Release date for Batman 3 set!

According to Deadline, an internal memo circulating at Warner Bros. has set a release date for the still untitled third “Batman” film: July 20th, 2012.  Though production has not yet begun, the script, by Goyer and Jonathan Nolan, is near completion, and this puts the film on a deadline that should mean we’ll start getting information on the film in the very near future.

So, who are you all hoping to see in this film?  What villains should pop up?  Personally, I think Deadshot or the Riddler could be done really well in Nolan’s version of the Batverse, and this isn’t just an excuse to bust out this fan-made poster from the Superhero Hype boards for the unknown final movie.

First image of Thor from 2011 film!

Marvel released the first official still of next year’s big-screen adaptation of Thor – and I have to say, I am vastly impressed by the look.  May of 2011 can’t get here fast enough!

Courtesy of Yahoo Film

Review: Incorruptible #5

Review: American Vampire #2

Review: Brave and the Bold #33

Young Justice Cartoon!!

Cartoon Network announced a new slate of cartoons (including a 21st-century relaunch of the Looney Tunes).  Top of the list: Young Justice!

Here’s a quote:

“Also debuting at that time is the 30-minute animated series Young Justice. Loosely based on the DC comic series created by Todd DeZago and Todd Nauck, Young Justice centers on a group of teenage capes out to prove they’re ready for The Justice League. Robin, Kid Flash, Superboy, Artemis, Miss Martian and Aqualad make up the squad. No footage of the series was screened, so it’s unclear what the tone of the show will be. The comic, under DeZago and later Peter David’s direction, often infused comedy into the drama and action.”

New Comics 04/21/2010

This is the weekly post where I look at what is coming out at your local comic shop and comment as I see fit.  As always, this list is not complete.

Review: The Unwritten #12

The Unwritten #12 features the series’ second stand-alone issue, and much like “How the Whale Became”, “Eliza Mae Hertford’s Willowbank Tales” takes the series to a new level, deepening the world in a significant way while telling an engaging, entertaining story.  The Unwritten #12 is also definitely the funniest issue of the series, as Pauly Bruckner, a petty criminal trapped in a children’s story by Eliza Mae Hertford.  He tries to assert his will against a powerful narrator, escape the , and take his revenge on the story’s inhabitants, all while reduced to the form of ‘Mr. Bun’, an adorable bunny who goes on adventures in a wonderland of cute anthropomorphic animals.

The art remains spectacular, with Gross joined by Kurt Huggins and Zelda Devon on finishes and colors, and it manages to capture the innocence of landscape and the way that Pauly, despite his attempts otherwise, can never truly corrupt it or turn it dark.  Humorous and memorable, The Unwritten #12, like “How the Whale Became”, serves as a notice for the rapid-fire shifts of tone, setting, character, and theme the book is capable of without losing sight of what it wants to do or how it wants to do it.  The Unwritten continues to cement its status as a modern classic.

Grade: A+

- Cal Cleary

Read/RANT

Blackest Night in 60 Seconds

I was content to leave Blackest Night in the rearview mirror and not comment on it anymore.  Then, I stumbled upon this hysterical comic strip and I just had to share:

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/04/07/blackest-night-in-60-seconds/

Okay, NOW I’m done talking about BN.  Thanks for the Monday morning laugh, Comics Alliance!

The Unread Canon: The Punisher MAX: Kitchen Irish

Everyone has a set of entertainment by which they’ll swear, the ones they’ll eventually convince every friend to watch/listen to/read.  Sometimes, those suggestions are echoed time and again all over the place, and even the most jaded, world-weary or dirt-poor fan of the medium has to get curious about just what all that fuss is for.  That’s why I’ve started The Unread Canon, my attempt to experience a great deal more of comics than I already have and take a look at the books that, over the past few years (or, in some cases, decades) have achieved passionate, vocal critical and fan supporters that have nevertheless managed to slip by me and to try and look at how they grew, how they aged, why they work, or why they might not work so well anymore.

Review: The Flash #1

It’s been a tough few years to be a Flash fan.  Ever since Infinite Crisis wrote Wally West off stage, DC has struggled with what to do with the Scarlet Speedster.  Several reboot attempts including re-establishing Wally as the Flash have more or less crashed and burned.  It seemed the only option left (perhaps by design) was to return Barry Allen to the role.

Review: Secret Six #20

If you aren’t reading Secret Six, you are missing out on a treat.  No, scratch that – if you aren’t reading Secret Six, you are missing out on one of the best comic books on the shelves. Very, very few arcs epitomize why more so than the current one, titled “Cats in the Cradle.”  Secret Six #20 still lacks art from Nicola Scott, but new artist J. Calafiore has proved an extremely able replacement, deftly building tension between the over-the-top action scenes and the moments of extraordinarily dark comedy.

Last issue ended on a brilliant cliffhanger – Catman’s son is kidnapped, and the boy will be allowed to live 1 year for every teammate Catman murders in the next 5 minutes – and the resolution of that moment this issue is one of the highlights of Simone’s run.  Catman has always been one of the more measured members of the team, likely to be taken by his temper to do stupid things, but at heart, at least, he was probably the best of the bunch.  This arc isn’t designed to destroy or reinforce that, but to highlight the side of his personality that puts him on the Secret Six, rather than making him yet another hardcore anti-hero… and it works.  Fabulously.  Secret Six #20 is a brutally violent character-driven action book like nothing else out today.  Read it.

Grade: A

- Cal Cleary

Read/RANT

Review: Brightest Day #0

Zero issues are a tricky thing.  Typically, they serve as more of a primer than an actual kick-off to the story.  And that’s the case here.  Judged as a primer, Blackest Night #0 does an admirable job of catching readers up on the new status quo for the 12 characters Johns resurrected at the end of Blackest Night.

New Comics 04/14/2010

Last week, I was suprised how many books (especially Marvel books) grabbed my attention.  So of course I wasn’t able to make it to the comic shop last week.  Hopefully, this week will be light and I can catch-up a little.

On to the list…

Top Ten Best Comics of 2009

Better late than never, eh? This is my list for the top ten stories of 2009! Woo hoo! Now, before we get to all the fun of me voicing my opinions and you disagreeing with them, I have to get a few rules out of the way.

1. These are the top ten stories/arcs/whatever. Not comic in general, not trade, but best stories (What can I say, I’m trying to be somewhat unique).

2. These are stories that ended in 2009. They could begin at any time, but as long as they concluded in 2009, they’re eligible.

3. I tried to keep the list as diverse and reader-friendly as possible. I love certain writers, but it would be boring if it was three Morrison books, two Kirkman books, etc. So, a writer/artist will only appear once on the list. I tried to spread the love evenly. You will see Marvel, DC, and even indies on this list.

Wow, with all those rules, how did I come up with a great top ten? Well, I hope I did. Anyway, let’s begin the fun!

The Unread Canon: The Walking Dead: Safety Behind Bars

Everyone has a set of entertainment by which they’ll swear, the ones they’ll eventually convince every friend to watch/listen to/read.  Sometimes, those suggestions are echoed time and again all over the place, and even the most jaded, world-weary or dirt-poor fan of the medium has to get curious about just what all that fuss is for.  That’s why I’ve started The Unread Canon, my attempt to experience a great deal more of comics than I already have and take a look at the books that, over the past few years (or, in some cases, decades) have achieved passionate, vocal critical and fan supporters that have nevertheless managed to slip by me and to try and look at how they grew, how they aged, why they work, or why they might not work so well anymore.

New Comics 04/07/2010

I started doing this right before my vacation came along and put me far behind in all things comic book related.  But I’m going to try to pick this back up as a regular feature starting today.

Basically, I’m just going to look at the major releases this week and share my thoughts.

Greg Rucka Leaving DC

Well, any of you who read Read/RANT with any semblance of frequency have probably noticed, but we like Greg Rucka.  Not everything he does – Action Comics of a particular was deeply flawed, in my own humble opinion – but he can be relied on to turn in some damn fine work, and rarely was it finer than his too-brief run on Detective Comics, during which he managed to turn Batwoman into an interesting, lively character.

Unfortunately, due to something internal at DC, Batwoman isn’t headlining Detective Comics for the full length that Rucka and Williams had hoped she would be.  What’s more, from the sound of it, Batwoman isn’t even getting the solo series Rucka and Williams had suggested they wanted to work on earlier in the year… or, if she is, it’s not with them.

Definitely sad news for comics fans.

Read more at Comics Alliance.

The Unread Canon: A Brief Delay

With apologies to our many millions of readers, I have to say that this week’s The Unread Canon will be late a week as I finish preparations for an upcoming road trip and other writing responsibilities.

It will return next week, however, with The Walking Dead: Safety Behind Bars.  Until then… have yourselves a fabulous weekend, and for those of you celebrating Easter – enjoy!

- Cal Cleary

Review: Blackest Night #8