Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe Announced

Midway is pitting their Mortal Kombat lineup against all your favourite DC heroes.
by Larry_Chimp_Man

Midway is shaking things up with one of their flagship franchises. Mortal Kombat, the fighting game infamous for 0ver-the-top blood and gore, gruesome finishing moves, and a boat-load of attitude, is adding a lineup of guest fighters into the fray. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (previously known as Mortal Kombat 8) will allow all your favourites from both the MK and DC universes to smash heads. Midway hopes the inclusion of DC heroes will kick their once-unstoppable fighting franchise back into top gear. An announcement trailer was released today, check it out below.



I'm not that impressed. The fighting looks incredibly stiff and the character models just aren't doing it for me. I'm not a fan of the Batman model Midway is using as he looks bland and boring. I would have preferred something more stylized for the Dark Knight.



Also, I've heard that because DC is involved in this Mortal Kombat release Midway has toned down the blood and completely removed fatalities from the game. It makes sense, I couldn't imagine DC signing on to a project that would allow Scorpion rip Batman's head off. However, this is sure to piss off quite a few MK fans. The series is all about the over-the-top violence and bloody fatalities, throw all that out the window and you have just another typical fighting game.

It'll be interesting to see where this game goes. I'll most likely pick it up for the chance to fight with Batman, The Joker, and all my favourite DC heroes. Although, reading up on the lack of gore and watching the above trailer make me question if MK vs DCU will be any good. It'll be interesting to see if this sparks any word from the Capcom camp about the possibility of a future Marvel vs Capcom game.

Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe hits shelves this fall and will be available for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

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Philip Tan Signs DC Exclusive

The former Spawn artist is now under DC's lock and key.
by Larry_Chimp_Man

Philip Tan has signed an exclusive contract with DC Comics. Known best for his work on Spawn and Spawn: Godslayer Tan will co-pencil DC Universe #0 as well as a yet-to-be-announced title for DC Comics. Tan is clearly excited about his new gig:



“There are some big things happening in the next year at DC. And I'm very excited to be a part of that. The project I'm working on really is one of the biggest of my career. I'm more excited than anyone else to announce this project. Unfortunately, I can't talk about it yet. But now, at least I get to tell people it's something really cool for DC Comics.”

I really enjoyed Tan's work on Spawn and can't wait to see what he'll do for DC. In a perfect world his super detailed and extremely gritty artistic style would translate directly into something Batman oriented but you never know what project he'll pencil.

What do you guys think about Philip Tan's exclusive contract with DC? Are you a fan of Tan's art? Post a comment and let us know your opinion. Also, check back to MediaZEALOT all weekend as we'll be bringing you all the need-to-know news coming out of New York Comic Con.

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Nightwing #140-143 Review

Dick Grayson is the big brother I wish I had.
by mr. b

Nightwing has always been a character everyone could relate to. As Robin, he's basically been in the spotlight from the beginning of the DCU. He grew up and out of the shadow of his mentor and formed his own superteam. He took a new identity, left behind the costume that was his last tie to Batman, and became his own man. It's hard not to feel like you grew up right beside him, but over the last couple of years I've found it hard to connect with the former Boy Wonder. Recently though, the new creative team of Peter Tomasi and Rags Morales have put Nightwing back at the top of my read pile.



Peter Tomasi was a relatively new name to me. He had been an editor at DC since 1993 and had dabbled in some writing. In 2007, he left behind his post as editor and began working on a number of titles. Hopefully he sticks around. Since starting his full time writing gig, Tomasi has put together an incredible resume. Working alongside Geoff Johns, the two crafted what I thought was the most exciting event of last year, The Sinestro Corps. Tomasi then went on to pen a low key but EXTREMELY good Black Adam miniseries with Doug Mahnke.

Rags Morales is probably best known for his work on DC's Identity Crisis. As good as his work was there, I became a bigger fan when he took over Hawkman. Morales is a versatile artist with an underrated ability to have emotion pour off his pages. His deft use of facials and body language are engaging and his crisp linework only accentuates that.



Tomasi's back-to-basics approach to the book has been nothing short of invigorating. There's so much to love about this book. He's managed to make things fresh while keeping the characters grounded with the feeling of familiarity. Dick's interaction with his "family" are spot on. He's the big borther to Tim's wide-eyed sibiling. He's the approval seeking son to Bruce's demanding father figure. He's the mature and capable one in Alfred's proud grandfather eyes. Nightwing's use of the DCU's resources are great and make you scream to yourself, "Why didn't anyone else think of that!?" The JLA Satellitle lends some needed help on a recon mission and serves as an excuse to have Dick banter with his old friend Red Arrow. Now based in New York, down the street from the JSA Brownstone, he calls in a favor and has the team help him set up his new headquarters. Plus, an appearance from one of my all time favorite characters, KGBeast.

Over the last couple of years, the DC Universe has felt exactly opposite of what a universe should feel like. The cohesion between characters, books, and storylines has been lost in all of the company's recent crossovers. Nightwing brings a closeness back to a company whom I feel has lost direction over time and now consists of an expanding but disconnected universe.

One Sentence Review: For those looking for DC fun, without worrying about any looming "crisis." | 8.5/10

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All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder #9 Review

Frank Miller's controversial comic series continues to tell an unconventional Batman tale.

So often Batman is cast in a dark shadow of gloom and depression. He's always brooding and carries the guilt of his parents death as a burden. The character doesn't have a lighter side, at least not in modern comic history, and that's what makes him so iconic. The ninth issue of All Star Batman and Robin brings the character out of the dark. The comic series features a quick witted Batman that's ruthless yet darkly cartoonish. It's a different take on the Dark Knight and feels like something I've never read before.



The ninth issue with Batman and Robin talking with Hal Jordan in a safehouse in Crime Alley. Sounds normal? It's not. Batman, Robin, the room, and all of its contents are painted yellow. To top it all off Batman is serving lemonade. The Green Lantern is obviously not amused by this stunt and shit goes down.

The comic is hilarious and a total riot. I haven't had so much fun reading a Batman book since DC's The Spirit crossover last year. It's obvious that this comic series is not to be taken seriously and that Miller is merely having some fun with his characters.



What I love about Miller's most recent Batman run is how he paints the character as such an unlikable guy. Batman is usually quite the anti-hero, don't get me wrong, but in the All Star universe he's a total dick. Batman isn't the only one to appear different within the pages of All Star B&R, Miller has shaken the foundations of every character in this series.

All Star Batman and Robin is a must-read series. Not for the convoluted story that doesn't seem to be going anywhere but for Frank Miller's crazy antics. Once you accept this book as a character experiment you'll enjoy it much more. Batman is drinking lemonade for Christ's sake, let loose and have a laugh.

One Sentence Review: A riot of an issue featuring a fun and entertaining Batman. | 8.2/10

The tenth issue of All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder hits shelves on April 9th.

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Conroy to Voice Batman in Gotham Knight

The Batman veteran will once again lend his voice to the Dark Knight.

MediaZEALOT ran an article a week ago about the confirmation Christian Bale may not voice The Bat in the upcoming Batman: Gotham Knight. Well, today DC and Warner Home Entertainment have revealed Kevin Conroy will once again be the man behind the voice of Batman.



As much as I love Kevin Conroy's Batman I am disappointed by this announcement. Bale should be the one doing this project. Gotham Knight is about Batman in Christopher Nolan's universe, not the one found in Batman: The Animated Series. Bringing Conroy into the mix just blurs the line between what has come before and what is now.

I'm still enthusiastic about Batman: Gotham Knight. However, quite a bit of my excitement has been lost due to Bale not taking part.

Batman: Gotham Knight hits DVD and Blu-ray disc on July 8th.

Cheers.

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New LEGO Batman Trailer

A new trailer for LEGO Batman: The Video Game has hit the web.

If you haven't yet played any of the LEGO Star Wars games make it a priority to go out and pick one up. The series may look like it's aimed at children but it's surprisingly fun and addicting. I always have a good time playing LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Trilogy and it's arguably one of the best Star Wars games ever made.



It's because of my love for LEGO Star Wars that I was so excited when Warner Bros Interactive and game developer Traveller's Tales announced LEGO Batman last year. The game has a ton of potential and if it can provide a similar experience to that of LEGO Star Wars gamers will be in for a treat. Warner Interactive has released a new trailer for the game, check it out below:



LEGO Batman: The Video Game will feature 18 levels and 36 different characters, how many of which are playable is still unknown. Apparently the game will focus on the Batman seen in the comics and animated series rather than following storylines found in Batman Begins or The Dark Knight.

Traveller's Tales has also been hard at work on another LEGO video game. LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures will allow gamers to play out moments from the first three Indiana Jones films. It will be released on June 8th, two and a half weeks after the release of Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

LEGO Batman: The Video Game will be released in September 2008 for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, PS2, PSP, and DS. MediaZEALOT will continue to keep you posted on the game leading up to it's launch.

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Harley Quinn in TDK?

Soap Opera star's agent lists The Dark Knight as one of her current productions.

RDF Management, a talent agency based out of London, has listed the role of Harley Quinn in The Dark Knight on one of its client's pages. Click HERE to check it out. According to the agency Sarah Jayne Dunn will play the supervillainess in this summer's Batman film. Christopher Nolan has denied the character's involvement in the film up to this point but has not yet commented on today's recent discovery.



I doubt that Dunn will be showing off the red and black tights in TDK. Nolan wouldn't introduce a third villain into the mix and I doubt that it would be kept secret for this long if he had done so. I can see the British actress playing a small role as one of The Joker's accomplices in the film but not in traditional Harley Quinn form.

Then again, Sarah Jayne Dunn is a soap opera star. It's hard to believe someone from mid-afternoon TV would have a chance at coming out on top in an audition for Chris Nolan.

We'll find out soon enough whether or not Harley Quinn will be a part of The Dark Knight. MediaZEALOT will keep you posted on all things TDK up until its release in July.

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Gotham Knight DVD Release Date Announced

Batman: Gotham Knight will hit DVD shops on July 8th.

DC and Warner Home Video have announced that their The Dark Knight anime tie-in DVD will arrive in July just over a week before the feature film hits theatres. There will be three versions available come the 8th. A standard one-disc affair, a two-disc special edition, and a Blu-ray version featuring all the content from the special edition. There was no mention of the release of the previously speculated deluxe-edition of Batman Begins.



Unfortunately, it appears that Christian Bale may not voice Batman in Gotham Knight as originally speculated. Apparently it was only a rumour that he was attached to the project and someone else will lend their voice to the character. Let's hope Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) is the one voicing the Bat. In an ideal world it would be Bale but Conroy comes a close second.

MediaZEALOT ran a sneak-preview of Gotham Knight earlier this month, click HERE to check it out. Stay tuned as we'll be keeping tabs on this DVD release and will review it come July.

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Two-Face Revealed?

Is this what Two-Face will look like in Nolan's Batman Begins sequel?

Pictures of Aaron Eckhart as Two-Face in The Dark Knight have surfaced on the net. Whether or not the photos are real is up for debate but they look fairly authentic. The character looks deformed yet menacing but also quite different than he does in the comics. Nolan and his team have definitely created a more realistic Two-Face if these two pics are indeed real.



The Dark Knight releases worldwide on July 18th. Check back to MediaZEALOT for updates on the film leading up until its release.



UPDATE: These are confirmed Photoshop fakes. Although, to tell the truth, I'm a fan of how the character looks in these pics. Exaggerate the deformation a little bit more and it'd be perfect. However, Two-Face in the film could look completely different as these are just fan mock-ups. Sorry for the the misinformation guys.

UPDATE 2: Pictures of the Mattel Two-Face toy from The Dark Knight have appeared online. The toy was shown during a restricted press event at Toy Fair over the weekend. Photos of the figure were prohibited and as a result the pictures are extremely blurry as they had to be taken without detection. The toy should be a good indication of what Two-Face will look like in the film. Scroll down for the sharpest (while still super blurry) picture of the toy.



The toy looks great and hopefully Two-Face looks just as good in the film. The left side of his face looks great and very rough. I'm also glad they used purple instead of a more subtle colour for the disfigurement. What do you guys think of the toy and the character's look?

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Batman 663 Review

Grant Morrison teams up with digital artist John Van Fleet for an issue that feels more like a short story than a comic.

I was quite shocked while flipping through Batman 663 at my local comic shop yesterday. Instead of the usual comic construction with panels, speech bubbles, and quick blurbs of dialogue I found pages filled with paragraphs and large chunks of text. It wasn't necessarily a negative surprise, like the one your dog leaves on the floor while you're out, just something I wasn't expecting to find in a comic book. Especially a mainstream title like Batman. I bought the book and brought it home, oblivious to the ride I was about to be taken on by superstar writer Grant Morison (Batman: Arkham Asylum).

After about a minute of opening the first page I knew this was going to be a long read. Not because the storyline in this issue is dry, it's not, it's just that there's so much text packed onto each page. It probably took me the better part of an hour to lumber through the book, but it was worth it.

The story focuses on Joker, who is recovering from being shot in the face a few months back during the Batman and Son storyline (also written by Morrison). He's under tight security in Arkham Asylum, as usual, but has a scheme up his sleeve. I really appreciated the way Joker was treated in this issue. He's darker, unpredictable, and seems to have regained the scare factor that has vanished from his character as of late. Harley Quinn also plays a major role in the book, and it arguably shows her true colours more than any comic put out by DC thus far.



Grant Morrison does a fairly good job with the writing here, although at times he did get under my skin. The story is great, the tension is thick, and he does an excellent job managing his characters and uncovering their true selves but I felt as if his writing was too drawn out. At times he'll ramble for a paragraph or two before progressing the story and while I enjoyed most of the disturbing imagery and metaphors he throws into the mix I felt as if he tried to pack a few too many into the potato sack. I'd have to say that it was an enjoyable read though as it toys with the psyche of both Joker and Harley Quinn, there were just a few paragraphs that really lost my interest due to their wandering nature.

John Van Fleet, the digital artist given the task of illustrating this issue was a bit hit and miss. I'm not a fan of the CGI approach to comics but I'll give it a fair shot if it's done right. While some of Fleet's panels look great, many really stick out as having poor textures and amateur construction. I think that this issue would have been much more powerful if it was illustrated with paint or a really rough pencil style. I think an artist along the lines of Dave McKean or Ashley Wood would have captured the mood perfectly, but that's just my opinion.

Batman issue 663 is a must-read. Not necessarily because it's an excellent book, but because it gives a fresh look at both the Joker and his loving accomplice Harley Quinn. I look forward to seeing if this will be added upon as part of the Batman continuum or it will be discarded as a story not part of the mythology.

Have you read Batman 663? What did you think? Post a comment.

Cheers.

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