The hottest place in the San Francisco suburb of Sunnyvale is Wayne manor, named after Batman’s straight self, Bruce Wayne. At the Manor, the Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin are painted in throbbing colors on the walls, and villains cackle in fluorescents. Behind a plate-glass screen girls dressed like Robin lead the crowd in the Batusi. Batman sells tickets at the front door, the maitre d’ is the Joker, and drinks are served by Wonder Woman.
I was clearly born in the wrong decade. A nightclub built in an old bank, Wayne Manor was initially created as a South Bay Whisky A Go Go. The owner Joe Lewis’s son suggested a Batman theme (listen to your children, nightclub owners) and he went all out with wild colors on the wall, costumed staff and such. It became a huge hit when the 1966 TV series launched a year later and soon attendees were doing the Batusi!
Things like this just blow my mind. While today superheroes are marketed to young and old alike (with varied results), to hear of a nightclub based on the caped crusader is just amazing. But what better time than the 1960’s? Musical acts included Sly and the Family Stone, Music Machine and the Coasters.
This Wednesday, July 23rd, comic book shops across the world will be celebrating Batman’s 75th birthday. While Batman has essentially retained the same image, in his long time in print and on screen, the dark knight detective has had many different variations of his iconic costume.
The infographic below covers it all, from his first appearance in 1939 to the upcoming 2015 Batman v Superman film.
As Part of the 75th Anniversary Celebration of the Dark Knight, DC Entertainment Releases a Free Special Edition of DETECTIVE COMICS #27 at Comic Book Retailers and Book Stores Nationwide
In celebration of Batman’s 75th anniversary, DC Entertainment is partnering with thousands of comic book retailers and bookstores across the nation to celebrate “Batman Day” on Wednesday, July 23. As part of the festivities, fans who visit participating retailers receive a free, special edition of DETECTIVE COMICS #27, featuring a reimagining of Batman’s 1939 comic book debut, designed by Chip Kidd with a script by The New York Times #1 bestselling author Brad Meltzer.
In addition to the comic book, DC Entertainment is providing retailers access to an assortment of other collectibles to help in the celebration of “Batman Day” including a Batman 75thanniversary cape, bookmarks featuring essential Batman graphic novels and four Batman masks designed by comic book artist Ryan Sook spotlighting a variety of the character’s iconic looks from his 75-year history.
Masks include:
DETECTIVE COMICS #27: Batman’s first appearance, as drawn by Bob Kane
BATMAN ’66: inspired by the classic TV series starring Adam West
THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: As drawn by Frank Miller
DC COMICS – THE NEW 52: As drawn by Greg Capullo
Fans who visit comic stores on “Batman Day” also have the opportunity to purchase ROBIN RISES: OMEGA #1, an oversized one-shot story from bestselling creators Peter J. Tomasi and Andy Kubert and GRAYSON # 1 by Tim Seeley and Mikel Janin, which depicts the original Robin, Dick Grayson, in an all new monthly series in which the crime fighter turned super spy fights to clear his name.
Continuing the celebration, DC Entertainment is partnering with Random House to bring “Batman Day” to over 1,000 libraries across the U.S. on Saturday, July 26th.
On the digital front, the special edition of DETECTIVE COMICS #27 will also be available for free download on Wednesday, July 23nd at www.readdcentertainment.com and all digital platforms (Kindle, iBookstore, Nook, Google Play and comixology.com).
For the latest information and exclusive content celebrating Batman’s 75th anniversary, please visit www.batman75.com.
As a kid, I was practically raised on the Batman 1966 TV series. Starring Adam West and Burt ward, the pop art/absurdist action-drama was non-stop joy-inducing entertainment. Due to some legal complications, the TV program has never been released on DVD and products were scarce. Recently, product announcements have surfaced for action figures and toy replicas based on the ’66 Batman series.
Finally, a new comic book is on the way, written by Jeff Parker, popular author of numerous comics such as Agents of Atlas, Hulk and Thunderbolts.
With Parker on board, this could be the funnest comic on the stands.
Comic book fans also got a special treat when DC Entertainment unveiled art for its all-new digital comic book series BATMAN ’66, launching in summer 2013. Inspired by the classic TV series, the digital comic book features many fan-favorite characters like Catwoman, The Riddler, The Joker and, of course, the dynamic duo of Batman and Robin. Written by Jeff Parker, the series will feature cover art by Michael Allred and the first issue will be drawn by Eisner Award winner Jonathan Case. BATMAN ’66 will also be collected and available for sale in monthly print issues.
“The juxtaposition of offering a retro BATMAN ’66 comic as a current and modern digital first title is fun,” stated DC Entertainment President, Diane Nelson. “DC Entertainment is the most prolific producer of digital first comics and, as we work to create new and compelling content, this is a great way to also preserve the legacy of our characters. It’s exciting to roll out the new BATMAN ’66 comic as part of this bigger initiative with our Warner Bros Consumer Product partners.”
Artifacts from the original Batman Classic TV Series were featured during the event, including the original iconic Batmobile, as well as authentic pieces from Comisar Collection that provided the “Robin” costume as worn by actor Burt Ward, the original Bat-Shield that Batman and Robin frequently used to protect themselves from their foes, the Bat-Phone from the Batmobile and the Bat-O-Rang prop used by Robin throughout the series. In addition, guests had the opportunity to hang out in a replica of the famous Batcave as depicted in the classic television series.
Introduced a short time after Batman exploded on the comic book page, Robin the Boy Wonder was once a wildly popular character, someone that the young reader could identify with. Since comics had grown in popularity among soldiers in the field during WWII, readership included an older demographic but after wartime youngsters were becoming interested. An older bachelor fighting crime from atop a mansion was too far removed for a kid, so someone closer to the background of a feisty (yet respectful) boy was introduced. It created an atmosphere of comraderie and lightened the Batman’s somber attitude.
With a partner, Batman had someone to talk to, creating new possibilities for the creative team and more options for the reader. But… some say that Batman works better alone as a dark vigilante and that a brightly colored kid in pixie boots ruins his spectre of the night credibility.
When the decision was made to allow Dick Grayson to wear pants and leave the Batcave, it left a void alongside the caped crusader and started a trend of replacement Robins that has lasted to this day. There have been many Robins over the decades and (in most cases) each one has grown into his/her own characters. This week, the latest Robin Damian Wayne met his grisly end, a story that has had the media abuzz and many non-comic fans confused. Which Robin died? And what does it mean?
Four Robins: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake and Damian Wayne
For myself, the most popular of the Robins isn’t just Dick Grayson, but Dick Grayson as played by Burt Ward in the 1966 TV series. An absurd vision of comic book sensibilities, comedy and mock-drama, the TV Robin spoke in the weirdest diction and seemed to view plots against the free world as seriously dangerous as jaywalking. In a state of constant surprise and bewilderment, it seemed that Ward had a live wire running through him, keeping his performance energized at all times.
Burt Ward, Robin on TV in 1966
The 1960’s comic book followed suit and replicated this version of Batman and Robin to an extent, but grew tired of it in time and developed a more sophisticated take on the dynamic duo; moving Dick into college and Bruce into a Gotham City penthouse. Robin earned a strong following, became an astute detective, a companion to Batgirl and even the leader of a group of former sidekicks, the Teen Titans. Robin was outgrowing his nest and becoming a man. In this way, he mirrored the maturing demographic of the readers who were becoming accustomed to more many-faceted characters.
This clever, youthful and resourceful version of Robin has populated the modern animated world in cartoons such as The Batman, Teen Titans and Young Justice. Not a junior version of Batman, Robin is brilliant and shrewd but not tragically bent toward vengeance and revenge. He is driven toward perfection, perhaps a reflection of is training on the trapeze. He also relied on a his own set of gadgets and weaponry, including fighting sticks and a staff, cribbed from Grayson’s time as Nightwing and the second Robin, Jason Todd.
An animated version of Robin
In the 1980’s, it was decided that a new Robin was needed and a kind of ersatz Dick Grayson named Jason Todd was the solution. This didn’t sit well with readers and when the opportunity arose to revamp the character with a new origin in 1985, he became a street punk caught trying to rob the Batmobile. This new Jason Todd was a devil-may-care hooligan with an edge that would appeal to the rebellious 80’s teen reader.
However, there was backlash against this new Robin. He was different from Grayson, but so anti-establishment that he challenged readers to accept him. Finally it was decided to make a bold move that would challenge the working relationship between Batman and Robin. Jason’s long-lost mother was discovered which split Todd from his mentor in a mad search for her. When he found her, he also found the Joker and was beaten to pulp with a crowbar before being blown to pieces by an explosion.
Batman was too late to save his young ward, too late to rescue him from what might have been his fateful end.
More recently, a third Robin was created, Tim Drake. Rather than having Drake be someone who stumbled into Batman’s life, Drake forced his way in through study, training, and deep research. The most intelligent of the Robins, Drake became a runaway hit and enjoyed a long-lasting solo series along with a place among the Teen Titans (called Young Justice). He has gradually moved away from his role as Robin as he can see the shadow of the Batman as something that could envelope him. Instead he has become his own person, much as Grayson had before him. Renamed Red Robin (no relation to the restaurant chain), Drake is a member of another version of the Teen Titans.
In many ways, Drake was a step back toward the more traditional Grayson-Robin and a mirror to the reader. But some tweaking in his fighting style and costume made him 100 times more modern and cooler than his predecessor. He was also far more cunning and resourceful than the others, leaving his mark as possibly one of the best Robins of all. In print, his solo adventures were extremely popular (thanks in no small part to Chuck Dixon who wrote Batman, Birds of Prey, Nightwing and Robin).
Tim Drake, Robin
When Drake split from Batman, his teenage girlfriend and daughter of the villainous Cluemaster was graduated into the red/green outfit. Stephanie Brown was Robin so briefly before dying that she barely gets any recognition in the comic, let alone a monument in the Batcave. Because of the restarts and revisions of DC timelines, Stephanie’s death has been undone, but her role in the Batverse is nebulous, making her yet another member of the costumed crime fighting Bat-family rather than having her own persona. It’s a shame because Brown was very popular as Spoiler and a female Robin is a great visual (as had been seen in Frank Miller’s Dark Knight series).
The fact that she briefly appeared in Batman Incorporated (since said to be set in the recent past) but in no other DC Comic is something of a puzzler (no pun intended) and I have to wonder if DC is thinking of bringing her back as Robin given that there is now an opening.
The role of Robin quickly became that of a conscience for the dark knight, a reality check in the form of a fragile young hero daring danger in a brightly colored outfit while the hero lurked in the shadows.
Stephanie Brown, the ‘forgotten’ Robin
In other modern media, Robin has been a more risky undertaking. Director Tim Burton had modernized and darkened the image of the caped crusader, making the introduction of a colorful sidekick an absurdity (though storyboards of Robin’s intro in the 1989 film exist and a Robin action figure was released for Batman Returns using a passing likeness to Marlon Wayans who was almost cast in the part). Michael Keaton’s tortured and brooding figure just did not gel with the notion of a spritely companion.
But after Burton was off the Batman films, all that changed and Chris O’Donnell played the ‘boy’ wonder in Batman Forever and Batman and Robin. The actor was clearly too old to play the traditional part of youthful acrobat, making his ‘adoption’ by a man not even a decade older than him appear strange at best. But I do have to say that in my opinion, O’Donnell did a serviceable job in the role, even with the dreadful material he had to work with. Against Kilmer and Clooney, O’Donnell served the purpose of being a sounding board, giving the films a little more diversity and the audience members another inlet to the story… in theory, anyway. In practice he was another action figure for the ‘toyetic’ franchise designed to sell tie-in merchandise.
Chris O’Donnell played Robin on the big screen in two films
In 1987, Batman and Talia (daughter of the arch foe Ra’s Al Ghul) had a child. Ra’s Al Ghul had been hoping that Batman would take up his mantle as ruler of the world, rescuing it from its own excesses, but when the two failed to come to an agreement, another avenue presented itself. If not Bruce Wayne, then his child would be the ideal replacement. In 2006, Damian Wayne was introduced into the Batman universe. A smart-mouthed reckless punk, he grew intp the perfect 21st century version of Robin.
When Bruce Wayne died (twice, so it would seem) and was dispersed through time, Dick Grayson became Batman in his mentor’s stead and also inherited the troublesome youth, Damian, as his sidekick. The two resented each other but in time found a kind of equal footing. Even in his final moments, Damian remarked that they were a great team. The new Robin was a reactionary, a dark shadow on the legacy of Batman. Not just a protege, Damian was the once and future Batman, and as he continually pointed out to Grayson, Todd and Drake, he was the only real Robin due to his blood relation while they were pretenders.
Batman reborn (Dick Grayson) and Robin (Damian)
When Grant Morrison started his long journey as the writer of Batman, he offered readers a vision of a possible hell-on-Earth future Gotham City in which Damian Wayne continued his father’s war on crime. That will of course never happen now that Damian has died, but it was interesting nonetheless to see the protege use a fusion of his father’s teaching and the brutal tactics of the League of Shadows in order to defeat the enemies of his city.
Batman of the dark future (Damian Wayne)
There have been many deaths in comic books and they are generally regarded as temporary since heroes seem to not so much go toward a graceful end but more through a revolving door that sees them come back in short order. One such instance is the death of Jason Todd, the successor to Dick Grayson. Todd was reckless and headstrong which led to his predicament at the hands of the Joker where not Batman but the readers themselves were granted the privilege of saving the youth. At a cost per call, Todd was voted out of the series and into oblivion.
Many years later, Jason Todd resurfaced as ‘The Red Hood,’ a tough and ruthless vigilante using any means necessary to defeat his enemies. One of the few deaths in comics that stood the test of time, bringing Todd back to life always struck me as cheap at worst and awkward at best. As a Robin, Todd was an interesting reaction to Grayson’s straight-laced hero. As a dead Robin, Todd served as a harsh reminder of the consequences of Batman’s war on crime. As far as I can see, he serves no real purpose in the current DCU other than a leather-jacketed bad-ass.
Jason Todd’s death by election in Batman: A Death in the Family
So, just what is the point of Robin, anyway? And why is his death ‘important’?
There is a valid opinion that Batman works better alone and that Robin is an antiquated idea from a simpler age when youngsters were the target audience. However there have been so many different and successful approaches to the character of the dark knight’s sidekick that I think those naysayers are merely lacking the proper exposure to the character.
Over the following weeks, the Batman monthly books will be paying homage to the death of Damian Wayne in an interlinked series of covers bearing the legend ‘Requiem’ adding the stylized R from Robin’s tunic. It is expected that Batman will not be a loner for long, leading some to to wonder if a previous Robin will once more take up the mantle or if a new acrobatic orphan will be donning the red and green togs.
DC Comics is launching a brand new ongoing digital only comic book series based on their dark knight detective, the Batman. Surprisingly it is set outside of continuity, specifically outside of the ‘New 52’ continuity, which I find very very odd. DC Comics spent a lot of time and money establishing their new universe. It seems odd to create a new series that ignores it (again… remember Earth 1?).
That said, a series of stand alone stories that feature the caped crusader doing what he does best without the entanglements of the monthly book should attract readers who are frustrated by the monthly market and/or walking into a comic shop. DC has been reprinting some superb previously out of print material lately that are easy to read on one sitting and the more material that encourages that kind of experience, the better (though personally I am hooked on the month-to-month thing).
We announced back in April that an all-new Batman digital comic book would be coming soon. Today, we’re excited to reveal that the first chapter from LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT will be released tomorrow, followed by new chapters out every Thursday. Taking place outside of DC COMICS – THE NEW 52 continuity, the new series features several stand-alone stories by various creators that chronicle different cases handled by The Dark Knight.
Kicking off the first chapter is the all-star line-up of LOST scribe Damon Lindelof with artwork by the critically acclaimed Jeff Lemire. The line-up for the first six chapters of LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT is as follows:
June 7 – “The Butler Did It” written by Damon Lindelof with artwork by Jeff Lemire
June 14 – “All of the Above” written by Jonathan Larsen with artwork by JG Jones
June 21–“The Crime Never Committed” written by Tom Taylor with artwork by Nicola Scott and Wayne Faucher
June 28 – “Crisis of Identity” Part 1 written by B. Clay Moore with artwork by Ben Templesmith
July 5 –“Crisis of Identity” Part 2 written by B. Clay Moore with artwork by Ben Templesmith
July 12 – “Crisis of Identity” Part 3 written by B. Clay Moore with artwork by Ben Templesmith
Mark your calendars – Thursdays are officially all about The Dark Knight and you can get your weekly fill here for $.99 each.
The line-up of creators is impressive. Modeled after the long-running Legends of the Dark Knight series which featured top notch creators (such as Paul Gulacy, Bryan Talbot and more) and stand-alone stories, the new digital comic is built on a solid concept.
A brilliant detective, a gifted scientist, the greatest tactician ever and a master hand to hand combatant, the Batman strikes fear into the criminals of Gotham City.
The caped crusader will liven up his lounge space in this soft bedrest pillow featuring the invincible Batman(TM) on the front. Batman(TM) is armed and ready with squeezable fits that rest on the arm-chair sides. Great for reading, watching t.v. or just for chilling out. Ages 3 and up. Measures 22″ x 15″. 100% Polyester. Spot clean.
After last year’s successful ongoing run on Detective Comics, Scott Snyder is the current favorite in the house of the Bat. His recent storyline exposing a secret organization that has existed in Gotham City for generations (without Batman’s knowledge) was chilling and exciting all at once. But the story is about to spill over into the other Bat titles as a self-contained idea branches into the beast called a ‘crossover.’
The bright side is that “Night of the Owls” is devised by Scott Snyder (Batman: The Black Mirror, a ComicsAlliance pick for Best Comics of 2011), and will expand upon the Court of Owls, the wicked Gotham City secret society that’s driving events in the writer’s Batman title. Additionally, the backups in Batman and Detective will be drawn by Rafael Albuquerque, whose work with Snyder on Vertigo’s American Vampire has made that series one of our favorites. James Tynion IV will co-write the backups with Snyder.
Snyder spoke about the project at DC’s The Source blog:
The first backup, in issue eight will give a sense of the terrifying scope of the Court of Owls’ attack on Gotham. This really will be the first shot in a war for the soul of Gotham City,” said Snyder. “And then, starting in issue nine, we’ll begin a three part story called ‘The Fall of the House of Wayne’ that will investigate the secret history of the Court of Owls and its relationship to the Wayne family – particularly to Thomas and Martha Wayne, Bruce’s parents. The story will be told from the point of view of Jarvis Pennyworth, Alfred’s father, and offer some big surprises and shocks about the forces that shaped the bat-mythology as we know it. Can’t wait for you all to see these stories!
“I’m also excited to be co-writing with my friend, James Tynion IV, a young writer I’m extremely excited about. Especially in the spirit of the New 52, it’s a real thrill to get to give someone new and talented a chance to get his foot in the door, and James is a writer to watch and expect great things from!”
“And of course, I’m over the moon about getting to work with my good friend and AMERICAN VAMPIRE co-creator Rafael Albuquerque on the some of the very first ones!”
Naturally, extra story pages means a price hike. As confirmed by Newsarama last week, Batman will increase from 32 pages (including ads) to 40 with April’s issues #8 to facilite the additional content, and Detective Comics #8 will also introduce its own supplemental feature that we can expect to be announced very soon.
Newsarama: Scott, when was the decision made to increase the page count and price on Batman, and what was the motivation for the change?
Scott Snyder: I know fans are nervous and excited, but also some of them have reached out to me. I have a lot of story I want to tell that involves the Court of Owls, and I had artists that I really wanted to work with.
I had the option, because I have a lot on my plate, of having another writer do a back-up or doing something completely unrelated to Batman in the back-ups, the way they did in some books, but I had so much fun doing the back-ups on Detective with Francesco [Francavilla] in those early issues, that gave added content and added story and secret storylines to the main story and the main feature, that I figured, look, if they’re going to do extra pages of the book, I want to do them myself.
So I signed on to do the back-ups. So I’ll be doing them for the future, indefinitely.
Nrama: So who are you going to be working with on the back-ups?
Snyder:I thought is would be a really fun chance to bring in new blood, both artistically for the art, and writers who people haven’t seen before also on Batman or on major comics at all.
So two things I’m really excited about with the back-ups are that I’m going to be writing the first batch with a writer I’ve known for a long time, whom I actually met when I was teaching fiction in comic writing and who is a very young, up-and-coming writer whose stuff I really, really like. I’ve read a lot of his prose, and I know he’s just a huge talent. And so I thought it would be a lot of fun to co-write the same way I was able to do that on Gates of Gotham with Kyle [Higgins] when he was starting out. I feel like co-writing on the Batman back-up would give someone new a chance to begin to find their voice, and at the same time, I can have a very heavy hand for what happens in Batman.
We thought that would be a great balance, so I’m writing it with a guy named James Tynion IV. And I think he’s a real rising star, and I’m excited for people to see what we’re doing in the back-ups.
And the other thing I’m super excited about is that we’re going to be launching it with Rafael from American Vampire. I was so thrilled when that came together.
The back-up really gives you the sense of the scope. Issue #8 is very much about Batman at war with the court in a way that’s going to be super-intense and fun.
The issue #8 back-up is the place where you’ll learn about how broad the attacks are going to be on Gotham, and also, you’ll learn about how it’s going to affect other books in the Bat-family. You’ll see the scope of it as it impacts other members of the Bat-family in the back-up, which leads into the “Night of the Owls” story people have been hearing about, that we’re doing in the Batman Universe in 2012.-Via Newsarama
According to Newsarama, the crossover event will be touching on several titles such as Batman, Batgirl, Nightwing, Batman and Robin, Birds of Prey, Catwoman, Batwing and Red Hood and the Outlaws. In addition, the history of Gotham City will continue to unravel in the pages of All-Star Western with Jonah Hex and Amadeus Arkham delving deeper into the bowels of the city.
Snyder assures readers that they will not be required to read them all which is good news to yours truly as one issue of Batgirl was enough for me and Red Hood and the Outlaws looks dreadful. I am, however, tickled that Batwoman was not noted as one of the crossover books. Won’t that be peculiar when Kate Kane has absolutely no knowledge of this massive event shaking the pillars of Gotham City? Good on JH Williams for staying well out of it.
I trust Snyder as a Bat-scribe and will continue to happily read Batman, Batman and Robin and Detective Comics (and quietly read Dark Knight), but this kind of event can seriously put readers off. So I will hold Snyder to his word and stick to the mainstays and not stray into the loosely connected ones (though I do like Nightwing).
The mayhem begins this April with issue #8 where the page count and cover price will both jump.
This isn’t the only news regarding DC Comics’ line-up, though. As reported by USAToday, the publisher has just confirmed the cancellation of Men of War, Mister Terrific, O.M.A.C., Hawk and Dove, Blackhawks and Static Shock. In their place will be the long-awaited return of Grant Morrison’s Batman Incorporated, Earth 2 (by James Robinson featuring the JSA), G.I. Combat (by JT Krul and Ariel Olivetti with Unknown Soldier back-ups by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Dan Panosian as well as The Haunted Tank by John Arcudi and Scott Kolins) Worlds’ Finest (by Paul Levitz, George Perez and Kevin Maguire), and Dial H for Hero (by award-winning horror author China Miéville).
Announced in 2009, Batman: Earth One is the second in DC Comics’ line of graphic novels directed at the bookstore market.
A retelling of the Batman legend from a different perspective, Batman: Earth One is a grim and gritty modern version of the caped crusader, completely divorced from established continuity. Each graphic novel also promises to be a self-contained story rather than an inter-connected tale stretched out over several volumes. It’s strange to me that this project is arriving just after DC Comics rebooted their entire line of comics including Batman (in several monthly books) and is releasing the third Chris Nolan film this Summer… all completely unrelated to each other.
Nevertheless I have greatly enjoyed Johns and Frank’s collaborations on Action Comics and look forward to what they have in store for Batman.
“It’s essentially the first piece of the jigsaw,” Frank said. “He’s not the Batman people know, but he might be one day. He’s certainly not yet a superhero. The fun is to watch him piece the persona together drawing on his experiences and the influences of those around him and, at this stage, the idea of becoming a ‘superhero’ hasn’t even entered his head.”
Thursday, DC released the first peek at Frank’s artwork, but the images have been a long time coming since the project was announced in 2009. Almost two years later, Newsarama found out that Frank was working hard on Batman: Earth One in summer 2011, when we checked with him and others about why they weren’t part of the “New 52” launch. When we talked to him again in October 2011, he said he had nine pages of script left to draw before he could complete the project.
“Even after I’ve finished my part, there’s still a lot of work to be done before it is in the can,” he said of the long graphic novel process. “It has certainly felt like a marathon and the early pages now feel like they were done a long time ago. In fact, they were.”
Now that Frank has completed his work on Batman: Earth One, he’ll be working with Johns again on another revamp: “The Curse of Shazam,” a story that will appear in the back of DC’s Justice League comic. The monthly story will reboot the Shazam/Captain Marvel property for the DC relaunch, with a new take on the character and a new costume.
With the release Batman: Earth One and Superman: Earth One, Volume 2, DC will be courting the all-important bookstore market, and many fans anticipate the publisher will announce more bookstore-targeted publications, particularly if the Johns-Frank version is a success. DC Co-Publisher Dan DiDio has even indicated to Newsarama that more projects like the Earth One books are being considered.
“When you see something original like this break as big as it did, it encourages you to do more original projects in this fashion,” DiDio said.
Bonus: Batman characters interpreted as Dr Seuss books
Via Newsarama<-click on the link for more incredible designs.
I was familiar with many things in my younger days such as terrible telenovelas, X-Men Vs. Ninja Turtles with an appearance by Stone Cold Steve Austin. Also, the revealing Becky, the babysitter that I first loved. Two things that stood out the most was my deep love for Batman and Dr. Seuss. As I made my daily routine of visiting various sites, I stumbled upon what could be the greatest adaptation possible. This gem was created by DrFaustusAU and is shown below for your enjoyment.
Announced by Warner Bros. this morning, “Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes” isn’t only a mouthful of words, it’s also apparently filled with more familiar faces than its predecessor. While the original game allowed you to play as either Batman or Robin, “Lego Batman 2” will also feature Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern. It’s like a mini Justice League – except for some reason this Justice League is eerily mute and made of plastic.
You’ll face off against the Joker, of course, but “Lego Batman 2” will also star everyone’s favorite bald super-jerk, Lex Luthor. There’s no indication of the game’s plot yet, but I’m willing to bet it has something to do with breaking thugs into tiny pieces.
The action takes place in a “rich and expansive Gotham City environment filled with cool characters, great customization options, and plenty of surprises that families, young gamers and DC Universe fans can enjoy together,” said Traveller’s Tales managing director Tom Stone, via press release.
Some of the new additions to the game – outside of characters and setting – include vehicles like the Batmobile and Batwing. There’s also new gadgets, like Robin’s Hazard cannon, and new abilities that you would expect from the addition of new heroes, such as Superman’s heat vision.
“Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes” has a planned launch window of Summer 2012, releasing across every major platform including Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo DS, and PC.
Via MTV’s SplashPage
Triple bonus: Batman fan film ‘Death Wish’ on its way:
Synopsis – Armed with a lethal neurotoxin, a mysterious assailant is targeting the kingpins of Gotham’s criminal underground. As Batman and Robin are drawn deeper into an investigation that ensnares more and more of the rogues gallery, a disturbing revelation about the identity of the attacker begins to take shape.
Over at ScreenRant, a magnificent document has been posted spotlighting every significant suit Batman has ever worn. From the Batman of Zur-En-Arr to the nipple-studded costumes of Batman and Robin, it’s all there. Like any comic book fan, I can spot a few missing, but we can all be a bit pedantic at times and who else is going to remember the Zebra/Batman costume?
The simplicity of the base model is both a strength and a weakness in the chart as some designs just don’t work and others do. However, it’s an incredibly fun piece and i especially like the Gary Frank-designed Batman Earth One suit from the still unreleased project with Geoff Johns.
(click on the image or the full document)
Bonus:
Over at Matty Collector, the upcoming Mattel’s 2012 Batman™ Legacy Edition has been unveiled. The 6 inch action figure line has already included the Dick Sprang Batman, Classic Joker and Catman and looks to be stretching into still more villains and heroes from Gotham.
The Batman™ Legacy figure represents the comic look of the Batman™ unleashed in Detective Comics #27. For fans of the entire Batman™ comic world, this figure is a must-have!
The Catwoman Legacy figure comes in her classic purple and green costume, and is ready to take collectors back to the early days when she stole everyone’s heart.
And we must have some balance between good and evil in our Arkham City line, so we are thrilled to bring forth Dick Grayson as Nightwing!
The Daily P.O.P. 