The Joker Faces Off Riddler in New Batman Rebirth Story Arc

 Comic Books, Joker, News, Preview  No Responses »
May 122017
 

The Joker returns to the pages of BATMAN in a new story arc where he faces off the Riddler.  This new story is the new creative baby of Rebirth Batman writer TOM KING and Comic Book/DCs Kofi Outlaw sat with King  to discuss the details of this new story arc.  Here is the transcript of most of the interview.

…

We know the story arc is called “A War of Jokes and Riddles” and features the lure of seeing two of Batman’s most iconic foes – The Joker and The Riddler – go headed to head!

However, know King has taken to Twitter to reveal so much more about the story arc…

  • King describes “The War of Jokes and Riddles” as “a story of the past that will shape the future of the DCU.” 
  • War of Jokes and Riddles is an 8 part epic starting in Batman 25. Scripts by me. Art by my genius brother, [Mikel Janín].
  • “A year after he began, Batman thinks he understands the pain and power of Gotham. And the war comes, and he learns he knows nothing.”
  • “Joker vs. Riddler, a war that divides and destroys his city. In the midst of the carnage, will the Dark Knight rise again or finally fall?”

Batman-News also added the following info, from Tom King’s appearance at FAN EXPO Dallas over the weekend:

  • The basic premise: the Joker and the Riddler clash, as neither one wants the other to destroy Batman and rob them of the satisfaction. This causes a “gang war” to erupt with people taking sides, all while Batman is caught in the middle trying to keep the city safe.
  • We’ll see some cool fights, like Deadshot vs. Deathstroke and Solomon Grundy vs. Killer Croc.
  • The arc will be broken up into acts, after a fashion: issues 25-26, 28-29, and 31-32 will be part of the main story, with art by Mikel Janín.
  • Issues 27 and 30 will feature a guest artist he couldn’t announce at the time, and they will take a look at what it means be a bottom-tier villain during one of these big wars. It may or may not focus on Kite-Man. 

What’s most interesting for fans is seeing these to very specifically-themed diabolical characters (Jokers illogical chaos against Riddlers high logic methods) square off. One would expect a sort of psychotic prank war, wherein the masses of Gotham are unfortunate collateral damage. Either way, sounds like a great read! 

(original interview was published first at COMIC BOOK/DC HERE)

Here is a small piece of art from the comic story:

New Injustice Suicide Squad Skins to Include a Joker and Harley Quinn

 Joker, News, Preview, Video Gaming  No Responses »
May 112017
 

Probably old news to most, but the original INJUSTICE:  GODS AMONG US game has released a new challenges based on the successful SUICIDE SQUAD movie.  The challenges will be slowly released and so far include Dead shot, Harley and of course the Joker.  Joker comes in a suited and shirtless versions. Dialogue and moves are not that different than the original Joker version of the game.

 

 

BATMAN BEYOND, The Surprise Return of THE JOKER and RA’S AL GHUL

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Mar 102017
 

Well, well…that was a total surprise at the end of Batman Beyond #5.  The story started with a big teaser that the Jokerz, a band of loyal followers of the  original Joker, might have gotten hold of the Clown Prince of Crimes’ body and were trying to resurrect him, but were they really?  Well, without giving more away, the plot had a nice twist (though slightly disappointing for some at the beginning) that kept the story somewhat interesting, at least for me.  Then at the end…well…POW!  and I now are a believer that DC’s REBIRTH might not be a total loss if its capable of bringing back some of the best Batman villains around even after their demise.  Here is an excerpt of an interview with Dan Jurgens on the subject.

SPOILERS ALERT!   SPOILERS ALERT!

Original Article by: Vaneta Rogers for Newsarama

For the full interview please visit HERE

In the last few issues of Batman Beyond, readers have gotten a slew of surprises – the disappearance of Tim Drake, the return of both Terry McGinnis and Bruce Wayne, and Dana discovering Terry’s secret identity.

But at the end of Batman Beyond #5, readers found out that one of the small, side characters in the storyline was actually the Joker.

And according to Batman Beyond writer Dan Jurgens, there are plenty more surprises coming, as the book begins a new storyline in March 22’s Batman Beyond #6 that features the villain Ra’s Al Ghul. Newsarama talked to Jurgens to find out more about his plans for the Joker in the future, how recent developments will change the book, and how else “Rebirth” might tie into Batman Beyond.

Newsarama: Wow, Dan, you certainly sprung a surprise on readers at the end of last week’s issue. Was the return of Joker a “resurrection” you’ve been planning for awhile?

Dan Jurgens: Bringing the Joker back was definitely one of the things I had in mind for a while.

One of the things that made Rebirth work for Batman Beyond was the idea of returning Terry McGinnis and Bruce Wayne to their proper places. However, I wanted to build another surprise into the Bruce Wayne story and that was bringing back the Joker as well.

Given the characters, it seems fitting. Especially since the Jokerz, a group of Jokeresque acolytes, have always been a part of the story. What better way to give them importance than by giving them their idol back?

Nrama: Will we find out where the Joker has been all this time?

Jurgens: Eventually, perhaps. I think the Joker is a somewhat better character when he’s shrouded in mystery and we don’t know every aspect of his life.

Nrama: The end of the issue said “The beginning…”; is the next “chapter” of Joker’s story in the future already planned by you?

Jurgens: There are a couple of things I have in mind, but our next story takes us in a different direction. There are many facets of Terry, Bruce, and their future world that I want to explore.

Nrama: Now that Bruce is back, how does that change the dynamic of the book?

Jurgens: Terry was very isolated when he came back to put on the Batman suit. Bringing Bruce back allows us to not only continue to concentrate on Terry, but to explore a different aspect of his personality through his relationship with Bruce.

Terry McGinnis is most certainly not Bruce Wayne, yet both have been identified as Batman. So the question becomes, how well can Terry do the job when he’s not as driven as Bruce?

And as part of that, how does Bruce treat him?

Nrama: Will Max and Matt even be part of Terry’s team anymore?

Jurgens: Max and Matt will absolutely be part of the team going forward. That’s actually one of the things that Bruce has to adjust to, and it isn’t necessarily easy for him.

Nrama: Those aren’t the only big changes in the book -Dana is aware of his life as Batman. How does that affect the story that’s coming up?

Jurgens: Terry’s relationship with Dana touches on one of the things I talked about earlier, which is the way that his life is different than Bruce Wayne’s. I don’t see Terry being as driven as Bruce, and that makes him a substantially different Batman.

Again – the whole idea is to explore these characters through the ways they interact with each other.

Nrama: What can you tell us about the next big story, that teases Ra’s Al Ghul?

Jurgens: The world 40-some years from now is a very different kind of place – one that offers tremendous opportunity for Ra’s.

And I think we all know that when Ra’s has an opening, he’s the kind of guy who seizes on it.

(…)

Gotham Season 3: We Might Have to Wait for Cameron’s Return and the Joker….

 DCU, Joker, News, TV Shows  No Responses »
Sep 072016
 

MonaghangothamlargerThe INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES recently reported that thou the Joker’s laugh at the end of season 2 was indeed a proof that the “Joker idea” is not forgotten and that Cameron will be back it seems that the fans will not have a Joker until the mid-to-late part of season 3.  Well, hoping that they keep the high standards that the series has had in the writing, maybe it is going to be worth the wait.

Here is a copy of the original report by  CZARINA NICOLE ONG:

“Gotham” fans were confused when Cameron Monaghan’s Joker bit the dust sometime during Season 2, but they got their hopes up that the villain will make his way back to the show when they heard his laugh in the finale.

Executive producer Ken Woodruff told TV Guide that fans were right that they heard the Joker’s trademark laugh. However, Jerome Valeska (alter ego of the Joker) won’t be returning just yet.

“[The laugh] was really to keep [the Joker] alive, to keep Jerome and that threat of the Joker alive. We wanted to make sure fans don’t feel that we’re completely done with [the mythology of the Joker] because we are 100 percent, absolutely not,” he explained.

Woodruff added that it’s not something they’re going to explore right away when Season 3 starts, and they will only start to unravel the mystery of the Joker sometime in the middle of the season.

“We are absolutely planning in Season 3 – but primarily in the mid to second half of Season 3 – to delve back into the mythology of the Joker, and characters that may or may not be the Joker – but more likely characters that are an amalgamation of what we’ll come to know as the Joker,” Woodruff teased.

He said there will be an “underground” movement trying to fulfill the Joker’s legacy, and they hope to expand it should the show bag a fourth season.

Meanwhile, Woodruff told IGN that they have already introduced Harley Quinn in the past two seasons, and fans might have just missed her. “You may have already seen Harley as a person that you thought you had met and known for a long time. So we always reserve the right to sort of do that as well,” he said.

As for Ed Nygma (Cory Michael Smith), he will go “full-on Riddler” in Season 3. “I’m out of Arkham as a free man, not a fugitive, so I have this amazing opportunity for rebirth,” Smith told Briotainment.

And Harley already introduced but missed in the past two seasons?  Hmmm, what could that mean? Hopefully not that they want to make either Barbara Kean  (much talked about) or Leslie Thompkins as possible candidates.  Innovative as the idea might sound, I don’t think that it will go too well with the fans. We’ll see…only a few days left until the new season starts.

(Watch GOTHAM again this fall starting on September 19, at 8:00pm in FOX)

Conroy and Hamill Confirm they “might” Not Be Done Voicing Batman and Joker for DC

 Animation, DCU, Movies, News  No Responses »
Sep 072016
 

killingjoke_ani_byphaWell, well, well…either enticing the fans or teasing of things to come, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill announced that they are not done voicing Batman and Joker respectively for the Animated Universe of DC.  Here is the report by Evan Saathoff for birthmoviesdeath.com:

As everyone here likely knows, Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy have been voicing the Joker and Batman since forever, most famously during the Batman: The Animated Series run, but they probably do it a lot in their spare time as well. Recently they teamed up again for that ill-advised animated The Killing Joke movie.

And it doesn’t sound like they’re done yet. The two were on a panel together at Canada’s Fan Expo and when asked if they were ready to hang up their Batman and Joker voices, both answered with a resounding “no”, after which Conroy joked that next they might do Hush, after which Hamill suggested A Death in the Family.

While these titles were obviously lobbed around as jokes to get the audience excited, it does seem like something is brewing between these two. If it is another animated movie, neither Hush nor A Death in the Family seem outside the realm of reason. What do you think? Are there other Batman stories you’d prefer an adaptation of next? Please feel free to shout your suggestions at the first person you see!

And I have to say that thou the news are interesting, after the disappointment with the Killing Joke and his prologue plus some technical aspects of the movie makes me very cautious  of another DCAU adaptation.  If they are going to adapt a masterpiece of comic art and writing, they should have a better sense on what would work best to IMPROVE the story, not sink it. Still the idea of an animated version of DEATH IN THE FAMILY  (and who knows, maybe DEATH OF THE FAMILY…hint, hint) could be very interesting to see…

The KILLING JOKE Screening is Breaking Record….Got Your Ticket YET?

 Animation, DC Universe, Movies, News  No Responses »
Jul 072016
 

killingjoke_ani_byphaFathom Events has booked 1,075 U.S. cinemas — its widest rollout of all time — for the big-screen debut of the animated film “Batman: The Killing Joke” on July 25, Variety has learned exclusively. 

The graphic novel-turned-movie will be shown for a single night at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. This event reunites “Batman: The Animated Series” executive producer Bruce Timm with actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, who are reprising their roles as Batman and the Joker, respectively.

The showings will also include a special introduction from Hamill, a never-before-seen documentary about the actor and his passion for this project, and a behind-the-scenes look at how the Joker’s song and dance number was recreated for this feature.

Fathom specializes in presenting live events for theatrical chains and is co-owned by AMC Entertainment, Cinemark Holdings and Regal Entertainment Group. It’s screened “The Sound of Music 50th Anniversary,” “Finding Noah: An Adventure of Faith” and “Ed Sheeran: Jumpers for Goalposts.”

“Killing Joke” will play on 215 more screens than the previous record-holder, the June 8 presentation of the original “Ghostbusters” at 860 locations.

Warner Bros. distribution chief Jeff Goldstein noted that the movie is based on DC Comics’ 1988 graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore, which provided the origin story for the Joker as a supervillain.

“It’s been a bestseller for 28 years,” he added.

Tom Lucas, VP of studio relations at Fathom, said the level of interest among exhibitors exceeded expectations since the screenings were announced on June 17. “There’s a level of excitement that’s been generated because of the iconic nature of the film,” he added.

It will also be released digitally on July 26 and via DVD and Blu-ray on Aug. 2.

(Original article written by Dave McNary for Variety.  See article HERE)

Go to Fathom Events and get yours before they are gone…

Get to See THE KILLING JOKE on the Big Screen

 Animation, DC Universe, DCU, Movies, News  No Responses »
Jun 182016
 

killingjoke_ani_byphaYou can get to see the KILLING JOKE on the big screen before it hits the stores

FATHOM EVENTS, along DC COMICS  have organized a one night event where they will show the KILLING JOKE animated film in  theaters world wide.

The special event is to occur on JULY 25 and many theaters offer two showing times.  You can visit Fathom Events site HERE to see a list of the theaters who are going to show the movie and purchase your tickets ($13.31 + service fee).

I already have purchased mine and can’t wait to hear Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy through the speaker system and watch the movie in digital…Hurry fast to get yours before they are gone…

Mark Hamill Says he “Can’t Just Quit” the Joker….

 Animation, DC Universe, DCU, Digital Media, Joker, Movies, News, Video Gaming  No Responses »
May 302016
 

..and we fans love him for that.

And that is because Mark Hamill, is the best known voice of the Joker in animation and video games.

He started voicing the Clown Prince of Crime in BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES (BTAS) in 1992 after the original voice actor for the role, Tim Curry, was deemed too scary for the role.  Once Hamill took the helm of the role he made him his and came to be portrayed on subsequent animated series like SUPERMAN ADVENTURES, STATIC SHOCK, and the JUSTICE LEAGUE. His haunting, maniacal, and crazed laugh is likely forever stuck in the heads and became the trademark of the character.

He even voiced the Joker in several animated movies like BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM, BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER  and the BATMAN SUPERMAN MOVIE.

Not satisfied with the animated media, Hamill made the jump to the video game industry when he was cast as the voice of the Joker first for the game BATMAN: VENGEANCE based on his BTAS character and lately for the ARKHAM ASYLUM/ ARKHAM CITY/ARKHAM KNIGHT video games series.  He also went on to voice the Clown for other animated games like DC Universe Online.

Hamill then retired but was open to return for voicing Joker in an animated adaptation of THE KILLING JOKE…

getthelastlaughwithMarkHamill

…that has finally been completed and ready to hit the stores in August 2, 2016.  But that has not stopped Hamill who is supposed to return to his character once more for the Cartoon Network TV show, JUSTICE LEAGUE ACTION, which will likely premiere sometime in the next year.

As Hamill has played the Joker longer than any other actor, it’s no surprise that he’s spent more than a bit of time trying to get inside the Clown Prince of Crime’s warped head. In the most recent issue of Entertainment Weekly, he had this to offer about arguably the most intriguing super villain of all time:

Opening quote

Joker is always frustrated because he doesn’t think of himself as a villain…He thinks of himself as an under-appreciated genius. The citizens of Gotham City don’t accord him the reverence and the acclaim he feels he deserves. I give him that theatrical impresario voice, like the Jose Ferrer character in Enter Laughing. The Joker has a flamboyance that appeals to me. He enjoys what he does so much. I just can’t quit him.

Closing quote

Of course, the most exciting bit out of this is that it would seem Hamill has no intentions of giving up the role anytime soon, which will no doubt make a lot of fans very, very happy. However, the glimpse into the Joker’s mind that he also offered fans with this quote is also quite intriguing as well.

Anyone who’s watched Hamill’s version of the Joker knows that this description fits him perfectly. He does have more of a classic criminal attitude about him than some other iterations (such as Ledger’s anarchist), but the reason he ultimately does all of the crazy things that he does is to show off his comedic, criminal genius.

(Based on original article by Zain Charkawi for OUTER PLACES which you can read HERE)

Could this be The New Rebirth Joker?

 Comic Book Art, DC Universe, DCU, Joker, News  No Responses »
May 192016
 

DC’s Rebirth is on the way, and it’s not just the logo that’s getting a makeover. Plenty of characters will be getting a costume refresh in DC’s roster shake-up as well. It seems like the clown prince of crime might be one of them, judging by this gorgeous variant cover by Rafael Albuquerque.

Albuquerque posted the Fried Pie Comics variant cover for Batman #1, due out July 15th to Instagram today—and while he doesn’t explicitly confirm that this is the Rebirth Joker, a presumption can be made, considering it’s gracing the cover of one of the event’s biggest new series.

RebirthJKRpic

While it might not be the Joker’s new design, it would not be surprising if it was, when you consider the more-than-passing resemblance to Jared Leto’s Joker (just, you know, minus the crazy tattoos).

The suit is obviously a callback to the Joker’s threads in The Dark Knight Returns—although we have seen set pictures revealing that Leto’s Joker wears a similar getup at some point in Suicide Squad—but the haircut and general frame of this Joker definitely seem to be evoking the new cinematic take. It wouldn’t be the first time DC’s done this either, with Harley Quinn getting a Suicide Squad makeover in the comics recently [that definitely resembled her Suicide Squad movie counterpart].

(Original article by James Whitbrook at GIZMODO.COM HERE)

Do You Want to Experience the New Six Flags Roller Coaster?

 News, Preview  No Responses »
May 022016
 

SixFlagsTHEJOKER4DcoasterIf you like me, suffer from motion sickness and can’t get in roller coasters, but want to be part of the action… I offer you an alternative.

Thanks to a well placed GoPro and a very brave bunch of dummies, you can be part of the first test run of the new roller coaster in Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.  Please take your Dramamine and enjoy the ride …

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