Zack Snyder Reveals Batmobile and Batsuit

After yesterday's tease, Zack Snyder makes good on his promise of revealing the Batsuit and the Batmobile.

Click RAWR below to see the picture.

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"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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Is Batman Vs Superman In Danger?

DC and WB don't want to tread ground already walked by Marvel so they're shoehorning an entire universe into a sequel to a movie that was barely a success (financially and creatively).  Rather than allowing the Superman universe to grow into something strong enough to support an Avengers-like franchise, they're turning Man of Steel 2 into a Justice League movie without calling it a Justice League movie even though they're also pushing a Justice League movie through as well.

Now it's delayed a year.  That's the first signal.

The second?  Ben Affleck's "injury."

Now, the folks over at cinematallica.com have posted a rather interesting article regarding Ben Affleck threatening to walk off the project due to "scheduling" and script problems.  I think it sounds like Ben Affleck thinking he knows more than David Goyer problems.

This movie is a bad idea from the ground up.  Why would you want to create a Justice League that features an old worn out Batman?  We had a worn out Batman in The Dark Knight Rises and guess what?  It didn't work.  

DC is trying to get a franchise going without actually building the world.  They want to fast track it and get it done because Marvel is killing them in this regard.  The thing is that Marvel did the work.  They laid the ground work and built a cohesive film world for their characters.  WB doesn't want to do that and because of that it's probably going to blow up in their faces.

I'm going to agree 100% with the gang at cinematallica that this MoS sequel will change to a straight up Superman sequel and the whole Batman vs. Superman angle will be dropped.  We can only hope at least.

We still have Arrow though so that's good.

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WB Considers Numerous TERRIBLE Subtitles for Man of Steel 2

Warner Bros. registered numerous domain names that might be hinting at a potential subtitle for the upcoming Man of Steel sequel.

The problem is that they are all terrible.  See for yourself.

"Man of Steel: Battle the Knight"
"Man of Steel: Beyond Darkness"
"Man of Steel: Black of Knight"
"Man of Steel: Darkness Falls"
"Man of Steel: Knight Falls"
"Man of Steel: Shadow the Night"
"Man of Steel: The Blackest Hour"
"Man of Steel: The Darkness Within"

These are all cringeworthy. Shadow the Night? What does that even mean? This project is looking more and more like it will be a complete disaster and might possibly ruin the chances of a strong DC Universe on the big screen.  As it is it's getting further and further away from being a Superman movie.

Of course, if anyone out there wants to anonymously slip me the script for this to prove me wrong, you can do so at garon@popculturebeast.com.

Luckily, we have Arrow to keep our hopes alive.

SOURCE

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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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#SDCC: #Superman vs. #Batman vs. #Predator

Breaking news coming out of the San Diego Comic Convention hit ears yesterday; some may find this breaking movie news simply interesting, others may feel it more important than Man landing on the moon.  Depending on who you talk to, though, mention Batman and Superman in the same sentence, and things get heinous.  People will literally start throwing punches over who is better [1].  With DC Entertainment's announcement yesterday, however, we can finally all relax and break bread together because the two DC juggernauts are going to appear in an upcoming movie TOGETHER (Man of Steel 2, or Man of 2teel). OOOOH WAH AH AH AH!!!!

This opens up the door to a myriad of possibilities!  I (Alan Trehern) don't want to jump to Crisis on Infinite Earths storylines, but seriously, what are they waiting for?  You're halfway there!  Just get an Earth-2 going and you're money.  In all seriousness, I'm just happy to see DC get their act together and start organizing the way Marvel does cinematically.  Also, let's see Scarlett Johansson as Supergirl; a total no brainer.

What are your thoughts on the new crossover?  Will they manage an epic, or will we have retractable ice-skates slash our faces all over again?

Official logo presented by DC at SDCC 2013.  [Photo via IGN.com]

[1] Superman by laser-vision EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
[2] IGN.com: Report: Superman/Batman Movie Planned; Flash, JLA also reportedly in development.

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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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Empire Magazine release new Man of Steel images!

Henry Cavill will grace this week's cover of Empire Magazine as Superman. The new photos feature Russell Crowe as Jor-El and Michael Shannon as General Zod. Man of Steel hits theaters in 3D, 2D and IMAX on June 14!

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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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O Hai Jor-El

Shots of Russell Crowe in his Krypton gear for the new Superman film have leaked today and if you'd like to see them, you need only click the Rawr. They look like something out of Game of Thrones to be honest.

 Anyway, click away and witness Jor-El!

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Oh Hai Superman!

Click the Rawr to see some great shots of Henry Cavill in costume from the set of Superman: Man of Steel.

No spoilers here!

Source
Source

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Superman Has Its Perry White

It looks like Zack Snyder has found his Perry White.  The Editor-In-Chief of the Daily Planet will be played by the guy right above, Lawrence "Morpheus" Fishburne.

It's certainly the first time the character is not being played, or portrayed as far as I know, as a middle - senior aged white man.

It'll be interesting to see the fan reaction to this choice.

I'm really only expecting a lot of slow motion fighting and references to Snyder's other films from this so I don't much care who they cast in it.

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Zack Snyder Directing Next Superman Movie!

According to IMDB, Zach Snyder will be directing the next Superman movie, with Christopher Nolan over looking the project. Snyder was previously rumored to direct Superman Returns, but turned it down.

Snyder also directed Dawn of the Dead, 300, Watchmen and the upcoming Sucker Punch.

Deadline.com has a response from Snyder:

"I've been a big fan of the character for a long time, he's definitely the king of all superheroes, he's the one. It's early yet, but I can tell you that what David [Goyer] and Chris [Nolan] have done with the story so far definitely has given me a great insight into a way to make him feel modern. I've always felt he was kind of awesome. I'll finish 'Sucker Punch' and get right at it."

Hmmm... interesting indeed.

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TV Trailer: Smallville Season 9

If I didn't think this show was awful on an epic scale, I might be excited by this trailer.

Smallville returns on its new night Friday, September 25.

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Superman Reboot directed by The Wachowski's?

The internet is swirling with reports that Bryan Singer has dropped out of directed the next Superman film to instead concentrate on his remake of Logan's Run. This allows WB to go forward with a reboot of the franchise as well as turning it into a a trilogy. Word has it that it that an offer has gone out to The Matrix and Speed Racer directors, The Wachowski Brothers.

Not sure how I feel about this.

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Smallville's Legion

I actually cannot stand Smallville and do not understand how it remains on the air when Veronica Mars, a vastly superior show on every level, is not.

That said, I know a lot of peope out there do like it so I won't keep this little teaser from your eyes.

It features some shots of Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, and Saturn Girl among other things.

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Superman Reboot by Mark Millar?!

Dark Horizons is reporting that Mark Millar has confirmed he and an unnamed director have pitched their take on Superman to Warner Bros.

Millar says: "I've had this plan for like 10 years for a big three-picture Superman thing, like a Lord of the Rings epic, starting over from scratch again with a seven-hour Superman story. One to be released each year."

Millar hopes for word within the next few weeks and assuming Warners decides to go with their vision, hopes to start shooting next summer!

I'm really interested in hearing more of this idea of his.

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DC Comics Movie updates

Warner Bros. and DC Comics are finally going to be kicking their comic property movies into gear with an expected four films released over the next 3 years, including the next Batman movie. They've also announced a new Superman movie that will reboot the franchise much like the recent Incredible Hulk. I wonder how Bryan Singer feels about that.

Most notably is the apparent Axing of the Batman Vs. Superman and Justice League films. Warners has decided to go the Marvel route and release films with several characters and then release a Justice League film down the road. Projects are already in development for The Flash, Green Lantern (If they were smart they'd let Geoff Johns write this), Wonder Woman, and Green Arrow! Ask me, a Green Arrow/Black Canary movie would be awesome.

I'm curious as to what they do with Superman and who they put behind the camera.

More information is expected in the next month or so.

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Has the Justice League found their Superman?

Brandon Ruth and Tom Welling are both out of the running to play superman in the upcoming Justice League movie. Talk is now that a Superman has been chosen. Take this as a grain of salt for now but if its true than Superman will be played by:

Rupert Evans

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And they called him Doomsday...

Superman: Doomsday was released this past Tuesday and I was able to get my hands on a copy and watch it last night.

Unfortunately.

I can say, with complete certainty, that this movie sucks.

Gone is the charm of Superman from Justice League Unlimited. He now looks like an old man crumbling under the weight of his life. I guess they wanted to make something separate from that universe, why I am not sure because this was a BIG mistake. There is nothing to connect to. Nothing familiar. This is a Superman you don't really care about.

The fight scenes are intense, I'll give it that much. Brutal and long. Doomsday and Superman go after each other with such viciousness that it is almost painful to watch. But beyond that, there is nothing much here.

The most annoying thing? How can there be a funeral for Superman with NO OTHER HEROES present? Wouldn't Batman show up to mourn his lost friend? Wouldn't Wonder Woman? Flash? Booster Gold? ANY of the Justice League?

They really had an opportunity to make something great here. Something that resonated with the fans of both Superman and the JLU cartoon. Instead, they cashed in. They made a PG-13 cartoon and you don't care about anyone involved.

The voice acting is only adequate. Not sure who thought Anne Heche would make a good Lois Lane. She just doesn't fit. James Marsters was pretty good as Lex. Adam Baldwin was passable at Superman.

It was just a big big disappointment. They had decent source material that could have been made into a great movie. Instead, it's a mediocre bore.

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