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Tag: Batman

  • Batman: Arkham Origins Season Pass Detailed

    Yesterday, Warner Bros. revealed that everyone who pre-orders the upcoming Batman: Arkham Origins will receive the “Deathstroke Challenge Pack” for free. The add-on allows players to take on the role of Deathstroke (with several different costumes) in two different missions – one stealth and the other combat-focused.

    Today, Warner Bros. further expanded its Arkham Origins announcements with the reveal of the game’s DLC season pass. The content bundle will cost $20, and comes with the promise of five future DLC add-ons. The season pass will be available for all systems (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC) when the game launches on October 25.

    Of the five planned DLC packs for Arkham Origins, over half of them are costume packs. One pack contains the “Gotham by Gaslight” and “Brightest Day” skins for Batman. Two others have “New Millennium” and “Infinite Earths” skins for both Batman and Robin.

    The other two packs actually have new game content. One is a series of challenge maps called “Initiation,” in which players take on the role of a young Bruce Wayne as he learns his ninja skills from Kirigi. The other is an “all-new story campaign” for Arkham Origins. Nothing has been revealed about the new campaign content, but it’s already likely to be the most popular of the planned DLC just announced.

    Arkham Origins Season Pass

  • Here’s Some Deathstroke Gameplay From Batman: Arkham Origins

    Earlier this year, WB Games announced that those who pre-ordered Batman: Arkham Origins will get the Deathstroke Challenge Pack for free. Much like Arkham Asylum’s Joker Challenge Pack, these missions will give players a chance to step into the shoes of the game’s antagonist for a bit.

    Now, you may not have pre-ordered the game yet. That’s fine, but WB Games would really like it if you did. That’s why they have shared the following trailer that shows off just what it’s like to play as Deathstroke.

    The Deathstroke Challenge Pack comes with two missions – No Money Down and 100 to 1. The former is a stealth mission while the latter is a melee combat challenge that requires players to take down 100 opponents.

    The Challenge Pack also comes with three skins for Deathstroke. The first is his default skin from Arkham Origins, while the other two are inspired by his appearances in the DC fighter Injustice: Gods Among Us and the Judas Contract arc from the New Teen Titans.

    Batman: Arkham Origins will be available on October 25 for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U and PC.

    [Image: GamesHQMedia]

  • Surprise: Batman Arkham Origins Will Look Best On The PC

    Batman: Arkham City will not be getting a next-gen version when it releases later this year as the development team has decided to focus entirely on current gen consoles. That being said, there will be some next-gen features in the PC version of the game.

    In the latest Arkham Origins trailer, the developers show off the game running on Nvidia’s latest desktop GPUs. With PhysX enabled, players will be able to take advantage of next-gen features like a cape with movements dictated by natural movements instead of animations. The addition of PhysX also adds realistic fog to the game in which players can interact with.

    Batman: Arkham City set a new standard for PC ports of console titles when it came out in 2011 by adding all the features that PC gamers have come to expect from native PC titles. With Batman Arkham Origins, it looks like Warner Bros. Montreal will be keeping that tradition alive.

    When Batman: Arkham Origins launches on October 25, PC gamers will no doubt be getting a superior experience.

  • Harley Quinn Scandal Rocks The Internet

    Harley Quinn Scandal Rocks The Internet

    Most people are familiar with the Batman universe’s infamous villain, The Joker, if for no other reason than Heath Ledger’s fantastic portrayal of him in the recent “Dark Knight” trilogy. The Clown Prince of Crime is crazy and powerful in his own right, but just like the saying goes, behind every great man is a great woman. The femme fatale behind the Joker is Harley Quinn, a psychiatrist-turned-sociopath and the Joker’s number one fan girl. Harley is eccentric, clever, agile, and wacky, making her not only the perfect companion to the Joker, but a phenomenal, formidable villainess in her own right. In that spirit, Harley Quinn has ran the jaunt not only as the Joker’s ally, but as a stand-alone villainess and protagonist in other story lines. For anyone interested in reading up on the delightful villainess, make sure to check out Harley’s Haven, the best resource this writer has found concerning all things Harley Quinn.

    Harley’s beginnings as a wacky, lovable fan-favorite have undergone some rather drastic changes in more recent years, particularly with the introduction in 2011 of the revamped “Suicide Squad” series. DC has been trying for the past few years to revamp itself and its characters as edgier, grittier, and more urban (with the latest “Dark Knight” trilogy being a prime example.) Harley was unable to escape this wave of re-imagining, and has been given a new origin story, character design, and personality that has caused outraged fans to pour their dismay on to the internet’s pages. In general, there’s a lot to be criticized when it comes to DC’s method of rebooting characters in “grittier” contexts, which typically translates into more violence, less plot, and a lot more un-needed sexualization. Harley has, unfortunately, been at the forefront of this attack, and it seems like DC isn’t going to stop any time soon, especially with their newest stunt.

    Harley Quinn is set to receive a new series, with work being done by such big names as Amanda Conner, Paul Pope, and even Bruce Timm, a kind of “father” of Harley Quinn’s character. This new series is serving as a contest to “break in to comics with Harley Quinn,” with DC inviting amateur artists to submit their artwork in a chance to be published in Harley Quinn #0. While this is all well and good, the actual guidelines of the contest become alarming once one reads what panels are being requested. The submission must be a 4-panel comic, with each panel showing her attempting to off herself, whether it be by trying to get eaten by alligators, be swallowed by a whale, or… electrocute herself while being naked in a bath tub…?

    The rage over the contest stems mainly from the last panel’s guidelines, which ask for the artists to draw, “Harley sitting naked in a bathtub with toasters, blow dryers, blenders, appliances all dangling above the bathtub and she has a cord that will release them all. We are watching the moment before the inevitable death. Her expression is one of “oh well, guess that’s it for me” and she has resigned herself to the moment that is going to happen.” You read that correctly. DC is looking for artists who will draw Harley Quinn in the midst of a sexualized suicide, all in the hope that they might get to make it with the big shots.

    Sexualization is nothing new to comic books. Hell, the sexualization of violence against women is not new to them. Anyone familiar with the
    genre is aware of these problems, and there are many people who speak out against it. What is so shocking about this particular instance, however, is that it is encouraging new artists to follow old trends, to “break in” to comics with the same violent, misogynistic ideas as its predecessors. Callie Beusman over at Jezebel has written a very interesting and thought-provoking piece relating to the scandal, saying that, “What’s perhaps most disturbing about this contest — other than the way in which it showcases DC’s blatant disregard for women — is that it essentially prohibits comic artists who are opposed to the eroticization of violence against women from applying for the honor of drawing a strong female character,”

    Alyssa Rosenberg at Think Progress went on to comment further on Beusman’s article, saying that, “In a way, DC is weeding out artists who are uncomfortable with the scenarios they’re putting forward, or who have other ideas about what might be interesting about Quinn (or other female characters).”

    According to Scott Fraser over at Geek Exchange, the contest is scandalous because it is taken out of context. The following is a statement by Jimmy Palmiotti, the contest’s creator, that Fraser references:

    “That the tryout Harley Quinn page went out without an overall description of tone and dialogue is all my fault. I should have put it clearly in the description that it was supposed to be a dream sequence with Amanda [Conner] and I talking to Harley and giving her a hard time. I should have also mentioned we were thinking a Mad magazine/Looney Tunes approach was what we were looking for. We thought it was obvious with the whale and chicken suit, and so on, but learned it was not. I am sorry for those who took offense, our intentions were always to make this a fun and silly book that broke the 4th wall, and head into issue 1 with a ongoing story/adventure that is a lot like the past Powergirl series we did. I hope all the people thinking the worst of us can now understand that insulting or making fun of any kind was never our intention…. The idea for the page to find new talent is an amazing one and we hope that can be the positive that comes forward from today on … that we get some new talent working in our field because of this unique opportunity. All I write are strong female characters. Ever. Here is the short list: Painkiller Jane, Powergirl, Tallulah Black, 21 Down, Terra, The Resistance, Ame-Comi girls, Triggergirl 6, Alice in Monolith, The lead in Queen crab, Retrovirus, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing, Beautiful Killer, Gatecrasher, and so on …. For those worried about Harley Quinn.”

    Obviously, the whole thing is a complete misunderstanding. It is also, apparently, completely okay to sexualize women in violent, demeaning contexts if it is meant in a wacky, “Looney Tunes” style. Obviously, no one has any right to get upset because, jeez, the guy even said he was sorry, why are you all getting to angry, calm down. Obviously.

    The weight of this blunder has only further distanced many fans from DC and pushed once great characters in a direction that is tasteless, violent, and oppressive. DC certainly needs to think long and hard about its decisions, past, present, and future, because if they continue to spiral down the “edgy,” “gritty,” “dark” toilet, they’re going to find themselves permanently stuck in the gutters. Comic books are a wonderful medium with a lot of potential in them, not just in terms of artistic pursuits, but in the potential they hold when it comes to changing social norms and the way that people think, particularly young people. Wacky, funny, and “Looney Tune” style is all well and good, but might this writer suggest that you not couple it or, worse, use it as an excuse to further sexualize, demean, and hurt women? Just a thought.

    Image courtesy of Harley Quinn’s official page on DC Comic’s official website.

  • William Shatner Headlines Salt Lake Comic-Con

    Salt Lake City is hosting its first-ever Comic Con this weekend and it is sold out, with over 50,000 tickets sold by the end. Appearances by William Shatner, and a re-teaming of Adam West and Burt Ward, are special highlights of the event.

    Shatner and West headlined a one-hour session on the journey each made toward pop culture immortality, adding quips about aging and the host state. West garnered applause with, “The two icons each have bad hips. But look at us, we’re still perfect.”

    The pair revealed that they only ever worked on one project together, a 1968 TV movie Alexander the Great, shot in Utah. Shatner played Alexander, West played General Cleander, but the film failed to get picked up as a series. Both had already been playing the roles that made them famous, Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek and Batman in Batman (respectively).

    Star Trek premiered on NBC on this day in 1966 and Shatner gave a Tweet-out to the series that gave him his first big break:

    Not to be outdone by sibling-Cons, the rest of the SLCC Special Guest line-up includes Kevin Sorbo (Hercules), Lou Ferrigno (The Hulk), Henry Winkler (The Fonz), David Prowse (Darth Vader, the body), Dean Cain (Superman) and a host of other sci-fi and fantasy icons.

    (image)

    Some of the celebs, along with SLCC organizers Dan Farr and Bryan Brandenburg, even took time to visit the city’s capitol building and Governor (Pictured: unidentified, Dan Farr, Kevin Sorbo, Gov. Gary Herbert, Lou Ferrigno, Claire Coffee, Bryan Brandenburg).

    The weekend actually featured the GEEX Gaming and Electronics Expo, but organizers decided to add the flair—and probably added draw and sales—of designating it a Comic Book and Entertainment Convention.

    Shatner is also breaking news with a fourth studio album, Ponder the Mystery, to be released on 8 October and for which he will tour. He joins with musician Billy Sherwood, formerly in the band Yes.

    [Images via Salt Lake Comic Con Facebook.]

  • Matt Damon: Not Robin, but Will Be in Upcoming Films

    I hate to rock the 90’s dreamboat, but Matt Damon will NOT be playing Robin, despite speculation that ran amuck after the big Affleck announcement that he will indeed be the next to don the mask.

    Matt Damon told The Times of India he thought Affleck—with whom he stared with in Good Will Hunting—would be “great” and “terrific” in the role of a the Dark Knight, Damon also quashed any rumor that he’d play his sidekick. “It’s safe to say I won’t be Robin,” he said. “I am a little older than Ben. I never saw Robin as older than Batman.”

    We will be seeing him on the big screen soon, however. Since his star role in “Elysium”, he has recently announced that he will make an appearance in the Christopher Nolan film “Interstellar”. There isn’t much detail released yet about “Interstellar”, but we do know that Damon is apparently to join the filming for two weeks in Iceland. Damon joins Anne Hathaway, Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Topher Grace, Wes Bentley, Mackenzie Foy and Michael Caine amongst others in the film. The film revolves around a group of explorers making use of a wormhole.

    Damon also finally gets his to sharpen his directorial chops with “A Foreigner”. “A Foreigner” is said to be an adaptation of David Grans’ 2011 New Yorker article “A Murder Foretold”. It will be written by “Argo” writer Chris Terrio. The film is based on a true story about a man who becomes a victim of violence in Guatemala. In the past, Damon has considered the idea of being a director before of films like “Promised Land”, which he later handed off to “Milk” director Gus Van Sant.

    He is also involved in two other films, “The Zero Theorem” and “The Monuments Men”, both due later this year.

    Image via IMDb

  • Here’s A Trailer For That Handheld Batman Game

    Batman is pretty busy this year. Not only is the caped crusader coming to home consoles and PC in this year’s Arkham Origins, but he’s also making his way to handheld devices with Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate.

    For those just joining us, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is a companion title to this year’s console title that furthers the narrative started in Arkham Origins. In this game, Batman is sent to Blackgate Prison to contain a prison rebellion started by the inmates. The gameplay takes cues from the Metroidvania genre as players will explore Blackgate Prison freely while picking up new upgrades along the way.

    The game also features the same melee combat and stealth gameplay of the console titles, but set in a 2.5D perspective. It should present an interesting new take on the Batman Arkham gameplay that we’ve all come to love.

    By far, the most exciting aspect of Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is that it’s being developed by armature. It’s a relatively unknown studio, but it’s staffed by a number of core team members that worked on the Metroid Prime series at Retro Studios. They understand Metroid-style exploration better than most and the gameplay of Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate should benefit greatly from their experience.

    Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate launches October 25 for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita.

    [Image: WBGamesUK/YouTube]

  • Bryan Cranston Role Announcement Outshines Affleck’s

    Bryan Cranston, much like Gary Oldman, should probably just be in all the things and make our movie-going experiences a lot better. And now that “Breaking Bad” is coming to an end–I know, we’re all in denial, but it has to happen–he’s free to pursue other interests…such as playing Lex Luthor in the “Man Of Steel” sequel that earned Ben Affleck so much backlash over the weekend.

    CosmicBookNews is reporting that Cranston has been offered the role and will have at least a six-appearance deal with the series, in which Henry Cavill stars as Superman. There won’t be an official announcement until “Breaking Bad” is done with, but the web is going wild with the news because of a general love for Cranston and because some hope that his involvement will mean good things for a film that has inspired such wrath online.

    There’s a rumor floating around that Matt Damon may be tapped to play either Aquaman or Martian Manhunter, but that could just be wishful thinking in connection with Affleck’s role.

    While Affleck’s news inspired a petition on Change.org to keep him away from the infamous cowl, the news that Cranston is joining the cast has been met with mostly happiness (although some think he’s better suited to Commissioner Gordon).

  • The Ben Affleck as Batman Choice Sparks a Bunch of Online Petitions

    So, I’m sure you heard the news about Baffman.* If you haven’t, you’ve probably been off of Facebook, Twitter, reddit, and basically the rest of the internet for the last 24 hours. That’s fine. I’m sure you had important things to do.

    If you’re unaware, Ben Affleck is your new Batman. He’s set to star as the dark knight in director Zack Snyder’s Batman/Superman film slated for released in the summer of 2015.

    Ok, so there’s a sector of the internet that’s none too thrilled about this. Mainly the guy who thought he should petition the White House to ban anyone from letting Affleck play a superhero for the next 200 years. 200 years, because he had to be thorough you know, with technology and such.

    “I am asking you Mr. President, to make it illegal for Benjamin Geza Affleck-Boldt (otherwise known as Ben Affleck, or that guy that ruined Dare Devil) to act in or be part in, any movie related to super heroes. Ben Affleck should not protray Batman or any other super hero on film or the SyFy network. We are concerned Americans, who care about our fictional heroes, often more than ones that actually existed,” says our petitioner.

    He goes on: “I am sure Mr. Affleck is a nice enough guy, but he has a history of ruining films that he doesn’t star, direct, produce, and cater all by himself.”

    Unfortunately (or fortunately?) the White House admins removed the petition because it doesn’t fall within the scope of We The People – which means that it’s clearly not a governmental matter. Ok, fine.

    But over on change.org, it’s a different story. There are a handful of active petitions demanding that Warner Brothers remove Affleck as the choice for the next caped crusader – the largest of which has about 14,000 signatures so far.

    “His acting skill is not even close to being believable as Bruce Wayne and he won’t do the role justice. He’s not built, nor is he intimidating enough for the role of Batman. His portrayal of Daredevil was atrocious and he’s not remotely close to an action star. Please find someone else,” says John Roden of Ludlow, KY.

    He backtracks a little on the vitriol, saying that “this petition was not meant in any way to harm Ben Affleck or his career. I respect Affleck’s work, I just feel he is inappropriate for the role.”

    Too late John. That was hurtful.

    (image)

    C’mon guys. We love Affleck. Just give him a chance. That’s all he’s asking for – a chance. I mean, if Michael Keaton can play Batman, we can at least give Affleck a chance. I’m fine with whatever as long as they don’t give Baffman the Clooney-batman’s nipple suit. Plus, I think it’s time for a bearded Batman. Did you see that sweet shit Affleck was rocking in Argo?

    The only, ONLY, reason to be upset about this pick is that there was an actual clear choice for who should play batman…

    *Use of “Baffman” credited to the marvelous Chris Kluwe.

    [GIF via Tumblr]

  • Batman: Arkham Origins Is Looking Pretty Good

    Were you skeptical of Batman: Arkham Origins when it was first announced? It being a prequel as well as no longer being developed by Rocksteady were both cause for concern. Warner Bros. Montreal has tried to alleviate those concerns over the past few months, and its latest trailer only continues to reassure us that the new developers know what they’re doing.

    For Gamescom, Warner Bros. has released a new trailer that reiterates the story as we know it so far. Black Mask has sent out eight assassins to kill Batman in the middle of a Gotham Winter. Those assassins thus far have been revealed to be Bane, The Joker, Deathstroke and Copperhead. The latest trailer reveals that Firefly will also be gunning for Batman as well.

    Some may be sad to see Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill not returning to their roles of Batman and The Joker, but the new voice talent isn’t too shabby. In fact, Troy Baker, who you may remember as Joel from The Last Of Us, does an almost pitch perfect impression of Hamill’s Joker. Roger Craig Smith, the voice behind Ezio in Assassin’s Creed II, is providing the voice for Bruce Wayne/Batman.

    Batman: Arkham Origins has some big shoes to fill, but fans of the franchise will hopefully not be disappointed with the release of the latest title.

  • Josh Brolin Or Ryan Gosling Could Be The Next Batman

    Comic-Con recently made millions of nerd dreams come true as it was revealed that Batman and Superman will team up on the big screen in 2015. While Brit heartthrob Henry Cavill is already set to play the man of steel, it is still up in the air who will take on the role of Batman.

    Casting the caped crusader is a big deal, especially when it sets the chosen actor up for a possible career-defining role, or at least one that will bring them millions of dollars. So who is being considered to take their place on the Batman Mouth Rushmore alongside Val Kilmer, George Clooney, and Christian Bale?

    Early reports are far from definite, but four possibilities are sure to create excitement among fans of the superhero, or movies in general. Josh Brolin is one such name on the list, which also includes indie darling and general good looking guy Ryan Gosling.

    Gosling, who is one of the youngest candidates, has the acting chops to pull of the role, but those behind the scenes want a Batman around 40 while Gosling is only 32. The new Batman is also meant to be a more mature, rugged character, not that Gosling couldn’t pull that look off.

    Other actors rumored to be on the list are True Blood Adonis Joe Manganiello, who “Man of Steel” director Zack Snyder considered for the role of Superman, and Richard Armitage, who was most recently seen on the silver screen protecting Bilbo Baggins in the role of Thorin in Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit”.

    Whoever is chosen to take the reins of Wayne Manor will see their star take a meteoric rise, even if they are someone the caliber of Brolin or Gosling. For those like Manganiello and Armitage, it could take them to the next level. We’ll see who is handed the keys to the Batmobile in the coming months as more details about the casting move surface.

  • Zatanna Weaves Her Magic In Injustice: Gods Among Us

    Injustice: Gods Among Us may go down in history as the fighting game with the most DLC characters if it keeps up its current pace. That’s not exactly a bad thing as Ed Boon and his team at NetherRealm Studios are now dipping into the lesser known characters from the DC universe.

    The latest fighter to join the fighter is Zatanna – a magician with formidable powers. She was featured in one of the best episodes of Justice League Unlimited, and she occasionally teams up with the Justice League in the comics to solve cases.

    As you would expect from a magician, most of Zatanna’s attacks are magic based. She can still hold her own in a fight, however, as is evidenced against her bout with Solomon Grundy below:

    Zatanna will be added to the Injustice roster in the near future. She joins recent additions like Martian Manhunter and General Zod.

  • Batman Crowned Most Popular Superhero On YouTube

    There’s something about Batman that just make people love him. Maybe it’s because he’s just a regular (and incredibly rich) guy that can go toe-to-toe with the best of the DC universe, or maybe it’s because he has risen to prominence in recent years thanks to a string of excellent movies. Whatever the reason, people just love watching Batman videos on YouTube.

    As part of Geek Week, YouTube compiled a list of the most popular superheroes on the Web site. They looked at the number of views and the hours of video available on each character to determine the top 10. Unsurprisingly, Batman comes in first place with 3 billion views and 71,000 hours of video. Thor comes in second with 2.1 billion views and 66,000 hours of video. Rounding out the top three is Superman with 1.7 billion views and 14,000 hours of video.

    The rest of the top 10 starting with fourth place and going in descending order are Iron Man, The Avengers, Wolverine, Spider Man, Captain America, Justice League and Deadpool. Part of me wants to say that The Avengers and the Justice League are a little unfair as they’re not just a single superhero, but we’ll just have to roll with it.

    As for search, Batman takes the top spot in overall searches on YouTube, but they point out that Thor, Iron Man and The Avengers have all risen to the top spot in search at various times since 2008.

    So, what’s the most popular Batman video on YouTube? The official trailer for The Dark Knight Rises from last year has now received more than 32 million views:

    Following up in second place is the Epic Rap Battles of History featuring Batman vs Sherlock Holmes with over 29 million views:

    Overall, YouTube says that the top 10 superheroes account for more than 10 billion views and 234,000 videos. That’s not half bad for a bunch of characters that were once considered too nerdy for mainstream culture.

  • Batman: Arkham Origins Gets Multiplayer

    In the modern tradition of adding multiplayer modes to video games that don’t seem to need them, Warner Bros. today announced that the upcoming Batman: Arkham Origins will have a competitive multiplayer mode.

    The multiplayer portion of the game is being developed by Splash Damage, the developers of 2011’s Brink. The gameplay is being promoted as “traditional” gameplay from the Arkham games crossed with third-person shooter mechanics.

    The “Invisible Predator Online” mode puts eight players into a battle arena. Six of them will assume the role of henchmen, three for Joker and three for Bane. While the henchmen teams battle it out, however, two players will get the privilege of playing as Batman and Robin. Those two players will be taking out the henchmen from the shadows, “intimidating” each team in an effort to have the gang’s leaders quit. At a certain point in the match, players can ascend to the role of either Joker or Bane, both of whom are, naturally, more powerful than their henchmen.

  • Comic-Con 2013: Batman and Superman Team Up in 2015

    The Hollywood Reporter reports that Warner Bros. has announced that Superman and Batman will be teaming up in a movie in 2015.

    Of course, the first question on everybody’s mind is: Will Christian Bale be coming back as Batman? And the answer is, not likely. Henry Cavill will be returning as Superman, reprising the “Man of Steel” role from this year. But Bale has already said he is done. So now begins the wait to find out who will be wearing the cowl.

    So far this year, “Man of Steel” has made over $280 million in the US and over $620 million worldwide, putting it in second place only to “Iron Man 3”. Zack Snyder, who directed “Man of Steel”, is back on board for the Batman/Superman team-up, as is screenwriter David Goyer (who also worked on “The Dark Knight” series). ”The Dark Knight Rises” itself topped $1 billion in global box office last year.

    After the release and phenomenal success of Marvel’s “Avengers”, speculation was that Warner Bros. would do a Justice League movie next to compete with the “Avenger’s” franchise. That film would include all kinds of DC heroes – Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and any number of others that have rotated through the JLA stories over the years. Instead the Batman/Superman pairing goes forward, with a possible “Flash”, then perhaps the big “Justice League” that everyone wants to see.

    Marvel’s franchise followed a similar pattern, establishing Iron Man, Thor, and Hulk well before launching a team movie. DC, on the other hand, saw lackluster response to its Green Lantern try. Rather than try to save everything with a team movie, as some had speculated hey might do, they’re building on the two biggest cards they have in their hand: The Man of Steel and the Dark Knight.

  • Batman Superman Movie Slated for 2015

    Rev up your best fan squeals and start your fan fictions now, because things are getting ready to heat up in the DC cinematic universe; news broke this morning at San Diego Comic Con that the “Man of Steel” sequel will feature none other than the Dark Knight himself. Director Zack Snyder made a surprise guest appearance at the convention today, and announced to thousands of eager, screaming, over-joyed fans that the super duo would be crossing paths on screen in the next movie.

    Snyder said that the film is still being written. While the news was introduced with an excerpt from the famous “Batman: The Dark Knight Rises” comic of Frank Miller fame, the director has said that the “Man of Steel” sequel will not be a continuation of the comic. Henry Cavill will be returning as Superman, but Christian Bale has stated that he will not be re-appearing as Batman. This leaves open many possibilities for the future of not just the “Man of Steel” saga, but the Batman franchise and films, as well.

    “The Dark Knight” trilogy fans need not fret too much, however; Snyder is working on the script with David S. Goyer, the man who co-wrote Christopher Nolan’s epic trilogy of blockbuster fame. Christopher Nolan himself will also be appearing as a producer for this Batman-Superman movie. Nolan had this to say about Snyder and the film at the news release; “Whilst our ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy is complete, we have every confidence that Zack’s fresh interpretation will take the character in a new and exciting direction… His vision for Superman opened the door to a whole new universe, and we can’t wait to see what Zack does with these characters.”

    Fans of both series are no doubt just as excited to see their heroes working in tandem on the big screen, as well. It will be interesting to see how Snyder and Goyer choose to bring the two together, as well as how they will interact with one another. Fans are certainly on pins and needles, and it seems they will remain that way for a while; the film is slated for 2015, according to today’s news release.

  • Make Your Own Hero In Scribblenauts Unmasked

    DC Comics is putting on quite the show at Comic-Con this year. They’ve been especially busy with video games what with the introduction of Copperhead in Batman: Arkham Origins. A new Batman game isn’t the only DC Comics game on the horizon though.

    Warner Bros. Games revealed a new trailer today for Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure that shows how players can create their own superhero. In the trailer below, Geoff Johns and Jim Lee create a character that borrows the head of Aquaman, the torso of Cyborg Superman, the arms of Doomsday and the legs of Fisherman.

    What makes this trailer particularly interesting is that it may indicate that DC Comics writers and artists will be included in the game as well. Johns and Lee are a good start, but what about Grant Morrison or Alan Moore?

    Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure will be released on September 24 for the Wii U, 3DS and PC. It will feature over 2,000 DC heroes and villains, and is quite possibly the biggest love letter to DC fans ever made. A second Robot Chicken DC Comics Special comes awfully close though.

  • Comic-Con 2013: New ‘Batman: Arkham Origins’ Villain Revealed

    San Diego Comic-Con is in full swing and the movie, video game, and general geek culture announcements are coming fast.

    At yesterday’s Batman: Arkham Origins panel Warner Bros. revealed yet another of the assassins Batman will be battling in the prequel, due out on October 25 for current-generation consoles and PC. Copperhead will join Deadshot and Deathstroke as one of the 8 assassins led by Black Mask to kill the Batman on the night Origins takes place.

    The Origins version of Copperhead appears to be based on the “New 52” version of the villain. As seen in the reveal trailer below, the snake-like woman version of Copperhead will be stalking Batman through the shadows of Gotham City:

    Batman: Arkham Origins is set years before Arkham Asylum and will feature a younger and “unrefined” Batman. The new setting will allow the game’s writers to expand on the background of the Arkham series’ Batman, as well as bring back popular villains from the first two games.

  • Here’s The Full 5-Minute Batman: Arkham Origins Trailer

    On Friday, Warner Bros. Games revealed a short teaser trailer for Batman: Arkham Origins that showed a small preview of Batman facing off against Deathstroke. Now the full trailer is out, and those looking for nearly five minutes of a pre-rendered Batman fighting a pre-rendered Deathstroke are in for a treat.

    Here’s the official synopsis from WB Games:

    Batman: Arkham Origins features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline occurring several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous villains and assassins, the game showcases a young, raw, unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, witness identities being formed and key relationships being forged.

    You can argue that prequel stories sometimes don’t work out, but Batman has a pretty good track record when it comes to origin stories. Even if the game does nothing to stand apart from its predecessors, the story told in Arkham Origins has the potential to be pretty good.

    Batman: Arkham Origins will be out on October 25 for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii U. A spin-off title called Arkham Origins Blackgate will launch the same day for the 3DS and Vita.

  • Watch Batman And Deathstroke Face Off In The First Arkham Origins Trailer

    Warner Bros. Games is going to milk the Arkham franchise for all its worth later this year with the release of Batman: Arkham Origins. The title is a prequel to Arkham Asylum, and its puts players into the role of a younger Batman facing off against a number of assassins that have been hired to take him down.

    Nearly a month after the game’s announcement, Warner Bros. has deemed it fit to finally release a trailer for the title. There’s no gameplay, but it’s nice to confirm that pre-rendered footage still looks pretty:

    This is only a teaser of a full trailer that will be released on May 20. Even then, a pre-rendered CGI trailer will do little to allay fears that WB Games Montreal can’t make a good Batman game. The studio’s previous effort was the Wii U port of Arkham City. This will be the studio’s first AAA title developed entirely in-house.

    We’ll know if WB Montreal can hold up the good name of Batman come October 25 when Batman: Arkham Origins launches across the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U and PC. A spinoff sequel to Arkham Origins called Arkham Origins Blackgate will also be released on the same day for 3DS and PlayStation Vita.

  • Scribblenauts Unmasked Brings Together Over 2,000 Characters From The DC Universe

    Warner Bros. owns DC Comics, and its gaming arm at Warner Bros. Games uses that to its advantage every year with a number of DC themed games. One such game is due out later this year, and no, it’s not Batman: Arkham Origins.

    Warner Bros. Games and 5th Cell announced today that they’re working on a new entry in the popular Scribblenauts series called Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure. As the name implies, players will be solving situational puzzles with the help of DC heroes and villains. What makes this particular game special, however, is that it features over 2,000 characters from DC Comics’ storied history.

    5th Cell’s Caleb Arseneaux told Polygon that Scribblenauts Unmasked will have every character to ever appear in a DC comic book. I’m sure the most hardcore fans of DC Comics fans will see if that claim is true, but most will be content to know that there are 33 different Batmans in the game – covering every single variation on the character over the years.

    Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure will launch later this year on Wii U, 3DS and PC.