Quit With The "WB & DC Comics Has A 'No Jokes' Rule For Their Movies" Rumor Already!

The latest rumor going around is about how Warner Brothers and DC Comics' are imposing a "No Jokes" order for their movies - suggesting that DC movies are going to be super dramatic, serious, and humorless.

WHAT IS THIS STUPID RUMOR BASED ON?! Apparently someone was asking SOMETHING about the several DC movies that are in the works right now, and the comment from inside WB was "No jokes".

Those spreading this rumor - DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND A LITTLE THING CALLED CONTEXT? What was the actual comment or question that this "No jokes" thing was a response to? I don't know! WHO KNOWS? Nobody has provided a QUOTE for the QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED to give any CONTEXT for this apparent "No jokes" answer from WB-DC.

Do people actually think that WB is giving the order to have "No jokes" in their DC movies? Tell me, which is more likely to be the case with this apparent "No jokes" thing;

1. Reporter: Wow WB, are you really going to be making 7 or 8 DC comics movies in the next few years?
WB: We are, no jokes!

or

2. Reporter: For the several DC comics movies you have on the schedule up to 2019, are they going to have much in the way of humor, wisecracks, or jokes?
WB: Oh, our movies will have no jokes.

All the debate about this supposed "No jokes" dictum by WB are just wasting everyone's time. Think about it! The story is just CLICKBAIT, people! Don't be stupid!

Yeah, I know that all anyone seems to care about these days is the headline and pageview count, and I know "professional" journalism is in a horrifying state in 2014 - perhaps even more so in the entertainment sphere - but please folks, take a minute to ASK QUESTIONS about a rumor before you kick it down the line! You'll do your reputation a favor in the long-run.

Top 10 Coolest Batman - Doctor Who Mashups!

Batman & Doctor Who. Two very cool things that you wouldn't think of going together, but like peanut butter and chocolate, these two things make a great combination!

10. DC & BBC, make this happen! 

By Brad Matthews

9. A Batman/Doctor Who animated film? How cool would that be?

By Dan Gallagher

8. What the Doctor would have to deal with if he didn't have his sonic screwdriver...

by Marc Keller

7. Could you imagine a dark, moody episode of Doctor Who where the Doctor and Batman have to take on some Weeping Angels?

By Gabriel Hardman

6. That Dalek didn't stand a chance...

By GaugeX

5. Fantastic cover, now I want this artist to draw the rest of the book!

By Elvin Hernandez

4. I'd pay money to see this...

by djtoad

3. Yes, there's even a video!

 2. You've got to love this strip... makes a lot of sense, actually :)

 

 

by nebezial

1. I love this piece, everything about it is just great, isn't it?

by dryponder

Do you know any great Doctor Who/Batman mash-ups I've missed?

DC Comics and The Big Bang Theory; The Opportunities

CBS's wildly popular "The Big Bang Theory", while not my cup of tea, seems to have a really nice relationship with DC Comics.

 
The characters are always visiting the local comic shop where a treasure trove of DC comics and merchandise are displayed quite conspicuously. They frequently wear DC-themed t-shirts and merchandise, and on special occasions, even dress like DC characters. I get the impression that they even mention DC comics characters and events pretty frequently.

That in mind, I had some thoughts about how DC could further exploit and respond to this cozy relationship;

- Thanks to Sheldon, the Flash symbol is one of the most visible graphics in America right now. Now, The Flash in CW network's upcoming The Flash tv show features a symbol on his chest that mostly resembles the classic version, but instead of the red color in it, they should go back to the more recognizable classic white and also make the symbol a little bigger. Brightening the costume's red color slightly might be nice too. Perhaps we can hope this recently-revealed costume is just the Flash's prototype suit anyway?

- With Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg all confirmed to be showing up in the upcoming untitled Batman vs. Superman movie - Warner Brothers should capitalize on The Big Bang Theory exposure also, and strive to get the Flash (whether it's Grant Gustin or someone else) and a new Green Lantern on the big screen (if only as cameo), and in the movie-going public's consciousness sooner than later.

- WB should also pull some strings and get the Man of Steel himself, Henry Cavill, to make an appearance on The Big Bang Theory. If you're thinking that Cavill is too big for the small screen - well, when we're talking about the huge audience The Big Bang Theory garners - virtually nobody is "too big". Besides, he's a really nice guy and I don't think the female audience would mind seeing him either. I'm sure the writers could come up with an entertaining reason for him to meet up with Sheldon and the gang. Like I said, I don't really care for the show, but even I would tune in for that. Didn't I hear that Henry Cavill and Kaley Cuoco were seeing each other a while back?

- Finally, DC could even put out a Big Bang Theory comic mini-series (perhaps make it very tongue in cheek and include DC characters), and add some promotion to entice people to read other DC titles.

Anyway, what do you think of my ideas for DC to make the most of their Big Bang notoriety? What are your ideas?

JLA Adventures; Trapped in Time - Quick Review

JLA Adventures; Trapped in Time is a new animated DC film that was released just last week, in what's being called a "stealth release" as nobody seemed to know it was coming until days before it's release. This movie (to this point anyway) seems to be a Target exclusive.

Having seen this new film, I leave you with the following bullet points & review;

• It's called "JLA Adventures" - That's "JL" with an "A" at the end, as in "America". They dropped it for the "Justice League" animated series, and ever since it seems they have been shying away from that "A", but I like it.
• This one is aimed at a slightly younger or "all ages" audience. It's not "kiddie" or "dumb" necessarily, it's just not as "hardcore" as the regular DC animated films of recent years.
• In tone and in look, it's kind of a cool melding of the Superfriends, Young Justice, and Justice League animated series. You get the Lex Luthor led Legion of Doom and some high-flying adventure. You get a look at the future and a little teenage angst with the two Legion of Superheroes characters. You also get the JLA and all their gadgets, tactics, and teamwork to take down the enemy.
• Flash seems particularly similar to his counterpart in the Justice League cartoon. He, along with Robin, are the main source of comic relief.
• If you liked Diedrich Bader as Batman for "Batman; The Brave & The Bold" then you're in for a treat, because he's back as the Dark Knight in this!
• The costumes look great, taking inspiration from the New 52 versions but remaining clean and unique. I thought Robin's new outfit was especially cool.
• In any good time travel story, you have "rules" to deal with concerning paradoxes and potential alternate timelines and stuff. In this movie, they deal with it through a haunting character that is actually the living embodiment of this, acting as sort of a "time lord" (if you Doctor Who fans will forgive the expression). I thought it was a clever and interesting way to approach it.
• I know this is largely aimed at a younger audience with limited attention spans, but it does feel a bit too short. I might have liked another 15 minutes in the second half to fill the story out more.
• The way it ends leaves you with the impression that they want to do more original films in this series/universe.

All in all, it's a mixture of things we've seen before with some fairly cool new stuff as well. If you miss the Justice League or Justice League Unlimited cartoons, this should scratch that itch for a while.

I'll give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Have you seen JLA Adventures; Trapped in Time? Comment below to share your thoughts on it!

Window washers at a children's hospital

 Love it!

via https://twitter.com/StayChiIl/status/297481516890595329

Funny and Awesome Batman Images

Found via the Bat-Blog, here's a smattering of great Batman themed pics;

 

Like Comics? A Podcast Recommendation...

Ok, it should come as no surprise that I'm a comic book fan, but along with reading comics, I often like to throw the headphones on and listen to some podcasts about comics. There are a bunch of them out there, but not all are that great...

There's one that I keep going back to as my favorite though, it's called the Major Spoilers Podcast - "the podcast for comic book and pop culture fans". I look forward to this podcast more than any other comics podcast - and don't worry, they don't actually "spoil" much -

What makes it great is the interesting make-up of the group; An in-his-early-40s film/media teacher & dad, another in-his-early-40s dad who works at a comic store with an encyclopedic knowledge of the genre (and a big fan of Japanese Power Rangers aka "Super Sentai"), a guy who grew up in Mexico with an off-beat taste in comics and pop-culture, & an early 20s film student who has only been reading comics for a couple of years.

Go give it a listen and see what you think!

(And hey, if comics aren't exactly your thing, they also produce other podcasts about movies, tabletop games and more!)

Do you know of any other really good comics podcasts? Comment below and let us know!

5 Fascinating Questions Coming Off The Superman/Batman Movie Announcement

As you all must have heard by now, Warner Bros. has announced that Superman and Batman will finally be appearing in shared live-action film in 2015. This is obviously big news, I even saw them cover it here where I live during today's noon news hour.

I have to say, the announcement came as a total surprise to me , I did not see that coming at all - frankly it's still hard to believe. It is certainly an interesting development though, and it brings to my mind a few fascinating questions;

1. Who will be the new Batman? This is the first and most obvious question following this announcement. Audiences will have to adapt to a new Batman just 3 years after the end of The Dark Knight trilogy, as Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan have both stated that their vision of Batman is complete and WB will take Batman in a new direction, one in which he's more suited to a world where other superheroes exist. Will they be looking for an older actor for Batman or a younger one? Will this Batman have been "in costume" and active before the events of "Man of Steel", or do those events precede (or even motivate) Bruce Wayne's emergence as Batman? Are any of the fan-casting suggestions realistic, such as Jon Hamm, Josh Holloway, or Karl Urban? (and yes, I know my favorite of those three)

2. Will it be Superman & Batman, or Superman VS Batman? Is Batman going to be antagonistic towards Superman because of events in Man of Steel? Is the dynamic between the heroes going to be the main conflict in the film, or are they going to team-up against a common enemy? I would think the safe bet is on both. Bruce Wayne getting close to Lex Luthor through some business deal seems a very plausible scenario... could we even see a Batman villain involved?

3. When will Superman get his "The Dark Knight"?
The thought of seeing Batman and Superman together in live action makes the 5-year-old in me all giddy, but I'm curious how this affects the Superman franchise going forward. Does this movie effectively replace Man of Steel 2, or is it meant to fit in somewhere between a trilogy of Superman films? Or is Batman in reality going to play a smaller part than we're all thinking right now? Will we still get the chance to see a fully-formed, fully-realized Superman at his best, facing off (as Batman did) against his greatest arch-enemy Lex Luthor, in a spectacular, engaging film? Not a team-up, but a solo movie, one that is quintessentially 'Superman", and is as memorable and revered as "The Dark Knight" is for Batman?

4. What will the Batman franchise look like after Superman/Batman? What are WB's plans for Batman after this film? When might we see a new solo Batman flick? Will it come after the inevitable Justice League film? It will almost certainly be a more fanciful take, perhaps with more colorful versions of Batman's rogues gallery. Are we more likely to see Robin in this more fanciful world?

5. Why does WB feel this is the right time for a Superman/Batman Movie?
How long has the studio been planning to make this move? Was it a decision that Zack Snyder and David Goyer were involved in, or did the idea come down from WB higher-ups? Did they count on "Man of Steel" making more than it has (which has actually not been bad at all!) at the box office, and are looking to give the next film the "Batman Bump"? Are they just really eager to get the shared DC Universe moving on the silver screen the way Marvel has? Perhaps they just came up with a great story for these characters that they are anxious to show moviegoers. Frankly, I don't know whether it is or is not the right time, but like the rest of the world I'll be watching the developments closely!

"Man of Steel" Brings the Fight!

I saw Man of Steel on Friday! I'll simply offer my 5 word review - I really, REALLY liked it!

At first I was put off by many critics' frosty reception to the film - but having now seen it for myself, I don't know what I was worried about!

It appears Superman saw fit to bypass the professional critics as well. If the opening box office is any indication, average people like me are believing in the Man of Steel too.

Am I un-biased? No. Are you? I doubt it. We filter things differently. Admittedly, I'm a sucker for superheroes. I filter movies differently than many critics do, that's for sure. In that sense, they really didn't see the same film I did.

Anyway, I could attempt a point-by-point rebuttal to many of the criticisms pointed towards the film, but that really seems silly. You know what you like and what you don't like. Trying to talk someone into liking a film they didn't like to begin with? Where's the enjoyment in that? Trying to talk someone out of liking a film that they clearly do like? What's the point?

To the Man of Steel devotees and detractors on forums and messageboards - whether you loved it, hated it, or otherwise; the film is 2hrs & 23mins out of your life, please keep it in perspective.

DC vs Marvel at the Movies - Who Wins?

The movie Man of Steel is almost upon us, and I'm eagerly waiting with tickets in hand. I've been carefully navigating the comic book movie sites online, and while trying to avoid colliding with spoilers, I witness a lot of arguments about whether it's DC or Marvel that "wins" when it comes to the movies. Sometimes I have to roll my eyes...

Everything in pop culture is cyclical. A movie about Superman or Spider-man "wins" for the moment, and then, sooner or later, people get excited about something else. Then, Superman and Spider-man eventually come back.

If you're laughing at DC for not getting many movies out for their characters, just take a step back and remember that there was a time when Marvel basically had nothing going on movie-wise, apart from some dreadful direct-to-video releases.

The Christopher Reeve Superman, and later the Micheal Keaton Batman were the kings of superhero cinema for quite some time. Who's the "winner"? The argument seems a little silly. These images from Marvel's old "What The--?!" parody series provide some context for the whole debate;

Whether it's Marvel's fun and fantasy, or DC's complexity and emotional engagement that push the right buttons for you, does it have to turn into a flame war? Marvel (Disney) or DC (Warner Bros.) could change their approach to their respective movie franchises anyway. If you know what you like, (or even if you like both) can't we just leave it at that?

Few of us have any financial interest in Marvel or DC, so we don't "win" in that way... But if the competition brings us even better movies about the characters we grew up reading, then we all win!