I am currently reading Adventures of Superman... will comment on the issue when I reach it.

I'm with Fignuts, man.

At first I thought the dialogue was gonna be another 'World of Cardboard' thing for Superman and he puts the Clown Prince of Crime in his place, but then things got seriously meta enough to take me out of the story and I know the writer had to have had some kind of issue with Joker as a fictional character.

There's been tons of moments in comics where one character lays in to another with a 'Why You Suck' speech. Many of which delivered from Emma Frost. I have no qualms with a nice stinging deconstruction. That's fine. But those panels up there is a writer burying, HHH style, one of the greatest villains of all time. Maybe he's just a Superman fanboy. Maybe he hates the Joker character. Who knows... But consider the implications of this, as well as why I think DC should have asked for a rewrite:

- When you have a scene where it goes from 'Why You Suck' to 'Why this character fucking sucks balls', you undermine a character and remove his validity as a threat in his home Universe. Yeah we get it; there's a ton of villains that Superman would absolutely mop, and that's why certain heroes simply have to stay their lane. Clark can go to Central City and clean it up; so what? Let's toss Big S in every city. DC Universe is cleaned up sans the truly powerful threats - the Luthor's and the Darksieds. That's nice.

- This also has the side-effect of making Batman out to be just as invalid a hero. A major theme is how he does what he does without magic or being meta-human. He deals with some of the most chilling villains ever seen. "But if it was Superman he'd handle it." Right? Right? Fuck Batman and his toolset, why don't he make an Iron Man suit that does everything a Kryptonian can. Right? It pisses on Batman, pisses on his rogues gallery, all for this writer to mock up some Kryptonian porn.

- "Get the hell out of my city" might as well be "Get the hell out of comics" with a speech like that.

- The Justice League cartoons and even before that, the Superman/Batman crossover movie of the DCAU era, also used the fact that Clark can handle Joker - often to a matter of fact effect. But under no circumstance did they 'bury' the Joker. He was a threat. And he even carried one JL episode as the sole threat. For the Justice League. That's not Joker fanboyism, that's just the danger of a 'crazy genius' guy like the Joker. His menace is not just that he can gather "cheap gasoline" and plant it in semi-random places. If that was the case Bruce wouldn't take his schemes so super-seriously.

So yeah I didn't take kindly to that above scene. Not as a Joker, Superman, or batman fanboy - as a comic fan. It does serious disservice to several characters and comic tropes at once - including Superman himself. What does "Anybody could play you/write you" even mean in a comic universe setting? How does that not clue you in that the writer's trying to make some point?

Just passive aggressive and blatant and counter-productive.

I'm sorry, but no. One out-of-continuity comic where a writer goes meta does not bury or destroy a character. And frankly, after seeing a hundred different writers take their turns tearing Superman down and dragging him through the mud, it's refreshing to see someone turn it on one of the bad guys for once. If the Joker is so fragile that he can't take one monologue in a non-canon story without being undermined and destroyed forever, then to be honest he probably wasn't all he was cracked up to be to begin with.

As for heroes having to stay in their box or risk ruining the fun for other characters, that pretty much applies only to Gotham City. Non-S villains like Sinestro, Grodd, Black Adam, Ares, Malefa'ac, et al could put a serious hurt on Clark, so I really don't have a problem with Superman dropping into Central City or wherever to lend a hand. Hell, people fight each other's villains all the time in the Marvel universe without it being a problem. It's only Gotham that causes this division, without having to ramp up character favoritism.

I love me some Batman, and I love me some Joker, I really do. But the protective bubble that writers have placed over Gotham, to where no other characters are ever allowed to look cool or effective in the presence of someone in the Bat-Franchise, is fucking ridiculous. Time and time again, they make this huge deal about how hey, fuck superpowers, just get Batman to handle it while all the mega-powered demigods and aliens are tripping over their own feet. For the sake of making sure Batman and Gotham City as a whole are never made out to be anything less than the coolest thing ever, the rest of the entire DC Universe is made to look weak and ineffectual.

So no, I don't mind Superman trouncing Joker and making Batman's job look easy. God knows if there's one franchise that needs to be taken down a peg or two, it's that one.

Enough in-fighting. Let us all ridicule a villain we can all hate.

http://www.shortpacked.com/comics/2011-01-31-blind.png

Nice.

Celebrating Batman's 75th Anniversary, Bruce Timm will produce a new animated short, which may or may not be set in the DCAU. And if that's not enough, a Batman Beyond animated short is being produced as well. There may also be a historical short like the Superman one a few months ago.

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Did you really have to post it in both threads?

I... didn't know where to post it.

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Superman's 75th anniversary vid was better.

But that was good as well.

I really miss the DCAU.

Dick Grayson is now a super-spy in the New 52, in a new on-going simply titled "Grayson".

No, seriously.

http://www.newsarama.com/images/i/00...JPG?1397541036

Well, at least he's not dead.

Dick Grayson should not under any circumstances be pointing a gun at us. I already hate everything about this.

Well he was a cop in Bludhaven for a bit. Probably pointed a gun at some point in that profession.

Don't get me wrong, this is ridiculous.

Son of Batman is now online.

NICE

That is awesome news

Good movie but not great. Way better than JL:War. Something I'd buy/want to own but not at 19.99 or anything.

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TOO SHOOOOORT

Daaaamn. Really did need to be longer.

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Just so we're clear; that is Kevin Conroy, Tara Strong, and CCH Pounder returning for their characters (Tara replaces Arleen as Harley for all media - including a cameo on Arrow).

Troy Baker reprises his Origins Joker role, Hammil sits this one out.

The story is essentially on the outskirts of a typical Batman vs Joker event, which is a unique perspective.

Oh this is gonna be awesome. Well minus Tara replacing Arleen. I do love Tara Strong but she'll always be Bubbles to me.

http://www.newsarama.com/images/i/00...jpg?1395075002

This just wins.

However you feel about him; Zack Snyder is indeed going to direct Justice League after Batman vs Superman. It's a lock.

BOOOOOOOOOOOO

Kind of a bummer that Man of Steel was more a vehicle for a DC Cinematic Universe than kick starting his own series. WB may be going at this in a linear way rather than MCU's converge/diverge film style. That might be a good thing, but I'm not so sure they know what they're doing right now.

Honestly have no beef with Zach Snyder.

Efrem Zimbalist Jr., voice of Alfred of the DCAU, died at the age of 95. For a lot of us he was the Alfred, guiding Bruce with his sarcastic wisdom.

http://league.jmkprime.org/wp-conten...-Part-1-06.jpg

Damn. RIP. The best Alfred.

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Got it covered:

http://www.tpwwforums.com/showthread.php?t=126525

What may be very interesting discussions now have a home thread. This thing developed fast. Just yesterday we were copy-pasting rumors of this thing.

CW officially orders The Flash and iZombie for the upcoming 2014-2015 season, while NBC does the same for Constantine.

So many comic book tv shows....

Most from a single source. DC is really reaching out, and it helps that their TV record is actually pretty good.

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The Trinity's Mother's Day:

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...2fhn5hevhy.png

Gotham will be airing Mondays at 8PM (going head to head with MONDAY NIGHT RAW)

The Flash will be airing Tuesdays at 8PM (Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is being moved to 9PM, so no direct competition there)

Constantine will be airing Fridays at 10PM

Terrible time slot for Constantine.

Anyone post this?

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Yes.

Twice even.

DC Cancels the following titles:

All-Star Western
Superboy
Birds of Prey
Batwing
The Phantom Stranger
Pandora


All-Star Western was actually pretty sweet, and one of the only New 52 books worth reading. Though I am way behind on it.

So close to winning!!!

Interesting. The 90/91 Flash show had tons of potential IIRC.

Did somebody do a Flash thread yet?

Dick Grayson is one of my favorite DC characters. Curious to see where this new direction takes him.

My guess would be cancellation

Tim Burton's Batman, a major sub-genre game changer, released 25yrs ago today.

Mark your calenders and count down the days...

The Flash on CW will premiere on October 7th (8PM)
Arrow on CW will premiere on October 8th (8PM)

ARRGHH I liked Batwing He was like a more well ajusted spider=man

BATNEWS!!!

So........are the higher-ups at DC just not aware that there are lots of other really interesting settings in their universe outside of Gotham City?

Nah, they just screwed most of the rest up. Gotham and its characters were mostly untouched by the reboot, so that is where everyone wants to play.

Yeah, but still, I mean............DC has a super-high-tech city run by super-intelligent gorillas, a Jurassic Park island full of dinosaurs, underwater kingdoms and island nations of sexy Amazon warrior women, tons of different crazy alien civilizations and parallel universes and time-travelers who interact with the modern world all the time......and yet everyone only seems interested in the giant slum-city where life sucks and nobody gets any better. It just seems, I dunno, un-ambitious.

The only thing that really bothers about the bat reboots is Tim Drake's new origin.

I think Wonder Woman has fared well in the reboot (not the Superman romance stuff but her own title)

R.E.B.E.L.S. was really good before it was canceled in the impending Flashpoint.

There was a lot of stuff that was really good before Flashpoint.

At least we got Animal Man out of it.

http://i.newsarama.com/images/i/000/...jpg?1404392956

August sees certain comics having 'Selfie' variant covers.

As little as I like selfies, I kinda like that.

A New 52 comic where people are smiling? WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?!?!

Every time I see New 52 Superman I weep and feel so depressed....

I still hate the costume with a fiery passion, but I'm kinda sorta really digging the comics themselves. Action Comics has been pretty amazing from the start IMO, and has only gotten better with Greg Pak taking the reins from Grant Morrison, bringing a similar level of creativity as Morrison but more accessible. Scott Snyder and Jim Lee's Superman Unchained has been a lot of fun too, if not on the same level as Snyder's Batman stuff. Adventures of Superman was fantastic, and I hate that it got canceled. And even though I don't like them together, the Superman/Wonder Woman book has done a great job of showing their relationship as both a duo and as a couple.

The main Superman comic itself has been pretty terrible, but it looks like they're trying to turn it around with Geoff Johns and Romita Jr. Johns' last run on Superman was amazing, and his first issue back on the book looks like he hasn't lost his touch.

Justice League is still awful, though.

Got Batman: Year One and New 52 Joker: Death of the Family today, heard they are good reads.

On the subject of DC Comics moving away from being a constant total downer, Batgirl apparently is getting a new creative team and a more upbeat book, complete with a new costume:

http://mtv.mtvnimages.com/uri/mgid:f...0&quality=0.85

http://mtv.mtvnimages.com/uri/mgid:f...0&quality=0.85



Gotta say, I dig it.

On the one hand I'm not happy they're taking Gail on this book. On the other hand...holy hell that's a great redesign.

I'd go with the tighter top but I dig it.

I thought that was just fan art. Saw it the other day.

Looking it up, I see it is legit. I like the costume, but it seems more suited to a younger teenage Batgirl rather than an adult.

Would have been cool on Stephanie Brown.

Well, Barbara's supposed to be the same age as Dick Grayson, who's only about 21 or 22 in the New 52 continuity, so it makes sense that she'd look younger too. I know that continuity-wise that it doesn't really add up, since now both of their careers are ridiculously compressed, but that's more the fault of DC trying to have their cake and eat it too when it comes to the Bat-Family history in the reboot.

Personally, I think they should've hit the hard reset on Batman just like they did with everybody else. If Barbara's Batgirl again, have her just be Batgirl, not the Superheroine Formerly Known As Oracle. It's pretty clear at this point that they don't have any plans to do anything with Stephanie Brown or Cassandra Cain, so Batgirl should have already filled the "late-teen/early-twentysomething girl superhero" slot from the start-- y'know, Batgirl, not The Other, Not-Lesbian Batwoman.

Really, though, I'm just happy that they're giving a major character a more upbeat-sounding book-- anything from DC that isn't more depressing ultra-violent garbage can only be a good thing, right?

There's a not-lesbian batwoman now?

DC is overdoing it with the bat females I think.

Batgirl. Not Batwoman. There's a difference.

Nonono, I just meant that in her present capacity, Barbara Gordon was basically the same role as Batwoman, only not a lesbian. Hence the comma after the word 'other.,

So... Young Justice is amazing.

Just a little behind the times, but... I mean... holy fuck this is good.

The comic book or the show. Both are great, and then subsequently followed by the disappointment of their cancellation.

The show. I'm three episodes in and blown away.

Young Justice was probably the best interpretation of the DC Universe I've seen in a really long time. The second season has some problems, but overall it was fantastic, and it's a damn shame that more didn't come out of it.

YES

If YJ went for many more seasons and had a Justice League spin-off, I think it would have replaced the DCAU as the best fucking comic cartoon ever.

Hey guys, The Rock is totally gonna be Shazam. Probably. Most likely. Yeah.

This not only adds credibility that wild list from weeks ago, it shows that The People's Champ seems destined to be in a Captain Marvel movie. In the past, even before the Lobo talk, he was pined to be Black Adam (something I still is better for him).

Rumor, grain of salt, whatever he's totally Shazam.

It has been confirmed that the DC Cinematic Universe and CW Universe are two separate things.

However, Flash and Arrow will be very organic, swapping characters every so often. Episode 8 of both shows will be a crossover event.

Grodd kinda sorta confirmed.

Seems like a poor decision to me, could flesh out the universe so much.

Well it all have to start with Zod's hijack message happening on both Arrow and Flash, and dealing with the ramification of that event like Winter Soldier to Agents. However, this would confirm more than a few elements preceding Superman, such as metahumans and superheroes - both of which being treated as brand new on Man of Steel as a plot point.

Just too late to make that call, I guess.

I suppose you're right, but the idea of them tying together is just so awesome to me.

Now we will have 2 Quicksilvers and 2 Flashs, everyone gets 2 speedsters I guess.

I'm glad its separate. Arrow is worlds better than MoS was, and I'd worry about the imposition of the JL characters into Ollie's world. Big hopes for Flash, too.

While I can see how difficult it would be to integrate MoS into Arrow's continuity at this point, it does seem rather silly to have two different live-action DC Universes going on at the same time-- four, if we're counting Gotham and Constantine. Plus, it likely means that a lot of the guys showing up in Arrow and Flash won't be in the Justice League movie, and a Justice League without the Flash is unacceptable.

Loopy is a million times right on this. Arrow is so much better then Man of Steel, and I don't want Arrow to be anywhere near it.

It really doesn't matter if there's two universe's. It truly will affect nothing.

There's no reason to believe we won't see a movie version of the Flash. I also like that they're separating the movie universe from the tv one. All you're doing is potentially hampering creativity by forcing different writers and directors to stick to a certain continuity or style that they are not apart of. The reason it works for Marvel is because that was the plan all along. Clearly, DC is not following suit nor should they feel the need to.

In comics news, after falling behind the current Batman run, I have caught up on the current Zero Year arc, and have to say that I am eagerly anticipating the climax in the next issue. I am also eager to hear where it goes from there.

Ok superheros are a new thing in DC cinematic universe but we know Batman has been Batman for a while before he meets Superman so my question is this: is Batman only an urban legend at this point?

What in God's name is that?

Good Lord, it's a Bat-Gundam.

I think it's a redesign of Batman done by Square Enix for comic-con.

The creator of Kingdom Hearts rather.