"God's End" Motion Comic by @EliotHochberg et al. #Superman

Good friend of the site Eliot Hochberg is back!  And this time he's animated, edited and produced music for the motion comic God's End, which features a pretty well-known superhero, if never officially referred to directly.

When I first decided to watch and write about God's End, I had no clue what to expect.  I come across ALOT of crap, especially concerning comic books; I'm also a pretty big stickler when it comes to motion comics.  My first introduction to the motion comic genre was a lesser-known piece called Broken Saints.  The trailer for it was suspenseful, scary and all-around cool to look at.  God's End achieves these same qualities!

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Movie Trailer: Captain America - The Winter Soldier

If this rather excellent Captain America trailer isn't enough for you you could click HERE and see 10 seconds worth of Days of Future Past footage from the trailer that drops next week. That's on you though.

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Trehern Reads: Silver Surfer #50

You're some of the luckiest blog readers alive, because this week I have a classic comic book from the Marvel Universe...  And from the 1990s.  And it features a character near and dear to our hearts that got the sub-par Hollywood treatment a few years ago: the Silver Surfer!  He's one of Jack Kirby's Top 5 Best Kreations, so let's see how well he surfs in this week's installment of TREHERN READS: Silver Surfer #50!

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Trehern Reads: Birds of Prey #93

The pipe actually came with the comics...

Welcome to another installment of TREHERN READS!!  This week, we dig further into the muddy swamp muck of DC with a pull from the One Year Later series.  After Infinite Crisis, a new series called 52 was well on its way, which would reveal the "lost year" between Infinite Crisis and the stories being told One Year Later.  It was ground-breaking and interesting to see develop, but DC soon abandoned all hope and took to the reboot hell of recent years.  But before all that, there was Birds of Prey #93!!

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Trehern Reads: #Superman #Batman: Generations #4

Greetings, Beasts!  It is I, Alan Trehern, here to pen a new series of articles that may or may not skyrocket PopCultureBeast.com into Internet fame.  Of course, this series is going to be intense...it's going to be riveting...it's going to have everything going for it EXCEPT actual professionalism.  So let's begin with our first installment of TREHERN READS: Superman/Batman: Generations #4! Click the RAWR! for more...

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#Kickstart Alert: "Grave Soldiers" the Comic Book

I write and draw my own comics, I'm not ashamed to say it.  Sometimes you get ideas in your head that HAVE to get on paper somehow.  But in a world where corporations set a certain standard, some ideas are hard to define and may not fit into a certain company's publication goals.  That's why self-publication is so great!  And since PCB loves to promote the self-published, we have a Kickstarter that would help some young authors and artists get their comic book ideas into YOUR hands!  Click the RAWR for more info on GRAVE SOLDIERS!!!!  Oooh wah ah ah ah!!

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"Zero Year" for @DCComics in #DetectiveComics and #ActionComics

A CBR Exclusive picture or something...

In November, the DC Universe will be introduced to the Zero Year.  Not to be confused with the Zero Hour, this tale will examine the origin story for Batman in his first (or zeroeth) year as the Caped Crusader.  Now now, I know what you're thinking: "Hey! Haven't we seen a Batman origin story f*cktillion times before???"  Don't worry, this one HAS to be different!

DC has announced today that the Zero Year origins will also feature two tie-ins: Detective Comics and Action Comics.  In Detective, Batman will meet Jim Gordon as they deal with the corruption of the police department (please see Batman: Year One (1987)).  In Action, Batman will meet Superman for the first time (please see Superman #76 (1952)); oh, by the way, Superman wears t-shirts, Ugg boots and skinny jeans or something nowadays.

If you've seen the recent news of Superman and Batman teaming up for Man of 2teel, then this might not be that big of a surprise.  I sometimes notice similarities between the comics and the movies; I feel the Marvel movies and the Ultimate Marvel Universe are fairly similar.  Perhaps DC is just prepping the Batman/Superman storyline in the comics first to see what dynamics may work for the movie.  But what the hell do I know, I'm just some asshole on the Internet!

Got any NEW ideas for the Batman/Superman partnership?  Let us know, PC Beasts, in the comments section below.

Sources:
[1] The Zero Year storyline starts in November 2013! [DCComics.com]
[2] EXCLUSIVE: DC'S "ZERO YEAR" EXPANDS TO "DETECTIVE" & "ACTION" (Comic Book Resources)
[3] Follow me on Twitter! @AlanTrehern
[4] PCB News: #SDCC: #Superman vs. #Batman vs. #Predator

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#Flash TV Series in the Running!

 

Flash: TFMA #12 (2007)

Art by Tony S. Daniel

What started out as rumors this week turned into official news when CW announced a spin-off series from Arrow that will feature the fastest man alive, the Scarlet Speedster, FLASH!

“We plan to introduce the recurring character of Barry Allen who is the Flash,” [CW president Mark] Pedowitz told reporters. “We’re planning an origin story and we’ll see how it goes. We do want to expand on [the] DC Universe, and we felt this is a very organic way to get there.” - SpeedForce.org

For those of you that know the DC Universe well enough, Flash is one of those titular characters that hasn't really been treated the best in other mediums.  In the comic books, he's bad ass as hell, with a history that spans 70+ years.  But once you start talking about movies and TV shows, the Flash is the fastest in getting cancelled...  Take the 1990 series starring John Wesley Snipes (actually, it's Shipp); not even nostalgia can save that pile of death sharts!  But of course Smallville gets 10 SEASONS cause durpah durpah Superman!

I've been reading up on this story all week, and many are contemplating if the DCTVU will be in the DCCU (DC Cinema Universe).  Will films like Man of Steel and Man of 2teel be in the same continuity as Arrow and Flash?  Perhaps, though that's a huge task.  This forces ALL the writers to be on the same page, which may limit creativity and story elements...  They did it with Star Trek in the 80s though!

For more information on the Flash and his awesome Rogues gallery, travel over to Flash: Those Who Ride the Lightning.  And let us know in the comments section what your perfect DC movie/TV continuity would look like.

Sources:
[1] UPDATE x3: Flash Returning to TV via CW’s Arrow
[2] The Weather Wizard and the Rainbow Raider are just two examples of Flash's Rogues.  Get psyched!

Photos via Flash: Those Who Ride the Lightning

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Archaia and @Alyssa_Milano Behind #HACKTIVIST

Photo from Archaia.com

We live in a world where technology is around every corner.  Many of us embrace it, some question it, but none of us know its full potential.  Will we use it for the betterment of all mankind (United Federation of Planets) or see us meet our new worst enemy (Skynet)!?  

Enter Archaia Entertainment and Alyssa Milano (Who's the Boss, Charmed, Commando...also, Double Dragon.  She was really hot in that!)  who are working on a new graphic novel that focuses in on the lives of hackers and their love-hate relationship with the world, and the US government.  In our current state of Wikileaks and NSA whistle-blowers, I think this is quite an interesting topic.  Are whistle-blowers a positive aspect of governance?  Or does the danger of leaks and cyber-crime pose too much of a threat?  What is free speech and what is national security?  The lines are so blurred, dammit!!

“I’m very involved with in global activism and philanthropy. I like the idea of everyday people doing good,” explained Milano. “My inspiration for Hacktivist is actually Jack Dorsey, the creator of Twitter and Square. I picture him leaving the office at night and going home, where he locks himself in his room and starts hacking to change the world. 

“I felt Hacktivist was a strong story that I really wanted to tell visually,” Milano expressed. “Doing a graphic novel allowed me to dream big and it gave me the freedom to create without boundaries.” - ComicBook Resources

So look for this as a digital comic in Fall 2013, "followed by the hardcover print release in Summer 2014."  Here at PCB, though, we'll continue to ask the big questions like "How much power is too much power, Mr. President?" and "How long should I put this burrito in for?"  Stay tuned for the answers!

Sources:
[1] ALYSSA MILANO, ARCHAIA ANNOUNCE "HACKTIVIST" GRAPHIC NOVEL
[2] PR: ARCHAIA AND ALYSSA MILANO ANNOUNCE ‘HACKTIVIST’
[3] Follow Alyssa Milano and Archaia on Twitter!

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#TheWolverine Lives #1

Copyright Infringement by @AlanTrehern!

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Free Comic Book Day: May 4th, 2013

Tomorrow marks the annual "Nerd Christmas," known as Free Comic Book Day. Comic shops around the world open their doors with heaps of free comics to show appreciation for their customers and to introduce new readers to comics.

Started in 2002, Free Comic Book Day has grown into a crazy, and successful venture! In past years, Heroclix, Green Lantern Rings, key chains, and posters have been given away for free as well. Local comic shops often have drawings and contests making Free Comic Book Day, an all day affair.

What comics can you be expecting to snag for free tomorrow? Let me break down a few of the titles available.

Inifinity - This is a short lead-up into Marvel's next big comic crossover event this August. The Avengers have traveled across the universe to aid Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy in their fight against the Builders. Meanwhile, Thanos has come to attack Earth and it's up to the New Avengers to stop him.

The Walking Dead - The hit comic turned hit AMC TV series offers an exclusive look at both Michonne and the Governor's origins.

Superman: Special Edition - Gear up for this summer's Man of Steel by reading an excerpt from Geoff Johns and Richard Donner's 2008-2009 storyline Superman: The Last Son of Krypton. Also, there is a sneak peek at Scott Snyder and Jim Lee's anticipated Superman: Unchained.




For those of you with kids, there are some great comics available!




Kaboom! Summer Blast - Featuring excerpts from Adventure Time, Regular Show, Ice Age, Bravest Warriors, and Peanuts.










Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures - Join Leo, Raph, Donny, and Mikey as they fight the Kraang and Foot Clan in this comic based on the new Nickelodeon show.








DC Nation Super Sampler #1 - Check out the comics and games featured in this preview for the upcoming DC Nation shows, Teen Titans Go! and Beware the Batman.









Avengers Assemble/Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. #1 - The forthcoming Marvel cartoons get sneak previews in this comic!






Looking for these and other awesome titles (includeing The Tick and Judge Dredd) on Free Comic Book Day at your local Comic shop!

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU... ON FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

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Scott Pilgrim Vol. 2: vs. The World Color Edition Review

By now everyone knows who Scott Pilgrim is. The successful comic series has been adapted into an awesome film by Edgar Wright and an amazing side scrolling video game.

For the first time (in comic form at least), Scott Pilgrim, Ramona Flowers, Young Neil, and the rest of the gang are all in color. The colors were done by Nathan Fairbairn (Swamp Thing, Wolverine: Weapon X).

It's cool that the series is finally being released in hardback, but I prefer the black and white editions. I think that if these had been released right before the movie it would have been great. However, I don't think that the color adds anything to the story that we haven't seen in the movie or the video game.

The extras are cool, but not as plentiful as I would have liked. There's an unreleased (and unrelated) Bryan Lee O'Malley comic "Monica Beetle" included along with several character sketches. Also included is a comparison of the real places and the comic drawings from around Toronto. It's cool to read Bryan's notes as to why he chose those places for the comic.

Overall, the Scott Pilgrim color editions are cool, but the don't bring anything new to the table. I would have rather just had a hardback edition of the original black and white.

Scott Pilgrim Vol. 2: vs. The World Color Edition is a 6 out of 10 Evil Exes!

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Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 1: REDemption Review

Last year, DC introduced a new team of existing characters during their New 52 reboot. Red Hood and the Outlaws features the one-time Robin, Jason Todd, Starfire, and Arsenal (Red Arrow). This dysfunctional team is both a fun and unique title, something which the New 52 was in desperate need of.

Follow these three Outlaws, in their quest to find themselves and kick ass doing it! REDemption collects issues #1-7 written by Scott Lobdell (Teen Titans).

I don't know really what to say about this title other than it's AWESOME! Definitely a great take on the characters despite its initial controversy over the "too sexy" Starfire. I have read the current issues and they have delved deeper into Starfire's past, solidifying her as a character in the New 52 Universe. This title kicks major ass and is violent, hilarious, and heartfelt.

Ummm... I'm not sure I see the problem...

Do yourself a favor and pick up Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 1: REDemption! Also, look for the monthly series at your local comic shop!

Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 1: REDemption is 10 out of 10 Red Hoods!

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The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Graphic Novel Vol. 1 Review

In the past few years, Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy has really taken off and has taken many adaptations. From a Swedish film series and last year's American version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, there seems to be no stopping this amazing series from hitting every medium.

DC's adult targeted imprint Vertigo Comics has released the first volume of the first novel. Adapted by novelist Denise Mina, the story stays very true to the book. It's a little condensed, but still great!

Leonardo Manco's artwork is fairly standard, comic speaking. It's nothing I haven't seen a dozen times. Honestly, looking at the cover, I expected a more stylized and gritty approach to the work in order to make it stand out as an interpretation rather than a rewrite. Manco does a fascinating job with capturing the intensity of the violence in it, however the other panels tend to be uninteresting and even boring at parts. Perhaps, this had a lot to do with it being the first fourth of the novel, which is a lot of setup. I'll have to wait for the other parts to see.

It's a neat idea, but if you've already read the books and/ or seen the movie(s), the graphic novel doesn't really add much else. I think Vertigo missed the boat on cashing in on the property by about a year. Without a uniquely stylized retelling, it just falls flat.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Graphic Novel Vol. 1 is a 6 out of 10 Dragon Tattoos!

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Superman Earth One Vol. 2 Review

The follow-up to 2010's breakout hit, Superman Earth One Vol. 2 takes us back to the alternate universe to continue J. Michael Straczynski's retelling of the iconic character.

Exploring more of Superman's struggles with power and loneliness, Earth One is a more realistic and human take on the Kryptonian's story. In this tale, Superman is not quite the "boy scout" we are used to seeing him as. His attitude is more akin to Batman's "I won't kill you, but I don't have to save you" mantra. Superman still fights for the greater good and does what is necessary to aid those in need, even if it means letting the citizens of a war torn nation kill it's dictator.

The main arc of this story involves the familiar foe, Parasite, on his rampage toward Metropolis draining the life from everything in his path to quell his hunger for power. It is up to Superman to stop this menace before he destroys Metropolis or worse, Superman himself.

Shane Davis has returned as the artist and he has really succeeded in defining the "Earth One" look. There is sort of an anime quality to the style, much like the critically acclaimed Akira. Parasite in particular has that look almost like a Dragonball Z villain, but it totally works. The characters all look familiar, but have a more modern look and feel to them (including the Hans Gruber looking Lex Luthor). Straczynski's writing helps to illustrate this modern feel. All of the dialogue feels natural and modern, which immerses the reader into the world.

If this were a trade paperback collecting a monthly series, I would say that it is perfect, but it is not. Fans have waited two years for this sequel and I guess I just expected more. The story is good, but it tries to accomplish too much and tends to gloss over points that I would have liked to seen explored further.

In the future, I hope DC decides to launch an Earth One comic series (similar to Marvel's Ultimate Universe). They have a lot of talented writers and artists who could create a unique retelling of the DC Universe set on Earth One.

Superman Earth One Vol. 2 hits shelves on November 6th! Be sure to check out this action packed continuation of the Earth One mythos.

Superman Earth One Vol. 2 is a 7 out of 10 Parasites!

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The New 52 Teen Titans Vol 1: It's Our Right to Fight Review

The Teen Titans are an iconic team, featuring Robin, Beast Boy, Starfire, Kid Flash, Superboy, and Wonder Girl. You'll be happy to know that this team has only about half of that.

The New 52 has this problem of fixing things that aren't broken (and not fixing the broken parts). Like taking Tim Drake and no longer having him been Robin he's just straight Red Robin. The problem is that in this he mentions being Robin... what? Yes, it's totally confusing, not to mention, unnecessary.

Reading this version of Teen Titans was similar to what it would be like waking up inside the dreams in Inception. Everything seems somewhat familiar, yet it's muddled and cloudy.

The characters include the previously mentioned Red Robin, Superboy (wearing a Tron style costume and bro-tastic barcode Superman "S" tattoo), Kid Flash, and Wonder Girl. Beast Boy and Starfire have been replaced with generic and boring "heroes" whose names are not worth learning: a cloud lady and a giant spider lady that acts like the Hulk.

By far one of the worst new characters is Bunker. First off, his name makes absolutely zero sense, he doesn't turn into rock or conjured protective force fields. He can create lavender constructs such as giant fists or part of a brick wall. Secondly, his costume is just plain awful, it's maroon and purple. Lastly, DC tried to make Bunker (aka Miguel Barragan) the "Miles Morales Spider-Man" of the Titans. What I mean is they tried to cram several minority qualities into him by making him both gay and Hispanic. Now before you jump to conclusions, I am all for diversity in comics, but diversity means making people on a team diverse not shoveling ever single diverse quality into one character. I'm fine with him being both gay and Hispanic, because honestly it doesn't matter. As long as he kicks ass, I don't care.

My main problem is that DC tries to ram it down your throat by making it so obvious and not being tasteful. For instance, every other word he says is some cookie cutter Spanish word that makes Speedy Gonazles look politically correct. Also, when they travel to a different place he always has a ton of clothes with him and is constantly changing outfits. It's basically a caricature and it comes off very tasteless. Come on, DC if you're going to diversify characters, do it correctly and don't make it an over the top farce of how you think people would act.

Despite all of this the story is somewhat decent. It's the same story we've seen before, people are after a hero, the Teen Titans are protecting her, Superboy is bad, etc. But it plays out really well.

There's an awesome part where Kid Flash's costume gets destroyed so he runs and gets an old Robin costume (yeah I know) and draws a lightning bolt over the "R."

I would hope that in the future of this title we see Beast Boy and some other more familiar and useful faces. Also, I hope they have gotten the "hey we're being diverse" attitude out of the way and can really start giving meaningful and tactful story lines to Bunker and the other two characters.

Teen Titans Vol 1: It's Our Right to Fight gets a 6 out of 10 Red Robins.

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The New 52 Justice League Dark Vol. 1: In The Dark Review

Justice League Dark is a really cool concept for a New 52 title, but it definitely falls short of the idea.

I really do not care for the logo because it seems like the "Dark" is just slapped on there and out of place. I think the whole title should be something else entirely, because it's not a Dark version of the Justice League, it's the magical equivalent. The title makes it seem like a Starbucks order.

Also, many of the characters seem interchangeable and generic besides Zatanna, Deadman, and John Constantine. These three are hands down the best characters in the series, but they aren't used to their full potential.

Most of the story is buried beneath some convoluted plot riddled with nonsensical and confusing magic mumbo-jumbo. The rules of the world constantly change and overall it just doesn't mesh very well.

The artwork is really cool and all of the characters designs represent them well. I really hope that this title evolves and becomes better because I really like the idea behind it.

Justice League Dark Vol 1: In The Dark is a plain 5 out of 10 Magicians.

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The New 52 Green Lantern Corps Vol 1: Fearsome Review

In the New 52, the Green Lantern Corps title follows Lanterns John Stewart and Guy Gardner (and others) as they fight to protect the universe from evil.

It was cool to see both of these Lanterns fighting side by side and making all kinds of awesome constructs. In fact, most of the panels are green and full of constructs!

However, the story is extremely uninteresting and almost boring. There are some cool parts, but it's a little farfetched (I know it's a comic about "space police with magic rings" but still). For instance, these mysterious random aliens are killing off planets and Lanterns sector by sector, but on a planet made of water, they manage to remove all of the water. It's really random and not very cohesive as a story.

The artwork is very good, but a lot of the times it's hard to tell exactly what's going on and which construct is which because everything is green.

It's a shame that these awesome characters are reduced to mediocrity because of the bland and unrealistic (I know, but you get what I mean) storytelling.

I'm sad to say that Green Lantern Corps Vol 1: Fearsome only gets an average 5 out of 10 Lanterns.

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Dredd 3D Review

Judge Dredd is a relatively unknown comic book character, in fact most people are more familiar with the awful Stallone movie from 1995. If there's anyway to rinse that 17 year old bad taste from your mouth, Dredd 3D is it!

Karl Urban (The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek) plays Judge Dredd and is perfect. He scowls the entire movie and contorts his face to constantly look like one tough, mean S.O.B.! Also, he wears the Judge helmet the entire movie! Joining him is Olivia Thirlby (The Darkest Hour) as rookie Judge Anderson and Lena Headly ("Game of Thrones") as the deadly Ma-Ma.

The story is very much like Die Hard or The Raid: Redemption in that it is mostly contained inside one location. Judges Dredd and Anderson are called to investigate a triple homicide at the Peach Trees Tower deep within the heart of Mega-City One. When they get there, the Judges quickly realize that the deadly Ma-Ma controls the tower and locks it down. The Judges must traverse the 200 floors of killers to get to Ma-Ma and stop her.

Saying that Dredd is bloody and violent would be an understatement. The violence doesn't escalate, it's consistent and constant from the very first minute, which is how Judge Dredd should be! This is definitely a "Hard R" rated film.

This film also gives a reason to show awesome action sequences in slow motion. A new drug has hit Mega-City One called Slo-Mo, which slows your brain down to 1% of normal speed. There are several great scenes that utilize this effect in the film. I'm usually not a huge fan of 3D, but I really thought it was awesome in this movie, especially during these scenes.

Slo-Mo Shot

Dredd 3D is an exciting, action packed, and faithful adaptation of the cult comic! Director Pete Travis (Vantage Point) and writer Alex Garland (28 Days Later) did an amazing job interpreting the character and the tone from the pages to the screen. 

It's disappointing that this had a less than spectacular opening weekend, when so many terrible films make a ton of money at the box office. A great action film like this deserves to do well at the box office, so I highly recommend going to see this violent, bloody, and fun film (in 3D if you can). 

I would love to see a sequel to this opening up the setting a bit and seeing other places in Mega-City One. The current goal set by Pete Travis is $50 Million in North America for him to justify making a sequel. Hey, if they made a sequel to Ghost Rider, Dredd definitely deserves a sequel!

Dredd 3D gets a well-deserved 10 out of 10 Judges!

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Batman: Arkham City Comic Review

Bridging the gap between both 2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum and 2011's Batman: Arkham City video games, Batman: Arkham City is a must-have for any fan of the franchise. This hardcover collects the five issue mini-series as well as the Arkham City digital chapters 1-5.

The story delves into the appointment of Quincy Sharp as the Mayor and the creation of Arkham City, but a "Strange" man is behind it all. It's up to Batman to investigate what's going on, infiltrate the Arkham City walls, and find out who this shadowed figure is, what his motive is, and what he wants with Batman before it's too late.

The digital chapters follow 5 different villains adjusting to Arkham City and doing what they can to survive the Gotham's deadly prison.

As a bonus, there are 15 pages of concept artwork for the video game that are just stunning!

Arkham City Joker Concept Art

Written by Batman: The Animated Series veteran, Paul Dini, the story is solid, original, and hails back to the tone of The Animated Series. Carlos D'Anda's artwork is fantastic (he did do the character design for the game after all!) and has that cartoonish Ed McGuinness feel to it.

The collected Batman: Arkham City Hardcover gets a 10 out of 10 Titan Canisters!

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