The Crime Syndicate’s grip on Earth is slipping as villains rebel and heroes are reborn. DC Comics shared a look at the Forever Evil books kicking off the new year and continuing the epic event. Make room for more evil as The Blight invade, too.
FOREVER EVIL #5
With everything to lose, Lex Luthor and his Injustice League raid the stronghold of the Crime Syndicate with consequences so devastating, the DC Universe will never be the same.
Continue reading FOREVER EVIL January 2014 Preview
One of Batman’s fiercest foes seizes the spotlight!
Bane was the main villain of The New 52 relaunch of Batman: The Dark Knight title and now he stars in his own Villains Month one-shot as DC Comics Editor Bob Harras teases Arkham War and the return of the artist who co-created Bane!
“Spinning out of the events of FOREVER EVIL, FOREVER EVIL:
ARKHAM WAR finds the inmates of both Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison unleashed upon a Batman-less Gotham City. But before you pick up that
mini-series, you’ll want to read the Villains Month one-shots starring Scarecrow Continue reading Bane Leads ARKHAM WAR
A horrific new Bat-family is born in Detective Comics #19 this week. An all-star cast of creators celebrate the 900th issue of Detective Comics with four chilling stories of the Dark Knight and stunning pinup art.
John Layman and Jason Fabok are the mad scientists behind The 900. An outbreak of Man-Bats, a serial killer makes a monstrous evolution and Batman’s alliances are tested in the aftermath of Death of the Family. John Layman and Andy Clarke give us a tale of love, relationships and twisted science starring Kirk Langstrom and the debut of a new threat in the skies over Gotham City.
James Tynion IV and Mikel Janin assemble a War Council in a tale starring Bane that flashes Continue reading Batman and Man-Bats for Detective Comics Milestone!
The comic book that introduced Batman, Robin and Batgirl to the world celebrates a huge milestone this week! DC Comics shared this preview of this week’s Detective Comics #19.
The 900th issue of DETECTIVE COMICS is an 80-page giant issue featuring a magnificent collection of stories featuring the Dark Knight.
“The 900,” by John Layman and Jason Fabok, reveals a previously unmentioned corner of Gotham City now forced into the spotlight when the residents are infected by Continue reading DETECTIVE COMICS 900 PREVIEW!
Bane – the ruthless terrorist who broke Batman’s back.
The Court of Owls – the mysterious cabal that’s been manipulating Gotham City for decades and nearly broke Bruce’s body and mind.
Imagine these two forces of evil working together?
DC Comics revealed the other Continue reading Bane Breaks Talon?
It’s hard to believe the Christian Bale as Batman era is over. You can now watch The Dark Knight Rises in your own home. Christopher Nolan’s final chapter of his brooding Batman trilogy features a broken Bruce Wayne, a terrorist with ties to the first Batman film and a seductive cat burglar who inspires and betrays the Dark Knight. I would love to see Anne Hathaway and Michael Caine nominated for their amazing performances. Christopher Nolan and his entire team of artists deserve every accolade and award possible. No matter how award season turns out – he will have the eternal love of comic book fans.
The Dark Knight Trilogy collects Christopher Nolan’s entire epic: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Superhero films will never be the same.
If you want to read a compelling story that inspired The Dark Knight Rises then check out Batman: No Man’s Land.
In The Dark Knight Rises Gotham City is cut off from the rest of the world and under siege from criminal factions thanks to Bane. In the comic books an earthquake rocks Gotham City in Cataclysm. The governor declares the city uninhabitable and orders everyone to leave. Those left behind in No Man’s Land are caught in the turf war between Gotham’s biggest and new crime lords. Batman and his family (Catwoman, Robin, Batgirl, Nighwing) are the only protection for those stranded.
The big difference in the comic book storyline is Bane is on a mission for Superman villain Lex Luthor. The Joker plays a critical role in the finale of the crossover in a showdown that affects Commissioner Gordon. This storyline featured many top writers (Chuck Dixon, Greg Rucka, Dennis O’Neill) at the top of their game.
Anne Hathaway won huge praise from director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale for her performance as Selena Kyle in The Dark Knight Rises. Nolan even said Hathaway’s Selena Kyle deserved the opportunity to star in a Catwoman solo film. Bale reportedly said that Hathaway “has the toughest job on the film because the Catwoman role has been defined previously.”
Catwoman is one of the most iconic female characters in comic book history. I was inspired to collect some of Catwoman’s greatest “cuts” as the world waits to see how Christopher Nolan and Anne Hathaway will portray her in The Dark Knight Rises.
Television: As a little kid I raced off the school bus so I didn’t miss a moment of the Batman television show. I loved Julie Newmar as Catwoman. The dramatic purrs on words were part of the show’s camp but Newmar embodied the conflicted bad girl you hope would change her ways for Batman. Eartha Kitt only played Catwoman three times but what an impression. Kitt played Catwoman with a harder, dangerous edge. That cat would do a lot worse than scratch!
Movies: Michelle Pfeifer’s Catwoman was a deadly kitten with a whip in Batman Returns. Tim Burton’s origin for Selina was very different from the comic books but Pfeiffer made it work. This secretary turned feminist avenger was a deadly mix of empowerment and sex appeal.
Comics: Bob Kane created The Cat as a socialite turned catburglar villain for Batman. Selina Kyle developed into an antihero with love/hate romantic relationship with Batman. In the 1990’s writers took Selina’s character into dark territory. Modern creators interpretted her disguise and life of crime as a response to a history of abuse. Selina became an avenger of women on the streets of Gotham City.
The Dark End of the Street, Crooked Little Town, Relentless, and Wild Ride show Catwoman as a vigilante antihero in modern crime noir tales. During this era Selina takes in an ex-hooker and junkie as a protogee in her war on crime. The look in these collections are similar to the style Anne Hathaway has in photos on the set of The Dark Knight Rises.
Trail of the Catwoman marked Selina’s return to her infamous persona after a long absence with a new costume. Selina hunts a serial killer targetting the streetwalkers of Gotham City.
When in Rome is Catwoman versus the Falcone crime family. This is a sexier colorful tale of the cat burglar on a mysterious adventure in Italy.
Hush is one of my all time favorite Batman epics. The Dark Knight and Catwoman’s twisted relationship is at this most romantic and intense during this year long mystery in which a new villian uses Batman’s greatest enemies as pawns in a mind twisting game. Jim Lee’s Catwoman is perfect.
I have to give Adam Hughes praise for his portraits of Catwoman. Cover Run includes many of his iconic DC covers starring the femme fatale.
Now the wait begins for the actor who will portray Batman in a future Justice League film but no one will forget Christian Bale and the daring vision of Christopher Nolan.
By Editor
I grew up in a small town with no little options for Halloween. I lucked out and found a Darth Vader costume and wore it year after year. I was a tall kid so I worked it! Last year I was Green Lantern – Ryan Reynolds, watch out!
DC Comics heroes are icons that will never go away! With the success of The Dark Knight Rises, the Superman reboot on the way and the possibility of a Justice League movie it’s never been a better time to suit up as a member of the Justice League for Halloween!
The newer Batman is always a dark neo-classic and there’s even a nearly $400.00 dollar Dark Knight outfit that might attract the purrfect Catwoman at your holiday party! You could go a little more gosh darn wholesome and for the retro Batman look of the Adam West series.
Enjoy your Halloween! Be safe!
By Editor
Director Christopher Nolan updated Bane for the big screen but cut a sequence explaining his back story according to a story in Vulture. The Dark Knight Rises offers glimpses of why the villain dresses and acts the way he does but there’s no explicit origin sequence.
Costume designer Lindy Hemming was discussing other costumes for the final Batman film when she started revealing the flashback sequence to GQ.
“The thing that you should have seen during that sequence is [Bane] being injured in his youth. So one of the fundamental things about his costume is that he has this scar from the back injury. Even if he hasn’t got the bulletproof vest on, he still has to wear the waist belt and the braces. In that scene in the prison, where he’s learning to fight the same way Batman learned to fight, he’s wearing an early version of his waist belt. It’s showing support, but it’s not the finished one he eventually wears. He’s also wearing an early version of his gas mask, all glued together … If you look at the film, unless they’ve cut it—and I’m sure they haven’t—there’s a whole early section for Tom Hardy where he’s fighting and being taunted by people. He’s got chains on him, and he’s standing on a wooden thing while people are attacking him. And in that scene, he’s wearing a much more ragged, primitive version of the mask.”
When the interviewer told her that sequence is not in the final film she reportedly responded, “Well that’s an awful shame, but I suppose you have to cut things. I won’t elaborate on it too much, because it isn’t in the film, but there was another section that showed you why he had the mask and where it came from.”
Watch for this on the Blu-ray? If you want to dive into Bane’s comic book origins here’s a link to Batman vs. Bane and Knightfall by the legendary Chuck Dixon.
By Editor