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Update: DEATH OF THE FAMILY: Details revealed about December’s Issues

Action Figures, Comic Book Art, DC Universe, Joker, Merchandise, Reviews 5 Responses »

Sep 182012

MERRY CHRISTMAS JOKERDOM!!! With all this Goodies, we could call this a very JOKER-CHIRSTMAS!

December’s solicitation for DEATH OF THE FAMILY related storyline and spinoffs continue to hit the charts (Guess the world was ready to a Joker comeback). Look what December has in stores regarding Joker’s return to the spotlight:

BATMAN #15

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SCOTT SNYDER (w) Backup story written by SCOTT SNYDER and JAMES TYNION IV Art by GREG CAPULLO and JONATHAN GLAPION Backup story art by JOCK Cover by GREG CAPULLO
Variant cover by GREG CAPULLO 1:100 ; B&W Variant cover by GREG CAPULLO
On sale DECEMBER 12 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
US Retailers: This issue will ship with four covers. Please see the order form for more information.
Synopsis:
- The Joker’s attacks have taken their toll on Batman and his allies, and now they have to face the impossible.
- The final madness of The Joker’s plan revealed here! Why is he more dangerous now than ever before?
- Plus: In the backup feature, witness The Joker’s confrontation with the Riddler as the horror of The Joker’s plan is revealed.
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.Combo pack edition: $4.99

DETECTIVE COMICS #15

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JOHN LAYMAN (w), JASON FABOK (a); Backup story art by ANDY CLARKE Cover by GREG CAPULLO
1:25 B&W Variant cover by GREG CAPULLO
On sale DECEMBER 5 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
US Retailers: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the order form for more information. • A
“DEATH OF THE FAMILY” tie-in Synopsis:
- What has The Joker done with The Penguin?
- Guest-starring Poison Ivy and Clayface!
- Plus: In the backup story, learn the secret way to make it as a super criminal in Gotham City.
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue. Combo pack edition: $4.99

BATMAN AND ROBIN #15

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PETER J. TOMASI(w), PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY (a) Cover by GREG CAPULLO
On sale DECEMBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T. •
A “DEATH OF THE FAMILY” tie-in! Summary:
- Damian vs. The Joker!
- Has The Joker finally met a Robin as dangerous as he is? Or will The Clown Prince of Crime claim another of Batman’s allies as his victim?

BATGIRL #15

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GAIL SIMONE (w), ED BENES (art and cover)
On sale DECEMBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
A “DEATH OF THE FAMILY” tie-in Summary
- With so many funerals planned, The Joker decides it’s time for a wedding!
- Barbara’s first confrontation with The Joker since he shot her is coming to a horrifying conclusion!

CATWOMAN #15

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ANN NOCENTI (w) RAFA SANDOVAL and JORDI TARRAGONA (a) Cover by TREVOR McCARTHY
On sale DECEMBER 19 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+.
- Following her standoff against The Joker, Catwoman takes an easy job: stealing Eclipso’s Black Diamond from The Black Room
- The diamond’s power rises with the full moon…like on the night Catwoman sets out to take it!

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #15

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SCOTT LOBDELL (w), TIMOTHY GREEN II (a) Cover by GREG CAPULLO
On sale DECEMBER 19 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
“DEATH OF THE FAMILY” tie-in Summary:
- Red Hood and Red Robin team up against The Joker!
- Teen Titans vs. The Outlaws!

SUICIDE SQUAD #15

suicidesquad15

ADAM GLASS (w), FERNANDO DAGNINO (a) Cover by KEN LASHLEY
On sale DECEMBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
“DEATH OF THE FAMILY” tie-in Summary:
- Harley continues her rather unpleasant reunion with The Joker!
- Has the violent life of the Squad finally claimed Deadshot?

TEEN TITANS #15

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SCOTT LOBDELL (w) BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND (a) Cover by GREG CAPULLO
1:25 B&W Variant cover by BRETT BOOTH and MARK IRWIN
On sale JANUARY 2 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
“DEATH OF THE FAMILY” tie-in summary:
- Red Hood and Red Robin team up against The Joker!
- Will Arsenal take over the Titans?
- Guest-starring Batgirl!

NIGHTWING #15

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KYLE HIGGINS (w), EDDIE BARROWS and EVER FERREIRA (a and cover)
On sale December 19, 2012; 32 pages
“DEATH OF THE FAMILY” tie in summary:
- The Joker strikes Haly’s Circus — and Nightwing can’t stop a devastating murder

STATUES AND ACTION FIGURES:

BATMAN ARKHAM CITY: HARLEY QUINN STATUE

harleyquinnarkcity

What’s black and white and red all over? This beautiful new statue based on Arkham City’s Harley Quinn! Harley’s stunning design and edgy new costume is perfectly complimented by the statue’s minimalist color scheme, so order one today before it’s too late!
This hand-painted, cold-cast porcelain statue is packaged in a 4-color box.
Statue measures approximately 9.25″ tall.
Sculpted by Jack Mathews $124.95 US
On sale January, 2012 (Allocations May Occur)

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS ACTION FIGURE 4-PACK

dkreturnsfigs

The gang’s all here in this special “The Dark Knight Returns” 4-Pack featuring Batman, Robin, Superman, and The Joker! Based on Frank Millers’s now-legendary designs, this is a must-have for fans of Miller’s seminal classic.
Action Figures $22.95 US
On Sale January, 2012 (Allocations May Occur)

DC COMICS SUPER VILLAINS: THE JOKER BUST

dcvillainjokerbust

Sculpted by Phil Ramirez Shh! The Joker has a secret—and you know it’s the worst kind. Sitting atop a cloud of Joker gas and wearing his classic purple tuxedo, this brand new bust showcases the mischievous mentality of Clown Prince of Crime—so order now, or the joke’s on you!
Measuring approximately 6” high x 4” wide x 6.75” deep, his hand-painted, cold-cast porcelain statue is packaged in a 4-color box.
$69.95 US • On Sale January, 2012 (Allocations May Occur)

My opinion to Mr. Capullo’s warning about Joker’s Look

Editorials, Reviews 2 Responses »

Jul 222012

Thought I was just going to leave this as a footnote to my previous post on Greg Capullos’s warning about the Joker’ look (that you can read HERE), but it became more of an statement, so decided to make it a whole post….sorry guys. Bear with me. This are just my opinions

Ok, a few things I wanted to point out from this article:

1. “He really is going to obviously, have a new look,” Snyder said. “At the same time, we want it to echo his iconic look.”

So the change is dramatic, but not out of the charts horrific? I would really see how they could pull that one out since the Joker has literally lost his face. I understand the new look issue, this is a whole new universe and definitely after the success of Ledger’s Joker, the public is probably ready for a much more “scarred” Clown Prince of Crime. Joker can be scary and more threatening,but giving him a set of “real scars” will be much too close to Ledger’s Joker’s appearance and though many loved Ledger’s reinterpetation, I don’t thiik the fans want a Ledger copycat (Ledger J belongs to the Nolanverse). They just want a sensible, terrifying reinterpretation of an icon, while keeping what has made him the perennial nemesis of the Batman in his long lived comic run and hearing them say: “…he’s still himself at his core.” . Hope they can keep that promise.

2. But then, my expectations get stunted when I hear say “Now I can go down the road of, like, Texas Chainsaw Massacre stuff”

I REALLY TRUST YOU Mr. Capullo as much as trust Mr. Snyder plotting this new chapter in Joker’s presence in the DC Universe, but remember…you are not writing a horror flick here, and you promised keeping Joker’s core. Joker is not Leatherface, nor Freddy Krueger neither is he Jason, He is the Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime. But still, I respect your artistic freedom to reinterpret Joker for the modern audience.

3. When Capullo said that in Batman #0 …“ the biggest challenge is drawing the Red Hood gang, and having to make some pill helmet look cool and look bad-ass. ”

Is the artist implying that he’s also planning on including a new origin version for the Clown Prince of Clown? Well, if this Joker is that different from the one in the Pre-52 universe, it might need his origin revamped for the new times and new audiences, but I hope that is not adding another page to the already large file on Joker origin stories out there. Some well made (Killing Joke blackflashes), others would have been better if they never existed (like Lover’s and Madmen that truly never added any dimension to the Joker or his origin). I will be looking for this Batman origin retell, and see if DC has finally decided to do more character oriented stories. If it worked for Chirs Nolan in The Dark Knight trilogy, it might work in comics book too. Again we don;t want a Nolanverse copycat, Joker fans just want well written stories, that seem to be lacking lately in the DC line-up.

4. “We’re turning the Joker up a notch, you know? If you can turn the Joker up any higher.”

I can see why Capullo is getting to, After TDK, we have learned to see Joker in a more menacing, and dangerous way. And let’s face it…he made money. He is really a force of nature that Batman needs to contend with, but at the same time the phrase makes me shudder. How much higher could you turn up the Joker’s behavior before turning him into a thristy bloody killing machine, thus losing the core of the Joker we have learned to love in comics. Remember Joker is more than just a murderer, he is (in my humble opinion) the twisted version of Batman. An evil twin brother, the chaos of the world against the order of the Knight.

5. And I was thrilled when Capullo admitted that Joker’s return will affect not just Batman, but many other Batman related comics. The Clown’s return will reverberate all over Gotham City and probably the DC’s New52 Universe: Remember to check out:

Batgirl (A no brainer, since it was the Clown Prince of Crime who crippled Barbara Gordon. Would she fight the demons from that horrific night at the same she fights this new terrifying menace?)

Batman and Robin (Still can’t forget that wonderful Joker phrase that he was just “…differently sane”)

Suicide Squad ( who would not want to know what will happen when Harley Quinn realizes that her puddin’ is back. How will this new Joker see her old henchwoman now that he is rebonr?)

Nightwing

Red Hood and the Outlaws (Again, Jason’s transformation into the Red Hood is direct result of what he went through after Joker “killed him”–assuming they keep DEATH IN THE FAMILY as cannon in this new stroyline. How would Jason react to the Clown’s return?)

Teen Titans ( this one I need to see why it woud be such an important interaction…the new robin?

Catwoman (in the past pre-52 Jokerhas had storylines with Catwoman, but how this new Clown relates to the Feline Fatale? Is tere more than meets the eye and a new secret connection that needs to be revealed ? That might be interesting to see)

Batman Annual #1: Victor Fries Dark Little Secret Revealed

Comic Book Art, Comic Books, DCU, Preview, Reviews, Scans No Responses »

May 312012

batmanann01 This is a Joker-centric site, but the Clown Prince of Crime does not mind sharing his space in the net from time to time to bring you information on the wherabouts of other fellow villains; and so he has allowed me to share with you a short review on the re-introduction of Mr. Freeze to the New 52 universe.

WhenI started reading , I came with the preconception of the old Victor Fries from the Pre-52 Universe. (forgetting the quasi-comedic version of Mr. Freeze depicted by Joe Schumacher in the 1997 Batman and Robin film).

I always thought that Mr. Fries had evolved from a crazy scientist weilding an ‘ice gun” to a tragic character, forever obsessed with the love for his deathly ill wife which he froze in order to preserve her until he could find a cure for her. Fries was a sappy romantic figure (that I would hardly call insane), driven by the passion to reunite with the woman who had stolen his heart. Fries never succeeds, and his actions land him senselessly on Arkham again and again.

But this Mr. Freeze is different, driven by a misplaced obsession and a focused hatred for the man who is constantly forcing him to face a reality Fries is stubbornly not wanting to see.

We have already seen how Fries resurrection formula was successfuly tested by bringing the Talons from their deep sleep during the Court of Owls though his full involvement with the Court still has to be explained and hints of other rogues related to the Court schemes are suggested. And this story does something else: show us just how disturbed Mr. Freeze really is.

From an early family tragedy, we see peeks of the twisted psyche of this mad genius capable of cold murder, thus providing a revised origin that gives the character more validity and realism than in his previous versions. Even his abilities are expanded, and his motives given a logical focus, but the more revealing aspect of the story is the truth behind Nora, as it is revealed by the Dark Knight during the final battle.

The story is filled of emotion, passion, dynamism, stunning background and line design that do no less than pull you into the middle of the action as the artwork adds to the story. I consider the story very well written and beautifully illustrated (the attenuated pallete used aids in creating a mood and the contrast with Fries red goggles, gives the mad scientist a more menacing aspect). A reivindication of a character that definitely had more to provide to the Gotham mythos.

This story definitely serves to launch Mr. Freeze into a much darker world (which Gotham seems to be evolving into) with a very unique darkness of his own and a taste of the real power of Fries cryogenic mutation. I was happily surprised to see Fries use more than his armor and ice gun to get his way. Victor Frires is indeed one resourcefull and dangerous rogue, capable on taking head on the Bat-family.

My recommendation….pick it up and enjoy a good story. Here are some previews for you to enjoy.

THE AVENGERS: No Joker…but equally AWESOME!

Movies, Preview, Reviews 3 Responses »

May 112012

I would like to take a little detour from my usual Jokercentric ramblings to speak about the AVENGERS MOVIE.

WOW! At first, I wondered how they could make a movie with so many characaters and still give them all some meaningful screen time that added to the plot. I mean, there is Fury, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Thor, Ironman, Hulk, Agent Coulson, not to mention LOKI and his army and an array of supportive actors while there is only 2 hours and 30 minutes of movie. IMPOSSIBLE RIGHT?

WRONG!!!

Joss Whedon did an amazing work with the story and screenplay, allowing each of the characters to weave themselves into the plot in a way that flowed naturally. Each character takes the spotlight, like well choreographed fireworks, shining on details that have made them memorable (Fury’s commanding presence, Tony Stark complete disregard of authority while overflowingwith heroism, Captain America’s patriotism while searching for what it means to be a hero in a world so alien to him (without being cheesy), just to name a few). All while adding to the plot like threads add to the fabric.

But this could not have been accomplished if there was nothing to bring these heroes together because in the movies as in literature, heroes have to have something to forge their character. A Yin to their Yang…a villain. And here is LOKI, the vengeful (and may I add) psychotic demigod from Asgard magnificently played by Tom Hiddleston.

avengersloki

Most villains are hard to write while keeping them real. It is easier to write them flat and unidimensional; monsters or buffoons. Either extreme takes the menacing aspect from the villain, makes the plot weak, and the heroes just unrealistically heroic. That is why only a few villains transcend the page or the screen. Where would Moriarty, Dr. Doom, Joker, and Magneto be if they would have been carelessly written? Good villains embody not only evil, but highlight that side of us that we would like to keep in the shadows. They are mad, but they are human too (or demigod in this case). They are evil, but they are in a sense…they are like us and that is what makes them scary.

This is another thing in which I think Mr. Whedon excelled. Loki’s character was (in my humble opinion) magnificently written. From the Thor movie we knew that Loki was still alive and not happy. He felt displaced, humilliated, defeated by mortals and his spoiled half brother. And we know he was not going to just quit because he knew he was destined for some greater purpose.

But before he gets the spotlight, he’s going to to take on those that have done him wrong. Loki’s anger turns into vengeance, then slowly morphs into obsession to finally become madness. He is willing to sacrifice it all to show everybody his greatness. And that, like with every villain, is his downfall. He plays the heroes and is played upon in a clash of opposing forces that leaves us wondering what is really going through Loki’s mind. What is his ultimate goal? Can our heroes defeat a god?

I laughed, gasped, held my breath, sighed in relief and even shed a tear, all in just 2 and a half hours. That is what good movies are made of, and this movie has it all.

I’m not going to give spoilers here. There are plenty of sites where you can get those, but I will tell you that the movie is definitely worth watching, at least once. It is good entertainment, and lots of fun, while keeping a good quality of storytelling without becoming cheesy or ridiculous. Go to the movies and enjoy the two and half hours that will leave you yearning for more avengers, while satisfying your inner child dreams of superheroes and supervillains.

Oh, and before I forget…remember to stay in the theaters until after the credits so you can see what’s in store for the Avengers. Really want to know that bad? Ok, because you asked….THANOS

Newer Entries

MERRY CHRISTMAS JOKERDOM!!! With all this Goodies, we could call this a very JOKER-CHIRSTMAS!

OTHER JOKER RELATED STORIES YOU CAN FIND THIS MONTH:

STATUES AND ACTION FIGURES: