Tag Archives: Batman

Check Out This Exclusive Clip from LEGO Batman: Be-Leaguered

October 25, 2014 Elton Jones Leave a comment

Did any of you guys expect The LEGO Movie to be as good as it was? Count us in that group of movie geeks who were caught off guard by just how AWESOME that film was (pun intended). Well now DC Comics most prolific heroes are getting the LEGO film treatment as well, but you won’t have to spend movie theater prices to see it.

The always moody but always prepared Batman and a slew of other DC Comics heroes and villains are ready to take over the small screen on Cartoon Network. Fans of all ages will certainly be tuning into LEGO Batman: Be-Leaguered!

Cartoon Network is ready to give fans young and old another LEGO feature presentation. DC’s moody Dark Knight will fight alongside his fellow Justice Leaguers in the upcoming special, LEGO Batman: Be-Leaguered. We have the first clip for you below:

Once a bunch of infamous DC baddies show up and make the Man of Steel disappear, Batman finally becomes a team player and joins up with The Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Cyborg. You can expect to see Captain Cold pop up during the world saving festivities, too…

This special LEGO animated special will be followed by the release of LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham a month later. The premise for this light-hearted take on the DC Comics universe is as follows – Superman’s nemesis Brainiac manages to snag the powers held within each of the Lantern Corps’ rings. Brainiac then puts those power rings’ abilities to good use by simply shrinking Earth and other planets to add to his personal collection. Brainiac and the Legion of Doom will then have to fend off the heroes – Batman and his Justice League allies.

In celebration of Batman’s 75th Anniversary, make sure you tune into this Cartoon Network special on October 27 at 6 p.m. EST.

Images: DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Traveller’s Tales

POP CULTURE

Mezco’s Dark Knight Figure Owns The Night

October 22, 2014 Adam Parker-Edmondston Leave a comment

Frank Miller has had an illustrious career, and most of it good, and maybe none of it better than his 1986 interpretation of Bruce Wayne’s dark future, The Dark Knight Returns.

Most fans know in extensive detail the world Frank Miller and Klaus Janson mapped out so many years ago, especially now with spin offs, animated features, and elements of their story shaping the basis of the new Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. But it is the action figures that are the focus of this article. Numerous figures have been released over the years, the most famous likely being DC Collectables Unlimited series which had Batman, the bulky Superman, the female Robin and the pinstriped Joker, which were all collected in a special edition set retailing for about $90.

But now toy makers Mezco Toyz have gotten in on the action with their version of The Dark Knight and it’s something quite special. Below is the impressive array of stats on the figure which include three different pairs of hands and two faces.

1/12th scale fully posable collectible action figure
– Hyper articulated body featuring over 30 points of articulation
– Real fabric clothing
Includes Four (4) pairs of interchangeable hands including:
One (1) pair of fists
One (1) pair of “holding” hands
One (1) pair of posing hands
One (1) pair of “Batarang” hands
One (1) interchangeable boot with pistol holster – One (1) removable utility belt
One (1) pistol
One (1) grappling hook
One (1) alternate head
One (1) Bat-symbol display base
One (1) articulated figure stand for multiple dynamic figure poses
One (1) detachable cape-posing stand accessory
Figure comes in fifth panel window box with slip cover

Now here is the action figure in all its glory.

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As you can see, there are slight differences between this version and the comic reproduction DC Collectables put out. This Batman is less stocky, looking more anatomically correct in muscle size than the comic version. However the figure is still modeled well enough in that department that it still has an imposing presence. The chiseled chin and battle worn face is still there, but given a Mezco makeover. The detail to costume and sculpt design is amazing, and with the ability to pose this Dark Knight in numerous arrangements, it makes a welcome addition to the Batman figure family.

Mezco’s Dark Knight action figure is available for pre-order from their website now, but will not ship until January 2015. It’s priced at $65.00 and will no doubt sell out pretty darn quickly. So if you want the embodiment of justice in a dark DC future to be part of your household, I suggest getting that pre-order in, otherwise you may miss out on a superbly crafted item.

Images: DC Collectibles, Mezco

COMICS/PRINT

Dredd Vs: A Brief History Of Judge Dredd Crossovers

October 21, 2014 Adam Parker-Edmondston Leave a comment

Judge Dredd, the Lawman of the Future certainly gets himself into some scrapes in the pursuit of justice in Mega-City 1.

In his many years on the streets, he has fought a wide variety of foes including a future zombie version of himself, vampires, werewolves and even Santa, as well as the regular assortment of law breakers and perps. But some of his entanglements have definitely been odd, even for a guy who sees mutants and undead judges on a semi-regular basis. With the release of the new graphic novel Predator vs. Judge Dredd vs. Aliens out October 21 (today), it seemed just the right time to look at who else in the fandom universe Dredd has had the pleasure to kick around with.

Judge Dredd / Batman (1991, 1993, 1995, 1998)

Recently collected into a trade paperback, these adventures have both Dredd and Batman turning up in numerous places (sometimes in Gotham, sometimes in Mega-City 1), having a tussle with someone (or each other) and then teaming up to solve a greater problem.

In Judgment on Gotham, the duos’ first encounter used a dimensional portal to bring the two characters together. It works slightly better in this context because the Judge Dredd foes, The Dark Judges, used dimensional devices to first visit Mega-City 1, and Judge Death uses it here to go to Gotham City. Batman believes he has taken out the Judge and ends up accidentally transporting himself to Mega-City 1. After Judge Anderson clears up who Batman is, we get quite an adventure penned again by Wagner and Grant, with The Scarecrow and Judge Death teaming up to wreak havoc at a rock concert in Gotham. The Simon Bisley artwork really adds something special to the story and the way he draws Scarecrow and Judge Death makes them even more chilling than normal.

The second book in the series, Vendetta in Gotham, has a fun (if slightly filler feeling) script by John Wagner and Alan Grant that actually uses this notion of superhero team-ups having a punch first, talk later policy to its advantage. This is seen in a nice plot twist halfway through the story which I will not reveal here, but it comes off as refreshing change, just like the villains, The Ventriloquist and Scarface, who are rarely used in such a way in the comics. This is all supported by Cam Kennedy’s great artwork in the book.

The last two entries are The Ultimate Riddle which has The Riddler getting in on the action, and the story throwing Batman and Judge Dredd into a gladiator styled battle arena, while Die Laughing had The Joker rehashing Scarecrow’s scheme, going to Mega-City 1 to release The Dark Judges with Batman hot on their tails. They were both fun in their own way, with some great artwork by Glenn Fabry and Carl Critchlow. However the stories never had the impact that the first two Wagner/Grant stories had. A little bit of fun but nothing too exciting, maybe the series team up had reached its natural end.

Judge Dredd vs Predator (1997)

Predator vs. Judge Dredd is a story with limited plot, but enough fun scenes to get it through. Basically it involves a Predator coming down to hunt the Judges, and Dredd has to get down and dirty to take him out. The book does stuff in some obvious links to the other films, mostly Psi Judge Schaefer, a relation of Dutch from the first Predator film. Then there is the scene where Schaefer drinks Predator blood to track him down which seems slightly silly but it mostly reads like a big action epic and is fun enough for that exact reason.

Judge Dredd vs Aliens (2003)

Judge Dredd has met a fair few alien creatures, some on vacation, some with mischief in mind and, in one instance, some used as muscle for the insane Chief Judge Cal in The Day the Law Died. So it was no great surprise that he would eventually tussle with both the Xenomorphs and Predators.

In Judge Dredd vs. Aliens: Incubus, John Wagner and Andy Diggle (writers) and Henry Flint (artist) do a great job at bringing the Aliens to Dredd’s world. When the usual stomach problems cause a chest burster to emerge out of a perp, it is up to Judge Dredd to try and keep the Alien infestation under control before they get loose and start impregnating the citizens. This all extends out into a bigger plot line and the reasons behind the Aliens actually arriving on Mega-City 1 are satisfying once revealed. With scenes ranging from the hospital where the chest burster first appears at, into the bowels of The Halls of Justice where something sinister is afoot, it all amasses to a fun read.

There are elements of each of the first movies here, with Dredd having his own Verminators helping him to solve problems very similar to the marine help Ripley had in Aliens. The lead up to the hospital scene has the suspense of the original Alien movie stamped all over it. The only downside is that Dredd seems pretty much invincible here, with even acid blooded Aliens not giving him too much stress. However, when he meets the Predator, he has to go into full Arnold Schwarzenegger mode to take it down.

Mars Attacks Judge Dredd (2013)

Dredd did not stop there with the extraterrestrials. His next big meeting was in the IDW universe where he squared off against the Martians. In 2012, IDW started their own Judge Dredd comic, with a separate continuity, but by and large keeping with the general feel of the original UK comic books. Think ‘Ultimate Judge Dredd’ and you get the idea. IDW has recently become quite well-known for their lavish in-house crossovers. Infection 1 and 2 started the ball rolling, with zombies and Cthulhu-styled creatures appearing in comics published by IDW (Star Trek, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, etc.). In 2013, their cross-over event was Mars Attacks, and while most comics had just one appearance in each of their issues, Dredd had his own mini-series involving the grotesque invaders.

The plot is simple enough (a pattern we have seen before in these cross-overs with Dredd) with a search for a new mob leader that involves a former mob boss’ son turning up with some familiar looking aliens to back him up in his attempt to take over. Dredd gets roped into things when the sector house he is visiting is right in the middle of this mob takedown. Dredd, of course, then does his thing. Yet again there is not much story here, but what is on show works thanks to the Al Ewing story. Seeing these characters fight it out is lots of fun and the mix of violence and comedy flows together smoothly on the page, which was beautifully illustrated by John McCrea.

Judge Dredd vs. The Rest

Even after the Dark Knight and Alien invaders making appearances with Dredd, there are still a handful of others left that may be of interest. Judge Dredd vs. Lobo: Psycho Bikers vs. Mutants from Hell (1995) has Wagner and Grant reuniting for writing duties, with some explosive artwork from Val Semeiks tying it all together. Lobo meets Mean Machine and then Dredd has to get involved. You can pretty much guess the rest, as a lot of property damage gets done along the way! Great fun if you love Lobo as that sense of humor is spliced throughout this book, but Dredd fans may feel a little left out as sometimes it feels like the main man is running the show and he is just along for the ride. Still it’s a short read, so no harm.

The 2000 AD anniversary issues are like having a little homage to all of the characters past and present, with a few short pages dedicated to self-mockery of said characters. These stories are normally very self-aware and have a tendency to wink at the audience to let you in on the joke. It is here in the 25th anniversary of the magazine, a meeting takes place, which would have made a darn fine comic, with Judge Dredd meeting Marshal Law, the hero hunting anti-hero. Though it is only a page long, it makes you think that the two would have teamed up for future endeavors rather than having the usual fist fight.

Finally, there were two events that even the die-hard Dredd fans might have missed. One had him meeting with 1980s UK comedy performer Jeremy Beadle. whose wacky ‘caught on-camera’ pranks got the better of him in Mega-City 1, or when he appeared with Captain Britain, Dan Dare, Lenny Henry and Desperate Dan to celebrate the UK charity event Red Nose Day. That one is just plain strange!

So what is left for Dredd? Well there are plenty of superheroes out there for him to team up with (or against), but also with the numerous versions of Dredd out there now (the Stallone movie version, the Karl Urban movie version, the UK comic version and the IDW comic version) it would be nice to see a cross-universe shakeup involving all the versions of Dredd turning up. Only the future will tell for sure, but if it does happen you can be sure Grizzly Bomb will let you know. If we left out any of your favorite Judge Dredd meetings, let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page!

Images: 2000 AD, Fleetway Publications, DC Entertainment,
Dark Horse Comics, IDW, Red Nose Day, Cartoon Aid.

POP CULTURE

GB Christmas Special: Knock Off Toys 2013

December 14, 2013 Adam Parker-Edmondston Leave a comment

Last year I did an article showcasing some of the best knock off toys on the market. Now this may seem strange to have a best knock off toy, with the term knock off implying that the toy itself is not going to be of the standard you would think. But some of these figures are just plain genius in their design while others are so bad, they need to be showcased around toy stores so people are aware of some of the rubbish that can filter on to shelves if shop suppliers are not vigilant. So this year I decided to do the exact same thing, because it is entertaining to see just what new knock of toys have come out in a year. So without further ado, here are some of the best and worst toys out there. If you ever see these toys in a toys shop then you are really in a bad toy store!

These toy examples came from Pleated Jeans which amassed a whole selection of really bad toys. The worst has to be a toss up between Superman on a horse (?) figure or the truly awful Chewbacca figure.

The next batch of slightly shoddy toys (from numerous websites listed below) all seem to be based on recognizable characters from film and TV screens. It is always fun to watch Bugs Bunny advertise the slightly embarrassed looking Munsters toys and there are many more awful toys that follow. My personal favorite out of these is the cartoon style jigsaw puzzle based on Tim Burton’s Batman. As a child I would have done this and as a man-child I am still quite tempted. The Judge Dredd-ful toy is inspired as well.

Then we are left with the odds and ends and also the end of this article. To end, we have a return from our old friend, Robert Cop. The internet is full of these kind of galleries and if you dig deep you will find a wide range of rubbish to pour over. So until next year have a great celebration and see you in the New Year with more knock off toys!

GAMING

Batman: Arkham Origins – What We Want To See

October 21, 2013 Dan Woizinski Leave a comment

Batman: Arkham Origins comes out this week, and with a new developer behind it, there’s no real way to know how the third installment will compare to the previous two. Sure, we’ve seen some Arkham Origins t railers and have heard some of the core details about the Dark Knight’s next foray into video game Gotham, but there’s so much we can’t know about the game until we get our hands on it on October 25th. Here are five dos and don’ts we hope to see when we tag along for Bats’ second Christmas Eve later this week:

Don’t: Mess With the Combat.

Of course, the shining heart of the Arkham series is the free-flowing combat system that forever changed the standard of the 3D brawler. A large part of what allows us to feel like the Caped Crusader in these games is being able to take down an entire mob of gangsters with one fluid dance of fists and justice. We know that Warner Bros. Montreal has made some tweaks and changes to the existing combat from Arkham City, but they seem to have been very conscientious about taking things too far away from their roots. Let’s keep things fairly grounded, here: Not too many elaborate gadgets or rooftop gymnastics, but make us capable of handling every situation with the right combo or a well-placed batarang.

Do: Mess With The Rest of Gameplay.

If there’s one thing that Arkham City faltered at, it was variety – Fly around, find a Riddler puzzle, give a football team’s worth of gangsters a close-up view of the pavement – We were rarely faced with a new mission type or challenge. Don’t get me wrong, I had a blast completing every single piece of the singleplayer campaign, but most of the enjoyment came from Rocksteady’s deft hand at weaving Batman lore into the world, and the sheer joy of the mechanics that I had already become used to. However there’s more to being Batman than aggressive criminal dentistry, and it looks like in Origins we’ll get to explore the side of Bats that earned him the title of World’s Greatest Detective. WB Montreal has shown off a bit of the detective gameplay wherein the player will have to piece together a crime scene in order to make progress in a mission. I really want this to be a fairly major component of the story and not just a handful of neat moments sprinkled into the game, and if the developers have even more fun ways to round out the gameplay I’ll be ecstatic.

Don’t: Sacrifice Substance for Size.

Batman: Arkham Origins is going to be the largest of the three games to date, expanding to incorporate all of Gotham City rather than the titular Arkham City and Asylum settings from the previous two titles. As good as Arkham City is, it lost the intimacy of Asylum‘s closed walls and Metroidvania style backtracking which made the iconic prison grounds feel oppressing and teeming with activity. Origins risks doubling down on that loss by adding a lot of square footage to the map. Hopefully the promises of a more varied cityscape, due in part to featuring more than desolate slums full of escaped prisoners, will liven up the environment and feature more details to discover.

Do: Play with Gotham City.

A lot can happen in a large metropolis and there’s enough history in Batman canon to fill that space. Not all of Bruce Wayne’s world is depressingly dark and filled with villains. Arkham City was so depressing and grey that certain moments looked like a black and white movie. This is appropriate a lot of the time, but it can’t be all there is to Gotham City or no one outside the poor, the morally questionable or the colorblind could live there and keep their sanity. I want Arkham Origins to show some of the livelier side to Gotham – Give us families, car dealerships, people snapping photos of Batman on the move. I want to feel that there’s more to Batman’s world than a dank cave and a parade of creepy men to fight. Remind us of what he fights to protect.

Do: Tell Us a Story.

I’m breaking pattern here, but the truth is I have way more positives than negatives to look forward to in this game. That’s because, with whatever flaws great or small that can be found in Arkham Asylum and City, what both of them achieved was a story on par with some of the better source material. Asylum, specifically, tells a much better story for some of the characters than I’d ever seen in the past. Arkham Origins actually looks like it might be far more focused on delivering a satisfying Batman story than City, with a younger, more brutish Batman, still regarded as a vigilante by the police force and a new threat by the criminal underworld. The fact that it all takes place over one night on Christmas Eve makes even more epic. If it can manage to keep a strong pace and treat the characters with as deft a hand as Rocksteady did twice in the past, this will unquestionably a wonderful way to usher in the new console generation.

Uncategorized

Superman 75th Anniversary Animated Short Will Blow You Away!

October 15, 2013 Adam Parker-Edmondston Leave a comment

What do Zack Snyder, Warner Brothers and Bruce Timm all have in common this week? They were involved in some way in making this incredible animated short. The short was originally conceived as a DC Nation piece, grew to such proportions that it quickly gained a life of its own. Below is the stunning cartoon which manages to cover many of the most pivotal moments of Superman’s history in a matter of minutes.

Entertainment Weekly had a great interview with Bruce Timm (Batman Animated Series) which is included below and gives us a great insight into what went into making this piece.

[quote]“It was Zack Snyder’s idea,” says Timm, the designer, animator, writer, and producer whose credits include Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited. “We had approached him about maybe doing a short for the DC Nation program on Cartoon Network. He said, ‘I’ll think about it,’ and then he had this idea to do basically the entire history of Superman in, like, a minute. We said, ‘Okay … whoooo.’ We started working and quickly realized there was no way to do it, even in a minute.”[/quote]

He then went on to talk about how difficult it was to get so much Superman history into one piece.

[quote]“There have been so many different artists in the comics who had important moments in Superman’s history. One of the things we came up with was, you’d have a Curt Swan segment – Superman vs. Brainiac – and the background is full of comic book panels, a floating montage background of lots of different artists. So there’s John Byrne, Gil Kane, and Jim Steranko in there.”[/quote]

The result of all of this is something every Superman fan should be happy with. The mixing of all the iconic Superman theme musics are incredibly well done, but better yet is the incorporation of pretty much all the Superman mythology. So many different styles of art all manage to combine perfectly and it is so fluid it actually makes you feel like you are flying alongside Kal-El as he takes us on this historical journey. The use of the old comic covers to expand out to other decades of Superman’s life is inspired, and it seems even the most minute moment in Superman’s lore are included. Some stand out scenes have to be Jimmy Olsen as Turtle Boy, Christopher Reeve flying over the planet Earth, the Super Friends, Kingdom Come Superman and my personal favorite the Atari computer system Superman.

Superman has never looked better. This does leads us to an interesting question. With Batman’s 75^th anniversary coming up next year are we going to see a similar animated short for him? With the Batman vs. Superman movie coming 2015 it would seem a waste to not only do a Batman one, but also a team up one with both heroes.