The new Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories trade paperback release from DC Comics, collecting The Batman Adventures: Mad Love and a host of other The Batman Adventures comic stories, arrives in comic book stores today. The original hardcover edition of this title was released in May 2009. Official details on this new collection, along with a seven-page preview, can be found below.
BATMAN: MAD LOVE AND OTHER STORIES
Written by: Paul Dini, Bruce Timm and Glen Murakami Art by: Bruce Timm, Mike Parobeck, Matt Wagner, Dan DeCarlo, Klaus Janson and Glen Murakami Cover by: Bruce Timm
Tales by two of the creators behind the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series TV series are collected for the first time in hardcover! The centerpiece of this fantastic collection is the Eisner Award-winning The Batman Adventures: Mad Love, the surprisingly dark origin of Harley Quinn, co-starring The Joker and Poison Ivy as well as Batman. Also included are tales by Dini, Timm and others that feature the Scarecrow, Ra’s al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, Batgirl and more, from The Batman Adventures Annual #1 – 2, and stories from the The Batman Adventures Holiday Special #1, Adventures in the DC Universe #3 and Batman: Black & White #1!
The cover price for the Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories trade paperback release is $17.99US.
Stay tuned for further updates, including new Batman: The Animated Series schedule details and more, right here at The World’s Finest.
Four large-size images from Batman: Year One, the next installment in the DC Universe Animated Original Movie line set for release on October 18th, 2011, have been made available from Warner Home Video. Please note that while the images are of large size, they are not in high-definition quality. Click on the thumbnail images before for a closer look at each image.
Details on the home video release of Batman: Year One, including a rundown of Blu-ray extras, can be found here, along with the official trailer. Warner Home Video is expected to cross-promote the release of Batman: Year One with Batman: Arkham City, the latest entry in the Batman videogame franchise from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, which is also scheduled for an October 18th, 2011 release.
A co-production of Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the direct-to-video Batman: Year One animated feature debuts October 18th, 2011 on Blu-ray, DVD, OnDemand and for Download from Warner Home Video. Stay tuned for further updates here soon at The Worlds Finest.
Young Justice comic series artist Christopher Jones provides The World’s Finest with a closer look at Young Justice issue #7, the latest issue of the monthly series published by DC Comics. Below, Jones breaks down the issue, providing his thoughts and taking a looking closer at certain aspects of the issue. Click on the thumbnails for a closer look at each image. Young Justice #7 is now available both in print and digitally.
I’ve been really anxious for people to see this one, because this is the issue where you really start to get a sense of how vital a role the comic is going to play in fleshing out these characters and this world. It’s really exiting stuff if you’re a fan of the show.
Page #2: The “27 / Bludhaven” route information on the bus was my contribution. Bludhaven was a way of further indicating that Artemis isn’t in the nicest part of town, although this might not literally be Bludhaven. That’s just part of this bus’s route. The 27 is a reference to Detective Comics #27. It’s a number that I drop into anything Batman/Gotham related a lot.
Page #4: Here’s where we hint that Artemis has a sister who is actually Wonder Woman. No, wait…
Page #6: It was interesting finding ways to conceal the face of Artemis’ father. The way his head goes off the top of the panel on this page is something you’d never ordinarily do, but here it works. Note Artemis’ bare feet in panel one. Her boots are on the floor by her bed on page 04!
Page #7: I really liked this page. On a book like this you want to keep the art fairly simple and clean so you don’t want to go crazy with shadows on faces, but here was a great opportunity to use lighting not only for mood, but to give animation design faces a greater sense of weight and form in close-up than they might otherwise have.
Page #10: We went back and fourth a couple of times getting these thugs to look right. The script called for them to look big and tough – I guess so they looked like formidable opponents for Artemis rather than strung out punks who you might expect to be knocking over a low-end liquor store. But apparently my first pass on their ski-masks made them look to super-villain-y. I revised their masks to be even more rumpled and ill-fitting, and that seemed to make everyone happy. The thug with the shotgun was drawn to have bare arms, but a watchband got interpreted as a sleeve cuff and he ended up wearing a long sleeve undershirt in the finished art.
Page #13: I always wanted to do a spoof of the TV show cops set in Gotham. It would have consisted of an evening of following Gotham patrolmen around encountering stuff that was way over their head, or finding criminals tied up and left for them as Batman or some other Gotham hero is fleetingly spotted like a Bigfoot sighting.
Pages #14/15: The script called for a montage without panel orders. The motif of the arrows to help break up the layout was my idea. “No panel borders” is challenging enough when it’s just figures, but when you have to show a hit of a location or a scene to give those figures context, that’s tricky without creating panel boards of some kind. For those who enjoyed this spread, keep your eye out for similar sequences coming in issue #09!
Page #17: The sequence of Artemis climbing the tree was scripted as multiple panels, and I thought having multiple figures over a continuous background image opened up the visuals and gave the page more flow.
Pages #18/19: I didn’t get to do many full-page shots let along double page spreads during my days on The Batman Strikes, so epic shots like this are a treat. The challenge here was finding an angle on the action that reflected what was seen in the “Schooled” episode of the TV show, but also placed the characters to work with the order in which they were mentioned in the scripted dialog. This is the kind of thing that takes a lot of care when planning the artwork for a comic and isn’t that apparently when looking at the finished product!
Pages #20: Here we go. Lots of MONQI droids. By the end of issue #08, I’ve drawn enough of these guys to last me for a looong time! But you’ll have to check that out in a month’s time!
The World’s Finest would like to thank Christopher Jones for his participation and taking the time to do this special breakdown!
Further details on Young Justice #7 are available here. Click here for more with Young Justice comic series artist Christopher Jones, and click here for an interview with new Young Justice comic-co-writer Greg Weisman. Stay tuned for further updates, including exclusive Young Justice content and more, here soon at The World’s Finest.
As previously reported, new episodes of the acclaimed animated series Batman: The Brave and The Bold and Young Justice will resume September 2011 on Cartoon Network. Now, the network has provided specific episode details for both fan-favorite shows. Both Young Justice and Batman: The Brave and The Bold will debut three new episodes during the month, beginning September 16th, 2011. Schedule details for upcoming episodes are available below, with unaltered episode descriptions directly from Cartoon Network.
Batman: The Brave and The Bold Friday, September 16th, 2011 at 6:00pm (ET) – “#56 Scorn of the Star Sapphire!” Batman teams up with Green Lantern Hal Jordan to face the evil Star Sapphire!
Batman: The Brave and The Bold Friday, September 23rd, 2011 at 6:00pm (ET) – “#58 Time Out for Vengeance!” The JLI travel to the past to try and stop a force that wants to wipe out all the incarnations of Batman throughout time (Cave-Batman, Pirate-Batman).
Batman: The Brave and The Bold Friday, September 30th, 2011 at 6:00pm (ET) – “#59 Sword of the Atom!” When the Atom goes missing, Batman needs the original Atom and Aquamans help to find him!
Please note schedule details are subject to change without notice. Batman: The Brave and The Bold airs Fridays at 6:00pm (ET) on Cartoon Network. An updated episode guide for the series can be found at The World’s Finest Batman: The Brave and The Bold subsite.
Cartoon Network has also released episode details for the September 2011 installments of the acclaimed Young Justice animated series. The episodes of Young Justice airing in September 2011 will be the first batch of new episodes since March 2011. The episode breakdowns are provided below.
Young Justice Friday, September 16th, 2011 at 6:30pm (ET) – “#10 Targets” Red Arrows battle to prevent the League of Shadows from inciting a war, pits him against the worlds most dangerous assassins and allies him with someone more dangerous still.
Young Justice Friday, September 23rd, 2011 at 6:30pm (ET) – “#11 Terrors” Batman assigns Superboy and Miss Martian to go undercover inside Belle Reve Penitentiary, a federal prison designed to house the worlds worst super-villains…
Young Justice Friday, September 30th, 2011 at 6:30pm (ET) – “#12 Home Front” When The Cave itself is attacked, can Artemis and Robin the two teens without super-powers save the Team (or even themselves) from the unknown invaders?
Young Justice airs Fridays at 6:30pm (ET) on Cartoon Network. Clips from the upcoming Young Justice episode “Targets” are available to view here.
Stay tuned for further schedule updates and coverage on both Batman: The Brave and The Bold and Young Justice here soon at The World’s Finest.
The Green Lantern: Emerald Knights animated feature has moved over 450,000 units since its debut in early June 2011. According to various home media retailing outlets and independent research, the Green Lantern: Emerald Knights direct-to-video animated feature has settled into a steady stream of low-end sales after its front loaded debut in June 2011. The latest DC Universe Animated Original Movie title continues to outperform the sales of the previous Green Lantern-centric release Green Lantern: First Flight.
Blu-ray sales of Green Lantern: Emerald Knights continue to remain higher than DVD release with nearly 60% of sales coming from the Blu-ray release for the title, equalling an estimated 265,000 Blu-ray units moved as opposed to the roughly 185,000 DVD units moved in comparison. These numbers cover sales from Green Lantern: Emerald Knights debut week on sale, the week ending June 12th. 2011 to the week ending August 14th, 2011. Keep in mind the sales numbers above do not take into account rental numbers, OnDemand numbers, or legal download numbers.
Above is the cover art for all three separate home video releases for the direct-to-video Green Lantern: Emerald Knights animated feature. Click here to read the The World’s Finest review of the Green Lantern: Emerald Knights Blu-ray release and check out the Green Lantern: Emerald Knights micro-site. Click here to view the trailer for the Green Lantern: Emerald Knights animated feature.
A co-production of Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the direct-to-video Green Lantern: Emerald Knights animated feature is now available to own on Blu-ray disc and DVD from Warner Home Video. Click on the links below to discuss both the new Green Lantern: Emerald Knights animated feature and its respective DVD and Blu-ray home video releases.
In related home video news, Warner Home Video has released cover art for the upcoming DVD and Blu-ray release for the live-action Green Lantern theatrical film. Click on the thumbnails below for a closer look. Additional material below includes the trade ad and attached press release for Green Lantern.
BRING GREEN LANTERN HOME ON OCTOBER 14TH FROM WARNER HOME ENTERTAINMENT GROUP EXTENDED CUT OF THE FILM FEATURES ON BLU-RAY 3D COMBO PACK AND BLU-RAY COMBO PACK
In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight take the oath to serve and protect when Green Lantern flies onto Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital Download on October 14th from Warner Home Entertainment Group. Starring Ryan Reynolds (The Proposal) in the title role, DC Comics legendary super hero soars to the edges of space, where a war has been raging between those who rule with fear, and those who protect life: the Green Lantern Corps.
Featured on the Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and the Blu-ray Combo Pack is an Extended Cut of the film featuring new scenes not seen in theatres.*
In addition, the Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and the Blu-ray Combo Pack will offer Sony PS3 users an access code to unlock the Sinestro Corp Batman Skin for the highly anticipated Batman: Arkham City video game. The skin will give users the ability to fight crime with the help of the yellow power of fear, giving Batman a unique yellow costume in the story campaign and in the challenge maps.
Directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale), Green Lantern also stars Blake Lively (TVs Gossip Girl), Peter Sarsgaard (Knight and Day), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), Academy Award nominee Angela Bassett (Whats Love Got to Do with It) and Academy Award winner Tim Robbins (Mystic River). Also featured are the voice talents of Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush (Shine) and Oscar nominee Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile).
SYNOPSIS In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, an elite, powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. Warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him the ability to create anything his mind can imagine. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Reynolds).
Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hals humanity is one weapon no member of the Corps has ever had, and if with willpower, determination and the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Lively) Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax… he will save the Earth and all of mankind from certain destruction.
Green Lantern will be available on Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, featuring a 3D hi-definition, a hi-definition, a standard definition and a digital copy of the theatrical film, for $43.99, Blu-ray Combo Pack, featuring a hi-definition, a standard definition and a digital copy of the theatrical film, for $39.99 and on single disc DVD for $31.98. The extended cut will be in hi-definition on the Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and Blu-ray Combo Pack only.
On October 14th, Green Lantern extended cut can be purchased for permanent download and the theatrical film can be rented on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game consoles.
BLU- RAY AND DVD DISC ELEMENTS
Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack: Theatrical Film (3D & 2D) Extended Cut (2D only) Maximum Movie Mode with Picture in Picture Pods The Universe According to Green Lantern Ryan Reynolds Becomes Green Lantern Justice League #1 Digital Comic Additional Scenes Preview of Green Lantern: The Animated Series BD-Live
Blu-ray Combo Pack: Extended Cut* Theatrical Film Maximum Movie Mode with Picture in Picture Pods The Universe According to Green Lantern Ryan Reynolds Becomes Green Lantern Justice League #1 Digital Comic Additional Scenes Preview of Green Lantern: The Animated Series BD-Live
DVD: Preview of the Justice League #1 Digital Comic Preview of Green Lantern: The Animated Series
*Extended Cut included only on 2D Blu-ray Disc
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
Green Lantern will be available digitally in High Definition (HD) VOD and Standard Definition (SD) VOD from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles. The film is also available for download from online digital retailers including iTunes.
Stay tuned for further updates here soon at The World’s Finest.