Blog Archives
#Kirby 100: Jack and the Argo Nuts
Sure, Jack Kirby’s a revered artist, and he created some of the best known comic characters around. Captain America and the Avengers and the Inhumans and the X-men, Galactus and the Silver Surfer and Red Skull and Darkseid, Kirby had a major hand in the stories and look of the heroes and villains currently raking in millions upon millions for film franchises on both sides of the ‘verse divide. He’s a giant of a figure, as BBP continues celebrating a summer of Kirby at 100. But did you know Jack Kirby was a spy?
Wonder Woman rules the box office world
DC finally got their movies right, as the first blockbuster film to star and be helmed by women did great business at the box office. Here’s what went down:
With the type of reviews and excitement usually reserved for Marvel movies, Wonder Woman had a stellar debut weekend at the box office, landing in first place with $100.5 million. This is the biggest debut for a female led blockbuster, with Gal Gadot starring and Patty Jenkins directing the origin of Diana of Themyscira. I just got back from the film and, while I found it a little long (like most super hero film movies are), I thought Gadot was absolutely astounding in the role. She had very little screen time in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, so it was definitely wonderful to see her shine on screen. Though she had no difficulties carrying the film, she certainly was surrounded by great actors like David Thewlis and Robin Wright. Forget Batman or Superman – the real leader of the upcoming big screen Justice League team should be Wonder Woman.
Injustice 2 is what the DC Cinematic Universe should aspire to
One of my favourite comic book series of the past five years has been the (mostly) Tom Taylor-penned Injustice: Gods Among Us. It originally began as a tie-in to the Warner Brothers Interactive video game released back in 2013. The game takes place in an alternate DC Universe, where The Joker kills Lois Lane and nukes Metropolis, leading a grief-stricken Superman to murder the Clown Prince of Crime and go about establishing a totalitarian regime around the world, dedicated to eradicating crime before it happens. This puts Superman and his associates against Batman, and the story plays out in fighter-style as the two teams rage against each other.
Taylor’s story became its own thing, adding faces not featured in the game and fleshing out character and motivations. Because it was and is a standalone story, deaths happen, matter, and last, which is a rarity in the regular DC Universe. The series and the original game were huge hits, and while the comic has been an ongoing release, it’s taken four years for a sequel to the game to arrive on shelves.
It was worth the wait.
‘Teen Titans: The Judas Contract’ Brings Betrayal and Animated Action to Blu-ray
DTA.
Don’t trust anybody.
That’s the lesson the Teen Titans learn in the new Warner Brothers Animation/DC Universe Original Movie, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, which hits Blu-ray/DVD this Tuesday.
Your Childhood Cartoons Meets Comics In “Green Lantern/Space Ghost Annual #1” & Others On The Wednesday Run
Never the two shall meet.
But it’s a little kid’s dream, isn’t it?
Those after school or Saturday morning cartoons – the ones that we ALL loved so much, made even more real, given a heightened sense of heroic justification, when intermingled with the heroes of the comic books we read!
I mean, we’d regularly have crossover adventures between cartoon and comic book heroes, universes, genres and pop culture mediums with the toys that we’d buy at the local store.
We were ahead of our time.
Green Lantern. Space Ghost. Suicide Squad. Banana Splits. Booster Gold. The Flintstones. Adam Strange. Jonny Quest.
Cartoons and comic books – never the two shall meet?
Not today – today we get ALL the meetings!
Holiday Gift Guide 2016: DC on DVD, Blu-ray and Playstation 4
Whether you’re into films or video games or both, there have been lots of great DC releases out this past year. You can’t go wrong with getting any of these for the fan in your life, regardless of how familiar they are with the stories or characters.
Batman Beyond: The Complete Series
I can’t recommend this collection highly enough for a few reasons. First, let’s start off simply by saying how great this series is, especially at telling the story of a 21st-century Batman. It has certainly stood the test of time from its late 1990s debut, and I say this as someone who just began watching it via this new set from Warner Brothers. Secondly, this is an economically sound way to get the three-season run of a show that was just as strong as the groundbreaking Batman: The Animated Series, which it is connected to in no small part by the voice of Kevin Conroy as an aged out Caped Crusader who takes teenage Terry McGinnis under his wing. Absolutely essential.
DC Legends Is Great – Here’s How It Could Be Better
Marvel’s been making a lot of noise in the app gaming market for a few years. Although DC has remained competitive, the company may have just made its biggest move yet to take on the likes of Marvel’s Contest Of Champions and Marvel Future Fight. That new move is the rollout of DC Legends, a brand new app designed by Warner Bros. and combining all of the best elements of superhero mobile games.
In this game, the Blackest Night prophecy has fallen on the world and your job is to assemble your own team of DC heroes and villains, take on Nekron, and restore peace to the world. Along the way you can interact with a robust array of characters, master different types of combat, and take on other live players in various competitive leagues. Simply put, the game thrives for two reasons. It’s thorough in its content, and it is presented in a visually appealing, action-packed, and legitimately challenging manner. This is a high-end mobile superhero game.
Trailer Time: Wonder Woman
A new trailer for Wonder Woman just dropped and all I could think of was, “that’s more like it.” Unlike Man of Steel or Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, this film isn’t selling bleak. Take a look and let us know what you think.
Wonder Woman arrives in theaters June 2nd, 2017.
Travel Back in Time with “Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders” in November
When Ben Affleck was first announced as portraying Batman in the recent DC Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, plenty of Batman fans expressed outrage. It was just a few years after Christian Bale hung up his cowl there was yet another version of the Caped Crusader hitting cinemas? Not to mention that contingent of fans who were still invested in Michael Keaton as Bats (or George Clooney… or Val Kilmer… I mean, those people exist, right?).
What about those old school diehards who still think Adam West was the best Batman of all time? (Hey, there’s room for all of us in the Batverse!) Well, good news, Batfans! There’s a new movie with Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin. And if you’re wondering how much CGI it will take to erase 50 years, there’s an answer: none.
Read the rest of this entry
“Suicide Squad” Stays Strong in its Second Weekend
In keeping with DC film tradition, last week’s number one had a substantial fall from grace, while an R-rated animated film made an impact. Here’s what went down:
Suicide Squad managed to hold on to the top spot at the box office for the second week in a row with relative ease, bringing in an estimated $44 million, raising its two week total to a solid $223 million. The downside of that still strong number is the film fell 67% week to week, which is close to the 69% decline that Batman vs. Superman was hit with in its second weekend. It will be interesting to see if Suicide Squad is able to clear $300 in North America before its run is over.
