#Batman mask of the phantasm my beloved

[everwalldigan]

Under the red hood alternative story where Jason doesn’t go the drug lord “choose me or him” route and instead hatches a plan to make Bruce love him ‘again’ and get attached to him and then he lets himself get killed again cause CLEARLY Bruce didn’t mourn him enough the first time. It totally makes sense.

Jason, while hugging Bruce after the DNA test came back positive, grinning evilly behind his back: hahahahaha yeah this’ll fucking show him!

Except. He miscalculated. Severely. Suddenly the thought of dying is a terrifying one because his life has never been this peaceful. Bruce helped him finish his school education and convinced him to enrol into university, even helped him take over crime alley’s underground in the meantime.

Jason, while spending time with Bruce, not fighting and just existing peacefully in each other’s company, realising that he doesn’t really fancy dying anymore and his plan is effectively Ruined: fuck.

[susandsnell]

Hmmm, is there a movie you really like from 1993?

Tons, but three stand out as three of my all time favourites, all of which fundamentally are about women, and all of which feature INCREDIBLE ensemble casts:

The Age of Innocence is maybe in my top 5 favourite Scorsese films, and a pitch-perfect adaptation of a beloved book. Stunning costumes, sexy, emotionally violent. May Welland you will ALWAYS be famous.

Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing is the film that made me fall in love with Shakespeare as a child, and it is my favourite adaptation of my favourite Shakespeare play. Eat his heart out in the marketplace, Emma Thompson. I believe you. I'll stand behind you.

The Joy Luck Club is another stellar adaptation that in some ways outdoes its source material, and is one of the most beautiful films ever made. It also still wins for hardest I'll ever cry at any movie. "You have best-quality heart."

Honourable mentions to Schindler's List (which I've seen far fewer times than any other movie here because it's one of the few mainstream films I genuinely have difficulty watching for reasons of personal relation to the subject matter), one of Spielberg's finest, A Bronx Tale, Tombstone, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, and my spooky trio of perfection that always warrant a watch come every October, Addams Family Values, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Hocus Pocus!

[ace-of-clubs-and-diamonds]

Roxy my beloved ❤️‍🔥🔪

In case it's difficult to read, the characters/people listed are:

Harleen Quinzel; from Harleen, by Stjepan Sejic

Rhea Ripley; WWE wrestler

Sarah; from The Descent, dir. by Neil Marshall

Nancy Thompson; from the Nightmare on Elm Street films

Andrea Beaumont; from Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, dir. by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski

Courtney Love; actress and musician

[kitkatt0430]

I want to get into Superhero movies as a historical fiction girlie. Where should I start?

Ooooh, okay, so these movies are gonna be all over the place in terms of production quality but they all fit into the Superhero fiction genre in some way, shape, or form and should hopefully appeal for historical fiction and period piece type reasons.

Live Action:

The Mask of Zorro The Legend of Zorro These were made in 1998 and 2005 respectively and star Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones. Also has Tony Amendola of Stargate Sg-1 fame (Master Bra'tac!!!!) playing a different character in each movie. Zorro is in many ways the Batman of his day, using his wealth and status to allow him to spy on his fellow Dons and fighting back against injustice for the sake of the people under the protection his mask and sword skills can afford him. They take place during the 1840s and 50s and while they aren't perfect historical accuracy wise, there was definitely a good amount of historical research that went into setting the scene for these movies.

The Adventures of Robin Hood I realize most people don't really see Robin Hood and think Superhero but he really does fit the archetype that a lot of superheroes fall into. This specific version is an old classic staring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, and Basil Rathbone, who were all big names for their day. It's one of my favorite takes on Robin Hood, catching both Robin's ability to charm people and his dedication to protecting the mistreated, as well as highlighting his tendency to fuck around and find out when his ego gets in the way. Made in 1938, this was a big release in it's day and it has a very charming, if ahistorical, take on the 1190s for it's setting.

The Rocketeer Set in 1938 and made in the 1990s, The Rocketeer is a movie about a stunt pilot whose discovery of a rocket pack gives him the chance to become a masked super hero who fights nazis. I loved this movie as a kid and while it's been a while since I last saw it, I remember feeling like it held up pretty well. It's got some elements in it that are reminiscent of both Captain America and Iron Man with maybe a bit of Hal Jordan thrown in, but ultimately the movie's main character establishes himself as his own hero really well.

Doctor Mordrid: Master of the Unknown I was introduced to this one by Mystery Science Theater and is a great fit if you enjoy cheesy films with not the best production values. Made in 1992 and staring Jeffery Combs (who had two recurring roles on Star Trek Deep Space Nine and also plays enough other one off aliens that it's a bit of a joke that he's every alien on Ds9), it's really not trying to hide it's origins as a Doctor Strange homage. It works well as a period piece and demonstrates a lot of love for the wizard hero in modern times type of super hero.

The Batwoman Santo and the Treasure of Dracula As long as I'm bringing up one superhero movie that MST3K introduced me to, I might as well include these two. They're unrelated beyond being riffed by MST3K, but they're both fun Mexican superhero movies from the 60s that tie into lucha libre, a specific wrestling culture that has spawned a number of superhero type characters over the years. I think even Angel the Series did an episode with a luchador turned superhero.

Animated:

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero These were both made based off Batman the Animated Series and have a lot of nostalgia factor in them as a result. They're well animated and capture a lot of what made the animated series so beloved. I'm fairly certain neither of these are the ones that included the Babs/Bruce ship, but it's been a while since I last watched them so if you hate that ship then you may want to double check to be sure before watching them. While they're not a specific appeal to the historical fiction side of your ask, Batman the Animated Series was a pretty foundational show for the animated DC universe and these movies specifically are a good look at where animated DC was at in the 90s.

Not Including:

So I'm leaving out current MCU/DCU movies. Much as I enjoyed the first DCU Wonder Woman movie, it's hard to recommend it given how awful the sequel was. And while I enjoy the first Captain America movie a lot, there is a surprising amount of toxic masculinity being enshrined in the direction his character is taken in and as his characterization marches on as the MCU develops he strays pretty far from what makes comics Steve Rogers Captain America.

But mostly I wanted this list to focus on movies that aren't recent or part of ongoing franchises (the Batman Animated movies being something of an exception there) and have some kind of history to them on their own.

I could probably add more if i gave it some more thought, but this feels like a good grouping of movies to start with.

[the-mechanica]

So I've been busy working on the Halloween zine (!) and real life things.... and also rewatching Batman: the Animated Series. I was always a big fan of it and Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill's performances as Batman and the Joker, as well as always being in love with Harley from when I was a kid (no surprises there). SO, if you want to know where my brain has been lately.... Imagine if Loba Andrade was just another socialite thief in Gotham whose father had been killed by a much younger Phantasm, aka Kaleb Cross herself (tall lanky blond woman who presents as he/him Death).

(608 words)

A glorious and large Art Deco ballroom was flooded with Gotham high society. A live jazz orchestra played center stage, while no less than three open bars plied guest with booze. Guests swung on the dancefloor in the center of the room. Tall windows stretched from floor to ceiling. Uproarious laughter kicked up from the gaggle of partygoers Loba Andrade was sneaking behind.

Deliberately choosing to abandon her usual look, she blew an errant curl from her eyes as the upswept hairstyle she had piled her hair on top of her head in a boisterous bun. The evening gown she wore was long and emerald forest dyed satin, enough to cover the holster of tools she kept in her garter, but split long enough for her to access them. Even as good as she looked, if not regrettably as just another forgettable pretty face, the thief tried to remember that this was the wrong party to make a scene at. She was on job. Vreeland wanted her to retrieve some sort of beloved trinket from a friendly rival to show off at her next party, in exchange for a more than adequate amount of cash. Weaving over to a member of the waitstaff closest to the back of house, she politely asked where the restroom was. Eagerly pointing down the hall exiting the ballroom while being called away, Andrade thanked them and vaguely smirked to herself. Slipping down the hall, she walked right past the bathroom and made her way to the next door. It lead to a tight staircase that Loba peeked upward at with a keen eye. Confidently humming, she tossed her bracelet upward, getting it to land on a step just past a gated landing several floors above. Enveloped in a quick glowing teleport, the thief came out of it standing above her bracelet. Bending down and slipping it back on, she looked up and slipped past the door to the landing into the next hall and smirked in full. There were no cameras, as this was the residential floor of the suite. Making her way down the hall, she was unsettled. There was also no security -- everyone possibly on task downstairs. "Too easy." Andrade sighed and shook her head. It was one of two things. A trap, or someone else was here. It wasn't as if one of those big shot weirdos was likely to make an appearance, this wasn't that important of a party. Then again, that never stopped any of them, and the thought made Loba sigh again. It was the last thing she needed. Especially if…. If the Bat were to show up and… The thief groaned inwardly. It would be a mess. If anything were to keep her from securing this figurine, it would ruin her day. And 'friendship' with Veronica, if Loba could even call it that. It was then the thief entered one of the bedrooms, looking to see which it was -- when the door only opened part way. "Wh-" Too quickly, Andrade noted the blood that was seeping underfoot. Shoving the door open revealed the corpses of several security guards, all freshly stabbed or gutted. "Ugh!" Snarling, she stormed back out, pulling out her P2020 pistol and going to the next room. It was the same -- and she dashed to what she was sure was the master bedroom. Upon opening the door, a shadowy figure stood in the darkness. In the moonlight glinted a skull-like mask and scythe. Gasping, Loba raised her gun straight at the figure. Biting back her sense of both vindication at being right and apprehension at the same, she huffed. "What is this?!"

[jesncin]

ASDFAFSFAD yes Martian Manhunter solo run when will you return my beloved, I will keep feeding people while waiting.

I consider myself a first gen fan! While my dad is a superhero fan, he's pretty broadly into the movie universes. He reads old timey comics as a hobby (a mix of old Indonesian comics and some translated DC comics!). It's been fun seeing him reconnect with reading comics again, but he's pretty casual with liking superhero stuff.

(Martian Manhunter speaking Bahasa Indonesia confirmed???)

I grew up watching the DCAU (mostly Justice League + Unlimited but I was able to catch BTAS movies every now and again like Mask of the Phantasm), and loved Teen Titans! I got bullied for being "a girl into superheroes" so I kept quiet about it until college where I loudly got into BTAS (and the Arkham games) thanks to a comics writing class! I became such a Bat fan that I even won a Batman trivia contest where my prize was a Batman Black and White Sean Galloway statue. Which in turn, inspired my dad to collect Superhero figurines, haha.

My favorite comics class assignments were always the re-imagining ones! We'd be assigned a DC or Marvel character to reinvent or modernize (into a comic or re-design them). Which explains why I like doing this AU stuff now!

i’m genuinely interested to hear whether dc blogs here are first gen, second gen, third gen fans.

i’m a second gen fan, i grew up with my dad’s DO NOT TOUCH memorabilia cabinet full of figurines and special comics etc, so i was introduced to it very earlier in my life, but i’m pretty much in a completely different interest area to my dad.

all the comics and characters i enjoy now are ones my dad didn’t care for (namely the robins), and i’d be interested to see what corner of this massive fandom you/your parents/grandparents were into compared to you.

[alexzalben]

KEVIN CONROY, PREEMINENT VOICE OF BATMAN, PASSES AWAY AT AGE 66

NEW YORK, NY (November 11, 2022) - Actor Kevin Conroy, the most beloved voice of Batman in the animated history of the character, died Thursday at age 66 after a short battle with cancer.

A noted stage, film and television performer, Conroy rose to unparalleled voice acting fame as the title character of the landmark Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1996). He would establish never-to-be-broken records as the quintessential voice of Batman, bringing the super hero to animated life in nearly 60 different productions, including 15 films – highlighted by the acclaimed Batman: Mask of the Phantasm; 15 animated series, spanning nearly 400 episodes and more than 100 hours of television; as well as two dozen video games. Conroy was also featured as a live-action Bruce Wayne in the Arrowverse’s 2019-2020 “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event.

In recent years, Conroy was a notable fixture on the Con circuit, greeting fans with the same warmth, respect and enthusiasm they reserved for him.

“Kevin was far more than an actor whom I had the pleasure of casting and directing – he was a dear friend for 30+ years whose kindness and generous spirit knew no boundaries,” said Emmy Award winning casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano. “Kevin’s warm heart, delightfully deep laugh and pure love of life will be with me forever.”

“Kevin was perfection,” recalled Mark Hamill, who redefined the Joker playing opposite Conroy’s Batman. “He was one of my favorite people on the planet, and I loved him like a brother. He truly cared for the people around him – his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke with him, my spirits were elevated.”

Born on November 30, 1955 in Westbury, New York, and raised in Westport, CT, Conroy began establishing himself in the acting community while under the tutelage of John Houseman at The Julliard School – where he studied alongside the likes of Christopher Reeve, Frances Conroy, and his roommate Robin Williams. 

Conroy began his career following his love of the theatre, keeping him on stage in both New York and at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. The actor received rave reviews for his starring performances in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Public Theater, Eastern Standard on Broadway, Arthur Miller’s The Last Yankee, and in the title role of Hamlet at the 1984 New York Shakespeare Festival. In addition, he performed in films and television – most notably in the mid-1980s when he had recurring roles on Dynasty, Tour of Duty and Ohara; successful runs on soap operas Search for Tomorrow and Another World; and guest roles on popular series like Cheers, Murphy Brown, Spenser: For Hire and Matlock.

But it was his incomparable, nuanced performance as the voice of Batman that put Conroy on the map – and the fans’ radar – when Batman: The Animated Series debuted on September 5, 1992. From that point on, Conroy would forever be linked to the Dark Knight – in TV series like Batman Beyond and Justice League/Justice League Unlimited; films ranging from Batman: the Killing Joke and Batman: Gotham Knight to Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero and Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman; and more than two dozen video games.

“Kevin was a brilliant actor,” Hamill said. “For several generations, he has been the definitive Batman. It was one of those perfect scenarios where they got the exact right guy for the exact right part, and the world was better for it. His rhythms and subtleties, tones and delivery – that all also helped inform my performance. He was the ideal partner – it was such a complementary, creative experience. I couldn’t have done it without him. He will always be my Batman.”

“Kevin brought a light with him everywhere,” said Paul Dini, producer of Batman: The Animated Series, “whether in the recording booth giving it his all, or feeding first responders during 9/11, or making sure every fan who ever waited for him had a moment with their Batman. A hero in every sense of the word. Irreplaceable. Eternal.”

Conroy is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy, and brother Tom Conroy. Memorial services are pending.

[johnbottoms]

battinson altered my brain chemistry and made me into a comic book girlie so i wanted to know if you had any favorites?

YEAH!!!! sorry this took a bit i was trying to think of a bunch klgjdfljg

FIRSTLY i think u should 100% watch batman the animated series if u havent if u wanna get into batman specifically. .its SOOO good just on its own but its arguably the best batman media out there. btas my beloved.. <33 mask of the phantasm is also really good!!! its kinda like a prequelish movie for the show <3

and then comics:

batman: the long halloween + dark victory. very good kinda early batman story <3

robin: year one.

bruce wayne: murderer? + fugitive. not my FAVORITE really but its definitely good for batman character wise

batgirl (2000). this isnt a super big one for batman himself but its absolutely one of my faves

dc vs vampires. this one isnt finished yet but its really fun so far ! <3

batman: universe. MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE ONE PROBABLY IT IS JUST SO FUN AND EPIC <333333333

batman and robin (2011). this one truly rules its very good and i love it and all the annuals r SOOO good.

batman/superman (2019) . really fun just kinda silly one :*

secrets of sinister house (2019). specifically jsut the batman one. it is so good hes a vampire its everything... <33

batman (2016) ONLY!!! ANNUAL 3. i would not recommend the comic itself to my worst enemy . gjklfdjklgfd

thats all i could think of rn !!! <33 i hope u enjoy these !!

they should be pretty easy to find on readcomicsonline but definitely lmk if u cant find anything and ill send u the links!! <3

ALSO .. just as a little warning .. i would recommend that u do not read any batman stuff from tom king, grant morrison, frank miller or scott lobdell. if u want to read a batman comic and enjoy it . these weirdos will take everything u might like abt the character and tear it to shreds bfr ur very eyes. KJKFfjklgdfkjl

[hopefulstarfire]

Alright so the Gotham Historian podcast is still happening. It's not gonna be a high quality high budget thing unfortunately its essentially me w my own lil recording app just yammering away about Batman 😂.

The first scripts almost done. It was gonna be shorter and then I found something interesting so now it's gonna be longer and it'll be discussing Batmans very first appearance ever, Detective Comics #27.

The second script I'm trying to pull in as much research as I can for it because it's about the early publication history and creation of Batman. It will namely be focused on Bill Finger and some of the other contributors, such as Jerry Robinson, and not so much on Bob Kane. Because Bob Kane got over 70 years of the spotlight to himself for essentially just being the salesman for Batman while everyone else did all the work. I will have rants about this.

Third episode will be all about explaining the Bat Familys various members, how it came to be, and even some looks at the Wayne family tree itself.

Fourth episode will be about Batmans Rogues Gallery. And, yes, you will be hearing so much about Lord Death Man, because goddamnit he gives me so much seratonin in the midst of my major depression. I fucking love Larry.

Fifth episode will be dedicated to both mapping out Gotham, explaining Wayne Industries a bit more and also going into some of the different Batman gadgets. It's the catch all episode for that.

After those episodes, I have ideas, just figuring out the episode order, but it'll be going across just all sorts of different topics and if anyone wants anything specific I will absolutely do it.

For now, some of the ones I know I'm gonna be talking about are

An entire in depth episode for a milestone talking about Pre/Post Crisis Jason, leading up to his death and everything around A Death in the Family, and about how he wasn't the angry asshole or "little snot" that his writers at the time tried to say he was.

The wildest Batman controversies, and, yes, The Selfish Lover one is at the top of that list.

Some different storylines across the Batfamily and their villains, such as Tower of Babel, Long Halloween, We Are Robin, Year One, etc.

The best episodes of BTAS.

Debating on if i just want to make a really long post about why Lego Batman and Mask of the Phantasm are the best theatrically released Batman films (with the Burton films being just right behind them) or if I should do it for the podcast.

The issue where Bruce got to save his parents.

The issue where Batman wanted to lobotomize the Joker.

The importance of Oracle.

How I would do a Batfam series of cinematic or television releases.

The Himbo Bruce Wayne Argument. I do briefly talk about it in the first episode. There will be an entire episode dedicated to this because I will die on this hill.

Probably the best episodes or highlights of the different movie and tv show adaptations of the Batfam or those moments that really hit hard. I probably won't touch on the Nolan films or Pattinsons Batman bc I don't like them and I don't really feel like just sitting there talking about shit that I don't like bc others like them and thats okay find your enjoyment wherever you can dudes.

Also don't really wanna talk about Tom King and Devin Grayson, because they have both pulled so much fuckshit with their runs and I just

Different episodes going more in depth into specific characters beyond just my explanations in the 3rd and 4th episodes; such as deeper dives into Dukes powers and also where his story can take him, finding identity with Tim (since the writers cannot figure out what his hero name is anymore and also lets not forget btas just making him jason with tims name and costume), Harleys character growth, why Two Face would make for an infinitely better archnemesis for Batman than the Joker, etc etc.

WAYNE FAMILY ADVENTURES MY BELOVED.

I got a ton more but those are just some of what I've been thinking of and again if anyone wants a specific topic I am more than happy to talk about it. But just know that it is on the way and I'm just excited to be able to share thoughts and information with everyone because Batmans been my favorite thing since I was at least 3 years old.

[thealmightyemprex]

Top 10 Batman movies

Batman is one of the most beloved superheroes and has had many movies based on him .Only picking ones where Batman is the main focus so no Justice League films

1.Batman The Movie

Yes this IS my favorite Batman movie and I make no apologies. Film sucessfully juggles four villains ,has an engaging plot and has a legit great performance by Adam West .It also happens to be very sillly in the style of a silver age Batman comic and I love that

2.Batman

This one feels like a classic 30's/early 40's Batman comic ,right down to a brutal Batman not afraid to kill .It's the style and Jack Nicholson clearly having a ball playing the Joker that make this film

3.Batman Returns

So this movie is ....A lot and kind of a mess and it is not for everyone. It is very much Tim Burton unchained and it has very little to do with the comics .....That said I love this movie . I adore the fact it feels like a gothic monster movie as opposed to an action film .Gorgeous imagery,a fantastic perormance by Michelle Pfiffer ,Beautiful score , Christopher Walken is one of the villains and while the writing for the Penguin is confused ,Danny Devito gives a powerhouse performance ,being legit menacing and revolting

4. Batman Mask of the Phantasm

I feel as a movie this might be the best one ,structurally speaking . It's a solid mystery that explores Batman as a character , animation is gorgeous and allthe voice acting is subperb .It is not my favoritebecause there areelements from other Batman movies I like more

5.Batman Beyond Return of the Joker

Probably my favorite performance of Mark Hamill as the Joker .Thisw movie is awesome ,especially after watching Batman Beyond

6.Batman vs Two Face

Adam Wests final Batman performance ,has a great villainous performance by William Shatner as Two Face (Proof that Shatner can give a truly brillaint performance ,cause he is legit menacing here)the plot is so wonderfully silverage comic booky ,and hey its a Batman movie where Joker ISNT the main villain which is rare ,this is a Two Face movie all the way and I am all for it

7.The Dark Knight

....Yeah I gotta explain why this is low for me .I got several hangups with Christopher Nolan and Christain Bale (Who I think is a terrible Batman ),I have problemswith the third act and this is in my mind a great crime movie that Batman happens to be in .That said it is still a great movie ,great supporting cast including Gary Oldman ,Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman ,and holy crap Heath Ledger makes for a phenominal reinterpertation of the Joker

8.Batman Under the Red Hood

Great voice cast ,excellent dialogue and an emotional story .This movie is awesome

Batman Return of the Caped Crusaders

A tribute to the classic 60's show ,with Adam West ,Julie Newmar and Burt Ward reprising their roles and Batman turns evil giving Adam West a chance to shine as a villain.This is a ton of fun

The Dark Knight Returns parts 1 and 2

Frank Miller is a lunatic and the comic this film is based on started some ungood trends in comics (And popularized Batman vs Superman which I HATE ).....That said it is still a good story ,and the film is beautifully animated (Which is interesting cause I HATE the artwork of the comic) ,wonderfully cast (Especially Peter "Robocop" Weller as Batman and Michael Emerson as the Joker ) ,action is spetacur.I dont think it is the ultimate Batman story ,and its a bit ofa problematic fave ,but I still think its an awesome movie

@metropolitan-mutant-of-ark @ariel-seagull-wings

[davidmann95]

Comics this week (12/1/2020)?

calvatronlordofall said: Today’s comics?

Far Sector #9: Another comic I won’t understand until it’s done and I can reread the whole thing but that I’m enjoying anyway. Really, really hope Jemisin continues contributing to the medium in some form after this, because she absolutely has a gift for it.

Strange Adventures #7: He doesn’t care for tyranny, folks. And JEEESSSUUUUS, Doc

DCeased: Dead Planet #6: Some quality DC Comics nonsense problem-solving, but not sure at all whether the chips are gonna fall in favor of the stuff about this I’ve been really liking or the aspects I simply don’t care about at all.

Tales From The Dark Multiverse: Wonder Woman: War Of The Gods: While I’ve seen plenty of them around the periphery in anthologies and so forth I think this is Vita Ayala’s first full work I’ve been exposed to, and tbh I can’t say I’m taken, even given the pretty threadbare-seeming material for them to work with. I’ll still give Children of the Atom a try, but my expectations have been lowered. Nice seeing Trish Mulviihill’s colors though, thought they looked familiar and it turns out she worked on my beloved Superman & Bugs Bunny.

Batman: The Adventures Continue #7: Yeah, now that it’s all said and done, definitely the best take on the death and return of Jason Todd.

Batman #104: Art’s taken a hit, but Ghostmaker’s getting more and more fun as a character the more that comes out about him. And surprising seeing Dick in his real Robin suit in flashback, Dark Designs had him still rocking that New 52 abomination. It really seems like the policy RE: costumes in flashbacks with him remains up in the air at any given time?

Anonymous said: Thoughts on the long-awaited BatCat?

Anonymous said: Bat/Cat the objectively best comic of the week. Thots.

Batman/Catwoman #1: I imagine disappointingly, quite few - both the best and worst part of this book is that King’s entire spiel on “This is gonna be such a different animal from my regular run, this is my DKR, this is my ultimate prestige statement on the characters” was pure hype, this is just the next issue of his Batman run with Clay Mann as the new main artist. And it’s good! I like it! I think it’d take awhile for anybody to tumble onto the ‘three timelines’ aspect of it if they didn’t go in knowing about it since the color of Catwoman’s suit is the only obvious tipoff for a chunk of it, but it’s still a well-constructed piece of comics in line with the story up to this point, even if it’s so in line with it that it pretty much puts the lie to the notion that this was originally conceived of as a special prestige project in the same way as Strange Adventures or Rorschach. Mostly I’m just struck now that it’s out by the guts of doing a straight sequel to Mask of the Phantasm, given that’s maybe the singularly least divisive major Batman story: everybody on every side of the Batman-loving aisle recognizes it as hallowed ground, so nobody’s gonna not be let down if you fuck it up. I really need to rewatch it, it’s been well over a decade and unlike Return of the Joker my memories of it have almost entirely faded.

Black Widow #4: The further in I get the more I’m struck by the cleverness of the central conceit. How do you construct a drama around a century-old woman whose business has her have to mostly forsake most normal human connection? Make the literal supervillain plot that she’s been forced to have incredibly intimate human connections, and now she’s just gotta deal with that on top of what would otherwise be fairly routine Black Widow stuff.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #21: Hate to say it folks, but even discounting the severity of the delays this arc’s been a dud. Really hoping it finds its feet again soon.

King In Black #1: Holy cow, this was ass. I went in thinking “well, I’ve resigned myself to having to get this to understand the crossovers into books I’m already getting and tie-in minis I do care about, but Cates still has a baseline level of competency so it should still be perfectly readable”, but this is just...nothing. This is that modern Dan Jurgens tier where it’s so bland and perfunctory and inoffensively executed it loops back around to infuriating, except Dan Jurgens’s writing if nothing else at least doesn’t strut around in tangible self-regard as the next great sales-shattering triumph of the Punk Rock God Of Comixxx like Cates’. And when was the last Marvel event on this scale with such little hype behind it? Even Empyre seemed like it had more weight on arrival, and much as I enjoyed it I’m pretty sure that book mainly existed to fill space until we got this. Maybe it’s just the circle I run in. I swear I remember Thanos Wins being pretty fun, and I just reread Atomahawk and that was still a hoot, so it’s a shame Cates has turned out this way, and worse he’s ended up Marvel’s new golden boy. Unless my dad likes it (and if so hey, he’s not alone, I imagine this is selling gangbusters) I’m sure not grabbing another issue, so I guess I’ll have to do my best with context clues in figuring out what’s going on for...Guardians of the Galaxy, S.W.O.R.D., Daredevil, Namor, Return of the Valkyries, the Joe Fixit Immortal Hulk one-shot, Iron Man/Doctor Doom, and the next book below. Fuck.

The Union #1: I’ve only read Everything Used To Be Black And White for Jack Staff but I was definitely curious what Grist would do here, and it didn’t disappoint! Fun little story, bunch of neat character ideas I’m looking forward to seeing developed further, very lived-in feeling slice of its corner of a superhero world.

Marvels Snapshots: Civil War: An excellent little parable that I’m surprised we didn’t actually see the likes of in ‘06, and frankly worth getting a mediocre Miles Morales arc for (even if it was disappointing that that one had to be where the ball was dropped) if this is where Ahmed’s attention was going instead.

Daredevil #25: So I turned two pages at once and accidentally spoiled myself at the last possible moment for the big reveal of the issue, so that sucks. Still a great issue though - one that manages to function as a logical extension of an incredibly street-level story even though it can only possibly exist as an extrapolation of the wildest excesses of the Marvel universe - but I cannot imagine how the hell the next is gonna cleanly pivot into King in Black shenanigans.

Kill A Man: A new OGN by Steve Orlando, cowritten with Phillip Kennedy Johnson and with art by Al Morgan and letters by Jim Campbell, the reductive though not inaccurate pitch is ‘queer Creed’. But since this is likely to sail under the radar I need to emphasize this is one of Orlando’s absolute best works, a real triumph of the form that’s among the best comics of the year (good GOD does this put to shame 99% of superhero comics fight scenes by the end), and a must-buy for any fans of his work. I’m just gonna let how hard the title and solicit text go speak for themselves:

“As a child, James Bellyi watched his father die in the ring as payback for slurs thrown at the other fighter. Today, he's a Mixed Martial Arts star at the top of his game, and one of the most popular fighters in the world...until he's outed as gay in his title shot press conference. Abandoned overnight by his training camp, his endorsements, his fans and his sport, to regain his title shot Bellyi is forced to turn to the last person he ever wants to see again: Xavier Mayne, a gay, once-great fighter in his own right...and the man James once watched kill his father.”

[fictosphere]

The Phantasm Comes to the Main Batman Comics

The Phantasm Comes to the Main Batman Comics

My god it is fitting that I kick off my tenure on The Fictosphere writing about my beloved Batman. News broke recently that Batman writer Tom King will bring The Phantasm, the Batman villain from 1993’s theatrical motion picture Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, into main DC comics canon for the first time in 2020 in the pages of Batman/Catwoman, which is the last part of King’s long Batman run. …

[daleisgreat]

Old Joy

2006’s Old Joy (trailer) is the longest 77-minute film I have ever seen, but I mean that in only the best kind of ways. Director Kelly Reichardt intentionally establishes a deliberate, plodding pace about two distant friends who fell out of touch meeting up to go on a road/hiking trip to find a tucked-away and highly reputable hot springs. The film opens up with Mark (Daniel London) meditating at home when he gets a call from his free-spirited old friend, Kurt (Will Oldham), with an invite for a last-minute weekend trek to discover these mystical hot springs. That opening scene does a masterful job with its minimalist dialog and awkward body language to indicate how Mark is still not quite settling into married life with a kid on the way and comes off a little too eager to jump at the opportunity to get out of the house last minute for the weekend.

The film jumps to sitting in on an extended driving scene with Mark listening to political talk radio, and when he meets up with Kurt is when the intentionally long scenes start to take hold. I like smartly written films with smooth-flowing dialog filled with edgy quips and retorts, but I also appreciate a complete 180 as seen here and in movies like Slacker where the dialog sounds….uncomfortably natural. When Kurt and Mark start off driving, there are many advertent pauses during the conversations where it seems like the two are trying to think of topics to bring up to talk about and catch up. I can 100% relate to that, and it is insanely rare how often I run across that in average big-budget films and pull it off so well like it is done in Old Joy. Highlights from the road trip part of the film include how well shot little moments are like a gas station stop with oblique camera angles that somehow capture the subtle but noticeable moments of the excitement of getting out for the weekend as Kurt and Mark amusingly toss beverage koozies at each other. Watching the pair drive around aimlessly while Kurt tries to remember how to get to the springs and eventually resorting to a makeshift campsite while exchanging philosophical stoner verbiage is another memorable scene of their journey.

I would be remiss to go this long without giving a shoutout to Lucy, Mark’s canine pal tagging along for the journey. In the bonus feature interviews, it was enlightening to hear that it is actually Reichardt’s dog who she had no choice but to include in the film because she could not find a dog-sitter while filming. Reichardt stated she was anxious about how it would work out since Lucy had no film training. Lucy wound up as a perfect third wheel for the adventure. She blended in perfectly, especially with some smart improving with Oldham, where he would instinctually play with her during the hiking spots of the movie. Eventually, the trio found the hidden turnoff to their destination and go on a hike to see the hot springs. The film once again, through exquisite cinematography and intentional drawn-out shots with very little dialog, shows how all the hassle to reach their endpoint was worth it. It is a boldly ambiguous, memorable scene. The film not-so-climatically wraps up with Mark dropping Kurt off, and the movie goes out of its way to capture another little thing so well that few other movies have pulled off in the form of the malaise-filled drive back home and the dread of the return to the normality.

I have the Criterion Edition of Old Joy, and it has four bonus features totaling about an hour altogether. Daniel London and Will Oldham reunite for the first time since production wrapped in 2006 for a conversation filmed in 2019. They exchange many interesting production stories, with the one standing out the most to me being the warning from the park ranger escorting them to the hot springs on how brave they were to go in there because of all the gunk they have fished out of there over the years. An interview with Reichardt is a must-listen on how she decided to film this movie after taking a sabbatical from filmmaking. An interview with the author of the original short story the film is based on, Jim Raymond, on how he met Kelly and how satisfied he was with her treatment of the adaptation and changes she made for the big screen. Finally, Director of Photography Peter Sillen shares a fair amount of production factoids and insights. This being a Criterion release, there is the requisite booklet included, which has a 14-page essay by Ed Halter that thoroughly dissects the film and its production and the entirety of the 22 page original “Old Joy” short story from Jim Raymond. I accidentally stumbled upon this movie browsing through the latest Criterion releases, and the description of the film made it sound right up my alley by how unorthodox it is. This style of filmmaking may not be for everybody with its different structure and laidback style of dialog from the average theatrical movie. I wound up absolutely loving Old Joy, and was thrilled to hear how this film was a hit with critics and was the catalyst for Reichardt directing more beloved indie films following this like Wendy & Lucy, First Cow, and Night Moves. Other Random Backlog Movie Blogs 3 12 Angry Men (1957) 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown 21 Jump Street The Accountant Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie Atari: Game Over The Avengers: Age of Ultron The Avengers: Endgame The Avengers: Infinity War Batman: The Dark Knight Rises Batman: The Killing Joke Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Bounty Hunters Cabin in the Woods Captain America: Civil War Captain America: The First Avenger Captain America: The Winter Soldier Christmas Eve The Clapper Clash of the Titans (1981) Clint Eastwood 11-pack Special The Condemned 2 Countdown Creed I & II Deck the Halls Detroit Rock City Die Hard Dredd The Eliminators The Equalizer Dirty Work Faster Fast and Furious I-VIII Field of Dreams Fight Club The Fighter For Love of the Game Good Will Hunting Gravity Grunt: The Wrestling Movie Guardians of the Galaxy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Hell Comes to Frogtown Hercules: Reborn Hitman I Like to Hurt People Indiana Jones 1-4 Inglourious Basterds Ink The Interrogation Interstellar Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Jobs Joy Ride 1-3 Justice League (2017 Whedon Cut) Last Action Hero Major League Mallrats Man of Steel Man on the Moon Man vs Snake Marine 3-6 Merry Friggin Christmas Metallica: Some Kind of Monster Mortal Kombat Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpions Revenge National Treasure National Treasure: Book of Secrets Nintendo Quest Not for Resale Payback (Director’s Cut) Pulp Fiction The Punisher (1989) The Ref The Replacements Reservoir Dogs Rocky I-VIII Running Films Part 1 Running Films Part 2 San Andreas ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery Scott Pilgrim vs the World The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Shoot em Up Slacker Skyscraper Small Town Santa Steve Jobs Source Code Star Trek I-XIII Sully Take Me Home Tonight TMNT Trauma Center The Tooth Fairy 1 & 2 UHF Veronica Mars Vision Quest The War Wild The Wizard Wonder Woman The Wrestler (2008) X-Men: Apocalypse X-Men: Days of Future Past

[dccomicsnews]

Directed by: Sam Liu

Written by: J.M. DeMatteis

Starring:  Jason Isaacs, Amy Acker, Diedrich Bader, Roger Craig Smith, Vanessa Marshall

Review by: Eric Joseph

Summary

Following the success of Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, it was really only a matter of time before another “Elseworlds” story found itself adapted for animation. This time, it’s the beloved Superman: Red Son getting the treatment, thereby bringing the work of writer Mark Millar and artist Dave Johnson to brilliant life.

If you don’t know the basics, here’s all you really need to learn going in: instead of baby Kal-El’s ship landing in Smallville, Kansas, it touched down in Soviet Russia. As such, the Comrade of Steel (Jason Isaacs) grows up to serve the state, and we meet alternate takes on iconic characters such as Batman (Roger Craig Smith), Wonder Woman (Vanessa Marshall), Green Lantern (Sasha Roiz), Lex Luthor (Diedrich Bader) and Lois Lane-Luthor (Amy Acker) in the process. And no, you weren’t reading that wrong – Lex and Lois are married!

Positives

Much like its predecessor in Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, Superman: Red Son succeeds in pretty much every respect. The plot is intriguing and the voice cast knocks it out of the park as per usual. It’d been quite a long time since I read the source material, yet I still found myself riveted by the story as it unfolded. And similar to how the adventures of a Victorian Dark Knight didn’t mirror what had been found on the printed page, neither does this. Rest assured that the DNA of Millar and Johnson’s work remains, but there’s quite a bit in the way of fresh content as well. This flick falls in the middle of “adaptation” and “inspired by”; it’s not as literal as, say, The Dark Knight Returns, but it’s not as far off as The Death of Superman, either.

What will likely enthrall viewers most is seeing that “nature versus nurture” aspect at play. Despite being brought up under a much different system of values, Supes is still a guy who wants to accomplish things for the greater good, deep down. However, power can corrupt, especially when you’re someone who can fly and shoot lasers from their eyes. Still, he’s not the tyrant his Injustice counterpart was, so expect his moral tapestry to be as grey as the costume he dons.

In my view, allowing for the story to span over the course of decades really shows how both Superman and his political opponents evolve. His rivalry with Luthor is intrinsically what you may expect, yet even that fella is more than your usual villain wearing the proverbial black hat. In fact, some of you watching this may find yourself wondering which guy to root for.

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Another major positive in this package comes in the form of its bonus content and, believe me, this Blu-ray release is pretty rich in that department. The DC Showcase: Phantom Stranger short is every bit as good as the feature presentation itself, and is my favorite of the latest round that kicked off last year.

Elsewhere, there’s an excerpt from the Superman: Red Son motion comic, a featurette dubbed “Cold Red War,” and a must-see first look at Justice League Dark: Apokolips War that lets us know way more about the plot than the trailer did. And if that weren’t enough, the two-part Justice League classic that was “A Better World” is thrown in for good measure.

Negatives

You know, there isn’t really much I can say about this film that’s bad, other than that maybe it dragged a little during the third act. Seriously, that’s it. This may not be something I revisit a million times as I have with Under the Red Hood or Mask of the Phantasm, but it left me quite impressed.

But if I’m to look at this very objectively, I imagine that the staunch purists will complain about how it’s not a carbon copy of the comic book – but were most of you really expecting it to be? If anything, a percentage of the audience may have a hard time digesting an interpretation of Batman who’s an outright terrorist, but just keep in mind they call it “Elseworlds” for a reason.

Verdict

If Superman: Red Son is to be any indication of what’s to come, then 2020 will be a very good year for DC animation. The bar has been set, and we can only hope the next offerings are every bit as enjoyable. And like I said moments ago, the bonus content was enough to satisfy this critic, so pick up a copy as soon as you can.

Blu-Ray Review: Superman: Red Son Directed by: Sam Liu Written by: J.M. DeMatteis Starring:  Jason Isaacs, Amy Acker, Diedrich Bader, Roger Craig Smith, Vanessa Marshall…

[mirrorfalls]

If you could pick a currently-working director to make a Batman film, who would you pick, and why? How would you expect the resulting film to turn out?

Okay, time to come clean. I am hideously bad at picking out the individual tics of different directors by myself, especially if they're part of the modern-day crop (and I’ve seen, like, 3 movies made after 2015). If I’ve ever talked about a director/movie and sounded like I knew what the hell I was talking about, chances are I was parroting the opinion of someone who (sounded like they) actually knew what the hell they were talking about.

Aside from that I’ve, uh, been losing interest in big-screen Batman since 2012 or thereabouts. In my opinion, he works best in small, intimate adventures, with comics as his ideal medium, (animated) TV running a respectable second. You’ll recall that even the near-universally-beloved TDK was the smallest-scaled entry of its trilogy, to say nothing of the actually-universally-beloved Mask of the Phantasm.

All that said - is Chris Sanders doing anything these days? In light of his most famous work Superman would seem the more natural fit, but I’d love to see how his oddball brand of humanism (and absolutely gorgeous animation style) adapts itself to Gotham.

[kirbydots]

[Begin transcript:

For immediate release.

Kevin Conroy, preeminent voice of Batman, passes away at age sixty-six.

New York, NY (November 11, 2022) - Actor Kevin Conroy, the most beloved voice of Batman in the animated history of the character, died Thursday at age 66 after a short battle with cancer.

A noted stage, film and television performer, Conroy rose to unparalleled voice acting fame as the title character of the landmark Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1996). He would establish never-to-be-broken records as the quintessential voice of Batman, bringing the super hero to animated life in nearly 60 different productions, including 15 films — highlighted by the acclaimed Batman: Mask of the Phantasm; 15 animated series, spanning nearly 400 episodes and more than 100 hours of television; as well as two dozen video games. Conroy was also featured as a live-action Bruce Wayne in the Arrowverse’s 2019-2020 “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event.

In recent years, Conroy was a notable fixture on the Con circuit, greeting fans with the same warmth, respect and enthusiasm they reserved for him.

“Kevin was far more than an actor whom I had the pleasure of casting and directing — he was a dear friend for 30+ years whose kindness and generous spirit knew no boundaries,” said Emmy Award winning casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano. “Kevin’s warm heart, delightfully deep laugh and pure love of life will be with me forever.”

“Kevin was perfection,” recalled Mark Hamill, who redefined the Joker playing opposite Conroy’s Batman. “He was one of my favorite people on the planet, and I loved him like a brother. He truly cared for the people around him — his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke with him, my spirits were elevated.”

Born on November 30, 1955 in Westbury, New York, and raised in Westport, CT, Conroy began establishing himself in the acting community while under the tutelage of John Houseman at The Julliard School — where he studied alongside the likes of Christopher Reeve, Frances Conroy, and his roommate Robin Williams

Conroy began his career following his love of the theatre, keeping him on stage in both New York and at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. The actor received rave reviews for his starring performances in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Public Theater, Eastern Standard on Broadway, Arthur Miller’s The Last Yankee, and in the title role of Hamlet at the 1984 New York Shakespeare Festival. In addition, he performed in films and television — most notably in the mid-1980s when he had recurring roles on Dynasty, Tour of Duty and Ohara; successful runs on soap operas Search for Tomorrow and Another World; and guest roles on popular series like Cheers, Murphy Brown, Spenser: For Hire and Matlock.

But it was his incomparable, nuanced performance as the voice of Batman that put Conroy on the map — and the fans’ radar — when Batman: The Animated Series debuted on September 5, 1992. From that point on, Conroy would forever be linked to the Dark Knight — in TV series like Batman Beyond and Justice League/Justice League Unlimited; films ranging from Batman: the Killing Joke and Batman: Gotham Knight to Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero and Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman; and more than two dozen video games.

“Kevin was a brilliant actor,” Hamill said. “For several generations, he has been the definitive Batman. It was one of those perfect scenarios where they got the exact right guy for the exact right part, and the world was better for it. His rhythms and subtleties, tones and delivery ~ that all also helped inform my performance. He was the ideal partner — it was such a complementary, creative experience. I couldn’t have done it without him. He will always be my Batman.”

“Kevin brought a light with him everywhere,” said Paul Dini, producer of Batman: The Animated Series, “whether in the recording booth giving it his all, or feeding first responders during 9/11, or making sure every fan who ever waited for him had a moment with their Batman. A hero in every sense of the word. Irreplaceable. Eternal.”

Conroy is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy, and brother Tom Conroy. Memorial services are pending.

Gary Miereanu

GT Marmots/PR, Inc.

miereanu@gmail.com

End transcript.]

I am in tears