DVD
Hoodwinked: A review of ‘Batman: Under the Red Hood’
Red Hood fires. Bang!
When I heard that the next DC animated movie was going to be Batman: Under the Red Hood, I cringed. For one thing, I’ve never been a big fan of Judd Winick’s writing. For another, when I originally heard that Jason Todd had come back from the dead, I did a facepalm. Must everything be constantly recycled in superhero comics for the sake of fanboy nostalgia? Can’t we just leave some things be? Not that Death in the Family was some great masterpiece (it wasn’t) but can’t we look at least a little bit forward instead of constantly looking over our shoulder, building castle after castle on sand?
So no, I wasn’t particularly excited to watch this latest Warner Bros. adaptation, expecting it to be something along the lines of that dreadful Superman/Batman affair or the horrid Wonder Woman film.
- July 16, 2010 @ 09:30 AM by Chris Mautner
Summer Glau to voice Supergirl in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
Superman/Batman #8
If you needed more proof that the DC Comics animated DVDs are, in fact, continuing, TV Guide reports that a sequel to last year’s Superman/Batman: Public Enemies will come out on Sept. 28.
And just as that first film was based on the first arc of the Superman/Batman comic, this one adapts the second arc of the Jeph Loeb-written comic, which reintroduced Kara Zor-El, AKA Supergirl, to the DC Universe. Superman/Batman: Apocalypse will again star Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy as Superman and Batman, and Firefly/Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles actress Summer Glau as Supergirl.
The movie follows Batman: Under the Red Hood, which comes out at the end of July.
Update: And not even 30 minutes after posting this, Warner Home Video sends out a press release on the animated film, which adds Ed Asner and Andre Braugher to the voice cast. You can read it after the jump.
- June 29, 2010 @ 09:00 AM by JK Parkin
Bruce Timm: ‘Bottom line: the DCU films are definitely continuing’
Batman: Under the Red Hood
Coming out of the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo in April, there were reports that the DC Universe Original Animated Movies might be in trouble. An “exclusive interview” with Bruce Timm (that Timm says was no such thing but the author says was) and subsequent pick-up of it by other outlets kind of left an impression that the movies weren’t doing so well.
Today Warner Home Video sent out a Q&A with Timm on their next film, Batman: Under the Red Hood, which included some clarification about the future of the movies:
QUESTION: There’s been a lot of internet banter regarding the discontinuation of the DCU series based on quotes attributed to an interview in Calgary with you. True or false?
BRUCE TIMM: Kinda false. First of all, it wasn’t an actual one-on-one interview — quotes were taken out of context from longer answers I gave on a panel at the Expo. Bottom line: the DCU films are definitely continuing. We’ve got projects lined up for the next two years at the very least – lots of films in different stages of development and production. I know there are a lot of rumors circulating about future films. Some are true, some are not. I’ll tell you this much – anyone at our DCU/Batman: Under the Red Hood panel at Comic-Con will walk away with a very clear picture of the direction we’re taking the DCU animated movies in the coming year.
- June 23, 2010 @ 12:00 PM by JK Parkin
First images from animated ‘Jonah Hex’ animated short hit the web
Jonah Hex
Warner Bros. sent out the first three images from the Jonah Hex animated short that can be found on the upcoming Batman: Under the Red Hood DVD.
This is the second DC Showcase animated short, following the Spectre one that appeared on the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths DVD earlier this year. “Jonah Hex “is scripted by author Joe Lansdale and features the voices of Thomas Jane, Linda Hamilton, Michelle Trachtenberg and Michael Rooker.
According to the press release, “In the DC Showcase story, the tough-as-nails bounty hunter Jonah Hex
always gets his man – until someone else gets to him first – in this case a murderous madam who wants to steal more than just her bounty from Jonah Hex.”
Batman: Under the Red Hood arrives in stores July 27. Check out a couple more images after the jump.
- May 27, 2010 @ 10:00 AM by JK Parkin
Batman XXX: A Porn Parody hits stores today
Although it’s highly unlikely you’ll find it on a Target end cap, Vivid’s Batman XXX: A Porn Parody, hits stores today. The pornographic film stars Dale DaBone and James Deen as Batman and Robin in a takeoff on the 1960s Batman TV show.
“The amount of interest that this movie has been getting is absolutely amazing, and actually quite humbling,” said director Axel Braun in a press release. “I was very lucky. I had an amazing cast of incredibly talented people who shared my passion for this project, a crew that pulled all the stops to help me realize my vision, and the support of the best Adult company in the world.”
The release also denotes that Braun is working on his next superhero film, Superman XXX: A Porn Parody, to be released under the Vivid-Superhero imprint. He told CBR’s Kiel Phegley earlier this month that the Superman film will parody the Christopher Reeve Superman movies — and also explained how he’s not worried about being sued by Warner Bros.
- May 24, 2010 @ 03:15 PM by JK Parkin
Send us your Shelf Porn!
Welcome once again to Shelf Porn, our weekly look at one fan’s shelves. Would you like to show off your shelves? Drop me an email and let’s see what we can do.
Today’s edition of Shelf Porn comes from book reviewer Joshua Hill. While he has a small-but-growing comic shelf, he more than makes up for it with his collection of science fiction books. So let’s turn it over to Josh …
- April 21, 2010 @ 03:30 PM by JK Parkin
Send us your Shelf Porn!
This week we have a special guest contributor to Shelf Porn — comics writer Jesse Blaze Snider. Snider will be at C2E2 this weekend in Chicago, signing copies of Toy Story and other comics at the BOOM! Studios booth, so be sure to drop by and tell him how cool his shelf porn looks.
If you’d like to contribute to Shelf Porn, just send a write-up and pictures to jkparkin@yahoo.com.
And now let’s turn it over to Jesse …
- April 14, 2010 @ 02:00 PM by JK Parkin
Send us your Shelf Porn!
For a little more than a year, in addition to all the other stuff he posts here at Robot 6, Chris Mautner has been your guide inside the homes and shelves of comic fans from around the world. Starting this week, Chris is stepping back from blogging with us on a daily basis and will no longer be doing stuff like Shelf Porn and our Sunday What Are You Reading? features. Never fear, though; Chris isn’t actually leaving, and you’ll still see stuff like Collect This Now!, Comics College, reviews and other stuff from him every week.
And Shelf Porn isn’t going anywhere either. I’ll be taking it over each Wednesday, so if you’d like to show off yours, drop me an email at jkparkin@yahoo.com. If you sent Chris yours already, there’s no need to send it again — he passed on a folder full of submissions that we will get to in the weeks ahead.
Today’s awesome entry comes from Stev Page in Lexington, Kentucky, whose collection ranges from comics and action figures to artwork and even a movie prop. Check out Stev’s pictures and commentary after the jump.
- March 24, 2010 @ 02:00 PM by JK Parkin
You had me at ‘parallel dimension’: A review of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
Confession time: I’ve always had a soft spot for the whole alternate universe concept vis a vis superheroes. The idea of folks like Superman having completely different adventures — maybe even being completely different people! — just thrilled me as a young comic book collector for reasons I can’t really quite to explain (although the cynic in me might say it might have had something to do with the fact that these stories were allowed the grace of an actual ending). Whatever the reason, imaginary stories, parallel worlds, alternate universes, Earths 1-52, I loved em all. As a kid my big addiction was trying to get a complete run of the first run of Marvel’s “What If?” series (it wasn’t that hard).
So when Warner Brothers announced that their next straight-to-DVD animated film was going to be titled Crisis on Two Earths I acted a bit like Hugh Herbert. On the other hand, the company’s last offering, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, was abysmal, and left a bad taste in my mouth for days. Would this new film run along similar lines? Was I foolish to get my hopes up?
- February 18, 2010 @ 01:00 PM by Chris Mautner
Warner Home Video releases images from “The Spectre” short
The Spectre
Next month Warner Home Video will release their next DC Universe Original Animated Movie, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. Included on the DVD will be a new short in what they’re calling their “DC Showcase” series. This first one features the Spectre. From the press release:
The Spectre focuses on a detective story with an ethereal twist, featuring the otherworldly character originally introduced by DC Comics in 1940. The short is written by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and directed by Joaquim Dos Santos (G.I Joe: Resolute). The voice cast is led by Gary Cole (Entourage) as the title character and Alyssa Milano (Charmed) as Aimee Brenner.
The Spectre will be distributed February 23 by Warner Home Video as part of the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Blu-ray/DVD.
Check out a couple of additional images after the jump.
- January 13, 2010 @ 08:00 AM by JK Parkin
The Maxx cartoon coming to DVD
The Maxx
If you’ve been watching The Maxx cartoons over on MTV.com and were thinking, “Boy, wouldn’t it be nice if I could buy these on DVD?” then have I got some news for you … Heidi over at The Beat points out that Amazon has a listing for The Maxx: The Complete Series. No release date is listed yet.
The cartoon adapted the comics by Sam Kieth, which were published by Image Comics back in the 1990s. The Maxx lived in two worlds — our world, where he was a bum, and in a surreal Australian outback, where he was a hero. If you’ve never seen it before and wanna check something out that’s a bit off the beaten path, it’s worth watching the streams on MTV.com.
(Fans of MTV’s crazy 90s cartoons may also want to know that The Head will also be available via Amazon).
- December 2, 2009 @ 08:06 AM by JK Parkin
Paging President Deathstroke …
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
Comic Book Resources posted the newest trailer for the the seventh entry in the ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies series, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. The story pits the League and a good version of Lex Luthor against their classic enemies/doppelgangers, the Crime Syndicate.
If you’ve watched the entire trailer, then you know that they threw in a fun little touch in the form of the leader of the United States on Earth 2, a familiar-looking President Wilson. And in the picture above, sent out by Warner Bros. today, you can see that his daughter, Rose, will also be making an appearance.
The DVD comes out Feb. 23.
- November 23, 2009 @ 02:08 PM by JK Parkin
Straight for the art | Planet Hulk DVD cover by Alex Ross
"Planet Hulk" box art, by Alex Ross
I somehow missed it on Friday when USA Today’s Whitney Matheson unveiled the Alex Ross box art for Marvel’s Planet Hulk animated feature, which hits stores on Feb. 2. Follow the link to see the full image, and watch the trailer here.
- October 12, 2009 @ 09:30 AM by Kevin Melrose
Next up on the DCU DVD sked: Crisis on Two Earths
One thing I didn’t mention in my review of Superman/Batman Public Enemies yesterday was that it came with a preview for the next DC DVD, Crisis on Two Earths. The story is the old evil superheroes from alternate earth versus our guys and seems heavily inspired by this book, as well as lots of old Pre-Crisis Silver Age tales. James Woods, Billy Baldwin and Chris Noth are among the celebrity voices. You can learn more from the video below, which I ganked from Topless Robot.
- October 1, 2009 @ 08:51 AM by Chris Mautner
Just say no Kal-el: A review of ‘Superman/Batman: Public Enemies’
Seriously, look at those necks
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is a new direct-to-DVD film set in an alternate DC universe where everybody takes ungodly amounts of steroids.
Seriously, that’s the only conclusion I can come to as to why every single character in this movie, even the civilians, has a neck — when they have a neck at all — that’s wider than their goddamned skull. Seriously, their heads look like they’ve been bolted on. And that’s to say nothing of the endless oceans of muscles that ripple across everyone’s bodies. The entire planet is obviously juiced to the max.
But the display of over the top physiques really shouldn’t surprise me. At it’s heart, Public Enemies is your typical uber-macho buddy action movie, and just as dumb and sexist as most of them to boot. It’s the comic nerd’s version of Tango and Cash.
- September 30, 2009 @ 09:50 AM by Chris Mautner