Nightwing

A fantastic hi res image of Nightwings new costume which debuts in just over a weeks time! I have to say, even though I miss the blue, I love the red symbol and the gauntlets!

Captain American and Thor Team Up on The Avengers Set | Superhero Hype

Captain American and Thor Team Up on The Avengers Set | Superhero Hype

The Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Trailer! | Superhero Hype

The Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Trailer! | Superhero Hype

Exclusive: The Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Poster! | Superhero Hype

Violante Placido, Idris Elba and Johnny Whitworth.

Click the poster to view a bigger version!

Looking good Mr Blaze!

Batman: Arkham City Mr Freeze

Tonight (well in two months) .... a freeeeeeeeeeeeeeze is coming!

Topless Robot thinks the DC Reboot may not suck...

Beginning on this August 31st, DC is semi-kinda-sorta rebooting their entire comics universe by launching and/or relaunching 52 new comics, all beginning with #1. Some characters are changing drastically, many aren't. Some things are getting switched around, some major developments are being forgotten or moved past, some costumes are getting altered, and some of these things are staying totally the same.

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Suffice to say, this "DCnU" move has pissed off a lot of longtime DC fans, and certainly, Topless Robot has been bitching about it just as much as anyone. But while DC could be probably be doing some things better, really, nobody knows anything for sure about how good or bad the DCnU will end up being, for the titles in specific or even DC in general.

So DC is shaking things up. Fine. Good, even. DC's books weren't selling as well as they could be and a relaunch can bring some new life into a tired industry; it's why Marvel and DC do them all the time. And you know what? We've survived all of them. In fact, here's 11 reasons why the DC relaunch probably won't open a pit to hell and usher in the End Times.


11) Not Everything Is Fucked
​Relax. Over the last few weeks, DC has let enough info slip to ease some of our worries. They've admitted that Batman Beyond is relaunching sometime in 2012. Same with Batman Inc. The speculation of Justice Society never coming back was disproved after a couple weeks of people yammering about it. And the Superman/Lois Lane marriage that's coming to an end? A future scene in Superman #714 said that they break up and get back together a few times over their history. So while the instruments may change, the symphony is pretty much the same.

10) DC Is Listening to Their Fans
​Let's make it clear here, organizing a protest march at SDCC is the wrong thing to do. It sends the message to people who are trying hard to entertain you that you know their business better than they do. But to DC's credit, they're making changes based on what they're hearing. Most importantly, the complaints about female creators were heard and incorporated into the business plan. But aside from that, DC is being very open with what they're releasing, in order to prevent panic. Interviews are numerous and full of details. Preview art and sample pages are all over the net. They're answering fan questions in panels, forums, and even in the pages of their comics. Compared to the garbage bags worth of vague teasers and title-only solicits we get on a monthly basis from every comic company under the sun, it's refreshing.

9) New Villain Blood
​One of the most noticeable constants in all the new 52 solicits is the amount of new villains coming into the DCU. Everyone's getting some new punching bags. Mister Terrific fights Brainstorm. Hawkman fights Morphicus. Batman fights the Gotham Ripper and someone in an owl mask. The Justice Society, Superman, and Aquaman all have new villains too. Will they suck? Will they have staying power? Remember all the forgettable characters we got back in Bloodlines? (No, not Hitman.) Sometimes the massive wave of new characters isn't a bad thing. But at least it gives writers something else to play with in future stories.

8) Cutting the Dead Wood
Surprise! Not everyone likes every DC comics these days. Some of the books, I hate to admit, aren't chartbusters. Books like Titans and Outsiders and even Justice League have been slogging along for months and I think Green Arrow has spent two years telling only two massively decompressed storylines. So kill 'em all. Start over with books that have a chance of attracting readers. Now there's no need to try to figure out whatever happened in the last three years of Teen Titans angst-fest, it's just starting from square one. Give everyone a break from the oppressive continuity we cling to so hard.

7) You're Still Going to Get Good Stories
Put the fear of continuity loss away for a second. Do you think that the new 52 are going to be mediocre? DC knows these books have to be hits out of the gate, so these aren't fill-in issues we're dealing with. While you might not be a fan of Green Arrow or Mister Terrific as characters, these books are probably going to be above average. I'm buying all 52. Will I hate one or two or several? Probably. But I think that will be more because of my preferences rather than lazy writing and art. Give it a shot, it's just money. You'll get more eventually.
6) It's Got Some Seriously Good Creative Teams
​Can't argue with results. The artists and writers in the new 52 have all proven themselves before. And while you're not going to get the Gail Simone monthly one-two of Secret Six and Birds of Prey, do you expect her new Batgirl and Firestorm to be duds? Talent is talent. Remember how psyched we all were when Jim Lee did X-Men #1? He's on fucking Justice League now! Geoff Johns gets to do the Aquaman book he's been dreaming about for years! Cliff Chiang on a monthly! Grant Morrison gets to tackle a Superman book that doesn't exist in Elseworlds! It's a collection of creators' dream projects, and there's no more waiting!

5) WildStorm Is Now in DC Continuity
​Wildstorm used to have untouchable stories and art, but after the DC/WildStorm merger, the universe started shrinking. Books came slower, characters and teams were absent for months, if not years. Now, it's all in the mix. Every WildStorm character is now available from the creative vending machine. And while we're not seeing Fairchild and the citizens of Tranquilty in the first month, I'm jazzed at the idea that they could pop up any time in the pages of Red Lanterns.

4) No One's Gone Forever
Stephanie Brown isn't Batgirl. Hal Jordan isn't Green Lantern. Miss Martian isn't in the Teen Titans. Is that forever? Nah, it's just starting this September. Anything's possible. Characters switch identities all the time (Wikipedia lists five separate Batgirls), and they're going to switch again in the new 52. Just because some continuities are being fudged doesn't mean you're never going to see so-and-so again. If anything is true in comics, it's that good ideas come back. Again. And again. And again.

3) New Costumes Never Killed Anyone
​ Okay, I've complained about costume changes before, and yes, it is a touchy subject. Familiar is comforting, I get it. Is this going to ruin a comic? Damned if I know. A lousy costume can doom a book (I'm still saying that Guy Gardner: Warrior and Fate were ludicrous), but give it some time. Workboots and a t-shirt are nowhere near as awful as Electric Superman, and people still went out to buy Batman figures in the '90s where Bats was in pink or white or bright green. Good costumes will stay. Bad costumes will go. I'm not cutting my DC spending because the Flash has a collar.

2) There's a @#$%ing Animal Man Series by Jeff Lemire
​C'mon! Animal Man is the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup of comics - you can't not like him. Everyone loves Animal Man. He's a superhero with a home life that doesn't get all preachy and stupid. We've been waiting for another Animal Man ongoing for years and for it to be written by Jeff Lemire and be a direct tie-in with Swamp Thing? That's nothing but good news.

1) Continuity Really Doesn't Matter
Horrors! I said bad words! But no, it doesn't really matter. Get the big tent-pole things in there, Killing Joke and whatnot, but the little nitty gritty details really don't mean anything. Those are the things that keep casual readers in the dark and new readers on the outside. DC is assuring us that big events still happened and still mattered, but not every story is going to be beholden to 30 years of post-Crisis continuity.

And we've had out-of-continuity books before. They were called Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, which ran for 214 issues. Or Superman/Batman, which has run continuously for eight full years without being referenced in mainstream books. Or the two Confidential series that ran 68 issues, or the JSA/JLA Classified books that told some of the best stories of either team without ever having anything to do with what was happening in the other comics that month. A good story is a good story, and while I get the "respect the die-hard fans" attitude, the question begs to be asked, "Are you collecting because you like seeing Batman fight bad guys or because of the bad guys he fought 20 years ago?"

Oh hey Selina!

Heres our first official look at Anne Hathaway as Catwoman herself from the up coming film The Dark Knight Rises. Gotta say, im not feeling it. She looks stealthy enough and seems to have nicked Batmans Batpod (which keeps inline with the whole theif thing rather than the typical cat burglar). I just think she looks like a woman in a black suit, no cat motifs to be seen. Bare in mind that this was released by Warner Brothers as our first look at Selina Kyle, not "Catwoman", which is in keeping with Nolans realistic take on the DC universe. But if we can suspend our belief that Harvey Dent can walk around after having half of his face burnt off, Im sure we could accept a woman who likes to dress like a cat (burglar). Also this is our first look, so she may start out in a black suit and then add to it as the film continues... hopefully with a pair of cat ears and a whip ;)

First look at the new Man of Steel

Above is the first look at Henry Cavill as Superman in the forth coming Zack Snyder film Man of Steel. And wow, just look at him. I couldn't imagine him as Superman in my head but after seeing this picture it quells all my doubts, as he looks fantastic. Im loving the intensity of this picture and how strong Superman actually looks for once! Coupled with the news of Lawrence Fishburne being cast as Daily Planet chief Perry White I have one thing to say, bring it on Mr Snyder :D

8 things comic book movies can learn from Cap

Its no secret, I friggin loved Captain America. It was a movie full of action, suspense, comedy and most important of all... heart. You actually cared for Steve Rogers as he made his journey from a thin, sick weakling to a powerful, athletic, super hero. But what was most important of all, he was always the same person inside regardless of his outer appearance. He was always a man with heart, a good soul and a deep caring for other people, even above his own safety (Most obvious in the scense with the grenade and the fight in the alley). Below is a list of things that this movie could teach other comic book films and shows how fantastic the vision of Cap on the big screen really is. This is copied from the den of geek website. Below are spoilers so beware :)


Please note: There are spoilers for events in the film, so you may want return to this article after you've seen the movie.
Captain America: The First Avenger has finally hit cinemas and I have a confession: I loved it, with a passion and without reservation. I've thoroughly enjoyed many of the comic book superhero movies that have hit screens over the past few years, Thor, Iron Man, Hellboy 2, X-Men: First Class. Hell, I even liked Green Lantern for what it was. Except every one of those movies came with a ‘but', a not quite perfect performance.
Captain America is the first superhero movie since The Dark Knight that I can't complain about and have nothing to nitpick over (except, maybe, that it ended).
With a potentially bright future ahead for other comic book-based films, it might help to illustrate where Captain America went right where other lesser films have gone a little wrong...
Hire a director with a vision, and let him realize it

Captain America unspools with the confidence and momentum of a seasoned pro. Director Joe Johnston has had a fascinating history in moviemaking.. In his own directing career, he's made some troubled productions watchable (Jurassic Park 3, The Wolfman), while creating  some bona fide gems (The Rocketeer, October Sky).
In many ways, it seems his whole career has led him to Captain America. Even more impressive, it appears as if Marvel actually gave him the time, budget, and autonomy to make the movie he wanted. The result is a film with a look, feel, and pulse that is unique and refreshing. You don't feel studio meddling here. Just a story being told by a filmmaker who finally has the freedom to spread his wings and deliver a love letter to the rollicking serials he's always loved.
Joe Johnston was finally given the opportunity to deliver the film I always knew he could, and he makes it look easy in the process.

Pick the best actor for the role

I'll admit that, since Marvel started producing its own movies, it's done an exemplary job. Instead of sticking any famous face in the role for sheer recognition (Nicolas Cage as Ghost Rider springs to mind here, cast by Sony rather than Marvel. That said, Cage was a long-time fan of the Ghost Rider character), the success of the entire endeavor comes down to choosing the right actor, who can bring the character to life in a way we've only imagined.
No one can deny that Robert Downey Jr. owned as Tony Stark. Chris Hemsworth similarly impressed as Thor. And now you can add Mr. Chris Evans to the list, as the perfect Steve Rogers.
By dropping the cocksure swagger he showed in Fantastic Four and Sunshine and embracing the earnest soul of Rogers, Evans shows a depth previously untapped. He's brought Cap to life better than expected, making him forthright and sincere, without being cloying and corny.
In Evans' and Johnston's capable hands, Steve is the stand-up kind of guy we want to cheer for and go on this mission with. To think, we almost got Channing Tatum.

Give us a villain worthy of our hero

In the current world of movie franchises, every film seems to be made with the footnote ‘We're planning a trilogy'. Because of this overconfidence that ‘we'll do that in the next one' certain characters and stories are held back for the sequel the suits assume they're going to make (Green Lantern is a perfectly depressing example).
Who remembers the villain in Iron Man? Let me help. It was Jeff Bridges in a bigger Iron Man suit. What about Iron Man 2? That time it was Mickey Rourke in another, bigger Iron Man suit, but with whips.
It's been said that a hero is only as good as his villain, and this is even more true in the world of comic book movies. Batman has the Joker. Superman has Lex Luthor. And Captain America has The Red Skull.
Thankfully, instead of saddling us with some second stringer in this first go round, we get to see Red Skull, played by the incomparable Hugo Weaving, onscreen in all his diabolical glory.
As upright and honorable as Steve Rogers is, Weaving's Johan Schmidt is as dubious, conniving, and despicable. And it's awesome that Cap and Red Skull actually come face to skull a few times over the course of the film. It was an excellent way to introduce their legendary rivalry, as well as build the conflict of being the twisted mirror images of each other. I just hope we haven't seen the last of Schmidt. He was a glorious bastard.

Supporting characters matter too

If you take a moment to think about your favorite films of all time, be it Star Wars, Back To The Future, or Pirates Of The Caribbean (okay, maybe those are my favorites), how many other characters, in addition to the main character, stand out? Odds are that that list is pretty long.
You don't just remember Luke Skywalker. You also fondly recall Han, Chewy, Yoda, R2, Lando, Leia, and so on. Johnston understands this, and fills his movie with memorable and entertaining secondary characters and, more importantly, casts them with talented and respected actors (a little trick also favored by our dear friend, Christopher Nolan).
So, we don't just have Evans and Weaving doing all the heavy lifting. We also have Tommy Lee Jones at his dry witted best as Colonel Phillips. We have, Haley Atwell bringing an admirable strength and charm as Peggy Carter, who refreshingly never becomes the clichéd damsel in distress. We get Toby Jones as Dr. Zola, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark, and Neal McDonough as Dum Dum Dugan. And, most importantly, every one of these characters gets their moment to shine and make their mark on the film. And before you jump on me for forgetting someone, I've saved the best for last, Stanley Tucci as Dr. Abraham Erskine.
Tucci took what could have been little more than a glorified cameo, brought gravitas, intelligence, and humor to it and, in the process, became the soul of the film. A pitch perfect performance. Did anyone walk out of X-Men: First Class singing the praises of Angel Salvadore? No need to answer that.

Theme music is important

Quick, hum the theme to Superman! Easy! Now Batman! No problem. How about Spider-man? Now, X-Men (no, the cartoon theme doesn't count).  The Incredible Hulk?
That got tougher with those last couple, didn't it? Well, for the first time in what seems like ages, our hero has a triumphant, original, recognizable theme. Kudos to Mr. Alan Silvestri.

Let it be fun

It seems that every superhero movie is met with the comment from fanboys similar to ‘well, it's no Dark Knight.' I appreciate that The Dark Knight is a masterpiece. However, they're entirely missing the point.
The grim realistic approach that works for Batman isn't right for every character (which is why I have such reservations about next year's Spider-Man reboot, but that's another conversation) and trying to force every hero into a dark and gritty place is missing out on the individual appeal of these icons.
Captain America is about strength of character, responsibility, and hope. I didn't want to see a dirty, harsh war movie, with Captain America in the trenches stepping over the bloodied bodies of his fallen comrades. If I wanted that, I'd watch Saving Private Ryan.
Although there are moments of drama and humanity in the film (Erskine's conversation with Steve before the procedure, being a sterling example), Johnston still wants, first and foremost, to give us a good time at the movies. So, the journey of Steve Rogers is filled with laughs, great character moments, and inventive action, all served up with the same enthusiasm as such thrilling pulp classics as Indiana Jones and Star Wars. It's a rip-roaring old school adventure, with a valiant hero, hissable villain and we're lucky enough to be on board for the entire ride.

Don't peak too early

Let's play another game, shall we? What was the best fight in Thor? The Frost Giant battle, right? When did it happen in the movie? About thirty minutes in. How about Iron Man? It's got to be when he takes down the terrorists in Afghanistan. When was that? About an hour into it. X2? Nightcrawler's siege on the White House, yes? When was that? Oh, it was the first scene in the movie. Do you get where I'm going with this?
One of this film fan's biggest rules of moviemaking  is simple: make the climax worth waiting for. There are some great action scenes throughout The First Avenger, the NYC chase, Bucky's rescue, the Howling Commando's montage, and the winter train. But it all builds up to the extended, final, action-packed sequence that starts with a motorcycle chase in the woods (a nice homage to Return Of The Jedi, by the way). That leads to a battle with a crew of Hydra agents inside the walls, Cap getting captured, the Commando's entrance, a chase through the bowels of Hydra headquarters, another battle in the hangar, all culminating in the final clash aboard Red Skull's bomber.
It's a thrilling series of events that are easy to follow (no shaky cam here, thank the lord) and ever-escalating all the way until the ultimate showdown between our two titans.

We don't just want to see. We want to feel.

I like loads of action, effects, and explosions in my summer movies, as much as the next guy. But here's the thing. All of those pyrotechnics without context is like watching a fireworks show. It's pretty to look at but, in the end, it's nothing but a hollow diversion.
And in studios' ever vigilant efforts to get into our wallets over the summer months, they've amped up the boom and pow and eliminated pesky little things like character and story (ahem, Transformers trilogy).
Fortunately, Mr. Johnston is smart enough to realize that we have to care for and bond with Steve Rogers before he buffs up and starts kicking ass. He trusts us enough to allow a slow build during the first act, and introduces characters, situations, and the world before the first big action set piece. In lesser hands, this could be a slog, but it's all handled so deftly that you don't even notice that nothing's been blown up yet (and no robots have humped any legs. Sorry, I'm done). Then, when you finally get to the spectacular fireworks you paid for, you care about it. Crazy, innovative stuff there.
Along these lines, the movie has something far too rare in recent action films, heart. You root for Steve to become the man he deserves to be. You believe in him because, as Dr. Erskine says, he's a good man. He's a hero who wants to do the right thing and that's something we should all aspire to (as corny as that sounds).
In Steve and Peggy's relationship, we actually get a superhero romance that doesn't feel overly convenient or shoehorned in because studios feel we need a love interest. You actually see their feelings evolve over the course of the story. So, when the film ends the way it does, it stings. Not just for them, but for us as well, because we're invested in it. It's one of the most heartbreaking endings to a fun summertime romp I can remember, and the movie is stronger for it.
I'm not ashamed to admit that the final conversation between Steve and Peggy tore me up. Yeah, a stupid summer superhero movie actually brought out honest-to-goodness emotion in me.
Well, I think I've gushed about Captain America enough for now. Simply put, I found it to be a movie of unbridled joy, fun, and excitement. It's everything that's great about going to the movies and I truly believe that, over time, this film will stand up next to such classics as Superman: The Movie, Batman 89, The Rocketeer, and, yes, even The Dark Knight. It's as it should be, because what red-blooded movie geek can really resist the star spangled man with the plan?

New Thundercats Review

Below is a review of the new Thundercats series from Topless Robot.com. I was going to write my own review but everything mentioned below sums up how I feel about the new show better than I could have done myself. Enjoy:

​Short version: The new ThunderCats is the best relaunch of any '80s cartoon series ever. Seriously. Better than 2002 He-Man, better than any Transformers adaptation, even better than G.I. Joe: Resolute. When anyone wants to talk about how the beloved franchises or our youth should be revived in the modern age -- for instance, like when I go stand in the corner and start screaming about Masters of the Universe -- all we need to do is point to the new ThunderCats as an example of how it can be done.

Longer version (with some spoilers): I'm sure I sound as guilty of hyperbole as I did when mocking the Spidey musical song below, but I'm really not. The people making this show took a goofy '80s toy cartoon concept -- and let's admit that it was even more razor thin than G.I. Joe or He-Man -- and fleshed it out wonderfully. They created a whole world out of Thundera, one with history and richness and conflicts. They transformed action figures into real characters, with personalities and motivations and individuality. They scrapped the one bare-bones idea, morality-laden per episode "plots" of the '80s and are crafting one tale, both personal and epic, that will last through the season. Basically, the whole series has the depth, the richness that we as kids always felt these classic cartoons had, but in reality never did.

I'm not kidding: the series effectively starts when Grune betrays the ThunderCats and lets Mumm-Ra and his lizard armies invade the castle -- an invasion that kills many, many cat people. The show's weird mix of magic and technology? Well, in the new show technology is a myth... until the lizards invade with giant robots, and this esoteric former characteristic becomes part of the setting and story, and a cool one.

As for the characters: Lion-O watches King Clowdus get murdered before his eyes. Tygra is Lion-O's older brother, cocky and bitter that he can't be king (he's not a lion). Cheetara is one of Lord Jaga's clerics (which means yes, Lord Jaga has clerics in the new ThunderCats, and there are supremely badass). Oh, and the reason Panthro hasn't been seen in most of the promos? He's dead, killed in battle (supposedly; probably not, but that's why he's been gone). And Snarf doesn't talk. At all. Meaning the new ThunderCats has taken the old cartoon's most irritating character and most awful factor and turned it into something cute and innocuous. THIS IS HOW YOU REMAKE A SERIES, PEOPLE. YOU MAKE IT BETTER THAN IT WAS BEFORE.

Oh, and it looks terrific. It's the best animated cartoon in America, better than even Young Justice. Getting an anime company to do an American adaptation well is supremely hard -- please look at all the Marvel anime for example -- but for whatever reason, ThunderCats is getting the star treatment. That means for the first time, ThunderCats looks as good as it did in its original intro -- because as you remember, the opening credits were amazing, and then the rest of the cartoon looked like garbage.

And then there's the great voice acting -- hearing original Lion-O Larry Kenny as King Clowdus was amazing -- and excellent music and seriously, everything is great. And while the show should be an older ThunderCats nerd's dream come true, it should work for a new audiences of kids, because its a good story with interesting characters that's well done on all levels. Seriously, watch it -- if you missed it, check your On Demand, or beg Cartoon Network to replay it. Not just because it's that good, although it is. But because every nerd needs to know how good these relaunches and reboots and revivals of our favorite series can be when done so amazingly right.