Tag: Batman

First Clip From ‘The Dark Knight Returns: Part One’!

by Shawn Madden

Warner Bros. has released the first clip from the animated adaptation of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and does it look good. I mean, it looks really good and could even go on to top my personal favorite, Under The Red Hood. The story takes place a decade after Bruce Wayne gave up being Batman and entered retirement. The Dark Knight Returns is one of the best Batman stories ever told. It definitely is on top of the all-time must-read comics list and from the looks of it this may join it on top of the must-see animated movies.

It’s been a decade since Bruce Wayne hung up his cape, following most of the other superheroes who had been forced into retirement. Facing the downside of middle age, a restless Bruce Wayne pacifies his frustration with race cars and liquor – but the bat still beckons as he watches his city fall prey to gangs of barbaric criminals known as The Mutants.

The return of Harvey Dent as Two-Face finally prompts Wayne to once again don the Dark Knight’s cowl, and his dramatic capture of the villain returns him to crime-fighting – simultaneously making him the target of law enforcement and the new hope for a desolate Gotham City. Particularly inspired is a teenage girl named Carrie, who adopts the persona of Robin and ultimately saves Batman from a brutal attack by the Mutant leader. Armed with a new sidekick, and re-energized with a definitive purpose, the Dark Knight returns to protect Gotham from foes new…and old.

The Dark Knight Returns: Part One will be released September 25th.

Morgan Freeman And Elizabeth Banks Join ‘Lego: The Piece Of Resistance’

by Shawn Madden

Lego: The Piece of Resistance, the upcoming Warner Bros. animated feature, has just added Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games) and Morgan Freeman (It’s Morgan Freeman…do I really need to tell you what you’ve seen him in?) to the list of actors lending their voices to the film. Freeman will be taking on the role of Vitruvius but not much is known other than that. The current features Chris Pratt (Parks And Recreation) in the lead role and feature Will Arnett (Arrested Development) as the voice of Batman. There is rumor that Warner Bros. is hoping to land Channing Tatum to fill the role of Superman. The official plot for the film :

An ordinary Lego mini-figure, mistakenly thought to be the extraordinary MasterBuilder, is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil Lego tyrant from gluing the universe together.

Phil Lord & Christopher Miller (21 Jump Street)  will be directing the upcoming feature with a release date set for February 28, 2014.

Source: Deadline

Geekscape Book Reviews: Batman And Psychology

by Allisonnnnn

What kind of nutjob dresses up like an animal and crawls around a night fighting crime?  We’re talking about someone who has an obsession of fighting crime, devoted their life to intensive training, and can’t maintain a healthy relationship with anyone but their butler.  On top of this, he’s followed around by a string of acrobatically-inclined kids in tights and the love of his life is a jewelry-snatching furry.

If you said “The Riddler,” you’d be wrong.  Like, really wrong.  I don’t even understand your thought process there.

If you said “Batman,” you’re stating the obvious and not being clever at all.  Though, of course, you’d be correct.

But is Batman actually crazy?  And, if he is, are all of the incarnations of Batman through the years crazy as well, or are some of them less nuts than others?  What about his famous Gallery of Rogues?  The Mad Hatter… probably nuts.  But villains like the Joker walk that fine line—is he insane, or is he just acting insane?  Why do some of Batman’s enemies end up at Arkham, but others end up at Blackgate?  And what’s up with all of those Robins?

In Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight, psychology professor and Batman fanatic, Dr. Langley, answers these questions.  With chapters like “Why the Mask?”, “The Fathers: Why do we Fall?”, and “The Madhouse: What Insanity?” Langley tackles not only the mind of Batman as we currently know him, but the collective being that is Batman from the character created in Detective Comics #27 to Adam West’s quipping crime fighter down to the darkly brooding Batman of Nolan’s Dark Knight series.

Through Langley’s explorations, we learn of the people –both villains and friends—that have touched Batman’s life through case studies, as well as how external events influenced the direction that the comics Batman inhabited took, like the impact Dr. Wertham’s book, Seduction of the Innocent had on the comic book industry.

Batman and Psychology is not simply an easy read about Batman but, first and foremost, an academic text.  Langley cleverly combines his two loves –as evinced by the title—to create a work that will draw the most disinterested psychology students in by using the seemingly universally loved Byronic hero of Batman.  Using concrete examples from the Batman universe(s), Langley explores Freud, Jung, Erikson, as well as Kubler-Ross’ Stages of Grief and many other classic theories psychology principles, making it a helpful read for any struggling student of psychology.

 

Batman and Psychology is published by Wiley.

Check Out These Seven Minimal ‘Dark Knight’ Posters

by Shane O'Hare

A fan of the Dark Knight movies? Do you think The Dark Knight Rises is actually a bad movie? Regardless you will LOVE these minimalism posters for all the villains!

I’ll admit, I got these from an IMGUR album, but some digging and I was able to track down the artist. So PLEASE make sure to check out David Ryan Anderson’s page. His other work is just as cool as these!

Check Out These Awesome Posters From Some Awesome Movies!

by Scott Alminiana

Check out these cool posters from French artist Maxi Glob. The posters are available for purchase here. I love the Indiana Jones ones. If money was no object my house would be adorned with such things. Awww to dream…

See How Bane’s Mask Might Have Looked In The Dark Knight Rises!

by Matt Landsman

Images have surfaced from the new Complete Screenplays of The Dark Knight Trilogy book. In addition to the scripts of all three films, the book also contains storyboards with concept art. This piece of concept art from the opening plane hijacking sequence shows us how Bane might have looked in The Dark Knight Rises.


What do you think? Better or worse than the final film?

 

Geekscape Comics: ‘Nightwing’ Gets A Guest Creative Team For Issues #13 & 14

by Shawn Madden

This fall, for a two-issue story arc we will see a guest creative team take over on Nightwing. Tom DeFalco (Legion Lost, Superboy) will be writing the story with Andres Guinaldo and Mark Irwin on art duties. But what’s even more important is the revelation of what we will be seeing coming up in issue number 15.

“When writer Kyle Higgins needed a breather to gear up for the Joker’s monstrous return in issue #15, I turned to Tom, who pitched in on issue #0,” series editor Brian Cunningham told THE SOURCE. “I’ll just come out and say it: Tom ranks among the best ever at writing street-level heroes. And Tom really delivered with his first solo trip to Gotham, following the narrative that Kyle has developed without skipping a beat, and helping to set up the Joker arc. And it felt natural for Tom to continue exploring the character of Lady Shiva, who first appears in NIGHTWING #0.

In this story, both Dick and Shiva have grown up some since their first encounter—they’re not teenagers anymore—so it’ll be fun to see how each fares in a fair fight. Wait, did I say fair fight? Forget it—Shiva remains by far the better fighter, so it’s up to Dick to find a way just stay alive!”

A first look at the cover to issue number 14.

“On the art side, Andres Guinaldo is an on-the-rise artist to be reckoned with, and you can quote me. He’s extremely talented and has an idiosyncratic style that’s also perfectly suited for mainstream comics. Keep your eye on this guy—he will only get better. You’ll see what he’s capable of in these two issues, especially after Mark masterfully inks him.”

Source: DC

A Scene Featuring Bane’s Backstory Was Cut From ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

by Scott Alminiana

So we’ve all seen The Dark Knight Rises by now and sure some people have their gripes with the movie but I don’t think anyone will argue that it wasn’t a good movie. At 165 minutes the movie had just about everything you could ask for. Like most Hollywood movies though there were of course things that wound up on the cutting room floor. Now thanks to an interview in GQ with the film’s costume designer Lindy Hemming, we now know that there was supposed to be a scene showing more of Bane’s back-story.

…The other thing that you should have seen during that sequence is him(Bane) being injured in his youth. So one of the fundamental things about his costume is that he has this scar from the back injury. Even if he hasn’t got the bulletproof vest on, he still has to wear the waist belt and the braces. In that scene in the prison, where he’s learning to fight the same way Batman learned to fight, he’s wearing an early version of his waist belt. It’s showing support, but it’s not the finished one he eventually wears. He’s also wearing an early version of his gas mask, all glued together …If you look at the film, unless they’ve cut it—and I’m sure they haven’t—there’s a whole early section for Tom Hardy where he’s fighting and being taunted by people. He’s got chains on him, and he’s standing on a wooden thing while people are attacking him. And in that scene, he’s wearing a much more ragged, primitive version of the mask.

That sounds like a scene I’d like to have seen. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that Nolan includes it on the Blu-ray release!

SPOILER ALERT!!! Does This ‘Dark Knight Rises’ Toy Give Away The Ending?

by Scott Alminiana

Saw this and it was something that needed to be shared. Check out the toy below that totally gives away the ending to a certain movie. If you haven’t seen The Dark Knight Rises then you should probably NOT look. You’ve been warned.

This is a blurred vision of the toy, dumb dumb! The real picture is below.

SPOILER WARNING! SPOILER WARNING!

5 seconds left to get away? Ain’t no thang, The Batman’s got this!

Source:  Comics Alliance

We Totally Recalled It! The Geekscapepod For August 4th, 2012!

by Jonathan

Total Recall… totally recalled! Does Len Wiseman’s remake of the Paul Verhoeven movie and adaptation of the Phillip K. Dick short story live up to either? And just when will the Batman films get their next reboot? Maybe the answer lies in the upcoming JLA movie! Want a Batcave to watch movies in? It’s only 2 million dollars! Marvel Now gives us hints on some of their upcoming books, unleashing my love for all things Mike Allred! Paul Dini has not been asked back to write the next Batman game for Rocksteady Studios! Doctor Who’s Chris Eccleston has been cast as Malekith in Thor 2! And that’s about it!

Subscribe to the show on iTunes!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:37 — 16.1MB)

Want To Have Your Own Batcave Home Theater?

by Shawn Madden

Got an extra two million lying around the house that you’re wondering what to do with? Well, wow about installing a replica of the batcave from The Dark Knight Rises?  Elite Home Theater Seating has done just that for one of their clients. The client has even gone as far as making their 12,000 square foot dwelling  mimic Wayne Manor down to the bust of William Shakespeare concealing a switch for elevators and a fingerprint scanner which allows access to the theater itself. The theater even includes a fifteen foot Batmobile, six batsuits, 180” film screen, winged gargoyles, private cylindrical stainless steel elevator with a glowing bat symbol, a secret tunnel exit, bat computers, and race-car inspired home theater chairs. Whoa.

Source: National Confidential

Is The Batman Reboot Set For 2016?

by Shawn Madden

Now, while none of this is confirmed at the moment, there are some rumblings around the water cooler regarding what DC and Warner Bros. have planned for Batman now that Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy is done. Sorry to those of you who had hoped that you would see the continuation of that story but Nolan has been saying for quite some time that he was done.

Moving on. Remember when news broke that we would see Justice League hitting the big screen in 2015? It appears that the plan is to follow up with a new Batman movie afterwards. Not one where we yet again see his origin story but instead one where we see Batman in his second year of crime fighting. Possibly an adaptation of Year Two? The film would definitely be set in the same universe that DC is going to begin setting up with Man Of Steel (which I can personally confirmed that a source has stated they have gone back and added things into the movie) and quite possibly every DC movie that follows. We will keep you updated as we find out more details.

Could We See Batman Appear In CW’s ‘Arrow’?

by Shawn Madden

We already know that some DC villains would be showing up in Arrow but when producer Marc Guggenheim was asked if fans should expect to see some familiar heroic faces turn up as well. Unfortunately, his answer is pretty vauge on it.

“I would say, ‘Probably.’ One of the things we want to do is roll the show out at the right pace. For the most part, I think we’ve taken the philosophy that things are happening sooner rather than later. I always feel like every time we get the note from the network, ‘Is this happening too soon?,’ I feel like we’re on the right track. I know as a viewer myself, I’m impatient. I want to see stuff. We’re not going to make the audience wait to see characters, plot twists, revelations. I think running out of great characters and great moments is a quality problem to have, and I just want to have them.”

On to topic of the possibility of whether Batman will be one of the allies that this iteration of Oliver Queen meets up with, Guggenheim remains optimistic that the team behind Arrow will be able to use him in the series. Smallville producers wanted to do this for years but the execs at Warner Bros. wouldn’t allow it. Now that Nolan’s films are done could we see Bruce Wayne on the small screen?

“Oh, my hope is that we can use him at some point. I think that plagued the Smallville showrunners more than it plagues us because, obviously, the Dark Knight Trilogy is over. They’re not available to us yet. My hope is that they’ll be available to us at some point. That would be awesome. No question, that would be absolutely awesome. But I don’t know. That’s above my pay grade.”

So, would you like to see Batman make an appearance and team up with the emerald archer on Arrow?

Source: IGN

Aurora Shooting Has Warner Bros. Making Changes To ‘Beware The Batman’

by CrazyMustang


Cartoon Network’s upcoming CG animated Beware the Batman is under review by Warner Bros. following the July 20 shooting tragedy in Aurora, Colorado that left 12 dead and dozens injured at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises. An unspecified number of changes were made to some designs and situations on the series to minimize the amount of weapon imagery deemed too realistic, including changing the shape of gun barrels from round, rendering the weapons in a more stylized manner, unlike the realistic-looking guns Batman’s ally Alfred was shown using in early promotional materials for the series. The show, set for a more serious tone than its lighthearted predecessor, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, was originally set for an unspecified release in 2013. No word on whether or not any changes being made will result in a delayed release.

Paul Dini Is Not Scripting The Rocksteady Follow Up To ‘Arkham City’

by Jonathan

In news that will surely bum out fans of Rocksteady’s ‘Arkham Asylum’ and ‘Arkham City’ games, longtime Batman writer Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series), is not returning to script Rocksteady Studios’ follow up. On Dini’s twitter, he expresses ‘Kinda hoped I’d be doing another Arkham game in London during the Olympics. Esp, as I had a good source for tx. Ah, well’. Although I wasn’t able to find the tweet myself, The Sixth Axis has the story for you.

I did see this follow up tweet that further implies that Dini would love to return.

Meanwhile, Rocksteady is rumored to be developing a Justice League game set in the 1950’s Silver Age of comics.

Thoughts? Personally, I thought the story and dialogue for the first two Arkham games were fantastic and really raised the bar for comic book video game writing. Can Rocksteady make a solid game without Dini’s involvement?

Bane’s Voice Before and After: IMAX Preview vs. Theatrical Release

by Scott Alminiana

Remember when Warner Bros. released the IMAX prologue for The Dark Knight Rises last winter and everyone freaked out about how muffled Bane’s voice was? Of course you remember, we all remember! Geeks don’t forget these type of things. Well check out this video which shows Bane’s voice from the prologue versus his redubbed voice for the final release.

So what do you think? Was the final version better, worse, or should they have found a middle ground between the two? Let the mphmpmh mphmphpm! Wait, what?

Enter Our Latest Contest And Win A Copy Of ‘The Dark Knight Rises: The Official Movie Novelization’!

by GeekscapeStaff

Who doesn’t love winning some free stuff? I know I sure do! Well, we’ve got 3 copies of  The Dark Knight Rises: The Official Movie Novelization to give away. And the rules for entering the contest are super easy:

1) Simply go to the Geekscape Facebook page and click ‘like’ 

2) Then find our contest post on the Facebook page and ‘share’ it on your personal Facebook page.

See, told you entering was easy.

The contest is only open to residents of the United States and Canada!

The deadline to enter is contest is 11:59 PST on August 5th so enter before it’s too late!

Once the contest ends we will randomly select 3 winners.

All you’ve got to do is share the contest with your friends and you’re entered. Good luck!

Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman return in the thrilling and hotly anticipated conclusion to Christopher Nolan’sDark Knight Trilogy.
The blockbuster movie will introduce new faces to the franchise as well, including Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), Bane (Tom Hardy), John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard).
From the team that brought you Inception, The Dark Knight Rises is guaranteed to be the blockbuster hit of 2012. This enthralling official novelization will transport fans into a Gotham City once again under threat.

Geekscape Comics: First Look At ‘Justice League International #12’! The Funeral Of Rocket Red!

by Shawn Madden

• It’s the funeral for ROCKET RED.
• Several members resign from the team – who will be left?

JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #12
Written by Dan Jurgens
Pencils by Aaron Lopresti
Cover by David Finch

Watch The First Trailer For ‘Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One’!

by Shawn Madden

Thanks to the people over at MTV Geek we have the first trailer for DC’s upcoming animated feature, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One. This upcoming animated movie is based on the classic Frank Miller graphic novel of the same name.

Get More: MTV Shows

It’s been a decade since Bruce Wayne hung up his cape, following most of the other superheroes who had been forced into retirement. Facing the downside of middle age, a restless Bruce Wayne pacifies his frustration with race cars and liquor – but the bat still beckons as he watches his city fall prey to gangs of barbaric criminals known as The Mutants.

The return of Harvey Dent as Two-Face finally prompts Wayne to once again don the Dark Knight’s cowl, and his dramatic capture of the villain returns him to crime-fighting – simultaneously making him the target of law enforcement and the new hope for a desolate Gotham City. Particularly inspired is a teenage girl named Carrie, who adopts the persona of Robin and ultimately saves Batman from a brutal attack by the Mutant leader. Armed with a new sidekick, and re-energized with a definitive purpose, the Dark Knight returns to protect Gotham from foes new…and old.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part One goes on sale September 25th, 2012!

Ever Wondered Where Heath Ledger Got His Inspiration For The Joker?

by Scott Alminiana

Ever wonder where Heath Ledger took his inspiration for his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight? It’s been said that Ledger based his chaotic disheveled look on that of Sid Vicious as well as incorporating Malcolm McDowell’s mannerisms from A Clockwork Orange. But what about the very distinct voice Ledger created for The Joker? Well, take a look at this  Tom Waits interview from 1979 and see if it reminds you of anyone…

 

Source: Afternooncrash

Geekscape Comics: The Five Best Batman Stories You HAVEN’T Read Yet

by Shawn Madden

We told you what Bat-stories inspired Christopher Nolan’s films. Did you read those? Do you still have an itch for more? Well have no fears! Well, except for the Batman. Fear him. But  anyway…I am here to give you the best Bat-stories you should read that you probably haven’t yet.

– Justice League Of America: Tower Of Babel by Mark Waid and Howard Porter

So, if there are any two stories that pretty much solidify that Batman can kick anyone’s ass it’s Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, where Batman outwits and outduels Superman (yes…Batman HAS kicked Superman’s ass numerous times now), and Mark Waid’s Tower Of Babel. Batman has a plan for everything. Batman states that his plans were a cautionary measure that he devised after the Injustice League swapped bodies with the Justice League with the aid of the alien tyrant Agamemno years earlier . Recognizing the dangers of villains gaining control of the heroes, he creates fail-safes in case such a situation ever happens again. The event also inspires him to create plans to stop the other heroes if they should go rogue on their own. But when an enemy unlocks those secret plans and uses them. Well we get to see Batman’s obsessive planning come to fruition and some not so happy JLA members after it. Definite must read. This arc is the basis for the animated Justice League: Doom.

– Batman: The Cult by Jim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson

Most of you think that no one can break the Batman (well, minus Bane…but this is before Knightfall) Well, you would be wrong. In The Cult, Batman is kidnapped, drugged, and broken down by Deacon Blackfire to a point we have never really seen him hit before.  While most of Batman’s great stories rely on his rogues gallery that is not the case here.
Starlin and Wrightson build a captivating story that truly shows Batman at his most desperate. There are also some wicked hallucinations in this story that make you wonder who is the most messed up person to write a Batman story.

– Batman: The Black Mirror by Scott Snyder and Jock

This is probably Snyder’s best work pre-New 52 right here. The concept of the story is that Gotham City is its own character that reflects its seedy nature upon those who try and protect it. The story focuses on two main protagonists, Dick Grayson aka the newly appointed Batman (don’t worry…no spoiler alert needed for that) and Commissioner Gordon. Gotham puts both of the city’s protectors to the test in this one. Dick discovers what it truly means to be Batman in Gotham as he sees a darker side of the city that he has never really seen before. And on the other side Gordon’s estranged son James Gordon Jr. makes his return to Gotham, bringing a dark past with him. I won’t go into any more detail here because I actually want you to read the story. You know you want to.

– Batman: Under The Hood Volume One And Two by Judd Winnick and Doug Mahnke

In 1988, writer Jim Starlin wrote a Batman story titled A Death In The Family that featured Jason Todd, the second Robin, being beat to death by The Joker with a crowbar. Intense right? Well, keep in mind the fans voted for him to die. The story of Jason Todd remained untouched for about  15 years, until the character re-appeared in the Hush storyline. Even though it was revealed that it was Clayface posing as Jason questions still arouse about just where Jason Todd was, because it was not in his grave. Black Mask has seized control of Gotham City’s criminal underworld, but his rule is challenged by the mysterious Red Hood, who has hijacked a crate full of 100 pounds of Kryptonite. You read that one right, Kryptonite. But the rest is meant to be read. This story sees the resurrection of a character that no one cared about to the point they wanted dead into one of DC’s coolest current characters. Read Red Hood And The Outlaws and disagree with me. I dare you. This story also inspired the animated Batman: Under The Red Hood which is arguably one of DC’s best animated films.

– Batman: Earth One by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank

This right here is my favorite. Much like Christopher Nolan did with his movies we get a modern re-telling and updated version of Bruce’s origin story with a few minor tweaks. Earth One doesn’t stick completely with the original stories of Bruce Wayne’s metamorphosis into Batman, but that’s a good thing. We get a fresh new take on it that makes a story we all know feel like something we have never read before. One of the most interesting parts of this story is that as he tries to fill out his role as Batman, Bruce Wayne fails more times than he succeeds, but succeeds where it counts. This makes him feel more human and relatable just like the Nolan movies. So if you’re one of those who are open minded to seeing different takes on characters this one is totally for you. If you’re not well, you may not want to pick this up.

Runners up:

– Batman/Grendel by Matt Wagner

– Batman: Son Of The Demon by Mike W. Barr and Jerry Bingham

Geekscape Comics: Scott Snyder Reveals We Will See The Riddler In 2013

by Shawn Madden

If you have not been reading it for some reason Scott Snyder’s Batman is THE book to read in the New 52. Him and Greg Capullo have been doing a fantastic job so far and just wrapped up the critically acclaimed Court Of Owls storyline and has teased us with The Joker’s return in highly anticipated Death Of The Family. Fans cannot wait to see what Scott Snyder does with The Joker (and trust me…us at Geekscape are in that group) but now he’s teased us with another villain he will be doing a storyline with directly after Death In The Family that fans will definitely be eager to read. A villain that made a brief appearance in the first issue of Batman but has not been seen since then.

That’s right we will be seeing Edward Nigma, one of the only villains to deduce Batman’s true identity, joining the New 52 in 2013. We can’t wait over here to see what kind of twisted riddles and puzzles Scott Snyder has brewing in his brain.

 

So, Just Where Was The Joker During ‘The Dark Knight Rises’?

by Shawn Madden

Christopher Nolan made it clear that he had zero intention of mentioning The Joker in The Dark Knight Rises as a sign of respect to the late Heath Ledger. While some people may not be fond of that choice, I think it was in good taste to do so. But still some people wondered “Just where was he?!” Greg Cox’s novelization of the movie may just shed some light and give you an answer. An excerpt:

Now that the Dent Act had made it all but impossible for the city’s criminals to cop an insanity plea, it (Blackgate Prison) had replaced Arkham Asylum as a preferred location for imprisoning both convicted and suspected felons. The worst of the worst were sent here, except for the Joker, who, rumor had it, was locked away as Arkham’s sole remaining inmate. Or perhaps he had escaped. Nobody was really sure. Not even Selina.

Just in case you forgot, during a segment of The Dark Knight Rises Selina Kyle was held at Blackgate Prison for a short time.

Source: Nuke The Fridge

Christopher Nolan Bids Farewell To Batman

by Shawn Madden

Nolan gave a heartfelt adieu to the characters and events that have inhabited his Gotham in a foreword for The Art And Making Of The Dark Knight Trilogy. Thanks to a member of the SuperHeroHype forums we have it to share with you.

Alfred. Gordon. Lucius. Bruce . . . Wayne. Names that have come to mean so much to me. Today, I’m three weeks from saying a final good-bye to these characters and their world. It’s my son’s ninth birthday. He was born as the Tumbler was being glued together in my garage from random parts of model kits. Much time, many changes. A shift from sets where some gunplay or a helicopter were extraordinary events to working days where crowds of extras, building demolitions, or mayhem thousands of feet in the air have become familiar.

People ask if we’d always planned a trilogy. This is like being asked whether you had planned on growing up, getting married, having kids. The answer is complicated. When David and I first started cracking open Bruce’s story, we flirted with what might come after, then backed away, not wanting to look too deep into the future. I didn’t want to know everything that Bruce couldn’t; I wanted to live it with him. I told David and Jonah to put everything they knew into each film as we made it. The entire cast and crew put all they had into the first film. Nothing held back. Nothing saved for next time. They built an entire city. Then Christian and Michael and Gary and Morgan and Liam and Cillian started living in it. Christian bit off a big chunk of Bruce Wayne’s life and made it utterly compelling. He took us into a pop icon’s mind and never let us notice for an instant the fanciful nature of Bruce’s methods.

I never thought we’d do a second — how many good sequels are there? Why roll those dice? But once I knew where it would take Bruce, and when I started to see glimpses of the antagonist, it became essential. We re-assembled the team and went back to Gotham. It had changed in three years. Bigger. More real. More modern. And a new force of chaos was coming to the fore. The ultimate scary clown, as brought to terrifying life by Heath. We’d held nothing back, but there were things we hadn’t been able to do the first time out — a Batsuit with a flexible neck, shooting on Imax. And things we’d chickened out on — destroying the Batmobile, burning up the villain’s blood money to show a complete disregard for conventional motivation. We took the supposed security of a sequel as license to throw caution to the wind and headed for the darkest corners of Gotham.

I never thought we’d do a third — are there any great second sequels? But I kept wondering about the end of Bruce’s journey, and once David and I discovered it, I had to see it for myself. We had come back to what we had barely dared whisper about in those first days in my garage. We had been making a trilogy. I called everyone back together for another tour of Gotham. Four years later, it was still there. It even seemed a little cleaner, a little more polished. Wayne Manor had been rebuilt. Familiar faces were back — a little older, a little wiser . . . but not all was as it seemed.

Gotham was rotting away at its foundations. A new evil bubbling up from beneath. Bruce had thought Batman was not needed anymore, but Bruce was wrong, just as I had been wrong. The Batman had to come back. I suppose he always will.

Michael, Morgan, Gary, Cillian, Liam, Heath, Christian . . . Bale. Names that have come to mean so much to me. My time in Gotham, looking after one of the greatest and most enduring figures in pop culture, has been the most challenging and rewarding experience a filmmaker could hope for. I will miss the Batman. I like to think that he’ll miss me, but he’s never been particularly sentimental.

It’s been said numerous times but whoever has to follow up after Nolan really has his work cut out for him. There are few directors that I have seen with the level of passion that Nolan has for his work. While I and many others are sad we will never get a Nolan directed Bat-flick I eagerly await what he has coming next.

Hot Toys Gives A Sneak Peak At Agent Coulson And Chitauri Footsoldier Figures!

by Shawn Madden

Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong are both coming up, and collectibles company Hot Toys gives us a sneak peak at what we can expect to find on display during the show. Prepare to empty out your kids college fund. Again.

The annual Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong event will kick off this Friday! Fans may have expected to preview a series of upcoming collectibles there!

We will be showcasing the firstly unveiled Mark VII & Hulk from The Avengers, The Bat and Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises……

A great surprise to fans – the prototype of Agent Phil Coulson and Chitauri Footsoldier from The Avengers will be unveiled there!

What’s more, we will also showcase our first collectible figure of the 1/4th scale series at the Ani-Com! Batman fans can have a look at our first-of-its-kind 1/4th scale Batman Collectible Figure from The Dark Knight Rises!


Source: The HDR

Geekscape Comics: The Stories That Inspired Christopher Nolan’s Batman Films

by Shawn Madden

So, you just saw The Dark Knight Rises and want to read some of the stories that influenced Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy? Well, we are here to help you out with that!

Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli

A young Bruce Wayne has spent his adolescence and early adulthood, traveling the world so he could hone his body and mind into the perfect fighting and investigative machine. But now as he returns to Gotham City, he must find a way to focus his passion and bring justice to his city. Retracing Batman’s first attempts to fight injustice as a costumed vigilante, we watch as he chooses a guise of a giant bat, creates an early bond with a young Lieutenant James Gordon, inadvertently plays a role in the birth of Catwoman, and helps to bring down a corrupt political system that infests Gotham.

The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale

Taking place during Batman’s early days of crime fighting, The Long Halloween tells the story of a mysterious killer named Holiday, who murders people on holidays, one each month. Working with District Attorney Harvey Dent and Lieutenant James Gordon, Batman races against the calendar as he tries to discover who Holiday is before he claims his next victim each month, while attempting to stop the crime war between two of Gotham’s most powerful families, Maroni and Falcone. This novel also acted as a main introduction for one of Batman’s most eluding foes, The Calendar Man, who knows the true identity of the Holiday killer but refuses to share this with Batman. He instead works in riddles and leaves Batman hints from his Arkham Asylum cell. The story also ties into the events that transform Harvey Dent into Batman’s enemy, Two-Face.

Knightfall by various writers/artists

The story takes place over approximately six months. In it we see Bruce Wayne suffer from burnout and systematically assaulted and crippled by Bane. This is the story where we see Bane “break the bat” which is what he has become most known for doing. Wayne is replaced as Batman by an apprentice named Jean-Paul Valley, who becomes increasingly violent and unstable, tarnishing Batman’s reputation. Eventually, Wayne is healed through paranormal means, and reclaims his role as Batman. Knightfall resulted in long-term ramifications for the Batman mythos, as Batman’s trust from the police, the public, and fellow superheroes had to be rebuilt. Additionally, Wayne realizes the peril and burden of attempting to work in solitude, leading to the eventual creation of the modern incarnation of the Batman family. The events of Knightfall also led to the resignation of Wayne’s loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth. We also see one element of this story in Batman Begins when they release the inmates from Arkham Asylum.

No Man’s Land by various writers/artists

The story began with a major earthquake hitting Gotham City. This was followed by the storylines “Aftershock” and then “Road to No Man’s Land” which resulted in the U.S. government officially evacuating Gotham and then abandoning and isolating those who chose to remain in the city. “No Man’s Land” covered, in detail, a period in the lives of the residents of the city, explaining all events from the time of isolation, until its time of re-opening and the beginning of rebuilding. This story influenced quite a bit of the second half of The Dark Knight Rises.

The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland

The plot revolves around a largely psychological battle between Batman and his longtime foe the Joker, who has escaped fromArkham Asylum. The Joker intends to drive James Gordon, the Police Commissioner of Gotham City, insane, in order to prove that the most upstanding citizen is capable of going mad after having “one bad day.” Along the way, the Joker has flashbacks to his early life, gradually explaining his origin. Heath Ledger studied this story heavily while preparing for The Dark Knight.

The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson

The Dark Knight Returns is set ten years in an alternate future, with a worn and weary, aged Bruce Wayne. He numbs his conscience with alcohol to soothe the guilt he feels for his responsibility for the death of Jason Todd. Gotham City is under siege by a vicious criminal gang who call themselves the Mutants. Wayne unleashes his demons to confront the new threats to Gotham, and Batman is born again. Wayne finds himself struggling with the decline of his physique as he patrols and defends Gotham City. An inexperienced but courageous young girl named Carrie Kelly saves Batman’s life, and Wayne takes her in as a new Robin. Batman is seen now as a menace to Gotham’s society and an anti-vigilantism wave is carried on from the government.

I hope you guys enjoy reading these and finding what bits and pieces Nolan and the cast took inspiration from and even maybe just enjoying some stories you may have not read before.

Is Anne Hathaway Interested In A ‘Catwoman’ Movie?

by Scott Alminiana

So by now most of us have seen the awesomeness that is The Dark Knight Rises as well as Anne Hathaway’s brilliant portrayal of Selina Kyle. If you haven’t seen it yet then you are sorely missing out! Hathaway’s take on Catwoman is has got to be hands down the best version of the character to ever be seen on film, sorry Lee Meriwether and Michelle Pfeiffer you were both good but you weren’t the Catwoman comic fans know and love.

In an interview with Digital Spy, when asked if she would be open to returning to the character (perhaps in a solo film) Hathaway said,  “I think it would be lovely to see more of her but only if it’s with the right people,”  “She lives in this Gotham City and so it would have to be established by the people who have made this Gotham City. For me, at least.”

So what do you think, would you like to see more of Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman on the big screen? I know I would, especially if Christopher Nolan had a hand in it. There’s no way it could be worse than 2004 Halle Berry Catwoman, right?

After The Dark Knight Rises, What’s Next For Batman?

by Eric Diaz

So Christopher Nolan has finished his Batman saga with this past weekend’s release of  The Dark Knight Rises, accomplishing what is arguably the best and most satisfying super hero movie trilogy ever. Whatever one might think of TDKR, there can be little argument that it is by far a more fitting capper to the Batman saga that X-Men: The Last Stand or Spider-Man 3 were for those respective series. Nolan’s Batman went out with his dignity intact, and leaving audiences everywhere still hungry for more Batman adventures.

So the question is, what now? Batman is easily Warner Brother’s most valuable film property, and they aren’t going to just let it sit there forever when there is money waiting to be made. On the same token, Christopher Nolan’s trilogy has been so well received both commercially and critically that just jumping into a reboot now or anytime soon would make the somewhat lukewarm reception to The Amazing Spider-Man look like nothing in comparison. So my first instinct would be to not reboot it for the big screen at all, but for the small screen instead.

Option #1- Batman on Cable Television

After Nolan’s trilogy, I truly feel sorry for any filmmaker attempting to bring the Batman to life on the big screen and hope to compete with what he has accomplished. Which is why, If I were Warner Brothers, right now I’d be looking at other mediums to set my Gotham stories in. I really feel that now (or relatively soon) is the time for Batman to return to television screens. But not as a low budget CW Smallville type deal, but as a sophisticated adult skewing show on cable, preferably HBO (DC Comics owners Time/Warner also own HBO. Convenient.) Get a show runner with some clout and some geek cred, and this could rival shows like Game of Thrones and True Blood in popularity if done right. I wouldn’t even have to have Batman in the title of the show, I would simply call it Gotham.

There are a lot of reasons why to me, this is the ideal plan; first off, any movie reboot going forward right now (or within the next several years) is going to have the shadow of Nolan, Bale, and especially Heath Ledger’s Joker hanging over them. But television is another medium, and the comparisons won’t be as brutal, nor will the scrutiny be as high on any actors taking over these roles for TV. And with a show that potentially lasts years, you can really explore some of the best storyline is the Bat’s history. Can you imagine The Long Halloween spread out over a season? Or Hush? Or the recent Court of Owls saga? Television can tell these stories in ways that movies can’t.

Cable television also opens up so many doors for long form storytelling in ways the movies couldn’t especially in regards to Batman’s amazing cast of supporting players, almost all of whom were kept absent from the movie trilogy. Nolan and company were wise to keep the focus on Bruce Wayne and his journey in the Dark Knight trilogy, and keep the sidekicks out. But Batman has absoulutely the best cast of supporting heroes in the entire pantheon of super hero comics, bar none. Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin (be it Dick,Tim, Damian or even Jason) and now Batwoman are all great characters, great enough to have their own ongoing monthly comics. It is time they got their due.

An ensemble show set in Batman’s Gotham could have years and years of storytelling potential. Bruce Wayne’s adoption of Dick Grayson, his subsequent training as Robin, his transformation into adult hero Nightwing, Jason Todd’s recruitment as Dick’s replacement, and his death at the hands of the Joker (and subsequent revival) Tim Drake’s emergence as Robin and maybe even Damian Wayne, assuming the show gets that far, are all ripe for exploitation on television. Then there are the women; Barbara Gordon is easily one of the best female heroes in comics. Her character journey is something that would be fascinating to watch over several seasons, from brilliant police commisioner’s daughter to Batgirl to her crippling at the hands of the Joker and transformation into Oracle, all could make for riveting television if handled correctly by the right showrunner. And Batwoman may be a more recent addition to the Bat family, but Kate Kane has become a fascinating and integral part of the Gotham world. Shows on HBO thrive on amazing ensemble casts, and Batman’s world comes with an awesome built in ensemble, and none of them have had their chance to shine in live action yet.

And then of course, there are the villains. There are still a ton of Batman villains who have never been properly brought to life in live action, characters like Harley Quinn, Hugo Strange, and the Black Mask. And there are even others that are the more sci-fi/magic based characters like Croc, Mr.Freeze and Man Bat, who I would do simply to differentiate myself from the hard core “real world” aesthetic of Nolan’s films. I wouldn’t stray too far into territory that was too comic booky (so no JLA guest stars) but maybe a tone similar to the Arkham Asylum/Arkham City games…a little grittier than the animated shows and the comics, but still far more fantastical than the Nolan films.

The designs for the video games Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are the perfect template for a television reboot of Batman, a happy medium between the Nolan films and the comic books.

Option #2- Batman Beyond: The Movie

All right, so say Warner Brothers doesn’t want Batman on television, and just wants to keep the movie franchise going and those box office dollars rolling in. The smart thing to do in this instance is wait a decade (or more) and start from scratch again after a good long time. But if they are going to insist on doing a movie in the next few years come Hell or high water, my suggestion is “look to the future”…and do Batman Beyond as a live action movie.

Batman Beyond works as a continuation of the Nolan-verse AND serves as an effective reboot as well in pretty much every way. SPOILERS for The Dark Knight Rises from here on out; if you have not seen it yet you have been warned. Imagine a Bladerunner-esque Gotham City, some 40-50 years after The Dark Knight Rises. Bruce Wayne, having faked his death in TDKR, is now an old man of almost 90, who has changed his identity and become the caretaker and sole inhabitant of the now state owned Wayne Manor. He lives alone there, under an assumed name, waiting to die in the house he grew up in….when a teenager named Terry McGinnis stumbles onto the Batcave after his father’s murder at the hands of the Jokerz biker gang. (which is all essentially the pilot of the Batman Beyond show) Young Terry uses a new high tech Batman suit with crotchety old man Wayne as his mentor, which can be either Christian Bale in old age make up, or just an actual old actor. I honestly couldn’t help but think of “Old Man Wayne” from Batman Beyond when I saw Christian Bale using the cane in TDKR, so I wouldn’t mind if it were him. I can almost hear the pitch meeting now; “It’s Batman meets Spider-Man meets Iron Man!” There might not be an easier sell than Batman Beyond to a studio exec than this.

Some 3D rendering from an artist named Ritorian, giving a good idea what a live action Batman Beyond might look like.

If Warner Brothers are going to insist on a Batman movie continuation this soon after Nolan’s trilogy, this would be the ideal way to go. If you get the right director with vision, this could be a really cool and visually interesting way to continue the Batman franchise in the next few years and still be so very different as to not be instantly compared to the Nolan movies. Also, if they do this….they should really get Daft Punk to do the score. Seriously, listen to the TRON:Legacy score and imagine it as the score for a live action Batman Beyond movie instead. It totally fits.

Option #3- Batman in the Justice League 

We all know that if Man of Steel succeeds, Warner Brothers is looking to make that “Phase One” of their eventual climb to a Justice League movie, which reports say they want out as soon as 2015. If the JLA movie happens, there is pretty much no way that Batman won’t be a part of it. Also, there is equally no way that this version of Batman will be the same one as Christopher Nolan’s Batman, who clearly lived in a world without aliens or magic or any of that stuff. Any Batman that they use in a JLA movie would be an effective reboot of the character, but one that won’t be under as much scrutiny or scorn from the fanboys and the press than if Warner Brothers did “Batman Begins…Again!” in 2015.

Batman would be front and center of any potential Justice League movie to come along in the next few years.

Maybe having Batman in the Justice League is a good way of having your cake and eating it too; you keep the character of Batman on the big screen, keep selling Bat-merch to kids and geeks alike, and it won’t be as insulting as rebooting Batman’s own franchise so soon after Nolan’s films. Also, a JL Batman wouldn’t neccesarily conflict with a TV Batman if that were to actually happen; no noubt the characterizations and visual look given to Batman would be different enough as to not conflict with one another. Remember, Superman Returns was released in the heyday of Smallville’s run on tv. No one’s head exploded at the idea of two different versions of the same character in two different mediums. The moviegoers who are smart enough can figure out that it is two separate continuities, and the moviegoers who are dumb don’t care about stuff like continuity, the just wanna see explosions and people in costumes hit each other.

So there you have it…my ideas for what should happen next for the Dark Knight Detective on the big (and small) screen.  I see this article as an open letter to Warner Brothers, so please feel free to steal my ideas boys, I don’t mind. Just whatever you do, don’t undo all the good will the franchise has earned under Christopher Nolan. And don’t think of calling in anyone with the last name Schumacher.

The Geekscape Podcast – “The Dark Knight Rises” Full Review and Breakdown!

by Jonathan

Here it is! The most intensive breakdown and discussion of ‘The Dark Knight Rises’! Massively opinionated Batman expert Ian Kerner joins me in a heated debate on why ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ is a massively flawed masterpiece! Is it a satisfying conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy? Does it improve on what came before? What does it mean to the future of the DC film universe? What worked amazingly well and what really, really didn’t? It’s all here so strap yourselves in for the full Geekscape ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Breakdown!

Subscribe to the show on iTunes!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:23 — 37.9MB)

We Survived SDCC 2012… Almost! The Geekscapepod For July 21st, 2012

by Jonathan

San Diego Comic Con is in the rearview mirror and it’s time to look to the future! ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ has risen… but is it a satisfying conclusion to the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy? Also, what’s up with Geekscape at SDCC? Why no more interviews? Also, why is Geekscape kicking so much ass right now? PLUS! What’s worth checking out on the Geekscape site? A lot!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:01 — 10.3MB)