Tag: Bruce Wayne

Geekscape Comics: Kevin Smith Announces ‘Batman: Bellicosity’

by Shawn Madden

Kevin Smith has revealed the title of his next Batman miniseries, which will hit shelves next Summer, as well as some artwork from it. The miniseries will serve as a conclusion to his Onomatopoeia trilogy, which we saw begin in Cacophony and continued in The Widening Gyre.

“FAT MAN ON BATMAN!

SPOILERS: This Walt Flanagan splash page showcases the Dark Knight and the unnerving Onomatopoeia from ish 1 of the forthcoming conclusion to our New York Times Best-Selling Batman cycle!

A few years back, DC Comics made my dream come true when they let me do a BATMAN comic book mini-series with one of my best friends – COMIC BOOK MEN Stash manager, Walt Flanagan.

It started with BATMAN: CACOPHONY…

It continued with BATMAN: THE WIDENING GYRE…

And in 2013, the blood will run in the final chapter of the battle between Batman and Onomatopoeia …

BATMAN: BELLICOSITY
Summer, 2013”

Source: Facebook

RUMOR: WB Looking At Armie Hammer To Play Batman In ‘Justice League’

by Shawn Madden

We’ve got another casting rumor floating around this week. But just like the last rumor, this one doesn’t sound entirely unlikely. It appears that Warner Bros. has their sights on actor Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger) to play Batman in their upcoming Justice League film. Keep in mind that Armie Hammer came very close to donning the cape and cowl once already. He was up for the role in Warner Bros. Justice League: Mortal movie that never came about.

The actor has on numerous occasions expressed his disappointment in interviews, explaining that they were only days from shooting when the roof caved in on the project. According to Moviehole they have sources that tell them that Warner Bros. has Hammer at the top of their list to for the in their upcoming Justice League film.

“Hearing, from a very good source, today that Hammer, who is now a hot commodity after such flicks as “The Social Network” and “Mirror Mirror”, not to mention his upcoming lead role in “The Lone Ranger”, is ”back on WB’s radar” for the part of Batman. Not for a solo flick, but for the ensemble “Justice League” movie [again].”

The site also goes on to say that Hammer may only be wanted for the studio’s Justice League meaning that we could see another Batman cast later on down the line for solo films. Hoping for a DC Cinematic Universe? You may not get it if that turns out to be true. Well, you may still get it but not a very consistent one. We will be sure to keep you updated as we learn more. But like any rumor…take this very lightly for the moment.

Source: Moviehole

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.

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

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

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!

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

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.

New Trailer For ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Revisits The Journey

by Shawn Madden

Revisit the entire journey up until ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ with this new trailer. The trailer reminds us that there really isn’t anything out there quite like Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Saga.

The saga ends with ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in theaters July 20th.

Geekscape Comics: First Look At ‘Batman #11’

by Shawn Madden

• The stunning conclusion to “THE COURT OF OWLS” epic!
• All is revealed in “THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF WAYNE.”

BATMAN #11

Written by Scott Snyder
Backup Story by Scott Snyder/James T Tynion IV
Interior art by:Greg Capullo
Backup Art by Rafael Albuquerque
Cover by Greg Capullo

Geekscape Comics: New Creative Team Taking Over ‘Detective Comics’

by Shawn Madden

After DC’s ‘Zero Month’ Tony Daniel will be leaving ‘Detective Comics’ and John Layman (‘Chew’) will take over writing duties on the book. Jason Fabok (‘Batman: The Dark Knight’) will take over art duties on the book. The team spoke about what to expect from them when they take over on DC’s flagship title.

John Layman spoke on what he wants to do with Batman and his surroundings:

“Obviously, this is a happily surreal and exciting turn-of-events for my career. Not only is this my first work within the DC Universe, but I get to work on one of DC’s undisputedly coolest and highest-profile characters. I’m going to take a look at the role of criminal organizations within Gotham City, hopefully from a perspective that does not get considered very often (if at all). From the symbiotic relationship a master criminal must have with Gotham in order to survive, to the lowly, often faceless criminal underling hoping to rise up the ranks. All that, plus Batman’s gonna play with a bunch of crazy new toys and kick all kinds of butt.”

Jason Fabok talks about joining Detective Comics and what we can expect from his artwork:

“First, I want to express how thankful I am to have this opportunity. I am humbled that DC Comics would entrust me with one of their greatest titles. To work on a Batman title has been the number one goal that I set for my career and I am honored to have this opportunity to make my dream become a reality. I’m really hoping to deliver a dark, epic Batman with hints of the art deco stylings of the old animated series and the more modern take seen in recent incarnations. I am hoping to let my influences gush out onto the page and create something that is familiar, classic and yet my own. As for working with John Layman, I couldn’t be more excited. John is a great visual storyteller and he packs every page with meaningful panels that bring the story forward and add incredible depth. Together we hope to deliver a quality Batman tale, filled with mystery, twists, turns, shockers and most of all, fun!”

Source: DC

New ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ Soundtrack Available At Comic-Con

by Shawn Madden

La-La Land Records has announced that a second soundtrack release for ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ is set for release July 2012 following the sell-out success of ‘Batman: The Animated Series – Original Soundtrack From The Warner Bros. Television Series, Volume One’. The soundtrack will be exclusively available July 12-15th, 2012, and on Preview Night July 11th, 2012, at Comic Con from La-La Land Records at Booth 429 before going wide on July 19th, 2012 through the label’s official website.

BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES: VOL 2 (4-CD SET)
Literally years in the making, La-La Land proves the wait was worth it with this amazing 4-CD set of previously unreleased music from arguably the greatest animated television series of all time! The set’s 36 page booklet is packed with in-depth liner notes that take you through a treasure trove of astounding orchestral scores; music that rivals any blockbuster feature film. Composers Shirley Walker, Harvey R. Cohen, Carlos Rodriguez, Lolita Ritmanis, Michael McCuistion, Carl Swander Johnson and others are musically represented here, as well as Danny Elfman’s iconic theme. Limited Edition of 3500 Units. Comic Con price $60

Complete details can be found on Worlds Finest.

Source: Worlds Finest

New Action Packed Trailer For ‘The Dark Knight Rises’!

by Shawn Madden

With about about a month to go…we have a new full length trailer for ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ courtesy of Nokia. I can definitely say that this is the most exciting trailer I’ve seen yet.

The fire rises in theaters on July 20th.

Geekscape Comics: Check Out The Variant For ‘BATMAN #11’

by Shawn Madden

The stunning conclusion to “THE COURT OF OWLS” epic! All is revealed in “THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF WAYNE.”

Check out this variant by artist Andy Clarke.

Source: DC Comics

Geekscape Comics: DC Announces Four New Titles! Plus Zero Issues!

by Shawn Madden

Well, i’m sure you’ve heard by now that in September all DC titles will feature a zero issue.  These zero issues according to Jim Lee and Dan DiDio “Will help explain the origins and effects of its rebooted characters a year after it erased decades of history and continuity to start everything from scratch.”

But joining the already established titles (even though some are being cancelled) are four new titles. And thanks to Newsarama we have a first look at them!

Written by DiDio with art by Brent Anderson, ‘The Phantom Stranger’ will spin out of the character’s recent appearances in ‘Justice League’ and DC’s Free Comic Book Day story. It promises to tell more about the mysterious origin of the character who seems to have biblical ties and his connection to the purple-hooded woman Pandora.

This new series, which DiDio described as “a new anthology book in the same vein as ‘All-Star Western’,” will launch with the return of Amethyst to the New 52. Written by Christy Marx with art by Aaron Lopresti, the comic will show how Amethyst finds out she’s the lost princess of Gemworld, and she’s being hunted by her murderous aunt. The comic will launch with a back-up story about Beowulf and Grendel, written by Tony Bedard with art by Jesus Saiz.

Set in the early days of the DC Universe, ‘Team Seven’ will show how the emergence of Superman touched off the formation of counter measures against superheroes. The comic, which is being written by relative newcomer Justin Jordan with art by Jesus Merino, will have a team composed of Amanda Waller, Dinah Lance, Steve Trevor, John Lynch, Alex Fairchild, Cole Cash and Slade Wilson.

This new comic, which is being co-plotted by ‘Batman’ writer Scott Snyder, introduces a new “anti-hero on the run” to the DCU. Calvin Rose, the only Talon to escape from the control of the Court of Owls, will be traveling all around the DCU as he is hunted by his former masters. While the story spins out of the ‘Court of Owls’ storyline that is running through the first year of Snyder’s ‘Batman’, the title character is a brand new one.

As the comic launches in September, Snyder will be working on plots with James Tynion IV, his co-writer on the ‘Batman’ back-ups. ‘Talon’ will feature art by Guillem March.

Well, after the success and praise of ‘Court Of Owls’ right now it’s no suprise that they’re going to keep that story going as long as fans are interested. The most interesting title to me here is ‘Team 7’ which was originally a Wildstorm book that had importance in Gen13. It looks like they’re going to make it a major backstory point explaining things as far as the ‘black ops’ side of the DC universe based on that line-up.

Bruce Wayne And Selina Kyle Get Their 30 Seconds Of Fame With New “The Dark Knight Rises” TV Spots

by MoreLikeAndy

First we had the movie poster released this week for The Dark Knight Rises. Everyone here at Geekscape was a little underwhelmed and tried to forget about it. Then, we got the character posters which made our nerd boners rise at attention.

In the onslaught of The Dark Knight Rises media blitz this week, two new TV spots where shown during the American Idol finale. If you didn’t sit and watch, captivated by who was going to win a recording contract, you are in luck.

Here are the two TV spots showcasing Bruce Wayne trying to get back into the game and Selina Kyle, well just being Selina Kyle.