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So in the animated DC Comics logo attached to their films, you see…
A close-up of a woman’s eye:
A grimacing face:
And someone totally getting clocked:
Comics!
The
animated logo attached to Superman Returns is slightly different, and it seems to me that the flashing images changed according to the movie the logo is attached to, but the few DC DVDs I have either use the first logo above, don’t have
any flashing images, or (like in the
Watchmen film) display the logo in a fashion more fitting to the film’s design. If there are other variations on the images used, feel free to let me know.
Anyway, this just came to mind as I was watching the Superman/Shazam! – The Return of Captain Marvel DVD
(or Blu-ray
), which wasn’t too bad considering the main feature was mostly just flying dudes punching each other, but it was flying dudes punching each other and presented reasonably well, and sometimes that’s all you’re in the mood for. It is a shame that the only animated versions of Captain Marvel we’ll likely ever see in the future will be “like Superman, only with the brain of a kid,” and very little of the whimsy and humor of the original C.C. Beck stories. I did appreciate the emphasis on Billy Batson’s own unwavering good spirits in the face of continuing adversity…and the reveal of one of Captain Marvel’s most beloved supporting characters near the end of the story.
The other short DC Showcase features from previous DC animated releases are included on the disc, which allowed me to finally see that Green Arrow short that wasn’t included on the Netflix version of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. That was a fun little adventure, too, though it reminds you that Green Arrow has two whole arch-nemeses, and they’re both here. Also, at one point Green Arrow introduces himself as “Green Arrow, Justice League of America,” which amused me for some reason (but fitting, considering the political situation he finds himself in).
Special features are episodes from DC’s various TV series, focusing on characters from the other straight-to-DVD shorts on the disc (like the Captain Marvel episode of Justice League Unlimited). Of particular note is the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode “Chill of the Night,” which should totally put lie to the criticisms that this version of Batman is “just for kiddies.” It’s a damned brutal episode, focusing on Batman’s origin which, there’s no getting around it, involves the shooting murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents:
You see the gun fire, twice, and you see Thomas Wayne collapse, in silhouette:
I don’t think the ’90s
Batman: The Animated Series was even this explicit…if I recall correctly, the most you got there was a distant aerial view of the alley and the flash of gunshots. (And then there was also a dream sequence image of the alley rising up and turning into a giant gun, with a river of blood pouring out of the barrel, which was…something else, admittedly. Might have been the same episode, come to think of it. …You know
where to correct me.)
Anyway, the Brave and the Bold episode involves the Phantom Stranger and the Spectre:
…and their respective beliefs that Batman is either going to seek justice or vengeance in his quest to uncover the killer of his parents. And even though you
know how it’s going to turn out, the journey Batman undergoes through the episode is a fairly intense one.
Nice touches: Adam “Batman” West and Julie “Catwoman” Newmar doing voice work as Bruce Wayne’s parents. And this genuinely touching and fantastic sequence of a mystically time-transported Batman fighting crime side-by-side with his dad:
How awesome is that? “
Very” is the correct answer.
Also, a quick Googling shows that this is old news, but I didn’t notice this in the DC Showcase intro sequence until this particular viewing:
Hello there, Bruce Timm, DC animation producer/writer/animator/etc.!
from Batman #33 (Feb-Mar 1946)
Another recently arrived purchase from the eBay: a companion Sluggo magnet for the one I received a few days ago:
This Sluggo is kinda sorta posed the same way as the Sluggo in
the last Sluggo Saturday, only
sans moustache.
• • •
Arrived at the store this week is an assortment of buttons called “DC Superheroes Have Issues,” and some of the buttons feature pics of superheroes and villains with captions identifying their particular problem and, perhaps, intended to comment on the wearer of said button. Like, Batman’s says “Needs Anger Management,” Flash’s is “Speed Freak” (er…), Dr. Fate’s is “Painfully Shy” (because of the full facemask, you see), and Joker’s is “Just Crazy,” which is pretty funny, actually.
The best one is probably this one:
And while this may be a problem of the Penguin’s (though perhaps overstating it a bit):
…that’s…um, well, what can you say, really. Apparently, expected demand for this button was low, as this was the only one in the box. Or maybe it’s a Rare Chase Retailer Incentive Embossed Foil Die Cut Cover – Death and Return of Captain America and Superman Autographed by Alex Ross and
Buck Rogers and
Silver Spoons Star Erin Gray Button! Starting Bid $129.99! L@@K! H@T! We Take PayPal!
…Er, sorry about that.
For some reason, I Googled “morbidly obese Penguin” and up came this page, and apparently the phrase is some kind of internet thing. Maybe. I guess. Who can tell?
• • •
Finally got around to reading some of this week’s comics, and regarding Grant Morrison’s
Batman and Robin #16…without getting into spoilers, let’s just say that they weren’t kidding about it being a “game-changer.” I mean, we knew where it was going, given the premise of
Batman, Inc., but how it got from here to there is something else. Of course, my first reaction to reading it is “I wonder what they’re going to have to do when they eventually change everything back to the way it was” since, like any comic book character with this long an existence and with this much tie-in merchandise and other media translations, the inertia of its own history and reader/general public expectations always tends toward reverting these kinds of temporary fiddlings with the formulas. But, given the kind of change made, and the relative significance of the character, I suspect the transition back to the old status quo may be as traumatic as the change over to the new one…and I also suspect Morrison has said transition already built into place for when the time comes.
Oh, the comic was good, too.
So I posted that pic from a Batman comic featuring Bill Sienkiewicz’s inks over Jim Aparo’s pencils, which resulted, as some of you noted, in a seeming mismatch of artistic styles. Aparo’s clean lines (some samples of which you can look at here) are fairly well overwhelmed by Sienkiewicz’s much looser and scratchier style, but not always to poor effect. I thought I’d run a handful of panels and sequences from the book to present more examples of this particular collaboration. I’m no art critic, so my comments are mostly limited to “DUH, HERE ART, YOU LOOK,” so please excuse my lack of informative presentation.
While the faces from the previously posted panel looked a bit…off, to those of us used to Aparo’s usual illustrations of those characters, I like this portrait of the Penguin:
That almost looks like a caricature of an actual person, which makes the Penguin appear actually somewhat menacing.
The action sequences in the book come across okay, like this one:
In general, the Aparo layouts come through fine, it’s just the details, particularly on the overrendered faces, that the discordance sets in.
Batman looks a little awkward in this panel, but I don’t know if that’s a layout problem or a finishing issue:
That’s fully an Aparo eyebrow on Robin in the first panel, there.
There are several pages in this story colored with a limited palette, like the above panels, and that seems to work to the art’s advantage, adding to the moodiness of the proceedings already enhanced by Sienkiewicz’s sketchy style.
This last panel from the story is quite moody and effective, I think…Nightwing’s a little on the wrinkly side, but crimefighting ages you, man:
Overall…an interesting experiment, but I think I prefer Aparo on his own. Or Sienkiewicz on his own. I’d totally read a regular Batman series drawn by Sienkiewicz, come to think of it.
images from Batman #533 (August 1996) by Doug Moench, Jim Aparo & Bill Sienkiewicz
from Batman #533 (August 1996) by Doug Moench, Jim Aparo & Bill Sienkiewicz
So anyway, I was looking through a copy of Batman #259 (Nov-Dec 1974) when I saw a special feature wherein readers submitted their own new costume ideas for Robin.
This one, frankly, isn’t too different from the standard model:
…but seems to be given just that little bit of extra…somethin’-somethin’ to push Robin over into “exotic dancer” territory. Perhaps this redesign should be kept in mind if the Batman burlesque stage show ever comes to pass.
Now this costume (by a noted fandom figure and author) is pure awesome:
Not so much for the costume, which is pretty much just giving Robin some limb coverage, but for this fantastic power ‘stache:
I am certain it is within Grant Morrison’s power to somehow squeeze this version of Robin into the forthcoming
Batman, Inc. series. WE KNOW YOU CAN DO IT, GRANT.
Now while that does look like an impressive lair for this trio of Batman baddies, one can’t help but notice some…deficiencies. I’m willing to entertain the possibility that this cutaway does exclude necessities that, perhaps, were located in the area that
was cut away, allowing for a more uncluttered view.
Even with that being so, the Vulture doesn’t appear to have much room for anything:
Sure, he’s got plenty of room to play “Dogfight” with his model pla…er, I mean, “generate and practice strategy for future aerial criminal endeavors.” I’m guessing he has room, maybe, for a fold-out couch or something…maybe
that was against the opposite wall.
The kitchen’s not bad…pretty sizable, and while I’m sure we’re missing something that’s been cut away, the presence of pots and pans implies at least some form of stove…unless they’re being used to prepare cold foods, or, ahem, they’re being used to address the bathroom problem (see below).
I can’t tell if that’s some kind of vent about the fridge, or a stack of really large pancakes, or big serving platters, or what. (EDIT: Read the comments to see me get schooled in the ways of ’50s refrigerators.) I don’t see a door to get in, either.
The Fox has it pretty good:
Plenty of room, even has a stool, and lots of theoretical not-visible-in-this-cutaway space for a bed, or some kind of barcalounger.
It’s the Shark that got screwed, at least when it comes to headroom:
At least he seemed to be reasonably furnished, and plus, he has direct access to the ocean. I don’t see anyway way in, but since he’s beneath ground level, maybe there are some exterior “basement access” doors we’re not seeing.
Another thing I’m not seeing is any kind of plumbing, which again, might be obscured by the cutaway. Or maybe there’s an outhouse just off panel we’re not seeing. Or, as I referred to earlier, perhaps those pots and pans are being used to collect their leavings for later disposal (i.e. dumped into the ocean). The Shark’s got it easy…he’s already got a big hole in the middle of his floor….
images from Detective Comics #253 (Mar 1958), reprinted in Batman #176 (Dec 1965)
This is Employee Aaron’s fault for putting the idea in my head. You can see the original
here.
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