Review: Gotham season 4
Unlike the other DC TV shows that I reviewed a few days ago, Gotham has potential. Sure, it’s been eye rolling and frustrating to comic book fans at times, but season 4 makes up for a lot of that. Warning that there are some spoilers ahead.
This season did a great job of really delving into some of the lore that makes Batman who he is. Although there were some episodes that dragged (Barbara getting the Demon’s Head was a horrible plot point), most of them kept me wanting to watch more.
By the season’s end we get to see who will actually become the Joker. He isn’t the Joker yet, but this take on him really shows him as the Red Hood without wearing the hood. We’ve got multiple cliffhangers. Butch will surely become Solomon Grundy again, Penguin will have his empire back, Riddler and Lee will be in debted to Hugo Strange and Penguin, Selina will undoubtedly have survived and used up one of her nine lives, Gotham is looking to be “No Man’s Land” straight from the comics, villains like Firefly and Mr. Freeze are on the loose and ready to make their marks, Bruce Wayne and Gordon standing on the rooftop near the spotlight is a bit of a foreshadowing, and everything is set up for a good conclusion to the prequel show. The next season is said to be the final one with Bruce finally becoming Batman, probably resulting in Jeremiah becoming the Joker, and so much more anticipated comic book accurate points. At least that’s what we can hope for.
For Season 4 of Gotham, I have to give it a high score of 4 out of 5 sCrypt ratings. Perhaps it’s because the CW has left such a bad watching experience that I’m willing to accept what Gotham has given us, but I think that the writers of this show really care about what they are working with, at least to some degree. What did you think of this season? Do you agree or disagree? Comment below and share your thoughts.
Review: Justice League
I’ll give you a heads up now. There will be some spoilers in this review, but I will try to keep it to a minimum. If you’d like my rating of the movie without all the intricacies you can scroll down to the final paragraph.
Justice League has finally happened, but the reception is once again split down the middle. DC and Warner Brothers are having a rough streak at keeping the audiences happy overall. I could get into why, but perhaps that’s another article. Here’s what I can say…
This movie will make longtime fans of the characters happy. For those who look at plot and effects, well that may be a different story. Here’s a brief character breakdown:
Batman: Affleck looks tired in the role. Perhaps part of what the negativity is comes from him. I still think he’s a great batman and Bruce Wayne, but there’s no passion in the actor’s eyes. That being said, Batman was very enjoyable and seems to have been set up to eventually phase into either an Alfred like role for the team or being replaced by perhaps Dick Grayson at some point under the cowl.
Wonder Woman: Gal Gadot rocks the role again, and she really is the glue to this whole team. I feel they could have used her more in the film, but there’s only so much you can do with this many characters in a two hour movie.
The Flash: I was very skeptical about the casting of Ezra Miller in this part. He doesn’t look like the Barry Allen that fans have come to know, and the one on TV has been prominent in everyone’s minds. From the second he took to the screen however, I was pleasantly surprised. I hate his suit with a passion. For a character that can run at super speeds, you’d think it’d be more aerodynamic and uniform. This looks like a machine more than something a hero would wear. Other than that, I think he is portrayed quite well in the movie as an up and coming hero.
Cyborg: If it weren’t for the horrible CGI on him, I really think he’d have been great. Unfortunately because he is hard to look at at times, and there is not much about him learning each of his upgrades, it’s difficult to enjoy the time he’s on screen.
Aquaman: This is another casting that I thought was strange, but am completely on board with now. He is easily one of the best things about the movie. Like Wonder Woman, he has limited screen time, but I think he was presented well as far as quickly learning back story. He brings quite a bit of humor and badassery to the plot. I also like how they mention it isn’t the fish he talks to, but the water itself. This actually makes a lot more sense.
Superman: Finally, we get a Superman that is closer to what he is in the comics. He has a brighter costume, and less brooding persona. That may not be the case when he is first brought back from the dead, but what we do get is a very cool few scenes. The moment when he is brought back and faces the League is my favorite part of the whole movie. I could watch it over and over and never get bored. It made the comic book geek in me happy that Joss Whedon took over to give it what fans have wanted. If I had to offer one complaint it would be that I really hoped we’d have seen him in his black and silver suit with a slight mullet. In all reality hair does continue to grow after death for a bit, so him being clean cut made no sense.
Steppenwolf: I was surprised to hear he was going to be the main villain, but excited as well. He was one of my favorite villains when I was a kid, and seeing a proper interpretation of him got me stoked. While the Parademons really worked, however, he wasn’t as memorable. The back story we got felt like it was missing quite a bit, but that could have been forgiven if we’d had something visually fun to look at. The biggest problem I had with the movie was him. The CGI was absolutely horrible. When you are given movies like Star Wars and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, and you have these visually stunning fake people, why would computer graphics that look like they belong in the early 2000s be involved. All I could see while watching him was the way Hulk looked way back when Eric Bana played him. It was very very hard to watch him speak or see any close up of his face.
The small roles and cameos of a Green Lantern from ages ago, plus Zeus, Lois, Commisioner Gordon, Marc McClure’s appearance, and the post credits with Lex Luthor and Deathstroke were all welcome additions to enhance the story.
A side note… Whoever markets the toylines for these movies should be shot. All my son wants for Christmas is a Steppenwolf action figure to face off against his League. In order to get one, I’d have to buy all the heroes he currently owns. Needless to say I’m not doing that and ebay will hold the answers for me as I get an older version of the character with no stupid CGI barf face.
All the problems with CGI aside, I really found the movie to be a fun time. Would I say see it in the theater? No. I’d say wait to rent it, but don’t miss out. People who enjoyed Batman vs Superman should enjoy what it has evolved into here. People who hated Batman vs Superman should feel happy that it’s evolved into something better. It is not better than Wonder Woman, but I’ll place it above BvS, Man Of Steel, and that God awful Suicide Squad movie. I give it 3 out of 5 sCrypt ratings. It would have had another star from me if the effects were done right, and another if they’d managed the story better, but I don’t think it deserves some of the hate it is getting. If this is what the DC extended universe is going to start to shape up to be with its characters, then I’m all for it. What did you think of Justice League?
Review: Son Of Batman
After the abomination of Justice League War, my hopes were teetering with this dc animated movie. Thankfully, I found that they redeemed themselves here. This review will have some spoilers, so if you are looking for my graded rating, skip down to the last paragraph, because spoilery begins here. Animation and sound seemed flawless, so I’ll break the movie down by character and focus on the plot points with them as a whole.
Ra’s Al Ghul: I have to say that I was slightly disappointed in his arc. I had always been under the impression that the Lazarus Pit could heal any wound. Yet he dies in the first five minutes of the film. His grandson and daughter show up minutes after he is burned to death, mere feet from the Lazarus pit, and they didn’t push him into it. Okay, maybe Damian tried, but I don’t see why Talia wouldn’t have. Instead, she stopped her son and said that Ra’s is dead. I found this as a flaw that isn’t forgivable. Otherwise, his swordsmanship was fun to watch in his battle with Slade. It just would have been nice to see a little more back story between the two.
Damian Wayne / Robin: Damian is the perfect material to be a Robin right off the bat. (Pun intended). He’s got an attitude, skills, and the brains suited to make a great sidekick to Batman, but he still needs guidance as he lets brash decisions take over his actions. He grows in this movie from being a rebellious child into understanding (slightly) the error of his ways. Arguably, you could say that Damian in this movie is on his way to becoming the best Robin yet.
Slade Wilson/Deathstroke: Slade has become one of my favorite characters of all time. Between watching the original Teen Titans cartoon from a few years back, and now with Arrow, Deathstroke time and again proves to be a mastermind villain. He takes down the League of Assassins with his own league of mercenary ninjas, and single handedly defeats his old master Ra’s Al Ghul. My only problem here is that I really wanted to know more about WHY he wanted to take over the league. He could have just formed his own, or perhaps come up with another plan, but there really wasn’t much as to why he was doing what he was doing other than he thought he was more worthy of the mantle that had now been passed down to Damian by Ra’s.
Killer Croc: okay so he was only in it for five minutes, but I’m sort of glad. Don’t get me wrong, I love Croc as a character, but this design is downright awful. I understand he was on a new steroid that caused him to grow a tail, but it was just bad. Was he a problem for Batman? Yes. But I just can’t get the fact that he looked like Lizard from The Amazing Spiderman.
Alfred Pennyworth: After seeing what they did with Alfred in Beware The Batman, I’m glad they took a step back and made him what he is known for in this movie. He played a great supporting mentor role to both Batman and Robin.
Dr. Kirk Langstrom / Manbat: More like Man Bats plural. Langstrom being kidnapped and forced to work by Deathstroke was a great story line, but I have a slight issue with the many Man-Bats. I was hoping to just see the one best Man-Bat as him, but instead we had ninja MenBats. I’m not saying this was a bad thing, it just wasn’t up to par with how I would have liked to have seen him portrayed.
Dick Grayson / Nightwing: His role here is perhaps just as important as Damian’s. He arrives as sort of a guide to Damian, even though at first he believes he is one of the badguys. They butt heads quite a bit, but being the original Robin, for him to finally accept Damian in the role just proves that the younger of the pair is meant to be in that costume.
Commisioner Gordon: For the first time in a DC animation, I didn’t feel like the Gotham Police department were all that useless. Did they do much? no. But Gordon seemed to have his head on his shoulders realistically and I can’t wait to see if they continue down this route with future DC animations.
Talia Al Ghul: Talia has always been a problem for me, but not necessarily all in a bad way. In this movie she hasn’t changed the way I feel about her, so here are my thoughts as a whole. I HATE the fact that she kept Damian from his true father for all this time, and then just leaves him in Bruce’s hands. BUT I love the dedicated and badass person she is. The scene in the beginning where she is just kicking ninja ass all over the place shows why there is such an attraction between her and Bruce, but still I’m torn. Part of me likes her and part of me can’t stand her.
Bruce Wayne/Batman: We didn’t see too much of Bruce to judge his role, but as Batman the part was nailed. There isn’t much else to say here. Batman lived up to his namesake yet again.
All in all, I was pleased by Son Of Batman. Deathstroke escaping from his fate might be impossible, but We’ve now got a suitable Robin in the DC animated universe, and Nightwing as well. If they were to do a Batman Incorporated movie, this is the way to kick a few stones in that direction. I give Son of Batman 6 out of 10 sCrypt Coffins mainly for animation and voice direction, but also because it was enjoyable. It would have been higher if those few plot points were tackled in a different manner. I recommend it to any Batman fan.
Review: Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 2
review by Rick Pipito
Where do I begin? I had the opportunity to see an early release of Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 2. If you have been with me for a few months, you may have caught my review of the first part. In that review, I gave it many compliments and more than my seal of approval. So what did I think of the second part? There are SPOILERS AHEAD, so if you want to judge for yourself, skip down to the last paragraph for my spoiler free rating.
I’m not sure what happened with this, but it is definitely a case of “the sequel didn’t stand up to the standards the first one set.” Voice casting was horrible. I still enjoyed Peter Weller as an older Batman, and even the Joker had his moments, but overall it was nothing to write home about.
Portrayal of the Joker was wonderful, aside from the fact that he barely laughed. He was a psychotic maniac killer with no remorse. Other than him though, everything was wrong (and like I said, the voice could have been better – he’s no Mark Hamill).
The story begins with Batman disguised as an old hag in a store. A thug boss named Bruno robs a convenience store. Bruno was drawn horribly. The design was terrible. She wore no shirt with only swastikas over her nipples, and looked like a man. In fact, every female in this cartoon looked transgendered. At the same time, most of the men could have been drag queens. I’m not sure why this was done, but it was annoying. So Batman as the old hag takes out the goons and Bruno, but for some reason never takes a second to remove his old lady disguise. hmmm. Wierd at that.
Then we get to a scene with Clark Kent meeting with Bruce Wayne. Of course Clark hasn’t aged because he is Superman, while Wayne is old. Anyway, Clark is standing on a hill with an eagle on his arm and his shirt unbuttoned. Hair blowing in the wind, this iconic pose makes him closely resemble Fabio more than the hero he is. It is so cheesy, it forced me to shake my head. At the same time, Clark is now working for the President of the United States. By the way, this story is taking place in the 1980s with Ronald Reagan as president. President Reagan’s portrayal is downright awful. From voice acting to design to seeming like a dimwit, it is off on all accounts and downright offensive for some viewers I’m sure.
Finally, we get to a great scene. When the Joker appears on a television talk show, he murders everyone there. I can’t express how great this scene was, and you really get the feel for who the Joker really is. On another note, Batman is a fugitive and facing off against the Gotham City Police Department. On the roof of the building where the murders are happening, the real heroes can’t work together for five minutes, and they just leave the scene without investigating below. Oh, did I mention that Gotham police department is terrible. They can’t hit the broad side of a barn, and never catch their targets.
Apparently Selina Kyle, who is old and obese at this point, is running an escort service. Her cameo here was a little misplaced, but nice to see. While the GCPD is more focused on taking down Batman, he is chasing Joker into a tunnel of love. The amusement park sees its share of death. Joker killing everyone by shooting everything that moves is awesome. Robin’s battle, though short lived, with Joker’s goon ends greatly as well.
Now we get to the battle between Joker and Bats. When Joker gets a batarang in his eyeball, he barely flinches. No pain at all for some reason, and he continues on as if he were wearing an eye patch. At the end of the battle, Batman breaks Joker’s neck, but it doesn’t kill him, it only paralyzes him. Somehow even though he can’t move, Joker manages to finish himself off by making his own neck break sideways. Batman burns his body and is losing his grip on who his is because Joker stabbed him a dozen times in the stomach.
BATMAN SHOULD BE DEAD! but somehow he is immortal and manages to live only to fight Superman a few days later. That’s right I said Superman. After being caught in a nuclear explosion (the animation here is amazing by the way), Superman has not fully recovered. Bats and Supes duke it out, and with a little help by Green Arrow (who now has one arm), Batman beats Superman.
There is a lot I’m leaving out here, because the build up to this moment is great, but I’m not sure how he can even stand against the man of steel since his guts are still sewn together. Ridiculous and useless fight that proved only that Batman is still a force with which to be reckoned.
What really gets me is that Alfred dies of a stroke, which makes sense, and the Wayne manor is burned to the ground. Oh, Bruce Wayne also dies of a heart attack, but at his funeral we find out he faked his death. Not sure how he did this cause it doesn’t explain it. In the end, Wayne, Robin, Oliver Queen and the leftover mutants from part one build a new hideout/cave underground as a Bat-army.
SPOILERS ENDED. Okay, so I skipped a lot of detail, but didn’t want to waste any more of my time talking about something that really disappointed me. Bruce Timm in my opinion is the king of superhero animation, but sadly this interpretation of the graphic novel is not worth the time. Granted, this is only my opinion, but I’m a HUGE fan of ALL the DC animation series and films, and this one has officially replaced “All Star Superman” as the worst one yet. So here I sit, disappointed in something I had very high hopes for. I still recommend checking out part one, but with my rating of 3 out of 10 stars, I can’t say many great things about part 2. Please chime in with your thoughts if you check this one out.
Review: Smallville Season 11 Episode 2: Detective
The moment in Smallville history that I’ve waited eleven years to see has finally arrived. So the question is, was it worth it? Here is a breakdown and review of issues #5-8 of the Smallville Season 11 comic, that make up episode 2. This review will be FILLED WITH SPOILERS. Here we go.
The episode begins with Lois and Clark in a playful bedroom setting in the Fortress of Solitude. As I mentioned in the previous review, I love how they captured Lois’ personality, and Clark’s slightly more serious side. He is so focused on his work as Superman, that he sometimes doesn’t realize how vacant toward their relationship he can sometimes be.
Meanwhile in Gotham city, a group of thugs is in negotiations with Intergang. While waiting for their meeting, they get their asses handed to them by Nightwing. The hero takes down the whole high tech weapon armed group single handedly, but as one man flees, he is stopped by The Batman himself, and Bats wants answers. Here is what I think. Gotham city is drawn the way it should be. It’s rainy and dark, and looks like scumbags would be running the streets. When Batman speaks, I can hear Christian Bale’s barking voice. The way the artists made the word bubbles show that he is growling in his darker tone. It works very well for this comic too. The action and way that Batman and Nightwing take down the group feels just like Batman. Here are the differences… Batman and Nightwing are wearing slightly different attire than what we are used to seeing, but it is close enough to the source material to still be true and exciting. At first I had an issue with Nightwing not being Dick Grayson or Robin not being Batman’s sidekick, but I actually don’t mind it now. Barbara Gordon is the one behind the Nightwing mask. I like this for the mere fact that it gives Batman a counterpart, and adds to the variety of interactions he has to deal with.
After a brief showing of Lex and Otis speaking at Luthorcorp, and Lois at the Daily Planet, Superman discovers that a thug’s laser weaponry was manufactured by Luthorcorp. The writers brought back Detective Dan Turpin for a few frames, and then we are brought to a lunch meeting between Lex and Bruce Wayne. The wealthy business men are discussing Waynetech’s building of a Supercollider in Antarctica, which he is looking for partners. When Lex declines, they are both relieved. Barbara and Otis sit at an adjacent table eavesdropping on the conversation. I love the business meeting, as it was necessary to explain why Bats would be in Metropolis, even though he was there to track intergang’s weapons to the same source Superman found. What I don’t know about is how they portray Barbara here. We know Otis is a loof, but they almost have Barbara as a little quirky and goofy. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it just seemed off in this setting. Not to mention, they don’t explain who she is to Mr. Wayne. Is she just another woman he is using as arm candy? We don’t get to find out because Superman interrupts the lunch to discuss his findings with Luthor.
A small cameo by another Smallville/DC character in his jail cell is shown, and then Batman is interrogating Bruno Manheim in a different jail altogether. Superman appears to show his distaste for Batman’s methods, but Batman is prepared with a defense. Yes, his chest emblem is harnessing red sun energy. The Dark Knight won’t have interference, and cracks the Man of Steel in his jaw, sending him sprawling on the floor. —-end part 1
Begin part 2—–The cover for this comic is definiely world’s finest at its best, but what is inside is better. Chloe and Oliver briefly discuss the Earth 2 issue, and are still trying to figure out what is coming. I have to say, this is killing me. They are talking about this Crisis, and I know I will have to wait for months to find out the answer. As long as they keep teasing it little by little, I’m fine, but I really wish they would just publish the whole episode in 1 large part instead of 4 that lasts for months.
Batman and Superman are still duking it out, but it seems to be more of a test on both their parts as they don’t really try to hurt each other. Batman uses kryptonite centered batarangs and his red sun effect to even the odds. As the battle escalates to the rooftop, Superman discovers what the fight really is about. Batman uses it as a distraction. He wanted Manheim to escape, so that Nightwing could pursue. A quick reference to Checkmate in a few frames, and the Batwing overhead get the fanboy in me going, but even better than the World’s finest duel is when Oliver shows up to take on Nightwing. I won’t spoil how that battle goes, but it is worth seeing.
When Superman successfully interrogates Manheim, where Batman could not, the Bat is impressed. He is shown here in the batwing with nightwing, and apparently when he has his mask off, Batman paints the lower half of his face with black makeup in this version. It makes his cowl appear all the darker. I’m not sure how I feel about this either. I get it, but what if Wayne had to show up really quick after a battle. Does Batman really have time to put on makeup and take it off during transitions? I doubt it.
We get a few pages of non costumed interaction, which fills in the minor plotlines nicely. This is probably one of the best parts of this issue as far as story goes. Okay, well that is until Superman and Batman meet again on a rooftop (I won’t spoil how Bats knows to meet there). When the two agree that their methods are different, but they will work together, an epic handshake seals the deal.
Oliver further investigates Lex for some harassing emails that he is getting from him. Little does he know that Tess is still in Lex’s subconscious attempting these methods of communications.
As Joe Chill, who is old, in a wheelchair and needs an oxygen tank, is confronted by Batman, the Dark Knight keeps his temper in check. After all, this is the man who killed his parents. I love the flashback frame here. They made the young Joe Chill really look like Jack Nicholson in the frame where he aims at Mr. and Mrs. Wayne. I don’t know if this is coincidence, but it is really interesting to think of an easter egg like that. As the heroes discuss happenings with Joe Chill, a pair of villains 
shows up. It was the perfect way to end an issue, but killed me to wait another month. —-end of issue #2
Beginning of part 3—— Lois Lane, drawn in the sexiest way with Erica Durance’s likeness confronts the Toyman, Winslow Schott, in his jail cell. She believes he is behind some of the criminal activity, but he points her in a new direction. The man he accuses is Oswald Loomis, who goes by the name Prankster. So, Smallville changed his costume, but this is one of the cases where I think it works for the better.
As Prankster and Mr. Freeze (who looks awesome) attack Batman and Superman, their partenering appears to be too much. Chill is taken out, Batman is frozen solid, and Superman is shot with kryptonite bullets. Oliver and Nightwing help the two to get away from the authorities, but now the police believe that Batman is the one who killed Superman. I just need to say, that I missed what the Batmobile is supposed to be. While I enjoyed Nolan’s version, the badass car is always my preference. This entire issue is dedicated to showing how Batman is able to get away from the authorities in order to save Superman’s life. It is action packed, and in my opinion is the best of the four parts. The final frame reveal is Loomis and Victor Fries in a sub zero room, where the Prankster informs Mr. Freeze that his kryptonite bullets have tracking devices in them. Sure, Bats and Supes may have escaped, while hanging onto life’s thread, but with the villains knowing their location, we are left to wonder how they could possibly succeed. —–end part 3
Begin part 4—– Lex and his subconscious conversation with Tess is entertaining, but I wonder how long they can keep this
up. It seems like it is going in circles a bit. The only real progress we’ve made at this point is that Lex tells Tess that since she is in HIS mind, he plans to find a way to access her memories, and anything he used to know before losing his own. This would mean that he’d know EVERYTHING about Superman and his past with Clark, Oliver and everyone else. Bad News, but good for the suspense.
Superman has had successful recovery thanks to Batman, and when he awakens, he is approached by Barbara and Lois. Oh, and by the way, I forgot to mention in the previous part. Superman did figure out who Batman is just by hearing his voice. He distinguished the vibrations of his vocals and remembered hearing Bruce Wayne’s vocals in their brief meeting during the billionaire lunch. This was a unique way to do it, and yet careless in a way on Clark’s end. Why? Well Lois is there, because Clark just flat out told Batman and Nightwing who he was and who Lois was. Its good on the trust factor, but a little risky in my opinion.
During Clark’s recovery, Batman was hard at work. He built 2 suits of armor, and tracked the villains to their hideout. How much time has passed here? It doesn’t say, and I wonder how he could possibly do something in so little amount of time. I’d only assume that weeks have gone by. Superman’s new suit is a golden colored lead suit with his “S” on the front. This is to protect him from Kryptonite, while Batman’s new armor will shield and keep him warm from frigid temperatures. Neither suit has a cape either. I do enjoy the designs and variety too.
Green Arrow is questioned by police in the meantime, and Prankster betrays Mr. Freeze. Now, Freeze is being controlled by Loomis, and is literally a walking nuclear freeze bomb that will detonate and kill everyone within a mile radius. There is also a very creative and cool “toy” here that is a Captain Carrot action figure. Another geek out moment on my end.
Now for the final showdown. Superman takes on Prankster in a giant robot that sort of resembles an oversized Megaman likeness. I’m not for the look, but the battle is pretty cool. Of course, Supes’ new suit is destroyed, but he bests the Prankster. In the meantime, Batman works to save Mr. Freeze’s life and those lives of the people in the city. We get to see a real quick use of Green Arrow’s Boxing glove arrow. It had been mentioned earlier in the series as a joke, but has since come to fruition. Batman of course makes fun of Arrow’s new toy, but it was effective.
And what about Nightwing and Lois? Well, they team up to kick some armed bad guy butt, and boy do they hold their own. Well, that is until there is an explosion, that literally rocks the boat. Superman lifting the whole yacht out of the water was nice because we got to see Batman’s reaction to such an amazing sight.
At the end, Bruce is shown in Crime Alley. Superman finds him, and there is a brief mention of Alfred. They basically thank each other here and Bruce offers his assistance whenever Superman might need him. Clark says he’d offer the same, but knows Batman would never ask. They shake one final time and part ways.
Oliver thinks about training Mia Dearden to be his full time sidekick, Speedy, but as he talks about this with Chloe it begins to snow. This is all courtesy of Mr. Freeze’s gun which Clark is flying high over the city. It is implied that this happens around Christmas time (and perfect because it was released in December). As the perfect final Christmas gift, Chloe announces to Oliver that she is pregnant.
All in all, it was what I would expect from Smallville. They created their own versions and story based on what we all know and love. There were some down moments, but for the most part, it was everything I wanted it to be. I’m not sure if they modeled Bruce Wayne and Barbara Gordon after any specific actors, but they fit right in with the CW “pretty person” syndrome, if you know what I mean. I recommend picking up these issues, but do it as all 4 parts. You will want to read straight through instead of waiting for the next issue.
Episode # 3 review of “Haunted” will come in 4 months.
Review: Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 1
Review by Rick Pipito
I have had the pleasure of watching one of the most unique Batman stories come to life in animation. Some die hard fans may criticize me for reviewing this movie or even think about watching it without reading the original comic that it was based upon, but I did so because I know how things often don’t translate well from page to screen. Now that I’ve seen it, I can go back and find the miniseries and read it to see the similarities and differences. Warning SPOILERS AHEAD!
First, I’ll list the things I didn’t like:
1) Without a shirt on, I’d think Bruce Wayne should have visible scarring. This isn’t there or even implied.
2) When the Mutant leader calls him out of the safety of his Batmobile Tank, Batman doesn’t hesitate when he is clearly outmatched. This isn’t very Batman like to not use his brains, but since he is much older (55 years old), I can understand his wanting to prove himself to his inner thoughts.
3) Robin / Carrie Kelley suddenly decides she wants to put on a cape and save the day with Batman. She’s naive and young, I get that, but that is not my issue. The problem I have is that her acrobatic and medical skills are not really addressed. I guess they will leave this for part two since, Batman did flat out ask her. Still it would have been nice to know.
4) IF we were to assume that this story is in modern day, then it would make Commisioner Gordon around 90 years old. I know this because he referenced World War Two and his old war stories. A 90 year old Commisioner would not still be active.
Okay, that’s it. There was nothing else that I didn’t like about this feature. So here is where I really enjoyed the movie:
1) Peter Weller was a welcome addition for Bruce Wayne/Batman’s voice. He sounded older, and his lack of emotion rounds out the feel of who Batman is. I admit, I was skeptical at first, but for an OLD Batman, he was perfect.
2) Gordon sitting with Wayne in the diner in the beginning established their relationship. It was obvious that Gordon knew Wayne used to be (Batman), and addresses that he couldn’t believe he was fooled by Bruce Wayne who acted drunk while drinking Ginger Ale, even though everyone thought it was Champagne.
3) Wayne drinking actual alcohol was interesting. This showed his human side. Without Batman, he didn’t know how else to cope.
4) The status of his relationship with Dick Grayson was mentioned as being nonexistent, and references to Jason Todd’s death were nice as well. (Continuity wise with the comics, this wouldn’t gel however, as Jason is now alive in print).
5) The way that Bruce decides to be Batman again is a great buildup. His dreams, memories, newspaper headlines, two muggers trying to mug him (which he scares away, as he begs them to try to mug him), and a drunken stupor that he drank himself into were really great story points.
6) Harvey Dent. That is all I have to say. Two-Face still existing even after his face was surgically altered to make him look presentable again was good, but when they showed a brief glimpse of what he’d look like with his entire face mangled, that was downright frightening.
7) Batman’s age shows. He has to use a brace to repair his broken bones, but he also hits his victims repetetively. A younger Batman could have taken them out in half the punches. His willingness to use guns, and his rifle grapple gun are just another point to show that he knows he’s no longer in his prime. Climbing a rope was too much for him at one point, yet he managed. All of this combined made it that much more interesting.
8) At one point, I really though Gordon was dead. I was shocked, but it worked well.
9) The easter egg in the convenience store was particularly for comic fans as a copy of “Sandman,” “V For Vendetta,” and “Swamp Thing” were on the magazine racks.
10) Batman still instilled fear in his old age. One person even committed suicide after a brief confrontation. That is how intimidating he remained.
11) The Batmobile/Battank reminded me of the Tumbler from the Chris Nolan trilogy, only cooler. He took on an entire army of mutants with this vehicle and although I thought he was killing everyone, it seems he still kept true to his own morals by using rubber bullets.
12) The second battle between the mutant leader and Batman redeems Batman from his first. This really shows that Bats fights with his brain. The whole battle is strategically planned, and he takes his enemy down one limb at a time. In my opinion, it was the most entertaining animated or live action fight I’ve ever seen in a Batman toon or movie.
Other notes of interest.
1) Lana Lang apparently has eaten way too much (not that I have a problem with overweight people because I don’t). Lana was just known as this smallville girl who later did some journalism and fashion work. She was shown here as the acting editor of the Daily Planet. This is definitely a setup for Superman to appear in part 2. (he did in the comic)
2) James “Jimmy” Olsen was mentioned briefly. (just another hint at part 2 I guess)
3) Before the bat signal was reactivated, Gordon got ahold of Batman on an old, red rotary phone. This HAD to be a tribute to the Adam West Batman series, as that was how Gordon used to call him.
4) Batman wears 2 outfits. The first is his classic Blue and gray when he first comes back. After being beaten by the Mutant leader the first time, Batman dons a darker (black and gray) outfit that is more modern.
My review? Bruce Timm continues to bring us genius work. I’m going all out and giving it a 10 out of 10. Even with the things I slightly disliked, I can’t say they bother me that much. I also have to hope that those things will be addressed in part 2.
Rick Pipito Reviews: The Dark Knight Rises
It has taken me a few hours, but now I can breathe and tell you what I thought about The Dark Knight Rises. My rating right off the “bat” (pun intended) is a 9 out of 10. There were a couple problems I had, but I got over them quickly, and I’ll explain below. I am going to go in depth about quite a few of the MAJOR SPOILERS, to perhaps open a discussion. If you’d like a review without spoilers, check out my brother’s review. Again, I will have to warn you that there will be Spoilers after this paragraph.
“And here we go,”… again. Christopher Nolan has given us an epic work of art. This whole trilogy as individual installments was outstanding, but as a whole, they are EPIC! That being said, he has stayed true (for the most part) to the fans of the Batman universe and for one final time, he has pulled no punches. I noticed three things that stood out to me. Elements of this story were taken from four major plots from the 1990s and early 2000s. (Knightfall, Tim Drake, No Man’s Land, and the Talia/Bane relationship.)
It has been 8 years since the death of Harvey Dent, and Bruce Wayne 
has become a recluse. Batman is no longer needed by the city, and Wayne is basically considered Howard Hughes at this point. Here was my first issue with this point. Could Batman really stay out of it for that long? It seemed like too long of a gap for me. Batman became obsessed in the comics with protecting Gotham. So why can I ignore this? Because he didn’t need to be the bat anymore. The Harvey Dent act made organized crime extinct.
From the explosive opening on the plane, Tom Hardy really shows how menacing Bane is. Okay, so my second problem with the movie was that there was nothing called “Venom” running through tubes to beef up Bane into a monstrosity. Then I saw the movie, and accepted the changes greatfully. Though I would have loved to see that, I think the choice to alter his story slightly was a wise one. His background of being born and raised in prison was kept true to the comics, with the added part of him needing the mask. The mask could have been talked about more, but it was highlighted to the point of knowing that it kept him from feeling any pain.
Still not convinced? Okay, let me put it this way. Say you get into a fight with someone who is visibly a lot stronger than you. There have been plenty of times when the smaller person wins because of speed and size. A smaller person can maneuver around someone and manage to land more hits to take down his/her larger opponent. Now, take the same situation, but substitute someone that can experience no pain for the muscle bound one. Now its a whole different battle. How the hell do you take down someone who you can’t even hurt?
The Camera angles and vicious fight sequences between Bane and Batman made Tom Hardy really look monstrous anyway, so there 
was no need for the steroid compound. He even punched a chunk of concrete off of a pillar at one point. Oh, and as a fan, I will admit, I had a tear in my eye when he lifted Batman over his head and literally Broke The Bat! It was the exact same scene from the comics, and replayed nicely. I couldn’t believe it.
Christian Bale also did an amazing job as usual. I still want to giggle a little when I hear his Batman Bark, but overall, his performance was great. Bruce Wayne had nothing left to live for, and the emotional scene between him and Alfred, where he tells Alfred “goodbye,” had half the people in the theater choked up. The battle Batman deals with in this movie isn’t just Bane either. He is dealing with his own self managment. He has shut himself out from the world, and has to realize at his deepest darkest hour, what he needed to do. Bane made the Joker look like a joke. He was a terrorist mastermind that even fooled the world’s greatest detective.
Speaking of detectives, John Blake was an unexpected surprise. Joseph Gordon Levitt was probably the highlight of the movie for me. I knew something was up, and from the second he told the background story of his parents and the foster care by Bruce Wayne’s donations, I turned to my wife and said, “Holy $#!+. That’s Robin.” Yes, his name may have been changed, but he literally 
was Tim Drake from the comics. My suspicions were placed in concrete when Bruce told him that he needed a mask to protect his loved ones, and gave him the coordinates to the batcave. And yes, his first name was revealed to be Robin.
So Batman had a sidekick, and so did catwoman… well, sort of. To my knowledge, they never said what Selina Kyle’s roommate/thief friend’s name was, but she most definitely was Holly Robinson from the comics. A short and fun role that was worked in well. But the highlight here isn’t the sidekick, it’s the main act. Anne Hathaway was the best Selina Kyle/Catwoman I’ve ever seen. Don’t get me wrong. Michelle Pfeiffer was excellent, but I feel that Anne really made the performance top. The head piece and hair could have been done differently for the cat look, and I missed the nails and whip, but she kicked major ass. Both the good guys and the bad guys, really weren’t ready for the beating that she could dish out.
So other than the three main performances, what else can be said? Well, all of the supporting characters (Gary Oldman’s Jim Gordon, Morgan Freeman’s Lucius Fox, and Michael Caine’s Alfred Pennyworth) were a pleasure to watch. Speaking of pleasure, there was also Marion Cottilard as Miranda Tate. I figured it out, from the second that Ra’s Al Ghul was mentioned and Wayne and Tate slept together, that this wasn’t who it appeared to be. I knew she was Talia Al Ghul, but wasn’t expecting the twist (quite literally) that happened when she revealed her true colors. I only wish that if the series were to go on from here, that Talia would have survived with child of Bruce Wayne. Afterall, Damien Wayne (their child) is now the current Robin in the comics, so it would have been something extra, but not needed.
Liam Neeson is another one. He showed up in a brief cameo as Ra’s Al Ghul. I loved how he explained that he was immortal in more ways than one, and that it was just left that way. On the same note, Cillian Murphy reprised his role as Jonathan Crane, aka Scarecrow. This time 
he was judge at blackgate prison. I only have this to say… I think that if Heath Ledger was still alive, this role would have been given to him as the Joker. It would have made more sense to have the joker carrying out these sentences in the way they were portrayed, and had Murphy do something else to complete it, but still, it brought a smile to my face, regardless of who was sitting on the judge’s chair.
One final role that I wasn’t expecting was Roland Daggett. In the animated series from the nineties, I recall the one episode with Daggett. How do I remember this? Because in that episode, he was the man directly responsible for the creation of Clayface. He didn’t have a large role and there was no clayface, but it showed that he could be brought in at some point. Another quick throw out was when the police laughed at Gordon’s claim that there was an army of mercenaries in the sewers. Someone said something along the lines of “Sure, and I guess you want me to believe there is a giant alligator down there too.” This was an obvious reference to Killer Croc.
Look, for those of you who might have a problem with the ending, tell me why… I mean, it is obvious that Batman is not dead. He was seen in Florence with Selena Kyle, Gordon had a repaired batlight, and he had a new protege (adopted son) to keep an eye on. It wasn’t Batman that died, it was 
Bruce Wayne. Don’t you see? This was a potential setup by Chris Nolan so that someone can take these loose ends and run with them. This trilogy was all about Batman beginning. Now he is established. Bruce Wayne doesn’t need to be anymore. Batman is the key. He always was. It was that way in the comics as well. Who knows, maybe a little Helena Kyle (Huntress) could be on their way as well somewhere down the line.
From the number of days it took Wayne to heal his back to the severing of Bane’s tubes, this movie may have altered a few things, but stayed true all around. My brother mentioned the vehicles in his review. I disagree with his view. The Tumbler and Batpod were damn cool, and though I wasn’t too happy about the Bat, it definitely gave me a temporary satisfaction for the batwing.
My final thoughts are this. Please PLEASE PLEASE… whoever is in charge at Warner Brothers/DC, do NOT start this franchise over! Everyone wants to see what happens next. You now have a Justice League movie in the works. This is your first step. Batman exists in a universe. Use that universe. Perhaps Wayne will come off of his sabatical/fake death once the world needs heroes. You can recast him if you need to, but keep Nolan’s universe alive. I will be sad to hear if this truly is the end of such an epic era of Batman.
The Dark Knight has risen to the challenge of what The Avengers has brought to the table. DC has hit as hard as Marvel, now let’s watch each side continue to bring us the most entertaining films of all time! Please, if you have any comments, make them. I’d love to get a discussion going on everyone’s thoughts.
Who is the real Dark Knight?
In honor of The Dark Knight Rises being released this week, I’ve decided to take a look back at Batman in film. Of course animated shows like “The Batman”, “Batman The Brave and The Bold,” and the animated series in the seventies showcased the world’s greatest detective, but which actor has portrayed him the best throughout the years? Let’s take a look.
“Batman” first took to the screen in 1943, and was portrayed by Lewis Wilson. Not many people today have seen this incarnation (myself included), but it broke ground for the character making it on film. His costume look like a bad pair of pajamas today, but for its time, this was stunning. The look of Alfred in the comics actually changed to match this version from what originally had been an overweight butler to the thin version we all know and love today.
Six years later, another 15 chapter series was made starring Robert Lowery. This time it was called “Batman And Robin,” and though this didn’t feature any of the hero’s popular rogues either, Vicki Vale was a prominent character alongside Robin making his debut. Batman’s chest logo was slightly different, and his ears resembled more like Devil horns than the traditional look, but at least this guy made it onto dvd years later.
Decades later, Adam West brought Batman to the screen in a campy series and movie. They even did a reuinion movie a few years back. Pretty much all of Batman’s classic rogues gallery made it this time, as well as Batgirl. Sure, it may have been cheesy, but it was highly addictive to watch and safe for kids. If it weren’t for Adam West, Batman might not have quite the allure that he has today. This show is what really brought attention to the character.
A couple more decades passed and we were given an entirely unseen version of the character. Michael Keaton portrayed him in 1989’s “Batman,” and again reprised the role in 1992’s “Batman Returns”. This defined the character as we know him today and included the villains: Joker, Penguin and Catwoman.
For the next film, “Batman Forever,” his predecessor did not want to reprise the role, so Val Kilmer took over the suit. Gotham city took on a more colorful tone, and some of the campiness was reintroduced to make it a little less over the top dark. Robin, The Riddler and Two Face were introduced to this version.
After one film, he bailed and George Clooney took over the role in “Batman and Robin.” Even with Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, Bane and Batgirl being introduced, the dialogue and character changes upset enough fans to make this one of the most hated films of all time. Still, Clooney had a decent look and brought the hard jawed characteristic back to the character. There was also another two sequels in the works. “Batman Triumphant” would have brought the scarecrow and harley quinn around, as well as Jack Nicholson back as the Joker, but that was thrown out the window when the fourth one failed miserably. There would have then been a “Batman: Dark Knight,” that would have seen Clooney solo again as Batman tried to prove his innocence. Apparently Man-Bat would have been the only villain, making the city believe it was the hero commiting the crimes. Clooney was supposed to be involved with both of these films which never saw the light of day.
During the time of these four movies, and beyond we were lucky enough to have another animated series. I’m only including Kevin Conroy in this because he has defined the perfect voice of Batman and Bruce Wayne for over two decades now. It began with “Batman The Animated Series” went on to other animated DC Universe projects and recently he has done the voice for the “Arkham Asylum” video games.
Many fan films have been created over the years, and actor Clark Bartram was chosen by a lot of people to portray a buffer looking Batman for any hollywood movie in the works. Of course, he never was taken seriously by film makers, but he starred in the “Batman: Dead End” and “World’s Finest” short indy films. You can watch these on Youtube and other online sources.
Finally, we come to the current Batman. Christian Bale has portrayed the character in “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight,” and “The Dark Knight Rises”. Ra’s Al Ghul, The Scarecrow, Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman, Bane, and even a brief cameo by Mr. Zsaszz came into this much darker and realistic version. Bale has taken his batvoice to a whole new level, but has also upped the stakes with his portrayal of badassery.
All in all, it is a difficult choice for myself. Michael Keaton is personally my favorite interpretation of the character, but cannot deny the awesomeness of Bale, Conroy, and yes Adam West. Remember, there have been many different shades of Batman in comics over the years, so even the campy things can’t be ruled out. Who is your favorite Batman? Vote below, and feel free to discuss.
Master Combatant Poll Results
A few weeks ago, we opened the next chapter in our comic book battles wondering who would be the best hand to hand combatant in the following match up… DC Comic’s has Batman, Marvel has the Taskmaster, sCrypt Comics brought Kristoff the Wiser, and a voter added Shujinko from the Mortal Kombat series… So what were the results?
Marvel tanked in this round, with the Taskmaster being beaten with no votes. Shujinko was then quickly beaten down by sCrypt’s Kristoff the Wiser. Kristoff and The Dark Knight went head to head for some time, but in the end, even Kristoff’s vampiric skills couldn’t outmatch the Batman.
We will see Batman take to the screen this Friday in another great battle, but until the Dark Knight Rises debuts in theaters, I hope you all were satisfied with these results. (I personally was hoping for Kristoff, but I’m a little biased.) lol.
Thanks for voting, and stay tuned for our next epic match up.
SDCC 2012: DC Coverage
Here are some pretty awesome highlights from DC’s panel coverage at San Diego Comic Con. Obviously it is not ALL of the coverage as I am not there, but these are some of the things that caught my eye and interest.
A new Poster has been released for Man Of Steel, which I’ve included in this post. Footage and Q & A panels were full, and it IS confirmed that the first official trailer will play with The Dark Knight Rises next weekend. What did people think of the footage they saw? Overall consensus seems to be that this will be unlike any incarnation of Superman we’ve seen yet on the screen. It is a very dark take, but true to the character. Though much of the plot remains shrouded in mystery, the trailer has enough in it to make you want more.
The Dark Knight Rises only has one week until release, and a reporter at www.mania.com as well as some of the other comic book movie sites have seen an early screening. Although they were sworn to secrecy through tons of pages of nondisclosure agreements, the overall thought is this… The trailers spoil NOTHING. This is unlike any of the third chapters we’ve seen on screen so far (ala Spiderman 3, X-Men 3, Superman 3, batman forever.) It may be considered the best entry yet, and if you thought that the Dark Knight was dark, then perhaps you should not take your kids to see TDKR. It is said to be much more violent and adult oriented than any of the others.
Arrow debuts in October on the WB. What has been shown so far of footage has grabbed my interest. It is very Nolanesque in that it is based in the “real world”. It has been announced that you should keep your eyes open past the pilot episode for many hero and villain appearances. Most of these will probably be B listers or characters not showing off SUPER powers. For example if Superman were to appear (which he isn’t supposed to at this point) but if he were, then he would probably show up as Clark Kent, and not exhibit any of his abilities. I like this idea, and look forward to the possibilites this show has to offer. There is also a free digital comic tie in download available at: www.comixology.com
Finally, Anthony Ruivivar has been announced as the voice of Bruce Wayne/Batman in the coming animated series “Beware The Batman.”
There you go. I will keep looking for more info that I feel is necessary to post, and update accordingly.
Batman and Wolverine live action battle
There are no words that can describe this live action battle, other than awesome! I think the battle ended too quickly, but it is amazing. Thanks to geeksyndicate for bringing it to our attention. http://geeksyndicate.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/web-cinema-batman-vs-wolverine-live-action-battle/
Review: Lego Batman 2 DC Super Heroes
Review by Rick Pipito
If you are a fan of the Lego games, than this is one for the books. Lego Batman 2 DC Super Heroes is not by any means a Justice League game. It really is Lego Batman with the Justice League helping out. Lego games have a light hearted approach to the stories and characters we love, and they always succeed in doing them justice.
This is a completely original storyline and happens to be the first game with actual voices to the characters. The story begins with Gotham City holding a Man of the Year award. Presidential candidate Lex Luthor is in attendance when the Joker crashes this party. As Batman hunts down the Joker, Lex is coming up with his own scheme. Eventually we see Lex and Joker team up. Joker aqcuires Kryptonite, and Lex has created a device that will tear apart any shiny black objects (like Batman’s arsenal). At one point they even find the batcave and wreak havoc upon it.
Here is the beauty of this game. I’m pretty sure ALL of Batman’s rogue gallery makes an appearance. Most of them you have to send back to Arkham, and as you defeat them in the main map, you can purchase them for enough points to use in FREE PLAY mode. Unlike the other Lego games, the level selection map in between levels is enormous! Gotham City is entirely a free play map that utilizes all of the depth that even Arkham City used. (Though it is a lego game, so don’t expect the graphic detail).
That brings me to graphics. You can’t get better than this in a Lego game. There is no need for improvement anywhere graphically. If you did, then it wouldn’t be Lego. As Joker and Lex, as well as the many villains running amok are being tracked down, there are other surprise villains that show up as part of the side story benefits. There is also a hint about what the next Lego Batman/DC Super Heroes game may have as a main villain. If you use your brain, you may figure out who it is. Okay, so I just gave it away, but it is still exciting to see the many hints.
About the characters: There are pluses and minuses here. Some of Batman and Robin’s alternate outfits seem a little ridiculous, but this isn’t a serious game, so I can’t really complain. Superman and the other Justice League members really feel like you are using them in the game. Each character is unique and even has their comic book weaknesses. Once you finally unlock these characters, you are in for a treat.
The villains are for the most part the same in their uniqueness, but others were just thrown in there for appearance. For example. Battling agains Bane and then taking on the Riddler, shouldn’t be the same exact battle. There was nothing about Bane or the Riddler other than their looks that said that was who they were. Riddler had no riddles. Bane had no excess muscle. They were just useless bosses that were thrown for their skins. Scarecrow on the other hand was absolutely awesome.
My preorder got me the first DLC pack as well, which included 5 DC villains not normally in the game. There is also a Hero pack coming out soon. Even after you beat the storyline, the game should be played until you unlock EVERYTHING. Trust me it will be worth it. The Lego games are perhaps the only games that I will attempt to get everything because there are often secret levels, characters and vehicles you can unlock. Oh, and I almost forgot… you get to use practically all of Batman’s vehicles in the game, which is almost like a different game in itself.
Between the puzzles, story and fun aspects of this title, I give it a 9 out of 10. It is the BEST Lego game out there, and definitely sets a standard for future titles. Oh, and there is a trailer included for the next title too. Lego Lord Of The Rings. Go find Lego Batman 2:DC Heroes, and have a blast. Even people who don’t normally like to play video games can enjoy this one.
Master Combatant Battle Poll
Who is the better fighter? Who will come out on top? Batman takes DC Comics’ corner (above left). Taskmaster fights for Marvel Comics (Above Center). Kristoff The Wiser takes a stand for sCrypt Comics (Above Right – artwork on Kristoff by Dan Pipito). Like the other polls, I will do a quick summary of each character, and then you choose who you believe would win. Please vote for one of the choices, or add your own on who you think would fit the battle well. The more votes, the better the results.
First up is Batman. Bruce Wayne was only a young boy when he witnessed both of his parents murders. From that point on, he vowed to instill fear and exact revenge on those who prey on the innocent. He traveled the world, learning many different skills and forms of combat. As a master detective, he combines all of these skills with multiple contingency plans; in order to take down criminals around the world. Even though he has no super powers, those who do, fear what he is capable of as well. With the Wayne estate’s billions of dollars, he has a gadget for almost every situation. His abilities include a genius level intellect, peak physical and mental conditioning, a photographic memory, mastery in multiple forms of combat, and an expert marksman. Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in 1939.
Next is Tony Masters (aka The Taskmaster). His abilities were first exhibited as a young boy, while watching television. After seeing a cowboy use his lasso, Masters was able to mimic all of the intricate rope tricks. Since then he has primarily being a supervillain, but he has on occasion worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. and other agencies as a trainer and undercover operative. Taskmaster is someone who is not to be taken lightly. He has the ability to absorb knowledge instantly, mimic voices, and adapt to any fighting style by learning and replicating his opponents moves in a manner of seconds. He also has mastered the use of weaponry and carries an extensive arsenal. Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers #195 in 1980.
Our final combatant is often referred to as “Kristoff The Wiser.” For over a thousand years, he has had the gift of knowledge. Although he has the thirst of a vampire, he preys on the guilty. A unique ability to study anything from book lessons to physical skills enables him to be a threat to any who stand in his path. His one goal is to be able to cure himself of vampirism. Until the day where he will find the cure, he will terrorize the criminal scum who cross his path. Kristoff was first mentioned in “Flesh And Leftovers,” first appeared in “Blood, The Second Helping,” and his first graphic appearance was in “Blood The Second Helping: Legends Of Vampire.”
So there it is folks. Vote for DC’s Batman, Marvel’s Taskmaster, or sCrypt’s Kristoff. As mentioned above, feel free to add your own choice to the poll below.
The Joker’s Girl
Article by Rick Pipito
Review of “Batman: Harley Quinn”
Published by DC Comics in 1999
Let me say this. Harley Quinn is probably one of my favorite female villains of all time. When Batman the Animated series came out in the nineties, she came to life. Doctor Harleen Quinzell was not even a comic book character at that point as she was created for the series. Now, if someone says her name, most people can identify with who she is. That is because she has become a part of the DC universe, and it is this comic that introduces her to the world of print comics. The artwork on the cover is something you could frame on your wall, and the inside inks are done in an excellent manner as well. Be warned, this review contains spoilers!
The story begins with Poison Ivy finding Harley near death in a pile of rubble. As the injured woman is being nursed back to health, she recaps her story to Ivy. This goes all the way back to when she was an intern working in Arkham Asylum. To me, this was a relief. I had been so tired of hearing that the Joker had escaped from Arkham Asylum, in almost every story done. As a reader, how could we continue to believe that this Asylum is anything more than a big joke in and of itself. Harley’s explanation of her helping the Joker escape kind of makes it work a little better.
Harley is eventually caught for her actions and imprisoned, but soon escapes as the Joker gasses the guards of the facility and kills the power. She finds the dead guards and knows from the smiling grins on their faces that it was the Joker who helped her. Then she goes on to explain how she chose her costume. It is amusing to see the different incarnations that she designed before selecting the one we all know and love.
A brief cameo by the Penguin is shown as the Joker is attempting to get supplies from him. The best part about this scene is the interaction. Penguin is a business man, and the Joker is insane. Neither of them really like each other’s presence in the situation. Key note of interest is when Penguin mentions that this story takes place after the great earthquake in Gotham. When Penguin doesn’t give in, Harley shows up and says, “You can’t just start a first class gang war with your jacket all dirty like that.” As he looks down to where she is indicating, she socks him in his protruding nose, causing it to gush blood all over. She showed up just in time as guns between the two men’s thugs were about to blaze.
Her actions and mockery cause the Penguin t give in, and this scene shows that she is definitely a comparable female version of the Joker. After talking to the Joker, she shows him the hideout that she chose. It isn’t long however before Batman shows up. I love the outfit used in this issue. It is a cross between Michael Keaton’s Batman outfit and Christian Bale’s. The best of both worlds, plus very dark and intimidating. If only they’d have gotten rid of the Val Kilmer like smile in the one frame, it would have been better.
Harley also manages to help herself and the Joker escape from the Dark Knight. A few frames indicate that she sleeps with the Joker here, but soon wakes to find a note leading her to a rocket in an amusement park. Once inside, the doors close and it begins to launch with a video of Joker’s confession. He explains that he has feelings for her and that he doesn’t like having those feelings because he claims it is confusing. He is so used to being demented and alone, that the thought of love frightens him more than Batman does. I love this scene with the Joker, as it really shows how his mind works.
Now we end up back at the beginning of the comic where it is explained the rocket was steered into the park where Ivy found Harley. I always found tha Harley’s acrobatics and agility seemed a little too much for a girl who was just supposed to be an intern at Arkham. Here is where that is corrected. Poison Ivy has to immunize Harley if they are to hang out together and get revenge on not just the Joker, but Batman as well. A side effect of the immunization is that Harley develops enhanced strength and agility.
Because Poison Ivy has a truce with Batman that she will not break at the moment, Harley decides to go after both men alone. Harley spends days trying to find Batman using a spotlight and make shift bat signal. Once he shows up, he is obviously disgusted and she offers him a deal and explains why she will lead him to the Joker. He is still smart however and gives her a tracking device so that he can show up as he pleases.
Change scenes to the Joker and his henchmen here. Joker is going on about how women are an enigma and is prodding one of his henchman about his own personal love life. After a little nagging, the guy opens up and begins explaining his story to Joker, but a few frames later the clown prince of crime blows the guys brains all over the wall with a revolver. All he says is, “You talk too much.” Then he continues talking to the dead body, (sort of like Jack Nicholson does in the 1989 Batman movie).
When Batman shows up, Harley beats him with a large mallet, and chases the Joker. He sees that she is different physically and realizes he can’t compete with her athletics. He is even shocked more when trying to utilize the Joker gas on her. It does nothing to her now immune system. The pursuit continues and she finally has the Joker where she wants him. As she is about to deal the killing strike, he looks up at her, smiles and says, “Would it help if I said I was sorry?” Her immediate forgiveness of him displays just how insane she really is, and how in love she is.
As they ride off into the moonlight, Batman barely escapes from an explosion that they left for him with a note from Harley. The book ends with Alfred patching up his many wounds and laceraions. The perfect ending comes with Bruce pulling the cape and cowl back over his face and heading off once again into the night. He has not given himself time to heal and yet still goes out to stop the criminals of Gotham. Alfred’s look is priceless. It is almost as if he is saying, “Master Bruce, you are just as insane as those you hunt.”
Honestly, this is one of my favorite graphic novels. On a scale of one to ten, I give it a full 10 stars. It is insane, thrilling, and mind boggling for any fan of Harley, the Joker or Batman.
Babbling About Doom
Review by Rick Pipito
This week brought us the release of the newest DC Comics’ animated project, “Justice League: Doom.” The story is based on the comic “JLA: Tower Of Babel.” I have not read the Babel story, but Doom was probably one the best DC animations to date. Be warned there are SPOILERS AHEAD…
The story premise is that Batman has a backup plan to take down each member of the League in case they go rogue. As one of the only nonsuperpowered members of the JLA, I can immediately see why he would do this. I’ve always known Batman to have a contingency plan for everything, but what would happen if a villain were to get his hands on these secrets?
While the Royal Flush gang is committing a robbery, the League shows up to thwart their plans. Ten, Jack, Queen, King and Ace are well animated here and though their roles are minor compared to the rest of the story, they set the stage. All previous incarnations of the RF Gang seemed to not matter that much. They were always taken down too easily. In this case they were as well, but it took the whole Justice League to do so. Part of this is because someone has supplied the Royal Flush with advanced technology.
As they are carried off to prison, Batman returns to his cave injured in the fight. There is a real quick glimpse of something in his rearview mirror, but it disappears. Unlike Batman, he shrugs it off as something in his mind. This is where he is mistaken. Mirror Master sends one of his holograms through his mirror and is able to hack the batcave’s console. I’m glad they did something with Mirror Master to boost him up a little. I’m not talking about his redesigned costume, I mean he always seemed to be one of the “B” villains. In Doom, he is more of an “A”. In fact, this can be said about a few of the villains save for Bane and Metallo.
With the secrets in hand he returns to his boss and meets with a few other archenemies of the Justice League. Vandal Savage has arranged this meeting to form his new Legion of Doom. Okay, here is one of the great parts of the story. They go through explaining briefly, the origin of Vandal Savage and why he is over 80,000 years old and can’t die. The details as to how remain sketchy, but his whole origin is there. So where are they meeting? None other than the swamp where the Hall of Doom has often been portrayed. The reimagining of the hall is also another really nice nostalgiac point here.
At first I was a little disappointed by the lack of Justice Leaguers and Legion of Doom members, but I understand why they cut down the amount from the original comic. There is just no way they could fit all of that into an animated movie and have it be under two hours long. Still, my heart ached for it slightly.
After the plans have been set, the villains seek out to destroy their hero archenemies. Each of these baddies has been taken down countless times by their counterparts, but this time they get even. I’ll make it brief in explaining.
Bane buries Bruce Wayne alive in his parents’ grave. Not only has he “broken the bat”, which he references (meaning that this takes place after the “Knightfall” storyline), but now he has broken Wayne as well.
Ma’alefa’ak poisons Jonn Jonzz and lights him on fire. Jonn reverts to his Martian Manhunter shape and begins burning alive.
Cheetah poisons Wonder Woman forcing her to fight illusions in her mind to the point of near heart failure.
Mirror Master manages to strap a bomb on the Flash’s (Barry Allen) wrist. Think of the movie “Speed” here and you will know what the bomb is going to do.
Star Sapphire convinces Hal Jordan that he has failed in saving lives. Hal then can not power his Green Lantern ring because his will is broken.
Metallo manages to shoot Superman with a Kryptonite bullet.
So, now what? The Legion has won and Savage offers each member their own piece of land to conquer when he blows up a third of the Earth’s population. How does he do this? Well, he plans to use a rocket that will leave a magnetic trail. Once it impacts with the Sun, a large solar flare will follow the trail back to Earth and wipe out the whole side facing the star. Realizing that Vandal Savage does not die (which the theory is tested in a cool way by one of the Legion members), they have no choice but to join his cause.
Here is one of the weak points of the story. Batman manages to escape from his burial. This would be damn near impossible to pull off, and quite frankly, I’m still not sure how he did it, but I’ll suspend disbelief. Once he begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together, he and Cyborg manage to reassemble the team and save them from their ultimate doom.
When the heroes are able to regroup, they attack the Legion in the Hall of Doom. A fight ensues and you can guess the victor. Also, how they stop the flare from reaching Earth is a nice visual as well and shows the limitations of even the Green Lantern’s ring.
At the end, Cyborg is made a new member of the Justice League and Batman quits because no one sees eye to eye with why he made these contingency plans, and why he will make them again. Another downer in my mind here is okay, Bats has always been a loner, but to let him walk off is insane. The League just lets him go (all except Superman who seems to be the voice of reason here). My question is “why can’t the heroes see how valuable Batman is to the team.” If he can singlehandedly take down every one of them, then they should try to see his point of view instead of just downright chastising him.
While doing a little research I found these differences between the animated film and the original graphic novel: 1) Vandal Savage is used in place of Ra’s Al Ghul. This is probably because Ra’s has been overused as a villain ever since Batman Begins made him a more mainstream character. 2) Aquaman is in the graphic novel and is given some of the Scarecrow’s fear gas to make him afraid of the water. Without going near water, he will die in a matter of hours. 3) Plastic man is frozen in the graphic novel and shattered with a hammer. 4) Green Lantern in the comic version is Kyle Raynor, and is rendered blind by his own ring. 5) Wally West Flash is in the graphic novel and is hit by a bullet that forces him to have seizures at the speed of light. 6) Superman is not hit by a bullet in the graphic novel. Instead, his skin becomes transparent from red kryptonite and his organs are exposed to direct sunlight, which can be deadly. 7) Finally, Talia Al Ghul plays the saving part in the comics that Cyborg did in this dvd release. There are other changes as well, but those are the major ones I thought were noteworthy.
The original voice castings from the previous Batman and Superman animated series and Justice League cartoons have reunited to do this movie. For that alone, this dvd is worth buying. The animation and designs are something new for each character, but closely resemble those in the current “Young Justice” animated series. With all factors involved, I give this a 9 out of 10. I will read the print version when I get my hands on a copy just to be able to do a better comparison. Until then, I suggest you go grab your copy and tell me what you think…
sCrypt Publishing 