Posts Tagged ‘ Batman ’

…I’ve been crazily busy this week so I haven’t even been able to do the pull lists, let alone the quick reviews of the DCnU books, or anything else that I actually want to do, like, I don’t know, writing. The next few weeks don’t look too much better and this might be a bit of a drought through NYCC. I hope not, but we’ll see.

In any case, just a few quick thoughts on this week…

- Fringe is back tonight!

- I quite liked Catwoman. I get why people wouldn’t, but not one thing in the book seemed out of place with a Catwoman in my head (as opposed to the one I stopped reading about when Gotham Girls or whatever it was called started, on account of it being crappy). it’s not like Bruce and Selina haven’t had sex before, and the only real change is that now they don’t seem to know each other’s secret IDs so they keep the masks on. I have no problem with it. Now, is it a suitable entry point for a series that could have attracted a bunch of teenage girl readers if done right? That’s a whole other question…

- Similarly I have no problem with Starfire liking sex. Why? Because lots of people I know like sex. It’s fun. Not everyone is into monogamy, and the fact that readers are commenting that ‘she’s a whore’ or a ‘slut’ or whatever is more about them forcing their standards onto what they read. The same could be said, I suppose, for Red Hood etc etc writer Scott Lobdell and his editors – but I just happen to agree that just because people enjoy having sex doesn’t make them bad people. Oh, and another thing – she’s an alien so why on earth would she subscribe to human traditions or whatever? I actually enjoyed the comic. Again, not a good jumping on point but it worked for me – and honestly, I never liked Starfire anyway. She’s up there with Cyborg and Raven as ‘most boring DC characters ever’ for me.

- What else, what else? A lot of this week’s DC books were really, really quick reads. One that wasn’t was the Deadman-starring DC Comics Presents. I’d recommend that to new readers. Supergirl, too, although that was probably the quickest read of them all.

- I thought NuFacebook annoyed me before Mark Zuckerberg announced all the additional stuff yesterday. Now I may consider Google+ as an actual alternative – except I know that the majority of my friends and family will never move of Facebook at this point.

- I am becoming obsessed by collecting points on cards to use to get flights, and the like (so things like American Express points). I suppose that it’s just one step on from collecting comics, right?

- I’ll be going to NYCC this year, probably for at least some time on all four days but it occurs to me that I’m probably not going to be going to that many comics panels. My wife and son may be putting in an appearance (although as he’s not two yet it may be a bit overwhelming for me), and my niece – who’s an artist – is going to be hanging around too.

- I’ve been reading Becky Hawkins’ site recently (Frenchtoastcomix), mostly because she emailed me a pdf of her new minicomic, Coffee and Beer Money, and it’s really good. I don’t spend half as much time as I should reading stuff like this online, so feel free to point me towards places I should go.

This update was not as quick as it was intended.

The second week of DC’s new universe came out this week (well, third if you count Justice League #1, which I should really post about just to be complete at some point). How’d they do?

Batman And Robin #1 – Why, it’s almost like the reboot didn’t happen isn’t it? This feels very much ‘business as usual’ even if it did attempt a fresh start with a little recap of Bruce’s origin to the unfeeling Damian. Well constructed with a decent intro to a new villain who’s had enough of the Batman Incorporated concept (he may as well be called ‘The Reader’), this issue didn’t quite make it home for a few reasons; first, Damian here is an unbelievable brat and impossible hard to like; second, the art was a little confusing for part of the action sequence; third, I still don’t get why a children’s swimming pool was over nuclear rods; and finally, if I jumped on here as a brand new reader I don’t think I’d be picking up the next issue – there isn’t enough explanation of who Damian is. It’s clear he’s Batman’s son, but it’s also clear they don’t have much of a relationship. Too much backstory, not enough explanation. Fail.

Batwoman #1 – Let’s get this out of the way – it’s beautiful. JH Williams has really scored with the art here. The storytelling doesn’t really suffer due to his layouts; it’s an exceptionally strong entry and one that I’m sure Williams and Batwoman fans have been waiting for. As someone who hasn’t read the Batwoman Detective run, though, I felt a little lost with some of the backstory and was surprised to see former Flamebird leaping around as Batwoman’s sidekick. For completely new readers I suspect a lot of this went over their heads – but I’d hope they’d stick around for the art at the very least. Nice to see Cameron Chase and Director Bones, too. My main issue is that I doubt anything was altered from the version of this series that was to be released months ago (aside from the color of Gordon’s hair and the shopping in of the Mysterious Hooded Woman). A kind-of hit.

Deathstroke #1 – Sometimes low expectations work in your favor, because I really enjoyed this. It’s the same Deathstroke we know and love (only maybe a bit stronger, and with an agent) who’s rep seems to be waning slightly. An imaginative heist (well, imaginative if you haven’t seem Executive Decision),some mystery items and a bit of a twist ending that I admit I didn’t see coming. Strong stuff, and definitely enough here to clue new readers in. A hit.

Demon Knights #1 – Much better than Paul Cornell’s other book (Stormwatch), this is helped by actually assembling a team and starting at the beginning of a story. Good art, a surprisingly likable Vandal Savage, a nice twist or two between Jason Blood and Madame Xanadu, and a few members of the team I wasn’t expecting make this a fun issue that shows a lot of promise. If I had any complaint,it’s that having all the members of the team independently arrive in a small village at the same time is a hell of a coincidence, but no doubt there are higher powers at work. Good stuff. A hit.

Frankenstein Agent Of S.H.A.D.E. #1 – Another hit from writer Jeff Lemire. Everything you need to know is right here from the set-up of SHADE to the introduction of the new Creature Commandos and Frankenstein himself. I was surprised to see a non-Atom Ray Palmer in the cast, but his role here makes sense. Also, there were giant monsters. Can’t go wrong with giant monsters. A hit.

Green Lantern #1 – Much like the Batman, this is business as usual. As someone who’s a bit behind on trades with GL, I knew the basic set up (Sinestro is now a GL again, Hal’s back on Earth) but it was all neatly explained for those elusive new readers. The potential in the set-up here is pretty good – especially the conflicts between Sinestro and both his old and new Corps, although I expect the status quo will be back in six issues or so. It was also nice to see that Hal without a ring is even more clueless than before. Now, is it enough to make me leap back to monthlies? Probably not; I’m enjoying GL reading in chunks. But I’d still say it’s a hit.

Grifter #1 – Now this I liked. Pretty much a “What if Lost‘s Sawyer got kidnapped by aliens instead of crashing on the island, broke out, then decided to hunt then down?” – hell, they even threw a plane in there. Great art from Cafu, strong writing from Edmondson, and generally a great set-up. I think there’s an editorial slip-up on the last page, but this is a good start to the series, a good intro to the Daemonites and generally a good comic. A definite hit.

Legion Lost #1 – Like I said before, I like the Legion and I like Fabian Nicieza, and I like Pete Woods – but this was a bit wobbly for me. I’m not sure if it was the surprisingly non-exciting reason the team gets stuck in the past (time bubble shenanigans as they transport a fleeing villain back to their own time), the fact that the team’s mainly made up of characters I have no affinity for, or the apparent death of two of the team (one of which I do have an affinity for) at the end of the book – but something about it just didn’t click. However, I’ll check the next issue out because if nothing else, I have faith in Nicieza. Not really a hit, but I’m with it.

Mister Terrific #1 – I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would but a few things didn’t sit right with me, from the apparently casual sex relationship with probably-not-Power Girl Karen Starr (jarring when we’ve just flashbacked to how much Michael Holt loved his wife and wanted to die after she did) to the weak introduction of another love interest (weak because I don’t exactly know who Aleeka is or how she relates to Michael). Race definitely plays a part in the book, from Michael’s ‘Thanks, Black Guy’ line to Karen’s ‘I’m a white girl’ and Aleeka’s ‘I’m a black woman’ retort, and I suspect that won’t sit well with some readers. For me it was a little jarring, if I’m honest, but nothing that turned me off the book. What did turn me off a bit was the generic mind control style threat and the fact that the art didn’t quite gel for me. Even so, I’d say this was a hit if only because as #1s go, it summarized who Michael Holt is pretty well and set up an interesting status quo for him.

Red Lanterns #1 – Let me get this out of the way: I hate Atrocitus’ redesign with a passion. I expect it’s been done so we have a slightly more human-looking character as our lead, but I just don’t like it. Now that’s out of the way, I have to say this was pretty good. It sets up conflict within the Red Lantern Corps, possibly redefines Atrocitus’ mission in the wake of the last GL storyline, and has a double splash page of Dex-Starr. So yes, I’d say hit – although I’m more likely to go to trades on this in line with GL.

Resurrection Man #1 – Loved seeing Mitch Shelley (and the Body Doubles) again, and having him apparently targeted by angels (they were angels, right?) sets this firmly in the darker corner of the DCU. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about the book at all – except that two plane action sequences in one week (and especially this week) might be one too many. Other than that it’s like you’ve never been away, Mitch. A hit.

Suicide Squad #1 – I enjoyed this a lot, although I guessed the twist early on. I still don’t like a lot of the character redesigns here, but they’re not as jarring as they are on the (terrible) cover. Starting with a pretty-much fully formed team worked well here but I still appreciated the one page recaps of a few of our cast’s pasts, although I’m left wondering if Secret Six still happened in the rebooted universe. The most jarring thing is the redesign of Amanda Waller; Gone is the tough, older, rotund Waller of yesteryear and in her place is an attractive, lacy-bra-wearing younger Waller. I’m not too keen on that, but overall, I’d say this is a hit – with a few reservations.

Superboy #1 – This was much, much better than I’d hoped it would be. It was a rewarding read, and having the (currently nameless) Caitlin Fairchild in the mix is an interesting addition, as is Lois Lane’s involvement as whistle-blower on the Superboy project. This new take on Superboy – and I guess he won’t be going by ‘Connor Kent’ anytime soon – is quite a departure, but one that I’m interested in. It looks like writer Lobdell has plans for some pretty tight continuity between this and Teen Titans, so my hopes for that book just rose. A definite hit.

So, overall another winner with only Batman and Robin failing for me, and that’s more a result of it not embracing the new as opposed to being a bad comic. As we see more of the new DC, new questions get raised. For example, if this is Superboy’s first appearance, what exactly happened after Superman died (as he hinted he still did in Swamp Thing last week?)? Obviously there was no Superboy – but what about Steel and the Eradicator? I assume the Cyborg Superman still showed up as he’s played a pretty big role in the non-rebooted Green Lantern in the past…

In any case, so far, so good. Keep at it, DC.

It’s only fair that, as I’m picking up all the DCnU books this month that I try to post some quick thoughts on them…

Action Comics #1 – I’ll be honest I have pretty strong feelings about Grant Morrison’s writing and they’re not all positive. While I think as an ideas man and plotter he’s top-notch I have real issues (ho-ho) with his execution a lot of the time. Much of his books seem to have little leaps in narrative that require you to go back and re-read to tell what exactly is going on. While many like that, I don’t – especially not in the middle of the book. Here, Clark’s insistence that Jimmy and Lois not board the train required a few leaps in logic, as do Lex’s apparent engineering of the whole thing to capture Superman at the appointed time. What little we see of Lois and Jimmy isn’t very encouraging either, character-wise. I’ll read it again, but Morrison is up to his old tricks here. On the art side, Rags Morales can’t seem to get a handle on the appearance of young-ish Clark – sometimes he looks like an adult, sometimes he looks like a teen. Overall, a slight disappointment – but I suspect many will love it.

Animal Man #1 – Very good. Yes, a little too much set up before we get to Buddy donning his new (horrible) costume, but all very good stuff. Clearly Buddy’s marriage is in trouble but he’s got blinkers on, but the main conflicts seem to be from the threat to the Red and perhaps his daughter herself. Lots of story to sink your teeth into, and Lemire and Foreman make for a strong team. Suitably creepy and foreboding – should be a fun ride.

Batgirl #1 – The winner of the week for me. Gail Simone and Adrian Syaf fired on all cylinders. We get a younger Barbara, clarification that yes, Killing Joke happened, yes she was Batgirl before, and yes, she was paralyzed for three years before being miraculously healed – but it all fades into the background as she sets about re-establishing herself as a hero. A great start to the series and one I’ll definitely be sticking around for.

Batwing #1 – Surprisingly enjoyable, if let down a little by the fact that the impact of the surprising last page (which was spoiled on the internet a while ago) is watered down by it being a flashback. Still, David Zavimbi is nicely established, even if I still don’t know why he’s chosen to go into business as a superhero, and villain Massacre is suitably irredeemable. Winick and Oliver work well together, and while Winick’s script is workmanlike, Oliver’s art is pretty damn good. A pleasant surprise for me.

Detective Comics #1 – I know people slam Tony Daniel’s writing but I really enjoyed this issue, and the last page is more than a bit of a shocker. His art is strong, his Batman is smart, and his fight choreography clear. Absolutely no complaints here – and I enjoyed this a lot more than Action. Did I mention that last page? Wow.

Green Arrow #1 – Exactly what I thought it would be; lightweight and breezy. Jurgens’ art always evokes strong memories of DC past for me (in a good way) and Krul proves he’s better at solo books than team books. Having Ollie with a back-up network of support staff and engaged in some boardroom stuff on the side is a big departure for the character but it works here. This isn’t going to win any awards but it’s good, fun superheroing. The only downside is that I still miss grouchy sourpuss Ollie.

Hawk And Dove #1 – Okay. This is not a good comic on any level. At all. I get the impression that Sterling Gates is trying to weave a coherent story together from Liefeld’s art and having a damn difficult time of it. Look, I’m a cheerful Liefeld apologist most of the time but this is a painful, painful book to look at. Messy dis-proportioned art, bare-bones backgrounds and difficult;t to follow at times. Adding an additional layer to Dawn’s backstory seems a bit pointless, too, and just there to increase the conflict between the two leads. Just…bad. So I’ll probably pick up the next issue.

Justice League International #1 – A good start for the book, and a decidedly different tone from the main Justice League book and the best known bwah-ha-ha incarnation of this one. Jurgens knows his superheroes, and Aaron Lopresti can deliver solid if uninspired art. There’s a nice mix of characters (and I really hope some of the ones that didn’t make the cut show up soon) and some good conflicts, but Jurgens’ heavy-handed swipe at fans complaining about the DC reboot is, well, heavy-handed. Godiva got to say both ‘mate’ and ‘sod off’, though, so I’m good.

Men Of War #1 – Not really my cup of tea, if I’m honest, but the lead story has enough of a pull for me to come back for the next issue. Having Rock and company being men on the ground in a superhero battle where we don’t see the combatants is a pretty neat narrative trick, but I don’t feel there’s enough characterization of Rock just yet. Wasn’t fond of the back-up, which read like a generic strip from a UK war comic when I was growing up.

O.M.A.C. #1 – Okay. I’m very, very surprised how much I liked this. It’s almost entirely down to Keith Giffen’s art, which has adapted into a near-Kirby style that suits the book down to the ground, and the colors here really, really pop. I also like starting off with our hero off-screen for most of the book (all Hulk, no Banner) and just jumping in as shit goes down. I’m in.

Static Shock #1 – Scott McDaniel’s work here is as solid as ever, and John Rozum’s story is pretty straightforward. There’s nothing revolutionary going on, but this is very much a fun book. Having Static working at S.T.A.R. Labs for Hardware provides a nice basis for superheroing, and having Virgil at college seems like it’s going to be fun as we see more of it. Good, strong start.

Stormwatch #1 – I’m torn on this. It felt like a very quick read with not much going on, if I’m honest, but in retrospect quite a lot actually happened. Part of the team tries to recruit Apollo, shit happens. Another team member heads to the moon, we get filled in on a bit of history (apparently tying Stormwatch to Cornell’s other book, Demon Knights, not to mention old Milestone property Shadow Cabinet), and shit happens. Another part of the team investigate a big horn that Superman may or may not be blowing in a few weeks time, and shit happens. Oh, and the moon appears to be growing a claw or something. So yes, lots of shit happening and a lot of characters being introduced including an immortal named Adam, Jenny Quantum, J’onn J’onnz – who is a former JL’er – and more. Huh. I liked this quite a bit more than I thought I did the more I think about it.

Swamp Thing #1 – A very good read. Swamp Thing is very much centered in the midst of the DCnU here, with writer Snyder providing us a first proper look at the modern-day Superman providing Alec Holland with a pep-talk, and cameos from Batman and Aquaman. We also get a nice backstory and entry point into the character for new readers, which is important, and an extremely nasty threat (people having their heads twisted around and shambling on works much better in comics than, say, Torchwood). Great work from Snyder, and Paquette’s art supports the more horrific elements of the story. I’ll be back.

So there you have it; only one real stinker (Hawk and Dove), some real winners (Animal Man, Batgirl, Detective and Swamp Thing), a lot of ones that show promise (Batwing, Stormwatch, Static Shock, O.M.A.C., JLI, Green Arrow), one that’s okay but not my thing (Men of War) and Action which everyone but me probably loved.

All in all, the new DC looks pretty promising so far. I’m not saying it’ll stay this way but I’m generally impressed, being one week in.

It looks like The Dark Knight Rises‘ version of Selina Kyle isn’t averse to a little petty larceny, just like her cat-loving comics namesake – at least assuming that’s a stolen Batpod she’s riding in her first official image:

Granted, you can’t see much beyond the fact that Anne Hathaway’s in skintight leather straddling a big bike, but magazines have been founded on much flimsier ground than that. I actually quite like the image.

She’s also got some funky goggles.

They’re obviously high-techy (because they’ve got funky little blue lights and a crosshair thingy, so they must be, right?), and that’s a start but they’re not quite this funky:

Just sayin’.

Not a literal bell. I mean there’s no picture of Anne Hathaway in a tight leather costume ringing a bell…
…
…where was I?

Oh yes – The Dark Knight Rises has it’s first official poster:

I like it – and I admit it took a second or two for me to see the bat-symbol – but I almost prefer the fanmade one that cropped up a few weeks back.

In any case, it looks like the marketing machine is starting to move – but when I look at this poster and see the crumbling buildings of Gotham, I can’t help but think of this:

I’m sure I’m one of the few people who remembers the Batman mega-events of the late 90s/early 2000s fondly, but I absolutely loved the cascading events that seemed to dominate three or four years of the line; Contagion – Legacy – Cataclysm – No Man’s Land all had their strengths, and it’s crazy to me that almost all of these are out of print (although No Man’s Land is getting reissued in two volumes later this year). It seems like money left on the table.

Now, do I think that the movie will have the slightest thing to do with Cataclysm? Of course not – but a tiny part of me thinks that the poster could be a subtle nod to fans.

It looks like it’ll be a long year till this comes out…

Everyone else posted it yesterday, so why not?

The image below was released by Toon Tumblers to promote their SDCC exclusive, and appears to feature the newly rebooted Justice League membership in it’s entirety.

For those keeping a checklist, in addition to the big seven of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and MartiaCyborg, it looks like Deadman, Atom, Element Woman (a new Flashpoint character who looks a lot like Metamorpho, so I assume she found the Orb of Ra before Rex Mason), Green Arrow, Hawkman, Mera, and, er…Power Girl?

Well, no, that’s not Power Girl. And according to Geoff Johns, she isn’t blonde – her hair is definitely light though, so maybe…white?

Zealot would certainly make sense – the Wildstorm characters are integrating fully with the DCU, and Lee has an affinity with her since he created her originally. So yes, let’s say Zealot until we hear further.

It’s a largely traditional line-up with a few curve balls thrown in – and all those curves belong to women.

Wait that came out wrong.

Anyway, there you are – and I have to say, now that I’ve got a good look at the full segmented redesigns of Superman, Green Lantern, Batman and Flash costumes, man they look dumb.

On Wednesday I had a big post ready to go all about DC’s resetting the clock (kind of) which was much more timely than this one, and then wordpress ate it.

Thanks a bunch.

As it is, everyone in the comicsphere has already blogged about it so I don’t really see the point. The bottom line for me is that I’m looking forward to it, and I’m more interested in the DCU than I have been in a long time. Honestly, I’m much more interested in it than I am in Marvel at the moment, which seems to be stuck in a real rut (although obviously I’m still reading Spider-Man, Avengers Academy and against my better judgment, FF).

So, yes, looking forward to it, and I’m really getting into Flashpoint too.

I am wondering about Flashpoint, though: I originally thought that Flashpoint’s divergence from the main DCU was going to be as a result of Professor Zoom’s playing around with the past and changing one or two key things – but that seems unlikely to be the case now.

If you look at what we know so far, there are several things that have changed:

1) Barry Allen’s mother wasn’t murdered, and Barry never became the Flash.

2) Thomas Wayne attacked the robber, resulting in Bruce dying instead of him.

3) Abin Sur didn’t crash during his mission to transport Atrocitus (and, naturally, there’s some kind of Flashpoint prophecy that Atrocitus knows about) and continued as GL of sector 2814.

4) Superman’s rocket crashed into Metropolis, destroying (or at least heavily damaging) the city – twenty years ago.

5) Jay Garrick wasn’t the Flash when the Justice Society operated and they ‘fell’ as a result.

It’s this fourth one that interests me the most; this is a good what, five or ten years later than the previous timeline for Superman crashing into the Earth (and presumably therefore explains why Earth’s rotation was different enough that it hit Metropolis instead of Kansas). Assuming this sticks, it also explains why he’s younger in the newer DCU come September.

Assuming that Krypton was destroyed at the same time as in the regular DCU, the only explanation is that the rocket took longer to get to Earth – but this, along with points (2) and (3) above would appear to be things outside of Professor Zoom’s sphere of influence.

So I’ve been thinking about paradoxes, and the Speed Force. And the fact that so far, Barry Allen is the only person who remembers the world as it was. And that Jay Garrick didn’t become the Flash. And that Thomas Wayne maybe moved faster against the thief. And that Superman’s rocket maybe moved slower. And that Abin Sur maybe…well, maybe he did something that had some kind of speed connection.

And that Barry Allen, in Flashpoint #2 tried – rather unsuccessfully from the look of it, but I suspect positive results will show up early next issue – to forcibly attract the Speed Force to him.

And I wonder: can Barry’s tampering with the Speed Force inadvertently have caused all these changes in history? Is Barry himself responsible for the state of the world of Flashpoint? Or, given the appearance of Zoom’s costume in Barry’s ring (nyuk nyuk), is Barry even Barry?

Not to reference a seminal Mark Waid story or anything…

Things to mull over, anyway.

Also worth mulling over, this page from Justice League of America #0 a few years ago (as noted over at Bob Mitchell in the 21st Century).

I don’t think this Jim Lee – pencilled-page was ever followed up on. I find it hard to believe that seeds for this could have been planted in Brad Meltzer’s run almost 5 years ago, but apparently Dan Didio had planned something similar to the current revamp after Final Crisis, and it is apparently definitely not a straight reboot so maybe there was something planned that this page referred to.

In any case, fun, fun, fun.

Now, what are the odds on my favorite fictional couple still being married come September?

Probably slim – but at least they won’t have made a deal with the devil…

Edit: Apparently Levitt and Cotillard haven’t been cast in The Dark Knight Rises and someone with too much time on their hands has faked a press release. But what the hell, I wrote the damn post, found the damn pics, and goddammit I’m leaving it up here anyway. Just you know, caveated by the fact that it was based on bollocks.

Somewhere in Hollywood, Leonardo Dicaprio and Ellen Page are wondering if Chris Nolan doesn’t really like them – because why else would they be the only two main actors from Inception not to be cast in any of his Batman films? Well, there’s Dileep Rao as well, but he could still crop up in a bit part because he’s not too expensive.

According to this press release, Joseph Gordon-Levitt – rumored for every role from Albert Falcone to Hugo Strange to Robin – has been cast as Roman Sionis – better known as Black Mask, the Gotham crime boss.

Black Mask knocked around for a while (debuting way back when before Knightfall) before really making a comeback in Catwoman by torturing Selina Kyle’s brother-in-law to death, then making his wife Maggie (Selina’s sister) eat parts of his body – I definitely remember some eyeball-eating going on somewhere.

Not one to stand on ceremony, the Black Mask later took over Gotham’s gangs during War Games, and tortured Stephanie Brown (former Spoiler, then Robin, now Batgirl) to near-death before she escaped and died anyway (only she didn’t; long story). Finally, a while later, Catwoman decided enough was enough and shot him in the head.

All this makes me wonder if anybody has been cast as Anne Hathaway’s sister in the new movie…

Also cast is Marion Cotillard, last seen doing a real number on the inside of Leonardo Dicaprio’s head. She’ll be playing Talia A Ghul, daughter of Ra’s Al Ghul (played by Liam Neeson in Batman Begins).

Talia’s spent most of her comic existence yo-yo’ing between supporting her father and working against him. She found time along the way to bed not only Bruce Wayne – giving him an heir in Damian, the current Robin -

- but she also knocked boots with Jason Todd when she was mentoring him after his resurrection –

- and also Bane, back when he was bumming around as Ra’s new heavy.

So, yes, Talia has a lust for life and, apparently, tall, dark-haired types with a streak of violence a mile wide. She also ran LexCorp while Luthor was busy being President, and has a tendency to show a lot of cleavage. I’m totally resisting some kind of ‘head for business/bod for sin’ Working Girl mash-up here.

Coupled with Tom Hardy’s Bane and Anne Hathaway’s Selina Kyle, plus the regular returnees, the cast for The Dark Knight Rises is starting to fill out nicely. I imagine Ellen Page is sitting by the phone waiting for that ‘Barbara Gordon’ call right this minute…

I’m not really into these sites, but Beyondtherack.com – one of those private sale sites – has got some superhero themed merchandise on there at the moment. For example, there’s a bunch of superhero cufflinks (all DC) and – in the case of Wonder Woman, some cuffs – which are all less than $10:

The site also has a bunch of pendants (I think that means necklaces), terry cuffs (for those aerobics sessions?), belts, bracelets and rings, too. While I’m not one for most of those things, I confess that I am tempted by this Flash ring just because…

You need to create an account to see the merch, but that just means dropping your email in – click on over here.

…or at least it pays homage to how it began anyway. The cover to the very first issue of Batman and the Outsiders from 1983 –

- and the final issue – retitled to again include the big guy – of Batman and the Outsiders, #40, due out in May:

It’s a nice nod to the past which may have had a lot more meaning if there hadn’t been (by my count) three other volumes of comics starring the Outsiders in some way or another since the first series debuted.

And – something that’s more of a depressing commentary on my current comics knowledge state than anything else – I have no idea who half the characters on the new cover even are…

Warner Bros has announced that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle (interestingly, the name ‘Catwoman’ doesn’t appear in the release) in the upcoming third (and apparently final) Christopher Nolan Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises.

Additionally, they have stated that the much-rumored Tom Hardy will be playing Bane in the movie, and not Hugo Strange as was rumored. Hardy starred in Nolan’s Inception earlier this year (and he absolutely ruled in it, too).

They do say a ‘new interpretation’ of Bane – so it seems he won’t simply be the muscle in this. Then again, even if he is, I’d say Tom Hardy can show that he’s willing to bulk up impressively for a role…

The press release in full:

Warner Bros. Pictures Announces Anne Hathaway for Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises”

BURBANK, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Christopher Nolan stated, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story.”

In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. “I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies.”

Christopher Nolan stated, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story.”

In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, “I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies.”

Nolan will direct the film from a screenplay he wrote with Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. Nolan will also produce the film with his longtime producing partner, Emma Thomas, and Charles Roven.

“The Dark Knight Rises” is slated for release on July 20, 2012. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

…and Gotham…and New York…

These amazing prints by Justin Van Genderen are available to buy on imagekind.

So glad I decided not to tradewait on Red Robin (and Batgirl) after all…

From next week’s Batgirl #15…

Goddammit. I may not drop this after all…

From last week’s Batgirl #14:

How can you not like Steph as Batgirl? Do you have stone in your heart and ice in your veins?

I mean, sure, I liked Cass too but all the silent angst was so 90s. Steph, on the other hand is pure exuberance (even with a past full of evil criminal father, absent boyfriend, unplanned pregnancy, adoption, torture and fake death). She’s just a great counterpoint to the rest of the Batfamily to me.

Great book – I’ll be sorry to see the upcoming art team change.

And – bonus – staking vampires in a phone booth, ice cream and a ferris wheel of Draculas.

I mean, really, why aren’t you reading this?

BATMAN BEYOND: THE COMPLETE SERIES

LIMITED EDITION COMPILATION SET! INCLUDES ALL 52 ACTION-PACKED EPISODES

plus THREE NEW BONUS FEATURETTES

WARNER HOME VIDEO TO DISTRIBUTE DVD Set NOV. 23

(Available for preorder on Amazon here)

…I received a press release from Warner Bros touting the online availability of their movies and cartoons and, well, it came with a link to a little montage so I figured why not?

The DC 75th Anniversary Continues…Warner Bros. Digital Distribution invites you to join in on the Celebration!

Celebrate 75 years of DC Comics with films and TV series inspired by some of the most popular SUPER HEROES including BATMAN, SUPERMAN and other iconic DC Comics characters. To celebrate this milestone, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution is highlighting dozens of movies and shows that are available For Download on iTunes , WBshop.com and more; and via (cable) On Demand on Comcast, Time Warner Cable and others.

With On Demand and Download fans can watch their DC favorites virtually anytime, anywhere. Highlights include the blockbuster film THE DARK KNIGHT with Extras on iTunes, all SUPERMAN movies, and full length DC Universe animated original movies including GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT, BATMAN UNDER THE RED HOOD (7/27), SUPERMAN DOOMSDAY and more. Individual episodes and complete seasons of fan favorite DC inspired TV series are also available for download in HD including the complete series of SMALLVILLE, HUMAN TARGET and BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD.

Why not?

In addition you can win DC prizes next week by following the Warner Bros. Entertainment Twitter account: http://twitter.com/WB_Home_Ent

Yesterday DC Comics released their solicits for June 2010 – and for the first time since jumping back onto the DC bandwagon around 1994, I’m down to less than a dozen ongoing comics.

In fact I’m down to just FIVE titles – Action Comics, Superman, Supergirl, Batgirl and Red Robin – with another one a possibility (the one being Teen Titans which, despite not being very good, I just can’t seem to quit).

Beyond that, there’s only one mini on there – and that’s the final issue of the Rise of Arsenal, the first issue of which comes out this week.

Everything else is either off my pull list completely, or I intend to pick it up in trades at some point. Of course, because of DC’s terrible trades policies I may not even do that, having forgotten them by the time they came out.

This isn’t exactly unexpected for me, as I’ve been making an effort to purge my pull list over the past several months with varying degrees of success, but this is a huge step down.

The end of Blackest Night is really the final nail in the Green Lantern books for me – I intend to pick them up in trades, but the Blackest Night/Brightest Day demarcation line is a pretty clear one for me. It’s a jumping off point for their monthly adventures. Yes, even Guy’s when his book launches.

As far as Batman goes, I weaned my self off the core books (Batman, Batman and Robin and Detective) a few months into the Reborn arc, along with ancillary titles like Streets of Gotham and Gotham City Sirens which I simply wasn’t enjoying that much. The intention is to pick up the main books in trades but, well, again I guess it depends on when those trades come out.

I’ll continue following Wonder Woman and Secret Six in trades, and I intend to for the Justice Society books, the new Green Arrow and the Justice League too – but again it’s the same old song: depends when they come out.

I quit The Outsiders not because I don’t like the team (or the creative team either, although I’m not a fan of Tan and I’ve heard Dan Didio may have his detractors) but because no matter what direction the team has taken in the past few years, it hasn’t felt right to me. I like the characters, I like the name. I just don’t feel that either have been done justice.

The Flash and Legion relaunches (in both their own book and Adventure Comics) I have no interest in. Barry Allen isn’t my Flash; these aren’t my Legion. My Legion is the post-Zero Hour Legion. I gave the Waid/Kitson relaunch a chance but it never quite felt like a good fit and I’ll be damned if I’m doing that again here. Maybe in trades, but probably not.

Of the more recent launches, R.E.B.E.L.S was the only one I really started picking up but something just wasn’t clicking for me with it, so I dropped that a few months back too.

The two biweekly books, Brightest Day and Generation Lost, both have a lot of appeal to me but honestly the older I get the more I’d rather have trades on the bookshelf to reread than comics stored in a longbox somewhere. Same with Booster Gold, as that book looks to be tying in with Generation Lost somewhat.

And I think that’s what it comes down to – the five books I’m definitely getting contain my favorite DC characters – Superman, Lois, Supergirl, Tim and Stephanie – and I want to support them.

The rest I can take or leave on a weekly basis (and honestly, depending on how I find JMS and Guggenheim, the same may happen with the Superman books) and if and when I do catch up with the trade paperbacks, I’ll be paying less for them and storing them easier.

I wonder what Marvel’s June solicits will hold for me?

1. FlashForward - co-created by Goyer based on Robert Sawyer’s excellent high-concept novel, FlashForward should have been the best show of the past year. Instead you have meandering storylines with no sense of urgency, poor casting, dull scripts and a show that doesn’t play with the consequences of changing the future half as much as it should do. Take poor Agent Gough – he commits suicide to avert the future he sees where he killed someone by accident, and nobody sees this as a sign that the future can be changed.

2. The Blade movie trilogy – while I enjoyed all three movies when they first came out, they haven’t aged well. In fact when revisiting them I can’t help but notice that they weren’t that good to start off with. Plot holes, poor writing, pedestrian direction.

3. The Blade TV series – well, I liked the pilot, at least. I have to give it that.

4. Ghost Rider – no excuses; if your name’s attached to this, even as executive producer, you’re taking a share of the blame and need a good kicking.

5. Batman Begins/The Dark Knight – both admittedly great movies with some story issues, the second is better than the first. It’s also the second where Goyer contributed to the story and not the screenplay, coincidentally.

6. Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD TV movie – it’s bad. Really bad. When David Hasselhoff’s take on Fury is the only redeeming feature of a movie you know you’re in trouble.

Although in fairness, having Death Warrant and Dark City on the resume does earn some breathing room…

The Source has been running the Adam Kubert covers for Grant Morrison’s upcoming Batman series the  Return of Bruce Wayne or whatever it’s called – and as much as I’m not that interested in Bruce coming back, I have to say these are pretty damn good looking – and when you see them together there’s a nice little backdrop…

Click to embiggen!