gothamtrending

Celebs like Batman just as much as the rest of us.  From Kim Kardashian’s Poison Ivy costume to Justin Bieber’s Batmobile, their indulgences do get more attention.  Thanks to TDW Geeks for the heads up.

Justin Bieber’s Batmobile of the Day: Justin Bieber has done what any self-respecting 17-year-old multimillionaire would do: commissioned a custom Batmobile.

The modified Cadillac CTS-V — called the “Batillac,” natch — was customized by Ryan Friedlinghaus of TLC reality show Street Customs. It’s got Batman logos on the front and back, a “Batmobile” nameplate on the trunk, and the reverse-opening “suicide doors” favored by various rap stars.

You could definitely knock the Batillac for its lack of true Batmobile features, but a $70,000 Cadillac (and that’s just the base model) is still pretty sweet.

Bieber’s Batmobile is already attracting the attention of the police. According to TMZ, Bieber was pulled over in the car and let off with a warning after cutting off a California Highway Patrol officer.

Check out some more pics of the Batillac after the jump.

It’s always surprising when someone who has the budget to do anything they want adopts a look from the deplorable Joel Schumacher abortion Batman and Robin.  But hot on the heels of Batman LIVE’s unspeakably bad costuming choices, reality star Kim Kardashian opted for an Uma Thurman Poison Ivy this Halloween.  She certainly has the body for an Uma Thurman homage, but we would have rather seen her as The Bride or that chick from Pulp Fiction.

The reality star decided to take the comic book villain route this year and dressed as Batman nemesis Poison Ivy for the Midori Green party in New York.

“Glamming up for my Midori Halloween party at Lavo tonight! I have bright red hair! OMG this is kray!” she tweeted before heading out.

While husband Kris Humphries didn’t make it the party, Kardashian’s best friend Jonathan Cheban kept with her Batman theme and dressed up as Batman sidekick Robin.  via HuffPo.

See related:
Batman Live: Stageshow marred by bad costumes, campy performances, but still finds a following

Arkham City’s took the top spot from The Dark Knight Rises this week, but Warner Bros. probably wishes it didn’t.  Back in May, the game got off to a terrible start with Catwoman, offending fans with a costume that was instantly proclaimed an “Epic Fail.” It was portent, because the revelation with the games release that Catwoman is a downloadable add on with little contact with Batman or impact on the main story has many fans crying Bait and Switch, and googling ‘bait and switch’ in conjunction with various arkham-related keywords.

1. Why I’m passing on Arkham City
2. New Set Photos from The Dark Knight Rises: Christian Bale/Bruce Wayne looking very Wall Street 
3. Anne Hathaway, Selina Kyle/Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises: so very good at being bad (via Sexy Girls Dressed)
4. At long last: There will be Alternative Catwoman Costumes (skins) in Arkham City
5. Batman at Comic Con: Catwoman of the DC Comics Reboot, not apologizing for sexy!
6. Batman and Catwoman Cosplay: The Best of Dragon Con
7. Bruce Wayne’s latest hot ride: The Lamborghini Aventador
8. Batman and Catwoman in full costume on the set of The Dark Knight Rises
9. Batman Merch: Riddler Converse
10. Arkham City Epic Fail on Catwoman Costume

Top AC-related search terms

• arkham city bait and switch
• catwoman arkham city bait and switch
• paul dini ruined arkham franchise
• talia al ghul arkham bait and switch
• arkham city catwoman skins
• dlc catwoman bait and switch

Top non-Arkham City searches

• the dark knight rises catwoman (variations)
• selina kyle
• the dark knight rises bane | tom hardy bane
• riddler converse
• the dark knight rises batmobile

A collection of vehicles including police cars, Gotham City cabs and Bruce Wayne’s new Lamborghini from The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan’s third and final installment in his Dark Knight Trilogy starring Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, et. al.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Dark Knight Rises will be released by Warner Bros. in July 2012

New set photos from the location shooting of The Dark Knight Rises, the third and final installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.  Everyone knows Christian Bale is Bruce Wayne.  Up until now, there has been only wild speculation about the role Joseph Gordon-Levitt is playing, but it seems like we can guess he is playing a policeman.  (Maybe.  It is Nolan.)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

See Related:
The Dark Knight Rises Set Against Occupy Wall Street

Some are painting this as a stumble on DC’s part, but since the brick-and-mortar stores aren’t really in a position to stop carrying all parent company Time Warner’s offerings, such as Warner Bros. DVDs, you have to wonder what they’re thinking.  If this “staring contest” escalates, they cannot win.

Amazon brokered a deal with DC Comics— the holder of titles featuring the likes of Batman, Superman and the Watchmen — to retain the exclusive e-book-selling rights to 100 titles from its high-profile catalog.

The announcement came alongside the reveal of the forthcoming Kindle Fire, a $199 touch-screen tablet computer created to compete with the Apple iPad and, more directly, Barnes & Noble’s tablet-like Nook Color.

The exclusive deal miffed Barnes & Noble, Amazon’s chief e-book competitor, which responded by pulling DC Comics from the shelves in its brick-and-mortar stores. Barnes & Noble said its policy is that it doesn’t carry any book-on-paper if it can’t also sell a digital version.

Books-A-Million, the nation’s No. 3 book retailer, followed suit. In a statement, company president Terry Finley said the chain “will not promote titles in our stores’ showrooms if publishers choose to pursue these exclusive arrangements that create an uneven playing field in the marketplace.”

The result has been an intense staring match of sorts as Amazon looks to control not only how we consume content but also what content is available to us. Publishers often have little choice but to play along. Amazon has the numbers: millions of Kindle users who can purchase e-books only from Amazon. (A library lending program has also started in some markets for Kindle users.)

Amazon sells its popular line of Kindle e-readers — refreshed just in time for the all-important holiday shopping season — at a bit of a loss. It does that to lock customers into consuming content on the devices and then charging them for e-books and for streaming movies, TV shows and music.

In this way, Amazon is taking its cue from Apple, which has long sought to control content as well as the method for delivering it.

Apple and Amazon take a cut — often as high as 30% —from many of the e-book, movie, music and app purchases through their specific stores. That can result in considerable profits.

Amazon also has started to court authors directly, cutting out publishers entirely and ensuring that more content is available only on the Kindle.

In the battle of platforms, many customers will ultimately be left out as each side looks to garner exclusive content. In addition, prices won’t exactly be falling for content that only a couple of companies control. Many e-books already are more expensive than paperback versions of the same book.

We’re at a critical point in the evolution of digital media consumption. Here’s hoping a third party is able to come forward and disrupt the current marketplace — one that has some of our beloved superheroes down for the count.

via Amazon has a grip on DC Comics – USATODAY.com.

No news here, just a fresh batch of candid set photos from The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan’s third and final installment of his Dark Knight trilogy, featuring Batman and Catwoman (Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway) in full costume with Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) pictured in some.  Now that all the excitement has died down about Catwoman’s costume, it looks like a fun set.  (We assume it’s Christian Bale and not Batman who’s doing all that smiling and laughing.)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

See related:
Hot New Location Photos: Not Bruce and Selina this time. It’s Batman and Catwoman IN FULL COSTUME (or is it?)

A few more of those candid set photos from The Dark Knight Rises, now that we’ve gotten over the relief that Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) will have cat ears and not be wearing those awful goggles when she’s not riding the bat-bike, we can nose around the set a little more.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

See related:
Candid set photos: Batman, Catwoman, Commissioner Gordon from the set of The Dark Knight Rises

Filming for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises has upstaged most Batman news in recent months, even when it’s not doing anything set photos from the location shooting in Pittsburgh, of Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman or Tom Hardy’s Bane continue, Bruce Wayne’s Lamborghini and Batman’s Batmobile to generate interest even when there is no fresh news.  But this past week, the news of Arkham City’s Catwoman coming with downloadable skins, a frenzy of searches as to how to acquire and apply them, and the release of Catwoman #2, the second issue of DC Comics heart-stoppingly sexy rebooted Catwoman comic have all but shut TDKR out of the Top tier of net activity.

1. Why I’m passing on Arkham City
2. At long last: There will be Alternative Catwoman Costumes (skins) in Arkham City
3. DC Reboot Catwoman #1 – Wrong costume is a warning sign to fans but characterization sounds like an improvement
4. Arkham City Preorder Perk: Batman Costume skins – UK ONLY
5. Batman: Arkham City the Riddler
6. Arkham City Portraits of Riddler, Two-Face, Penguin
7. Batman and Catwoman Cosplay: The Best of Dragon Con
8. Anne Hathaway, Selina Kyle/Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises: so very good at being bad (via Sexy Girls Dressed)
9. The Dark Knight Rises Set Photos: Bane

Top Searches
riddler arkham city | arkham city riddler
tom hardy bane | dark knight rises bane
catwoman arkham city | catwoman skins | unlock catwoman | download catwoman (other variations)
batman arkham city cover
catwoman reboot

San Diego, CA (October 21, 2011) — IDW Publishing and DC Entertainment proudly announced the launch of STAR TREK/LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1, kicking off a six-issue monthly crossover adventure with the original Starship Enterprise and DC Comics’ Super Heroes. The Starship Enterprise has traveled across time and space on its five-year mission, but it is entering the DC Comics universe for the first time starting this week. STAR TREK/LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES is also the first collaboration between IDW and DC Comics’ Super Heroes.

STAR TREK/LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES tells the tale of the original crew of the Starship Enterprise, who beam down to a planet only to discover that the planet isn’t their intended destination, or even in the right universe. At the same time, a group of “Great Darkness Saga” Legionnaires inside a time sphere find themselves cast into the 23rd century, but it’s not the 23rd century as they know it, either. STAR TREK/LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES is a galaxy-spanning adventure that draws both teams together to face a menace that includes Khunds, Klingons, Borg, and other threats that aren’t quite as they should be. The egalitarian United Planets in one universe and a United Federation of Planets in another is now the Imperial Planets of Terra, a dark empire focused on war and conquest, and that’s just the beginning for this special series.

Nothing like kicking off our first foray into DC Comics’ Super Heroes with a story that spans dimensions and centuries,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Officer/Editor-in-Chief and the lead editor on this crossover. “As a huge fan of both of these teams and the eras we’re playing with here, as well as an admirer of the talents involved with this tale, I couldn’t be happier.”

Weaving these disparate universes and characters into a dark, foreboding and mysterious saga is Eisner-nominated writer Chris Roberson (iZombie, Superman), with art by Jeffrey and Philip Moy, both of whom have tackled the Legion and Star Trek in other forms. Phil Jimenez, will provide covers for the entire series, while each issue will also feature variant covers from classic Legion of Super-Heroes artists such as Keith Giffen, Steve Lightle, and Mike Grell, as well as IDW mainstay and Best Artist Eisner-nominee Gabriel Rodriguez (LOCKE & KEY) and others.

It’s great to be working with IDW on this ground-breaking new comic series that combines two beloved franchises, especially considering the history Star Trek comic books have both with DC Comics and my previous imprint, WildStorm,” stated Jim Lee, publisher of DC Entertainment.

The STAR TREK/LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES series also offers a note of nostalgia for DC Comics and Star Trek, as that publisher produced the popular sci-fi comics under both the DC Comics banner in the ’80s and the WildStorm banner in the ’90s. Now, under IDW’s auspices, both the 23rd and the 30th centuries might never be the same after this new series is complete.

“Chris Roberson, who’s incredibly knowledgeable about both series, managed to not only weave both teams together into a clever story, but he also found a way to tie both universes together through a shared villain that fans will never expect to see,” added Ryall. “And the Moys bring a sense of dynamism and energy to not only the characters we know but also in the designs for some special merged-universe characters, too. Add to that the chance to work with guys I greatly admire on the series’ covers and you’ve really got the makings of something special here. I’m really happy that DC has been such a welcoming partner on the exciting things we’re going to do here.”

Anyone could have told Rocksteady that Blackmask and Talia al Ghul were nobodies that fans didn’t care about and Joker and Catwoman were the fan favorites.  Anybody but Paul Dini that is.  Any follower of DC Comics for the past few years could have warned them his choices were certain to alienate fans and lose customers.

It’s a pity Warner Bros. and Rocksteady didn’t conduct this poll before they started work on Arkham City.  Who would have guessed that Catwoman was second only to the Joker among fan favorites, and that Talia al Ghul was a non-starter?

poll conducted at msnbc.com

On second thought, ANYBODY could have guessed.  What were they thinking?  They seem to have understood Catwoman’s popularity in the way they promoted her involvement.  How could they not realize that failing to deliver would result in hostile cries of a bait-and-switch?

via marketingdisasters.

Breakouts

The long-term mishandling of Batman and his related characters, Catwoman in particular, has been instrumental in the mass-defection of long-term comics fans and subsequent failure of comic shops during the economic downturn.  There is little question that the comics giant understands it must be poised to take advantage of interest The Dark Knight Rises will bring to these characters if it is to survive.  It’s failure to take advantage of the unprecedented popularity generated by The Dark Knight and its viral in 2008 is widely speculated to have brought about the restructuring which placed the comics division under Warner Bros. control rather than the Time Warner publishing arm.  A second failure could well mean a permanent shutdown of print comics, rather than allow the rogue division to go on damaging valuable corporate properties.  More »

It is a misconception that they wiped out 75 years of comic book history, the rich heritage of Superman and Batman, etc. They wiped all that out in 1985. What they wiped out 2 weeks ago is all the garbage that’s happened since. And it has been garbage. Stunts, poor storytelling, disrespect for the characters, the fans and the medium have driven away loyal readers. It came to a head in 2008. The tiny comic book division had gone largely unnoticed by parent company Time Warner because its earnings were insignificant. The damage it could do creating bad will around billion dollar properties like Batman were not. It was in 2008 when Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight and its viral by 42 Entertainment brought the Caped Crusader’s mainstream popularity to heights not seen since Batmania of the 1960s, Time Warner became aware of just how badly DC Comics Batman editor Paul Dini and head writer Grant Morrison had been insulting, angering and offending fans of The Batman and related characters like Catwoman.

See related:
DC Comics relaunch… enough to repair the damage?
Gamerant.com
Comicbook Resources 
Amazon.com

The Telegraph is celebrating the release of Batman: Arkham City with a fascinating survey of the Caped Crusader’s appearances in video games dating back to 1986.

Batman Video Games, A History

Batman in video games: a history

Excerpt:

Developed by Manchester based Ocean Software, the original game saw a rather chubby Batman search over 150 isometric rooms looking for boy wonder, Robin. Incorporating checkpoints within the game the Dark Knight’s first video game outing scored 9/10 and 5 stars from Sinclair User and Your Sinclair respectively, inspiring the next generation of Bat-gamers.  via Batman in video games: a history – Telegraph.

Remember the robbery of Gotham National Bank prologue for The Dark Knight?  Slashfilm is reporting that the same IMAX Prologue is coming for The Dark Knight Rises, this time attached to imax prints of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.  It’s certainly plausible, albeit unconfirmed.  If it’s true, it means we’ll see our first glimpse of The Dark Knight December 16.

A trusted theater (read: exhibitor) source has just exclusively alerted /Film that Warner Bros. plans to attach an eight minute prologue to The Dark Knight Rises to all IMAX prints of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Christopher Nolan‘s third film in his Batman trilogy is being released by Warner Bros. and Brad Bird‘s first live action film is Paramount, but the arrangement would certainly be mutually beneficial as Mission: Impossible is the biggest IMAX release of the holiday season. Putting a teaser for The Dark Knight Rises in front of it would certainly drive audiences to that format as opposed to regular theaters. There’s more after the break.

Warner Bros. did something similar in 2007 when they attached the opening sequence to The Dark Knight to the Will Smith film I Am Legend. Without one of their own films being released in IMAX later this year, however, Mission: Impossible should draw in the same coveted 18-35 demo that are sure to be repeat Batman viewers. Nolan and Bird both also shot extensive scenes for each movie in IMAX, making it their format of choice for exhibition.

If this happens, audiences would get their first chance at seeing The Dark Knight Risesfootage in IMAX on December 16. That’s because Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is opening exclusively in IMAX five days before its general release, which is on December 21. The exclusive opening is one reason to see the film in IMAX. The full scenes shot in IMAX format are another. And 8 minutes from the most anticipated film of this decade are a serious bonus.

Reached for contact, Warner Bros. declined to comment on this story. So, assuming our source is correct, what do you think? Odds are you were going to see Mission: Impossible either way, but will you go now specifically for The Dark Knight Rises?

via 8 Minute ‘Dark Knight Rises’ Prologue Attached to ‘Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol’ in IMAX? | /Film.

While The Dark Knight Rises is still currently shooting in Los Angeles, the cast and crew may be occupying Wall Street by the end of the month.

In September, we reported The Dark Knight Rises will shift production to New York City on October 29, and a new report indicates that director Christopher Nolan is gearing up to shoot within the Occupy Wall Street protests.

These plans are not quite finalized yet, but an insider reveals that cast members have been told their New York scenes will happen at the protest sites. It appears the actual movement, which has been happening for 30 days, won’t be a part of the storyline, but director Christopher Nolan may use scenes at the rally as the backdrop for an existing plot point.

A Warner Bros. spokesperson confirmed The Dark Knight Rises will be shooting in New York at this month’s end, but wouldn’t elaborate on the Occupy Wall Street aspect of the production.

The casting call, which went out in September, is seeking extras to portray law enforcement or military figures, particularly those with weapons or martial arts training.

The Dark Knight Rises comes to theaters July 20th, 2012 and stars Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The film is directed by Christopher Nolan.

via Youbuzzs.com.