The latest issue of the monthly Beware The Batman title from publisher DC Comics and DC Entertainment, issue #4, arrives in comic book and hobby stores today. A downloadable digital version of the comic will also be available through digital outlets including ComiXology and the DC Comics website. The Beware The Batman comic title, with a rotating creative team, features stories taking place in continuity with the animated series’ source material. Ivan Cohen is the author for Beware The Batman #4, with Luciano Vecchio providing the art.
Click on the images below to view a preview of Beware The Batman #4, along with additional details below.
BEWARE THE BATMAN #4
Written by: Ivan Cohen
Art by: Luciano Vecchio
The Story: Just when Batman is able to provide Kirk Langstrom (a.k.a. Man-Bat) with a possible cure to his affliction, a different man-sized bat begins terrorizing Gotham City! But who is this shadowy new foe? And where did he come from?
Please note this issue spoils two plot developments from the Beware The Batman animated series that have not yet been revealed due to the show’s current hiatus from Cartoon Network.
The cover price is $2.99US. Beware The Batman #4 is now available through both comic book stores and digital outlets. Additional details on the Beware The Batman comic series can be found at the The World’s Finest Beware The Batman subsite.
DC Entertainment confirmed for The World’s Finest last week that Beware The Batman issue #6 is the final issue of the comic book. A statement from the publisher can be found here. Stay tuned for further updates here soon at The World’s Finest
The new Superman: The Animated Series – Original Soundtrack from the Warner Bros. Television Series and Batman: The Brave and The Bold – Music from the DC Comics Animated Series compact disc soundtrack releases from La-La Land Records are both available to own starting today. Both titles can be purchased through www.lalalandrecords.com and other select soundtrack boutiques starting today at 12:00pm noon (PST).
Superman: The Animated Series – Original Soundtrack from the Warner Bros. Television Series is a four-disc set with over five hours of music and over 20 full episode scores, including the three-part epic crossover “World’s Finest” and Lolita Ritmanis’ Emmy-nominated score to “Little Girl Lost.” This is a limited edition of 3000 Units. The two-disc CD set Batman: The Brave and The Bold – Music from the DC Comics Animated Series, limited edition of 2000 units, is a sensationally fun musical experience from one of the most unique incarnations of Batman ever produced. La-La Land Records has provided the following details for both releases.
SUPERMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES: LIMITED EDITION (4-CD SET)
LLLCD 1276
Music by Kristopher Carter, Harvey R. Cohen, Michael McCuistion, Lolita Ritmanis & Shirley Walker
Limited Edition of 3000 Units
STARTS SHIPPING JAN 28
RETAIL PRICE: $59.98
ORDER “SUPERMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES: LIMITED EDITION (4-CD SET)” starting Jan 28 at 12pm PST at www.lalalandrecords.com and get your copy autographed by composers Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion and Lolita Ritmanis. Autographs are available while supplies last and are not guaranteed.
La-La Land Records and Warner Bros. proudly present the world premiere release of the magnificent original score to the acclaimed television series Superman: The Animated Series When producers Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett and Paul Dini brought to life the companion piece to their successful Batman: The Animated Series, they turned to the very same Batman musical team to provide a score worthy of the Man of Steel. Composers Kristopher Carter, Harvey R. Cohen, Michael McCuistion, Lolita Ritmanis and Shirley Walker delivered a knockout musical tapestry, the highlights of which are represented here in this amazing 4-CD set produced by John Takis and Neil S. Bulk and mastered by Mike Matessino. Running over five full hours, this presentation features over 20 full episode scores, including the three-part epic crossover “World’s Finest” and Lolita Ritmanis’ Emmy-nominated score to “Little Girl Lost.” Also here, is the original unused ending score for the series’ finale, “Legacy.” Film music writer and album co-producer John Takis takes you behind the music with in-depth liners that feature exclusive composer interviews. Heroic art direction from Jim Titus rounds out this must-have compilation, showcasing some of the finest music ever recorded for an animated series… or any series, for that matter! This is a limited edition of 3000 Units.
BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD: LIMITED EDITION (2-CD SET)
LLLCD 1289
Music by Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion & Lolita Ritmanis
Limited Edition of 2000 Units
STARTS SHIPPING JAN 28
RETAIL PRICE: $19.98
ORDER “BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD: LIMITED EDITION (2-CD SET)” starting Jan 28 at 12pm PST at www.lalalandrecords.com and get your copy autographed by composers Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion and Lolita Ritmanis. Autographs are available while supplies last and are not guaranteed.
La-La Land Records and Warner Bros. Animation present the original score to the animated television series Batman: The Brave and The Bold. Acclaimed composers Michael McCuistion, Lolita Ritmanis & Kristopher Carter (Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Young Justice) craft the perfect musical backdrop for this wildly inventive, riotous and retro-tinged Caped Crusader series that has quickly amassed cult status since its initial airing on Cartoon Network. Notable for its jazzy crime riffs, this expertly pitched score also brims with infectious themes and heart-pounding action cues. Produced by the composers and mastered by Doug Schwartz, this limited edition of 2000 units features exclusive, in-depth liner notes by film music writer John Takis and Bat-riffic art design from Dan Goldwasser. Simply put, this is a sensationally fun musical experience from one of the most unique incarnations of Batman ever produced.
Additional soundtrack releases based on animated series inspired by DC Comics characters will be released throughout the 2014 calendar year, both from La-La Land Records and WaterTower Music. Details will be available soon. Click on the links below to discuss the new Superman: The Animated Series and Batman: The Brave and The Bold soundtrack releases.
In additional news, La-La Land Records has passed along the following details for a special promotional event highlighting the new Superman: The Animated Series – Original Soundtrack from the Warner Bros. Television Series and Batman: The Brave and The Bold – Music from the DC Comics Animated Series soundtrack releases. Continue below for the details, provided by the label.
SUPERMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES
and BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD
CD SIGNING EVENT!
Meet the composers of these extraordinary scores to these beloved WB / DC Comics animated series!
Saturday, Feb. 8th, 2014 at 12 noon
at Creature Features
2904 W. Magnolia Blvd. Burbank, CA 91506
Come meet acclaimed composers Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion and Lolita Ritmanis as we celebrate their new limited edition soundtrack releases from La-La Land Records, Superman: The Animated Series – Original Soundtrack from the Warner Bros. Television Series and Batman: The Brave and The Bold – Music from the DC Comics Animated Series.
Soundtracks will be available to purchase at the event.
The composers will sign additional items, but one of those items must be a Superman: The Animated Series and/or Batman: The Brave and The Bold soundtrack purchased from Creature Features.
Don’t live near Burbank, CA, but still want to purchase signed copies? You can order them online from Creatures Features at creaturefeatures.com
For more info visit creaturefeatures.com
Stay tuned for additional updates and news, right here at The World’s Finest!
The World’s Finest caught up with artist Luciano Vecchio to discuss his work on the monthly comic book series Beware The Batman, published by DC Comics. Vecchio is part of the rotating art team for the title, the fourth issue of which hits shelves this Wednesday, January 29th, 2014.
Beware The Batman, based on the Cartoon Network animated series of the same name, features stories based on the cartoon’s continuity. Vecchio has worked on a host of different projects over the past decade, including his own original works and comics inspired by popular DC Comics-based animated shows, such as Young Justice and Green Lantern: The Animated Series.
To find out more about Vecchio, his work, and Beware The Batman #4, continue on to the interview below…
The World’s Finest: So, off the bat, please tell us a little about yourself and your past work.
Luciano Vecchio: My name is Luciano Vecchio, 31 years old and I’m based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I’ve worked as illustrator and comic book artist for almost 12 years now, and most of my past work is comprised of original graphic novels for different publishers. My major works include the independent superhero saga Sentinels (by New York-based publisher Drumfish Productions); Cruel Thing, a trilogy of gothic horror and adventure for mature readers (by Norma Editorial, Spain); and The Interactives, about British fantasy in the Internet Era (by Markosia, UK). After that, Ben 10: Ultimate Alien was my fist assignment for DC Comics, and it was followed by many other animation-based books.
WF: Can you run us through Beware The Batman #4, your third issue on the comic series, and perhaps give us a rundown on the story and what you enjoyed about drawing it.
LV: This was my favorite issue to draw so far. It is very action-packed, fast and fun. Besides Batman and Katana, it features two of my favorite characters in the Bat-Family – Man-Bat and Barbara Gordon. In the story there is a second person turned into a Man-Bat, and that character I got to fully design. I love doing character and costume design, so developing this character in a way that fits the Beware aesthetic, and is unique and different from Kirk Langstrom (the first Man-Bat) at the same time, was what I enjoyed the most.
WF: Now, Beware The Batman isn’t your first “animated title.” You’ve worked on Green Lantern: The Animated Series and Young Justice for DC, and worked on a few Marvel Universe titles. How close are these “animated” styles to your own?
LV: Well, I grew up consuming mainly American superhero comics and Japanese anime, and my style developed as an eclectic mix of such divergent influences. I love the aesthetic of anime – the consistent lines, the minimalist details, the cell shading coloring, the expressionism in characterization. At the same time I’m passionate about the superhero genre – its characters, its myths. I think that a merging of both styles has become a trend in animation over the last decade. I remember when I saw the first episode of Young Justice, I was like “this looks exactly like what I aim to achieve with my own style!”. Little did I know then that I would end up drawing two issues of the series, but if I compare those issues to my earlier work like Sentinels or Cruel Thing, the essence was always there and I barely had to adapt my style at all.
WF: As a follow-up to the last question, do you find there’s enough familiarity between all these different “animated styles” that makes your work easier to do? For example, you can jump from Young Justice to Beware The Batman, two shows with very difference styles, with ease. Is this a benefit?
LV: Actually, in the cartoons and their spin-off comics, not only does the general style differ from one license to the other, but each character is uniquely different on its own and has to remain on model. And while that is a challenge, they were specifically designed by animation professionals to be easily interpreted and reproduced by many, many different artists. So while there is some familiarity between the different series, I think it is the quality of the designs and my training to reproduce them and make them “act” that makes the style-jumps natural.
WF: How has your work on the “animated” comics translated to other work? What other titles do you work on? Has there been an increase in demand for your work thanks to working on these books?
LV: I think the traits that could translate from these animated styles to my own style were always already there in essence: minimalism, expressiveness, dynamic narrative and a focus on “acting” and characterization.
Besides being one of the rotating artists on Beware The Batman, I’m working on Ultimate Spider-Man Infinite Comics for Marvel. So yes, so far there has been a constant increase in demand for my work, mostly in such animation-based comics, which I’m enjoying very much at the moment.
WF: When working on these comics, what type of reference materials do you receive? How much of a insight into the given show are you provided to make sure your work matches what’s on screen?
LV: It varies from series to series. I mostly get character model sheets and occasionally props and backgrounds references.
Young Justice was the most ‘close-to-the-show’ experience I had and I thoroughly loved it. The writer was one of the show producers and he made sure every little detail fitted and complemented the show’s continuity. I got references for everything – characters, weapons, technology, etc. Everything that had already been designed for the show and appeared in the comic script was meticulously planned out. It felt like I was part of the TV show and I really enjoyed it, and Young Justice still remains my favorite take on the DC characters.
On other series, artists are given more liberty as long as the characters are drawn in model and the comic reflects the cartoon. But I still like to do my homework, take lots of screen captures from the TV shows, study the tones, aesthetics, body languages and such, to properly translate them to the comics.
WF: Beware The Batman #4 – your next issue – spotlights Man-Bat, who has yet to appear on the series to date. Is there some intimidation knowing that your version of the character will appear under your pencil before the same character hits the cartoon?
LV: When I was drawing this issue, several months in advance, I didn’t know the airing of the episode would be delayed and the release order inverted, so there was not such intimidation involved.
WF: As somewhat of a follow-up, when it came to Beware to Batman and Green Lantern: The Animated Series, was it difficult to translate the CG designs into 2D models? Was there any difficulty in making sure your work still looked like the CG-animated versions?
LV: It was exciting and challenging. It required studying the 3D models and breaking them down to their structure and logic, to then be able to recreate and draw them in my own style. And doing my own translation from CGI images to 2D artwork inevitably led to a more personal take on the characters. The final result reflects the look of the show, but with my own style choices.
WF: To go off-topic for a moment, can you fill us in on where we’ll be seeing your artwork (outside of Beware The Batman) in the coming months?
LV: I just finished drawing issue six of Beware The Batman, which ships in March. Beyond that, Infinite Comics: Ultimate Spider-Man starts serializing on digital devices somewhere in the near future, with a very different and fun reading format, and in this case I get to color my own artwork too. Also, 2014 marks the 10th anniversary of my first published work, Sentinels (Drumfish Productions), which will be relaunched in a revised, colorized and digital version.
WF: Lastly, as we wrap this up, can you tell us why we should rush out and pick up Beware The Batman #4 on Wednesday?
LV: On top of the excitement, action, adventure, and Men-Bats, this issue reveals an important development for one of the supporting characters that we didn’t get to see yet on the show, and left me happily surprised as a longtime DC fan. I can’t wait to see what everybody else think about it.
Beware The Batman #4 hits comic book stores and hobby shops, in addition to digital outlets, on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014. DC Entertainment confirmed for The World’s Finest last week that Beware The Batman issue #6, drawn by Vecchio, is the final issue of the comic book. A statement from the publisher can be found here.
Stay tuned for further coverage on Beware The Batman right here at The World’s Finest.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has officially released the wide trailer and provided initial home video release details for Son of Batman, the next installment in the ongoing DC Universe Original Movie line. The animated feature will be released May 6th, 2014 on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD, and for Digital Download. Son of Batman is inspired by the acclaimed Batman storyline “Batman and Son” written by Grant Morrison, wherein Batman discovers he has a son – named Damian – with Talia Al Ghul. Continue below for the initial Blu-ray and DVD details along with the film’s trailer.
Son of Batman Studio: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Release Date: May 6th, 2014
Synopsis: Hidden atop a secret mountain stronghold lies the League of Shadows and its fearless leader, Ra’s al Ghul. Together with his equally dangerous daughter Talia, he oversees a trained army of assassins with plans for global domination. But an uprising from within the league now threatens to shift the balance of power and sends Talia and her young son, Damian, fleeing to Gotham City. With assassins on their trail, Talia seeks the protection of Batman, who, unbeknownst to him, is the boy’s father. With his son in tow, Batman wages war against the villain Deathstroke and the League of Shadows, all while teaching his headstrong boy that one can’t fight crime by becoming a criminal. With help from Gotham’s finest, including Commissioner Gordon and Nightwing, Batman will soon discover that his son and most trusted ally are one and the same!
Blu-ray Bonus Content:
-Strange Blood Ties
-Damian Wayne, The Fang, and the Demon Head: The League of Assassins
-Designing the Characters with Phil Bourassa
-A Sneak Peek at DCU Batman: Assault on Arkham
-Masterpiece: Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns Sneak Peek
-4 Bonus Cartoons:
–From the DC Comics Vault: Batman Beyond, “Out of the Past”
–From the DC Comics Vault: Batman: The Brave and the Bold, “The Knights of Tomorrow!”
–From the DC Comics Vault: Batman: The Animated Series, “Showdown”
–From the DC Comics Vault: Batman: The Brave and the Bold, “Sidekicks Assemble!”
-Includes UltraViolet so you can enjoy the film on many different compatible devices.
Single-Disc DVD Bonus Content:
-A Sneak Peek at DCU Batman: Assault on Arkham
-Masterpiece: Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns Sneak Peek
Runtime for Son of Batman is 74 minutes.
Please note the above bonus content detail is subject to clarification and/or change.
Warner Home Video has yet to provide any information on a possible additional Son of Batman – Two-Disc DVD Special Edition release. Additional details on Son of Batman are available here. Click on the thumbnail below to view the trailer in the MP4 720p Quicktime format, with additional formats available by clicking the links under the image.
The voice cast for Son of Batman features Jason O’Mara as Batman/Bruce Wayne; Stuart Allan as Damian; Morena Baccarin as Talia, Damian’s mother and Batman’s lover; Giancarlo Esposito as Ra’s Al Ghul, leader of the League of Assassins and one of Batman’s most dangerous foes; David McCallum as Alfred Pennyworth; Xander Berkeley as Kirk Langstrom; and Thomas Gibson as the deadly assassin Deathstroke. Son of Batman is directed by Ethan Spaulding, from a screenplay by Joe R. Lansdale adapting a story by James Robinson. Son of Batman is inspired by the acclaimed Batman storyline “Batman and Son,” written by Grant Morrison.
Son of Batman hits Blu-ray, single-disc DVD, and Digital Download on May 6th, 2014 as part of the DC Universe Original Movie line from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, in co-production with Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment. Stay tuned for further updates and more here soon at The World’s Finest.
A representative for DC Entertainment and DC Comics has confirmed for The World’s Finest that the Beware The Batman title has been cancelled. The final issue of the monthly comic title will be issue #6, hitting shelves come March 2014. Beware The Batman, based on Cartoon Network animated series of the same name, features stories based on the show’s continuity by a rotating creative team. Beware the Batman incorporates Batman’s core characters, including ex-secret agent Alfred and lethal swordstress Katana, facing off against the twisted machinations of Gotham City’s criminal underworld.
When asked for a statement on the book’s cancellation, a representative for DC Entertainment told The World’s Finest, “We will not be continuing with the Beware The Batman comic book. We encourage you to check out some of our other kids comics titles like Teen Titans Go! and Scribblenauts Unmasked.”
The Beware The Batman comic title held impressive sales in the direct market, with the first issue selling nearly 20,000 copies – a high number for an all-ages comic. This number does not include digital and newsstand sales.
Beware The Batman #6, the final issue of the comic, is scheduled for release on March 26th, 2014 from DC Comics. The next issue of the series, Beware The Batman #4, hits shelves this coming Wednesday, January 29th, 2014. Additional details on the Beware The Batman comic title can be found at The World’s Finest.
This cancellation is the latest setback for the Beware The Batman brand. The animated series is currently on hiatus from Cartoon Network, after being suddenly pulled from the network’s DC Nation programming block last October. News on the cartoon’s expected return is set to be revealed soon.
Stay tuned for further Beware The Batman updates here soon at The World’s Finest, including exclusive content and more.