How I Would Have Done It: New 52 Batman
How I Would Have Done It: New 52 Batman by Jerry Whitworth
Previously in “How I Would Have Done It”, we discussed DC Comics’ New 52 and how Superman could have been revised in a different way. It’s only natural to follow with Superman’s grim ally Batman, one of the most popular and recognizable heroes on Earth. The Caped Crusader of Gotham City, Batman was left relatively untouched by the new 52 changes save for Bruce Wayne’s great-grandfather being involved with a secret organization known as the Court of Owls and the Joker given a Leatherface-like remodel. Lets take a look at Batman and how I would’ve done it.
Read MoreVALIANT Gets Fired Up for PHOENIX COMICON 2013!
Phoenix Comicon
This weekend, Valiant is hitting the road for Phoenix Comicon 2013 – the signature pop culture experience of the Southwest!
From Thursday, May 23rd to Sunday, May 26th at the Phoenix Convention Center, visit Valiant at booth #652 for a weekend packed with signings, panels, and exclusive giveaways!
Stop by for a full selection of Valiant comics, trade paperbacks, hardcovers and merchandise – including convention-exclusive, double-sided Shadowman #1/Harbinger Wars #1 Sketch Flipbooks! And get an advance look at the summer’s biggest releases with the Valiant Summer 2013 Preview Edition – a FREE convention-only comic book, featuring a look inside Quantum and Woody #1 by James Asmus and Tom Fowler and an extended preview of Harbinger Wars #1, the debut issue of Valiant’s first crossover event. And look for signings by Harbinger Wars creators Joshua Dysart and Clayton Henry throughout the weekend!
Read MoreRobotech RPG Tactics is Coming
Robotech RPG Tactics
Robotech RPG Tactics is Coming by Jerry Whitworth
Hit 1980s animated series Robotech has found new life in the tabletop wargame Robotech RPG Tactics.
Produced by Palladium Books, who has published Robotech role-playing materials for almost thirty years, Robotech RPG Tactics is a new game taking notes from sources like other tabletop wargames Warhammer 40,000 and BattleTech. Players will be able to delve into the Macross Saga of the series playing as either the invading Zentraedi forces or Earth’s Robotech Defense Force using miniature models of mecha like Veritech Valkyrie fighters, Zentraedi Tactical Battle Pods, and Destroids. Crowd funded on Kickstarter in April, the game met its minimum goal in only a few hours of being made available and has raised over half a million dollars with over 2,700 backers around its halfway point. Since the beginning, Palladium has offered incentives for the amount of funds raised adding new mecha for additional purchase, upgrading the quality of game materials, and increasing the number of pieces released with purchased sets. The Kickstarter for the game ends May 20, 2013 with delivery estimated for December 2013.
Read MoreHow I Would Have Done It: New 52 Superman
How I Would Have Done It: New 52 Superman by Jerry Whitworth
With DC Comics reinventing itself again with the so-called new 52 following Flashpoint, they had the opportunity to inject new life and story elements into properties that a softer approach like Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis failed to present. The result was mixed: initially boosting sales, after months of publication the result was sales essentially the same as before the change (while angering many fans in the process, most recently with the WTF Certified month of releases). Perhaps a different approach could have offered better results and so I offer my own interpretation. To start with, lets take a look at Superman where his new 52 version has largely been altered to try and separate the character from its perception as a “boy scout.”
Read MoreFree Comic Book Day: A Chance To Share What We Love
Free Comic Book Day
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: A Chance to Share What We Love by Jerry W. Vandal
On Saturday May 4th, comic book stores across North America will be giving out free comic books to anyone who steps into their store. Since 2002, the comic book community has got to take part in this event the first week of May and each year seems to get bigger and better. This year we will have a chance to get our hands on Marvel’s prelude to their big summer event book Infinity written by Jonathon Hickman with art by Jim Cheung. Geoff Johns will also collaborate with Richard Donner and Adam Kubert to write Superman (being promoted as a good jumping on point). Brian Wood is writing a Star Wars book and Robert Kirkman is releasing an untold tale for the Walking Dead. There are also 48 other books to choose from. With 52 books to choose from there should be something you like.
Read MoreGuardians Of The Galaxy
Guardians Of The Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy: An Overbearing Father and a Tough as Nails Team
By Jerry W. Vandal
Story Tellers: Brian Michael Bendis, Steve McNiven, John Dell, and Justin Ponsor.
“Go Krutack Yourself,” Star-lord said defiantly to his father—King of the Spratax Planetary system. The opening scene between the king and prince sets up two things very quickly; Peter Quill, the Star-lord is a rugged playboy and he doesn’t think all that highly of his father. Now, I’m not up on Guardians at all. Outside of knowing of them I’ve never read an issue. I’d wager there are quite a few readers who are in the same boat and decided to pick up this book because it’s being done by Brian Bendis and Steve McNiven and that sounds like a great pairing, to see what one of next summer’s big comic book flicks is all about and/or there’s a talking raccoon in it who has a large krutacking gun and goes by Rocket Raccoon. I’m assuming the usage of an alien language to guise the swearing is to give the book an edge and an attempt to play up the whole “these aren’t your average superheroes,” type thing. While its usage of the word throughout the book feels a little forced it doesn’t hinder what is a good read and could be a very good series.
Read MoreKey Comics from the Estate of Gary Elya at Auction
Gary Elya was a Marvel fan from back when the company turned itself around under the guidance of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. With Gary’s passing, his massive collection of comics is now up for auction with a veritable gold mine for comic collectors. Ranging from the Silver Age to today, just some of the pieces includes:
• John Romita Sr.’s Amazing Spider-Man run including the unmasking of the hero’s arch-nemesis Green Goblin and the iconic “Spider-Man No More!” issue.
• The Amazing Spider-Man Drug Trilogy.
• Amazing Spider-Man #252 where the hero dons the black alien symbiote costume.
• The first appearances of Wolverine in the pages of Incredible Hulk.
• Giant-Size X-Men #1 featuring a new, international team of X-Men including Wolverine and Storm.
Read MoreMake It So: G.I. Joe the Game
G.I. Joe Retaliation
Make It So: G.I. Joe the Game by Jerry Whitworth
Recently, G.I. Joe: Retaliation hit theaters becoming number one at box office and having the second biggest Easter weekend opening in movie history. However, something was notably absent from the film’s premier, namely a video game adaptation. In part, this maybe because traditionally G.I. Joe video games have been awful. The same was largely true of sister franchise Transformers until the release of Transformers: War for Cybertron (and its sequel Transformers: Fall of Cybertron). Both third-person shooters, the games borrowed from but didn’t adapt any particular incarnation of its franchise. A rich story with a well thought out world and impressive gameplay, G.I. Joe would do well to learn from Transformers (the Batman: Arkham series another example of following a similar formula to much success). Lets take a look at what could be a winning formula for a good G.I. Joe video game.
Read MoreTop 10: Batman: Arkham Origins Assassins
Game Informer #241
Top 10: Batman: Arkham Origins Assassins by Jerry Whitworth
After months of speculation, the third game in the Batman: Arkham video game series has been officially announced. Titled Batman: Arkham Origins and set for release October 25, 2013 on the PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U, the game is centered around Black Mask placing a bounty on the head of Batman bringing eight of the world’s most dangerous assassins to come to Gotham City on Christmas Eve. A prequel to the first two games Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, longstanding rumors persist the Dark Knight will cross paths with heroes that later form the Justice League of America together. Reportedly, players will also have the opportunity to do battle with villains not generally associated with Batman on side missions. It’s also being reported the map of the game will be twice the size of Arkham City as Batman will be able to adventure through Old Gotham (largely the setting of Arkham City) and New Gotham (seen from Arkham City in the distance in the previous game). There is some controversy that should be noted with this third game in that writer Paul Dini and game studio Rocksteady, who were the architects of the first two games, were not involved in the new game’s development. Only time will tell what effect, if any, this new avenue will have with the franchise. Lets take a look at who could be some of the assassins that will try to collect on Black Mask’s bounty.
Read MoreReview: Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon
Mask of the Blue Falcon
Review: Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon by Jerry Whitworth
Released in February 2013, Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon is the latest installment in the Scooby-Doo direct-to-video animated film series with this instance featuring Hanna-Barbera’s Blue Falcon. Created in 1976 by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears as an analogy to Batman, Blue Falcon co-starred with sidekick Dynomutt in the series Dynomutt, Dog Wonder as part of The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour. Dynomutt, referred as Dog Wonder (a play on Robin the Boy Wonder), was a mechanical canine with features in the vein of Inspector Gadget (predating Gadget by several years), sharing further similarities in that their various devices malfunctioned at inopportune times. Alerted to danger by the Falcon Flash (in place of the Bat-Signal or Batphone), the duo slipped away to the Falcon’s Lair (in place of the Batcave) to report to secret agent F.O.C.U.S. One (shades of Birdman’s Falcon 7) and raced into action with the flying Falconcar (some amalgamation of the Batmobile and the Fantastic Four’s Fantasticar). In the show’s initial episode, the duo teamed with Mystery, Inc. in a fashion akin to The New Scooby-Doo Movies (which previously featured Batman and Robin as a somewhat pilot for Super Friends) as the group faced off with the villainous Mister Hyde. A frequent device employed in Dynomutt, Dog Wonder borrowed from the 1960s Batman television series featuring the heroes imperiled at the hands of their enemies though instead of leaving the cliffhanger at episode’s end, it would be before a commercial break.
Read MoreWarner Archive: A Model for the Future?
The Herculoids
Warner Archive: A Model for the Future? by Jerry Whitworth
When animation fans want to see their childhood shows come to DVD to add to their collection, often one of two scenarios play out: a limited release by the owners of the material (holding the rest of the series hostage depending on sales of the first release) or a release of horrendous quality from a licensor of the material (sometimes even illegal bootlegs using VHS transfers make it to stores). Of course, such is not always true but is often enough to cause headaches for fans. Warner Bros has shifted to another tactic which seems to be working for the company. In 2009, Warner started the Warner Archive Collection producing DVDs made on demand using unrestored footage of its extensive film library sold directly to the consumer (cutting out the middle man in brick-and-mortar stores, thus slashing costs). Warner had previously operated the Looney Tunes Golden Collection beginning in 2003 followed by the Hanna–Barbera Golden Collection, later the Hanna–Barbera Classic Collection, beginning in 2004 (with The Flintstones: The Complete First Season) followed by the DC Comics Classic Collection the next year (with Batman: The Animated Series – Volume Three) making older series available in stores. These lines would be folded into the Warner Archive the year of its creation with titles like Yogi’s First Christmas and The Flight of Dragons added to its made on demand catalog. It should be noted, the Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection began release in 2004 and in 2011 the Tom and Jerry Golden Collection began release which at this time continues to be produced for in store sales. Lets take a look at the pros and cons of the Warner Archive Collection and what it could mean for the future of home video release.
Read MoreBatusi Returns: The Camp Knight Rises
Batman by Allred
Batusi Returns: The Camp Knight Rises by Jerry Whitworth
Last summer, Warner Bros inked a deal with 20th Century Fox to produce merchandise based on the likenesses of the Batman television series from the 1960s. The advent is quite revolutionary considering both companies have gone back and forth over the franchise for decades with this deal being the first time since the show left the air that something new has been made from the material (save for replica miniatures of the show’s vehicles). While as yet there are no plans to see the series make the transition to DVD or Blu-Ray, which is something fans have rallied to see happen for many years, the new deal gives hope of this. However, short of the series released for home video, fans will be happy to see the series adapted for comics starting this summer as a digital first title from the creative team of Jeff Parker and Jonathan Case (with covers by Michael Allred). Lets take a look at the genesis of the Batman television series, its cultural impact, and its legacy.
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