All we’ve seen of Superman so far in “Supergirl” has been IMs and texts from Clark to Kara. I think there was a hand lifting her up in some scene. So when we heard that Superman would be in multiple episodes of Season 2, nerds started speculating. Casting “Teen Wolf” star Tyler Hoechlin took care of some of that, but the question remained — what would the suit look like? 

…like that, it turns out. 

At first glance, I like it. As close to a “classic” Superman as we’ll get in 2016 — closer than the “Man of Steel” and “Batman V Superman” costume. It’s got the same darker colors as Supergirl’s costume, but has a vivid gold background to the “S” symbol, where Supergirl’s is blue. No red briefs-on-the-outside, which we’ve come to expect. 

Tyler Hoechlin…will have to grow on me. Or see him in action. Or something. With these producer’s track record on casting superheroes though–we’ll be seeing some great things. 

BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE (6.5 out 10) Directed by Sam Liu, Written by Brian Azzarello; Starring Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill and Tara Strong; Rated R for adult themes and situations.

“Batman: The Killing Joke” has always been one of my favorite graphic novels despite the darkness that it’s pages contain so when I first heard that they were turning it into a DC animated movie I had very high hopes for this film. After seeing the movie I have to say I have mixed emotions about it.

To the movie’s credit the actual parts from the comic are done really well. There are moments that seem like they are lifted directly from the pages and it’s during those moments that the film really strikes gold. Seeing the origin of one of Batman’s most iconic villains on the big screen as well as Batgirl’s tragic story that turns her into Oracle is pretty epic. The animation is a little different but I warmed up to it’s style very quickly.

That being said there are other parts of the film that simply didn’t work. “The Killing Joke” graphic novel is a shorter book so it was well known that they were going to have to add things to the story to make it a full length movie out of the source material. The first part of the film focuses on Barbara Gordon otherwise known as Batgirl and her relationship with Batman.

Barbara works as a librarian who vents to her friend about the man in her life. When asked about their relationship it’s complicated at best. This is where the film started to loose me, Barbara is attracted to Batman and before the events from the source material start to happen the two heroes have sex and then avoid each other because the nature of their relationship has changed so much.

As a fan of the comics having Batman and Batgirl sexually involved with each other just doesn’t sit right with me. It goes against the characters that I have come to know and love. I understand this was Brian Azzarello’s, the film’s writer’s chance to put his own stamp on a very strong female character in the Batman universe. When discussing adding more to the story Azzarello even said

“I was like ‘How do we approach this? I gotta write some stuff about her in here.’ So Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett came to me and said ‘We want to make this a feature, we’re going to need you to write something that takes place beforehand.’ Rather than pad out the actual Killing Joke more. Immediately, I said Barbara needs a character arc, she’s got nothing, and they were like ‘That’s what we think, too.’”

However the direction they took went against the grain. From a writing stand point you can justify Barbara’s attraction to Bruce. He’s an older man who is arguably the most intelligent man she will ever meet. He also happens to be in the best physical condition humanly possible and he takes a vested interest in her and her life. Taking her under his wing as her mentor Bruce teaches and trains Barbara by pushing her harder both physically and mentally than anyone else ever could. Given all that how could any other man she meets in her life compare to Bruce Wayne. In fact I’d be willing to bet that if you went into your local bookstore and went to the romance section it wouldn’t take you very long to find a book that has a description very similar to the one above. I don’t like Barbara being attracted to Bruce but from a writer’s point of view I can see how you could justify it.

What really seems out of place is that Bruce returns the emotions. When the tension between the two comes to head Barbara is the one to initiate sex and after a moment of hesitation Bruce gives in. The Bruce/Batman I read about every month would never do this for a couple of reasons. First Batman has always seemed like the father figure to the entire Bat-family. He loves each of his partners like his own kids and will always risk his own life if it means protecting them. Given that history the sexual relationship between Batman and Batgirl just seems wrong. Second other than Alfred, Jim Gordon is one of Batman’s closest friends that he has. I personally don’t see Batman sleeping with Jim’s one and only daughter. You could argue that letting his daughter fight crime is a betrayal of their friendship as well but if that’s what she decides to do there’s not much Batman could do to stop her. By training her and making her a partner he’s doing everything he can to keep her safe. Sleeping with her however is something Batman can control and just goes against his character.

Having them romantically involved seems like cheap way to try and make you care more about Batgirl than you normally would so that when she gets shot by Joker and paralyzed it has more of an emotional impact. However what it does instead is taint the relationship that Batman and Batgirl have in the first place. Catching Joker after he shoots her and kidnaps Gordon is not just about rescuing his friend but also making sure Barbara’s attacker is brought to justice; keep in mind she is like his adoptive daughter so Batman has plenty of incentive to find Joker without needing to have sex with Barbara.

What I would have liked to see instead of a romantic relationship between Batman and Batgirl would be have Nightwing and Batgirl involved giving Batgirl the story arc she needs and keeping true to the characters we know. The problem with that is Nightwing isn’t involved in the graphic novel so if you want to stay true to the book the movie is based off of you run into problems. There are ways around this however, like having Batman say Nightwing and Batgirl are too distracted and decide to send Nightwing on a mission out of Gotham that way when the events of “The Killing Joke” start you can stay true to the story.

All that being said I did enjoy the movie and that is largely because once the actual story from the comics start happening on the screen it’s like watching a comic book come to life. They stayed true the story and handled Barbara getting shot very well. This is a moment from the comic that has been the center of debate snice the comic’s release in 1988. After Joker shoots Barbara he undresses her and takes a bunch of naked photos of her in order to torture Commissioner Gordon. It is left up to the audience to decide whether or not he raped her as well. The film does it in the same way and to add my own two cents to the debate I’ll go on record and say that he didn’t. To me The Joker gets more pleasure out of manipulating people. If we look at Harley Quinn who is madly in love with The Joker you can see how he likes to operate. He doesn’t feel the same way about her that she does for him but he gets pleasure in the fact that he turned her from good to bad. I think the power of the unknown is more important for him in his quest to make Jim Gordon go insane. By taking the photos of Barbara nude and dying Jim will of course think the worse has happened but by not confirming or denying it will only help to drive him insane faster.

The film ends in the same way as the graphic novel. Letting the audience decide Joker’s fate based off how they interpret what they see and hear.

One cannot ignore the fact that even though “The Killing Joke” was considered canon in the DC universe for a number of years and won the Eisner Award for “Best Graphic Album” in 1989 there is a lot of controversy surrounding the comic in general. The comic does an excellent job of adding layers and depth to a character who before caused mass destruction because he was crazy. The problem is that in order to build up one character, a villain, they did it at the brutal expense of another. They took a female hero and had her sexually  assaulted and crippled just to tell a story about their most iconic villain. To add further insult to injury she remains crippled and becomes Orcale who in of herself is a strong female character but she isn’t out there fighting crime as Batman’s equal. In fact it wasn’t until DC did their “New 52” that she could walk again. According to “Batgirl #4 she was a paraplegic for three years before having a surgery at a South African clinic. That’s all well and good for the story but keep in mind that “The New 52” didn’t happen until 2011. That’s over 20 years later that Barbara got use of her legs back.

People have also said that if this had happened to a male character the male hero would have recovered and been just fine. I understand what they are saying because we see that happen again and again in comics and other forms of entertainment but I would also point out that Jason Todd, the second Robin, was beat to death with a crowbar at the hands of The Joker in “Batman: A Death in the Family” which was published in 1988 and it wasn’t until 2005’s “Under the Hood” story arc that he was resurrected. Granted he died because fans voted to have him killed with 5,343 for it and 5,271 against his death and fans didn’t vote to have Barbara shot and then stripped all to torture her father. Maybe as Batman fans we accept darker things happening to our heroes because the comic’s origin is so dark itself but that’s a topic for another time.

To be fair when Alan Moore wrote “The Killing Joke” it was not considered canon, it wasn’t until years later that it was adopted into the story. DC comic’s realized the fact that this was and has been a dark spot in their history. So much in fact that in Batgirl #49 right before the comic ends before the events of the “DC Comics Rebirth” we find out that a bunch of Batgirl’s memories were fake including the events of “The Killing Joke.” 

As I stated before this is one of my favorite graphic novels because I love The Joker and learning more about his past, the fact that it’s at the expense of Batgirl who has become one of my favorite partners of The Dark Knight is upsetting. Everyone has to decide for them self whether the comic is worth reading because of the treatment of Barbara just to further the depth of The Joker. Because of the impact the graphic novel had on the characters and even the fans I still think it’s worth reading.

With all the controversy surrounding the comic there was a missed opportunity to fix some of the mistakes that were made with the original. What would have helped a lot was a better character arc for Barbara then the one we were given but it seems that it wasn’t really even a thought on their minds. This was made clear at the San Diego Comic Con panel for the film. According to Bleeding Cool reporter Jeremy Konrad the films writers were asked a question by a Joker cosplayer why they would downplay Barbara, a strong female character by making her story about needing a man in her life they disagreed saying she still is a strong female character to which Konrad sarcastically shouted, “Yeah, by using sex and then pining for Bruce.” Brian Azzarello’s response was “Wanna say that again? Pussy?” That sums up the problems surrounding the film and graphic novel pretty neatly, thanks Brain.

Overall I would give the film a 6.5 out 10. I didn’t care for the added story and character development they did for Batgirl simply because it felt out of place with the Batman universe as a whole. When the graphic novel part of the story begins in the film it’s all great and really enjoyable sadly the start of the film makes it an uphill battle that it just can’t recover from. If you haven’t read the graphic novel do yourself a favor and go read it. If you’re a fan of the book you’ll enjoy the movie just go in knowing it starts a little rough.

The latest trailer for DC’s “Suicide Squad” was shown at SDCC this weekend and every trailer I see gets me more excited for this movie. “Suicide Squad” hits theaters August 5th. Do you think this will be the movie that gives the DC cinematic universe the boost it needs? Let us know in the comments below. 

The latest “Wonder Woman” trailer is a full length spectacle that demands repeat viewings. DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures are set to unleash the most iconic female super-hero to theaters in 2017. Wonder Woman, played by Gal Gadot, was a bright light to the dark and moody “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” earlier this year. If the trailer, shown during San Diego Comic Con, is any indication of the continued magic she brings with her to the silver screen, having the character properly placed in her own film will surely be a treat for critics and fans alike. 

It’s San Diego Comic Con and that means a bunch of trailers have dropped. One of those trailers is sure to cause controversy despite DC never having any of their media generate controversial feelings from their fans. Wait, that’s the Earth Two DC. On this Earth DC’s recent film and animation studio releases have generated mixed feelings between fans and critics alike. Many do not believe DC can ever make a cinematic universe that gets the excited fans swooning like Marvel has. I have to say though, this “Justice League” trailer has me swooning.

I think it looks fantastic. I also think that Grant Gustin is my Flash but Ezra Miller has already made me fall in love with his cinematic version of the character. I’m also very happy to see Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman seemingly getting the screen time her character deserves and the fans demand. Enough with my ramblings though, you’re here for the trailer.

DC and Warner Brothers “Justice League” is slated to come out next year, 2017, and stars Ben Affleck (The Batman), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Ray Fisher (Cyborg), Ezra Miller (The Flash), and Jason Mamoa (Aquaman).

DARK NIGHT: A TRUE BATMAN STORY (10 out of 10) Written by Paul Dini; Art by Eduardo Risso; published by DC Comics/Vertigo; Graphic Novel; MSRP $22.99; available everywhere now

“Dark Night: A True Batman Story” is a fascinating book in that it tells a true story, but features all of the recognizable characters from Batman comics and cartoons. Written by Paul Dini, it’s an autobiographical account of his time working on “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.” What makes that time so remarkable is that he was viciously attacked on the street, unprovoked. Sent to the hospital and spiraling in his mental health. The characters of the Batman mythos feature prominently in his inner monologue, they are, quite literally, the demons he needs to exorcise in order to get back to work.

I’m constantly fascinated by the time period at Warner Brothers and DC when “Mask of the Phantasm” was being made, so I was greedy to get any inside look at it that I could. As a lifelong fan of Paul Dini’s work, I was shocked to see the horrible circumstances he endured while working on what might be the finest big-screen Batman film ever made.

For writers, it’s fascinating to get a glimpse of how a screenplay like that would be able to come together with so many different writers working on it, but that’s really an aside. The dramatic elements make this more of a sidenote, even if it’s the sort of information I’d want to read on its own.

We watch as Dini has to deal with his physical ailments, but also the mental issues that result from this. It’s a topic that requires much more attention these days than we pay it, and to see it told with such style and force is a treat for a reader, even though it might be uncomfortable at times. It’s uncomfortable in the right ways, though. It can make you squirm with how you feel for Dini and the situation he’s in.

“Dark Night: A True Batman Story” is a masterpiece of biographical storytelling in the comics medium. Paul Dini’s highly personal story, struggling with his demons that take the shape of Batman’s rogue’s gallery in the wake of a mugging, combined with Eduardo Risso’s stunning depictions, shows two masters of the form at the top of their game.

This comic elevates the escapist nature of comics and shows them for the powerful tool for beating our own internal demons that they really are. I really loved it. The structure of the story, framed around modern Dini laying the story out in storyboard format, is a stroke of writing genius. The elegance of storytelling combined with the vulnerability he shows in the text and Risso smuggles into the subtext is nothing short of heartbreaking and raw. I’ll be recommending this to people for a long time to come.

I’ll be recommending this to people for a long time to come. Like any great storyteller, Dini is able to take off the armour of his self and show you what lays beneath. Passing that through the artistic hands of Risso, in this case, offers us something that will truly make us feel. This isn’t just a graphic novel, this is great literature and art combined.

This is a perfect 10 out of 10. A truly unique comic storytelling experience that has to be seen to be believed. 

The book is available now. You can order it online or pick it up at your local comic book store.

Bryan Young is an author, a filmmaker, journalist, and the editor in chief of BigShinyRobot.com! He’s also the co-host of the Star Wars podcast, Full of Sith. You can support him on Patreon. 

Description: “Build and power up the ultimate version of your favorite DC legends in INJUSTICE 2. With a massive selection of DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains, INJUSTICE 2 allows you to personalize every iconic character with unique and powerful gear. Take control over how your favorite characters look, how they fight, and how they develop across a huge variety of game modes. This is your Legend. Your Journey. Your Injustice.” -InjusticeGame

The DC superhero brawler is back and it brought some new heroes and villains with it. Check out the trailer to see them in action. The tag line for the game is “Every battle defines you.” So it’ll be interesting to see if you can make good guys like Batman or Superman turn into a villain based off the finishers you do and how you play. 

“Injustice 2” will be released in 2017.

DC Universe Rebirth #1; Written by Geoff Johns; Art by Gary Frank, Ethan Van Sciver, Ivan Reis, and Phil Jiminez. Cover by Gary Frank. Published by DC Comics. Cover Price: $2.99. On Sale. May 25, 2016.

This review hopes to remain spoiler-free.

‘DC Universe Rebirth #1’ had a lot of work to do in order to win me over. DC Comics has reset its universe what feels like a hundred times and it hasn’t felt more fractured than during this New 52 era. 

Written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Gary Frank, Ethan Van Sciver, Ivan Reis, and Phil Jiminez, DC is putting their house back in order once again with “Rebirth.” It’s easy to be cynical with these events. We’ve had a number of “Crisis” events, “Zero Hours,” “Zero Years,” “Flashpoints,” “Paradoxes,” and everything in between. They can be exhausting, but they make sense. When you have so many years and different eras it’s natural to want to make them coherent in some way. 

This time, Geoff Johns tackles the task in a way that hearkens back to the old but works so well for a modern audience. Take the structure of The Killing Joke or The Watchmen and blend it into what makes DC’s big remaking events great and that’s what you’re going to get with “Rebirth #1.” It’s deftly put together and deftly written. It works on a meta level that I wouldn’t have expected in what I assumed to be a very straightforward comic. Johns is able to bring into focus the things that DC has been missing across many of their comics and reassures us that we’ll be getting more of it in the future. 

The book itself is told from the perspective of Wally West in his guise as Kid Flash, a character who had been left behind in the last universe shattering event. But why? That’s what he’s trying to discover. But it’s wrapped in the elegance of structure that you’d expect from an Alan Moore comic. In fact, this is the most Alan Moore I think we’ve ever seen Johns, and it suits him because he’s able to temper the dread with a hope that is perfect for the adventures of costumed superheroes. And since Alan Moore himself was so cynical, matching the way he wrote stories with a touch of optimism feels so fresh and mind-bending, especially when you hit that final page.

It pays respect to some of the best moments in DC’s past, like “Crisis on Infinite Earths” and “The Flashpoint Paradox,” without making you feel bogged down by them. A complaint I hear a lot about comics, in general, is that there is so much history that bogs down casual readers, but “Rebirth” manages to make the entire story feel self-contained and comprehensible. This could be your first DC Comic and it would make enough sense and drive enough mystery that you’d be hooked. I don’t know about those last few pages, though…  That might be interesting in the way you’d normally tease a villain, but it might require a bit more prior investment in the larger DC catalog.

There were moments that brought me to tears, though. There’s an incredibly heroic speech a third of the way through the book that had me wiping my eyes. It was the perfect bit of character building and attention to detail that evoked all of the right emotions to me. Johns nailed the moment and, from that moment forward, had me no matter what.

I also got emotional about the fact that many of the older, straight white characters in the DCU are stepping aside for a more diverse crowd. It’s happening organically, though, in a way that I don’t think could possibly anger the more easily upsettable in fandom. It’s a welcome change, though. We need more women and POCs as heroes and “Rebirth” promises them in spades alongside many of our old favorites.

This is going to be a book people are going to talk about for a long time, not just because of the ramifications it’s going to have for the DC Universe going forward, but because it’s a well-told story that elicits a despair, hope, tears, and a final gasp, in that order. It’s a roller-coaster. Don’t let anyone spoil it for you. Pick it up at your local comic book shop and ask people if they’ve read it before you talk to them about it.

Yes, the ending might be divisive with some fans, but it worked perfectly for me. It might be the highest and best use of this particular property since the original.

For my money, this comic is a must read. Get it immediately and let the conversation about the future of the bright, new DC Universe begin.

Story By: Scott Snyder; Art By: Greg Capullo, Danny Miki and FCO Plascenia; DC Comics; Release Date: Apr 27^th 2016.

Batman #51 is at its core a farewell letter from Snyder to The Dark Knight, and it is amazing from beginning to end.

The premise is simple enough, Batman has returned and it’s a quiet night in Gotham city. The power goes out so the city’s hero sets out to find the criminal behind it all. Using the line “Gotham is” Snyder revisits different story arcs and villains that we encountered during his almost five year run of the series. Not only does he tie up loose ends but he also weaves in a lot of symmetry to Batman #1 giving the entire series a very nice bookend feel.

During Batman’s nightlong crusade across the city Capullo does some of his best artwork to tell the story. As comic book stories go this is a very quiet one but throughout the entire book there is a sense of motion and a purpose that’s propelling Batman and you as the reader along. Among these pages are the iconic silhouette images fans associate with the character and from the moment you see them you think “that’s Batman.”

This issue is an emotional tribute to who Batman is and what he does for Gotham. A theme that has been a huge part of Snyder’s run is that Gotham not only tests its citizens but that the city has its secrets from even Batman. However in this issue we see a level of optimism that is hard to find with villains like The Joker. That really is the best part of this issue, you see why Batman is the way he is and why he tries to save a city that others say is beyond saving.

If you know anyone who wants to understand Batman and why fans love him as much as they do this is the comic to hand them. It captures the heart and soul of Batman. This final chapter from Snyder and Capullo’s Batman run is in my top five favorite issues of Batman and it’s one you need to have in your collection. 

Bizarro. Written by Heath Corson, Art by Gustavo Duarte. DC Comics, 2016. Trade Paperback, Collecting Bizarro 1-6. (8 out of 10) 

I’ve always been a fan of Bizarro, the twisted duplicate of Superman. Depending on which one we’re talking about, he’s either a faulty clone of the Man of Steel or his own person, from a cube-shaped Bizarro World. Either version is usually fun, with his backwards-speaking and thinking (if he says something is “hot” it’s actually “cold,” if he says he “loves” Superman, he actually hates him) making for an unusual read. When I saw “Bizarro” recommended as a new trade paperback, I knew I had to pick it up.

The book collects six issues of a limited series by Heath Corson and Gustavo Duarte. The premise is that Jimmy Olsen is going to go on a road trip across America, and he’s taking Bizarro with him. Jimmy will photograph the entire trip and turn it into a coffee table book, achieving the fame and fortune he’s looking for in his life. Knowing Bizarro, things won’t go well.

Their trip takes them to a Used Car Lot run by King Tut, to a wild west ghost town populated by actual ghosts, and Branson, Missouri. We meet Jonah Hex, Zatanna, Superman, Riddler, Flash, and a chupacabra sidekick who is more than it seems. We also have FBI agents tailing Jimmy and Bizarro throughout the book, looking an awful lot like Mulder and Scully from “The X-Files.”

In a DC Universe that has skewed towards the dark for so long now, this is a refreshingly light book. The artwork is stylized and a bit cartoony, which works perfectly for the characters. Each chapter has a page from a guest artist who’s more famous for other books — Francis Manapul’s Flash for example. So you see different interpretations of the characters and story from Darwyn Cooke, Kelley Jones, Tim Sale, etc.  

You don’t need an encyclopedic knowledge of DC Comics, Bizarro, or Superman to enjoy this book, you just need to be able to unclench your jaw a little and enjoy the fun of it. There’s magic, there’s mayhem, and there’s even a little bit of depth that grows out of this “buddy movie” relationship between Jimmy and Bizarro. I wouldn’t want every DC Comics book to be like this one, but wow. It’s a fun ride.