October 25 sees the release of the third game in the Arkham series. This time it’s a prequel, with a more unexperienced Batman fighting off 8 assassins during the festive period. It looks grand and cinematic from what we’ve seen in the launch and gameplay trailers, and like most of the big name games these days, there’s a Collector’s Edition available. You’ll probably want to pre-order, as I’m sure they’ll fly off the shelves.
Yay! An actual (and excellent – see my review here) about Australian comics publisher Gestalt is airing on mainstream TV. That’s a big deal! Here’s the official press release.
‘Comic Book Heroes’ documentary
Screening on ABC1 – Tuesday 13th & 20th August 2013 at 10.00PM
A two-part documentary series that tells the inside story of two ambitious Australian comic book creators and their battle to penetrate the American market.
Best friends Skye Walker Ogden and Wolfgang Bylsma are talented Australians with a crazy dream.
For eight years these Perth men have been producing mature, ground-breaking Australian comic books through their company Gestalt Publishing. They are publishing the likes of Academy-Award® Winner Shaun Tan and Aurealis-Award Winners Justin Randall and Tom Taylor, with other top-tier writers and artists from around the world clamouring to work with them.
But the guys are getting older and real life is confronting them with financial, emotional and health realities that they can no longer afford to ignore. With limited readership for graphic novels within Australia and no real profits in sight, they are now forced to grow the business fast. Their best bet is to travel 9,000 miles to the heart of the comic book industry – San Diego Comic-Con International in California. This annual comic convention presents an opportunity for the outsider Australians to showcase their wares to the 120,000 plus people that walk through its doors, as well as meet with reps from Hollywood, keen to snap up the rights for the next big graphic novel adaptation.
Along the way to the U.S. Bylsma and Ogden must navigate the tyranny of distance, logistical mix-ups, health breakdowns and financial stress. When they finally arrive at Comic-Con, they encounter thousands of costumed punters and many famous industry faces including film director Kevin Smith (‘Clerks’), 23-million Bestselling Sci-Fi Author Kevin J Anderson, a producer from ‘The Walking Dead’ TV series and the comic book master himself – Stan Lee. Will this trip to the States be the gamble that pays off for the struggling comic book publishers?
Comic Book Heroes tracks the joy and heartache of doing what you truly love. It follows these passionate mavericks and their talented team of artists and writers as they set out to take on the American comic book industry – Australian style.
Comic Book Heroes is Created, Written and Directed by Nicholas Dunlop. It is produced by Little Star and Wild Fury in association with Screenwest, Lottery West, Screen QLD and ABC TV.
Gestalt Publishing’s graphic novels are distributed by Madman in Australia and New Zealand.
www.madman.com.au/gestalt
Comic Book Heroes official Facebook page
www.facebook.com/comicbookheroesmovie
Gestalt Publishing official website
www.gestaltcomics.com
Marvel and DC Comics are the two biggest English language comic book companies in the world, and it is their varied superheroic creations that have dominated cinema screens for the last few years. The comic industry as a whole has benefitted from such exposure, but for every character that is now a household name, there are dozens of small publishers trying for their big break.
Gestalt Comics is one such publisher. Founded in Perth in 2005 by Wolfgang Bylsma and Skye Ogden, the pair have managed to increase their output and get the attention, and praise, they deserve along the way, but it certainly isn’t an easy journey, as Comic Book Heroes, a new documentary reveals.
Conceived by director Nick Dunlop, and airing on Australia’s ABC on August 13 and 20, it is a fascinating, and sometimes painful examination of the cost of following one’s dreams. Not just the credit card breaking financial cost either. The physical and emotional turmoil that is experienced by the pair, especially, Bylsma is at times harrowing, as frustrations rise and expletives fly.
Bylsma lives in Western Australia, and Ogden in Japan and both men have given Dunlop access to their varied, and harried, lives. It is beautifully shot, making the most of the locations of sunny Perth, sunny San Diego, and crowded Tokyo. The divergence between two guys in the suburbs and those same two guys rubbing shoulders with 125,000 other people at the pop culture perfect storm that is San Diego Comic-Con, means Comic Book Heroes is a delight to witness. For comics readers and those who aren’t, the film is an intriguing, informative and inspiring examination of what it really takes to pursue a specific ambition. There are the highs such as winning awards, and gaining appreciative readers, but there are also lonely times in hotel rooms, distanced from loved ones, the sleep depriving commitment of multi-time zone conversations online and the moments of sheer panic and disappointment that surface when depending on others.
There are moments of humour too, especially with the glimpses of Ogden’s life in Japan, living with his wife and in-laws, but primarily it is a refreshing, raw and honest look at aiming, and achieving, success in the comics industry. It is a world that most people don’t ever witness, and Bylsma and Ogden serve as two likeable, relatable guides, inviting us in to the world of deadlines, travelling and stress. It’s impossible not to witness their unpredictable trials and feel sympathy, and to somehow offer encouragement through the screen, as their resolve and determination faces continual opposition. For anyone who wants to know what it really takes to follow one’s vision, Comic Book Heroes is a must see, as it breaks the barrier between pleasant daydreams and cold, hard reality.
Dunlop followed Gestalt for two years, primarily throughout San Diego Comic-Con in 2011 and 2012, and the majority of the publisher’s talented creators are along for the journey, discussing and promoting the products of their hard work. This crew includes writer Tom Taylor (The Deep) who has also had success, with gigs for Dark Horse and DC Comics, Christian Read (The Eldritch Kid: Whisky and Hate), Emily Smith (Unmasked) and Justin Randall, whose two volumes of Changing Ways have piqued the interest of some of the producers of TV’s The Walking Dead.
Gestalt’s already impressive artwork from their established work looks even more beautiful with subtle motion added, and colouring bleeding to black and white pages. This effect, plus the multiple locations means that Comic Book Heroes is much more than a series of talking heads. Well edited and fast paced, it is a riveting portrait of the maddening dedication, as well as the personal victories and personal sacrifices, of bringing creativity from the suburbs to the international stage.
It’s not that different from the first actually. Chris Hemsworth returns as the thunder god, Natalie Portman travels to his home and Tom Hiddleston and former Doctor Who Christopher Eccleston are the bad guys (Loki and Malekith respectively).
The Thor sequel opens on October 30, or November 8, depending on where you live.
A superheroine from the ’90s is back in the latest volume collecting the adventures of Ghost. You can read my review right here.
The talented team behind Western Australia’s Gestalt Comics have been going from strength to strength in the last few years. They may be a small outfit from Perth, but their ambition knows no bounds and the diversity of their goodies is most impressive. From the upcoming animated series based on The Deep, written by Injustice’s Tom Taylor, to working with noted novelist Kevin J. Anderson, Gestalt are the local (to me, anyway) guys done good.
Documentarian Nick Dunlop has seen the work they’re doing and is bringing their efforts to the small screen in a new documentary entitled Comic Book Heroes, which follows Gestalt founders Wolfgang Bylsma and Skye Ogden over two years, as they travel to the wonderful madness of San Diego Comic-Con, and generally experience the highs and lows of a small comics publisher making it on the international stage.
The doco screens on ABC1 here in Australia on Tuesday the 13th, as well as the 20th, of August at 10pm. Here you can see the tantalising trailer.
This is a good diea. A good film too. Can’t Stop The Serenity is, well, I’ll let them describe it.
Can’t Stop the Serenity (CSTS) is a unique opportunity to indulge your geeky side while doing some good! Since 2006, fans have organized screenings of Joss Whedon’s Serenityto raise funds and awareness to support Equality Now in their work for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women around the world. Join us as we aim to misbehave for a good cause!
Serenity, is of course the film adaptation of Firefly, the unfortunately short-lived TV series from Joss Whedon , creator of Buffy, and writer/director of Marvel’s blockbuster film, The Avengers. Here’s the trailer to jog your memory, and here is where you can buy tickets for the Perth, Western Australia event.
Don’t be put off by the title. This new novel from Top Shelf is actually rather funny and genuine.
Read my full review right here.
Now that San Diego Comic-Con is only hours away, expect more announcements like this. Well, this DC Comics documentary focusing on its supervillains was announced a while ago, but here is the first trailer, and it’s looking good, er…evil.
BOOM! Studios surprised the industry two weeks ago by announcing they had purchased independent, and critically acclaimed publisher Archaia, which you can read more about here. Now they’ve unveiled their shiny new website. Official lowdown about that below. Oh, and they’ve also just announced that they’ve signed legendary artist George Perez to an exclusive deal. Wow.
BOOM! Studios is pleased to unveil their newly redesigned website (boom-studios.com) today. Beginning today, fans will find a fresh, modern look with an easier-to-navigate interface along with more social media integration.
The new boom-studios.com was designed by At Play Creative, the same design agency responsible for the redesigned BOOM! Studios logo that debuted earlier this year. The design team, led by Founder and CCO Gary M. Smith, worked closely and collaboratively with BOOM! to deliver a design that showcased the comic art first and foremost. At Play clients include ABC, Disney, and Hasbro among others.
In addition to a comprehensive online store, the relaunched website incorporates live feeds from BOOM!’s Twitter, Facebook, and BOOM!Pen Tumblr on a new Trending page with spotlighted Featured posts. The site includes information for Press and Retailers, with more to be added in the future. An Events page adds an easy reference point for all BOOM! convention appearances, signings, and launch parties.
Kaiju is a Japanese word that means, “strange beast,’ so Wikipedia tells me. It’s also a buzzword at the moment, thanks to this week’s release of Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim. As a refresher to what Pacific Rim is, check out the latest trailer and featurette, and get excited!
If you like what you see on the big screen and want to see more of giant monsters fighting other giant monsters (and robots), then you might want to see the sale that Madman has on now, featuring some great films such as Big Man Japan, Troll Hunter, Monsters, and Godzilla classics, and anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Gigantor.
After seeing the featurette on DC/Warner Bros’ latest animated film, Flashpoint on the just released Superman: Unbound Blu-Ray I’m eagerly awaiting its release, which we know now is July 30. Very soon! Official details below regarding the dark, alternate version of the DC Universe, as based on the great 2011 mini-series from Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert. A few screenshots, and the first clip from the film is also below, in which Cyborg (who I think has a metallic sounding voice for the first time, which makes sense) attempts to recruit Batman.
The film will have its World Premiere at Comic-Con in San Diego on Friday, July 19 from 7:30-9:30pm in Ballroom 20. The premiere/panel description with anticipated participants is below. Panelists are
subject to change (which could include additions!)
Fans can also meet and get autographs (on a Comic-Con exclusive mini-poster) from the panelists on Saturday, July 20 from 11:00am-Noon at the Warner Bros. Booth.
“Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox” will be released as a Blu-Ray Combo Pack and DVD on July 30, 2013.
Here is the premiere/panel description:
Friday, July 19
7:30-9:30 World Premiere of Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox –
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation invite you to be the first to experience Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, the highly-anticipated next entry in the ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. When time travel allows a past wrong to be righted for Flash and his family, the event’s temporal ripples prove disastrous, creating a fractured,
alternate reality where the Justice League never formed, and even Superman is nowhere to be found. Amidst a new world being ravaged by a fierce war between Wonder Woman’s Amazons and Aquaman’s Atlanteans, Flash must team with a grittier, more violent Batman and government agent Cyborg to restore the continuity of Flash’s original timeline.
Come for the film, but stay for the star-studded panel that features Grey’s Anatomy stars Justin Chambers and Kevin McKidd as Flash and Batman, respectively, along with C. Thomas Howell (Southland), Cary
Elwes (The Princess Bride), Sam Daly (The Daly Show) and a few surprise voice cast members, plus the filmmaking team of producer James Tucker (Superman: Unbound), director Jay Oliva (Batman: The Dark
Knight Returns), dialogue director Andrea Romano (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns), screenwriter Jim Krieg (Green Lantern: The Animated Series) and character designer Phil Bourassa (Young Justice).
Moderator Gary Miereanu will add to the fun with a special announcement of the 2014 DCU movie slate, as well as exclusive, cast-autographed prizes for a few lucky fans. Based on the landmark mini-series by Geoff Johns & Andy Kubert, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox will be available as a digital download on July 19, 2013 and a Blu-ray™ Combo Pack on July 30, 2013.
Above are Batman, Cyborg, Flash, Lois Lane, Reverse Flash and Wonder Woman.
My review of the debut issue of Stalag-X, written by acclaimed novelist Kevin J. Anderson is here at Broken Frontier.
Phew. That’s a mouthful. A feast for the eyes too.
Coming on September 24 for just under $100 is a collection of all three of Christopher Nolan’s acclaimed Batman films, with some pretty cool extra goodies. I’d love to watch the chat between Nolan, and fellow DC Comics adaptation director Richard Donner (Superman: The Movie). Official details below.
THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY:
ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITION
BLU-RAY™ DEBUT SEPTEMBER 24
FROM WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT
All Three Films, New Special Features, and Memorabilia
Christopher Nolan’s reimagining of the Batman franchise beginning with 2005’s Batman Begins enjoyed phenomenal critical and box-office success.
Now on September 24, Nolan’s three Batman films – Batman Begins, The Dark Knight,and The Dark Knight Rises – will be released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment asThe Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector’s Edition. The six-disc set will feature all three films with their existing extra content, two new featurettes and exclusive new collectible memorabilia. This must-own collection for fans of DC Comics’ Caped Crusader is available in premium packaging and will sell for $99.97 SRP.
About the Ultimate Collector’s Edition (UCE):
*Disc 1 – Batman Begins Feature and Special Features
*Disc 2 – The Dark Knight Feature
*Disc 3 – The Dark Knight Special Features
*Disc 4 – The Dark Knight Rises Feature
*Disc 5 – The Dark Knight Rises Special Features
*Disc 6 – Bonus Disc of New Special Features (details follow)
NEW Special Features:
Exclusive NEW Memorabilia:
About The Films
Batman Begins (2005)
Batman Begins explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight’s emergence as a force for good in Gotham. In the wake of his parents’ murder, disillusioned industrial heir Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. He returns toGotham and unveils his alter-ego: Batman, a masked crusader who uses his strength, intellect and an array of high tech deceptions to fight the sinister forces that threaten the city.
The Dark Knight (2008)
The follow-up to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in his continuing war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves effective, but soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker (Heath Ledger), who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces Batman closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante. Maggie Gyllenhaal joins the cast as Rachel Dawes. Returning from Batman Begins are Oldman, Michael Caine as Alfred and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.
Dark Knight Rises (2012)
It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act.
But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane. Christian Bale stars, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Morgan Freeman.
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