Hello technology enthusiasts! For those of you following the Geek Show Podcast on a regular basis, you may have heard Leigh George Kade a month ago make reference to an “article” that I had written and sent him and Kerry to check out for a possible chat on the show. As I found out from Swankmotron, this material was talked about in depth… when they weren’t recording and apparently drunk. And since then he’s been asking for a published copy for the website for both users and staff to peep out and comment on. …How could I disappoint.

For context reasons, I’m must note that this was not meant to be written up as an article, and will not read like one for the most part. It’s mainly comprised of footnotes, references and speculation on what will happen down the road in technology as related to Entertainment. This was written up specifically as a list of talking points for the Geek Show to chat about on the podcast and hopefully have a swear-filled discussion over. So please, bare with the poor formatting as I didn’t have two hours to fix it up proper.

The word going about is that 2010 will be a year of crossroads for media in all formats, and supposedly serious talk will start happening between major companies about the future of what they intend to do with each other, in areas of cross promotion and reformatting media. Right now it seems as if television is competing with streaming video, radio with podcasts, newspapers with blogs, and various other combinations where traditional formats are having to fight for their audience with the new. So here’s brief points on the talk that’s happening, and some thoughts over what might happen down the road. As a side note, I know I can’t see the future and neither can any of these companies, a lot is just guesswork and theory, especially since a lot of it is talk and not much funding has gone into these ideas yet. This is meant more for discussion, which I hope you the readers will provide plenty of.

TELEVISION

TV as a format is looking to lose the most in the coming years. The idea that a box in your house that you have to sit in front of to see select media (and that’s all it does) is becoming a taboo. Unless a show is a must-see program, people have become used to the idea that anything they need to see can be found on YouTube or Hulu in the morning. It didn’t help that the only major advancement in the past ten years has been High Definition and that the “move to digital” turned more people off from the format than brought them in. Even though DVR services are now provided to replace the old VCR, the propositions of forcing commercials into the program and removing the fast forward button from remotes is making people warry of TV in general. (And please, let’s not kid ourselves, 3DTV is NOT the future, it’s a sidestep.)

There’s been talk for about a year now that in the next few years, Google or Yahoo will launch their own online television station. Web exclusive, original programming and news, streaming to the entire world on a set schedule with the ability to look at a library of shows for a limited time. Unlike networks, both services use news from all current news sources including the AP, so logically they could put together newscasts from other news outlets with the ability for people to click on that story as the newscast goes on using their services. Programming like soaps, game shows, dramas and comedies would be easy picking since the majority of shows get six episode deals and are killed. Picture “Firefly” living beyond Season One with the online community that supported it so heavily. Since neither have ratings trends to meet, any hits they get from viewership would be a plus with no competition to fend off and the ability to advertise on the wings of the browser during the show. If planned out properly, a single online network could have worldwide appeal without having to cater to the FCC. The BBC has been experimenting with the idea, but have been exploring a way to gain immediate profit, which is near impossible.

The future talk for current broadcasters is that a traditional television set will become obsolete, and that the monitor itself will only play a part in seeing it. Some stations are experimenting with iPhone apps and downloadable broadcasts, but those are only in trials and not much is being done on a serious front. More on that down below.

RADIO

While my experience with radio is only minimal, the idea of radio has always been a bit of an enigma. While viewed as a free service that can’t compete with convenience, the overloaded commercial breaks and limited program by area hamper it. Satellite radio has its place, but again, paying for a service that isn’t regionalized or sounds generic makes it feel more as a passing fad than something sustaining for decades. Plus with the addition of digital radio stations trying to establish themselves and podcasts becoming downloaded more and more daily, competition is building.

The new ideal is taking the best of both and combining them into one. With the soon to be re-launched service for Sirius XM there is a plan for possibly expanding the US coverage and including sources from around the globe. Down the road you may soon see additional stations added from Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Spain and Australia. Not a wide selection, but enough to have at least singular stations from different areas in the world from fellow sat-radio company Eutelsat. There have been companies like Viacom and Time Warner making rumblings that they may join in the competition, but nothing has been invested. The closest competition would be 1worldspace, which is looking into the idea of getting select stations from across the US and making them available on their service. Picture (for us locals here) X96 on its own channel, referred to as “X96 – Utah: Channel 142” or something to that affect, being broadcast around the world with little delay. If it were to be successful, it could set in motion the revitalization of radio across the country and world as all signals would eventually be transferred to sat, and you could literally listen to the entire country (and maybe more) on your way into work.

Nationally there are a few people exploring this idea, but the only major company looking at this is Apple. Podcast Radio Stations. Basing it off the idea of finding some of the most popular across the country (let’s take Smodcast as an example), and giving them a timeslot on a weekly basis. Why download the episode when you can “tune in” on your PC or iPhone and listen to a new episode, then download it later when its convenient. Making it a reality is probably a long time off, especially since only dedicated people can pull off a new episode weekly, but the idea is at least being explored. (Incidentally, for those of you in the Utah area, I’d love to see a local version with all our local podcasts. Someone wanna give that a shot?) The closest to mixing marketing, advertizing, podcasting and information together would be NPR, specifically in their iPhone app giving you the ability to check their info out directly, as well as EVERY affiliate across the nation and their digital channels. As Swankmotron himself said to me, “Sure it’s government subsidized, but it’s a model worth looking at.” I couldn’t agree more.

PRINT

Clearly print is getting hit the hardest at the moment. And its not just in newspapers. Magazines, comics and even books are taking a blow in the age of digital media. While there is still a place in people’s hearts for a hard copy, generations coming up are viewing it as more of an inconvenience as they’re now living in an age where anything worth reading in their eyes can be found on the net. Sony’s eReader and Amazon’s Kindle are making strides on the book front, bringing latest titles for a subscription fee, but its not including the vast array of material you could get. The idea that they’re a store, not a library, is a bit hampering. The digital comic service is a big boom, but only Marvel seems to be on top of its game, leaving vast libraries untouched.

The ideal situation to come is to take all those formats and make them available in a single format to fit iPhone and Blackberry forms. Which most everyone is on their way to doing except for two… libraries and newspapers. The problem with papers is that for one to make the great leap would be for everyone to. The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News both use a source like the NYTimes as a reference. If the Times were to jump from paper to webpage tomorrow, the notion is that suddenly their credibility would be lost as they’d just be another “online source.” And very few have taken the same leap. Most are waiting to see how those select cities that have dropped the paper format work out over the next few years. The big advancement on the way is going to be from libraries. One in particular from Illinois (Oak Park Public Library) are using iPhones as both a library card and a downloadable source for content. Entire books scanned in as a PDF format to read, that can’t be passed around to transferred, and will expire when they need to be “returned.” Its only for books, no audio formats set up yet, and probably won’t be doing films, but it gives way for multiple people to have the same book out at once.

GAMING

Video games are sitting on the cusp of complete digitalization. You still have to go to a store and buy the game, yes. But all other forms of media that can be found on there are now downloadable. Netflix, Gamefiy, gaming sessions, content, etc. All you need is the internet connection and most everything can be downloaded to you. The only issue standing in the way is the ability for different platforms to make the games purchasable the same way iTunes makes music available. Assuring that they sell the game and the consumer gets it without issue, while being able to make a profit on it. Mega Man 9 is probably the best example to date of a game that was download only and was a major success. The only issue afterward is that of storage. Finding an affordable addition (either attached or installed down the road) for people to store the games and all their content so they run just as well as they would off disc.

ALL IN ONE

The dream at the moment, or at least for companies like Apple and Microsoft, is taking everything and making it available all in one direct format. Which logically is what you’d want your computer to be, but its not. Very few hook their tower up to their plasma or theater screen and watch material from there. The ideal situation would be to have the internet, television, films, literature, gaming and whatever else people can cram onto there for a home device, and smaller versions of it all for on-the-go mobility. As I said before, game consoles are being looked at as the closest to that dream with a few technical issues. You can’t see brand new films on them, you can’t watch broadcast or cable television, and net access is very limited. A Skype app would give it a home video phone appeal, but still limited to a degree. The closest that isn’t gaming is the iTV from Apple, but its still got issues with websites it will allow you to visit and content it will allow you to view.

What should happen is for all media sources to combined their efforts into all platforms and make their content available to all consumers. Picture the cable or dish box you have right now picking up streaming television stations, being able to check the email, listen to a radio station or podcast, play the latest video games, carry on a phone conversation, read a book (or have it read to you in audio format)… all from the living room. A laser remote and keyboard controlling it all. And give hookups so that you can transfer whatever you’re doing to your iPhone or Blackberry and continue with it as you go about your day. We’re so completely on the verge of making all that happen its insane, but the competition and uncooperative sense of greed between companies often makes it difficult for anyone to make the dream a reality. A lot of formats either need a change or are due to be left behind as something else comes along and leaves it far behind.

I recently finished reading the third book in the Fate of the Jedi series, Abyss, written by Troy Denning.

This book looks a lot like the other two in this series from a structural standpoint.  More Jedi on Coruscant go crazy and seem to think everyone is their enemy, Admiral Daala takes more control of the government because of it, Luke and Ben get into a sticky situation with archaic force-users of some type in an effort to learn about Jacen Solo’s fall to the dark side, and the Sith are around, but for who knows what.

I’m going to be completely honest here:  This book took me more than a month to slog through.  From the time I started this book to the time I finally finished it, I’d read at least a dozen books besides.  This was quite possibly one of the most boring Star Wars novels I have ever read.  It took me so long to get through it because nothing was happening and I really didn’t care about what little there was.

It was a mirror of the last book and it really did feel like it went next to nowhere.

The biggest source of yawns for me?  The Sith.  I really could care less about the Sith roaming about the galaxy in packs chasing after a ship of some kind.  And I was incredibly bored by the explanation of the dynamic between the Sith masters and apprentices and the whole “living on the edge of a razor because someone might betray me at any moment”-thing just bored me to tears.  When all of these Sith guys start betraying each other, I just don’t care, because they’ve all spent so much time worrying about how they’re going to betray each other and when.  And because none of the Sith characters are interesting or mean anything, the fact that they’re on some random side mission to retrieve the Ship that Jacen and Ben found in the Legacy of the Force series just felt like chapters I wanted to skip.

And in retrospect, I could have and would not have suffered any ill consequences, because their story meant next to nothing.

I know I said that Omen looked as though it was a little boring, but it was setting up for something, but it turns out that it wasn’t.  This book was a whole yawning ball of nothing.

Let’s hope Aaron Allston can pull this series’ fat out of the fryer with the next installment, otherwise I don’t think I’ll continue reading any further.  And it’s sad, because I’ve been really invested in the Star Wars books since I’ve had the opportunity to start reviewing them, and those I’ve read, before these last two, have been top notch.  I want to like them, I really do.  I mean, really, you guys all know how much I LOVE Star Wars…  But this book was just a bridge too far.

If you feel like you need to, you can order this book on Amazon.

Other reviews in the Fate of the Jedi series:
Outcast

Omen

Reviews of the Legacy of the Force series:

Betrayal

Bloodlines
Tempest
Exile
Sacrifice
Inferno
Fury

Invincible

In my Preview Reviews column a couple of months ago I brought up cartoonist Dash Shaw as one of the most exciting new creators working in comics today, and his upcoming book, The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century AD (Fantagraphics, $19.99), as one of those I was looking forward to the most this year. A collection of new stuff and previously released short stories and rarities, it’s currently set for a December 30th release, and for it Dash has teamed up with IFC in order to create a series of animated shorts to be shown on their website.

From the press release:

“Each episode of this four-part Web series chronicles Rebel X-6, a man who works for an anti-droid organization in a futuristic world where student artists can no longer draw the living human form. Challenging the convention of hiding the use of line in animation and using an intricate, organic drawing style, Shaw attracts attention to each frame as a complete illustration. With an uplifting, constantly evolving soundtrack that mirrors Shaw’s work, he uses surreal dreams and an achingly human touch to bring his characters to life.

The series’ animated human hero, Rebel X-6, sets out on a quest to initiate change in the 35th Century A.D. An artist guild that believes living people should model for live drawings instead of droids in art class hires Rebel X-6. Rebel X-6’s assignment is to enter Art School 46 posing as “Model-Droid #343.” He must appear life-like but take on the characteristics of standard model droids, which do not laugh, cry, swear or exhibit other human shortcomings. His mission is to subvert the school’s ban on drawings of real humans by tricking the students into drawing him. His journey ends with a new compatriot and understanding of the humanity that surrounds him.

THE UNCLOTHED MAN IN THE 35TH CENTURY A.D. is Shaw’s first book since his breakthrough graphic novel of 2008, Bottomless Belly Button, which was named Publishers Weekly’s best graphic novel of 2008 and one of Entertainment Weekly’s top ten books of 2008, among numerous other accolades. The book also collects Shaw’s acclaimed, genre-bending short stories from MOME, including Look Forward, First Son of Terra Two, Galactic Funnels, Outstanding Story, Satellite CMYK and Making the Abyss, a fictionalized story of a surreal film set filled with nuclear tanks, hot tubs, and blind ambition.”

I recently had the chance to briefly discuss the project with Dash:

BIG SHINY ROBOT: I plugged the Unclothed Man in one of my columns a couple of months ago, based on the strength of your previous work, specifically the MOME short stories. Are all of them included in the book? And what else is in it?

DASH SHAW: All of them are in the book except for “Train” because I looked at it again and it sucked too hard. Some of them have been slightly changed for this collection. An older comic from 2005 called “Cartooning Symbolia” is in it. I still liked it for some reason. A new story called “The Uncanny Reproduction” is in it. And the first 24 pages of the book have the Unclothed Man short stories plus backgrounds and storyboards and a flip book from the animated series. The first 24 pages are like an “animation art book” and the next 80 pages have the short stories.

BSR: So, other than “The Cartographer,” of which I only know from the back pages of The Mother’s Mouth, I am not aware of any other forays of yours into animation or film. Is this something you have been doing or interested in doing for a while now? And how did the IFC thing come about?

SHAW: I did animations for Bottomless Belly Button and BodyWorld, just one minute animation tests. Those are online if you look for them. I’ve always liked animation and watched a lot of cartoons and collected animation art books. The IFC thing came about because I showed them the animations for Bottomless and BodyWorld and the Unclothed Man comic. Based on that, they said “okay” for the animated series.

BSR: Speaking of BodyWorld, this acclaimed webcomic of yours is about to be published as a book by Pantheon. Having read it, I can imagine some instances where the translation from web to print would be rather difficult. What are some of the differences between the two?

SHAW: The differences are many, and most of them are probably obvious. Webcomics aren’t printed.  There aren’t any “pages.” It was serialized online, rather than one long reading experience. The print version has new material and I made a lot of changes to the comic. I’d change the colors or add different elements in a way that I think favors the print format. I just got a dummy of the book to see how the covers and everything will look and I’m very happy with it. Pantheon is smart. They believe in the beauty of print and they believe people will shell out for a nice book, even though a different version of the same story is online. They have a lot of faith in the new material and the book as an object.

BSR: A lot of your previous work, like Love Eats Brains and Mother’s Mouth, was done at least partially in color, but eventually published in black and white only. Why is that?

SHAW: You’ve done your research! It’s because I wasn’t thinking about what I was doing at the time. I did those while a student at the School of Visual Arts, where I’d show the originals. Sometimes I’d do the originals in color and sometimes in black and white. When they were printed, it made more sense to just do a gray book then figure out how to make the color pages printed in color and the black and white pages in black and white. Really, the honest answer is that I wasn’t thinking about it as much as I guess I should have.

BSR: I’ve followed your work for some time now, and you have rather quickly established yourself as a creator to watch out for. Your climb up the publishing ladder, from Oddgod Press (note: a publishing operation run by a Richmond, VA comics retailer) to Pantheon, certainly seems to reflect that. Is the pressure greater now, or do you not concern yourself with the commercial aspects of your work until after it’s completed, if at all?

SHAW: This is a long answer. Oddgod Press published Love Eats Brains because they asked me about it. I know those guys because I’d shop there when I lived in Richmond. And then I did a collection called Goddess Head because I used to contribute to an anthology called Garish Zow and one of the editors called me and asked about doing a collection of my shorts. So things would happen pretty organically for a while, but those felt like weird arrangements, like Tim Goodyear, who published Goddess Head, took a loan out from a bank to do it!  Ha ha. It was awesome that he did it (I mean, I love Tim), but I think he lost a lot of money on it.

I kept applying for Xeric Foundation grants to self-publish and I kept losing. And then Fantagraphics did Bottomless Belly Button and they’d publish me in MOME, so then all of the comics I’d been drawing for a few years would now have a regular publisher. I’d also done half of BodyWorld by the time Bottomless came out. BodyWorld started online in 2007. But after Bottomless came out, I was going to have to get a day job. I’d run out of the money I’d saved while living so cheaply in Richmond. So I called Fantagraphics and told them I was going to try to sell BodyWorld. They understood. I mean, I guess what I’m saying is that all of these projects I was doing anyway. I’ve never sold a treatment and then executed something with the expectations of the publisher looming over my shoulder. By the time I got the advance for BodyWorld I was drawing the last chapter of it. These comics were going to exist in some form anyway. It’s all been a combination of drawing a ridiculous amount and total luck.

If there’s a way to do what I’m already doing and luck into a situation where I don’t have to think about money, because I have enough to live off of for a while, I’m going to try to get in that situation. I think a lot of it stems from my general hatred of illustration work. I hate illustration gigs. I tried to get them (for money) for a while, and I’d always half-ass it because I hated doing it. I hated feeling like I had to draw consistently, in some consistent “style.” I hated everything about illustration. So after having that experience for a couple years, I just decided I’m not an illustrator and I’m not going to do work-for-hire and I don’t want any commercial expectations and that I’d just do whatever I wanted to do for as long as I possibly could. If I run out of money, I’ll move back to Richmond, where I paid 200 dollars a month for a shitty room, and work as a figure-drawing model again for 12 bucks an hour. I drew all of Bottomless that way, but right now I have even more time to do whatever I want. I don’t know how long it’ll last.

BSR: So, do you read a lot of other people’s comics? Are there any of your peers whose work you would say you admired?

SHAW: I basically only read comics that I get at conventions now, because when I’m at home I’m just drawing, and when I’m on the subway I’m reading a magazine or an all-word book. But I got a lot of comics at the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival this past weekend. It was run by my friends Dan Nadel, the Picturebox publisher, and Gabe Fowler, the Desert Island comic store owner. There was a lot of good stuff there. I got new minis from Matthew Thurber and C.F. and Anya Davidson and they’re all really great. Those are available on the Picturebox website. I recently got to collaborate with two peers I admire: Tom K (who does amazing short stories for MOME), we did a comic for the next volume of MOME about computer rendered society; and Jesse Moynihan (who does a webcomic called “Forming” on his website) who wrote a story about his father and the TV show Lost that I drew that’ll be a mini comic insert in a forthcoming issue of The Believer magazine.

I’d name more people but I’d feel like a dick if I left someone out. I probably already forgot someone.

BSR: Gary Panter strikes me as an obvious influence, but who are some other creators you would say have shaped your artistic sensibilities and style?

SHAW: I haven’t gotten Gary for a while, nowadays people always say Mazzucchelli. But I’ve ripped off of both of those guys. When someone tells me who they think my influences are, it usually says more about the comics they read. When Mazzucchelli flipped through “Bottomless” years ago, he said: “looks like manga.” Because he looks at the same manga I look at. But for a lot of people it’ll look like something else.

Anyway, instead of listing a bunch of people I’ll just name three people who I’ve learned a lot from in college and I think deserve more attention:

1. Keith Mayerson’s comic Horror Hospital Unplugged,

2. Thomas Herpich’s comics Cusp and Gongwanadon,

3. Hal Hartley’s movies.

BSR: Finally, what’s next for you, Dash?

SHAW: I’m working on an animated feature called “Slobs and Nags” and a comic called “Torture Hospital.”  I don’t want to say more about them because I don’t want to jinx it.

BSR: Thanks again, and best of luck!

You can view the animated shorts for The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century here. To pre-order the book, talk to your local retailer, or click on the image below:

Monitor Tapes and DC Comics presents DC, Vertigo, Wildstorm comics and more available today at your local comics retailer.

DC/ JOHNNY DC

*  AZRAEL #3 Preview Available

* BATMAN #694 Preview Available

* BATMAN 80-PAGE GIANT

* BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #39 Preview Available

* BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM SPECIAL

* BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #7 Preview Available

* BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #12

* BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT ARCHIVES VOL. 6

* THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #30 Preview Available

* GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY: ENEMIES LIST

* GREEN LANTERN CORPS #43 Preview Available

* JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #40 Preview Available

* THE OUTSIDERS #25 Preview Available

* POWER GIRL #7 Preview Available

* SHOWCASE PRESENTS: WONDER WOMAN VOL. 3

* SIMON DARK VOL. 3: THE GAME OF LIFE

* SUPERGIRL #48 Preview Available

* SUPERMAN/BATMAN #67 Preview Available

* TINY TITANS #23

* VIXEN: RETURN OF THE LION

VERTIGO

*  AIR #16

* FABLES #91

* GREEK STREET #6

* HELLBLAZER #262

WILDSTORM

* THE AUTHORITY: THE LOST YEAR #4

* EX MACHINA #47

* FRINGE

* WORLD OF WARCRAFT SPECIAL Preview Available

DC DIRECT

* BATMAN FAMILY MULTI PART STATUE PART 3

* GREEN LANTERN 1/4 SCALE MUSEUM QUALITY STATUE

* JLA TROPHY ROOM GREEN LANTERN RINGS PROP REPLICA

* UNI FORMZ GREEN LANTERN MODERN VERSION

For more info and previews on upcoming DC releases, check out dccomics.com.

Previews and info provided by DC Comics

DC Comics Ship list for Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

 

 

12/9/2009

Monitor Tapes and DC Comics presents DC, Vertigo, Wildstorm comics and more available today at your local comics retailer.

 

Due to increased holiday shipping activity and storms, some locations have had delays in receiving shipments. Please check with your local retailer for availability.

 

For selected previews, check out dccomics.com

 

DC/ JOHNNY DC

 

ACTION COMICS #884 

ADVENTURE COMICS #5 

BATGIRL #5 

BATMAN: THE CULT – NEW PRINTING

BOOSTER GOLD #27 

BOOSTER GOLD: BLUE AND GOLD

DC HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2009 

DOOM PATROL #5 

GREEN ARROW AND BLACK CANARY #27 

JLA YEAR ONE – NEW PRINTING

MAGOG #4 

R.E.B.E.L.S. #11 

RED ROBIN #7 

SCOOBY-DOO #151

SECRET SIX #16 

THE SHIELD #4 

SUPER FRIENDS #22

SUPERMAN/SUPERGIRL: MAELSTROM

TERRA

TITANS #20 

 

 

VERTIGO

 

DAYTRIPPER #1 (OF 10) (DEC-09)

DMZ #48 (DEC-09) 

THE UNWRITTEN #8 (DEC-09)

•  

WILDSTORM

 

DANTE’S INFERNO #1 (OF 6) (DEC-09)

EX MACHINA VOL. 8: DIRTY TRICKS (DEC-09)

GEN 13 #33  (DEC-09)

MODERN WARFARE 2: GHOST #2 (OF 6)  (DEC-09)

RED HERRING #5 (OF 6)  (DEC-09)

•  

DC DIRECT

 

COVER GIRLS OF THE DCU CATWOMAN STATUE  

HOT TOYS DARK KNIGHT POLICEMAN JOKER 1/6 SCALE FIGURE                   

 

For more info and previews on upcoming DC releases, check out dccomics.com.

 

Previews and info provided by DC Comics

DCU IN 2010: THE WAR OF THE SUPERMEN BEGINS

Superman has left Earth in the hands of Nightwing, Flamebird, Mon-El and the Guardian.

The tensions between Earth and New Krypton are slowly rising. The winds of war are stirring.

As our very own Dan DiDio has teased numerous times, 2010 is going to be a huge year for Superman. But just what is going on has not been revealed.

Until now. Welcome to the WAR OF THE SUPERMEN.

<http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/files/2009/12/fcbd10_wotsm-cv0-fpo.jpg>

This lovely piece of J.G. Jones artwork is the cover to WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #0, which will hit stands 5/1/10, as the DCU FREE COMIC BOOK DAY title, and will kick off an event that is sure to change Superman’s status quo.

What more can we say? Not a lot — we can tell you writer James Robinson and artist Eddy Barrows will be taking point on the issue — but we did manage to rope SUPERMAN Group Editor Matt Idelson for a quick tease about what’s to come. Take it away, Matt:

“WAR OF THE SUPERMEN is the culmination of literally years of stories in the Super-books, all building to a destructive conflict which can have no victors. This Free Comic Book Day #0 issue is going to show the readers that no cows are sacred, and that they don’t want to miss this event.”

Not sated? Of course not. Then swing over to TIME’s TECHLAND blog for a few more nuggets of info.

With the absence of Superman from his main titles and his appearance in New Krypton, we’ve known that something big was on the horizon. Even going further back to James Robinson’s start on Superman and beyond, the seeds of a war between New Krypton and Earth have been there even before Kandor’s release from Braniac’s ship.

Like this year’s BLACKEST NIGHT #0, WAR OF THE SUPERMEN #0 kicks off the storm of Supermen at war with Earth in the middle. With it’s promise of a conflict with no victors (as seen above), one can only hope for a complex story with various characters striving for their goals, even if they’re not wholly altruistic.

DC’s EARTH ONE OGN’s in 2010

Via the Source at dccomics.com

By Alex Segura

That major publishing event we mentioned earlier today? Well, here it is.

Original stories featuring Batman and Superman in graphic novel form from the biggest creators out there. But these aren’t one-offs. We’re talking ongoing series of OGNs in a new continuity, on a new Earth.

Sound appealing?

Starting next year, DC Comics will unveil SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE and BATMAN: EARTH ONE, two graphic novels spotlighting the most powerful heroes of the DC Universe, with their first years and earliest moments retold in a standalone, original graphic novel format, on a new earth with an all-new continuity.

Return to Smallville and experience the journey of Earth’s greatest adopted son, as he grows from boy to Superman in SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE by J. Michael Straczynski and artist Shane Davis.

Watch from the darkest corners of Crime Alley as a young boy is struck by unbelievable tragedy that will forge the greatest crime-fighter to ever stalk the rooftops of Gotham City in BATMAN: EARTH ONE, by writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank.

What does JMS have to say? Well, here’s a snippet from his first interview on the subject:

“What I’m trying to do is to dig in to the character and look at him through modern eyes. If you were to create the Superman story today, for the first time, but keep intact all that works, what would it look like?”

“It is monumental for us as comic readers to see Superman birthed for the first time,” Davis said. “It’s a privilege to realize that you’re the artist that gets to draw it, better yet having the luxury to do it in an original graphic novel. This is going to be epic!”

What about Geoff Johns? Well, we happen to have a bit from his first interview as well:

“BATMAN: EARTH ONE allows Gary and I to break the restraints of any continuity and focus on two things: character and story.”

Want more? Sure you do. Why not check out the interviews AIN’T IT COOL NEWS just posted with the previously mentioned Johns and Straczynski?

In a new series spinning into a modern streamlined all-access ongoing, DC launches it’s Earth One Graphic Novels.

Unlike All Star comics (All Star Superman, All Star Batman & Robin), the two books will be setting up an ongoing continuity/ story available in Original Graphic Novels (OGN’s). One could make the argument that with all the recent relaunches, origin redux, and retcons, that these books are not necessarily needed in the market right now.

However, these books are not really for the current monthly fan, both in story and format. I think it’s possible that the monthly reader can enjoy these books, but these books seem more for the outsider looking to read about Superman and/ or Batman without decades of baggage, Zero Hours, and Crises.

In a OGN format, these books wil no doubt be far more attractive to the bookstore buyer, the reader looking for an entry level book, non-mainstream comic readers and more. I really like this idea and format coupled with strong creators in hopes to bring new fans into the readership.

News and info provided by DC Comics dccomics.com and DCU Blog the Source dcu.blog.dccomics.com

DC comics available today! 11/03/2009

*Please note Diamond shipped orders late this week due to the recent holiday.

DC/ JOHNNY DC

*  BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #38 Preview Available

* BATMAN: THE CAT AND THE BAT

* BATMAN: UNSEEN #5 (OF 5) Preview Available

* BLACKEST NIGHT: THE FLASH #1 (OF 3) Preview Available

* BLACKEST NIGHT: WONDER WOMAN #1 (OF 3) Preview Available

* CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #44

* THE GREAT TEN #2 (OF 10) Preview Available

* JONAH HEX #50 Preview Available

* JSA ALL-STARS #1 Preview Available

* LOBO: HIGHWAY TO HELL #2 (OF 2) Preview Available

* LOONEY TUNES #181

* THE MIGHTY #11 Preview Available

* RANN/THANAGAR: HOLY WAR VOL. 2

* RED TORNADO #4 (OF 6) Preview Available

* SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #10 (OF 12) Preview Available

* TEEN TITANS: DEATHTRAP

* THE WARLORD #9 Preview Available

VERTIGO

* CINDERELLA: FROM FABLETOWN WITH LOVE #2 (OF 6)

* GREEK STREET #6

* HOUSE OF MYSTERY #20

* JACK OF FABLES #40

* SCALPED #33

* SWEET TOOTH #4

* TRANSMETROPOLITAN VOL. 5: LONELY CITY – NEW EDITION Preview Available

WILDSTORM

*  THE AUTHORITY #17

* EX MACHINA DELUXE EDITION VOL. 2

* FREE REALMS #4 (OF 12)

* MIRROR’S EDGE

* NORTH 40 #6 (OF 6) Preview Available

DC DIRECT

* JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA ACTION FIGURE BOX SET

For more info and previews on upcoming DC releases, check out dccomics.com.

Previews and info provided by DC Comics

Just because we’re robots doesn’t mean that we don’t like to receive gifts for the holidays. And since we’re all geeks, we thought it would be great to put together a list of things you could get the other geeks in your life. The lists of the editors, Swank-Mo-tron and Kill-tacular-tron, were included in IN Magazine’s issue featuring gift guides from prominent Utah Celebrities, which we apparently are.

We asked all of our robots to participate and here is what we came up with:

Swank-mo-tron

• Jawa Yard Gnome: It’s twice as cool to have a garden with a Jawa as its steward.
• A Replica of The Master Sword from The Legend of Zelda: The road is dangerous, take this!
• Clone Wars Season 1 on DVD and Blu-ray A lot of people bag on what the Star Wars universe has been like for the last 10 years, but this show is proving that Star Wars is better than ever.
• Pirate Club Vol. 1: Written and drawn entirely by Big Shiny Robot!s (mainly Budgetron), this is the perfect graphic novel selection to pass off for Christmas.
• Lots and Lots of DVDs. Check out my weekly DVD columns, I pick out the best movies every week for purchase.

Kill-tacular-tron

• Ghostbusters Minimates: Who doesn’t want some pint sized boys in grey? Plenty of great variants to track down and clutter their cubicle with.
• #include <beer.h>: For the coding geek in your life. Even if you don’t get it, they will.
• ThinkGeek Halo Warthog: Time to wreak havoc and terrorize your pets. Steer clear of plasma grenades, Spartans.
• NES USB Controller: Play all those ROMS cluttering up your hard drive in style. Now you’re playing with power.
• 6 or 12 inch Ghostbusters Figures: Seriously the coolest Ghostbusters collectible to come out in a long while. The 12 inch comes with working trap and lights. Heat ‘em up!

Proletariatron

• The Star Trek Bottle Opener: Nerdy but Boozy. And very well designed
• The Kindle DX: Any good geek enjoys reading, why not join it with some tech.
• Bombs Away Shot Glasses: Because they are awesome
• Xbox 360 Play and Charge Kit: Going through batteries gets really old really fast. Plug in for a little while and don’t worry about disconnecting mid-zombiepocalypse.
• Retro Duo NES/SNES system: Play all those old games you’ve got hanging around.
• And Just for Swank: A Darth Vader Alarm Clock and The Star Wars Force Trainer.

Zombietron

Assassin’s Creed 2

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Dragon Age: Origins

Borderlands

NBA 2k10

More-than-a-sex-machine

• Asterios Polyp: Easily the best graphic novel of the year, David Mazzucchelli’s decade-in-the-making formalist masterpiece about an aging architect trying to rebuild his shambled life is expertly constructed and densely layered, inviting multiple readings to fully appreciate, and, like Watchmen and Jimmy Corrigan before it, raises the bar on which future graphic novels are measured.
• Chronic City: Like a hipster version of Seinfeld, Jonathan Lethem’s new novel is about, well, nothing in particular, really, but rather a free-floating, hilarious look at New York through the eyes of a handful of characters, ranging from a former child sitcom star to an underemployed cultural critic, and what it lacks in likeable characters and plot, it more than makes up for in sharp observation and satirical wit.
• The City & The City: China Mieville’s hard-boiled detective novel set in two cities, which coexist in the same physical location, but are separated only by their citizens’ refusal to perceive the other, is one of the cleverest and most metaphorically rich pieces of speculative fiction of this year, and a near-perfect blend of literary value and pure entertainment.
• Criminal: The Deluxe Edition: Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ modern noir series is arguably the best periodical that Marvel is publishing at the moment, and this new hardcover edition complies the first three loosely-related storylines of down-on-their-luck men and women and the highly readable things they do for sex, money and revenge.
• The Criterion Collection on Blu-ray: Film lovers tend to associate this series of important classic and contemporary films (usually presented with the highest technical quality and equally great supplements) with quality, and so far, every one of their Blu-ray releases has more than lived up to the expectations of cinema aficionados. Amazon currently has most of them on sale (for up to 57% off).
• Death Note Manga Box Set: The manga on which the currently airing anime series is based is crack in comic book form, as the creators take their admittedly absurd concepts, such as the titular notebook, which gives its wielder the power to kill anyone he desires, and weave them into some of the most suspenseful plotlines ever seen in comics. Contains all thirteen volumes in one convenient package.
• Momitsu BDP-899 Region Free Blu-ray DVD Player: The only Blu-ray player that is region-free out of the box, meaning it allows its users the freedom to choose and view Blu-rays and DVDs from anywhere in the world, and not solely based on the region in which they happen to reside (and where a particular film might be completely unavailable, or only offered in an unsatisfactory edition/presentation/transfer). Seriously a must for any lover of foreign cinema.
• However, since a lot of online retailers have recently discontinued the sale of the Momitsu, for reasons on which we can only speculate, another alternative is the expensive, but otherwise incredible OPPO BDP-83, which plays everything from Blu-ray and DVD to DVDA and SACD at the highest possible audio and video quality, and which can be turned region-free with one easy software update.
• The Prisoner: The Complete Series on Blu-ray: The complete collection of the cult British TV series following the adventures of a former secret agent held captive in a highly secured village intent on breaking him and/or driving him insane is a lovingly put-together and stunningly re-mastered testament to the enduring vision of one of the strangest and most unique television shows in history (whose influence is still felt in series like Lost and Twin Peaks), and well worth every penny.
• The Year of the Flood: A Novel: The long-awaited new novel by critical darling Margaret Atwood is a visionary dystopic masterpiece, following a small community of survivors of a global environmental catastrophe, and the most disturbing post-apocalyptic novel since Cormac McCarthy’s The Road.

Brusr-Bot

• Fight Club on Blu-ray: Everyone wanted to join one, most still do, and now you can watch people get smacked around in awesome Blu-Ray clarity, what more needs to be said?
• Amazon $50 Gift Card: Nothing says “I love you” like giving a gift card. Don’t know what to get someone? Are you the type who just returns most of what people give you so you can use all the new big fund to just buy what you REALLY wanted? Gift cards are the way to go, nobody wants to carry cash around anymore, grandma, I’d rather keep it all on plastic.
• The Kindle: Come on, every geek wants the technology that everyone is gushing about, you don’t want to be left in the cold with a serious case of blue balls like you did after prom night. Even with the pricey tag, make your whole family pool in for one mega gift instead of a whole bunch of things you only half wanted.
• Star Wars: Run R2D2 Hoodie: Pointless hoodies are awesome. If it’s a Star Wars reference? Even better.
• Serenity, Vol 1: Those Left Behind: I was late to jump onto the Firefly bandwagon, about 5 years after the show was canceled late. Even though I missed the televised run, I still caught on with DVD releases of the series and the Serenity movie. Every fan of the series would love the books that keep our dreams of being a Space Cowboy alive. Sorry Han Solo, I’m a Browncoat now.

Dr. Cyborg Robot M.D. Attorney At Law- Five

Before going into the list, I’d like to turn the figurative microphone around and ask you a few questions about your potential loved ones. (I say “potential” because a bad Christmas gift can change the tides, like the phase of the moon.)

Question #1: How much do you know about said “receiver”?

Answer: The safe gift. The safest gift of the season this year is the Star Trek 3 disk Blu-ray set. An easy out, because this movie greatly appeals to everyone, men and women alike. Everyone except hardcore Star Trek fans, and we all know that they don’t have friends to buy them gifts.

Question #2: How well do you actually know them?

Answer: The cheap gift, and if that’s what your looking for than this is the best week to look, Amazon is having tons of Black Friday sales, my favorite of which is Space Balls on Blu-ray for $8.99.

Question #3: Are you purchasing with someone with a low attention span?

Answer: The fun but ultimately button smashing video game, The newly released God of War: Collection will do nicely, and when was the last time you were able to buy a new PS3 game for less than forty bucks?

Question #4: Low attention span, but you don’t want them to slip into the pit-fall that is video game? (Not Pit-fall the video game.)

Answer: No problem, Inglourious Basterds (2-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray] and/or Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut [Blu-ray] which would be wise to buy fast, because it’s nearly half off.

Question #5: Do you actually love the person?

Answer: If so, the answer is clear, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.

Monitor Tapes and DC Comics presents DC, Vertigo, Wildstorm comics and more available today at your local comics retailer.

DC/ JOHNNY DC

*  ARKHAM REBORN #2 (OF 3) Preview Available

* BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #11

* BILLY BATSON AND THE MAGIC OF SHAZAM! #10

* BLACKEST NIGHT #5 (OF 8 )

* DETECTIVE COMICS #859

* THE FLASH VS. THE ROGUES

* GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #6 Preview Available

* GREEN LANTERN #48 Preview Available

* JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 3

* JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #39 Preview Available

* JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #5 (OF 7) Preview Available

* JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #33 Preview Available

* SGT. ROCK: THE LOST BATTALION

* SUPERMAN #694 Preview Available

* SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #3 (OF 6) Preview Available

* TEEN TITANS #77 Preview Available

* THE WEB #3 Preview Available

* WONDER WOMAN #38 Preview Available

* WORLD’S FINEST #2 (OF 4) Preview Available

* GREEN LANTERN PROMO RINGS

* RED LANTERN PROMO RINGS

VERTIGO

* MADAME XANADU #17

* NORTHLANDERS #22

* SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING BOOK 2

* SHADE THE CHANGING MAN VOL. 1: THE AMERICAN SCREAM – NEW PRINTING

* SHADE THE CHANGING MAN VOL. 2: THE EDGE OF VISION

* UNKNOWN SOLDIER #14

WILDSTORM

* FREE REALMS #3 (OF 12)

* STARCRAFT #6

* WILDCATS #17 Preview Available

* THE WINTER MEN

DC DIRECT

* BATMAN FAMILY MULTI PART STATUE PART 2

* COVER GIRLS OF THE DCU BLACK CANARY STATUE

* HEROES OF THE DCU GREEN ARROW BUST

* BLACKEST NIGHT: SERIES 2: BLACK LANTERN MARTIAN MANHUNTER

* BLACKEST NIGHT: SERIES 2: GREEN LANTERN JOHN STEWART

* BLACKEST NIGHT: SERIES 2: INDIGO

* BLACKEST NIGHT: SERIES 2: SINESTRO CORPS MEMBER KRYB

For more info and previews on upcoming DC releases, check out dccomics.com.

Previews and info provided by DC Comics

The Monitor Tapes for Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

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First look at Hawkman in Smallville

Via- tvguidemagazine.com

Geoff Johns’ two-parter “Society” and “Legends” (now reported as a two-hour episode opposed to the two episodes as originally planned), featuring the Justice Society of America (or JSA for short), has a lot of DC fans excited. This week TV Guide revealed the first JSA member in full costume, Michael Shanks as Carter Hall/Hawkman that’s already starting controversy amongst fans.

Well, we’ve all complained for years about the lack of costumes in Smallville, now it looks like we may complain about a costume being too accurate! Michael Shanks (of Stargate SG1 fame) is set to don the Nth Metal wing harness of Hawkman, the multiple-times reincarnated alien Thangarian.

On the plus side, it is an accurate Hawkman costume (I know I said it may be too accurate), but possibly this means we’ll have more costumed super-types (Clark, I’m looking in your direction). Plus, it may look better on screen with the actor moving around (I really didn’t like the Batman costume or the Tumbler until I saw it on the screen in Batman Begins). And if we’re lucky (and judging by the TV Guide interview with Shanks), we’ll get an Ollie/Carter throw-down possibly resulting in some Bwa-Ha-HAs!

Really though, the whole reason to watch Smallville is an exercise in “waiting for something cool to happen”, i.e. waiting for Superman to well, be Super, and stuff from the comics. Really though, Hawkman in his Hawkman gear and the JSA is one of those cool things, even if his outfit looks a bit goofy.

All that remains to be seen is how the other members (Brent Stait Kent Nelson/Doctor Fate), Britt Irvin Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl) will appear. Will they have comic-accurate costumes as well?

For the full interview, check out TV Guide online at- tvguidemagazine.com

Photo via TV Guide

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Superman Returns Directors Cut petition

Love it or hate it, Superman Returns (despite the absentee dad stalker parts) was both a decent Superman movie and an homage to the original films (not counting 3 and 4). Ignoring the Land Barron Lex Luthor and the love triangle, the first time I watched it gave me that sense of wonder I had watching the original first two movies.

Superman Returns The Bryan Singer Cut Trailer

Superman Returns Director’s Cut Trailer

(As far as I can tell, it’s not an official trailer, rather a fan made trailer with the cut-out footage. If I’m wrong let me know and I’ll update it)

Additional bonus footage can be found via the link below-

Superman Returns cut scenes

Superman Returns is by far no perfect Superman movie (though I’d say that about the originals as well), but SR did feel like something was missing, especially the part with his trip to the remains of Krypton. Whenever given a choice, I always opt for the directors cut (or extended version with bonus material). Seeing as I’ve still not bought SR, I’d defiantly go out and buy it on the release day if it becomes available in an extended  director’s cut.

Quote-

“Do you want help us?

We are trying to compile companies to ask for Warner Bros who realizes a special editing of Superman Returns that includes all the filmed content.

You can leave you signature in : www.SupermanReturnsTheBryanSingerCut.com.”

Click the link to see what’s included in the extended edition- DVD/ Blue Ray Contents

http://elhombredeacero.iespana.es/SRTBSC_Contenidos.html

If you want to see it too, click on the link below that will take you to the website to petition the studio for the release. I’m a bit pessimistic about the petition, but it can’t really hurt, can it?

http://www.supermanreturnsthebryansingercut.com/

DC’s February Blackest Night solicitations highlights

Monday saw the release of DC Comics solicitations for the month of February 2010*, available for pre-order in next weeks (11/25/2009) December Previews. Check out DC Comics website for all February solicitations and pre-order via Previews at your local comic book retailer.

All Blackest Night book covers (and some solicitations) are blacked out as spoilers for BN must be included.

BLACKEST NIGHT #7 (OF 8 ) TOP SECRET

Written by Geoff Johns; Art and cover by Ivan Reis & Oclair Albert; Variant cover by Rodolfo Migliari; Sketch variant cover by Ivan Reis

As Nekron continues to wage war on life throughout the universe, Hal Jordan discovers the grim, true mission behind the villain’s return. But the truth is so cosmically abysmal that it threatens to expose a secret that could tear the very universe asunder. You can’t miss this stunning, penultimate issue to the year’s biggest event

BLACKEST NIGHT: WONDER WOMAN #3 (OF 3) TOP SECRET

Written by Greg Rucka; Art by Nicola Scott; Cover by Greg Horn; Variant cover by Ryan Sook

Following closely to the events of BLACKEST NIGHT, this miniseries event concludes as the Amazonian Princess comes to terms with who she is and what her role is in the world. But will her acceptance make her more appetizing to the Black Lantern hordes – or could that emotion be their undoing?

GREEN LANTERN #51 TOP SECRET

Written by Geoff Johns; Art and cover by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy; Variant cover by Greg Horn

The most epic battle in BLACKEST NIGHT yet comes to a shocking conclusion as Hal Jordan makes the ultimate move to take on the Black Lantern Spectre. But what price comes with the unleashing of Parallax? And what does this mean for the future of the emotional spectrum’s avatars?

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #45 TOP SECRET

Written by Peter J. Tomasi; Art and cover by Patrick Gleason & Rebecca Buchman; Variant cover by Greg Horn

The battle for the Green Lantern Battery on Oa comes to a bloody end as the new front in the War of Light emerges!

STARRING BLACK LANTERN SUPERBOY #7 (ADVENTURE COMICS #7) TOP SECRET

Written by Tony Bedard; Art by Travis Moore; Covers by Francis Manapul

TOP SECRET!

BLACK LANTERN GREEN ARROW #30 TOP SECRET

Written by JT KRUL; Art by WILL CONRAD; Cover by GREG HORN; Variant cover by MIKE GRELL

TOP SECRET!

BLACKEST NIGHT: THE FLASH #3 (OF 3)

Written by Geoff Johns; Art and cover by Scott Kolins; Variant cover by Francis Manapul

It’s a case of the chicken-or-the-egg as Barry Allen takes on the Black Lantern Reverse-Flash and seeks answers to the very nature of Professor Zoom’s impending resurrection. Plus, the Rogues witness an act so horrifying that it changes one of their own forever.

BLACKEST NIGHT: JSA #3 (OF 3)

Written by James Robinson; Art and cover by Eddy Barrows & Nei Ruffino ; Variant cover by Gene Ha

The bloodthirsty combat in Manhattan reaches its stunning conclusion here! Earth-2 Superman returns to prove that the true legacy of the Justice Society of America is death. Can our heroes rise up to defeat their dead mentors, role models and villains? And can even the third- smartest man in the world, Mr. Terrific, devise a way to destroy them – or will Manhattan and the world perish under Nekron’s might?

* Release dates are subject to change, check with your local retailer or Diamond Comics ship list for shipping and availability.

DC Universe The Color of Fear: Romat-Ru and Karu-Sil Figures now available! + Wave  11 to be offered on Mattycollector.com

Online ordering went live this Monday for the Sinestro Corps two-pack of Romat-Ru and Karu-Sil. Origianaly plannes as the first of the last two DCU figue 2-packs. According to actionfigurepics.com, Mattel says the orders have been strong for the figures. I’d imagine it’s due to the figures themselves (especially for Green Lantern fans) as they’re more popular visible characters as opposed to previous offerings.

Also announced, DC Universe Wave 11 will be available on Mattycollector.com sometime after the holidays. Wave 11 will be sold as a case of eight figures including both versions of Steppenwolf.

Good news for DC fans, especially with the current Wave 10 Wal-Mart Exclusive “Unavailability” and impossible to find anywhere Wave 11 (and virtually nonexistent Target exclusive Public Enemies line) . Don’t get me wrong, I’ve at least seen Wave 10 come out and hit my local area (and sold before even getting a glimpse of the figures with the exception of Power Girl and Morrison JLA Era Batman), but they’re impossible to find just like previous releases. Seriously, how difficult should it be to get a damned Robotman figure?

According to Mattel the Wave 11 figures were to be heavily ordered with wide-spread availability. Unfortunately as with previous waves, they’ve barely had time to breath before being bought up by collectors and ebay resellers. As a matter of fact, it’s probably easier to find the figures on ebay and pay the $20-$30 plus shipping if you’re willing to part with 2 to 3 times the price (though you may find the figure loose without the Build-a-Figure part for half that).

Most of the goodness of the DCU figures is the random characters slipped into the line that are not Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman. I’ve been collecting DC Direct and DC Classics (when I can find them) for years now, but the difficulty in finding the figures is starting to kill my interest in DC Figures. Between the cost of plastic resulting in almost $20 pricing on DC Direct and the inability to find the DC Classics line, it’s really killing my interests in figures, despite my love of all things DC.

With the upcoming online availability of Wave 11, hopefully this will help fans wanting the figures by having the ability to purchase them for their collections. Also, some Toys r’ Us are test-marketing pre-pays on the DCU figures not unlike pre-paying for a video game before release. Hopefully this will expand to all TrU’s and possibly lead into larger orders.

For more info on DC Comics, news, previews and more, check out dccomics.com for up to date info on your favorite DC, Vertigo, Wildstorm books and more.

Thanks for reading!

Mandroid