It’s drawn by David Finch.  DCU’s the Source and Alex Segura caught up with David Finch and here’s what he had to say about it:

“Batman is such an iconic character and I’ve been a huge fan for so long that it was a surreal and amazing experience to draw him officially for the first time. I really have to thank Mike Marts for letting me be a part of such an important mile stone in the history of this book.”

Issue #700 hits stands in June (as well as the 700th issue of Superman, and the 600th issue of Wonder Woman) and is greatly anticipated by many of us.

This list was made for readers of the magazine who might want introductions to various sorts of comics or comic heroes that might not know where they should start.

You can read the full, unabridged version of the article online here.

To buy the comics listed in the article check out Amazon or your local comic book store.

Tyler Kirkham’s interview on Gavin’s Underground

Gavin: How did the opportunity come about to work at Image Comics?

Tyler: I got really lucky I think. I started going to more conventions and really trying to pursue comics. I had a really cool art teacher in high school. He let us do what we wanted. So and few friends and I worked on our own comics. So what happened is I had a friend on a church mission is California. He was living in a house with another guy that also liked art and comics. I would send my friend my art and he would show people. The other guy that lived in the house said, “I know where a comic studio is that’s real close.” He took my art to the Top Cow offices. He showed one of the editors there. She saw promise in my art, but I still wasn’t ready. Now I had an in though. I would always do new work and show this editor, or if I went to a convention I would talk to her. So what happened is she was working with a the writer of The Gift. He was looking for a young artist. I wasn’t ready to work at Top Cow yet, but this was something good for me to wet my feet and grow as an artist.

Gavin: Going national, what’s your take on the comic book industry as it stands right now?

Tyler: I like the comic scene right now. I really love what Marvel and DC are doing as well at Top Cow. I love seeing all the films coming from comics. I think its great for comics. There are a lot of great stories and creators in comics and I think its smart for Hollywood to notice and take advantage of all the talent.

Harry Brown looks to be the story of an aging widower who takes it upon himself to investigate his best friend’s murder… It’s kind of like Alfred took Mr. Wayne’s example to the next step and goes on a vigilante rampage… it looks amazing!

Here you can find the International Teaser and here is the Red Band Trailer… its not as good a quality, but the trailer is much more in depth into what the movie will be like…

The international Teaser doesn’t really give anything away and somewhat gives the impression that this is just another generic revenge movie with an aging actor, I love Michael Caine but when I saw this trailer I was a bit disappointed, but was going to see the movie either way.

But, what I gleened from the Red-Band is that Harry is that the film makers take the revenge flick to a slightly more subtle level, make it a bit more personal than most, Harry Brown looks like a ‘conflicted’ vigilante- he’s not just hell bent on revenge and trying desperately to kill anyone and everything that is evil- but more of a man that keeps putting himself into situations where he’s driven to kill… given a reason so he can justify it to himself, but… eventually (by what I can tell) becomes the thing he is fighting against the most… (still somewhat generic sounding sure, but watch the trailer and you can see the subtlety of the films approach shining through)

At least that is one way I can see it going- the other way I can see it going is a straight-forward, powerhouse shooter where Harry Brown is relentless, doesn’t have ulterior motives and just cleans up the streets. Michael Caine is brilliant… just amazing… and to see him step into this role takes me back to a simpler time of 70’s revenge flicks, and this is why I can see it going either way…

Next, a film I’m so ridiculously excited for you might have to commit me:

If you refer to my earlier write up on the Teaser for Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood (its at the bottom of the page) you’ll catch just a small sample of how excited I WAS for this film… this new trailer has driven me to the brink of sheer pants poopery! (and may I suggest taking the download time to watch it in HD)

I don’t think I can even begin to explain the vast storyscape it looks like Scott has created for this film- or the detailed story and scenery- or the deep and layered characterizations- or the heart and soul put into every frame.

I won’t even touch upon how brilliant, kick ass and powerful Cate Blanchett is shaping up to be as my dream version of Marian, or how Mark Strong is one of the best villains of our time and can’t wait to see him as whoever he is playing in this film (because as far as I can see- he isn’t the Sheriff… maybe he’s Gisborne- if Gisborne is in this version)

I don’t think I’m gonna even talk about how it looks like the battle at the Dover cliffs will be one of the most epic in cinematic history… (hello beach landing again!)  And just forget the fact that I’ve watched this trailer for the sixth time in a row now…

I hold strong to my prediction that Robin Hood, or Marian is going to die at the end of the film… and I predict that this film is going to show us why Robin Hood is a true legend and not just some bedtime story.

Okay- and finally… Last and extremely least…

After the Robin Hood trailer I decided that I wasn’t going to ruin my day by watching this trailer- I’ve actually survived this whole mess without seeing either of the other movie’s OR their trailers… what I will do is post the link for the just released Twilight: Eclipse full trailer for you to watch and decide on your own… (thanks to joblo.com for stomaching it enough to put on their servers)

I still am going to make some predictions on the film- for my own amusement:

1. Its gonna have sparkly skin.
2. There will be a lot of crying over a break up with a fake vampire… I say the word fake because real vampires… don’t sparkle.
3. Robert Pattinson is going to remain a heartthrob amongst pre-pubescent teenage girls… I mean… with those pronounced anorexic cheek bones, how couldn’t he!?
4. Someone is going to talk with a bad accent. Maybe they’re trying for a subtle “Brooklynsilvania”: you know… Al Capone meets Dracula…
5. I’m never, ever, never, ever going to see this movie… what the rest of you do behind closed doors is entirely up to you- just don’t wave it in my face…
6. A lot of people are going to hate me for this last bit of the post…

Enjoy the trailers- then go out and watch a movie!

Arata Vol. 1 Copyright VIZ Media

Let’s start off this update with something for the ladies with the newly released Shojo manga, “Arata: The Legend”. Shojo, for those who don’t know, are manga specifically geared towards women, so you can expect plenty of pretty girly-men and romance throughout. VIZ has been kind enough to summarize the plot for us, here:

In a world where humans and gods coexist, Arata is the unfortunate successor to the matriarchal Hime Clan–unfortunate because if he’s not cross-dressing to hide his gender one minute, he’s fleeing for his life the next! When Arata winds up in the modern world and switches places with a boy named Arata Hinohara, it’s a wonder which Arata is actually better off…
In Volume 1, Hinohara is the spitting image of Arata, so he suddenly finds himself fighting people after his life! As he navigates through this foreign world filled with power-hungry warriors, who will come to his aid? One thing’s for sure–it’s not easy being Arata!

Yes, that’s right. It seems to be a cross-dressing take on “The Prince and the Pauper” where the male Arata is forced to dress as a woman to keep his position in line as the clan’s next matriarchal ruler. Expect plenty of shenanigans as a result, and a fair share of  Yoai undertones in this teen manga.

Next up, the very hot-button issue surrounding “Dance in the Vampire Bund” and Funimation. For those not familiar with this, basically Funimation acquired the rights to show Bund and announced they would censor said anime for some more questionable content. Of course, there was a huge backlash against this decision, and Funimation was bombarded with rage until yesterday they made the announcement that while the stream would still be censored, DVD and Blu-ray releases should be able to remain uncensored unless the last episode of the series really cross taste borders. (Source: Anime News Network)

So there is a ton of issues on both sides of the fence. On one side, censoring is bad, and really shouldn’t exist with private DVDs for home use. On the other hand is Bund, which is pretty intense. The main character pictured here. (Sorta NSFW), while being about seven-hundred years old, has a very young appearance. With scenes depicted of not so family-friendly behavior, this could further drive those people we’re trying to convince that anime is a valid, moving form of expression. It’s a tough debate, but at least we’re seeing some kind of compromise.

That’s it for this week, but don’t forget to leave your thoughts on censorship in the comments below.

As far as storytelling goes- I believe he really knows what he’s doing… but as far as storytellers go- he really doesn’t like telling ’stories’! When it comes to leaks, sneaks and spoilers- Nolan and his crews are notorious for not giving ANYthing away. When we as fans want our whistles whetted- we usually have to wait for the movie to come out. So when Swank sent me the link to this article I was unduly excited to find out what I might find out about his up and coming projects!

Turns out- when I read the recent LA Times article interviewing Christopher Nolan himself, it was the same old story- nothing new- but somehow it still instilled me with a deep seeded excitement for ALL THREE of Nolan’s up and coming projects: Inception, Superman and DK3

If you’ve read any of my movie trailer articles you know that I do not like reading up on or researching any films… and try to keep myself implicitly separated from the stories that I’m most excited about- this is done in order to keep me pleasantly surprised… Anyway- Its a rare thing for me to read articles like this and all I can say is that I’m glad this was the one I chose to do so… Nothing was given away! For example, this single paragraph about Inception:

Leonardo DiCaprio is a dream thief of sorts in what may be Hollywood’s first metaphysical heist film. The movie is the most complicated undertaking of Nolan’s career — it was shot in six countries and tells a tale that flips between reality and three levels of dream-time —

I mean- that’s all I’ve heard about this movie besides the few trailers I’ve seen and now I’ll most definitely be in mid row at the theatre scarfing popcorn at midnight opening day- if they allow it. As for the next Batman… its when the article talks about how Nolan and his brother would approach the new Superman that got me stoked for both pieces…it is also the only thing in the entire post that could be considered new information:

“A lot of people have approached Superman in a lot of different ways. I only know the way that has worked for us that’s what I know how to do,” Nolan said, emphasizing the idea that Batman exists in a world where he is the only superhero and a similar approach to the Man of Steel would assure the integrity needed for the film. “Each serves to the internal logic of the story. They have nothing to do with each other.”

So- if you are looking for some actual new information or some kind of leaked tidbit of spoilerage- than you’re completely out of luck… this has nothing. But as far as diving a little (very little) deeper into the thought process of Christopher Nolan, I think it offers some interesting insight- if you feel like interpreting and having a guess at what it all means.

As the post says, Nolan…

…sees no value in revealing all of his tricks before the curtain goes up.

If anything- this has made my brain start stewing on a Christopher Nolan Batman/Superman movie… could you imagine!? Read the article and tell me if any of you gleened anything I might have missed…

Nolan is genius.

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.

This episode features: Zombietron, Kill-Tacular-Tron, Arse-Bot, Mexicus Prime, Proletaria-tron, and special guest and Founding Contributor, Clang! Boom! Steam!

The the February edition of the Big Shiny Podcast we give you a run-down of the piles and piles of television and movie news including Cap casting, reboots, LOST, and The Walking Dead! Zombietron gives us the skinny on recent video game releases – including one game he is already calling “Game of the Year” – while Arse-bot calls out all the pussy cheaters on Call of Duty. Clang! Boom! Steam! shows up to class this whole cluster-fuck up and give us all a great run down of what’s been going on, currently going on, and going to… go… on… in Marvel comics!

February Big Shiny Podcast

• iTunes – Be sure to subscribe, rate and comment!
• BSR mp3

Proletaria-tron: Well this episode was decent in my opinion. I didn’t mind the alternate timeline story at all. We got to see what I would expect from Linus. His life sucked, and he was still a scheming little bastard. And this time he didn’t betray Alex. We also found out that that Dharma Initiative still exists in this timeline but somehow the island doesn’t hold the same properties that it did in the normal timeline.

As far as the regular timeline went we got an answer! Richard Alpert was “touched” by Jacob and thats what caused him to stay young forever. Hes immortal, he can’t even kill himself and apparently Jack has some sort protection from the dying by being a “Candidate”. So it seem that Richard came over on the Black Rock and hasn’t aged a day since. So 2 answers really. I don’t really have much else to say about this episode. It was solid but not a hell of a lot happened. Some more political manipulation by the Smoke Monster to what I’m thinking is tricking someone to take his place so he can leave. Also I was less drunk for this one. Not sober but less drink. Arse-bot how’d you feel about it?

Arse-bot: I actually have mixed feelings about this episode… I found it interesting and slightly boring all at the same time and I think that’s because of what Proletaria touched on already: It was a solid episode, but not a lot happened – but a few very profound things did.

The alternate time-line was pretty interesting, but more than the story the little tidbit about Linus still having been to the island, only this time they didn’t stay. So there it is again, the island is still playing a role even in this time-line – even if for now it’s minimal. I have a feeling though that the fact that Linus has been to the island may come into play in this alternate time-line.

The regular time-line was fairly good as well this episode. This Jack and Hurley adventure is probably what has me most interested right now and it seems the more they find out, the closer to the edge Jack gets – it took a lot of balls to just sit there with a lit stick of dynamite tempting fate. As Proletaria pointed out, Alpert is immortal because he has been “touched” by Jacob and somehow Jack’s candidacy appears to be protecting him. My guess is this is why the bomb never went off and how our favorite castaways have escaped certain death continuously since LOST began.

Ben Linus’ main time-line story was definitely interesting. We find out that everything that has happened has had a profound effect on him despite is portrayal of a constantly detached demeanor. His plea to spare his life and how he has given Jacob everything with little in return was a highlight of this episode for me. And now, we have Jack, Hurley and Alpert reuniting with Sun, Ben and the others on the beach – with Widmore in a damn submarine right off the beach.

Sound off in the comments with your thoughts of this week’s episode of LOST!