Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi

February 1st marks the return of creative team John Ostrander and Jan Duursema to the Star Wars universe! Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi is a new series from Dark Horse which will explore the beginnings of the Jedi order. The series will be set 36,453 years before Star Wars: A New Hope.

Any Star Wars fan who has followed Ostrander's and Duursema's work on previous Dark Horse series, like Star Wars: Legacy, know they are in for another top-notch Star Wars book. Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi kicks off with a special #0 issue on February 1st followed by the first issue on February 15th.

Dark Horse Comics' solicitation reads as follows...

On the planet Tython, in the center of the galaxy, an order of warrior monks strives to maintain peace and to balance the mysterious power known as the Force. But a stranger is coming -- one who will destroy both peace and balance, and open the galaxy to exploration and conquest. This is where it all begins!

Check out the cover to Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi #0 below followed by the covers to the first issue!

Batman: Arkham Unhinged

This April, DC will release a one-shot spinning out of the hit video game Batman: Arkham City. 'Batman: Arkham Unhinged' will act as a prequel story to the game involving Catwoman, Two-Face and Hugo Strange.

Batman: Arkham Unhinged will be written by various writers with art by the amazing Mike Miller (DC Universe Online Legends).

Check out the stunning cover art by Dave Wilkins below! The one-shot goes on sale April 11 -- don't miss it!

DC Comics Unveils New Logo and Brand Identity

Check it out... DC has revealed a new brand identity! Wow this is brilliant... here's the Press Release:

DC Entertainment, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company and home to iconic brands DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD, revealed today a new brand identity. The new identity is reflective of the company’s mission to fully realize the value of a rich portfolio of brands, stories and characters, distinguished by incredible breadth and depth across publishing, media and merchandise. A new logo for DC Comics was also introduced, closely aligning with DC Entertainment’s new mark.

“It’s a new era at DC Entertainment and the new look reflects a dynamic, bold approach while at the same time celebrates the company’s rich heritage and robust portfolio of characters,” stated John Rood, EVP of Sales, Marketing and Business Development for DC Entertainment. “It was just a few months ago that Superman, Batman and many of our other Super Heroes were updated when we launched DC Comics – The New 52 and now it’s time to do the same for the company’s identity while remaining true to the power of storytelling which is still at the heart of DC Entertainment.”

DC Entertainment worked with Landor Associates, one of the world’s leading brand consulting and design firms, to develop an identity that creates a visual connection among the company, its three brands DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD and its vast array of properties as well as celebrates the power of the company’s stories and characters. The design of the new DC Entertainment identity uses a “peel” effect – the D is strategically placed over the C with the upper right-hand portion of the D peeling back to unveil the hidden C – symbolizing the duality of the iconic characters that are present within DC Entertainment’s portfolio.

“It was our goal to capture DC Entertainment in a dynamic and provocative identity. Our solution is a living expression which changes and adapts to the characters, story lines and the ways fans are consuming content,” explains Nicolas Aparicio, Executive Creative Director at Landor’s San Francisco office. “The new identity is built for the digital age, and can easily be animated and customized to take full advantage of the interactivity offered across all media platforms.”

The new brand identity will come to life across all consumer touch points in order to create a clear and consistent message in support of DC Entertainment. The new identity will begin to appear on comic books and graphic novels as well as new websites in March. Consumers will also see the new identity rolled out over time on other DC Entertainment products from Warner Bros. including film, television, interactive games and merchandise.

“We believe our new brand identity will strongly resonate with our loyal fans who will want to proudly express their affinity for DC Entertainment and their passion for their favorite stories and characters, this new look allows them to easily do this. In addition we were excited to update our identity, it’s not often a company gets to revisit something as important as its brand and we took the opportunity to make sure it represented the multi-media business we set out to build with the formation of DC Entertainment,” said Amit Desai, SVP of Franchise Management for DC Entertainment.

Will Green Arrow Join the Justice League?

So it looks like we'll have another fill-in artist coming up in DC's flagship title 'Justice League'. For May's issue #8 Carlos D’Anda -- artist on the 2011 Arkham City limited series and concept designer for both Arkham video games steps in (following an issue guest illustrated by Gene Ha in issue #7). In Justice League #8 Green Arrow makes it clear that he wants in the team – but not all of the Leaugers are crazy about the idea. Will Ollie get his JL membership card? I really can't imagine a League without a Green Arrow, but obviously we have to wait and see!

Carlos D’Anda's work back on Arkham City really made it one of the best limited series of 2011. So I'm sure were all in for a treat come this May -- as he'll get to draw not only Batman again, but all of our favorite heroes!

Jim Lee and Scott Williams will return for issue #9 kicking off the first chapter in a story called “The Villain’s Journey.”

Check out the cover for issue #8 below, as Jim Lee and Scott Williams still chip in for the cover art duties.

Van Halen - New Album out February 7th with Tour to Follow

Why music news instead of comic news here? Well with a group like Van Halen, I make an exception. For me, comics and Van Halen sorta have an interlocking and nostalgic history. Back in high school, reading comics were a big part of my life (and still is of course). But comics were'nt my only obsession back then -- it was Van Halen. Their album '1984' blew me away and I eagerly tracked down and bought each of their previous albums. I think I even had a photo of David Lee Roth taped up on the inside of my locker that garnered strange looks from passerbys. Anyhow jump ahead a couple of years later when Sammy Hagar replaced Roth as the lead singer and the album '5150' came out. I heard the single 'Why Can't This Be Love' on the radio and thinking "so that's Sammy Hagar singing -- I can dig this!." I enjoyed listening to Eddie Van Halen play guitar (no matter who sang) about the same as reading the latest Batman title!. To this day Van Halen's '5150' remains my favorite album of all time. It's a musical masterpiece and proves again why Eddie Van Halen is simply the best guitarist on the planet. Even now I don't think a week goes by where I don't play 'Why Can't This Be Love' at least a few times.

So anyways here we are... what's going on with Van Halen now? Well, if you're a fan you know the past decade involved Sammy Hagar leaving the band, and David Lee Roth rejoining for a short reunion tour. And then? Nothing. There were rumours of a new album. VH fans wanted new material but the past few years any Van Halen news was pretty well non-existent. Well you can forget all that, because come this February 7th the first studio album with David Lee Roth on vocals since '1984' will be released. The new album will be called 'A Different Kind Of Truth' and will feature 13 new songs! The buzz is that the new album will have that hard no-nonsense classic Van Halen sound!

Also, Van Halen will begin a North American tour beginning February 18 in Louisville, Kentucky. And, yup they'll be playing Vancouver, BC on May 7th at Rogers Arena! Other Canadian dates will involve Montreal on March 15th, Toronto on March 17th, Ottawa on March 21st, Calgary on May 9th, Edmonton on May 11th, and Winnipeg on May 17th. They'll also play Tacoma, WA on May 5th.

Check it out below... the track listing for the new album 'A Different Kind Of Truth', the press release, the artwork for the new album, and a recent photo of Dave and Eddie!

Thanks for reading folks, enjoy your comics and enjoy your music!

Track listing for new album:

1. Tattoo
2. She’s The Woman
3. You and Your Blues
4. China Town
5. Blood and Fire
6. Bullethead
7. As Is
8. Honeybabysweetiedoll
9. The Trouble With Never
10. Outta Space
11. Stay Frosty
12. Big River
13. Beats Workin’

Press Release:

Van Halen Announces 2012 North American Tour and the February 7, 2012 Release of Their New Album, A Different Kind of Truth

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 6, 2012 - Van Halen, Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductees and one of the most important and influential rock bands of all time, announced their return to the live stage with an extraordinary 2012 North American tour. The announcement was made late last night, during a once-in-a-lifetime performance, at the intimate Cafe Wha? in New York City. Known around the world for some of the most iconic live performances in music history, the legendary rock band will begin their tour on February 18. Kool & The Gang will join Van Halen for select tour dates.

Tickets for the Live Nation-promoted tour go on sale beginning January 14 at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.

In addition, Van Halen confirmed their new album, A Different Kind Of Truth, will be released in the U.S. by Interscope Records on February 7. The first single from the album, "Tattoo", and its accompanying video will be debut simultaneously on Tuesday, January 10th, with album pre-orders starting that day. A Different Kind Of Truth is Van Halen's first original studio album with singer David Lee Roth since the band's classic multi-platinum album 1984.

Fans can expect Van Halen to perform selections from A Different Kind Of Truth alongside songs from their arsenal of epic hits that include: "Eruption," "Running with the Devil," "Jamie's Cryin'," "You Really Got Me," "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love," "Everybody Wants Some," "Unchained," "And The Cradle Will Rock," "Beautiful Girls," "Mean Street," "Somebody Get Me A Doctor," "Jump," "Panama," "Hot For Teacher," "I'll Wait," and more from their classic albums Van Halen, Van Halen II, Women and Children First, Fair Warning, Diver Down and 1984.

Van Halen – who the Los Angeles Times recently called "a force of nature" and "one of the flat-out greatest rock bands on the planet" – was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in March of 2007.

Formed in Los Angeles in 1974, Van Halen changed the rock and roll landscape forever with the release of their self-titled, 1978 debut album displaying unparalleled stage presence, revolutionary musicianship, and extraordinary songwriting abilities. With more than 75 million albums sold worldwide, the band's record of achievement is hard to top. Among a long list of awards, recognition and accolades, Van Halen joins an elite short list of two time Diamond Award honorees in the history of the music industry. Presented with two Diamond Award RIAA Certified Status' for their albums Van Halen and 1984, the band has produced a repertoire of hits that remain some of the strongest and most influential rock songs ever written that fans will admire for decades to come.

Kool & The Gang found a special sound at the unique intersection of jazz, R&B, funk and pop. Their music has been created by the same core of players for over thirty years: Robert "Kool" Bell, his brother Khalis Bayyan, their longtime friends Dennis "DT" Thomas and George "Funky" Brown.

VIP Packages will also be available through VIP Nation, including premium seats, exclusive merchandise and more. For more information please visit: www.VIPNation.com.

The Dark Knight Rises in Theaters this Year

Happy New year everone! Just thought I'd start off 2012 by posting a few pics from The Dark Knight Rises.

Yup, this is the year when Christopher Nolan's groundbreaking vision of the Dark Knight will come to an epic and unforgettable conclusion!

The Dark Knight Rises in theaters this July 20th.

Let's not forget all the other awesome flicks due in theaters this year!
Check it out, lots of buzz and lots of promise... '012 is gonna be a great year for movies:

February 17: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
March 9: John Carter
May 4: The Avengers
June 8: Prometheus (Alien Prequel)
June 29: G.I. Joe: Retaliation (with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson as Roadblock!)
July 3: The Amazing Spider-Man
September 21: Dredd
August 17: The Expendables 2
December 14: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Possible spoilers below!

Justice League: Doom DVD Release Date and Details

Up next on the DC Universe animation front is 'Justice League: Doom'. The original animated DVD movie is inspired from the JLA story "Tower of Babel", a story arc that ran in JLA #43-46 in 2000 written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Howard Porter.

Tower of Babel is about Batman's contingency plans, in which he keeps in case any of his fellow Justice Leaguers go rogue, that get into the hands of Batman's enemy Ra's al Ghul. Ra's then uses these plans to wreak havoc on the League, Batman and the world itself.

This comic series is a classic in which writer Mark Waid delves into the reason's as to why Batman keeps records concerning the strengths and weaknesses of his allies. Epic in scope, smartly crafted suspense and fantastic artwork are only a few of the reasons why this story remains a favorite among many comic fans.

Justice League: Doom will arrive on DVD February 28, 2012.

How about we check out the Official Press Release and DVD cover art below below!

Earth’s greatest super heroes face foes on all fronts – using a plan initiated from within – in the all-new Justice League: Doom, the next entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the all-new, PG-13 rated film arrives February 28, 2012 from Warner Home Video as a Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack ($24.98 SRP) and DVD ($19.98 SRP), On Demand and for Download. Both the Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack and DVD will include an UltraViiolet™ Digital Copy.

Justice League: Doom finds Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Cyborg and Batman on their heels when a team of super villains discover and implement the Dark Knight’s “contingency plans” for stopping any rogue Justice League member. The story is inspired by Mark Waid’s much-heralded “JLA: Tower of Babel.”

Primetime television stars Nathan Fillion (Castle) and Tim Daly (Private Practice), the reigning voices of Green Lantern and Superman, respectively, join a group of eight actors reprising their famed Justice League cartoon roles. Fillion made his debut as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan in the recent Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, and took his initial DC Universe movie bow as the voice of Steve Trevor in the 2008 hit Wonder Woman. Daly originated his role as Superman’s voice in the landmark cartoon, Superman: The Animated Series. He has reprised the role in two DC Universe films: the 2009 extravaganza Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and the 2010 thriller Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.

The grand reunion of actors who provided the voices of the Justice League for the cartoon of the same name and its follow-up, Justice League Unlimited, includes Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) as Batman, Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, Breaking In) as Flash, Susan Eisenberg (Superman/Batman: Apocalypse) as Wonder Woman and Carl Lumbly (Alias) as J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter. Bumper Robinson (A Different World, Transformers: Animated) joins the cast as Cyborg.

The Justice League faces two sets of villainous teams in the film – The Royal Flush Gang and a sextet of notable evildoers. The latter group includes three voice acting alumni of the Justice League animated series: Phil Morris (Smallville, Seinfeld) as Vandal Savage, Olivia d’Abo (The Wonder Years) as Star Sapphire, and Alexis Denisof (Angel) as Mirror Master. Also opposing our heroes are Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911) as Bane, Paul Blackthorne (The Dresden Files) as Metallo, and Claudia Black (Farscape, Stargate SG-1) as Cheetah.

David Kaufman (Danny Phantom) also reprises his Justice League role of Jimmy Olsen.

The film is executive produced by Bruce Timm (Batman: Year One), and directed by Lauren Montgomery (Batman: Year One), who is also credited as producer alongside Alan Burnett (Batman: The Animated Series). Justice League: Doom is the final DC Universe film script from the late Dwayne McDuffie (All-Star Superman, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths), who passed away in February 2011. Casting and dialogue direction is once again in the capable hands of Andrea Romano (Batman: Year One, Justice League).

“Justice League: Doom has all the classic ingredients of a great super hero film – a cavalcade of dynamic villains, internal strife amongst our heroes, treacherous twists and turns, and a cast that brings together some of today’s popular primetime television actors with many of the fans’ favorite voices from the original series,” said Hersin Magante, Warner Home Video Marketing Director, Family & Animation. “I think fans will embrace Dwayne’s McDuffie’s final DCU script, particularly as it has been nuanced by Bruce Timm and the Warner Bros. Animation team. Warner Home Video is proud to distribute Justice League: Doom as the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie.”

New 'The Dark Knight Rises' Teaser Poster

Check it out, Warner Bros. has just released a new teaser poster for 'The Dark Knight Rises'.

How much is there to say really? But... EPIC!

The Dark Knight Rises opens July 20, 2012.

Andy Kubert takes on Cover Art for Green Lantern Corp

Been checking out the newly relaunched Green Lantern Corps series? This series is a lot of fun and is masterfully written by Peter Tomasi -- a DC writer who is so solid and consistent in his quality of writing you really can't go wrong. I mean check out his work in Batman & Robin right now -- his handle on the characters has made it one of the best Batman book on the stands. Anyhow in Green Lantern Corps Guy Gardner and John Stewart are up against the mysterious 'Keepers' and 'Intruders' who are bent on wiping out populations across space and imprisoning Green Lanterns!

Artists Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna are providing spectacular interiors. With these artists teamed up with Tomasi, this book is in good hands. But something's coming up that's gonna make this book even more exciting -- starting with Green Lantern Corps #4 the covers will be drawn by none other than Andy Kubert (Flashpoint)!

Green Lantern Corps #4 is the next issue coming up on December 21st, while issue #5 goes on sale January 18th, and issue #6 hits comic shops on February 15th.

Check out the cover art Andy Kubert to the upcoming issues below!

Multiverse Magazine

What I really miss about the comic industry these days is the lack of comic-related magazines. We all know why -- most comic fans can easily get all their comic news via the internet. The cuurent happenings about comic books are just a click away and for many the need to wait until you read about it in a magazine is redundant. This has become a double-edged sword -- since we are bombarded from a digital standpoint to keep up with all the latest news but at the same time there is something about sitting back and reading a good quality interview or article on paper.

Well it looks like the return of the comic book magazine may be making a comeback. Coming February 8th, 2012 is 'Multiverse Magazine', previously a digital magazine it is now relaunching as a publication!

There is some buzz about this. Do we have a smart, well-designed and good quality comic magazine coming our way? I think we just might!

Make sure you tell your retailer to sign you up for Multiverse Magazine! Again, the first issue hits comic shops February 8th, 2012. Don't miss it! I know I won't... this is great news for fans and the comic book industry alike!

Here is the solicitation text:

It's finally here: the magazine I, Vampire writer Joshua Fialkov describes as 'beautifully designed, with a modern, smart sensibility about mainstream comics that's been missing from print comics journalism for a long time.' Alongside the title's regular news and reviews sections, each issue of Multiverse also includes exclusive interviews with established creators as well as up-and-coming talents, many accompanied by rarely seen art. Each issue ships with an extra bonus free preview comic book, too!

Absolute Batman: Hush Returning to Print

2012 will mark the 10th anniversary of one of the most important and successful storylines in Batman's publication history. In 2002, DC Comics ran a story arc called "Hush" in Batman (vol. 1) issues #608-619.

To say the Hush run reinvigorated the Batman comic franchise for the 2000's is an understatement. In fact it really gave the whole comic industry the shot in the arm it needed at that time -- given that the industry had a rough time in the late 1990's right across the board.

"Hush" was headed by the stellar creative team of writer Jeph Loeb, penciler Jim Lee, inker Scott Williams, and colorist Alex Sinclair. Jeph Loeb crafted a tale about the mysterious Hush, a new villain determined to bring down Batman by sabotaging his life from the inside out.

Featuring a who's who of Bat-villlains, Hush was an epic run that today stands tall next to classics like Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns. To many Batman fans "Hush" is considered the best Batman story of the 2000's.

In 2005 DC published an oversized 'Absolute Batman: Hush' hardcover slipcase edition. Of the limited number of storylines published in this format Hush really deserved this treatment. Jim Lee's and Scott Williams' artwork perfectly suited the widescreen look the Absolute editions offers.

To no surprise, after a few years it became very hard to find the Absolute Edition of Hush still in print. Well, the wait is over -- DC has released 'Absolute Batman: Hush - New Printing'. The slipcased edition includes Batman (vol.1) #608-619 plus the 2-page origin of Batman, a sketchbook section and more! A masterpiece well worth the $99.00.

Dead Man's Run

There's quite the anticipation for a new comic series called 'Dead Man's Run' I hear. What's this all about you ask? Well, first of all this is by none other than acclaimed writer Greg Pak and from the mind of "Walking Dead" producer Gale Anne Hurd.

Aspen Comics released Dead Man's Run #0 back in October and it received all sorts of praise from the comic world. If you've read any of Greg Pak's Incredible Hulk comics he has the ability to seamlessly combine action and character development which has you coming back for more. In Dead Man's Run he brings us a crazy and bizarre story of a prison break from hell.... literally.

The artist for Dead Man's Run is by Tony Parker -- artist of the Eisner-nominated 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep'.

Dead Man's Run #1 hits comic shops January 11, 2012 and it's sure to be a start of a fun-filled yet horrific ride!

Here's the solicitation text from Aspen...

From acclaimed "Hulk" writer Greg Pak, legendary "Walking Dead" producer Gale Anne Hurd, and Tony Parker, artist of the Eisner-nominated "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep”, comes the biggest blockbuster series of the new year – DEAD MAN’S RUN!

Hell is a prison from which none escape. That's not a metaphor. It's a concrete reality surrounded by razor wire and gun towers in the middle of the California desert. But today, a young cartographer named Sam Tinker begins an epic battle against the mysterious Warden and all the horrors of her domain, in a desperate attempt to rescue his sister Juniper--the only innocent in Hell!

Get ready for an insane supernatural action-packed thriller, as Aspen Comics proudly presents its newest hit series, DEAD MAN’S RUN!

Feast your eyes on the cover to issue #1 by Parker below! There will also be a variant cover by Joe Benitez available.

Expendables 2 Poster Revealed

Just unveiled is the first official poster for the film ‘Expendables 2’. The poster shows all the stars of the movie gathered unabashedly in full on action-hero glory!

Initially the first Expendables movie was met with a mediocre response, however as the film hit DVD the film has now become a favourite among many as an action movie featuring a team of deadly but big-hearted mercenaries.

As development proceeded towards a sequel Sylvester Stallone was determined to bring Arnold Schwarzenegger into a larger role for the follow-up, along with action stars Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme. The ambitious casting became a reality as these three have joined the ensemble cast for Expendables 2.

Expendables 2 stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Get ready for the ultimate action movie with an incredible all-star cast. I mean really, can it get better than this?
The film hits theaters August 17, 2012.

Batman Beyond Returns!

Ever since DC's relaunch this past September, a lot of fans were left wondering the status of Batman Beyond. After a critically acclaimed limited series run earlier this year, it only made sense to launch a new Batman Beyond series in September. That didn't happen of course but soon thereafter the comic community began to hear rumblings about the return of Batman Beyond to comics in some way shape or form.

Well, the wait will soon be over as DC has just announced an innovative new ongoing series called 'Batman Beyond Unlimited'.

Debuting February 29, 2012 the oversized Batman Beyond Unlimited series (priced at $3.99) will feature two stories: one with Batman Beyond while the second half focuses on Justice League Beyond!

And if all that is not enough to get you going how about the creative team? Get this... Norm Breyfogle will be returning to the Bat-verse to draw Batman Beyond! Taking care of scripts will be Adam Beechan who wrote the first fantastic limited series. Having Norm Breyfogle take on the art for Batman Beyond is brilliant as his kinetic style will bring forth an animated feel to the book.

On Justice League Beyond, writers Adam Beechan and Derek Fridolfs will be joined by artist Dustin Nguyen (Batman: Streets of Gotham).

You don't want to miss this! Again, Batman Beyond Unlimited #1 hits comic shops February 29, 2012.

DC Comics' solicitation text for the first issue is as follows...

A new era begins with the debut of the oversized, monthly BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED, featuring the print debut of the new Justice League Beyond!

In the Batman Beyond chapter, legendary Batman artist Norm Breyfogle returns to draw the Dark Knight of the future with best-selling writer Adam Beechen. In "10,000 Clowns," an onslaught of new Jokerz is plaguing Gotham City – and the implications of this chaotic clown menace could have disastrous consequences for Terry McGinnis and Bruce Wayne!

And the debut of the Justice League Beyond is here, courtesy of the BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM art team of Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs, as the first two digital-first chapters are available in print for the first time! Batman Beyond is a new recruit in the mighty Justice League, but the team will be immediately tested by a very Neo Gotham-related enemy! How will the team work together to combat this threat?

The Dark Knight Rises in NYC with Photos - Spoilers

'The Dark Knight Rises' cast and crew have recently arrived in New York City to film more scenes for Christopher Nolan's Batman movie. Word is principal photography is going to be wrapping up very soon as things will then head into post production right into early 2012.

Check it out below as it looks like another daytime shoot in the snow (and that's fake snow, yes cold in NYC but no real snow) involving Tom Hardy as Bane, a ton of extras and a massive riot with police.

Wow, some epic shots for a soon to be epic movie! SPOILERS BELOW!

The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters on July 20, 2012.

Mike Deodato Back on New Avengers

Well it looks like artist Mike Deodato has finally settled into a consistent Avengers drawing gig. A couple of years back Mike Deodato had a successful run on Dark Avengers, then once that book wrapped up he jumped on over to Secret Avengers. Recently his artwork has popped up in the current New Avengers series. Now after sporadic issues here and there it looks like Deodato is officially now the regular artist on The New Avengers.

Mike Deodato is easily one of the best talents out there. His exciting yet dark style emits such an exquisite attention to anatomy. His style reminds me of a combination of Neal Adams and Mike Zeck. Deodato also uses quite a number of imaginative panel layouts in the comics he draws. Check it out, you'll see what I mean... amazing! You'll notice of late that Rain Beredo is providing colors for the New Avengers book lately. It's been interesting as his watercolor style has added a certain level of grittiness to Deodato's work. Mike deodato is known for his dark shadowing, so I think Beredo coming in and lightening up that shadowy look is a welcome change.

Anyhow, The New Avengers #18 goes on sale Wednesday November 9th. Normon Osbourne has just escaped from prison and has reunited with H.A.M.M.E.R. Osbourne will stop at nothing this time to take down the Avengers! You'll also see the covers below to issues 19 and 20, all of course by the master artist himself... Mike Deodato!

Next James Bond Movie Officially Announced

Well, it's official the 23rd James Bond film was just "officially announced". And the title is as suspected -- the next Bond movie starring Daniel Craig will be called "Skyfall". Sounds awesome! Hearing about this makes me want to pop in my Casino Royale DVD!

Here is the official press release...

LONDON, Nov. 3, 2011 - Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli today presented the cast of the 23rd James Bond adventure, entitled SKYFALL.

The film, from Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is directed by Academy Award® winner Sam Mendes and stars Daniel Craig, who returns for his third film as James Bond 007. The screenplay is written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan. SKYFALL, which goes into production on Monday, November 7th, will begin its worldwide roll-out in the UK and Ireland on October 26th 2012 and in North America on November 9th 2012.

Joining Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli and Director Sam Mendes were members of the cast of SKYFALL, including: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe. The filmmakers also announced Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Ben Whishaw.

In SKYFALL, Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. "We're so delighted to have Sam Mendes direct SKYFALL and be working once again with Daniel Craig. We've a great script, an extraordinary cast and an incredibly talented creative team for this latest James Bond adventure," said Wilson and Broccoli.

The Director of Photography is Roger Deakins, a nine-time Oscar® nominee who previously shot the films Jarhead and Revolutionary Road for Mendes. The Production Designer is Oscar® winner Dennis Gassner, who previously designed Quantum of Solace and collaborated with Mendes on the films Road to Perdition and Jarhead.

The Editor is Stuart Baird, A.C.E., whose many credits include Casino Royale. Jany Temime, whose many credits include the Harry Potter series, In Bruges, and Children of Men, is the Costume Designer. Action specialist Alexander Witt is the 2nd Unit Director. Gary Powell is Stunt Co-ordinator, Chris Corbould is SFX Supervisor and Steve Begg is Visual Effects Supervisor, all of whom have worked on previous Bond films.

Archive News:

Absolute Batman: Hush
Dead Man's Run
Expendables 2 Poster
Batman Beyond Returns
The Dark Knight in NYC SPOILERS
Deodato Back on New Avengers
Next Bond Movie: Skyfall