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Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Dave McKean, Grant Morrison | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have not read too many of the DC Comics, but this one was really good. Batman is one of the few DC heroes that I like, so it was cool to see this side of him through the Joker's eyes.

Okay, so in this comic, the Joker is trying to turn Batman crazy by exposing him to all kinds of horrifying things, namely the villains he has put away.

We get Arkham Asylum's backstory. We learn that the owner, a man who had lived in the house before turning it into an asylum after his mother had died after going insane herself. After many years of trying to help those admitted into the asylum, he ended up going crazy as well and locked himself inside one of the rooms scratching a story into the ground with his fingernails. Gruesome, right?

I really enjoyed getting to see the patients in their natural state and seeing them trying to fight Batman and make him feel as they felt was strange, but really interesting.

The artwork is what really set this comic apart. It set the mood perfectly, capturing the creepy, haunted, and ominous tone of the asylum while still keeping a sense of beauty to it. All in all, it was absolutely stunning, if not unnerving.

I enjoyed the story, even if I was a little confused at first, but it all comes together in the end.

There will be some spoilers in this next bit. This comic comes full circle in the fact that it, the comic, the asylum, and the old Doctor Arkham, all foreshadow Batman's involvement in the asylum itself. He is the one to bring people in, deeming them insane, and bats are what drew Old Arkham insane. It was very well thought out.

Overall, I really enjoyed this comic book and I want to see if there are more that are told in this style!
  
Catwoman: Soulstealer - DC Icons Book 3
Catwoman: Soulstealer - DC Icons Book 3
Sarah J. Maas | 2018 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.3 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sarah J Maas knows how to create a badass! Selina is definitely a strong, capable, gritty, independent woman with no need for a man (or Batwing). I thoroughly enjoyed Catwoman through Maas' eyes - I probably should have read the other DC books (and I still might), but I couldn't wait to delve into SJM's mind once again. Reading about the "villain", making her into a relatable person with a sympathetic history, was especially interesting. I have never personally read any hero comics and, though I've watched several Batman movies, I certainly wouldn't call myself a fanatic - but this was a new experience in which I have no regrets! The story had action (lots of girl power, good versus evil, butt-whipping action), it had a hint of romance (which kept my romantic heart aflutter) and definitely had some feels to go along with it. Glad I chose something so different from my normal read!
  
Batman: Nightwalker - DC Icons Book 2
Batman: Nightwalker - DC Icons Book 2
Marie Lu | 2018 | Young Adult (YA)
7
7.0 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
So I didn't actually realize, back when I reviewed Wonder Woman: Warbringer, that it was the start of a series of origin novels. The second is this one, about Batman, and the next is Catwoman: Soulstealer. (I can't wait for that one, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, and Catwoman have been my three favorite superheroes for ages, even if Catwoman isn't exactly a hero!) After Catwoman's book, we get Superman's book, and that's all that's been announced, so I don't know if there will be any more. Though I hope there will be, because these first two have been excellent!

The name Batman is never actually mentioned in this book; he is Bruce Wayne the entire way through. He does get a suit, towards the end, and starts his career as Batman without really realizing he's doing so. We get a few nods to the Batman mythos - he stops to watch a swarm of bats heading out to hunt, and he mentions the broken grandfather clock that he hasn't fixed yet. But this is a Bruce around his high school graduation, just starting to learn about the kinds of tech that Wayne Tech produces. We do meet a few familiar faces beyond Alfred.

I had a few moments where I wanted to shake both Bruce and the adults around him because NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD DO THAT and if it needed to happen for plot's sake make it more believable! But it was overall pretty good.

There's no need to read this in order, from what I can tell - events in Wonder Woman have no effect on Gotham. Though the Catwoman book is also set in Gotham, so it will be interesting to see if they intertwine at all.

If you like DC Comics, these are definitely worth reading - if you don't, skip them.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
  
Justice League: War (2014)
Justice League: War (2014)
2014 | Action, Animation
8
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Movie Rating
February 4th saw the release of another Warner Bros. Animation film in the
Justice League franchise titled ‘War.’ DC Comics is continuing to bolster
its brand with regular animated releases, and they are doing a great job.

The film opens as an obvious origin story. Fans of the previous animated
films or TV series will notice some overt departures from the standard fare
of the last few years.

Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and Batman lead off the film with their first
meeting in Gotham City, working quickly to solve a strange spree of
criminal abductions. As the two broker a tenuous peace and learn to work
together, they realize the Mother Box they found is linked to others like
it, and they head to Metropolis.

Wonder Woman, on her way to meet the President of the United States,
encounters winged beasts similar to ones fought by Green Lantern, Batman,
and Superman. What’s unusual is that this time she uses a sword to
dispatch her enemies. It’s something I’ve rarely seen in previous comics
or animated works.

The Flash, Shazam, and Cyborg all make appearances, and the team’s
structure gradually comes together. Meanwhile, the villain reveals himself:
Darkseid (who is one of my favorite DC villains).

This story is told wonderfully, with great action sequences and voice
acting (Sean Astin and Alan Tudyk – notable names). Overall, I was pleased
and entertained.

That said, there are a few major oddities within the film that stuck out as
strong deviations from the norm.

First, Superman kills someone. Despite the circumstances, I was still
shocked to see his character taken in that direction.

Second, somebody drops the S-bomb. I’ve never seen swearing in a “young
adult” film before, and though it was only used once, I was still taken
aback.

Third, the portrayal of Darkseid. He’s a great villain because of his
physical prowess, omega beams, and intellect. The first two were
represented in fine fashion, but the last was woefully lacking. Nothing
about this film showcased his intellect at all.

Fourth, Shazam seems to favor his lightening powers over his physical
assaults, which again, is in contradiction to most other comics and
animations.

While I found all of these examples strange and uncharacteristic with
respect to the usual formula, none of them were significant enough to be
considered a problem. I’m curious to see where this new trend goes. Will
DC use this as a platform to start a new chain of films or TV shows? Will
the language and body count continue to escalate? These are questions for
the ages.

Bottom line: if you are a fan of the genre, please watch it. You won’t be
disappointed.
  
Batman: Nightwalker - DC Icons Book 2
Batman: Nightwalker - DC Icons Book 2
Marie Lu | 2018 | Young Adult (YA)
8
7.0 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
Batman: Nightwalker gives us an origin story for the Caped Crusader that we didn't know we needed - even if it doesn't feel like the dark, gritty Batman we know from the Dark Knight or the comics. Bruce is an eighteen-year-old boy who is still trying to figure out who he is in a world where his parents were murdered when he was a child and he has just come into their vast fortune. He struggles to figure out how to live up to his parents' legacy and finds himself in a dangerous situation.

If you go into this book expecting Batman, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. This is a teenaged boy who is realizing that he wants to do more for his city and is coming to the conclusion that Bruce Wayne might not be enough. This book is his real origin story and Marie Lu brings his transformation back to its roots. We meet the boy who will one day become Batman, not the man we are familiar with as the Dark Knight.

I really enjoyed getting to know young Bruce in this story, although Alfred certainly stole the show. You could feel the bond that they had with one another, which translated so much more authentically than some of the other relationships in the story. I felt that Diane and Harvey were a little underdeveloped in the story, so I never really formed a connection with them. I really enjoyed the little cameos from characters we're familiar with and the characterization of people that we know are much more important in the Batman mythology in later years.

Superhero books are definitely difficult to write because they're so action heavy and as a result, visual, but I feel that Lu managed to capture the kinesthetic nature of the book well. She definitely delved more into Batman's detective nature, which was really nice because we don't see that as often as his fighting bad guys schtick. If you're interested in seeing the detective Batman dig into mysteries and try to foil a criminal organization than you should enjoy this book - just don't expect giant action-packed fight scenes.

I have really enjoyed the DC Icons series thus far because it brings the characters we've grown familiar with back to their roots. They're teenagers who are still figuring out who they are in the world, regardless of their future superhero journey. They are fragile and unsure, yet with a thirst for justice that one day will allow them to grow into the superheroes we know and love.
  
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Contains spoilers, click to show
Zack Snynder's Justice League is the original cut of the Justice League film that was released in 2017 which was started by by Snyder and re written / cut by Josh Whedon, cutting the film from Snyders 4 hour, R/15 rated vison to a 1.30 pg/12 rated version. The film was meant to be the big connecting point for the DC equivalent version of the MCU after following on from 'Man of Steel' and Batman vs Superman' but the Whedon cut was met with a lot of criticism as fans felt that it didn't give what was promised and so the DCCU seemed to stall, or go in a different direction with 'Birds of Prey'. We don't know if, with the release of the Snyder, the DCCU will be restarted.

Zack Snyder's Justice League follows the same basic story of the Whedon cut, after the events of 'Batman vs Superman', Batman begins to form a super hero team to be ready for the invasion Lex Luthor warned of.
The film is of a similar dark tone as the two previous films, with some humour added by Ezra Miller's Flash, and adds more back story to both the flash and Cyborg as well as more information about the villains, Steppenwolf and Darkseid.
The biggest problems of the Snyder cut is the 4 hour run time and I wonder if that would have been cut if; 1) it had been originally released without Josh Whedon's input and 2) if marvel hadn't already released the 3 hour long Avengers end game.
Any other problem I have with Justice League are minor, I'm still not sure if DC have handled the resurrection of Superman right but that's based off what they did in the comics and Snyder did... well I'll get to that in a bit.
The inclusion of Martian Manhunter was good but his first appearance in the film was a bit odd.
The last main problem I had were Stepenwolf's eye's, part way through the film his eyes seem to get too big for his face, almost giving him a cute, Anime girl look. At least until they go blue.

Zack Snyder's Justice league did a lot of things right, the inclusion on Darkseid is the big one as it makes Steppenwolf's motivation more believable and adds to the history of the DCU earth, not to mention introducing the Green Lanterns (with out CGI costumes).
Now back to Superman, I've already said that DC may have missed a trick with his resurrection but Snyder left him in his black outfit (I'm sure you se him back in his original outfit, in the present in the Whedon cut ) and anyone familiar with the 'Reign of the Superman' Comics/animated film know that the Black costumed superman is in fact the Eradicator so, depending on what DC have/had planned in Superman's future they could be planning something else, especially now the Green lanterns have been introduced .
Because of the longer runtime the new characters did seem more filled out which helped with the overall motivation and flow of the film.
Like the previous two films (I'm not counting suicide squad because it's only linked by the end scene) Justice league is quite slow paced and dark, taking time to build up to the action but the narrative does fit the pace and doesn't let it feel rushed or leave any loose ends. In fact the only part that almost felt like something was missing was when Flash repapered after breaking the speed of light however that may be because I've read a few comics and know that something normally happens when he does that.

I do hope that DCCU does continue from Zack Snyder's Justice league, if only to find out what they are planning with the whole 'nightmare future/Lois is the key' storyline they started in 'Batman vs Superman' and continued here.

Even if you have seen the Whedon cut and if you can find the time I would recommend watching the Snyder cut as there is a lot more to the film even though there are a few scenes from the Whedon cut missing and the Snyder cut does pull on a lot more law from the comics that was only hinted at in the shorter version. (I still find hard to believe they left Darkseid out of the Whedon cut considering the story they were trying to tell.)
  
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
2016 | Action, Sci-Fi
The Transformers of the superhero genre
It feels like eons ago that Batman v Superman was announced as a genuine movie. Way back in 2007 there was a poster that seemed to signify DC Comic’s plans in I am Legend, but fans just thought of it as a pipedream.

Now, in 2016, the moment has finally arrived. The marketing campaign has been relentless, the trailers have been criticised for showing far too much (which they have), and Ben Affleck’s casting as Batman was met with disdain rather than joy. So what is the finished product like?

Superman has now become a controversial figure after his climactic battle with General Zod, with Batman in particular being cautious of his true plans for Earth. After a new threat is created, Doomsday, they must put aside their differences to save the planet.

Following on directly from the events of Man of Steel, director Zak Snyder brings together DC Comics’ biggest superheroes in a film as loud as anything Michael Bay served up in the Transformers series.

Henry Cavill returns as the god from above with Ben Affleck taking over duties from Christian Bale as the Dark Knight. Both of them give great performances with Cavill in particular impressing. Affleck proves his doubters wrong and is more than a match for Bale, though his one facial expression wears thin over the course of the film.

Elsewhere, Jesse Eisenberg takes on the role of Lex Luthor in a portrayal reminiscent of Johnny Depp’s Willy Wonka – eerily creepy and well-acted but just trying that little bit too hard. Amy Adams makes a welcome return as Lois Lane and gets much more screen time here than she did in Man of Steel.

However, the most praise has to go to Gal Gadot. Her exceptional characterisation of Wonder Woman is one of the movie’s highlights and it’s such a shame she takes a backseat to the two titular characters. It’s clear the filmmakers thought highly of her too, as she gets her own thundering theme tune whenever she appears.

Unfortunately, the plot is just too nondescript and completely incomprehensible at times, with Lex Luthor’s motives remaining unclear throughout the 150 minute running time. This proves increasingly hard to swallow as the film progresses and makes his villain feel less menacing than he should be.

Nevertheless, Batman v Superman is visually spectacular. Snyder bombards the audience with breath-taking set pieces, dispersing them well enough to ensure the plot only drags in a few areas, namely at the beginning – though the film’s flabby length is a sticking point; it simply doesn’t need to be nearly three hours long.

It may all sound pretty negative, but the exciting and beautifully filmed final act almost makes up for these shortcomings. We also get to see an emotional side to the genre, something that has been sorely lacking more recently with the constant quipping of the Marvel Universe.

Overall, Batman v Superman was never going to live up to the hype and in some ways it does fall short. The battle between Bat of Gotham and Son of Krypton is disappointingly brief and the story lacks any real weight, until the final 30 minutes. But it’s filmed in such a unique fashion and with such confidence; it’s quite possible you may not see anything like it in the genre again.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/03/27/the-transformers-of-the-superhero-genre-batman-v-superman-review/