Roundup: DC Comics Springtime Products

It's less than one month until the highly anticipated Man of Steel flies into a theater near you! If you're like me and you can't wait, maybe these recently released DC properties will hold you over.

Superman Unbound is the latest film from DC Animated. It's based upon Geoff Johns' 2008 storyarc "Superman Brainiac." Together, Supergirl and Superman must defeat the evil Brainiac, save Earth, and uncover secrets about their homeworld, Krypton. From the first minute to the last, Superman Unbound is action packed and the animation looks great!

For the kids, you might want to check out the all-new Lego Batman: The Movie - DC Superheroes Unite!  Lego-fied versions of Batman, Robin, Superman, Cyborg, the Flash, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern team up to prevent Lex Luthor and the Joker from destroying the Lego world!Based on the best-selling Lego Batman 2 - DC Superheroes Unite video game, this movie mixes action, humor, and the magic of Legos into a fun ride for the whole family.

For those of you with summer reading lists, you might want to add a few of these DC titles.

Cool off this summer with Aquaman Vol. 2: The Others! This perfect beach book continues Aquaman and Mera's adventures from the New 52 as they battle Black Manta and other deadly foes.

Also, check out both Batman Beyond: 10,000 Clowns and Justice League Beyond: Konstriction. Set in the futuristic Beyond universe both of these titles bring back the action and characters from the Batman Beyond animated series.

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Batman Live: World Arena Tour Review

Batman Live: World Arena Tour is a stage show featuring the Dark Knight in the iconic retelling of Robin's origin. Bruce is present when the the Graysons are murdered and takes young Dick Grayson under his wing. Dick runs away from Wayne Manor in search of his parents' killer, while Batman does the same. Eventually, Dick takes the mantle of Robin and stands at Batman's side to save Gotham from the myriad of villains the Joker has released in Arkham Asylum. Will Batman and Robin be able to stop the Joker from taking over Arkham and save Gotham City in time?

Originating last year in the United Kingdom, Batman Live has brought Gotham City and all of it's heroes and villains stateside!

This show is massive! There are a ton of different locations and great set pieces. Joker's Hot Air Balloon, Gotham's rooftops, and of course a sleek new version of the Batmobile all make an appearance. The sets are all so different and the changes were seemless during the different scenes. The costumes and actors are fantastic! You really feel immersed in Gotham City.

A giant 415,750 pixel screen (in the shape of a Bat of course) serves as the background of the stage. This background transforms to various locales such as the Gotham Cityscape, Wayne Manor, Haly's Circus, Arkham Asylum, and (obviously) the Batcave. This screen also serves as transitions between scenes by zooming out to a comic book and zooming into separate panels to change settings. Also, flashbacks, a Batmobile chase, and the Batcomputer screen, are all done on this screen in comic and CGI form. DC regular Jim Lee ("Batman: Hush") did all of the comic artwork for the show. Doors within the screen are where the actors and props come out of, creating a very unique effect.

All of the fight scenes are choreographed wonderfully and flow really well. The action is exactly what you would expect from Batman. Most sequences are acrobatic in nature, but it works with the themes and settings within the story.

The story drags a bit in places and for being about Robin, he isn't in it much as the Boy Wonder. I was initially worried that it would be geared more towards children, but it is actually fun for all ages. There is the perfect combination of comedy, excitement, action, and adventure that makes it fun for the whole family.

Be sure to check out Batman Live: World Arena Tour in your area!

Batman Live Tour Dates

Batman Live: World Arena Tour is an 8 out of 10 Flying Graysons!

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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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DC's Answer to Mighty Muggs?

Batman Cosbabies should be hitting your local comic store soon (not sure if they'll be at general retailers or not). Batman X2, Catwoman, The Joker, Batgirl, Two Face, and Robin.

They sure are cute. I just don't know where I'd put them with all the Mighty Muggs I have.

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Why So Serious?

Warner Bros. has put up new a trailer at their wonderful viral campaign Why So Serious website. What's the new trailer? The Dark Knight baby! New trailer, new villains, new awesomeness. I give this a great big Fuck Yeah! The Dark Knight is expected to release this summer, July 18th, 2008.

Click here to download/stream the trailer. Or have a lookie below:

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New Joker Pics!

Please excuse the giant label on the photo. I'd guess the same person that ran the picture through the poster edge effect in photoshop put it there.

There are a couple other ones floating around but they're a bit too close to spoilery for my tastes so I'll let you look at your own risk.

You can see them here or by clicking the other two photos.

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The Dark Knight cometh...

I know, the trailer officially premiered with I Am Legend, and then it showed up on the The Dark Knight viral sites, but finally, I managed to get it uploaded for all you Pop Culture Beast fans. Don't say I never came through for you, enjoy:

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New Joker Pics! (and one batman one)

Check out these new Dark Knight promo pics featuring Heath Ledger as The Joker and Christian Bale as Batman.

This movie is going to be amazing.

Source

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It's Joker Time!!!

SuperheroHype got their hands on a shot of the cover of the upcoming Empire Magazine featuring Health Ledger in full Joker glory. Check it out below!

Looks great! The Dark Knight hits theaters on July 18.

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The Crow, is that you?

Fox News in Chicago has some video of the Batmobile (Tumbler) and what looks to be Heath Ledger in Joker awesomeness. Although it could be his stunt double. Either way, these screen shots from the video scream The Crow. You decide. Either way, Nolan's take on The Joker and the Batman franchise is awesome, and I can't wait until next summer.

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