#the first ever batman comic released today

[daily-lego-sets]

LEGO DC:

Batman: The Animated Series Gotham City

Set: 76271

2024

Pieces: 4210

[themyscirah]

Okay so basically the United States MINT of all people is going to be working with DC to make a line of coins! These coins sadly won't be in circulation (the things I would do to live in a world where I could get Batman coins from the supermarket) as they're collectors coins, but will be releasing over the course of the next 3 years, 2025-2027.

Designs haven't been released yet (the same is true for all 2025 designs) but we know there will be 9 coins in total (3 each year) with the first year featuring (of course!!!) Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

Although we know the first three heroes to be featured, the remaining six have yet to be decided, and it turns out the Mint is putting out a survey on their site to gauge which of a group of culturally significant heroes people want to see most! (link to the form is mentioned in the article above)

The considered group includes: Supergirl, the Flash, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Captain Marvel, John Stewart GL, Aquaman, Hawkman, Jamie Reyes BB, Robin (Damian?), Cyborg, and Batgirl, of which 6 will be selected.

As someone who does a bit of coin collecting myself (mainly circulation coins like the quarters sets, but I also have a couple proof and collectors coins) I think this is a really cool and interesting idea that showcases the history of the comics medium and these characters and their influence on American culture. Really excited to wait and see what the designs look like for the coins already announced!

[macgyvermedical]

Hi! For the pharmaceutical history: I'd like to know more about the history of loratadine. (If that one's boring, I'm sorry - I'm just really curious about allergy medicine history) Hope you're doing good!

Loratadine (Claritin, approved in 1988) was not the first nonsedating (second generation) antihistamine, but it wanted to be. Terfenadine (Seldane, from a competing manufacturer, approved in 1985) was the first. And because terfenadine got to the FDA just ahead of loratadine, loratadine was put on the FDA's backburner, delaying it's entrance to the market by over 3 years.

Loratadine made up for this by marketing the absolute sh*t out of their drug. If you were watching TV or reading magazines in the late 80s or early 90s, you probably remember. Loratadine was prescription only at the time. But direct-to-consumer advertising still had rules. By the early 1990's you couldn't have an ad that was selling a drug without a list of the side effects. And when you're trying to sell a non-drowsy antihistamine on the merit that it was non-drowsy, having to list the fact that the #1 side effect was still drowsiness didn't go over so well. This wasn't an issue in print so much- you could make the print about the side effects as small as you wanted, and who was going to read 3-pt font? But you couldn't do the same in a TV spot.

This was a problem for the company selling Claritin. So instead of making TV ads for the DRUG Claritin, they decided to sell the BRAND Claritin instead. So the ads just never said that Claritin was a drug, or what it did. They just said things like "Claritin is the non-drowsy brand" and "ask your doctor about Claritin" and the ever popular "live Claritin clear."

"But Ross," you might be asking yourself, "whatever did Claritin do to sell to the previously untapped market of children as drug consumers? I simply must know!" Well, you're in luck, because in 1998, and this is real, they released a 12-page Batman comic centered around Tim Drake having allergies that interfered with his crimefighting career. All other antihistamines made him too drowsy, so thank goodness he went to his doctor to get a prescription for Claritin!

You might also be wondering how insurance companies felt about having to pay for on-patent allergy medication (spoiler alert, they hated it, just like they hate paying for everything). Well, also in 1998, Anthem (the insurance company) petitioned the FDA to approve Claritin as an over-the-counter medication. If a medication was over the counter, they wouldn't have to pay for the medication, nor would they have to pay for the associated doctor's visits to get prescriptions for the medication. The FDA approved the petition, but it wasn't until 2002, when the patent had expired, that the company that made Claritin finally released an over the counter version. Even today, though, over the counter loratadine is so much more expensive than other second generation antihistamines. I couldn't figure out why this is, or why people keep buying brand name Claritin when there's like 5 other cheaper non-drowsy antihistamines to choose from.

Finally, I'll wrap up by telling you about the fate of terfenadine. See, turns out terfenadine is super cardiotoxic, especially when combined with certain antibiotics. It got taken off the market in 1997 after quite a few people died. It was replaced with fexofenadine, a metabolite of terfenadine without the cardiotoxic properties.

[goth-pod]

Goth-Pod Ep 10: Finale

Welcome to Goth-Pod's last episode of season one! Juda Boone is joined today by a very special guest! (ITS DICK GRAYSON-WAYNE. WE GOT DICK GRAYSON)

Thank you for joining us for our first season. Until next time, stay safe, Gotham.

[goth-pod is a fictional, in-universe podcast based on the DC comics universe. Juda Boone is an original fictional character, not based on any real person or known comic book character.]

Special thanks to my friend for voicing Dick! @anythingeverythingallofthetime

Transcript under the cut

Juda: Hello everyone and welcome back! This is Goth-Pod, your Gotham based podcast. I am your favorite host, Juda Boone. And I am not alone today! Care to say hi?

Dick: Hello listeners! 

Juda: Today’s episode is the last before our hiatus. So of course, we are doing what any competent media does when they want to be successful: Completely change up the formula at the very last minute. 

Dick: And that's where I come in!

Juda: Yes, you are our very special guest star / co-host / interviewee for our finale. 

Dick: And I am happy to be here. I totally binge-listened to all your episodes after you reached out to me. It was too good to pass up! I don’t think I’ve ever been on a podcast before? I like it, I get to wear big headphones and talk. 

Juda: Why don’t you start out by just introducing yourself, for our non-local listeners. 

Dick: Sure thing! I am Dick Grayson-Wayne, I am an Aries, I think. And I am single. If you happen to know someone. 

Juda: [laughing] Okay, very helpful. And since we are an audio-based medium, it is my duty as a host to explain that Mr. Grayson just gave me a very tasteful wink. 

Dick: We’re friends here, Juda. You can call me Dick.

Juda: With all the respect in the world I will not be calling you that.  Juda: Mr. Grayson, we actually have something of an important topic to discuss today. As you are now a Bludhaven resident, you have some insight on their vigilante, Nightwing. I was hoping you could tell the Gotham listeners a bit about the up-and-coming hero.

Dick: To be fair, I don’t know any more than the next guy. I’ve seen him around town, of course, especially on patrol. But I’ve never had the chance to actually talk to him. Guess that means I’m staying on the right side of trouble. 

Juda: From what you have seen, what are some differences between Gotham's Bat and Bludhaven’s Nightwing?

Dick: The fashion sense, for sure! Dick: He actually seems like a person rather than a- what was it you called Batman? In Episode 1, I thought it was great! Like a- an Earthbound spirit, right? And from what I hear the guy has a good sense of humor, unlike Batman. Probably a winning smile to go along with it. 

Juda: hah! Mr. Grayson, we are not a gossip podcast, but to me it almost sounds like you have a crush. 

Dick: woah, woah, hey now Juda, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I mean, give me a chance to get rescued by the guy. We’ll see if sparks fly then. 

Juda: And if that happens, will you be back on the show? 

Dick: You will be the first person I call, I can promise you that.  Dick: Juda if we are to be friends, I’m going to have to come clean on something.

Juda: Oh no. 

Dick: It’s nothing bad! I just may have started us off on a lie, and I apologize for that. 

Juda: I repeat: Oh no. 

Dick: I said that I only listened to Goth-Pod after you reached out to me. In truth, I heard every episode at their release. [whispering] I’m the one who showed Bruce your Bruce Wayne episode. 

Juda: Mr. Grayson, you didn’t. 

Dick: AND your Bruceman Episode. 

Juda: Dick.

Dick: [laughing] Hey, that's my name!

Juda: To save myself from the mortification of that reality, I’m going to say that this is all the time we have today. Thank you so much for joining us, everyone. This time and everytime. A special thank you to my co-host, Dick Grayson-Wayne. I am Juda, this is Goth-Pod. Anything you’d like to say, Mr. Grayson?

Dick: Uuhh. Be gay, don’t do crime. And Stay Safe, Gotham!

[twistedtummies2]

Year of the Bat - Number 4

Welcome to Year of the Bat! In honor of Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, and Richard Moll, I’ve been counting down my Top 31 Favorite Episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” throughout this January. We’re getting close to the end now… TODAY’S EPISODE QUOTE: “Gotham can be a Wonderland, Alice! Tonight, let me be your guide.” Number 4 is…Mad as a Hatter.

If you know me very well, this episode being in my Top 5 is no surprise at all. If you don’t, then you might be a little surprised. While “Mad as a Hatter” is certainly a well-liked episode, by all accounts, I doubt too many people would name it as being anywhere on-par with stories like “Mad Love” and “Heart of Ice,” two other villain origin stories that I covered in my past two entries. I, however, am not most people: while I love Harley Quinn, and I cannot deny the power of “Heart of Ice,” this story is something close to my heart in a way those two simply are not. This episode is the origin/first appearance of one of the Dark Knight’s slightly more unsung villains, the Mad Hatter. In the story, the Hatter is a highly repressed and socially awkward neuroscientist, by the name of Jervis Tetch. Jervis is an eccentric fellow, who has a bizarre obsession with the “Alice” stories by Lewis Carroll. The strange scientist has created a special headband and cards, which – via highly sophisticated nanotechnology – allow him to control other people’s minds. It’s then revealed that Tetch has unrequited feelings for his secretary (probably not-coincidentally named Alice Pleasance), and – when her boyfriend, Billy, seemingly dumps her – Jervis seizes the opportunity to use this newfound power to try and sweep Alice off her feet. At first, things seem to go well…but unbeknownst to Jervis, after he drops Alice off at home that night, she and Billy make up and even get officially engaged. This sudden development causes Jervis to snap, and he becomes the Mad Hatter: determined to claim Alice as his own, hang all the consequences, and willing to put half of Gotham under his thrall, if necessary, in order to do so. Naturally, Batman can’t allow this; he’s already on Tetch’s trail, after a (presumed) misunderstanding with some street thugs. Now, he must rescue Alice (and Billy) and stop the Mad Hatter before things get any madder.

The Mad Hatter has long been one of my favorite Batman Villains, and I am 99% convinced that the specific version found in the DCAU is the main reason why. In the comics, the Hatter has always been an…iffy character, to say the least, as he’s typically depicted as a rotten-to-the-core little creep with many perverse desires. He’s a villain who’s meant to just be punched in the face, so to speak. Other adaptations have gone in other directions, but I think the version found in the Animated Series handled it the best out of anybody. This is, without a doubt, my definitive take on the Mad Hatter. Part of the reason why is the character’s voice: he’s played by Roddy McDowall, and in fact, the Hatter would be McDowall’s last proper character, as his final appearance in the DCAU – a Superman crossover episode called “Knight Time” – was released posthumously to McDowall’s passing, and a somewhat earlier episode, “Animal Act,” was released not long before his death. This was quite the role to cap a career with, and almost seems an inevitable one: McDowall had previously played a somewhat similar character, the Bookworm, in the 1960s Adam West show. He also was the narrator for an abridged audiobook version of Tim Burton’s Batman (where I swear he plays the most polite Batman in the history of anything). Not only that, but McDowall also played the role of the March Hare in a 1985 TV Miniseries of “Alice in Wonderland.” With credits like these, and his mellifluous voice, he was absolutely perfect casting for the part.

The other reason, however, sits with his origins. This by far the most sympathetic and fascinating take on Jervis Tetch I think we’ve ever been given. It’s easy to relate with the idea of unrequited love as the cause for someone’s descent into darkness, and at the start of the story, Jervis is really very nice. He’s a bit odd, and there are some subtle hints that he’s already on a slightly uneven keel, but he doesn’t come across as truly evil. There’s also an interesting dichotomy with the way his alter ego acts in relation to the rest of his life; it sort of reminds me of Catwoman’s setup in “Batman Returns,” of all things. At the start, Jervis is awkward, shy, panicky, and keeps a lot bottled up. Once he dons the top hat and trenchcoat of the Mad Hatter, however, he becomes a whole different person: he’s more charismatic, more confident, more flamboyant, and – thanks the power of his control chips – he has absolute control, something we get the sense he hasn’t had a lot of in his life. It’s only when his advances are so brutally shot down – when he finds out Alice, after all that, is ENGAGED to Billy – that he REALLY goes off the deep end. There’s some ambiguity and unanswered questions with his background – we don’t know why he’s obsessed with Wonderland, why he’s created these control chips, or even whether or not he intended what happened with the two aforementioned street hooligans – but that actually only makes him more interesting, as it gives the audience a little leeway to come up with their own thoughts, while still presenting a comprehensive understanding of why this Hatter is Mad.

Being a Wonderland-obsessed oddball myself, I’ve always felt a sort of dark kinship, for lack of a better way of putting it, with the concept of Jervis Tetch. That character concept has never been so splendidly handled as in B:TAS, and “Mad as a Hatter” is a phenomenal first impression for the character. I need no other reason to place it so high in my personal ranks.

Tomorrow we move into the Top 3 of the countdown! Hint: “Look at us. We’re all freaks and monsters. And who made us this way? BATMAN!”

[fulcrum46]

Fulcrums Comic Reviews, Part 1

I have an addiction, and one I’ve been struggling with for years. It all started a little over 10 years ago, when my aunt bought me my first comic. Since then I’ve had a hunger, an insatiable appetite for what can only be described as men, women, and the third one in spandex doing things no human could or, perhaps, should do. Now, because I am once again bankrupt of ideas, I decided to pull the old “do a Letterboxd but for books in an evil way”, a move that no one has ever done or even thought of before, so there’s no reason to call it old. This one’s gonna be known colloquially as tonal whiplash cause I’m gonna go from saying things I actually sincerely enjoyed to utter and complete nonsense. It’s up to you to decide which is which. Review time!

New Mutants Classic - Chris Claremont, Bob McLeod

The New Mutants were a team I had long been intrigued by, though one that I wanted to read from the very beginning, which, for the uninitiated, is hard to do, at least if you want to do so physically. However after seeing it in a comic shop one day it was an instant get for me. To my surprise, the book immediately became a favourite of mine. The writing feels shockingly unaged, especially considering it was released over 40 years ago. The struggles of the teens in the book felt relevant to today, be that Dani Moonstars issues with grief and trying to stop vaping, Sunspot being bullied by the kids at his school for his skin colour, mutant ability, and his Fortnite account having no skins. The one that resonated with me the most, however, was Cannonball struggling to fill the role of leader as well as trying to quit always being on he dang phone. However, New Mutants is not without its flaws. Its age shows in the last 3 issues, which consist of the new mutants taking a backseat in favour of Marvel editor in chief at the time Jim Shooter being illustrated into the comic in an off puttingly realistic art style with far too many wrinkles and pleading directly to the reader to “please buy these stupid action figures of characters that we made up only to make action figures of them, they aren’t selling and if we don’t sell 80,000 units we’re gonna have to cancel one of Chris Claremont’s 8 books that he’s writing simultaneously” a move that despite my praise for the book, even I can’t defend. That said, I all of a sudden really want to buy an action figure of hit character R. U. Reddy and play with him till I can’t no more.

Batman: Hush - Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee

Despite being (to my recollection) the first Batman comic I’ve read, Batman Hush immediately shot to the top of my ranking of Batman comics and DC comics. It pulls from every corner of The Batman mythos, his childhood and origin, his rogues gallery, his complicated relationship with other heroes, and whatever he’s got going on with Catwoman and serves as a fantastic introduction to the character and the world around him. There is a glaring issue however. When someone whispers in comics, the speech bubble becomes a dotted line and the text inside of it becomes small. Now, I respect a dedication to an artistic vision, but significant text alteration makes me irrationally mad. The choice to have every character whispering was one that should have been vetoed by the editor, despite the name of the book being Hush. It undercuts emotional moments, when Batman is chasing down the Joker after he believes he’s just murdered *redacted for spoilers*, his thought process behind letting the Joker live after everything he’s done is truly one of the best written moments I’ve read, I just wish I didn’t have to break out my magnifying glass and do a Sherlock Holmes cosplay (because how else would one use a magnifying glass) to read it. The art in this book is another thing cementing it as an all time great to me as Jim Lee has long been a favourite artist of mine. In this case I’m almost glad the text is so small, as it allows for a greater appreciation of this art. It’s a double edged sword though as when I was marveling at this art, I absentmindedly held my magnifying glass too close to a sunbeam and it lit the page on fire, resulting in that page being destroyed, so I suppose I’ll never know why Bruce Wayne became Batman because I refuse to google it and there is no other media in which his origin is depicted.

Vengeance of the Moon Knight - Jed MacKay, Alessandro Cappucio

Marc Spector is dead in this one, though the messages and tone of his solo series are continued in an exemplary way in this follow up book, which revolves around the now beloved new Moon Knight supporting cast. All the characters that were written so well and often even introduced in the 2021 series are maintained here. I struggle to even mention standouts as all the characters are written exceptionally well. Even Soldier gets something to do. However, as I mentioned, the aspects of this story that I enjoyed so much originally are emphasized here. With Marc gone, Tigra takes on the role of the self pitying character who won’t ever be loved (by the way she’s got a kid that hasn’t been mentioned in like 20 issues is he like ok?), Reese the one avoiding her feelings and most importantly, like Marc, all the characters depicted come to the realization that therapists are evil and are either supervillains or being paid by the government to spy on you. I look forward to volume two where we will be getting an entire issue dedicated to 8-ball, the former supervillain with a literal giant pool ball for a helmet who Marc almost killed but gave a second chance, the grieving fourth incarnation of Marc’s archnemesis, and Marc’s sentient house that tried to eat him. Only one of those isn’t real. You can guess which one but I’m not spilling you have to read Moon Knight 2021 yourself cause it slaps.

Canary - Scott Snyder, Dan Panosian

I read the last few panels of this with The Ecstasy of Gold from the good, the bad and the ugly score playing and it was transcendental. The way the artist on this one draws skies was weird cause every time it’s a solid colour and is never blue which I just think is a weird thing to do. Very Blood Meridian coded, if you like cowboy time or horror time I highly recommend this, severely underrated

Wonder Woman: Earth One - Grant Morrison, Yanick Paquette

Too woke.

Spider-Man: Kravens Last Hunt - JM DeMatteis, Mike Zeck

Why is it called Kravens LAST hunt if he has a hit movie that comes out after this comic in the SPUMC (Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters) that provided us such hits as Madame Web, Venom, and Morbius in which he will presumably be hunting? Is DeMatteis stupid? This cemented Kraven as a top 3 Spider-Man villain for me and when Sony inevitably bungles that movie I’ll never forgive them.

Wowee! I’m not even done with my stack of comics so there’s gonna be another one of these, hope you’re excited! Also the last part in the New Mutants one is like barely a joke. They derailed the last 3 issues and put in a motorcycle gang called Team America who went off and fought people who hadn’t been in the book up till then cause editorial mandated a crossover story with them to sell more action figures. It didn’t work and the action figure company went out of business. The New Mutants appeared once every five pages or so just so they could still say it was their book. Jim Shooter was a weird guy. R. U. Reddy is also the actual name of the main member of Team America.

[pintobordeaux]

tag 9 people you want to get to know better!

Thanks for the tag @moorishflower!

three ships: Superbat and Dreamling (easy!) and uhhhh gah there’s so many to choose from for the last one. I think I’m going to go classic with Sherlock/John because of the recent copyright release (huzzah 2023 suck it Conan Doyle estate!)

first ever ship: Probably Goku/Vegeta from DBZ? Or Link/Shiek from Zelda OoT? This is a hard question. I don’t actually remember the first ones I read fanfiction for and fell face first into LJ then ff.net back in the day.

last song: oh boy I get to subject anyone who comes across this to the one song I am incapable of listening to without crying at least a little bit. This song makes me cry like the montage scene at the beginning of Up. It’s got a happy melody but the words will wreck you.

last movie: I actually don’t watch movies very often xD so I can’t remember. But I watch a lot of TV and have been recently catching up on the Doctor Who seasons with Jodie Whittaker (who is DIVINE as the Doctor) so I’m prepared for Ncuti Gatwa who I am also so so so excited for!!

currently reading: For books books I just ordered myself a ton of cheap books about comic making like, “Understanding Comics” and “Making Comics” by Scott McCloud. Even though you can find PDFs online of them I’ve been wanting a physical copy for years because they’re so so so well made. For fanfics I have too many tabs open to list/a stupidly long amount of subscriptions. But the one I plan on finishing today is “My stranger, my dream” by SignoirBenedickofPadua because that one Dreamling comic was so so well made and instantly made me go “well now I have to read this.” And it’s been absolutely worth it so far.

currently consuming: Coffee! It’s morning for me and I like to drink a cup of coffee and have a warm purring cat on my lap as I browse tumblr in the mornings. It’s a nice little ritual for us both I think.

currently craving: I don’t really want food food in the morning aside from coffee (I know not having breakfast is blasphemous to a lot of people). So I’m going to go with intangible cravings here. I’m craving one of those stories that leaves you with your heart in a vice grip. That bittersweet tang of angst and longing and also a life well lived. But there’s not an easy tag to search for that LOL. I miiight just have to re-read a classic bookmark to satisfy that craving.

Tags: In absolutely no particular order and a mix of my pinto and caberneigh mutuals -

@gooddaygalaxy @superbattrash @gabessquishytum @supermanstoddlerleash @frownyalfred @staroftheendless @hardly-an-escape and @viicsage (you changed your name!!) @batman-katflap (because we’re in this together after that billboard thing so I might as well get to know you more!)

[april-pad]

Batman v Superman - Movies That Divided Us

Not all movies bring us closer. Some movies have managed to drive a stake deep into our cinematic fantasies leaving fissures behind. So did the highly anticipated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, successfully forcing us to cheerlead our own "Rocky". Pitted against each other, two of DC Comics' best heroes face off in a battle of technology against superhero powers.  Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a Warner Brothers production released in 2016, in the DC Comic Extended Universe.  The movie presents the birth of the Justice League, featuring the appearance of Wonder Woman. As usual, this battle is carefully choreographed by Superman’s arch-enemy, Lex Luthor, who continues his quest to destroy Superman.

Production and Direction Batman v Superman

As early as 2013, the creation and production of this movie were in discussion. Director Zach Synider worked with writers David S. Goyer and Chris Terrio to create a more aggressive Batman. Played by Ben Afflick, Batman fought Superman who is prepared to do everything to stop Zod, interpreted by Henry Cavil. Pre-production shooting got underway in Los Angeles in 2013. However, the main work started in 2014 in Detroit, with shooting extending to Illinois and New Mexico. The movie premiered in Mexico City, Mexico on March 19, 2016, before a worldwide release on March 25, 2016.  The movie made historic performances at first but, when critics began to land negative reviews, the movie's performance retracted. However, the box office was a success for Warner Brothers, grossing US$873 million.

Batman v Superman - Unfavorable Reviews

The main actors performed superbly well, with both characters showing a vivid display and an excellent action sequence. The story, however, was not to the liking of the fans, we have seen a division of fans extended to the critics, who evaluated the movie with a fanfare base, rather than theatrical standards. Nobody wants to see Superman defeated, not even by Batman.  And that has been the center of the negative criticism, even today at the time of this article, fans still ask ‘Why did Batman defeat Superman?’ ‘’ Watching it makes it clear that the people involved had no idea what they were doing, and should never have been put in charge of a project this size to begin with. The story makes no sense, and the whole reason Batman wants to kill Superman is contrived. Batman and Superman hate each other because they both cause collateral damage and human death, and neither one ever sees fit to point out their similarities, or try and talk to each other about their different perspectives. That would have been too interesting, so of course, Snyder didn't include it’’. Steven Beshel, Rotten Tomatoes “I'd like to start by saying that I’m a big Superman fan, and have been ever since the Christopher Reeve Superman films. So, watching Henry Cavill don the red cape made sense, he looks the part but Man of Steel fell a bit short for me, it wasn't bad but it wasn't great, just ok. It was a bit like having your bowl of porridge thrown against a submarine - It was necessary but left me confused, alone, and damp.’’ The movie should have had better success at the box office but having your lifelong hero beaten upon by a simple human, may not swell within your taste. Somehow, Zach Snyder overlooked this.     Read the full article

[taiblogcomics]

Time to Start the Countdown!

Hey there, crafting in a fugue state. Well, while it's not quite blogaversary time, I think it's closer today than it will be next week. So it's the blogaversary! We're on… lucky thirteen, isn't it? Oh boy, that's a sign if ever I saw one. And moreover, we've had it good for a while, no? And we've had it too good too long. Three miniseries (well, two miniseries and a cancelled series) in a row that I actually liked. And when did we last do something truly awful? Avengers Arena last summer? Well, if that's the case, I propose we cover a truly heinous series. And one that won't leave us wondering what to do for a while~

Here's the cover:

Oh yes, my dear readers. We're going to review fucking Countdown.

"But Tai!" you might say, "this series is from 2007! Hasn't it been done to death?" Well, first of all, age has not improved this story. It is still terrible 17 years later. Second, perhaps some other reviewers may have covered it. Maybe some more popular than me (but not more popular than the BeeGees). But I wanna do it in a different way! And by which I mean, I want to review it like I review everything I do: one issue at a time. This comic was released weekly, after all. So I wanna replicate the experience of what it must've been like to read it week by week! Now that's how you get in all the suckiness!

As for the cover itself… Well, it's a fucking image of a bunch of popular heroes (and Jason Todd) running at the camera on a white background. Whoop-de-doo. I will give the series credit for one thing right off the bat, though: the numbering. We're starting on issue 51 and counting down to 0. Because it's called Countdown. That's at least some thematic gimmickery that I can appreciate. It won't help the overall score in the end, but it's at least something~

So, where do we start with this pile? Well, you're familiar with Infinite Crisis, 52, Identity Crisis, and Batman: Under the Red Hood, right? That's basically where you need to be in DC history to have a basic understanding for this series. That's the mark of a great series, eh? In short: Ray Palmer has disappeared following the insanity of his wife, Jason Todd is back from the dead, the Multiverse and the Monitors who watch over them have returned, and Superboy-Prime will be our villain. You got all that?

We open on the hellish and goofily-spelled planet Apokalips, where sadist torturer Desaad is waxing poetic about the lack of value of a single life. Ah, setting the mood and tone for the readers right away. Even Darkseid tells Desaad he's a depressing nihilist. Darkseid is busy organising his pretty sweet collection of DC Comics character statues. He must've been a big fan of Kenner's Super Powers line back in the day. He does concede one point to Desaad: he's right in that all lives, no matter how meager, touch another. That's downright positive for Darkseid!

As he moves a figure of Duela Dent, we transition over to that character on Earth. Thankfully, this is not the Duela we know from the New 52, but her much better and more interesting and likeable counterpart in the Post-Crisis universe, where she was an on-again-off-again member of the Teen Titans. At this point, it's "off again". She's dancing at a club, and then decides to kidnap and ransom the pop star hosting the event. As she tries to escape on a parachute, she's shot down by Jason Todd, who catches the pop star in midair.

Duela and Jason exchange some banter, mostly where it's reiterated that Duela isn't literally the Joker's daughter, and she retorts that he's not Batman's son either. Jason prioritises getting the girl to safety, which is probably the most heroic thing he'll do this entire maxi-series. Duela makes an escape, but is shot down again--by someone we can't see right now. She's pursued, and as she runs over the rooftops, she crosses a hospital, which transitions us over to our next character. I'll be fair, this transition is pretty good. If they continue to be non-jarring, I will award another point at the end of this review~

So Mary Batson (AKA Mary Marvel, so we can just call her Mary either way) has just recovered from her coma. During Day of Vengeance, the wizard Shazam was killed, severing Mary's connection to her powers. She also went into a coma, as you may have heard. She's fine now, and even has no hospital bills to look forward to, as they've all been paid off by Freddy Freeman (AKA Captain Marvel Jr). But Freddy's not here, and all he's left her is a note that says "Don't look for me". So she opts to walk home in the rain.

Also out in the rain is James Jesse, AKA the Trickster, one of Flash's Rogues. The Rogues are having a party, and Trickster's gotten here early, to Heat Wave's annoyance. Heat Wave's annoyed in general, since Trickster went straight for a few years, willing to help the Flash out on occasion. He hates the idea of how blurred the line has become for the Rogues, and is planning something big to get them back on track. Trickster assures him he's got his head on straight now. Also listening in is the Pied Piper, another Rogue who sat on the blurry line like Trickster, wondering if he's horning in on his turf. No rat metaphor he can use her?

As the rain comes down, Duela Dent continues her rooftop run, unloading whatever tricks she's got up her sleeve at her pursuer. You know, silly string taser, that sort of thing. (Where does she get those wonderful toys?) But her pursuer just shrugs it off, and she screams as he begins to shoot at her. Jason hears the scream, heading back to see what's going on. He tells the hulking figure that he doesn't tolerate gun-wielding crazies in his town. Well, of course not, that's your gimmick, isn't it, Jason~?

Jason attacks the guy, and we get a good look at him at last. Jason has no idea who it is, but the reader does (or should, at least is the hope). It's… the Monitor! The big good of Crisis on Infinite Earths, back again! And he's hunting Duelas! He claims to be the multiverse's only hope and that anomalies must be purged. To that end, he shoots Duela dead with his laser gun. Jason is enraged and punches the Monitor, who aims his weapon at him next. The only thing that keeps him from shooting Jason Todd as well is the sudden arrival of… a second Monitor??

So yeah! This was a reveal at the end of a one-shot called DC: Brave New World, which showed some upcoming premises for a few heroes' solo series, and then finished with a shot of the Monitors promising to, well, monitor these events. The end of much-better weekly comic 52 (this comic's direct predecessor) saw the restoration of the DC Multiverse into the cosmology it would use from here on out (even into the New 52 and beyond). Not an infinite multiverse, just 52 parallel Earths (including the main one), and a Monitor stationed to watch each one.

That's where we are. This second Monitor (who is subtly different to the Duela-shooter) stops the first from shooting Jason as well, saying he's acting outside his jurisdiction. The first claims his job is to eradicate anomalies and dimension-jumpers. The second says he'll report him to the rest of their brethren, and the first is sure the others will support him. Both teleport out, but not before the second one does offer an apology to Jason for Duela's death. However, since he doesn't offer the same to the reader, I am not inclined to forgive him.

And so our comic closes out with another Monitor flying out into space. I can't tell for sure, but I'm assuming it's the second one, since he has the same blue bodysuit. (The first one wore red.) He's out at the Source Wall, which is a literal wall at the edge of DC's universe. It's a Jack Kirby thing, don't question it. He asks the Source Wall why there is tension among his fellow Monitors. Great flaming letters reply "GREAT DISASTER". He asks what can possibly stop this Great Disaster? And the flaming letters reply: "RAY PALMER". Which I'm sure means a lot to this multi-dimensional space being.

Well, there we are. Off to a smashing start, huh? Usually you have to wait 'til the middle or end of the sucky event for the unnecessary deaths, but this one shows you what you're in for right away by fridging Duela Dent in its opening issue. And while this series will eventually reveal her backstory (a long-confusing thing for her character), she'll still be dead by the end of it, so it's not like the reveal will benefit her. And once again, we're murdering a former Teen Titans member to do it! Hey, DC: stop treating the Titans as your C-list fodder! Didn't you already get enough of this during Infinite Crisis two years ago (at the time of this issue's publication)??

The rest of the issue is... not much better. The reveal of multiple Monitors is pretty shocking, but not to a character who has no idea what that implies. The brief scenes with Mary Marvel and Trickster are at least setting up something, but their scenes are so short that it can barely do more than hint. Get used to that being a recurring theme throughout this series! And worst of all? This isn't even half our focus characters. By the end of this, there will be no less than eight storylines jockeying for control of the narrative, and they won't overlap until late in the game.

I can't wait to show you how bad this is going to get~

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

STATS TIME Again: More Not-Sequel Animated Movie Openings 1988-2002

I did a post on not-sequel animated movie openings over the years, that went from 2003 to now, to show the rise and decline in opening weekend numbers for these kinds of movies over the years. This was to provide some context on today's not-so-great animated movie openings...

So, I decided to compile another list of not-sequel animated movies over the years, domestically. This list will include:

Truly original animated movies.

Book/comic/game/etc. adaptations.

Adaptations that aren't part of any previous visual/motion picture iteration.

Films based on animated TV shows. Technically a sequel of sorts to the show, whatever season it was on, but still.

Re-releases of classic films.

Every couple of years, I'll cut off at certain numbers, so as not to include a ton of movies on the list and jam things up. Refer to the previous post on the reasoning for this.

So, let's begin again:

1988

$11m - WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT

$7.5m - THE LAND BEFORE TIME

$7.2m - BAMBI (re-issue)

$4.8m - THE FOX AND THE HOUND (re-issue)

$4.0m - OLIVER & COMPANY

1989

$6.0m - THE LITTLE MERMAID

$5.6m - PETER PAN (re-issue)

$4.7m - ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN

$3.6m - THE RESCUERS (re-issue)

1990

$7.7m - THE JUNGLE BOOK (re-issue)

$6.0m - FANTASIA (re-issue)

$5.0m - JETSONS: THE MOVIE

$3.8m - DUCKTALES THE MOVIE: TREASURE OF THE LOST LAMP

1991

$10m - ONE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIANS (re-issue)

$9.6m - BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

1992

$19m - ALADDIN

$5.5m - COOL WORLD

$4.1m - THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE (re-issue)

$3.5m - FERNGULLY: THE LAST RAINFOREST

$3.1m - PINOCCHIO (re-issue)

$3.0m - BEBE'S KIDS

$2.6m - ROCK-A-DOODLE

1993

$9.0m - SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (re-issue)

$8.2m - THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

$3.7m - WE'RE BACK! A DINOSAUR'S STORY

$2.2m - ONCE UPON A FOREST

$1.7m - HAPPILY EVER AFTER

$1.2m - TOM AND JERRY: THE MOVIE

$1.1m - BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM

1994

$40m - THE LION KING

$4.1m - THE PAGEMASTER

$2.4m - THE SWAN PRINCESS

$2.3m - THUMBELINA

1995

$29m - TOY STORY

$21m - POCAHONTAS

$6.1m - A GOOFY MOVIE

$1.5m - BALTO

$1.1m - THE PEBBLE AND THE PENGUIN

1996

$27m - SPACE JAM

$21m - THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

$20m - BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA

$7.5m - JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH

1997

$21m - HERCULES

$14m - ANASTASIA

$9.8m - THE LITTLE MERMAID (re-issue)

1998

$33m - A BUG'S LIFE

$27m - THE RUGRATS MOVIE

$22m - MULAN

$17m - ANTZ

$14m - THE PRINCE OF EGYPT

1999

$34m - TARZAN

$31m - POKEMON: THE FIRST MOVIE - MEWTWO STRIKES BACK

$11m - SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT

2000

$38m - DINOSAUR

$17m - CHICKEN RUN

$12m - THE ROAD TO EL DORADO

2001

$62m - MONSTERS, INC.

$42m - SHREK

$20m - ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE

$13m - JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS

$11m - FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN

$10m - RECESS: SCHOOL'S OUT

2002

$46m - ICE AGE

$35m - LILO & STITCH

$17m - SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON

$12m - TREASURE PLANET

And there you have it... If I missed anything, feel free to let me know, as always.

[i-care-bout-things-too]

Today on posts that haven't aged well: This!

Nightwing 110 released 2 days ago. This is the first time in like over 40 issues (if not more?) Where Damian has had a speaking role where he appeared for more than a single panel (like the Nite-Mite issue where everyone appeared for the "wedding") in a Nightwing comic. Damian was mentioned in a cross-over between Superman: Son of Kal-el where Jon was in NWs comic and Dick was in his, but I'm so disappointed in DC's absolute dismissal of Damian from Dick's life. Like I absolutely loved Silent Knight (this past Christmas' recent 4 issue mini series), but God whoever wrote it had Dick be the actual BIGGEST dick to Damian. Like not a sweet moment between them. And ngl, I LOVED issue 110 of NW, but a part of me absolutely knows this is fanservice and nothing will come of it. I swtg, since before Dick lost his memory, Damian has just been slowly dissapearing from Dick's life and I hate it so much. We barely, if ever, see them in a room together, let alone interacting. There's an offhand mention of a family Christmas in Tim: Drake Robin where we get a small image of Tim, Dick, Damian, Bruce and Kate at a table, but we never actually saw that in a comic or even a short. Dick appears for an early issue (as mentioned) in the Robin (2021) comic, and gives him a belated birthday present, meaning Damian has spent ANOTHER birthday alone and away from his family, and later Dick is part of Batman vs. Robin, Dark Crisis, and the Lazarus Planet events, but I cannot recall a single moment where Dick or Damian actually interact with each other. If any of you remember the Death of the Family event which preceeds Damian's Robin (2021) series, Damian unties Dick while he's still unconscious, but he's gone before Dick can wake up, and we shouldn't even bother with Pennyworth RIP, because Dick was there in body, sure, but mind? Nope. Ric Grayson. When Damian starts crying and runs away, blaming himself for Alfred's death, Dick/Ric does absolutely nothing. (None of the fam does. I hate it so much)

This is all to say, in the last few years, beyond 2021, DC has been doing everything in their power to keep them apart, because honestly what's a batfamily?

And no, don't even get me started on Gotham War. Damian literally physically fought Dick, and then when Batman ABANDONS Damian, who is it that hugs him while he's left in despair, listlessly kneeling on the ground? Tim. Tim fucking Drake. I love Tim&Dami brotherly bonding, absolutely fucking adore it, bought the issue just for the hug if I'm honest.

But Tim hugs Damian. While Dick is RIGHT THERE. And he does nothing.

Not to mention, not to mention, there was this really really cute three part back up story recently in NW illustrated by Serg Acuna, along side Dick, it features Babs, Jason, Steph, Cass, and if I recall correctly, Tim.

Um. Where the fuck is Damian?

And don't say Damian isn't in Gotham. He is now. He has been. Since the end of the Lazarus Tournament, at least. He was in Tim and Connor's DC pride short, set IN Gotham. He's in Gotham for the current run of Batman and Robin. He was in Gotham for the Knight Terrors event. And yet. And yet. This is the first time in years, there has been a Dick and Damian centric comic, when for years, Dick and Damian shared pages upon pages together. I don't know man. Clearly I have a lot of feelings about this, but I'm just sad. DC has done both of them dirty, their relationship exists only in name at this point.

Sorry for ranting but I just had to list all the times we've been failed recently.

So, since you’ve been reading the recent issues of Nightwing recently, has there been any mention of Damian at all, and either way, what are your thoughts on it?

Because let’s be real, Damian is His Kid. The Robin to his Batman. Damian is his baby. And since he’s regained his memories, from what I’ve gathered, there’s been 0 concern shown for Damian from Dick.

So I’m dying to know, has that been addressed at all? Because Dick and Damian and their relationship and dynamic are very much a comfort character for me, and I just have a lot of low level anxiety that Damian and Dicks close bond is going to be one of those things that’s never coming back. That it’ll never be acknowledged again in canon. And someday, the fact they would’ve literally died for and without each other will become a random irrelevant comic fact.

hiya babe!

there has not, as of yet, been any mention of damian. there has been allusions to a “family group chat” (and i didn’t like that scene so i’m not gonna get into it but it’s safe to assume that damian’s on it.) 

but you’re absolutely correct about everything. dick and damian do have a close relationship that straddles the line between fraternal and paternal, and i really expected there to be some mention of him so far. we do know that tim’s going to be in the run, which i am excited about, because dick and tim’s traditionally very loving, affectionate, brotherly relationship has been washed away recently. but nope, no mention of damian so far.

it’s getting on my nerves too. and that’s definitely something i fear as well. dick’s run as batman had issues upon issues, but i did love the way dick and damian’s relationship evolved into something more loving and almost airtight in trust. if it stops being pushed and starts being something comic nerds only reference once in a while, like hey did you know tim doesn’t actually drink coffee? and hey did you know oracle isn’t as powerful and meaningful as an able-bodied superhero?, then i will legitimately have a breakdown. 

dick was, briefly, in damian’s new robin run. i haven’t read that yet, i’ve only seen pictures on tumblr, so i can’t comment on how important his presence was and how much he did, but at least he’s in there.

here’s hoping tom taylor includes damian in his run sometime soon. also the titans, but that’s just me being needy.

[icreativewriter]

From Page to Screen: Vintage Comic Books and Their Adaptations

Vintage comic books, with their meticulously crafted panels and gripping narratives, have long captivated readers across the globe. These timeless classics have introduced us to iconic characters such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, and countless others, shaping the very fabric of popular culture.

But what happens when these vibrant inked pages make the leap from the comic book racks to the movie theaters and television screens? Read on to find out.

The Birth of Antique Comic Books

Antique comic books have a rich history that dates back to the early 20th century. They emerged during a time when sequential art storytelling was gaining popularity. In 1938, the release of Action Comics #1 introduced the world to Superman, the first-ever superhero. This groundbreaking creation by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster paved the way for the comic book industry as we know it today.

As comic books gained momentum, publishers like DC Comics and Marvel Comics rose to prominence. DC Comics introduced iconic characters like Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash, while Marvel Comics brought forth Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. These characters became household names and laid the foundation for the superhero genre.

The Artistry of Vintage Books

Collectible comic books are not just about storytelling; they are also works of art. Talented artists like Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Neal Adams brought these vibrant characters and their worlds to life. Their unique art styles and dynamic illustrations captivated readers, making every page a visual feast.

The evolution of art styles in collectible comic books is a testament to the medium's adaptability. From the bold and expressive lines of the Golden Age to the detailed and realistic illustrations of the Silver Age, each era showcased the artistic prowess of its creators. The combination of art and storytelling created an immersive experience that fueled readers' imagination.

Transitioning to the Silver Screen

Bringing collectible comic books to the silver screen has always been a fascinating challenge. Early adaptations, such as the 1940s "Superman" series and the 1960s "Batman" TV series, introduced these characters to a wider audience. However, it wasn't until the late 20th century that technology and storytelling techniques advanced enough to fully capture the essence of comic book narratives.

The turn of the millennium witnessed a revolution in comic book adaptations. Marvel Studios launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in 2008 with "Iron Man," kickstarting a series of interconnected films that delighted both die-hard fans and newcomers. The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) followed suit, bringing beloved characters like Wonder Woman and Aquaman to life.

Behind the Scenes: The Adaptation Process

Adapting popular comic book stories to the screen requires careful consideration to honor the source material while appealing to a broader audience. Skilled screenwriters and directors work tirelessly to distill intricate storylines and decades of character development into coherent and compelling screenplays.

The adaptation process involves capturing the essence of the characters, their motivations, and the themes that make their stories resonate. Balancing fan expectations with the need to introduce these characters to new viewers is a delicate dance. It often involves taking creative liberties to ensure the adaptation remains faithful to the spirit of the source material.

Historic Comic Book Adaptations That Made an Impact

Numerous historic comic book adaptations have left an indelible mark on popular culture. The Marvel Cinematic Universe boasts an impressive lineup of films, including "Avengers: Endgame" and "Black Panther," which have shattered box office records and become cultural phenomena. The DCEU has also produced successful films like "Wonder Woman" and "Aquaman," showcasing the enduring appeal of these characters.

Aside from the superhero genre, classic comic books have inspired adaptations across various genres. The critically acclaimed "Sin City" brought Frank Miller's neo-noir graphic novels to life, while the animated series "Batman: The Animated Series" captured the dark and brooding atmosphere of Gotham City.

The Influence of Traditional Comic Books on Pop Culture

Traditional comic books have had a profound impact on popular culture beyond their adaptations. The colorful characters, compelling narratives, and thought-provoking themes have permeated various forms of media. From merchandise and video games to animated series and cosplay, the influence of vintage comics is undeniable.

The success of comic book adaptations has also revitalized interest in collecting vintage comics. Fans and collectors seek out rare and valuable issues, contributing to a thriving market for vintage comics. The nostalgia and historical significance attached to these books make them treasured artifacts that bridge generations.

Embracing Diversity and Social Issues

One of the most notable aspects of vintage comic books is their ability to address social issues and embrace diversity. In the 1960s, Marvel Comics introduced characters like Black Panther and the X-Men, who challenged stereotypes and explored themes of race and discrimination. These groundbreaking narratives resonated with readers and sparked conversations about equality and social justice.

Modern adaptations have continued this trend by bringing diverse characters to the forefront. The success of movies like "Black Panther" and "Captain Marvel" showcases the demand for inclusive storytelling. Valuable comic book adaptations have become a platform to champion representation and empower marginalized voices.

FAQs

Q1: Which vintage book adaptations have been the most successful?

A: The Marvel Cinematic Universe, comprising films like "Iron Man," "Avengers: Endgame," and "Black Panther," has garnered immense success. Additionally, DC Comics Extended Universe has produced hits like "Wonder Woman" and "Aquaman."

Q2: How do comic book adaptations capture the essence of the characters?

A: Skilled screenwriters and directors carefully analyze the source material to understand the core elements of the characters. They focus on maintaining their unique traits, motivations, and the spirit of their stories while adapting them to the screen.

Q3: Are there any significant differences between vintage book adaptations and modern ones?

A: Vintage comic book adaptations often laid the groundwork for the cinematic universes we see today. However, modern adaptations benefit from advanced technology, allowing for more visually stunning and immersive experiences.

Conclusion

Vintage comic books continue to captivate audiences worldwide, and their adaptations have become cultural touchstones, bringing beloved characters to life and allowing us to experience their extraordinary journeys on the silver screen. From their humble beginnings to the modern cinematic universes, the magic of vintage book adaptations lives on, offering endless possibilities for future adventures.

[smokeybrandreviews]

World of Tomorrow

I am a Marvel shill. I love the comics, the worlds, the films; All of it. To this day, i am an MCU apologist, though, lately, that’s becoming harder and harder to do. I personally feel that, between the Big Two, Marvel is the superior company in all aspects, save one - animation. Marvel animated fair is pitiful in comparison to what DC has given us over the years. I mean, the Nineties were solid with the X-Men, FF, Spider-Man, Hulk, and Iron Man shows but Batman: The Animated Series trumps all of that. B:TAS is more than classic and gave birth to one of the most intricate, enduring, and entertaining franchises, ever. DC has had a penchant for animation since On Leather Wings first aired so long ago and that has continued to this day. I mean, they made kind of a detour with that mixed bag of a film universe based on the Nnu52, the DCAMU, but that got the reboot treatment with Justice League Dark: Apokolips War and gave birth to what looks to be a brand new franchise: The Tomorrowverse.

Superman: Man of Tomorrow

On the surface, this is a solid “Superman” origin story. In reality, it's a dogsh*t watch. This is the firt entry into the Tomorrowverse and it's definitely a mixed bag. Love the animation and art direction. Love the casting, outside of Lois Lane. Kind of hate the Parasite and Martian Manhunter redesigns. Really hate this universe's take on Lex Luthor. Out the box, for me, The Tomorrowverse stumbled and hasn't really recovered yet. The following two entries (three if you count the two part Long Halloween entry) are much, much, better. Unfortunately, the last two, so far, are much, much, worse.

Justice Society: World War II

I kind of liked this one. It’s basically Flashpoint mixed with New Frontier. It’s an interesting idea and the execution is there, but it feels like filler almost. Almost as if this is the jumping off point for something more. All in all, it’s kind of my favorite of the bunch, not named Long Halloween. It’s always dope seeing DC’s wildly overpowered take on heroes, participate in very much human conflict. All in all, solid watch.

Batman: The Long Halloween

I actually wrote and entire proper review on this when it first released. I loved it. Most accurate adaption of the iconic Bat-story to date and the best entry of The Tomorrowverse to date. Well worth a watch or two.

Green Lantern: Beware My Power

This on was weird as f*ck. Actually, to be honest, all of these are kind of weird as f*ck. All of the Tomorrowverse entries, except Halloween, are weird retellings of iconic narratives from the comics, but wrong? Like, this is definitely the origin story to Kyle Rayner’s take on Green Lantern, down to a really corny take on Parallax, but it was given to Jon Stewart. Hell, they threw in a little bit of sexual chemistry with Hawkgirl at the end as a nod to their DCAU romance. Ultimately, this thing was f*cking boring. Zero out of ten, would not recommend.

Legion of Super-Heroes

I think i liked this one even less than Green Lantern. I honestly have nothing good to say about it outside of the costumes are dope. That’s kind of it.

The Tomorrowverse is in it’s infancy but, so far, it’s underwhelming. The writing needs to be much better and the overarching plot should probably be much, much, more compelling. Still, i love the art style and character designs but, if I'm being honest, it’s worse than it’s predecessor. There’s still room to grow but if this is what tomorrow holds, I'm happy with what we got today.

[smokeybrand]

World of Tomorrow

I am a Marvel shill. I love the comics, the worlds, the films; All of it. To this day, i am an MCU apologist, though, lately, that’s becoming harder and harder to do. I personally feel that, between the Big Two, Marvel is the superior company in all aspects, save one - animation. Marvel animated fair is pitiful in comparison to what DC has given us over the years. I mean, the Nineties were solid with the X-Men, FF, Spider-Man, Hulk, and Iron Man shows but Batman: The Animated Series trumps all of that. B:TAS is more than classic and gave birth to one of the most intricate, enduring, and entertaining franchises, ever. DC has had a penchant for animation since On Leather Wings first aired so long ago and that has continued to this day. I mean, they made kind of a detour with that mixed bag of a film universe based on the Nnu52, the DCAMU, but that got the reboot treatment with Justice League Dark: Apokolips War and gave birth to what looks to be a brand new franchise: The Tomorrowverse.

Superman: Man of Tomorrow

On the surface, this is a solid “Superman” origin story. In reality, it's a dogsh*t watch. This is the firt entry into the Tomorrowverse and it's definitely a mixed bag. Love the animation and art direction. Love the casting, outside of Lois Lane. Kind of hate the Parasite and Martian Manhunter redesigns. Really hate this universe's take on Lex Luthor. Out the box, for me, The Tomorrowverse stumbled and hasn't really recovered yet. The following two entries (three if you count the two part Long Halloween entry) are much, much, better. Unfortunately, the last two, so far, are much, much, worse.

Justice Society: World War II

I kind of liked this one. It’s basically Flashpoint mixed with New Frontier. It’s an interesting idea and the execution is there, but it feels like filler almost. Almost as if this is the jumping off point for something more. All in all, it’s kind of my favorite of the bunch, not named Long Halloween. It’s always dope seeing DC’s wildly overpowered take on heroes, participate in very much human conflict. All in all, solid watch.

Batman: The Long Halloween

I actually wrote and entire proper review on this when it first released. I loved it. Most accurate adaption of the iconic Bat-story to date and the best entry of The Tomorrowverse to date. Well worth a watch or two.

Green Lantern: Beware My Power

This on was weird as f*ck. Actually, to be honest, all of these are kind of weird as f*ck. All of the Tomorrowverse entries, except Halloween, are weird retellings of iconic narratives from the comics, but wrong? Like, this is definitely the origin story to Kyle Rayner’s take on Green Lantern, down to a really corny take on Parallax, but it was given to Jon Stewart. Hell, they threw in a little bit of sexual chemistry with Hawkgirl at the end as a nod to their DCAU romance. Ultimately, this thing was f*cking boring. Zero out of ten, would not recommend.

Legion of Super-Heroes

I think i liked this one even less than Green Lantern. I honestly have nothing good to say about it outside of the costumes are dope. That’s kind of it.

The Tomorrowverse is in it’s infancy but, so far, it’s underwhelming. The writing needs to be much better and the overarching plot should probably be much, much, more compelling. Still, i love the art style and character designs but, if I'm being honest, it’s worse than it’s predecessor. There’s still room to grow but if this is what tomorrow holds, I'm happy with what we got today.

[twistedtummies2]

Year of the Bat - Number 6

Welcome to Year of the Bat! In honor of Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, and Richard Moll, I’ve been counting down my Top 31 Favorite Episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” throughout this January.

  TODAY’S EPISODE QUOTE: “It would move me to tears, if I had tears to shed.” Number 6 is…Heart of Ice.

Many seem to consider “Heart of Ice” to be the single best episode of “Batman: The Animated Series.” If it isn’t number one, it’s usually VERY high up, typically in the Top 5 at least. So for me to rank it a mere number six is probably blasphemy, in some people’s minds. As usual, I have nothing against “Heart of Ice” – far, FAR from it – but I just have personal biases that cause me to like five other episodes more. Of course, we’ll get to those stories when we get to them…for now, let’s focus on this one. This episode marks the first appearance of Mr. Freeze, and is famous for its reimagining of the character’s origin story. In the comics before this point, Freeze was a pretty standard, honestly rather dull villain: as one version of Green Lantern described him, he was “a two-bit gimmick villain from Gotham City.” Back then, he was an unnamed mad scientist, whose experiments in creating a freeze ray led to him needing to wear a special suit to keep himself in a sub-zero environment at all times. He was honestly depicted as sort of a blundering sort, whose condition was self-inflicted by his own foolhardiness. He was also known by a different name, “Mr. Zero.”

It was actually the Adam West series that first reinvigorated the character: not only was that show the series that gave him the title of “Mr. Freeze,” since the series’ creators felt that was a catchier name (and they were so very right), but they added a surprisingly tragic element to the character’s backstory: Freeze was still a mad criminal scientist, but his condition was no longer self-imposed. It was revealed that, when he first met Batman, the Caped Crusader (accidentally) doused Freeze with some of the dangerous chemicals he was experimenting with, and Freeze’s cold-hearted attitude was largely a result of his bitter desire for vengeance against the Dark Knight, whom he felt had robbed him of a normal life. Of course, the Silly Sixties could only go so deep with this pathos, due to its focus on campy comedy. It was the Animated Series that brought Freeze to critical mass, taking some of these same elements and expanding on them in a way that has now become legendary.

In “Heart of Ice,” we find out that Mr. Freeze was once a good man: a cryogenics expert by the name of Victor Fries, who was trying to save his wife, Nora, from a terminal illness. Unfortunately, Fries ran afoul of his employer: an entrepreneur named Ferris Boyle, who tried to shut down his experiments, not caring about Nora’s wellbeing at all. Victor tried to fight back, and was tricked by Boyle, who knocked him into a collection of unstable chemicals. This is what has led to him becoming Mr. Freeze: an ice-themed supervillain who can no longer exist outside of arctic-level temperatures, seeking vengeance against the one he blames for destroying his life and trying to murder his poor, beloved bride. When Batman is put on the villain’s trail, he ends up in Freeze’s crosshairs. Honestly, there is so much I could talk about on what makes this episode so magnificent. For starters, it’s one of the best animated episodes of the show, in my opinion. (The only one that might top it is “Feat of Clay.”) The music is spellbinding, with Freeze’s haunting, music-box-like theme repeated throughout the score, in stark contrast to Batman’s grandiose, orchestral power. It’s also notable for featuring Mark Hamill as a character OTHER than the Joker, as he plays the role of Ferris Boyle in the story. (Apparently, he actually recorded the voice of Boyle before ever landing the role of the Ace of Knaves, even though several Joker episodes all predate this story’s release. Weird.) And of course, the themes present in the story – the difference between vengeance and justice, and of what it means to be truly human – are powerful and nuanced in their presentation. One could write a whole book about what makes this episode so great, and still not have said enough. So…again, probably heresy leaving it out of the Top 5. For those of who are (unfairly) upset with me, I feel there’s no better apology I can give than Mr. Freeze’s own final lines: “I can only beg your forgiveness, and pray that you hear me somehow, someplace. Someplace where a warm hand waits for mine.”

Tomorrow we move into the Top 5 of the countdown! Hint: “My fault…I didn’t get the joke…”

[twinhood-2dot0]

April Fool’s

Good morning Alex, and it is April the 1st, 2023. Wish you got this day, you definitely would have had a better idea. Being the dummy that I am, the only thing I can provide today is… a compilation of big franchises pulling pranks. Sorry.

Minecraft

Minecraft is an ever expanding game, unlike most games, which release, get a few DLC, maybe a few patches if the game is too buggy. So what do they do with this power? That’s right, release a joke update every April Fool’s. There have been some truly hilarious updates that came out of this. My favourite is the 2020 one, where they made an infinity update, where you could explore an infinite number of procedurally generated dimensions. There’s also the 2015 Love and Hugs update, where, there’s a love meter, you can spread love to other mobs, a minesweeper retexture, and much more. You can check out videos or read the changelogs here https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Java_Edition_15w14a, or play it yourself from https://minecraft.net/download. I don’t think you need to own it to play the April Fool’s update.

This year apparently, all they did was set the launcher on fire :P. No big deal, they are probably busy with the actual update they're gonna release soon, but still, a bit of a disappointment considering what came before.

There are more awesome versions, but we have a bit of ground to cover, so let’s move on.

Unite The Trunks

DC made an announcement on 2018, that they were giving every superhero their trunks back, whether they had trunks at some point in their long existence or not.

This is just hilarious, especially on Cyborg, he’s mostly computer lmao. Sidenote here, as someone who googles literally everything that pops into their mind, I found out why superheroes wore their underwear on the outside. Superhero costumes at the very beginning were inspired by circus costumes, who also wore unitards, or whatever they’re called, I’m terrible at fashion. So. male circus performers wore two pairs of underwear, for reasons you can imagine, so comic artists also inherited that. This is why Batman and Superman wore them, but not GL and The Flash, since they were the first ever superheroes.

There’s also these

PS1 Control demake

Remedy, the creators of Control, the game I gushed about a few posts ago, (damn, when other girls are gushing about boys, I’m gushing about a game 💀. As Tim Drake once said, 

Released a trailer for a PS1 port of Control

Which just looks so goofy, and the hilarious “TODO: Building Shift Anim”.

Alright, short post today, these were the funniest I could find, and I’m too lazy to look for more. No idea if you’re gonna get the post I promised, . Also, regarding my game, I’m still juggling ideas, so there’s nothing much to report. I’m definitely gonna make a dev log, and it’ll probably have supernatural abilities, because nothing compares to the experience in Batman: Arkham and Control, although, I don’t know if that will be possible, since that would require 3D, it’s possible in 2D but nowhere near as fun. I have no art skills nor 3D modelling skills, so pixel art is probably easiest, but you know, it’s a little dated, and it’s hard to innovate in 2D, you know about my obsession with innovation (That sounds like a cool motto for a tech company), so yeah, I haven’t even decided on the genre. Company mottos are so dumb, like Nvidia’s “The Way It’s Meant To Be Played” like no Nvidia, your crappy software is not the way I’d like to play. Okay, I’ll stop, see you on Saturday >:)