Recently in Comic books Category

The Playstation Network has this week launched a line of digital comics for the PSP.

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Teaming up with IDW Publishing and Marvel/Disney, gamers can now download old favourites such as Astonishing X-Men, G.I Joe, The Amazing Spider-Man, World War Hulk, Transformers and even Wallace and Gromit.

I've got a PSP myself and will be giving this a blast. Only thing is that you need the latest version of PSP firmware to read the comics.

Books are typically 20-30 pages long and are priced between one and two dollars (60p and £1.20).

Head on over to PSP.us to see the full catalogue.

The Playstation Network has this week launched a line of digital comics for the PSP.

Teaming up with IDW Publishing and Marvel/Disney, gamers can now download old favourites such as Astonishing X-Men, G.I Joe, The Amazing Spider-Man, World War Hulk, Transformers and even Wallace and Gromit.

I've got a PSP myself and will be giving this a blast. Only thing is that you need the latest version of PSP firmware to read the comics.

Books are typically 20-30 pages long and are priced between one and two dollars (60p and £1.20).

Head on over to PSP.us to see the full catalogue.

Superman's new origin story is due out in Graphic Novel form on September 7, 2010, according to Amazon.com.

Penned by Michael Straczynski, Superman:Earth One will be an all new take on Big Blue's early days in a whole new continuity free from constraints of current DC comics.

Head on over to the Source blog for DC's line on the upcoming super book.

Due out next Monday the first reviews of Warner Premier's latest effort at a DCAU original movie have already started hitting the net.

And it's a general feeling of good, but could have been better.

Swank-mo-tron at Big Shiny Robot commented that the the "action, adventure, and animation, were all" done right whereas the 67 minute running time was "paltry" in comparison to some other DCAU movies.

A reviewer over at Comic Book Movie movie said "the story is simple,if not obvious, and a little bit all over the place. In parts you don't really feel like bats and supes are public enemies. It just seems like it's all villains wanting to whoop their butts--which I think is boring to be honest." But also wrote that go betweens Bats and Supes was "classic."

Adam Tyner at DVD Talk believes the movie to be rent worthy and a cut above the Superman: Doomsday and the "unwatchable" Gotham Knight. He does note though "that even the size and scope of the superpowered slugfests never really manage to get my pulse racing. It's okay, but considering how phenomenal so many of these animated DC flicks have been, "okay" just doesn't seem good enough."

Most of the reviews also seemed to suggest that it was worth buying the Blu-Ray version over the normal DVD, as it seems this was animated for HD sets.

Check out this preview clip below

And for those of you who haven't seen it yet, here's the trailer

batman, superman, super hero movies, kevin conroy, tim daly,

So there you go, but remember more reviews will follow including one on here next week! - R

Okay, okay. So it's been a while since I actually wrote anything with some proper analysis in here.

So to answer your emails, yes I have been busy, no I haven't read Kevin Smith's Cacophony yet (still waiting on my signed order from Jay an Silent Bob's Secret Stash), I didn't get to a Watchmen preview screening, Batman's fate in Final Crisis did suck and Nolan HAS to direct the third Batman.

I have to apologise for my lack of blogs, things have been extremely busy at work and home. So sorry and thanks for the emails.

Now let's look at Batman in Final Crisis- Grant Morrisons's RIP was, in restrospect, a decent fate for The Dark Knight, it should have ended there and for me it will.

First off the Scots scribe completely places Batman in one of Darksied's uber scifi dungeons, gives him an gun, makes him fire it and attempt murder. The fanboys are saying "Wow! Complete full circle for the The Dark Knight, created with a gun and a bullet, ended with a gun and a bullet. Awesome!"

Newsflash. That isn't Batman of 70 years past. That's a common thug with a gun, just like Joe Chill. Say what you want, but the fundamental elements are the same. You know what really hacks me off though, the fact it didn't even murder Darksied. It wounded him in the shoulder!

So not only does does Batman break his fundamental oath he swore on his murdered parents grave, get fried alive, sent out of DC continuity.............he's a bad shot aswell.

What's next Batman and Fred Flintstone team up/cross over?

I enjoyed Mr Morrisons run on Batman and I thought it was some of the best stuff in recent memory- three ghosts of Batman, club of heroes, the black glove, issue 666-
and maybe this will turn out good in the end. But the whole RIP/Final Crisis feels as if it's been a huge PR stunt of the back of the success of The Dark Knight.

Now onto the Dark Knight sequel. There shouldn't be one unless Chris Nolan or Zack Snyder's involved. Chris Nolan could finish of his planned trilogy or if push comes to shove and he backs down, the third batman would be a great excuse to make The Dark Knight Returns, hence Snyder.

Set it 20 years after the events of TDK and cast an aged Christian Bale. Have a flash back montage to sum up the past two decades- death of the joker, justice league years, the robins-and bam, you have a platform for The Dark Knight Returns.

Having read the Battle for the Cowl preview over at IGN, I have to say I am really excited about Tony Daniel's upcoming mini-series. It's got a lot of hype to live up to, but if his writing is any good as his art, well, it's gonna rock.

Whose the next Batman gonna be check this out....http://i.livescience.com/images/BATMAN676-01.jp

Probably Nightwing, Tim Drake or Alfred Pennnyworth. No one else. Alfred is the obvious choice :P

And to answer other questions,, yes I am looking forward to Watchmen and no I don't consider it thee defnitive graphic novel of all time :)

Hi guys, I'm stepping into the Mooneyverse while Richard is away. My name is Katy and I'm a relative comic newbie. I grew up watching the X-Men cartoons and Batman: The Animated Series, and have seen a lot of comic book related movies, but only recently did I decide to make the leap into reading comics.

However, thanks to the recommendations of some friends, I jumped in the deep end and came out with a graphic novel that I found riveting, exciting and well drawn. I submit to you, my thoughts on The Long Halloween....

It is a very noir book, which I enjoyed tremendously. It follows on from Frank Miller's Batman: Year One offering, and to be honest, although it was Heroes' Tim Sale who did the artwork, it did seem Miller-esque. It was beautifully drawn, a lot of dark and light contrast, with the colour mainly being provided by the villains.

The plot of The Long Halloween involves the killing of a number of mobsters. At first, the gang think it's a rival faction behind the hits, but soon the other side find their numbers dwindling. Batman, with Gordon and the newly appointed DA Harvey Dent are on the hunt for the killer, who strikes on public holidays.

One element I particularly enjoyed was that a number of Batman villains were utilised. From the Joker to Scarecrow to the Mad Hatter, it seemed as though the writers enjoyed bringing these great villains out and giving them a part of the story. It also helped a newbie like me, seeing characters I recognised.

Another great aspect of The Long Halloween was that it actually gave me an idea of the origins of the whole "I Believe In Harvey Dent" campaign that was alluded to in the viral marketing of The Dark Knight. (And that was some amazing viral marketing.)

The twist at the end was amazing and totally unexpected (at least by me) and I'm going off to buy Dark Victory, which I've been told is the sequel to The Long Halloween.

If anyone has any more recommendations for me, I'd love to hear them!

GRANT Morrison shouldn't have promised bat fans the most shocking revelation in the character's 70 year history at the end RIP.

That's my biggest qualm with 681, the Scots writer promised an ending on which he did not deliver.

There's hints to what the revelation maybe but at the end of the day we're left with as many questions as we had answers.

Many readers could be forgiven for expecting a dark grizzly end for the caped crusaders in 681, but it was the entire opposite, infact it's a plot device we've seen again and again throughout the hero's history.

Batman as we know him appeared to be finally subdued. The Batcave over ran, the betrayal of Jezebel, the possibility of Batman's origin being based entirely on a lie, and Batman himself, out his mind on heroine and crystal meth. This was a BRILLIANT set up for a tragic demise or spiritual death for the Dark Knight.

This was our chance to see Bruce Wayne pushed beyond his limits, this was our chance to his famous resolve break, to see his iron will shatter. But no, Morrison opted for the almost standard Batman ending, which we've seen time and time again.

Just when you think he's down the count, the Dark Knight explodes out of a coffin, takes back Arkham, mauls the Black Glove lackies and reveals that everything that had happened to him, was planned for, by him because as Morrison put "that's the thing about Batman, he thinks about everything."

To me this was a ridiculous ending and nothing like what we were promised from DC or Grant.

But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. We've still got Batman: Last Rites and also Final Crisis where we'll learn the final fate of Bruce Wayne, post RIP.

But what do you think of Batman's RIP in 681?

Hey guys,

Sorry about the lack of updates. We've been really busy. Anyway, below is reviews of the Hulk, Hancock, Wanted and Kung Fu Panda.

The Incredible Hulk

Ed Norton is, as predicted, flamin' fantastic as the big green machine. He's just what the franchise needed. This is a 'requel' to 2003's disastrous Hulk.

We find Bruce Banner on the run from the US Army, deep in South America. He seems to be in control of his rage, that is until one tough guy pushes him too far and it's all lean, green and mean from there. Terrible, terrible pun I know.

This is a well-done Superhero movie. The all-star cast does help and while it isn't by any means a master piece, it is fun for all the family.

Oh and the cameo from Robert Downey Jr. is ace.

Wanted

Coatbridge born Mark Millar will be delighted with this adaptation of his graphic novel.

Starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman, Wanted tells the story of Gibson, an average-joe who, as fate would have it, turns out to be the son of the world's greatest assassin.

Don't go into this trying to analyse or take some hidden meaning from it like you could the Matrix. There is none.

Enjoy it and marvel at the madly, overblown action scenes.

Hancock

I was really excited about this movie. Hancock is basically Superman without all the jazz- no cape, no slicked back hair and none of that boyscout attitude.

This is a very interesting concept- a Superman who doesn't give a crap.

Will Smith is great in the first of half of the film...but that is until the woeful second half unfolds and everything goes to shreds. The plot contradicts itself and there is no real climax to it all.

I was really disappointed with this movie, but if you're up for some seriously high budget laughs then you should definitely check this out.

Kung Fu Panda

This is the best of the four. Jack Black plays Po, a Kung Fu fan, who, through a series of mishaps, finds himself flung into the world of martial arts as the chosen Dragon Warrior.

Featruing an all star line-up with the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan and Angelina Jolie, this film will definitely not disappoint. What is surprising is that with cast like that, the marketing team for the movie didn't shout about them.

I had actually planned on seeing The Forbidden Kingdom but I decided to go for this instead and I have to say, this was one very good movie.

This has something for all the family and even Kung Fu fans will admire the well-put together fight scenes.

It is definitely the best family movie so far this summer.

Remember those childhood days, years ago, when you picked up the latest issue of your favourite comic book and wondered what it would be like if it was real?

How would the sparks fly as Wolverine would clawed himself through the endless herds of Magneto's sentinels?

Would you notice Kitty Pryde as she disappeared into the molecules of the nearest wall or solid object?

Could you smell the fear as Batman descended like a ninja from the rafters on a gang of unsuspecting hoodlums?

And was Frank Castle (The Punisher) the merciless, criminal slaughtering vigilante that we imagined him to be?

Well nowadays it isn't so hard to imagine thanks to the plethora of comic book movies now on offer. The thing is, as great as a lot of these movies are, they don't have the same wow factor that they would have had on us when were kids.

To be a kid watching these movies must be an awesome experience, or is it? I overheard a few kids on the bus home the other night debating about Spider-Man 3, the Incredible Hulk, Batman and Iron Man.

What they said here was quite shocking. So I thought I would share it with you all.

"Tony Stark would beat the Hulk if they got down and dirty in Gotham" the lanky one says, brushing his overgrown, aardvark like beard out of his face.

"Yeah but Goku would totally p'own both their punk behinds," responds the seedy, short one, his smile wide.

"Aye man, but Batman would give them the Joker fear!" hollers the plump one.

The seedy one slants his baseball cap to the side, as his black fringe falls like a musty, old curtain and drapes over his left eye.

He opens his mouth and as if in slow-motion, he says something that will forever change the way I look at the younger of our generation.

"Have you ever wondered why Batman was always the stronger of the X-Men and the best leader of the New Avengers.... but comic books suck, I mean the only difference between Superman and Dennis the Menace is a red cape, baldy bad-guy and some super powers...."

The rest I didn't hear. I wanted to jump in to their debate, but my stop was coming up and I didn't want to be labelled the weird 22-year-old who corrects young, would-be comic book fans.

To the more hardcore, veteran fans the above would be sacrilege.

However there has been a shift in generations and how we look at comics. The older fan looks now, more than ever, to his comic collection as a sanctuary from fear of Hollywood demand dumbing down overly complicated plots and origins.

Whereas the younger fans look for the traditional good versus evil, with the occasional team-up with two of their favourite heroes.

You could argue that a lot of this younger generation are animation fans who became interested in comics after watching the cartoon-adaptation. This is by no means a bad thing, in fact, Batman: TAS was the reason that I got into comics, but these cartoon adaptations have to be simple and nowhere near as complicated as their comic book counterparts.

Perhaps, what we're beginning to see is a shift in generations and the new emergence of a comic book fan.

Something a little new age.

A fan who can appreciate all aspects of a modern, successful comic: the core comic, the animation, the video game, the merchandise and the Hollywood movie.

Maybe, just maybe, these kids will lead us forth into a new age of multi-medium appreciation where no comic book fan complains about adaptations or the watering down of a franchise.

And who knows, maybe even pigs will fly.

2008 is one big year for DC.

Final Crisis is going to beset fans with whatever its has in store. Evil will apparently triumph over good and several storylines, origins, characters will be revamped or scrapped from continuity.

Not even Superman can save the day this time.

However with this approaching there is one major plot point that has many people wondering, it's a little thing called the death of Batman.

Not a physical death, but a literal one.

Scottish writer Grant Morrison has taken the main role for writing Final Crisis, but is also working on a story by the name of Batman R.I.P.

This summer the Batman the world has known for the last 69 years will cease to exist, with Bruce Wayne no longer dawning the cape and cowl.

Apparently something so tragic is planned for everyone's favourite non-super-powered-super-hero that he will give up his life's work.

Nightwing, the Red Hood (Jason Todd), Tim Drake and even Hush are pipped to replace Wayne and take up the mantle of Batman.

A new villain, Black Glove, is behind one of the most elaborate schemes to destroy Batman. He/she knows who Batman is, what drove Bruce Wayne to be Batman and everyone of his dark secrets.

The rumour mill has been in overdrive and message boards have been set alight with speculation about the identity of Black Glove.

Many have suggested that it is Alfred, others have even said it could possibly be Thomas Wayne (Bruce's supposedly dead father) and some have even said it to be Bruce Wayne himself. These are the very hard-to-imagine scenarios.

However after recent revelations, which may or may not be true, Batman's entire origin maybe a sham and one of the above situations could be highly plausible.

In a recent issue Commissioner Gordon is trying to convince a local newspaper not to publish a story about a dossier that came into a journalist's possession. The dossier was supposedly compiled by a private detective, hired by Martha Wayne's parents to investigate her and her husband's murder.

What it reveals is that Alfred Pennyworth is Bruce's biological father, Thomas Wayne was an alcoholic who got his wife addicted to heroin and it contains several photographs of an orgy involving Martha, Thomas and Alfred a long with the cast of a noir film by the name the Black Glove.

As if this wasn't shocking enough the editor also explains to Gordon that Thomas Wayne may still be alive and that the murder of his wife was part of a convoluted plan to get rid of her and fake his own death.

So, with that, the idea of Thomas or Alfred being the Black Glove may not be so hard to imagine after all. Given that off course the dossier is true and not a ruse.

The other suggestion is Bruce Wayne and that he has developed an evil split persona, named the Black Glove and is trying to sabotage himself.

There is no other character out there more pshycologically tortured than Bruce Wayne. Maybe, as Aaron Eckhart puts in the recent Dark Knight Trailer, he's lived long enough to see himself become the villain.

Or perhaps Alfred is acting under orders from Bruce's new evil persona ? Who knows.

At the climax of the latest issue however, Batman was drugged and fighting for his life in the Batcave. Just as the villains were about to storm his lair and before he passed out, the dark knight asked the Batcomputer to analyse everything it knew about The Black Glove. Its result concluded that the Black Glove was Zur-En-Arrh.

Zur-En-Arrh has only been mentioned in Batman # 113 way back in 1958. In that issue Batman is brought to Zur-En-Arrh by the planet's resident Batman to help him fight evil robots. The interesting thing is that Batman found he had "Superman-like" powers whilst he was on Zur-En-Arrh.

Zur-En-Arrh has appeared throughout Morrison's run as graffiti and hallucinations.

Well considering that Final Crisis and the Batman RIP arcs are supposed to interlink, it could mean anything and I'm not going to speculate to much on it....but there will be a definite link between Batman#113, Bruce Wayne's fate and whatever Final Crisis has in store for the DC Universe.

Feasibly the Batman from, Zur-En-Arrh is acting as Simon Hurt?

So your Monday questions of the day are: What are you looking forward to Final Crisis? What do you think will happen to Bruce Wayne? And what's your theory about the idenity of Black Glove?