We’re back with FrankYaegerBot who covered the premiere of Superman/Batman Apocalypse for us. He got to talk to all the greats and review the film.  He even got to talk to Bruce Timm about the recent news about Wildstorm, and which Wildstorm property he’d like to make a movie.

Take it away FrankY:

Ever since I can remember, I have dreamed of the getting the chance to speak with the creative minds behind such acclaimed shows as Batman the animated series, Superman the animated series, Batman Beyond and Justice League. To quote Morpheus in Matrix Revolutions,” I have dreamed a dream, but now that dream is gone from me.” Gone because that dream became reality.

Once again the powers that be at Big Shiny Robot gave me the task, nay, the opportunity of a lifetime to meet some of the people who have been and continue to be my heroes and inspirations, as I am sure they are yours. On Tuesday, September 21 2010, I was invited to the world premiere screening for Superman/Batman: Apocalypse presented by Warner Brothers Home Video and UGO.com, at the Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles.

Knowing full well what possibilities lay before me, I showed up an hour and a half early to make sure that I was the first of the press to speak with these gods among men. When I arrived I made a call to my contact at Warner Home Video. The call was in regards to confirming who exactly would be there at the screening for the interviews. My contact confirmed the list of actors, writer, directors and producer. As well as the amount of questions I would be able to ask in the allotted hour. So I began reducing my list of questions to the fundamentals and some choice questions that I had been yearning to ask the creators of my chosen childhood favorite shows. Slowly my press brethren and sisters started showing up and before too long the doors were opened to us for our hour of coverage prior to the screening.

As the rest of the press and myself stood in the in wait. The influential guests began to arrive and my heart began to thump faster and quicker. I thought I was going to pass out from the excitement. Bruce Timm, the originator of everything I hold precious, nonchalantly entered the room and the cameras began to flash. It was he that I most wanted to speak with. But those in charge at the Paley Center sent him over to the video interviewer’s first. So it seemed my dream would be derailed momentarily and I would have to wait my turn. It mattered not, that I was the first to arrive. I clenched my fist and fought to maintain my professional composure. After many a deep breath, I looked up. That is when I noticed Andrea Romano, legendary voice and dialogue director, had appeared and made her way into the room. With each step she took I grew more and more anxious. Not knowing to whom they would send her first, I awaited whilst praying. For this Q&A predetermined since ancient times, was finally coming to fruition. The people in charge at the Paley Center sent her my way. With tape recorder and notepad in hand, I stood upright poised for what was to come and thus my coverage beings.

FYB: What inspired your casting choices for this project?

AR: I’m always happy whenever I can bring back someone who’s played the characters before and so whenever that is okayed by dc comics and Warner Home Video and Warner Premiere, that its okay for me to use Kevin Conroy as Batman and Tim Daly as Superman, makes me really happy. There’s a lot about those characters that these gentlemen know from having portrayed them so many times that doesn’t require me to tell them and that simply makes my job easier and that’s a lovely thing. Then there’s always that wonderful spontaneity of new actors coming roles like Darkseid or Supergirl and we have those two characters that show up in here. And you know you can be tempted to go for the deep voice, James Earl Jones type Darkseids and instead and instead we went to Andre Braugher, who really doesn’t have that massively deep a voice but is such a wonderful actor that you just tell him what’s going on and then you let him go and let him do what he has to do and you deal with the specifics of animation. I have admired Andre Braugher for a long time and I’ve been looking for something for him. So it was a pleasure to get him on this. When he came to work for us he was just going in to work a three episode arc on House.

FYB: When Kevin and Tim aren’t available for a project, how hard is it to find a replacement?

AR: It’s not always because they are not available, because we’ll try to work as hard as we can around their availability. The question is what do my bosses want. Sometimes the directive is, you need to cast a new Superman and a new Batman, we want a new celebrity in there. With the thought that might bring in different audiences. It’s always difficult. Someone told me that I’ve cast Batman ten or eleven times. In doing that you go out to fifty different people and you get on because of schedule or the money or whatever. So I’ve gone to 250 or 300 at least actors to play Batman, equally as many to play Superman. After awhile you actually start to run out of actors who can do it. We also have that issue of who can do it with just their voice, because you have great on camera actors who are great at the physical and the facial, but if they can’t translate into their voice then they are no good to me.

FYB: When would you say you have the most fun in your work?

AR: When I’m actually in the recording session. The prep for it , the casting part of it, all the preparation that goes into getting ready for the recording session is grunt work, it’s really hard, its time consuming, it’s pressured. When I get into the recording session, when I’m playing with the actors and I say playing because for me it is playing even though it is work, it’s playing. That’s the joy of my job.

FYB: What is the most difficult part of directing?

AR: Focusing everybody. Part of my job is supplying an environment that feels like a place to play. So I’ve got this sort of playground for everybody and just like the kids, when recess is over and they have to actually line up to do the work and go back inside, I have to get them all focused and say okay we’ve got to get this thing recorded before I lose you at 4:30 so lets focus and get this stuff done. So that’s hard having to be the disciplinarian. I prefer to just be the playful one.

I was so entirely thunderstruck at the occurrence that had just taken place. I looked back to see how far down the line of video interviewers Bruce Timm had progressed. He was still talking to the same reporter. But worry had yet to enter my heart because there was still plenty of time left in the hour. I turned back to see who was next and before I had a chance to blink, the next of the special guest had already made her way to me. It was the alluring voice of Wonder Woman, Susan Eisenberg.

I began by asking;

FYB: What is it like returning for the first time since Justice League?

SE: It’s thrilling. I got the job in 2000, so then in 2009 to get a phone call saying that we’d like you to do this film, it’s thrilling. Because after Justice League was over, I thought okay time for a different chapter and you have other people playing incarnation of Wonder Woman you have other women actually playing her, so I was shocked and surprised and ultimately thrilled to get that call and I was saying it’s a privilege to play her. I think anyone would say that. Since I had been playing her since 2000 and now in 2010 with the movie being out it’s extraordinary. I’m very lucky.

FYB: Was it easy getting back into character?

SE: It was. But you have Andrea; she’s there to point you in the right direction. And that Wonder Woman from Justice League was kind of my Wonder Woman, so I think that’s what they wanted. It wasn’t like I had to do something else it’s not some zany character, they basically said you know this character, just do what you do. So with Andrea and Bruce there it’s not like I have to conjure up some character. I know Wonder Woman. She’s a part of me at this point.

FYB: And its fun to get back in the studio with Kevin and Tim?

SE: Actually I didn’t get to record with Kevin and Tim. Kevin I’ve known forever because we did Justice League together. Tim, I’ve actually never met but I believe he will be here tonight so it will be exciting to meet him. I was recording with certain cast members but then others aren’t available.

FYB: Really? When you record ensemble, you record in the same room, right?

SE: Yes, but usually two are attending that session, not everyone is attending each session.

FYB: Were the demands of the character different this time around?

SE: No. A lot of action, which I am used to at this point, a few quiet moments but mostly action. So a lot of physical grunting which having done Justice League, there’s no way you don’t get good at that. It’s like Acting 104 or whatever (Laughs)

FYB: How big of a Wonder Woman fan would you say you are?

SE: I grew up with her. I grew up with Linda Carter on television. I don’t know many people who don’t adore her as a character. There aren’t too many people who’ve come to play her like I’ve been able to play her. Like I said it’s a privilege.

FYB: What do you hope people take away from your portrayal of Wonder Woman?

SE: Well I hope they love seeing her in this even though it is Superman/Batman. I hope they love her presence in the film and I hope the fans are happy I’m playing her again. I enjoy it. It’s a fun ride. It’s a fun fun high energy kickass ride. So I hope the fans love it.

I could have listened to the voice of Wonder Woman addressing me in real life forever but as the case was, she had her rounds to make and I would have to move on to the next guest. This is when the lovely Rachael Quaintance came and stood before me.

Rachael is the voice of three characters in film so I was eager to ask;

FYB: Was it challenging voicing so many characters?

RQ: The thing of it is Andrea is such a good director and you’ve got all these awesome actors sitting there. This is my first acting gig as far as voice goes for a movie and DC Comics, beyond that I’ve just done commercial voice over. So I was just like I’d better watch and learn and see what these people are doing. So it was definitely interesting. The character of Lyla is certainly very introspective and she sees the future and so she is kind of torn. Then Artemis is just, you know, a badass Amazon. And then I played one of Granny Goodness’s furies which was even more fun but we had to reign her back in a little bit because Andrea was like, “Ooo, too much animal.” (Laughs) Okay, who knew I had it in me. So it was definitely different and a little tricky but not really because it’s well written and its there and all I have to do is execute it.

FYB: So which of the three characters are you most like?

RQ: Well Lyla certainly is the very prettiest; she’s a very pretty blond. (Laughs) But it’s tough to say because they are so different. It was so much fun for me as an actor. They were all really fun, I probably have a little of all of them inside of me.

FYB: What’s the biggest thing you learned working with Andrea Romano?

RQ: She was great and allowed you to make your choices and there was the, “Uh, a little bit more of this.” And then you would have to be quick on your feet. No one has time for you to sit and do twenty takes of anything. But she allows you that freedom of, “Okay, let’s hear what you are going to do.” So I had an amazing time and I learned a lot from Susan Eisenberg. Just watching her, just technical, how she worked the microphone. Little things like she would say your popping your P’s and I would be like, “Oh no, do I have big P’s? So I really just tried to sit back and learn from these actors.

FYB: How does it feel to join the DC Animation family?

RQ: It’s awesome to have such a rabid fan base. That’s great. For them to care about something so much and to be so deeply interested in it. I think it’s awesome. I am delighted to be a part of it.

Things were now moving a long quickly and when I looked back to see where Bruce Timm was currently. He had made his way to the end of the video interviewer’s line. It was only moments now before I would finally meet the legend in the flesh. I noticed that the films director, Lauren Montgomery, had just finished speaking with the reporter next to me, so I got her attention. She walked over and I must say she looked completely different than I expected. She is young, fit and very very cute. The consummate dream girl for any comic book fan.

I hurriedly reeled my tongue back off the floor and calmly asked;

FYB: How did you become involved in the project?

LM: At Warner Brothers they have a list of projects they want to do and a few of us directors there. We don’t always get to choose the ones we do. (Laughs) It’s kind of like, “Oh, your next and here’s your project.” We get a script and we have to do it. I guess they were thinking of who was going to do this Superman/Batman and they thought there are a lot of females in the cast and Lauren always wants to work on girl movie so let’s give it to Lauren. And that’s kind of how I got the movie.

FYB: What do you think the fans will enjoy the most?

LM: I think they’ll enjoy the fight choreography really. (Laughs) That’s usually what we get. Its like, “Oh, the fights were amazing.” And there’s a lot of girl fights and I think the animation studio likes to animate girl fights because they animated them really well. So those look amazing and then on top of it there’s also a really heartwarming story to it that I appreciate. There are good character moments and good character relationships which make it stronger for me. So I think that’s a high point for the fans.

FYB: Was there anything you set out to do specifically with this project?

LB: Not really. As in all of these projects we set out to make them good. We want the fans to like them. We are trying not to mess up and make the fans say, “DC lost it!” Everything has its own challenges and this film wasn’t devoid of its challenges but we worked hard and really wanted to give the fans a great film and I think we did that with this.

FYB: You are one of the three directors on the upcoming Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, what can you tell us about the film?

LM: It’s another DVD that will hopefully be released around the same time as the movie. It’s kind of laid out in the way Batman: Gotham Knights was in that its smaller vignettes that focus on some of the Green Lantern Corps members.

FYB: I’ve read that you are adapting Batman Year One to animation in 2012, what can we expect?

LM: You can hopefully expect that if you liked the graphic novel, you’ll like the movie because it’s very similar. The comic was so well done and so beautifully drawn that we really tried to emulate that art style and even down to the specific compositions and shots which we took straight out of the book. I really tried to make it true to the comic because the story and the artwork are so iconic.

The news that Batman Year One is going to be brought to animated life under the guidance of the great Lauren Montgomery and Bruce Timm was enough to make any fan boy cry tears of joy. This is exactly what I did. And now there were only two people between myself and Bruce Timm. The first of them being the man himself, the definitive voice of Superman, Tim Daly. The episode of Superman the animated series entitled “The Late Mr. Kent” comes to mind. It is the episode that I watch at least once a month and it is a prime showcase of Tim Daly’s talent as a voice actor.

This is why when he came over to me I couldn’t help but look him in the eyes and tell him;

FYB: I consider you the quintessential voice of Superman.

TD: Thank you.

FYB: Who did you draw from to create your portrayal?

TD: I really just wanted to tell the truth. I got the job because they liked my voice not because they liked a character I was playing. So when I auditioned way back when to do the voice of Superman, I remember back actually that I started to do something and Andrea said, “No no no. Just be you, just talk. Just try to be truthful in the moments of the script.” And I did that, so I was hired to use my voice. And when I need to be tough I’m tough. And when I need to be light, I’m light. And when I need to be innocent and Clark Kentish, I’m innocent and Clark Kentish. So I think I’ve drawn myself. Not that I’m Superman, please don’t get me wrong (Laughs)

FYB: Your portrayal of Clark Kent to me IS the most honest. It’s a very strong character you’ve presented with your voice.

TD: Thank you, I really appreciate that.

FYB: What do you think fans enjoy the most about the character?

TD: I‘ve been thinking a little about this. I think that everyone will take their own specific thing away from these movies but basically Superman has captured the imagination of Americans for seventy, eighty years now and I think that a big part of it is the idea that you have these powers and to me the most crucial and vital and primal of those powers is the ability to fly. Because little kids, human kids start to dream about flying and we don’t really know why. Freud may have his theories about it but this idea that you can hover over the earth and look down on everything and get from place to place without a means of transportation, seems to be in us as human beings and I think it will continue to capture people’s imaginations. So that’s sort of the general reason I think people love this character.

FYB: What were some of your favorite aspects of this film?

TD: Superman is sort of mentoring his cousin who has similar powers and I don’t remember how much family, if any, were seen in the movies. So him dealing with family. The other thing is the ongoing development of his relationship with Batman, which I like. Superman rather than being frustrated with Batman’s negativity and cynicism has begun to accept it as part off Batman’s personality and actually get a kick out it in a certain way. That his partner and his friend is able to find the cloud in every silver lining.

FYB: If the role of Superman in the movies was offered to you, would you jump at the opportunity?

TD: Oh yeah! Except I’d have to be the old Superman or his dad Jor El. (Laughs) I think being a superhero is a young mans game. Being the voice of a superhero is probably anyone’s game. (Laughs) but yeah, I would love to. I mean, my god it would be a gas.

FYB: I’ll start the rumor mill. What do you love most about playing Superman?

TD: Well, I think that my appreciation for it has grown. And I’m a little embarrassed that when I started I didn’t realize how devoted people were to Superman, to the character and to the comic books. And I took it for granted a little bit and then when I stopped doing it and someone else did my part for awhile, I realized that people really like this and there people out there that are so turbo about it, that I really owed it the respect it was due. So I think being able to do this all is an honor. It’s really fun and being a part of the continuum of Superman, which I’m sure will go on for another 150 years until people can actually fly themselves, is an honor.

Within an hour I had met so many of the people I look to for artistic inspiration. Talking with Tim Daly is a trip because his regular speaking voice is the voice Superman. So it was like I was actually speaking to Clark Kent. And the best part the hour wasn’t over. Now one man stood between me and meeting the great creator. It was the talented Tab Murphy, the writer of the film. For those of you who don’t know his work. He wrote “Gorillas In the Mist” and for those who have no idea what that movie is he also wrote Disney’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame” and Disney’s “Atlantis: The Lost Empire.”

FYB: What drew you to the project?

TM: I had adapted Green Arrow for DC and they sent me this as a follow up. So it wasn’t that I was drawn to the project, it was that I opened up a packet and I went, “Oh my god! Oh yes!” Michael Turner, Jeph Loeb, Superman/Batman! It was awesome. It was a great feeling.

FYB: In adapting a story like this where would you say you had the most creative freedom?

TM: I don’t think this is an adaptation about creative freedom so much as it is about being very respectful to the material. My challenge in this was to be invisible. It wasn’t my job to bring a bunch of stuff to this because the story was already great. Jeph had written a solid story. My contributions were really grace notes to a lot of what was already there. So I tried to bring a little bit of humanity and humor to the relationship between Batman and Superman. I tried to solidify some of Supergirl’s dilemmas of being a young woman in search of herself and who she is. I have a thirteen year old daughter going through the same thing (Laughs) so I related to that aspect of it. Really my job was to stay out of the material and I was very respectful to it. It was a great gig.

FYB: What character stood out while you were writing?

TM: Batman and Superman are iconic and its fun to write them but I felt like I had the most freedom with Supergirl in terms of what I could bring to her and her point of view in being a young woman, lost and trying to find herself. I’ve always been attracted to writing strong female characters and that goes all the way back to writing “Gorillas In the Mist.” So I really responded to writing her character, it was a lot of fun and it played to my strengths

The hour was nearly its inevitable end. My personal God, also known by his earth name Bruce Timm, was making his way over to little ole’ me. The time had finally come.

Everything in my life had led me to this very moment and when he stood before me I couldn’t fight back the words that I had held in heart, I could barely maintain eye contact when I blurted;

FYB: You are a god among men.

BT: So I’ve heard. (Smiles)

FYB: What would you say sets this film apart from Warner Premieres previous entries?

BT: There’s nothing that really sets it apart. I mean its Superman and Batman. The cool thing about it is it’s got a bunch of chicks in it, which is great. I like to get outside of the male spandex whenever we can. It’s got Wonder Woman in it in a really strong supporting part. Of course the main story engine is the origin of Supergirl. So that’s all great. It pretty closely follows the comic as written by Jeph Loeb and definitely follows the art style of Michael Turner. Just as a technical challenge, I found it challenging but also pretty gratifying. I think we did a pretty good job of bringing Michael turners art to life.

FYB: What do you think Fans will enjoy the most?

BT: For one thing they’ll be so thrilled that it Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly playing Batman and Superman. I mean that alone is a homerun. (Laughs) Whether they like Michael Turners art or whether they didn’t like Michael Turners art, I think we did a great job at translating it into an appealing animation style. I think visually the movie looks spectacular from beginning to end. I think the story is great. The cat is really good. Besides Tim and Kevin, we’ve got Summer Glau and of course Susan Eisenberg back as Wonder Woman, that’s always a pleasure. Andre Braugher is great as Darkseid. Ed Asner is always fun. It’s kind of like the best of both worlds. It’s kind of like a combination of stuff we’ve done before in the TV series and the stuff we’re doing now in the DVDs.

FYB: With Wildstorm folding under the DC Banner, are you excited to get a hold of those characters?

BT: I wish. Well some of them. They always ask me, “What’s your dream project?” One of them would be to do “The Authority.” I would love to do maybe the first or that second story arc that Warren Ellis did. I love those stories. They would make great movies. But I think it’s a real long shot. (Laughs) But we talk about Wildstorm characters occasionally. It comes up occasionally we start thinking how to weave outside of Superman and Batman and other characters. So it could happen someday, maybe not “The Authority” but maybe Wildcats or Gen13 or something someday. It could happen but not in the immediate future.

FYB: What is the most rewarding aspect of your work?

BT: When we finish a project. (Laughs) Literally that’s what it comes down to.

Before I could ask my next question Mr. Timm was whisked away for the beginning of the premiere. The hour was over and it was time to view the movie that we were all there to talk about. The feeling of accomplishment and further completion of life filled me to overflowing. I had met, shook hands with and talked to the great makers of animation gold. I was even more excited to sit in the same theater and enjoy the film with all these wonderful people as well. I packed up my tape recorder, camera and notepad and headed into the theater. The lights began to dim and the Warner Premiere logo shone on the screen. What comes next can be read about in the films review. So I am signing off. Be sure to look for Tim Daly as Superman in the Jonah Nolan written reboot of the Superman franchise. Good night and Good Luck.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for FrankYaegerBot’s review of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse!

Lucasfilm announced today that they will be releasing the 3D conversions of the entire Star Wars saga starting in 2012.  (No actual release date has been mentioned).  The first film released will be The Phantom Menace.

This is great news.  I’ve heard rumblings about this upconversion for years and if anyone can do it right, it’s ILM.  People can complain all they want about what they do and don’t like about the Star Wars movies, but no one has ever impugned the reputation of Industrial Light and Magic for their ability to bring groundbreaking technology to the big screen.  I imagine that the recent failures in upconverting had a lot to do with the quick turnaround, but Lucasfilm has, by some reports, been working on this conversion for the last 5 years, and we’re still 2 years away from seeing the first one.

Cinematical is reporting via their twitter that it’s one Star Wars film per year starting in 2012.

This is great news for Star Wars and film fans around the world.

And I’d like to preemptively remind everyone who is going to complain about “Lucas trying to get more money out of us” of two points: 1) You don’t have to go see it when it comes out, and 2) He gave half his fortune to charity.  Seeing these films in the theatre benefits our American Education system in a roundabout kind of way thanks to the George Lucas founded Edutopia.

From their press release:

Lucasfilm Ltd. announced today that the live-action Star Wars Saga will be converted to 3D! There are few movies that lend themselves more perfectly to 3D; from the Death Star trench run to the Tatooine Podrace, the Star Wars Saga has always delivered an entertainment experience that is completely immersive. Presented by Twentieth Century Fox and Lucasfilm Ltd., the cutting edge conversion will take that immersion to the next thrilling level, with Industrial Light & Magic supervising the project.Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace is expected to be released theatrically in 2012. A release date has not yet been determined.

“Getting good results on a stereo conversion is a matter of taking the time and getting it right,” said John Knoll, Visual Effects Supervisor for Industrial Light & Magic. “It takes a critical and artistic eye along with an incredible attention to detail to be successful. It is not something that you can rush if you want to expect good results. For Star Wars we will take our time, applying everything we know both aesthetically and technically to bring audiences a fantastic new Star Wars experience.”

I know I often rail against 3D conversions (and the entire 3D fad in general) , but the chance to see Star Wars on the big screen again, in any format, is terribly exciting news.

I have requests in for interviews and more information, so please, stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

(I’d also like to thank Eric Geller from The Force Net for his indirect help with this article.)

UPDATE: StarWars.com has posted this video of John Knoll explaining a bit about the stereo 3D process and tries to assure worry warts like Arse-bot.

Some n00b in an Invasion game kept sneaking in the back door cloaked. You can only fool ROBOTtyson once (okay . . . twice).
ROBOTtyson is featured in this clip.

Have a video of you PWNING someone in Halo: Reach? Submit it and we may feature it here on BSR! Send submissions to admin@bigshinyrobot.com!

It seems that for months now – ever since it was announced that the Nolan brothers would be “mentoring” whoever the director of the new Superman movie ends up being – there have been some quiet rumors circulating about directing and casting choices for the film. If you haven’t been following, there are five directors names who are contantly thrown around: Tony Scott, Matt Reeves, Jonathan Liebesman, Duncan Jones, and Zack Snyder. Well, now there is a new name in the fray: Darren Aronofsky. His latest film, Black Swan, is set to hit theaters in December (which, I may see . . . love scene between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis? Yes please.).

Is Aronofsky the right fit? With (albeit, really good) films such as The Fountain, The Wrestler, and of course Requiem for a Dream it seems that Superman would be an odd fit in his resume – but we have all be surprised before.

Of course, lo and behold, no sooner is Aronofsky’s name thrown into the mix of possible directors, so is the star of his latest film as a possible casting for Lois Lane. Natalie Portman is supposedly one of the actresses in the running for the female lead, which would probably make Swank pretty happy should she actually be cast.

According to most news sites, Christopher Nolan, who has a heavy hand on deciding on who will ultimately direct the next Supes movie, will be making a decision in the coming weeks which will put all these rumors to rest.

[Source: MovieHole]

Do you like any of these directors for the next Superman movie? Who would you like to see direct? Discuss it in the BSR Forum!

The comic book world is full of superheroes. From Superman to Thor, Batman to Iron Man, and The Flash to Spider-Man; they all have qualities that set them apart from each other, but there is probably always one thing you notice first about any superhero: Their costume. Costumes for superheroes are so iconic they can actually make real news headlines when they undergo a drastic change (see: Spider-Man, Superman, Wonder Woman for a few examples) and they represent who the character is, and what they stand for.

While we all have grown up loving the classic Spider-Man blue, red and webbed costume, and Superman’s iconic ‘S’ symbol these are not the only intrepretations of these iconic superheroes out there, and a local geek and comic book fan wants to see these other interpretations – from you!

I just want to . . . give artists a forum to share their interpretive work. – Alex Getts

Alex Getts is a Utah local who is a big fan of comics, namely the art contained within the pages, and he has started a website called Superhero of the Month, and its purpose is to feature re-imagining’s of these classic superheroes via monthly contests – each featuring a new hero for you to re-imagine! “I’ve always loved the concept of sequential art.” Getts writes, “I love character design, and founded SHotM to share that with others and give them a regular forum to share their redesigns of classic and lesser-known comic book characters.” Each month Superhero of the Month will announce a hero and all you artists (novice and experienced) out there can submit a completely original take on these heroes. Finalists will be chosen and then the public will be able to vote for their favorite; winners of course will receive some pretty awesome prizes!

So, let’s get down to business. Superhero of the Month has already announced their first contest. Getts wants to see new interpretations of everyone’s favorie sidekick, Robin. “It doesn’t matter which incarnation, from Dick Grayson to Damian Wayne. Each character is so interesting because they all have different personalities and I think the way someone designs Dick Grayson as Robin would be reflective of that, whereas Jason Todd may be entirely different due to his attitude.” SHotM asks that when you submit your entry you specify which Robin you have re-imagined, and note that there are no restrictions on how someone creates their artistic entry.

The good folks over at Dr. Volt’s are sponsoring SHotM’s inagural contest and are providing copies of Red Robin vol. 1 & 2 for the winner! So all of you artists out there, grab your gear and get to work! Submissions are due by November 20 and need to be sent to superheroofthemonth@gmail.com – good luck!

As the contest progresses we will keep you all up to date with finalists and winners from the contest!

You can find even more information about Superhero of the Month and its contests, as well as full submission guidelines over at superheroofthemonth.blogspot.com!

I haven’t been playing a lot of video games lately, which made me feel a little bit better about my life in general, but I’ve never been able to say ‘no’ to a Metroid game, and this one looked pretty cool. So, a few weeks ago I went out and bought Metroid: Other M, brought it home, and put it in the console, and it didn’t work. I tried it quite a few times, until I finally went to Nintendo’s website to find that there was a common problem with this game, that the older Wii’s lasers weren’t reading the disk. The solution to the problem was that I had to send my Wii off to Nintendo to get the laser cleaned, which Nintendo kindly paid for in full. I eventually got my system back, and the game worked correctly, and my life somehow kept moving throughout the process despite some preconceived notions that it wouldn’t. (In my defense, my hospital laid me off pending a malpractice hearing, so I’m unemployed. In my secondary defense, It’s not easy to transplant a liver while sky diving.) Anyway, on with the review!

Metroid: Other M, (Which is a title I seldom say correctly) is the newest in the Metroid series, and without doing any sort of research, I assume it takes place right after the events of Super Metroid. It’s a first and third person shooter, but for all intents and purposes, it might as well only be a third person shooter because you don’t use the first person all that much. It was hard to tell what they were trying to do with this new system, but I’ll pretentiously do my best to interpret. The third person makes the game feel a lot more like the 2-d Metroid games, and since your weapons auto-target you are practically lacking an entire dimension anyway. Although, I think the third person view is put to good use based purely on how good the Samus model looks. It’s often visually stimulating just to watch her run across the screen. I think it was a good choice.

Which brings me arbitrarily to the story of the game. In my opinion, one of the best parts of the Metroid series is the old school Nintendo story. Therefore it’s not due to the fact that it’s very complex, or even very good, but in virtue of the fact that it’s included. The stories have always been really superficial to me, and told in broad strokes so that you can usually sum up an entire game with only a sentence or two. (Metroid II: Samus goes to the metroid’s home world, kills the queen, and then a baby metroid thinks she’s it’s mother. The end.) This game changed that formula a bit. For the first time taking a little closer look at the character element of the story, but at the same time hitting a lot of the hallmarks of the series. It felt like watching the new Star Trek movie where they manufactured the story to get the whole crew on the deck at the same time, saying their lines, for the sake of gathering die hard fans ejaculate. For example, on the spaceship the story takes place on, they still have a lava world, and the very last thing you do in the game is an escape run as the ship is self-destructing. Though it’s easy to be sarcastic about the story, it actually felt like a really cool science fiction film. The story sequences were engaging, and the cinematics were some of the best Nintendo has ever done.

Next I want to bring up the weapon system. They introduced a new system, where you don’t find most of your upgrades, but that you simply decide not to use them until you get permission from a superior officer. It’s hard to say where I sit on this element, because I think they were going for being more “realistic” because it would seem daffy to have random upgrades to her chozo suit found on a spaceship that has nothing to do with the chozo. (The chozo are the ancient race of aliens that raised Samus.) The dilemma, is that it would be equally ridiculous to not use weapons and armor that would be life-saving at times, just because you were trying to follow orders. I’m not going to paint a clear picture of the paradoxes of this element, but I assure you that they are there. Putting that aside though, I will complement the map layout, and the placement of the weapon upgrades, because they were both really well thought out, something that constantly impresses me throughout all of the Metroid games. I’d also like to mention that the upgrades themselves are pretty awesome.

The mix between third and first person gameplay was definitely interesting, at first I didn’t think I was going to like it because it seemed confusing and awkward to switch how you were holding the controller in the middle of combat, or even just to look around a room, but I have to admit that it was actually very comprehensible. After only about an hour of gameplay I felt I had a real solid grasp of the controls. Which is a pet peeve of mine, I hate playing games that I feel inhibited by complicated controls. Though I didn’t have that problem with this game, I did have a problem that everything felt too easy. I can barely remember any of the bosses, simply because I didn’t have any trouble with any of them. Although, in the games defense, I am a pretty amazing. Basically, I spent the entire time through the game hoping there would be a hard mode, and there wasn’t… though, there is plenty of other things to keep you busy, like hunting for 100% of the items, or giving yourself a time limit to run through the game. There might even be secret modes that I don’t know about! Who knows…

Overall, I think this game was really fun, and worth playing though… Especially if you are a Metroid fan. It’s hardly a disgrace to the series at all, 8 out of 10.

If you don’t already own the game, you should pick it up at amazon, through this link here!
While you’re at it, you should also take the time to pre-order the new Legend of Zelda game that’s coming out for the Wii, Skyward Sword!

Superman/Batman Apocalypse is the latest entry in the DC Animated Universe and tells the story from Michael Turner and Jeph Loeb’s brief tenure on the Superman/Batman book. It serves as a reintroduction to a new Supergirl, Kara Zor-El, and is pretty faithful to the original comic.

I didn’t have very high expectations coming into this film. This is pretty much a direct sequel to the Superman/Batman Public Enemies film and I felt that was a pretty lackluster effort in the script department. It had all the right visuals, but it just didn’t work for me as well as the comic book did. The Supergirl story arc in the comics was always a bit yawn worthy for me and I didn’t like it as much as Public Enemies, but I was willing to give this a shot.

I was not expecting it to be better than Public Enemies, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The story revolves around Batman and Superman finding a crashed remnant of the planet Krypton which contains a powerful Kryptonian girl who purports to be Kal-El’s cousin. Batman distrusts her, Superman is overprotective, and Wonder Woman is interested in sharpening her battle skills like a blade.

And Darkseid wants her for his very own.

That’s pretty much the brunt of the story. It has a lot of great action sequences in it and the animation is in the style of Michael Turner. The animation is actually pretty excellent. DC is raising the bar in animated motion pictures in the Superhero genre, make no mistake.

The script for this one was much better than Public Enemies, it was much smoother, more even, and the climax was built to appropriately. The funny moments were funnier, the tense moments more tense, everything about this film was knocked up a notch from Public Enemies.

The voice talent in this is second-to-none, bringing back Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly to reprise their roles as The Caped Crusader and The Man of Steel. Ed Asner knocked Granny Goodness out of the park. Sadly, the weak link in this picture was the voice of Supergirl, by Summer Glau. She might have been passable on one of the episodes of the TV show, but she was surrounded by big leaguers who just made her look bad. She was flat and was pretty obviously Acting with a capital “A”. It was not pleasant. I loved her on Firefly, but she just didn’t fit with this voice cast. At all.

The backup feature on the Blu-ray is a short film of The Green Arrow, and I must say this was almost better than the whole feature. I love me some Green Arrow, and this story was short, sweet and to the point. It’s almost hard to imagine how great Green Arrow can be without the visuals provided by the film. His work with his bow and arrow and the combat between bowmen is fantastic. It was animated in a way you could never do with just the comics medium and it really needs to be seen to believed.

If you’d like to check this out for yourself, might I recommend Amazon, since we’re all going to pick this up anyway.

…remember my Red Hill post? And how I talked about the way that a modern western should be made… then I cited the Coen brothers as a source of proper interpretation of that aforementioned approach?

Ya… well- the Coen brothers just (re)made an actual, full blown, true to form, stunningly picturesque, honest to goodness, John Wayne Western… and let me tell you: It… looks… so… good. OH EM GEE!

I’ve watched this 5 times now… not for any reason other than the film looks amazing. I mean, a co-worker of mine said it best about this trailer: “There are some films that no matter how you cut the trailer- the quality of the work shows through.” and its true… they could have cut this any which way… ANY which way… and it’d look like an amazing film.

I’m not even going to say more than that… I don’t need to… JUST WATCH ALREADY!

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Lucasfilm has been kind enough to provide us with another advanced look at Clone Wars. This time, we see the cameo of George Lucas as Baron Papanoida in greater detail. This is a larger piece of a snippet that was shown at Celebration V and it seems like it pretty clearly takes place in the Mos Eisley Cantina.

Continuity nerds are already having a heart attack about the ret-conned nature of Greedo’s appearance. Every indication given has been that this is THE Greedo we saw both in the deleted scenes in The Phantom Menace and in A New Hope proper. This doesn’t bug me. This is a relatively minor continuity fix for the EU. I can’t wait to see what they say about other things coming up this season.

From the press release:

When Pantoran Chairman Papanoida’s family is kidnapped and held for ransom, Ahsoka Tano must team up with Senator Riyo Chuchi to aid the new chairman in recovering his family. It’s a journey deep into the dark underbelly of the Coruscant crime scene, with an unlikely – and immediately recognizable – protagonist painted into a corner and forced into action in “Sphere of Influence,” an all-new episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars – airing at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT Friday, October 1 on Cartoon Network.

Seen only briefly as a background character in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Papanoida will nonetheless appear very familiar to Star Wars fans, film buffs and pop culture aficionados. He is, of course, modeled after Star Wars creator George Lucas – who also wore blue face paint for the character’s live-action cameo debut.

“My appearance in Episode III was just for fun. Mostly, I did it for my kids,” says Lucas. “I was wrapping the series, and I’d never been on-screen in a Star Wars film, even though I’d been making them for decades. With The Clone Wars, I get the best of both worlds, because I get a starring role but don’t have to do any acting or wear any blue make-up.”

Lucas’ children – Amanda, Katie and Jett – also appeared with the director in the live-action outing, and they, too, make their Clone Wars debut in “Sphere of Influence.” None of the Lucas family provides voice-acting for the series, however; Jett’s doppelganger is voiced by Robot Chicken’s Seth Green, while Amanda and Katie’s avatars are voiced by Meredith Salenger (who also voices Barriss Offee) and Nika Futerman (Asajj Ventress), respectively. Lucas himself is voiced by Clone Wars regular Corey Burton (Count Dooku, Cad Bane) – who based the character’s distinctive sound on Orson Welles’ Harry Lime from The Third Man.

While Papanoida is featured fairly passively in his live-action incarnation, the character has an opportunity for a considerably more active role inThe Clone Wars. Taking him deep into the Coruscant underground, the Pantoran Chairman’s mission gives him the chance to demonstrate his chops in a few decidedly action-oriented sequences.

“We actually made Papanoida into kind of an action hero,” says Dave Filoni, supervising director of The Clone Wars. “The bad guys have his family, and he goes after them, blasters blazing. Shoot first, ask questions later. His character is very focused on finding and protecting his kids; it’s a desperate situation, and he steps up. It’s a fun episode with a lot of action – and it’s unique, in that our normal heroes give up the spotlight while Papanoida takes matters into his own hands. This was a surreal episode to produce, since the guy on screen was sitting right next to me while we were making it.”

Chronicle Books has released a 300 page tome that documents the sounds of Star Wars, the stories behind them, and how they came to be.  A book about the sounds of Star Wars would be pretty boring without an element that would allow you to actually hear, so Chronicle added a speaker and a sound bank that allows you to listen to the sounds and clips of the film as you read the book and follow along.

At first, I sort of felt like I was reading a kids book, but the sound bank and speaker are actually quite good and complimented the words perfectly.

Though the book was written by J.W. Rinzler, at least two-thirds of it may as well have been written by Lucasfilm sound guru, Ben Burtt.  He’s quoted everywhere and has to be, since he’s the mastermind behind the audio element of Star Wars.  (For the prequels, Special Edition, and The Clone Wars section of the book, Matthew Wood is consulted quite a bit.  He also provided the voice for General Grievous and other ancillary characters in the films and show.)

The book is a fascinating read for anyone interested in the minutia of the behind the scenes of Star Wars, but is also a great book for kids interested in the saga as well.  In fact, when the book arrived, I had to wait a couple of hours before my 7-year-old daughter would let me touch it.  She spent hours at the kitchen table reading about all of the sounds and listening to each one in turn.  I’m not sure how much of it she soaked in during that first reading (and listening), but she’s sneaked off with it more than once to brush up on it.  I don’t think she cares about the sounds and their story as much as I do, but she loves the book just the same.

The book is divided up into each different movie of the saga and covers pre-production, production, and post-production of each film.  It begins chronologically with A New Hope and ends with The Clone Wars.  It’s laid out and designed very well and lays out the information in a neat and orderly way, drawing your eye from the pictures and the stories with ease.

Some of the stories are the same ones we’ve all heard over the years, and some of the stories dispel some of those stories.  The book reads very conversationally and is quite easy to read, it has thousands of photos to provide a visual element to the photographs, including plenty of behind-the-scenes photos that I’d never seen before.

In short, this book is a must for any Star Wars fan (or audio engineer fascinated by the process of sound effects and fake language creation).  It offers a window into the life of a sound creator, designer, and editor, and because the book has an audio element to it, it’s a perfect melding of mediums.

I would recommend it highly.  I learned a lot reading it, and was able to relive some of my favorite moments in the Star Wars saga as I did so.

You can order it on Amazon here.