Archive for the ‘dc comics’ Category
Norm Breyfogle drawing Batman/Cornelius Stirk [Video]
Superstar Batman Artist Norm Breyfogle drawing Batman and Cornelius Stirk, courtesy of Club Batman.
Breyfogle returned to DC Comics with Retro-Active, repaired with his old partner Alan Grant to recreate and extend their classic Batman of the 1990s prior to the reboot and relaunch The New 52. He has since returned on a more permanent basis on Batman Beyond Unlimited.
See related:
Norm Breyfogle back at DC Comics
Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle Retro-active: a vintage interview with the star Batman creative team DC Comics has brought back for Batman Retroactive
DC RETROACTIVE: BATMAN – THE ‘90S #1
Retroactive: Can DC Comics Win Back Lost Readers?
Batman Charity Auction – It’s What Heroes Do « Chris Dee’s Cat-Tales Blog
Club Batman, an amazing Spanish fan organization with a 20 year history, has donated several pieces of original Batman artwork for a charity auction to benefit an animal association. Please peruse the Facebook Album linked, and if you are interested to buy some of the original art for sale write to the email address given. They ship worldwide, they accept Paypal, and they’re a bunch of really good guys who know what Batman is all about.
Batman Charity Auction – It’s What Heroes Do « Chris Dee’s Cat-Tales Blog.
The Best of Batman on Pinterest
Pinterest is an emerging, content sharing service that allows members to “pin” images, videos and other objects to theme-based collections which they can manage alone or in social groups. It’s been a while since we did a roundup of Batman on the social networks, so we thought it would be fun to take a more detailed look at this one particular service and pick out the best of Batman on Pinterest.
DC Tries Again with Batman Digital, free of New 52 Continuity with LOST’s Damon Lindelof
It looks more and more like The New 52 fell short in its efforts to win back alienated fans. Failing to purging its universe Damian Wayne, “Batman Incorporated” and other residue from Grant Morrison and Paul Dini’s catastrophic mismanagement did not send the right message. Perhaps this announcement of yet another “New” Batman series that will be free of New 52 Continuity is an attempt to try again, but it is hard to imagine it being received with anything but a “Too Little Too Late” after all the sturm und drang of The New 52.
If it is a fix, the comic shops that have been all but decimated by DC’s Campaign of Suck will not see a bit of benefit, for Batman is not only 52-free, Dini-free, Morrison-free and Damien-Free, he’s paper-free, part of a new series of digital offerings
BATMAN digital, launching in June, will take place outside of DC Comics – The New 52 continuity and feature a series of stand-alone stories by various creators that chronicle different cases handled by The Dark Knight. Confirmed creative teams include Damon Lindelof (Lost, Prometheus) and Jeff Lemire; More »
Other confirmed creative teams include:
- Jonathan Larsen & JG Jones
- Tom Taylor & Nicola Scott
- Ales Kot & Ryan Sook
- B. Clay Moore & Ben Templesmith (who drew the cover attached to this article)
- Steve Niles & Trevor Hairsine
- Joe Harris & Jason Masters
- TJ Fixman & Christopher Mitten
- Jeff Parker & Gabriel Hardman
- Joshua Hale Fialkov & Phil Hester
- David Tischman & Chris Sprouse
Maybe it’s a good strategy. A disenfranchised reader can buy Batman Digital without having to pass all the other still-polluted Batman comics that drove them away from the store in the first place, but it’s a long shot that they will care to reward all DC’s unrepentant behavior with even that small a purchase, and either way, the failing comic shops can expect not one shred of benefit if the lost readers are won back.
Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo Hardcover
Jim Aparo was quite simply The Batman Artist. No one can pretend to be a connoisseur of comics or even a marginally informed Batman fan without knowing the name. At a time when DC Comics is struggling to prove it values and appreciates its own history, is struggling to redeem itself in the eyes of alienated fans, what better way than to assemble a hardcover that will both reach out to those fans and educate the new generation that have been sadly bamboozled by the overhyped sensations of the moment.
Pre-ordering now at Amazon.com for April 10 release.
Jim Aparo was one of the premier Batman artists of the 1970s, working primarily on the Batman team-up title THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD. Now, DC collects Aparo’s run on the series in hardcover for the first time from the beginning. Aparo portrayed Batman as a detective who operated in shadow, yet captured the action and thrills of the Caped Crusader.
These stories feature appearances by numerous DC heroes (and villains) including Robin, Green Arrow, Black Canary, The Teen Titans, Deadman, Wonder Woman, The Demon, The Joker, Aquaman, The Atom and many others.
Amazon.com: Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo Vol. 1 (9781401233754): Jim Aparo: Books.
Batman and Robin Top Minimalist Superhero Posters at Screen Rant
Minimalism isn’t appreciated by everybody. In a world where photoshopping has allowed fans to whip up their own posters Dark Knight Rises posters that rival those of some studios in visual complexity, “Less is More” is not a principle that is generally understood. ”Because I can” tends to be the order of the day. So Screen Rants collection of 30 Awesome Minimalist Superhero Posters was quite the refreshing treat.
As was their decision to begin with the two Gotham heroes that concern us here: Batman and Robin
Batman Humor from the social networks
Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words
From Facebook 
And from Twitter 
Batman Merch: Bane shirts aren’t TDKR but they’re better than the first wave of Dark Knight Rises stuff we’ve seen
There is a folder on our harddrive in the Gotham Trending office called “Merchandise Hell.” We’re not proud of the title, but the fact is nobody wants to follow those links and write up bits on the New 52 busts, the latest round of Arkham City figures, or DC Direct’s 12″ statues for The Dark Knight Rises.
It’s not just that a lot of the stuff is hideous, it’s not just that DC was obviously kept in the dark about Catwoman’s real TDKR costume but didn’t let that stop them since they went into production on last summer’s first photo with the goggles and no ears, it’s not just that Pop Heroes vinyl Bane looks like her cat’s chew toy, it’s that no item is so horrible that the article, blog or website won’t fawn over it. One or two of these embarrassments to the fandom can be shrugged off, but a steady diet is a strain.
You can imagine our delight, then, at this set of Bane-inspired t-shirts from Superhero Hype. They’re all based on the comic book Bane from Knightfall, but they’re nice shirts. There’s nothing wrong with them. I just ordered a “Got Venom.”
More than offering up a nice collection of shirts, they have restored our faith in the fandom. Not everyone is still chugging that year-old Kool-Ade that Anne Hathaway is playing Selina Kyle who isn’t Catwoman.
Overheard on the Social Networks: DC’s new logo
DC Comics released a new logo. The hardcore fans and bloggers went into predictable spasms of disapproval, as they must at any change, remaining oblivious to of the real state of the industry and the larger franchises beyond print comics. They remain blissfully ignorant of the real issues facing DC Entertainment, and the utter irrelevance of those still reading print comics when the antics they tolerate have driven away tens of thousands of fans and generated incalculable bad will that damages the characters across all media .
A few comments did stand out, however, displaying a real understanding of the damage DC Entertainment is trying to repair.
#branding
If this is the new DC Comics Logo #bigimprovement Old one looks like flushing original DC down the toilet
Fine, so it doesn’t LOOK like they’re flushing the original Batman, Superman, et al down the crapper. THAT IS A PERFECT REPRESENTATION OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING! Changing the logo is fine but only if a new attitude goes with it.
Batman Humor: About these superpowers
What better way to start off the week than with a few Dark Knight themed motivation posters.
What is it we all say about Batman? He’s the superhero who doesn’t have a superpower?
Well, that black American Express card is better than this bright idea…
Top Posts of the Week: Bale Hathaway and Hardy, wash rinse and repeat
With the expected glut of Top Everything of 2011 lists and post-holiday lull in news, there was a fallback on older pictures and stories, such as Christian Bale “looking incredibly GQ as Bruce Wayne” and pre-TDKR Anne Hathaway looking unspeakably sexy in a see-through blouse, as well as set photos of Tom Hardy’s Bane from the location shooting in Pittsburgh, and a smattering of old stories on the Batmobile and Arkham City disappointments. The only exception was the LA Times lack of discretion spoiling a scene from The Dark Knight Rises just to set the scene for an Anne Hathaway interview.
- “Sorry to spoil things, boys…” Did LA Times overstep on Anne Hathaway Catwoman interview?
- The Dark Knight Rises Set Photos: Bane
- Christian Bale is Bruce Wayne / Batman in The Dark Knight Rises
- Anne Hathaway, Selina Kyle/Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises: so very good at being bad (via Sexy Girls Dressed)
- Arkham City Epic Fail on Catwoman Costume
- The Dark Knight Rises: New Poster and a menu on Official Website
- Arkham City gets it all wrong: Edward Nygma
- Batman and Catwoman Cosplay: The Best of Dragon Con
- DC Reboot Catwoman #1 – Wrong costume is a warning sign to fans but characterization sounds like an improvement
- First peak at the Dark Knight Rises Batmobile
Searches
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tom hardy bane
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the riddler arkham city
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Batman: Earth One
2012 will bring the highly anticipated release of BATMAN: EARTH ONE, an original graphic novel retelling the Batman legend in a contemporary setting.The collaboration between New York Times bestselling author Geoff Johns and critically acclaimed artist Gary Frank, BATMAN: EARTH ONE also marks the first original graphic novel for Johns – who is best known for his work on fan favorite ongoing series for DC Comics.
Together, they will present a new vision of Batman – a flawed and fallible hero who isn’t yet the master of Gotham City’s shadows.
“Gary and I are tackling BATMAN from the beginning, before he knows what he’s doing and with a very different ultimate goal in mind,” said Johns. “He’s never left Gotham. And our Gotham and the people in it are very gray. Our heroes unlikely. Our villains hidden. Our story is only beginning with volume one.”
“It’s essentially the first piece of the jigsaw,” said Frank. “He’s not the Batman people know, but he might be one day. He’s certainly not yet a superhero. The fun is to watch him piece the persona together drawing on his experiences and the influences of those around him and, at this stage, the idea of becoming a ‘superhero’ hasn’t even entered his head.”
via DC Universe: The Source » Blog Archive » DC COMICS IN 2012 – BATMAN: EARTH ONE.
Top Posts of 2011
It was the year of Catwoman, the triple threat of the The Dark Knight Rises, hot sex with Batman in the first issue of the DC Comics Reboot, and Arkham City’s excessive promotion made Selina Kyle the hottest Batman commodity on the internet in 2011, with Tom Hardy’s Bane chomping at her gloriously high heels.
- Anne Hathaway, Selina Kyle/Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises: so very good at being bad (via Sexy Girls Dressed)
- DC Reboot Catwoman #1 – Wrong costume is a warning sign to fans but characterization sounds like an improvement
- The Dark Knight Rises Set Photos: Bane
- Christian Bale is Bruce Wayne / Batman in The Dark Knight Rises
- First peak at the Dark Knight Rises Batmobile
- Bane Mask, Other Batman Items coming up for sale in Movie Memorabilia Auction
- Arkham City Epic Fail on Catwoman Costume
- Hot New Location Photos: Not Bruce and Selina this time. It’s Batman and Catwoman IN FULL COSTUME (or is it?)
- The Dark Knight Rises Location Photos: Batman/Batsuit #TDKR
- Why I’m passing on Arkham City
- Batman and Catwoman Cosplay: The Best of Dragon Con
- Batman at Comic Con: Catwoman of the DC Comics Reboot, not apologizing for sexy!
- Anne Hathaway Wardrobe Malfunction – too much Catwoman for the costume?
- New Set Photos from The Dark Knight Rises: Christian Bale/Bruce Wayne looking very Wall Street and Joseph Gordon…
- The Real and Fake Official Catwoman pic from The Dark Knight Rises
Searches:
Google Specific
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- the dark knight rises catwoman
- tom hardy bane
- catwoman arkham city
- selina kyle
Composite searches
- tom hardy bane
- anne hathaway catwoman
- christian bale
- the dark knight rises catwoman
the dark knight rises- riddler arkham city
- catwoman reboot
- dark knight rises batmobile
- catwoman arkham city
- selina kyle
- dc reboot costumes
- the dark knight rises bane
Great Comics Artists Who Redefined Batman
io9 has a nice retrospective of the artists who have defined Batman’s look over the years.
Batman’s appearance is intended to provoke superstitious cowardice among the criminal element of Gotham City — but it’s also become a part of our culture. The bat-ears, cowl and dark silhouette are instantly recognizable. And when you think “superhero,” Bruce Wayne’s cape and cowl are among the most likely images to come to mind.
But there’s no one style of Batman that dominates our culture — he’s changed tremendously over the years, and a handful of artists have put their design stamp on Bruce Wayne. The fact that Batman still rules all our worlds is in large part due to these great artists.”
It is encouraging to see the modern “comics reader” who knows no name but Bruce Timm and perhaps Jim Lee, being educated on the likes of Dick Sprang:
Sure, Bob Kane gets all the credit for creating Batman, but other artists did more to define the Caped Crusader for the ages — chief among them Dick Sprang. Sprang, who started working on Batman when he was just in his early 20s, was one of the main Bat-artists for the first 20 years. And he helped create what many of us consider the “classic” look of Batman — beefy and athletic, with a chunky head and a totally square jaw. As Cloud 109 puts it, “Sprang threw… naturalism out the window and dispensed with a waistline altogether. In Sprang’s Batman, the chest erupts from the utility belt, figures don’t run, they leap and everything seems to inhabit a high octane adrenalin charged world.”
Camine Infantino:
When Julius Schwartz created Batman’s “New Look” in 1964, he turned to Infantino, who was already celebrated for his work on the Flash. Infantino was instrumental in moving the character away from the goofy 1950s storylines, and helping to create a somewhat more realistic look for Batman. And I’m always kind of blown away by Batman’s puffy, expressive lips in Infantino’s drawings. Infantino aimed for sleek lines, in which he tried to “take the drawing out,” although his inker Murphy Anderson usually wound up putting it back in. Infantino’s most famous Batman image shows an intent, muscular Batman, with huge white eyes and noticeable white eyebrows, holding his dark cape over his face, while Robin squats at his feet. Batman is all business, and the slight cartoony touches only accentuate how serious he is about fighting crime.
Neal Adams:
If Infantino added a bit more realism to Batman as compared to his 1950s camp, then Neal Adams supercharged that realism, adding a lot more sharp edges and a much more dramatic, cinematic style. There’s an amazing sense of composition in some of Adams’ covers, including Batman #244, “The Demon Lives Again,” with a shirtless and apparently impaled Batman lying at Ra’s Al Ghul’s feet. Adams, in an interview, explains why his Batman was better than some of the earlier artists’ attempts: It’s that-most of those guys couldn’t draw that well. But as well as they could draw, they drew this nifty Batman, within the framework of their style and their abilities. I happen to be a slightly better, more accomplished artist. So I would tend to draw a more finished piece. Not because-not because I’m better but because that’s what I do. So it’s just what they did brought forward, and I just left out the stuff in the middle. The crap.
Although it is impossible to take the survey seriously without a single panel of Jim Aparo.
Even if the talents of one or two did lasting damage to the character and mythos, they had an impact. The visual style comes to define the underlying philosophies of the period and will continue to do so as the popular attitudes change towards the underlying work.
Make no mistake, there is no real insight in the survey. io9 displays no ability to see beyond the attitude of the moment towards recent and current DC creative teams. But for those with the capacity to see beyond the fanboy’s devoted repetition of his catechism, the survey is worth a read.
Via io9.com.
Jerry Robinson, Joker Creator and Comics Ambassador dead at 89
The comics world was saddened yesterday as the last of the real creators of the iconic superheroes passed at the age of 89. Jerry Robinson helped Bob Kane and Bill Finger truly create the Batman mythology.
Jerry Robinson, a pioneer of the comics form best known by fans for creating the Joker but also praised for his work as a comics historian and creator rights advocate, has died at age 89.
First word of the creator’s passing came from Christopher Irving’s Graphic NYC blog, which learned of Robinson’s death via a Facebook message from “Batman” film producer Michael Uslan.
Robinson was born in Trenton, New Jersey on New Year’s Day in 1922. At only 17 years of age, the aspiring artist was hired as an inker by Batman creator Bob Kane, and over the next several years, Robinson offered as much visual input into the character’s world and cast as his originator. Robinson co-created Robin, the Boy Wonder and is often credited as the primary influence for arch-villain the Joker, though Kane and Robinson would clash over credit for the villain’s creation in later years. The artist was soon hired away from Kane’s shop by “Batman” publisher DC/National Comics, for which he served as a staff artist, drawing many of the most striking covers of comics Golden Age.
Over the course of his early years in comics, Robinson proved a creative and social dynamo, moonlighting as a comics artist on projects such as the infamous “created in one night” issue of “Daredevil” while taking classes in Journalism at Columbia University. “I was always a political animal,” Robinson told CBR News last year . As the production of comic books wound down near the end of World War II, Robinson moved primarily to newspaper comic strips where he remained for the late ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, becoming known for Editorial illustration, political satire strips such as his long-running “Still Life With Robinson” and lush cover paintings for Broadway’s “Playbill.” The artist also served as President of both the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC) and the National Cartoonists Society (NCS), and remains the only person to receive both honors.
In the 1970s, Robinson returned to the national spotlight as a comics historian and advocate for the rights of artists. “Starting in 1972, I curated the first comics at a fine art gallery. That was, I think, the year after, or almost simultaneously, with a show at the Louvre on comics, which I went over to see. I think that started it,” the artist recalled in a conversation with CBR earlier this year. “The following year, I was a guest curator at the Kennedy Library in Washington, where we did I think the largest show ever held on the comics. Certainly in the US. It was the size of a couple football fields and had all the genres of the comics. So it’s been a long time, but more and more universities and colleges have taken it on as a course of study, serious scholars and so forth.” That renewed interest in the medium combined with Robinson’s curatorial interests to create “The Comics” — one of the first definitive books on the strip comic artform as a whole, written by Robinson in 1974 and recently published in a new edition by Dark Horse.
Shortly thereafter, Robinson became a key figure along with artist Neal Adams in the fight to get Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster proper credit and pay for their hero from DC Comics. Robinson himself saw the benefits of a corporate culture at DC and Warner Bros. become arguably more appreciative of its original creatives in recent years as he served as a paid creative consultant for the company on projects including Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” which drew heavily on Robinson’s original stories in its portrayal of the Joker.
In recent years, Robinson rode a wave of publicity and public appearances surrounding not only the books by him and about his life, but also for his contributions to comics as a whole. He curated more exhibitions of original comics art, and last year auctioned off some of his most acclaimed original cover artwork from the Golden Age.
via R.I.P.: Jerry Robinson, Joker Creator & Comics Ambassador – Comic Book Resources.
