Store Day? You’re welcome.

Avengers Vs. X-Men #12 Avengers Variant (Marvel)
Price: $10
Sure, the Giants won the Superbowl and the Avengers came out on top in AvX, but I look at this cover and all I think is that Thor looks so much like NY Jets Center Nick Mangold.

Avengers Vs. X-Men #12 X-Men Variant (Marvel)
Price: $10
Considering the ending of AvX, it’s fitting that the X-Men are representing my beloved NY Jets. Considering the strategic placement of Emma’s football, I’m guessing Marvel couldn’t get license rights to the Jets name. “Jets? Why would you think they’re spelling out that? They could be spelling anything. Like Mets…oh, wait, never mind.” I’m happy to see that Beast is down with Tebow Time. You hear that, Rex Ryan? The smartest X-Man thinks you should play Tim Tebow more! Listen to him!

Wolverine: Old Man Logan Action Figure (Marvel)
Price: Free with Marvel Digital Unlimited Subscription
Jonesing for a Hasbro exclusive? It looks like this will be the only one at NYCC this year. And this isn’t even a true exclusive, as it was available at SDCC and will be available on the Marvel Digital Unlimited website as well. My theory on why we’re not seeing more from Hasbro is that until recently, you could still buy last year’s NYCC exclusives on their website. That’s unfortunate. I find Hasbro’s lack of faith in NYCC disturbing.

UPDATE THE SECOND!!!

Skybound has announced some more Walking Dead exclusives for NYCC!

Michonne and Pets PVC Set
Price: Gray – $15, Limited to 1000; Purple – $20, Limited to 250; Glow-in-the-Dark – $20, Limited to 250
Just in time for Michonne’s debut in the TV show, Skybound will be selling these Michonne and Pets PVC figure sets. They look very nicely detailed. The numbers on these are VERY limited. I doubt the glow-in-the-dark version will make it past Thursday. Grab this while you can!

The Remains T-Shirt
Price: $20, Limited to 250
If you’re up to date on your The Walking Dead, you get what the names around the Great Seal refer to. If anyone asks, tell them Rick, Andrea, Carl and Michonne formed a Ramones tribute band in #100.

I was already planning on hitting up the Image booth as soon as I stepped onto the show floor. Now it looks like I’ll be speed-walking there.

This list will continue to be updated as more exclusives get announced!

Written by Nicholas Doyle, who thinks it would be a great idea if you like Tuesday Night Movies on Facebook.

by

The Dark Knight Rises (At The Theater 2012 #9)

Yes, yes, yes. I loved The Dark Rises. This was my most anticipated movie of 2012 and it did not disappoint at all!

I loved it so much that I watched Batman Begins and The Dark Knight again back to back shortly after seeing The Dark Knight Rises.

Thank you, Christopher Nolan. This trilogy has been amazing.

Anne Hathaway is definitely the sexiest Catwoman since Julie Newmar. I wasn’t sure what to make of her being cast at first, but she was perfect in DKR.

We can all pretend the Halle Berry movie didn’t happen now, right?

Tom Hardy as Bane was awesome. I loved how well he communicated without saying a word. I loved his voice. I’m very glad they didn’t go with Bane’s traditional wrestling unitard and pants costume from the comics. I’ve always found that costume to be ridiculous looking.

I really glad they didn’t go with this look.

I loved Bane’s jacket in Dark Knight Rises. Seriously, where can I get that jacket?

This jacket will be my closet’s reckoning.

Random thought: Is it me, or does Matthew Modine look a little too much like Aaron Eckhart? When he came on screen, I thought, “Didn’t you get horribly disfigured and die in the last movie?”

SPOILERS BELOW!


IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED, COME BACK AFTER YOU WATCH THE DARK KNIGHT RISES!

I really liked how Nolan mirrored scenes from Batman Begins in Dark Knight Rises, like when young Talia climbs out of the prison. It looked just like young Bruce’s ascent from the cave as a child.

Speaking of Talia, I called Marion Cotillard as Talia fairly early on. She was always being put in situations where if she was a villain, it would be very much to her advantage. Like, “Oh hey, here’s where we keep our nuclear reactor,” and “Hey, can you let me know which truck the Geiger counter says to mark? Thanks.” I was happy to see I was correct and I liked her Danny Ocean-esque plan for getting back at Batman. My only quibble is with Talia’s death scene. It was such a silly looking “And now I’m dead” death.

I don’t think Dark Knight Rises was better than The Dark Knight, but The Dark Knight is my favorite superhero movie ever, so it’s tough competition. The Dark Knight Rises is a great end cap for the Batman saga.

I would very much like to see a new movie with JGL as either Batman or Nightwing. There are so many Batman rouges left that Nolan didn’t touch. I know Nolan says he’s done with Batman, but it would be great if he came back on as producer if he doesn’t want to direct. Give us JGL as Batman like when Dick Grayson took over for Bruce after Batman RIP, or give us JGL as Nightwing. Either would be awesome. That said, I doubt it will happen. I think the next time we see a Batman movie in the theater, it will be a whole new franchise, in a whole new continuity.

That said, this would be all kinds of awesome.
by

Top 5 San Diego Comic-Con 2012 Exclusives

Listeners of The Billy and Bryan Show podcast (FREE on iTunes!) know that my co-host Bryan and I are a big fan of Top 5 Lists.

Sadly, we’re not heading to Comic-Con to record an episode this week, but that doesn’t mean I can’t salivate over all the exclusives that are available at the show. Without further ado, here are my Top 5 San Diego Comic-Con 2012 Exclusives!

Honorable Mention #1: S.H.I.E.L.D. Super Helicarrier (Hasbro – $130)

When I was a kid, Hasbro released the be all and end all of awesome toys when it sold the G.I. Joe U.S.S. Flagg Aircraft Carrier playset. It was over 7 feet long! I begged my parents for it. My mom said I had to choose between the aircraft carrier and my bed, as both wouldn’t fit in my room. I still chose the aircraft carrier. Beds are overrated. Unfortunately, they didn’t go for it.

At Comic-Con this year, Hasbro is selling the Flagg’s little brother, the Super Helicarrier. It’s a little over 4 feel long and comes with action figures of Captain America and Maria Hill.

How you get this home is its own adventure. I think it’s too big for the carry on bins.

Honorable Mention #2: Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope DVD Set With Stan Lee and Harry Knowles Figures (NECA – $30)

I haven’t seen Morgan Spurlock’s Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope documentary on Comic-Con yet. I think that I would like it, but what’s getting me excited for this item is that it comes with figures of Ain’t It Cool News founder Harry Knowles and Mr. Marvel himself, Stan Lee! Seriously, where else are going to get a Stan Lee action figure?

There’s another version of the DVD set with Morgan Spurlock and Joss Whedon as the included figures. I saw photos online of a Joss Whedon figure for this as well. No offense to Mr. Knowles or Mr. Spurlock, but if the figures included in one set were Lee and Whedon, this would be closer to #1 on this list.

If you want to finally stage your Stan Lee vs. Joss Whedon battle, you’ll have to hunt down the version that includes all four, or buy two copies of each of the versions that includes two. If anyone asks, just tell them you want to watch the movie more than once.

5. Masters of the Universe He-Man Power Sword Letter Opener (Action Figure Express – $20)

I’ve never been one for letter openers. I always had an easy enough time opening envelopes with my hands, so I never saw the need for one. That changed the moment I saw the Masters of the Universe He-Man Power Sword Letter Opener, available at the Action Figure Express booth for $30.

Yell “I have the power!” every time you open up a utility bill.

4. David Mazzuchelli’s Daredevil Born Again Artist’s Edition SDCC Variant (IDW – $200)

Reproduced at the full size of the original comic art pages and scanned in full color, so that can see every blue pencil line and splash of white out, the Artist’s Editions by IDW are a godsend to fans of original comic art. IDW has set the bar even higher with the David Mazzuchelli’s Daredevil Born Artist’s Edition. Not only has the original art been reproduced, but so have all of the overlays that ended up being taped to the original bristol board. And the book is massive. The SDCC variant is signed and numbered by David Mazzuchelli and has a different cover than the regular version. There are only 250 copies of the SDCC variant, so if you want one, make sure IDW is your first stop when you get inside.

3. Shockwave H.I.S.S Tank with Destro and Cobra B.A.T. (Hasbro – $65)

G.I. Joe was my favorite line of toys when I was growing up. Transformers wasn’t far behind. The H.I.S.S. Mark II was favorite G.I. Joe vehicle ever. Shockwave was always the Transformer that I wanted to own, but didn’t. I owned Megatron, who transformed into a too-realistic looking toy gun, which was cool, but Shockwave turned into this badass futuristic laser gun that lit up.

And now the H.I.S.S. and Shockwave are combined as one!

Like last year’s Cobra Commander piloting the Star Scream Sky Striker combo, the Shockwave HISS Tank is full of awesome accessories. Destro comes with a suitcase of money, which is cool, but he also comes with his very own to-scale Soundwave tape deck and three cassettes! You even get a second action figure, one of Cobra’s Battle Android Troopers. I always liked how the B.A.T.’s sleeve was rolled up, as if it showed up to Cobra that morning and said, “Alright! I’m ready to work!”

The ONE downside to this tank is that it doesn’t transform. But, honestly, the only way they could have excited me more would be if the exclusive was Snake Eyes behind the wheel of G1 Bumblebee (Hint for next year, Hasbro!).

2. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Christmas Ornament (Hallmark – $25)

I love Christmas ornaments, especially if they are Star Wars or superhero related. I also love The Dark Knight Returns.  It is definitely my favorite Batman story ever. My Christmas tree will not be complete until I own this.


1. Peavey McFarlane Spider-Man Rockmaster Electric Guitar (Action Figure Express – $275)

I don’t play guitar (unless you count Rock Band), but if I owned this guitar, I would learn. True story: I was obsessed with Todd McFarlane’s Spider-Man when I was in junior high school. At NYCC two years ago, 14-year old me gave present-day me a time travelling high-five when I got McFarlane to sign my copy of Amazing Spider-Man #300. At, $275, this guitar is the priciest item on this list, but look at it. It’s so pretty.

The first song I would learn? The Ramones cover of The Spider-Man Theme.

Looking over this list, I’m guessing that my bank account balance is very happy with me not attending Comic-Con.

Here’s hoping that the exclusives at this year’s New York Comic Con are equally good!

UPDATE:

Reader Dave wanted to know where Deadpool  is at in all of this. Here he is: Mongram has come out with a limited to 150 pieces Deadpool Bust Bank. It’s both sweet and generic looking. I can’t make up my mind on this one. I feel like you could get a similar Deadpool bank at your local comic book store, but the one at your local shop would be plastic and this one is a nice resin. Monogram is selling it for $25 at SDCC.