IGN has posted the final variant cover to Batman: Battle for the Cowl #3 by Tony Daniel. This time round featuring Jason Todd.

(Source - IGN Comics)

CBR have posted an interview with voice actor Tara Strong who will be voicing Huntress in next weeks episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Also well none for her voice credit as Batgirl from the original Batman: TAS.

CBR: To begin with, were you aware of the history of Huntress before you were cast in the episode, and did you have to do any kind of research for the part?

Tara Strong: I wasn’t aware of her. I’m trying to think where I’d seen her? I don’t know what run she originated from. When I was little I collected (comics) but I don’t really remember her. I didn’t do much research on her, but I do know that, particularly for the “Batman the Animated Series,” as opposed to other animated series, the characters are very real and generally dark, although this run of Batman is a little bit lighter than the previous one.

CBR: How do you see the character of Huntress and her relationship to Batman?

TS: Well, she is strong, sexy, and smart and does not take crap from anybody. It’s always fun to have a strong female character ,and thankfully the Batman run does really have several very good strong female characters. I liked her in her drawing too. That she’s not like completely this perfect little nothing; she’s got a strong, strong body. She’s a kick-ass girl.

CBR: Can you tell us anything about the episode? She teams up with Batman and the Blue Beetle, correct?

TS: I know that initially she ‘s not so gung-ho having help from Batman, of course, but they end up working together. I remember there’s a lot of really great action sequences and she does not stand down for anyone.

For the entire interview click here...

(Source - CBR.com)

I've just received an email from WB animation stating that tomorrow's episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold Ep16 "Night of the Huntress" has been moved back to next week May 8th on Cartoon Network.


Don't forget those living in the UK, that Brave and the Bold will be airing on Cartoon Network Tuesday May 5th

Check out the images and video of "Night of the Huntress", post a couple of weeks back by clicking here - Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Night of the Huntress

Here are the new air dates and episode coming up:

Friday, May 8: “Night of the Huntress!”
Friday, May 15: “Menace of the Conqueror Caveman!”
Friday, May 22: “The Color of Revenge!”
Friday, May 29: “Legends of the Dark Mite!”

Keep checking back for more images and video's over the coming weeks. The new episodes look fantastic and I can't wait to post them as their is an embargo on each episode a week before it airs.

DC The Source have revealed the cover to Christopher Yost and Ramon Bachs Red Robin #3 along with some additional artwork from #2. Ramon Bachs pencil work is truly outstanding and I can't wait to see the fully inked and colored issue.

To see all the images from issues two click here...

IGN Games.com have released a new Batman: Arkham Asylum trailer titled "Bane Breakout", showing loads of fighting sequences and Batman tackling both Killer Croc and Bane...

Also Sefton Hill talks to IGN about the principle behind the free flow combat featured in the above video.

IGN: What is FreeFlow Combat?

Sefton Hill: FreeFlow Combat is designed to let the player experience what it is like to be the master of hand-to-hand combat, allowing them to showdown with huge groups of the Joker's henchmen in brutal melee brawls while chaining together unlimited combos seamlessly.

The player is not limited by which animations can link together or by having to learn a series of button combinations to pull off a move. They are free to perform any move at any time and as long as this move is successful, the player can continue this flow until they have taken down all the villains!

The combat has a unique look and feel. All of the moves flow beautifully together because of the way that Batman reacts to his attackers based on their positions and attacks. Each fight session looks beautifully choreographed, however the player is in complete control at all times.

IGN: How does it work from the player's perspective?

Sefton Hill: The main moves from the start of the game are the strike, counter, cape stun, redirect and ground takedown.

The strike is self explanatory and allows Batman to attack in any direction. The counter button allows Batman to block and then counter incoming assailants. This is definitely one of the most satisfying moves to pull off, as Batman catches an incoming fist or grabs the leg as a thug tries to kick him and then exacts a swift, painful response.

The redirect move causes Batman to vault over incoming thugs or flip out of the way of attacks. This move gives players more space and time when surrounded, and the cape stun move uses the weighted tips of Batman's cape to temporarily stun all thugs within close proximity. Both of these moves become essential tactics for some of the more skilful and well armed thugs later in the game.

Finally, there is the ground takedown move. This is an immediate knockout move that can be pull off after knocking a thug to the ground, but it is risky to do as it leaves players vulnerable while they perform the knockout blow.

The key to successful and powerful combat in Batman: Arkham Asylum is chaining all these moves together. This is done by linking together three attacking moves in quick succession. When this is done, players enter FreeFlow and all moves become much more powerful and cover a much greater range. All of these moves can be used as part of the combo flow, with the long range ground takedown particularly spectacular as Batman summersaults and spins in the air before landing on his target and punching them out. As long as players continue to perform successful moves, this combo can continue indefinitely! However, if they make a mistake, they will lose their combo and leave themselves vulnerable to attack.

Once players have mastered the basics they can introduce Batarangs, the Batclaw, takedowns and throws into their combo flow, all of which increase strategic choices even further and must be used against tougher enemies further along in the game.

For the entire interview click here...

(Source - IGN Games.com)

I know, I know this isn't Batman... but I thought I should mention that the special features have been announced on the upcoming DC Universe animated movie Green Lantern: First Flight. The one I thought you should know about is:

-Exclusive Sneak Peek at DC Universe's Upcoming Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

The DVD / Blu-ray release isn't until July 28th now, but the new artwork for the 2-disc edition looks awesome.

More Dan Didio 20 Q&A with Newsarama were he give us an update on the top 20 (or 25 this time around), questions from the fans.

As always I've summarised the Batman questions from the interview...

7. We have a few more questions asking about the Batgirl series – is it something that’s still out there, or is it something that will be retro-solicited after, perhaps, the conclusion of the Oracle miniseries?

DD: No – it’s not going to be retro-solicited. It will be hitting shops in August. As will Adventure Comics.

10. Any word on who will be sharing the art duties on Batman & Robin with Frank Quitely?

DD: We’ve selected our artist, and we’ll be announcing them soon. I’d prefer to have the book on the stands before announcing who the next artist will be – let’s get Frank’s work out there and give it a chance to shine before people start to worry about what’s next. But he’s currently working on another project, and will start his arc on Batman & Robin as soon as he’s done with that.

17. A question that was asked in the context of Marvel’s recent re-introduction of Spider-Man 2099 – will we ever see more of Batman Beyond in the DC Universe?

DD: We touched upon him in Countdown, I know, but as of right now, there are no plans for a series or appearances. Sorry.

NRAMA: Is there a bit of...resistance towards using that character since it was something that came from the animated side of things to DC, rather than moving from DC to the animation?

DD: You mean like the resistance to us using Harley Quinn or Live Wire or Renee Montoya? (laughs)

NRAMA: Okay, good point, my fault for forgetting her.

DD: It’s really just the issue with the time frame – Batman Beyond is a future of Batman’s world, and it’s different from what we have established in the DCU right now, and rather than do a separate series based on a different timeline, we’d rather explore what we have currently going on in the DCU. It’s just not a future for Batman that we are looking to explore right now.

NRAMA: Because even an introduction of Terry McGuiness as a character starts a clock ticking, in a sense?

DD: Yep.

23. In 2007 – an eight-part miniseries called Batman: Odyssey was announced, with art by Neal Adams and dialogue by Frank Miller...

DD: Since it was never announced by DC Comics, it’s hard for me to comment on something that’s not really official...

But something like that would be great wouldn’t it? More than that, I’d like to be someone actively participating in that if it was happening. Nothing would excite me more to be working with Neal Adams on a new Batman project. Neal Adams was probably one of the first artists to make me truly excited about Batman in the 1970s when I first encountered his artwork, and I think he’s still one of the true masters of the craft out there working today and can deliver above expectations at any time.

For the entire 20 Q&A click here...

(Source - Newsarama.com)

Dustin Nguyen posted an amazing image of Batman and Robin looking over a burning Gotham from the pages of Batman Streets of Gotham. I just love the fact that this is the new Batman and Robin and how strong he looks... fantastic image.

(Source - DUSTIN NGUYEN BLOG)

Spotted some more Batman 3 talk over at Superherohype.com, who have posted an excerpt from Total Film who recently talked to Christian Bale about the follow-up to The Dark Knight quoting -

"Will we do a third movie? It's got to be the right story. You can't make something like 'The Dark Knight' and then come out with something disappointing.

"I would like it if people say, 'You'll never make a good third movie.' I say, 'OK, let's make a third movie in that case, let's prove them wrong. But that's just me. The fact is, I have to! I've signed up! Chris doesn't. So I'm in a bit of a fix if he says he doesn't want to!"

(Source - Superherohype.com / Total Film.com)

Tony Daniel has posted a new image from BFTC #3 of Nightwing on his blog titled "RETRIBUTION"

Tony Daniel says, he's just finished the issue today and that Battle for the Cowl #1 has gone to a second reprint so hopefully we will see a new cover soon?

(Source - Tony Daniel Blog)

I spotted this over at Superman home page who posted that Harper Collins Publishers has given fans the opportunity to read the first 8 chapters (57 pages) of Kevin J. Anderson's new novel Batman & Superman: Enemies and Allies.

If your a fan of prose novels then, this one looks like a must for Batman and Superman fans alike.


To read all eight chapters click here...

(Source - Supermanhomepage.com / HarperCollins.com)

DCUO Myspace has just released a new video from lead environment creator Brian Steven showing some additional behind the scene from the game. This also shows some environment sketches from Gotham and a small appearance from Catwoman.

And here we go... Gotham Knights Online podcast #4. Every fortnight we get together to discuss all the current news topics, merchandise announcements, media news and also reviewing as many of the Batman comics that have been released in that two week period.

This week we have an interview with comic book writer Ivory Madison, who wrote last years Huntress: Year One and talk her time on that book as well and a hit of a new title she will be working on for DC Comics.

Show Schedule:
- Introductions: 00:00 - 01:46

- Interview: 01:46 - 27:30
This week we talk with comic book writer Ivory Madison, who wrote last years Huntress: Year One and talk about her time on that book as well and a hint of a new title she will be working on for DC Comics.
She discusses her affinity with the Dark Knight as being a life long fan. Her love for Huntress and working along side artist Cliff Richards

It was really great to talk with her especially in regards to Huntress hitting the #10 top spot for best selling book on Amazon!

- News Topics: 27:30- 45:19
Newsarama - Mark Bagley to join Judd Winick on Batman (starting issue #688).
Newsarama - The Question Co-feature – Greg Rucka and Cully Hammer on the co-feature in the back of Detective Comics. DC The Source artwork revealed.
DC The Source – More artwork reveals – Batwoman Design, Red Robin #2 Cover and interior artwork for #1, Dustin Nguyen creative process.
CBR - Christopher Yost talks about Red Robin and the focus on the search for Bruce Wayne.
IGN – Tony Daniel talks about BFTC #2 and the characterisation of Jason Todd, Tim Drake and Dick Grayson.
IGN - Green Lantern (Blackest Night) #43 – Bruce Wayne Grave with Black Hand

- Media News: 45:19 - 53:53
DC Universe – Superman / Batman Public Enemies announcement.
New Batman: Arkham Asylum trailers for Bane and Harley Quinn.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold Ep16 “Night of the Huntress!”

- Comic Reviews: 53:53
Batman Confidential #28
Batman: Battle for the Cowl #2
Battle for the Cowl: Oracle #2

- Gotham Knights Online Podcast #4
(Right click and save as)

NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHT iTUNES. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE.

We would love some feedback on the podcasts so please post on the message boards or send an email to me at jondoe297@live.com. If you have any questions that you want reading out on the show, even if your able to send us them as an audio file so we can include on the show, then again send to either jondoe297@live.com or on Skype and leave a voice mail to bobby.tilley

Hope you enjoy and look forward to hearing what people think.

Bob, Howard and Gary.

One of my favorite comic interview and podcast sites is the "Sidebar" who every week interview various professionals from the comic book industry in general.

While doing my "own" leg work look for news to bring you each day. I was happy to see that have posted a podcast interview yesterday with artist Dustin Nguyen, talking about his previous work on Detective Comics with Paul Dini and also his upcoming work on Batman: Streets of Gotham.

To listen to the podcast click here to go over to Sidebar and download the podcast.

Also check out the interview with one of my favorite artist Kelly Jones, who did an amazing run on Batman back in the 90's and most recently "Gotham After Midnight" by click here...

(Source - Sidebar.com)

Newsarama have taken a look back at the Boy Wonder since it's launch back in 1993 and how Tim Drake has grown from novice sidekick to a confident and capable hero while undergoing a series of tragedies that would have psychologically and emotionally crippled virtually anyone else.

Also Fabian Nicieza talks about his last run on Robin up to #183 and the importance of the character to the Batman universe.

Newsarama: In a single sentence – if you can - summarize Tim Drake’s journey from amateur detective discovering Batman’s identity to his role as a potential successor to Batman in Battle for the Cowl.

Fabian Nicieza: Tim Drake's journey from adolescence to young adulthood has shown the evolution of an individual who has gone from wanting to do the right with his life to an individual who is living his life in order to do the right thing.

Now, I could say a million things that build on that sentence, but you do have your rules and I must respect them.

NRAMA: Most members of the Bat-family have some area where they excel beyond the abilities of their allies (Barbara Gordon’s technical savvy, Dick Grayson’s natural leadership, etc.). Is there any characteristic for which Tim Drake is more talented than Batman or his close allies?

FN: Well, I'm sure some readers and previous writers might disagree, but taking into account everything that has happened to Tim since he became Robin, and the fact I had the opportunity to write a Tim Drake who had to take all those things into account, I would say what sets him quite apart from the others now is his increased understanding of the need to manipulate events to achieve the desired results, combined with the savvy of knowing how to manipulate them.

Tim knows he can't out-punch the majority of his opponents just as he knows he can't out-punch crime in Gotham (much less the world). So... I see him now as someone who begrudgingly accepts the need to be a little Machiavellian in his approach.

For the entire article with interview click here...

(Source - Newsarma.com)

It's been a slow day for Batman news, so I decided to post some of these "I'm a Marvel, I'm a DC" videos. If you haven't seen 'em before, they're from "Itsjustsomerandomguy" on Youtube. He has a whole bunch of these videos; he started off with Superman and Spider-Man a few years ago, but has since done a bunch more, including these "Dark Knight vs Iron Man" videos! They're really hilarious, check 'em out! And look for our Ivory Madison interview podcast coming soon!

Some great news for those living in the UK, Batman: The Brave and the Bold is to officially air in the on Tuesday 5th of May on the Cartoon network, so get those series links sorted!!!

As exclusively reported last week by GKO. The Batman: Arkham Asylum site has officially gone live today. Head on over to hear the podcast with game director Sefton Hill and check out some exclusive content like wallpapers, screensavers and more by clicking here...

Looking for more Batman: Arkham Asylum material upon its release then also take a look at play.com - Pre-Order with Play.com and receive a token to unlock the in-game Armoured Batsuit (see image below). Take on all the challenge maps in this powerful alternative costume. Click here...

Legendary Batman: TAS and Detective Comics writer Paul Dini has sat down with CBR to talk further about his recent work on Batman: Arkham Asylum...

CBR: How complete was the concept for “Batman: Arkham Asylum” when you were brought in to write the story? Was it already set in stone that the game would be based in Arkham and feature certain characters?

Paul Dini: At the time I was brought in, Eidos, DC Comics and Rocksteady were investigating the idea of doing a Batman game set within Arkham Asylum. The art team at Rocksteady started on some preliminary designs with the idea that Arkham was originally a huge estate set on an island connected to the Gotham mainland by a bridge. As for what characters to use, that was fairly open, though it was a given that as this was Arkham, The Joker would be heavily involved.

CBR: Were there specific runs or story arcs of from the comics that you researched for the game?

PD: Not really. I think everyone involved took another look at Grant Morrison’s graphic novel “Batman: Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth” as well as certain Neal Adams and Frank Miller stories. But while the Arkham location bears some visual similarities to the versions in those stories, the game itself is fairly straightforward, story-wise.

CBR: Did you get to add to Arkham Asylum and reveal things about it that haven’t been seen before?

PD: Working with the game designers, we came up with a lot of new locations that have never been imagined before. By putting Arkham on an island, we opened up a world of locations within the old estate and beneath it. Yes, there are the traditional therapy rooms, operating theatres, and inmate cells, but you see much more of the place than you have ever seen in any of the movies. There are secrets everywhere in terms of hidden passageways, walled-up building wings, and even within the files themselves.

For the entire interview click here...

(Source - CBR.com)

DC The Source as posted the first look and the Manhunter - DC wrote One of the co-features announced recently was MANHUNTER, from writer Marc Andreyko and the very talented Georges Jeanty. The new series, appearing monthly in the new BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM title hitting in July, finds Kate Spencer in Gotham City, now the District Attorney of Batman’s city. How will that play out? Unclear. But we do have a first look at Jeanty’s art for the series, from pencils to finished colors, for you to take a look at.

To see the transistion from pencil to color cover click here...

(Source - DC The Source)

It's been officially announced that the Joker will be an exclusive playable character for the up coming Batman: Arkham Asylum...

Official Press Release:
Eidos Interactive and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announce that The Joker will be an exclusive playable character in Batman: Arkham Asylum for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. The character will be made available upon release as a free down loadable character through PlayStation®Network for the PLAYSTATION 3 and can be played in Challenge Maps from the game. Fans can get additional information in the June issue of PlayStation: The Official Magazine.

In Batman: Arkham Asylum, DC Comics’ DARK KNIGHT takes on his greatest challenge yet when he becomes trapped with all of his most dangerous villains inside the insane asylum of GOTHAM CITY - ARKHAM ASYLUM! Batman: Arkham Asylum exposes players to a unique, dark and atmospheric adventure that takes them to the depths of Arkham Asylum – Gotham’s psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane. Gamers will move in the shadows, instigate fear amongst their enemies and confront The Joker and Gotham City’s most notorious villains who have taken over the asylum. Using a wide range of Batman’s gadgets and abilities, players will become the invisible predator and attempt to foil The Joker’s demented scheme. Batman: Arkham Asylum features an original story penned exclusively for the game by famous Batman author and five-time Emmy award winner, Paul Dini, whose credits include Lost season one and Batman: The Animated Series.

Published in North America by Eidos, Inc. and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Batman: Arkham Asylum will also be available June 2009 on the Xbox 360 and PC.

Newsarama.com have interviewed legendary Star Trek: DS9 actor Armin Shimerman on his newest appearance as the Calculator on the upcoming episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold "Night of the Huntress!"

Here a snippet of what he had to say:

For years, Armin Shimerman has been known as one of the top character actors in the business. Just think of his role as Quark, the ever-scheming Ferengi, on Star Trek: Deep Space 9, and that’s just for starters.

So how does he find working in animation?

“It is over the top,” he admits while on break from Batman: The Brave & the Bold. “So it’s right up my alley. I’ve done mostly science fiction on camera. These wonderful animation characters are basically in the same line. They give me the opportunity to go over the top, which I certainly enjoy doing.”

An admittedly late bloomer in the voice acting field, Shimerman has been making up for lost time with Batman: The Brave & the Bold. On Friday, May 1st, he will voice the role of The Calculator. James Tucker and Mike Jelenic like him so much, he will be returning as two other characters in future episodes this season. One will be as a Green Lantern guardian. The other he won’t say.

For the entire interview click here...

(Source - Newsarama.com)

Hey everyone, quick update; Batman: Arkham Asylum is now officially available for pre-order for PS3, X-Box 360 and PC in both Standard and Collector's edition and is on SALE for $5 off! I wouldn't count on this lasting for too long, so I'd snatch it up now at these great prices ($52 for Standard, $94 for Collector's edition with the awesomesauce 14 INCH BATARANG) before it goes up to standard retail, 'cause it's likely it won't be this low again until after it hits stores this summer.

By the way, use the link below to purchase Arkham Asylum and it will help support our site!

I found an interesting article at LiveScience.com about the plausability of becoming a real-life Batman. Here's what he says you would need to actually become as good as the "Dark Knight":

Holy workout, Batman
Matching Batman's strength might very well be the easiest of your endeavors, according to Zehr, but this will take some time. Power training with weights every day, and knowing what you're doing, you would need three to five years to reach your maximum physical strength capacity. Arnold Schwarzenegger, for example, trained for more than five years before winning his first Mr. Universe title.

Genetics help here, said Zehr. You could workout as hard as Schwarzenegger or Batman and not put on that kind of bulk. This is a result of many genetic factors, such as having high concentrations of the myostatin protein in your body, which hinders muscle tissue growth.

Batman likely didn't have a myostatin issue.

But, Batman is more than muscle-bound. He's a master of judo, tae kwon do, ninjutsu and perhaps a few more martial arts. To master these, Zehr said, Batman would need an additional six to twelve years of training. Then there's the poise needed to bring all these skills together on the street in real-life situations, what police officers call reality-based training. Zehr tacks on another six to eight years.

Being a billionaire, pre-2008 recession, makes things easier. Batman's day job as Bruce Wayne seems to be merely maintaining a playboy facade, allowing the freedom to train daily. Nevertheless, even with Batman's inherited riches, both financial and genetic, you'd still need about 15 to 20 years to prepare for the job.

But could you sustain it?

Staying alive
The hardest part about being Batman, Zehr said, is staying Batman. Injuries would surely take their toll. The constant demand on his body likely would lead to tendonitis, repetitive stress injuries and quite possibly arthritis, as seen in older and retired professional football players.

Also, Batman gets beat up badly on most outings. He has taken many blows to the head and certainly has suffered from multiple concussions. The long-term effects of this include memory loss and depression, making crime-fighting all the more difficult.

It is in fact unlikely Batman could return to the streets night after night, Zehr said. He would need remarkable healing powers. It is possible to condition one's bones, like muscles, to become stronger. Less is known, however, of a person's genetic predisposition to heal quickly from serious injury.

Take this job and...
Stress could very well do you in, too, if you were Batman. Consider the high rates of suicide and depression among police officers and soldiers, people who have to face crime and death every day. Batman needs staggering determination. And he can't draw strength from his family — he has none, nor does he have time of any serious relationship.

Batman's likely sleep deprived. It wouldn't be so bad to always work the nightshift, although nightshift workers do have higher rates of cancer and other diseases. But Batman is up during the day, as well.

The take-home message might sound like no one can be Batman, or at least not for long. But don't let that get you down, Zehr said. Batman does teach us one thing: that we can turn an adverse event (in Batman's case, seeing his parents murdered) into a defining moment to maximize our potential and do the world a little good.

By the way, if you're interested in this story, you can get Zehr's book "Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero" from Amazon by clicking the link here, or check out some more books about the psychology of becoming the big, bad, Bat (which'll also support us) here.

James Newton Howard, a composer from the two most recent Batman films, recieved two nods for Classical BRIT awards on Tuesday, reports Billboard.biz. One of his nominations was for his work with Hans Zimmer on "The Dark Knight", while the other was for his work on "I Am Legend" from 2007. The 10th annual ceremony will take place in London on May 14th - Let's root for James and Hans for his great work on the biggest film ever for our favorite hero! These guys got snubbed by the Oscars, they deserve it!

Neil Gaiman has been talking to wired.com about writing "What ever happened to the caped crusader" in Batman and Detective comics. I've yet to read this issue and I'm trying to avoid Jamies review below, but it looks like this issue will be hailed as one of the greats.

Title: Detective Comics #853 “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader, Part 2"
Written by: Neil Gaiman
Art by: Andy Kubert and Scott Williams;
Cover by: Andy Kubert
Release Date: April 22, 2009 Price: $3.99

Official DC Comics Synopsis:
"Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?" part 2 of 2! This second part of Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert's special collaboration is sure to be a BATMAN story for the ages. This extraordinary tale, told as only Gaiman and Kubert can, explores the intricate relationships between Bruce Wayne and his friends and adversaries and builds toward an exciting and unexpected climax. It's a classic in the making

REVIEW BY: Jamie Desrochers

When I had heard Neil Gaiman was writing a story titled Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader and would have a similar feel to its counterpart written by Alan Moore in the 1980’s, I was over-joyed. With ‘Tec #852 and the first part of the story, three things jumped out at me:

1- This was a mystery we had to figure out (“You’re the world’ greatest detective…you figure it out”)
2- The story was riddled with homage’s to the various incarnations/versions of Batman as well as his allies and Rogues
3- This was a kick-ass story so far

The fist part of this two part story was filled with easter eggs and eye-candy. If the mystery surrounding this story was not obvious (who wants to spoil the story so early!), one thing was clear…this story seemed to encompass nearly every type of Batman related character in every medium he’s ever appeared in. B:TAS Joker. The Batman TV series Riddler. The Cat (First appearance Catwoman for the whos at home).

While this part took a long time to come out, I’m pleased to say that it was worth the wait. SO. WORTH. THE. WAIT.

SPOILER TIME!

This is a Batman story arc for the ages, as solicited. The story continues the revolving-door of Batman allies and rogues, each describing how they witnessed the “death” of Batman. Each time, the story varies…the costumes vary… and the era varies. Bruce is witness to his own funeral, but being the great detective he is, he knows that something is out of place. He doesn’t deny the stories told by Clayface, Bullock, Dick Grayson, Ra’s and Superman, but much like the ever-changing costume in his coffin, Bruce gets a different death from each of the eulogies. The entire time he continues to have a conversation with a presence…a woman… though he’s not sure who she may be.

DC The Source have posted the phenomenal cover to the Deluxe Edition cover Neil Gaiman and artist Andy Kubert’s two-part “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?” on sale 22nd July!!!

(Source - DC Comics "The Source")

Again sadly no launch for the Batman: AA site so my apologies for getting a little premature. I am assured by the guys at Eidos that it will be this week but I'm going to hold back from saying when now until it officially launches! But Gamespot.co.uk have recently sat down with writer Paul Dini to discuss his most recent involvement with Batman: Arkham Asylum and writing the game this is to be one of the highlights of the year.

GameSpot: Have you worked on any games in the past?

Paul Dini: I have. A long time ago, games were something that would come up infrequently, where I would wind up either cowriting on them or consulting, or writing parts of them. There was, way back when--like in the early '90s--I worked briefly on a Tiny Toons video game. And then, you know, [this was] when things were real primitive, left-to-right-type stuff. And there was a Sega Genesis game, (The Adventures of Batman & Robin), I believe. It was a Batman and Robin game that combined more traditional gameplay with animated elements. Where it would actually play like a part of the animated series. And we had extremely good animation on it. And it came on a disc. And you would go from a chase scenario to a cutscene with Batman and various villains, which would be fully animated. And I worked on that to a great extent, writing all the animated sequences and working on some of the actual gameplay.

Unfortunately, it came out kind of at the end, when one technology was kind of wrapping up and another one was starting off, so it didn't get wide distribution. I think I saw it in stores maybe once. I had the existing animation on a VHS tape for a long time, and it was nice stuff, but it never really got seen and never got exposure. I think the technology was still a year or two down the road to make it a real breakthrough game.

Since that time I really haven't done all that much in video games, other than play a lot of them. And then this opportunity came up and--through a friend of mine who was working at DC Comics at the time--and he thought I would be a good match to work with the team at Rocksteady.

GS: Tell us about the first few meetings you had with the Rocksteady team. How much of the story was fleshed out and how much were they looking for you to help with that?

PD: Well, there wasn't much going on as far as story went, other than just the idea [of] wouldn't it be great to use Arkham Asylum as a game location? Because that's a good chance to get Batman and all the villains together in one spot. It doesn't take him all over town; it keeps him confined to one large area. What I remember from the first few meetings was, there wasn't a lot of story in place. They had reenvisioned Arkham as more of like an Alcatraz-like island. Which I thought was very cool, because Arkham's location changes, you know, from medium to medium. Like, in the comics it's kind of off by itself in the country. And in the Christopher Nolan movies, it appears to be right downtown, kind of like in a crime-ridden part of the city. And I liked the idea of getting it out and away from Gotham proper.

The idea of making it either on an island or on a peninsula connected by a narrow bridge seemed really interesting to me. Because it does remove it a little bit and it also creates a threat. Like, what if [the villains] get off the island? What if they come into town and create havoc there? There were also places to go within the island that seemed to be very visually interesting and, from a game perspective, very challenging.

Arkham was sort of reenvisioned as this grand old manor built on an island that had become a sanitarium, then a hospital, then finally a madhouse. And within the confines of the estate grounds, there were gardens and beach areas and caves and everything--great things to explore. And then the mansion itself, which has been converted into this huge, huge hospital [with] elements of it [that] are kind of modern, even futuristic in some places. But it's also existing side by side with the classic Victorian madhouse and a bit of steampunk and a bit of retro from the '40s and everything. It's just great visually.

And when I went into the first meeting at Rocksteady, some of these conceptual pieces were up, and it just got me so excited to see this reimagining of Arkham. I was saying, "Oh, man, this place is just--it's great!" You know, it's so fun to wander around in here and you can create a story from every aspect of the Arkham locale.

To read the entire interview click here...

(Source - Gamespot.co.uk)

Great news, I've been passed some new screenshots for Batman: Arkham Asylum, two of which are the character designs for Harley Quinn and Bane and WOW! these just look amazing and especially the new look for Bane.

Check out the trailers of Bane and Harley Quinn, which were released earlier last week.

Come on over to GKO Forum and let us know what you think?

Along with today's full solicitations for DC Comics are some of the line DC direct will be releasing in December including - BATMAN FAMILY MULTI-PART STATUE: PART 3: BATWOMAN AND COMMISSIONER GORDON, which has been DESIGNED BY ANDY KUBERT and SCULPTED BY OLUF HARTVIGSON.


It’s the ultimate collectible for Batman fans! Batman and his allies team up in four separate pieces (sold in three parts) to form a single statue.

Solicited this month is Part 3 of this multi-part statue, featuring Batwoman and Commissioner Gordon standing on a rooftop in Gotham City, ready to take action. This part of the statue follows the other pieces of the statue: Part 1 features Robin and Catwoman reclining on a gargoyle and Part 2 features Huntress and Nightwing heroically surveying the city.

The bases of each piece slide together to form a shot of the entire Batman family on a rooftop overlooking Gotham. Each of the three parts includes a piece of the fourth portion of the scene, which can be easily assembled to form Batman, who looms in the back of the scene. All three parts of the statue are needed to make Batman.

Part 3 of the statue measures approximately 9” high x 7” wide x 5” deep, while the entire multi-part statue measures approximately 11” high x 17” wide x 11.5” deep when fully assembled.

The BATMAN FAMILY MULTI-PART STATUE is limited-edition, hand-painted, cold-cast in porcelain, includes a 4-color Certificate of Authenticity and is packaged in a 4-color box. Manufactured to order.

(Source - DC Direct)

UPDATE: Sadly no screenie, but I've been talking with the guys from Eidos this morning and its looking good for a site launch today or tomorrow. A fair bit is confirmed including a behind the scenes podcast and new screenshots from the game. No screensaver yet but its great to see new content and the game gathering some more momentum.

To see the site launch click here to keep checking...

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ORIGINAL POST: 17/04/09 - Some more great news regarding Batman: Arkham Asylum. I've been officially told today by a member of the PR department from Eidos that the site will be officially launched next week, including podcast with some of the production crew.

Tony Daniel has posted a new image from BFTC #3, showing the madness (or evil), of Jason Todd. He also mentioned the art if now finished for the issue and inks and coloring need finishing before the end of the month. It's on to bigger and better things according to Tony and I can't wait to see what he's on next. Click here to read his full post...

(Source - Tony Daniel Blog)

I spotted this on the Batman: Arkham Asylum forum, which show the user playing the actual demo in a store. This is great as it show the game play first hand so I had to mail the user if I could post it.

IGN comics have released July solicitations for Blackest Night... Blackest Night I hear you say... What's so Batman related about that?

Well Green Lantern #43 is showing the Black Hand perched on Bruce Wayne's grave. Will we see Batman as Black Lantern, how could we, he isn't dead.

GREEN LANTERN #43
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy
Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari

The official prologue to BLACKEST NIGHT starts here as the first Black Lantern is born! Black Hand has been an enemy of Hal Jordan since Hal's early days as a Green Lantern. But even Black Hand is unaware of the true power he holds that will connect him to the Blackest Night! Discover this villain's connection to death and the Black Lantern Corps!

Come on over to GKO forum to discuss and add your thoughts?

(Source - IGN Comics.com)

Dan Didio announced yesterday on Newsarama.com that Mark Bagley, will be taking over artistic duties on Batman with Judd Winick in July with #688.

Newsarama have posted an interview today with Mark, to discuss moving from Trinity onto Batman universe...

NRAMA: Is Batman and his "world" a place you're instantly comfortable in, or have you been reviewing and refreshing, so to speak?

Mark Bagley: I'm somewhat familiar with the Batman books...I will certainly be checking out the books a little more closely now though. But if Mike Marts and his crew are as efficient as Carlin's office I should have no problem getting all the reference that I may need.

NRAMA: At the same time, you're coming in post Battle for the Cowl, and this is a new Batman with his own take and some of his own toys. Is coming in with a "new" Batman like this more or less comfortable for you as an artist? It would seem that this way, you have a little more wiggle room to experiment and design somewhat...

MB: True. Batman is so frickin' iconic, that even at my best I don't feel comfortable with him. This Batman gives me a bit of wiggle room visually, and I'm a little more relaxed because of it. It's like with Spider-Man...I never felt the Amazing Spidey Spider-Man was really mine the way I did with Ultimate Spider-Man.

NRAMA: As you see it, is this Batman different physically from Bruce Wayne, both in size as well as his style and movement?

MB: I'm really not sure how much I should say about that now...but it is a different person under the cowl, so naturally I'll approach the drawing of the character in a way that reflects that.

For the entire interview click here...

(Source - Newsarama.com)

We've been given Bane and now Game Trailer.com has an exclusive trailer showing Harley Quinn:

DC Comics have released the Batman solicitations for July showing us seven of the eight titles. Still no Batgirl... hopefully we will see something soon. No spoilers this time around...

BATMAN #688
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Mark Bagley & Art Thibert
Cover by Tony Daniel & Sandu Florea

There may be a new Batman in Gotham City, but that doesn't mean the city wants him. As Two-Face and Penguin take measures to keep the new Dark Knight at bay, one of the archvillains makes a startling discovery about the new Caped Crusader. Plus, Batman trains the new Robin, and Mark Bagley starts a 4-issue stint as guest artist!

BATMAN AND ROBIN #2
Written by Grant Morrison
Art and cover by Frank Quitely
Variant cover by Andy Kubert

"Batman Reborn" continues with the reteaming of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, WE3, New X-Men)! In a blazing Gotham City police department, the new Batman and Robin face the bizarre, fighting freakshow that is the Circus of Strange and find that they don't make as good a team as Batman had hoped! Meanwhile, the mysterious Sasha escapes from Professor Pyg and vows vengeance on the people who killed her father.

RED ROBIN #2
Written by Christopher Yost
Art by Ramon Bachs & Art Thibert
Cover by Francis Manapul

Red Robin continues scouring the world, searching for clues to Bruce Wayne's final fate in this new series from writer Chris Yost (New X-Men, X-Force) and artist Ramon Bachs (Civil War: Front Line)! But now he's been targeted by the League of Assassins.

What does Ra's al Ghul want with Red Robin? Why are members of the League of Assassins being targeted for death? And what happened to the life Red Robin left behind? Spoiler guest-stars as "Batman Reborn" continues here in "The Grail" part 2 of 4.

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #2
Written by Paul Dini
Art and cover by Guillem March

Tommy Elliott, a.k.a. the villainous mastermind known as Hush, has escaped the confines of Batman's headquarters and is wreaking havoc throughout Gotham City all under the guise of Bruce Wayne. Will the loose assemblage of Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn be enough to stop the madman's rampage? Or are Gotham's femmes fatales doomed to fail before they even begin?

BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #2
Written by Paul Dini; co-feature written by Marc Andreyko
Art by Dustin Nguyen & Derek Fridolfs; co-feature art by Georges Jeanty & Karl Story
Cover by Dustin Nguyen

In this second issue by the dynamic duo of Paul Dini (DETECTIVE COMICS) and Dustin Nguyen (BATMAN), Commissioner Gordon teams with the new Batman to combat the fiery threat that Firefly has spread across Gotham City. And to make matters worse, the mysterious adversary known only as Abuse makes his presence felt!

Meanwhile, in the Manhunter co-feature, now that Kate Spencer is the new District Attorney of Gotham City, will she use her legal power or her Super Hero identity to find the killer of the previous D.A.?

THE OUTSIDERS #20
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art and cover by Lee Garbett & Trevor Scott

"The Deep" part 6! Against their will, the Outsiders help the Insiders find the last pieces of the meteorite which will restore the immortality of the Insiders once and for all. But a fateful choice has to be made by Geo-Force that will lead to a life-changing moment for him and Katana. Plus, more on the mysterious origins of Metamorpho and his connection to the Insiders.

BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #31
Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Andy Clarke
Cover by Guillem March

A new five-part arc begins with an international bang! When a powerful Russian mobster sets his sights on Gotham City, Batman thinks he's ready. But this isn't any ordinary mobster, and he's bringing backup in the form of...a bear?

These unexpected foes might just be able to take control of the Gotham underworld – and then the whole city. Can Batman stop them?

Warner Bros Animation have passed me a sneak peak at Batman: The Brave and The Bold episode 16 titled "Night of The Huntress!”, which will be Kicking off 13 brand new episodes.


Synopsis:
In this episode, Blue Beetle develops a crush on the slightly older and far-more-dangerous femme fatale Huntress, but there is little time for love with Baby Face busting his gang out of prison for a major heist! Watch the crowd closely during the jailbreak sequence to see some of your favorite villains including Pharaoh, Skeleton Keyes, Polecat Perkins and more! This week’s teaser features Solomon Grundy and Black Canary.

The episode was written by Adam Beechen and directed by Ben Jones.

Voice actors starring in this episode include:
Deidrich Bader - Batman/Solomon Grundy
Will Friedle - Blue Beetle
Jason Marsden - Paco / Weasel
Grey Delilse - Black Canary
Ellen Greene - Mrs. Manface
Armin Shimerman - Calculator/Cop
Gregg Berger - Scientist/Mob Boss
Tara Strong- Helena/Huntress Tom Kenny - Babyface