How big is Gotham, exactly?

On the Night of the Owls, Nightwing is at City Hall where it is snowing at around 8PM. Catwoman, on the other hand, is at Penguin’s home where at 2AM it is “an unseasonably warm evening” and folks are out in short sleeves. The mistake was pretty obvious to me since I’ve been charting the events of this night in chronological order. Trying to get everything to sync up just right has shown me how none of these cross-over stories feel like they cross-over at all. None of them feel like they are taking place in the same city. Nightwing’s part of town is snowing, Catwoman’s is warm, Batgirl’s story showed countless balloon bombs ready to strike the city but they never affected the other books, all of Chinatown was frozen in Red Hood’s tale, and the park, church, and train station in Birds of Prey were all totally deserted. None of the terror bleeds into the other titles and I never get the sense that Gotham is about to fall because none of these places feel like the same city. This problem is at its worst in “Catwoman” #9.

My issue with this story is that it begins at 2:03 in the morning, long after the worst of the Night of the Owls has come to pass yet Catwoman, Spark, Penguin, and the whole section of town feels totally un-phased. The balloon bombings, the ice-age, the owl symbol in the sky, none of that seems to have blipped on anyone’s radar. It’s just a typical night in Gotham for all of these characters until a single Talon shows up at 2 in the morning. And what exactly took Ephraim so damn long to get here? Every other Talon was awake at 5 in the afternoon and suited up and ready to go by 8PM yet this guy is only getting to work at 2AM?! No wonder he was forced into an early retirement!

But judging the book on its own merits, it’s an alright one-and-done little episode. It even shows us a rare glimpse at Catwoman’s sense of honor bubbling up. And the way that Judd Winick was able to take the plot of the sword heist from last month’s issue and seamlessly weave that into this crossover is very admirable. If you’re just a Catwoman fan with no interest in the goings on of the Court of Owls, then you’ll be pleased to see that the cross-over event didn’t drag down your favorite series but was integrated quite nicely. My favorite part of the whole issue though, besides the art, is Penguin. Penguin is spot on and far better handled here than he was in “Detective Comics” earlier this year (notice the Iceberg Casino is on the cover of this issue). But as I said, the book’s real strength is its artwork. Guillem March has been away for a while and it’s wonderful to have him back. Highlights are the Talon’s design, the way he lays out action scenes, and the opening pages that take place in the 1600s look amazing and that has a lot to do with the coloring that Tomeu Morey brough to this book.

SHOW SPOILER ▼

Overall, “Catwoman” #9 is a weak entry to the Night of the Owls cross-over event, but an otherwise okay comic. It even has a heartfelt ending that seemed like it should have been better than it was but since the story had to be rushed it doesn’t quite have the impact that it should have. Issue #9 is also a very fast read that you’ll get through in no-time at all, but it’s a very well drawn comic that you’ll find yourself flipping back through again when you are done just so you can take in all the little details of  late 17th century Gotham. It’s definitely not a must-buy for Catwoman fans or Night of the Owls fans, but it was fairly entertaining.

SCORE: 6.5/10

First things first, get this book. I think it might be my favorite of the cross-over so far.

Second, when you read it, listen to this:

This is “Birds of Prey” meets “Halloween” meets “Gangs of New York” so yeah, I liked it. Plus, the fact that Travel Foreman is taking over art duties and it’s a pretty amazing one-and-done issue. I’m a big fan of “Animal Man” and was pretty bummed to hear that Travel was leaving the book for this series, but now I’m quite happy with it. His work on this book looks even better than what he was doing on “Animal Man” and that is really saying something. I’m liking Black Canary’s new costume (seems to always be changing), the Talon here is absolutely terrifying in his design, and seeing the girls from his perspective was a very nice touch. The way the Talon tries to make sense of the modern world and we get these 1800s style depictions of the Birds of Prey was a cool idea.

When it comes to story: this is a horror flick. And it’s about damned time. Sure, I was kinda perturbed how the girls had to run so much as opposed to 10 year old Damian Wayne who lopped off the head of his Talon without any trouble, but I prefer not to think of it as degrading to these girls. Instead, I see it as author Duane Swierczynski actually doing the Night of Owls right. Damian’s Talon shouldn’t have been so easy. Red Hood’s Talon should never have ran away, what was that all about? Batgirl’s Talon never did anything but set off a few balloons–really, you had to reanimate her dead corpse just so she could send off a few 60 year old bombs? William Cobb and Alexander Staunton were nearly unstoppable monsters and the fights they had with Nightwing, Batman, and Batwing were edge-of-your-seat intense. That’s how it should be and Swierczynski clearly understands that because this Talon, Henry Ballard, would send Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers running for the hills!

So the whole book is the Birds of Prey trying their hardest to bring down Ballard but no matter what they do he always comes back. It’s scary, it’s action packed, and it’s even funny (Starling fans will be especially thrilled). Of course, the last half of the book is not quite as impressive as the picture perfect first half and there are a few too many things happening off-panel. The problems I had with the book are small, but here they are:

SHOW SPOILER ▼

Overall, this was fantastic and I loved every minute of reading it. I had a couple of tiny nitpicks, but they were only nitpicks, not real problems that hurt my enjoyment in any way. I wish all of the Talons in the other tie-in books were this scary.

SCORE: 9/10

What we have here is a fun and exceptionally well-drawn series that stays pretty consistent. I don’t usually review it because it’s not very “Batman” (except for a moment in issue #3 which is one of the best Bat-moments in any book yet in the New 52), but I have read the entire series so far and find it to be one of the more fun team-up books out there along with “Suicide Squad”. The characters have a good chemistry, you can usually count on one or two funny one-liners in each installment, and there’s always a cool action scene. If you’re looking for something dark and realistic then “Red Hood & the Outlaws” probably isn’t for  you. Hell, I can’t think of any team books that fit that description off the top of my head. Red Hood deals with obstacles that come from a very surreal place. It could be a woman made up of shadows, a magical cult, or a man mutated by alien technology. The next big storyline for this series takes place in outer space! It’s a book that stands out from the rest of the New 52 with fun, quirky elements and characters that are anti-heroes through-and-through.

This issue picks up where last month’s left off. The team is still in Gotham, Red Hood intercepted the distress call from the Batcave, and they are now in Chinatown to check up on the Court’s target, Mr. Freeze. There was a bit of an uproar a few months back when it was announced what artist Kenneth Rocafort’s redesign of Mr. Freeze looked like, and although I would hate for Freeze to look like this full-time, it really looks great here. Rocafort has given this book a very unique look and the Mr. Freeze he created fits into that world perfectly. As for the rest of the book’s art, it’s fantastic as always. The paneling is brilliant, the action has a great sense of motion, the faces are very expressive, and wait until you see his depiction of Batgirl!

When it comes to story, I was a bit surprised. After being disappointed by the lack of high-octane action in “Batman & Robin” I was really expecting Red Hood to more than make up for it. That’s not to say that there isn’t any action here. Far from it! You’ll see quite the exchange of fire and ice between Mr. Freeze and Star Sapphire. Red Hood and the Talon will battle it out through a frozen Chinatown, a beautiful set piece. But Red Hood comes off as quite a bit more level headed here and the Talon is yet another chatty-Kathy with a sad sob story to tell. Instead of getting a kick-ass smackdown like in “Batwing” #9, this book’s anti-hero instead talks it out and kills ‘em with kindness. Definitely not what I was expecting, but there was plenty of action going on elsewhere that I wasn’t disappointed.

SHOW SPOILER ▼

Overall it’s a nice one-and-done story that’s new reader family so don’t be afraid to pick it up if you’ve never read a Red Hood adventure before. Is it a bit exposition heavy in parts? Yes. And there’s not as much action as I was hoping and the Talons are really turning out to be lame cross-over villains. Far too many of them seem to eventually break down and give a “Nobody loved me. I didn’t have a childhood…” speech. Cobb and Staunton are the only ones who have felt like an unstoppable force and a real threat. Still, I definitely recommend this as one of the best tie-ins to the Night of the Owls outside of “Nightwing” and “Batwing”.

SCORE: 7.5/10

Here’s a list of all the Batman comics coming out this week, May 16th, graded on a scale of my own anticipation.

None.  –   I’ll get to it…eventually   –   Eh…meh.  –  Bring it.  –  TAKE MY MONEY

Scroll to the bottom of the page and post in the comments section what books you’re most looking forward to this week!

May 16th, 2012

Batwoman #9

Written by J.H. Williams III & W. Haden Blackman

Cover by Ben Oliver (former Batwing artist!)

Pencilled by Trevor McCarthy

32 pages

$2.99

This is the one bat-title that is not contributing to The Night of the Owls. In fact, it has little to nothing to do with the greater Bat-family. It’s also the one book that I feel the most like dropping due to how poorly the story is organized. I have no clue what’s going on in this book right now and I don’t really care, either. I’m going to pick it up and see what new artist Trevor McCarthy brings to the table, but even if it’s as good as what he did on Nightwing earlier this year, I doubt it will save it. The writing has been atrocious. Unless the book improves this month, I will stop reviewing it.

Anticipation Level:   None.

Birds of Prey #9

Written by Duane Swierczynski

Pencilled by Travel Foreman (his work on Animal Man was terrific)

32 pages

$2.99

Surprise! I’ll be reviewing my first issue of “Birds of Prey” this month! I’ve been reading the book and it’s an enjoyable read (Starling is a great character), but I never felt it was “Batman” enough to belong in the monthly review schedule. Now that the girls are joining in on the Night of the Owls fun and kicking Talon butt, I’ll be sharing my thoughts.

Anticipation Level:   Bring it!

Catwoman #9

Written by Judd Winick

Pencilled by Guillem March

32 pages 

$2.99

It’s another Night of the Owls cross-over book! And if writer Judd Winick does as good of a job with this Talon battle as he did over on his other book, Batwing, this should be fantastic. Catwoman and Spark protecting Penguin against the Court of Owls? Should be fun.

Anticipation Level:   Bring it!

Justice League #9

Written by Geoff Johns

Pencilled by Jim Lee

Shazam! Penciled by Gary Frank

40 pages

$3.99

This one sounds interesting. “Justice League” #9 is the start of a brand new saga called “The Villain’s Journey” and it promises to introduce a brand new threat to the Justice League. It’s also the return of Jim Lee’s pencils and I’m sure many of you will be thrilled about that. Part 3 of the new Shazam! story is here as well and that’s been intriguing so far.

Anticipation Level:   Bring it!

Nightwing #9

Written by Kyle Higgins

Pencilled by Eddy Barrows

32 pages

$2.99

Last month’s issue was terrific. Kyle Higgins has done a phenomenal job keeping Nightwing connected to all the Owl goings-on and his story has flowed into the cross-over event seamlessly. As you’ll recall, last month’s issue ended with Dick taking three throwing knives to the chest as his great grandfather, Talon William Cobb, entered the stage. If it’s half as brutal as last month’s eskrima stick to the eye-socket battle, this will be amazing.

Anticipation Level:   TAKE MY MONEY!!!

Red Hood & the Outlaws #9

Written by Scott Lobdell

Pencilled by Kenneth Rocafort

32 pages

$2.99

Surprise, again! I’m also going to be reviewing “Red Hood & the Outlaws” this month. I usually don’t because it doesn’t really feel like a bat-title at all, but again, I have been reading this book. It’s a very, very fun comic that really knows how to do explosive action well. And since Red Hood and the gang are going to save Mr. Freeze from the Talons, this has the potential to be the…coolest (I couldn’t NOT do say it) tie-in book yet.

Anticipation Level:   TAKE MY MONEY!!!

The countdown has begun! Warner Bros. has teamed up with Mountain Dew for a marketing campaign for The Dark Knight Rises. Co.Create sums up all the goodies we can expect to see in June:

The creative output of that collaboration will be seen beginning on June 18 when, to whip expectant fans into a proper frenzy, Mountain Dew will unveil exclusive content and storylines with the launch of DEWGothamCity.com, an online destination created by Motive and Davie Brown Entertainment designed to provide unprecedented access to the world of The Dark Knight Rises. From videos, sneak peeks, and in-depth information–such as the Applied Sciences environment that will give users a history of batgear such as Batman’s suit and his badass car, the Tumbler, or back stories on characters and Gotham City itself–new content will be released regularly leading up to the film’s July 20 opening. As the pièce de résistance, the site will also include an opportunity for fans to enter product codes to win exclusive prizes, such as one of only five scripts signed by Christopher Nolan.

VIEW MORE PHOTOS IN THE GALLERY

As always, Batman-News.com will keep you in the know about all the cool content to come out of this campaign. Check out the full press release after the break for all the details.

PURCHASE, N.Y., May 14, 2012 — Today, Mountain Dew^® (DEW) confirmed its partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ highly anticipated summer blockbuster “The Dark Knight Rises” with activations that will quench the thirst of both DEW and Dark Knight fans. Luring fans deep into Gotham City through an exclusive digital experience, DEW will unveil exclusive content and storylines from “The Dark Knight Rises” to eager fans before the film’s opening day, July 20. AndDEW itself will take a dark spin – with a Dark Knight graphic takeover of base packaging and temperature-sensitive cans that change when chilled, to Mtn Dew Dark Berry, a new limited-edition mixed berry flavor inspired by the Caped Crusader.

“Mountain Dew is all about fueling passion and that is what this partnership is based on,” said Brett O’Brien, Vice President of Marketing for Mountain Dew. “You’d be hard-pressed to find more passionate fans than those of DEW and The Dark Knight franchise. Our goal is to offer those fans unique experiences — from package and product innovation to exclusive content and access that only DEW and Batman together could provide.”

Mountain Dew’s “The Dark Knight Rises” 360-degree campaign will include:

• A new limited-time-only flavor, Mtn Dew Dark Berry, inspired by “The Dark Knight Rises,” available nationwide for 8 weeks beginning in mid June.
• Select 16-oz cans of DEW will receive a face-lift of the thermochromic variety. The special cans will use thermochromic ink to feature a bat symbol that transforms to the distinctive green color of DEW when chilled. The limited-time 16 oz. cans will hit shelves in mid June.
• The unveil of DEWGothamCity.com, an online destination designed to give fans unprecedented access into the world of “The Dark Knight Rises,” including exclusive sneak peeks of movie content and storylines. The experience will launch June 18.
• Fans that participate in the DEW Gotham City experience and enter product codes from 20 oz., and 2-liter bottles, 12-pack and 24-pack and Fountain Cups will earn points to redeem for DEW or “The Dark Knight Rises” gear or for sweepstakes entries for a chance to win exclusive prizes.
• Diet Mountain Dew driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., will give (and get) a first taste of the Dark Knight. Members of the DEW Crew, an extension of the #88 team fueled by Diet Mountain Dew, will be asked to vote to select which of four Dark Knight paint schemes will appear on Dale’s #88 Chevrolet this season. Voting begins at www.dewcrew.com on May 12.
• In-store point-of-purchase displays in retailers nationwide.
• Robust cable, primetime TV, radio and digital advertising, launching June 18, will drive mass campaign awareness.

More information regarding the brand’s partnership with “The Dark Knight Rises” will roll out in the coming weeks. In the meantime visit facebook.com/mountaindew or follow@mtn_dew on Twitter.

I’ve been getting quite a few questions on Twitter and in the comments here at Batman-News about what the reading order is for The Night of the Owls crossover event. From what I’ve seen so far, the only issue that rocked the boat was “Detective Comics” #9, which should be read after “Batman” #9. But if you want to read the whole series in chronological order, then this is how the Night of the Owls unfolds:

The Night of the Owls: An Hour-by-Hour Breakdown

(Keep in mind that the Night of Owls is not yet over. I will make a new list next week to include “Birds of Prey”, “Catwoman”, “Nightwing”, and “Red Hood & the Outlaws”. The week after that, I’ll add “Batman: TDK”)

4:30PM —   Batwing #9:

David Zavimbe works with Lucius Fox at Batman Inc. Research & Development on aquatic upgrades to the Batwing armor. Lucius convinces David and his partner, Matu, to attend a Batman Inc. fundraiser being held later that evening

6:02PM   —   Batwing #9:

The Batman Inc. Gala is already underway. David’s discomfort around high society is made worse when he sees Prime Minister Mathew Kalu, a megalomaniac from Africa who is practically a warlord. Disgusted, David avoids Kalu and walks to the other end of the party

6:07PM   —   Batgirl #9:

Balloon bombs strike Little Jakarta. Batgirl confronts the 1940′s Talon, Mary, on a burning rooftop. Mary wins the fight but leaves Batgirl hanging for life on the rooftop’s edge. Batgirl pulls herself up and is left to question why she was spared

7:01PM   —   Batman #8:

Bruce Wayne, recovering from his capture in the Court’s labyrinth, is gazing out the windows of Wayne Manor alongside Alfred when several Talons infiltrate the grounds. Alfred flees to the cave while Bruce fights the intruders room to room all the way to the roof. Ultimately overwhelmed by numerous foes, Bruce escapes to the cave’s armory where he and Alfred inspect a microdrive found in one of the Talon’s gauntlets. Outside the armory doors, Talons have made their way into the cave. William Cobb, a restrained Talon Bruce and Alfred have been examining, is cut free from his bonds and the hoses of coolant keeping him sedated

7:04PM  –   Batgirl #9:

Jim Gordon is threatened by a mysterious Court of Owls member. If he lights the batsignal tonight, Barbara and countless others will die

7:32PM  —    Batman #8:

“Get the hell out of my house.” Batman exits the armory wearing a massive suit of armor. A brutal battle begins outside while Alfred lowers the temperature of the cave from inside the armory. The Talon microdrive is deciphered and proves to hold a hit list. The names on the microdrive are numerous and include the likes of Jim Gordon, Victor Fries, Mayor Hady, and Lucius Fox among others

7:38PM —   Batman & Robin #9:

Robin is walking through the sewers of Gotham with a metal detector in search of a jetpack Alfred had hidden away under the city for Damian to find

Batwing #9:

1850s Talon, Alexander Staunton, starts a fire in the kitchen. David smells smoke and investigates. He not only finds the room consumed in flame, but three waiters lying dead on the floor. David races back to the R&D department to suit-up while Staunton slaughters everyone in his path

Batman #9:

City Comptroller, Betty Park, is murdered inside her own home. Gotham City Deputy Sheriff Michael D. Davis is taking a bath when a Talon enters. The talon ignores Davis’ pleas to be spared and eviscerates him. Kane County Supreme Court Justice, Jan Spitz, is cut down in the park while going for an evening jog. Gotham Public advocate, John Lee is stabbed to death while sitting in traffic. Miguel Guadalupe, the Speaker of the City Council, fires a gun futilely into the chest of his Talon Assassin as he is gutted. Bill Keep, the Head of the City Planning Commission, writhes on the floor with five blades protruding from his back

7:40PM   —   All Titles:

Alfred puts out an emergency call to all allies of the Bat presently in Gotham. The call is heart by The Birds of Prey, Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, The Red Hood, Red Robin, and Batwing who all rush to save the highest priority targets

Nightwing #8:

Nightwing is already at the GCPD and informs Alfred that Gordon is well protected by of cops and that Mayor Hady is only five minutes away. He leaves for City Hall

Batwing #9:

The guards protecting Lucius Fox are stabbed through the back and fall dead. Just as Lucius is about to be executed, Batwing enters and he and the Talon, Alexander Staunton fight. Staunton proves to be quite unstoppable, but his blades are no match for Batwing’s heavy armor. Seeing no other way to bring Staunton down, Batwing fires explosives into Staunton’s limbs. Incapable of regenerating his arms, Staunton is utterly helpless. Lucius Fox is safe for now

Batman & Robin #9:

Damian eagerly wants to return to Wayne Manor and defend the batcave with his father. Alfred orders the boy to save the 42nd Adjutant General of Gotham, instead. Damian reluctantly takes on the task, straps on the jetback and flies into the night

Batgirl #9:

Balloon bombs strike the GCPD. Batgirl rushes to the scene where she finds the Talon, Mary, standing on a rooftop, again

7:45PM   —  Nightwing #8:

Several guards and Mayoral aides are beheaded by a Talon at City Hall. Just as the Talon is about to slice Mayor Hady in two, Nightwing burst through a nearby window to intervene. Taking one of the Talon’s blades for his own, Nightwing and the assassin sword fight for the life of Sebastian Hady. After impaling his blade into the Talon’s chest, Nightwing buries one of his eskrima sticks in the assassin’s eyesocket, ending the fight for good. But just as one battle ends, another begins as an unseen William Cobb pierces Nightwing’s chest with three throwing knives

7:51PM    –   Batman #9:

Wearing the “Owl-Buster” armor, Batman beats down the group of invading Talons in the cave as the temperature drops below freezing. The cold temperature is greatly effecting the performance of the Talons, but Batman’s armor is being torn apart piece by piece

8:26PM    –  Detective Comics #9:

Talons break into Arkham Asylum and seek out their target, Jeremiah Arkham

8:36PM    –  Batman #9:

Just when all seems lost for the Dark Knight, the drastic drop in temperature causes the slumbering bats in the cave’s lowest level to awaken. The swarm of bats explode from an adjacent chasm and overwhelm the Talons. Batman ejects from the armor and puts down every remaining Talon. Knowing that there is no time to waste, Batman immediately revs up the Batmobile and speeds away to Arkham Asylum

Batgirl #9:

Gordon defies the orders of the Court of Owls and triggers the Batsignal, but the symbol of hope is not seen in the fiery Gotham sky. The Court has replaced the bat with a symbol of their own which glows eerily on the night’s sky as more bombs float by on a collision course with Gotham’s buildings. On an adjacent roof, Batgirl sweeps the leg of Mary, who falls onto her own airborne explosives. With her dying breath, Mary writes why she did not kill Batgirl in Little Jakarta– “I hav mask 2 I understand”

Batman & Robin #9:

At the Barrens, Damian locates and joins Major General Burrows and his unit. Damian rallies the troops and sets them all in formation. They fire upon his orders perfectly, but the plan is a failure. Every soldier is killed and Damian is forced to take on the Talon in combat. As the Talon is giving a speech to Burrows about his family history, Robin fires a grapple through the Talon’s head and loops the connecting rope over a tree. As the Talon squirms from the overhanging limb, Damian picks up the assassin’s dropped sword and returns to finish him off. Burrows is safe

8:51PM   —   Detective Comics #9:

Jeremiah Arkham is cornered by two Talons when Batman swings in to the rescue. As Batman fights the two assassins, Jeremiah flees down a hidden passageway. From his sanctuary, Jeremiah releases all of the inmates to fight the Talons as well as Batman. He then retrieves the Black Mask and returns it to Roman Sionis. Sionis uses the mask’s magical properties to control the inmates, forcing them to kill the Talons and Batman. Batman tracks down Sionis and stabs the forehead of the magical mask, ending Sionis’ control over the Asylum’s residents. Jeremiah triggers a sleeping gas in the open sectors of the Asylum, putting down all rioting convicts and Talons alike when the barricaded door behind him explodes. Batman stands in the open doorway. It takes only a single strike to subdue Jeremiah and Batman slingsthe unconscious doctor over his shoulder

9:49PM   —   Detective Comics #9:

Batman drives away from the Asylum with Jeremiah sitting in the passenger seat. Nightwing communicates with Batman over the radio to inform him about the fight with William Cobb, but Batman doesn’t have time to hear it. He’s going to drop Jeremiah somewhere on the way to find the Birds of Prey and from there he will track down Mayoral candidate Lincoln March

11:02PM   —  Batman #9:

Batman rushes into Lincoln March’s campaign headquarters. He opens the door to March’s office to gunfire as March shoots his assassin in the head. Batman enters and finds that although March fought off his own assassin, it was too late. Growing out from the center of March’s chest is the handle of a knife. As March slips away, he hands a note to Batman. There are three names written on the piece of paper, each belonging to someone March believed to be a member of the Court of Owls

——————————————-

See a mistake anywhere? Did I forget anything? Let me know in the comments and I’ll fix it when I update the list next week

Total Film has been teasing The Dark Knight Rises news and today its been revealed! They’ve released a brand new interactive iPad app that’s packed with new photos, new interviews, and new information. This issue isn’t just about The Dark Knight Rises though, it’s got a behind the scenes look at Batman Begins and The Dark Knight too. It even includes a letter from Tim Burton, explaining why he was so interested in Batman. Whether you pick it up on the newsstand, or download the iPad app, this issue is a must buy for any Batman fan! Check out the new photos* for now, and I’ll update this post with interesting quotes and information from the article a little later today.

Update: I just read through Total Film, and while there wasn’t much new info, there were a few interesting points:

• Temperatures got up to 120 degrees during the shoot in Jodhpur, India.
• Batman Begins’ theme was fear, The Dark Knight…chaos, Christian Bale said that “pain” is constant throughout The Dark Knight Rises.
• In terms of brutality, The Dark Knight Rises exceeds The Dark Knight.
• Christopher Nolan admitted that the ending of The Dark Knight left the audience hanging, and explained that The Dark Knight Rises has a great ending. Nolan is thrilled to bring the story around full circle to its conclusion.

VIEW MORE PHOTOS IN THE GALLERY

*Some photos have been removed at the request of Total Film. I’ll have them back up when they’re officially released online.

SOURCE: Total Film

How’s this for some marketing? Warner Bros. announced today that The Dark Knight Rises fans will have a chance to see the Tumbler and Bat-Pod up close and personal as part of a coast-to-coast tour leading up to the July 20th release of The Dark Knight Rises. Here’s the press release:

BURBANK, Calif., May 10, 2012 — Fans who have been eagerly awaiting the July 20 release of Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises” will have an opportunity to get a firsthand look at the Tumbler and the Bat-Pod, which are rolling out on a coast-to-coast tour, sponsored by Mountain Dew and IMAX(R).

Both the Tumbler and the Bat-Pod have served as high-powered modes of transportation for Batman in Christopher Nolan’s earlier blockbusters–with the Tumbler first appearing in “Batman Begins,” and the Bat-Pod being introduced in “The Dark Knight.” They will both be featured in different ways in the hugely anticipated finale to the director’s Batman trilogy, “The Dark Knight Rises.”

For more information and a full list of cities, visit the tour’s official website and click the “TOUR DATES” button in the top right corner.

SOURCE: Tumbler Tour

Let’s look at the bigger picture, and I can’t say this enough: THIS IS NOT A ZERO SUM GAME. Our successes, whoever has the mostest, are a boon to each other. We’re in the business of proving that superhero movies aren’t just eye-candy (they’re eye-TRUFFLES!). People seem intent on setting us against each other, and though I’m proud to be Woody Strode to Nolan’s Kirk Douglas, I think they’re missing the point. Whatever TDKR does on its first weekend, the only stat that matters to me is the ticket I’M definitely buying. Nolan and Raimi INVENTED the true superhero flick, yo. (Special mention to Jon Favreau and James Gunn.) Happy to be in the mix.

On a related note, I’d encourage you all to check out a great article on this very topic, by Sean Gerber of Modern Myth Media: Can ‘The Dark Knight’ Rise Above ‘The Avengers’?

SOURCE: Whedonesque.com

My first thought upon opening “Batman” #9 was “What am I looking at? …oh…well if that’s what it is then the next page is going to be…” *flip* “AWESOME!”

I then flipped back and began reading the comic normally, of course, but it was a very cool intro and I had to cheat.

The Price of Admission

This is a comic in 3 parts, really. First you have the balls-to-the-wall action with Batman in his, let’s call it “Owl-Buster Armor” smiting undead assassins (probably enough reason for you to buy the book right there!), then there’s a quiet section that picks up after the events of “Detective Comics” #9, and finally you’ll read a back-up story that follows Jarvis Pennyworth and a Wayne Manor mystery. It’s a fair amount of content and well worth your $3.99.

The Art of Ass-Kickery

Just like last month’s penny-pancaking, there are several “Oh snap!” moments sure to get you excited. Capullo’s art is very energetic–the more action scenes he does the better! And since we’re in the cave for the bulk of this issue the look depended a lot on Glapion’s inks and FCO’s dingy color pallet and vibrant indigo blues. It’s a great looking book. Also, if you look at this cover and issue #4 you’ll find a wonderful juxtaposition. Oh, and the variant cover by Dale Keown is pretty dynamic and worth checking out as well.

Damn You, Detective

As for the story, there isn’t too much progression until the final couple pages of the main story. Instead, Snyder focuses on the history of the Wayne family and their previous run-ins with owls. It’s a nice anecdote that perfectly mirrors the action on the page, but at this point I’ve about had my fill of thought boxes detailing how owls kill bats. We get it.  The metaphors are nice, but it’s best to not have too much of a good thing otherwise it feels like I’m getting beaten over the head.

The real problem with the main story is the jarring 3 hour jump in time. If you read “Detective Comics” #9 last week then you already knew Batman was going to come out of the cave just fine here AND with the batmobile. This robbed “Batman” of some of its intensity, but worse is when Batman finally makes it out of the cave he says “I’m going to Arkham Asylum first!” and we’re immediately slapped across the face with an editor’s note saying “SEE DETECTIVE COMICS #9″ and then we jump ahead 3 hours. It disrupts the pacing of the story and it’s a blatant cash-grab. Plus, after seeing what Snyder and Capullo did at Arkham in issue #1, I’m certain that they would have delivered a better Jeremiah Arkham rescue adventure than “Detective Comics” did.

Papa Pennyworth Puts Pen to Parchment

Are you up for re-writing some Wayne family history? Snyder and Tynion IV are and they’re starting off with the letters of Alfred’s father, Jarvis Pennyworth. As much as I prefer the idea of Alfred helping raise Bruce since birth, it now appears that Jarvis definitely knew and cared for the boy through his toddler years as the Court of Owls and the curse of Wayne Manor threatened the family. Its’ a very atmospheric tale that’s off to a pretty good start. As an avid reader of “American Vampire” I have to say that this is some of the best art I’ve seen from Rafael Albuquerque in a while and I ALWAYS enjoy his work. Colorist Dave McCaig really made some great color choices as well. The blues and green sof the stormy night have an old horror movie feel and the golds and reds of a happy Wayne Manor long forgotten has a beautifully nostalgic tone.

Overall

Get it. It’s great as always and its only major hindrance is the lost time caused by the “Detective Comics” tie-in. Honestly, how could you turn down a new batmobile, a T-Rex, Pennyworth(s), use of the word “Vengeance”, and Batman vs. an undead horde?

SCORE: 8.5/10