Shut Up and Take My 99¢: The Adventures of Superman #1

So you blew your comic money on beer. Way to go.

Well, since I neglected to provide you with a $5 pick of the week last week, I am here to give you a fantastic use of 99¢! Everyone can afford that! Go out to the car, dig in between the couch cushions, or take a loan from your sibling’s/kid’s piggy bank because you’ll only need 99¢ to check out The Adventures of Superman #1 on the DC Digital Comics App or on Comixology!

I’ll be honest, I really didn’t even know the DC digital line existed until this week. I had heard of all the comics that were a part of it, but I thought they were books available in shops. This explains why I could never find them!

The Adventures of Superman will be a weekly digital book with a rotating team of writers and artists. This week features the talents of Jeff Parker and Chris Samnee.

Parker pens a perfectly bite-sized Superman yarn. A vagrant finds himself with unbelievable mental powers and wrecks a neighborhood in Metropolis. Superman shows up and saves the day. Is it simple? Yep. But that’s what makes it so awesome! It’s a classic Superman story, complete with a return to the red underwear! The last page also leads me to believe that there will be a narrative thread that will carry through each story from week to week.

Chris Samnee’s art was the real selling point for me. I love his art; it just puts a smile on my face. He draws in such a classic style, which has been a great fit for his previous work with Thor, The Rocketeer, Captain America, and now, the Big Blue Boy Scout. I’m glad he chose to draw Supes this way; I didn’t realize how much I have missed the classic costume until now.

You guys really have no excuse. This issue is only 99¢, and you can grab it on your phone (on which it is specifically designed to be read!) Buy it while walking to the cafeteria, and you'll be finished before you finish your lunch. It’s the perfect book for the comic fan on the go! When you combine the convenience, price, quality story, and art you could have one of the best ideas in comics today. Go take the leap into digital folks! Your eyes and wallet will thank you for it!

Full Cast and Details for "Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox"!

Way back when, we dropped the details on DC's 2013 animated film lineup. The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 was released in the beginning of the year, while Lego Batman: The Movie and Superman: Unbound are slated for release next month.

We finally have details for the last movie announced for 2013: Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox!  Slated for release on July 30, 2013, The Flashpoint Paradox (a slightly updated title from its original) follows Barry Allen, as he wakes up in a world completely unlike the one in which he fell asleep.  I mean that literally: Allen falls asleep at his desk and wakes up in a world unlike the one he knew.  Superheroes are at war, dead characters are alive, alive characters are dead, and, most pertinent to Allen, he has no powers!

Official synopsis:

When time travel allows a past wrong to be righted for The Flash and his family, the ripples of the event prove disastrous as a fractured, alternate reality now exists where a Justice League never formed, and even Superman is nowhere to be found. Teaming with a grittier, more violent Dark Knight and Cyborg, Flash races to restore the continuity of his original timeline while this new world is ravaged by a fierce war between Wonder Woman's Amazons and Aquaman’s Atlanteans. With breath taking action and an all-star voice cast, it's a bold, emotional vision that will forever change the landscape of the DC Universe.

While the Geoff Johns/Andy Kubert Flashpoint miniseries isn't my favorite DC event in the recent history, The Flashpoint Paradox is easily the most ambitious comic-to-film adaptation DC has ever done, and I'm certainly looking forward to it.  The cast is a little Grey's Anatomy heavy, but there are few names here that should make any DC animated fan happy.

• The Flash/Barry Allen: Justin Chambers ("Grey's Anatomy")
• Batman/Bruce Wayne: Kevin Conroy ("Batman: The Animated Series")
• Flashpoint Batman: Kevin McKidd (Trainspotting, "Grey's Anatomy")
• The Reverse Flash/Professor Zoom/Eobard Thawne: C. Thomas Howell ("Southland")
• Aquaman: Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride, plenty of awesome things in the early 90s)
• Wonder Woman: Vanessa Marshall ("Young Justice," "Metal Gear Solid 2")
• Cyborg: Michael B. Jordan ("Friday Night Lights")
• Superman: Sam Daly ("The Daly Show," and, er, "Grey's Anatomy")
• Gen. Sam Lane: Danny Huston (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)
• Green Lantern/Hal Jordan: Nathan Fillion ("Castle")
• Deathstroke/Slade Wilson: Ron Perlman (Hellboy)
• Lois Lane: Dana Delany ("Body of Proof")

That's one hell of a lineup, don't you think?  Kevin Conroy returns as Batman; Nathan Fillion again donning a green ring (figuratively); Dana Delany returning as Lois; Ron Perlman reprising his Deathstroke, and even Sam Daly taking up his father's mantle as Superman... there's a lot here to like (or at be intrigued to see.)

With a July release, there's no doubt we'll be seeing more of this from Comic-Con. We'll keep our ears to the ground and let you know if we hear more.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is set for release on July 30 on DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital download.

UPDATE: Hit the jump for the full press release!

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Shut Up and Take My $5: The Flash #18

We’ve all been there: two issues in your hand, you can only afford one. What is the broke geek to do?! Sean Sorensen is here to guide you in your thrifty comics crusade by providing you with the one issue each week that'll make you say, "Shut up, and take my $5!" It always feels good to get the most "BIF! BAM! POW!" for your buck, doesn’t it?

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I’ve spent the past week or so really hating on DC. With Andy Diggle leaving Action Comics and Joshua Fialkov leaving Green Lantern Corps & Red Lanterns before either had written more than a single issue, it looked like the wheels were falling off at DC. So how in the world could a DC book beat out the likes of Fatale, The Legend of Luther Strode, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Uncanny Avengers?

It takes a Flash.

That’s right, folks: The Flash #18 is the one book you should pick up this week.

I promise this has nothing to do with the fact that I am a huge Barry Allen fan. Flash fact. Scout’s honor.

Francis Manapul has shared writing and art duties with Brian Buccellato in the New 52 Flash, but Manapul has taken this month off, leaving Buccellato with the major writing work. I really hope this isn’t indicative of Manapul’s writing (because I love his art), but this was the best issue of The Flash since the New 52 began.

Brian Buccellato pens a truly classic Flash story. We have the return of “Barry Allen: Bartender to the Underworld” (bonus points to Buccellato for hopefully referencing this JLU clip). The Trickster is running around in all of his tricky glory. Barry has to disipline an amatuer hero team called “The Speed Force.” All wonderful, but what really sold me on this issue: Barry is doing detective work again! I love Barry the hero, but I’ve missed his detective work; it’s half the fun! This issue is exactly what this book needed after coming down from the rather drawn out “Speed Force” and “Gorilla” arcs. The Flash was in danger of slowing to a crawl, and Buccellato made it fun again. And really, that’s why this book took top spot. It was an absolute blast to read.

The Flash #18 also has a wonderfully roundabout Star Wars reference. Follow me on this one: The Trickster gets a mechanical arm to replace the one he lost. In the Flash TV show from the early 90s and the JLU animated series, The Trickster was played by Mark Hamill. Mark Hamill played Luke Skywalker. Luke Skywalker has mechanical arm to replace the one HE lost. Eh? Eh? I KNOW, RIGHT?!

#realtalk Francis Manapul is one of my favorite artists, easily in my top five. Normally, when Manapul takes a month off from art duties, the book suffers… but Marcio Takara has come out of nowhere and blown me away. Takara rocks a rougher pencil and makes use of some heavy inks to give the Flash a heavier tone than Manapul’s watercolors. Don’t get me wrong: I still love Manapul’s work, but Takara’s style was pretty damn awesome. With Buccellato’s colors to top it off, The Flash #18 is just an amazing looking book. The only thing it was really lacking was Manapul’s genius manipulation of story panels, but I can forgive that.

The Flash #18 is an absolute blast from cover to cover. It’s probably the most fun I have had reading a comic book in a while. It even topped the horse fight! Buccellato hit this one out of the park. Add Marcio Takara’s art and you have the perfect package. But, what might be the most impressive part about this issue, is that it has convinced me to pick up Dial H #11. Why’s that? Well, you'll just have to go drop $5 on Flash #18 to find out!

But I promise you, it has nothing to do with Dial H #11’s cover, that shit is creepy.

Shut Up and Take My $5: Green Lantern #18

We’ve all been there: two issues in your hand, you can only afford one. What is the broke geek to do?! Sean Sorensen is here to guide you in your thrifty comics crusade by providing you with the one issue each week that'll make you say, "Shut up, and take my $5!" It always feels good to get the most "BIF! BAM! POW!" for your buck, doesn’t it?

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This week’s choice was a tough call! We had Tony Stark head butting aliens (Iron Man #7), Ultron rocking a 90’s style foil cover (Age of Ultron #1), Hellboy sulking (Hellboy in Hell #4), and the Hulk having a hard time counting Angels (That would be two, Hulk; All New X-Men #8)

All noteworthy issues, but this week, your five dollar bill should be exchanged for Green Lantern #18.

Geoff Johns is only two issues away from ending his marathon run on Green Lantern, and he is pulling out all the stops. After the events of issue 17, Baz finds himself trapped with Hal and Sinestro in THE DEAD ZONE! It’s a rather tense situation, as tempers flare among the three Lanterns.

And, boy, is it wonderful.

Sinestro is a glorious asshole. Hal continues to be the fearless knight, still trying to fix everything, albeit stripped of his sword. Then there’s Baz. Oh, Bazzy Bazzy Bazzy... I’ve been liking him more and more ever since his introduction back in GL #0, but Geoff Johns manages to propel him to favorite GL status with two brilliantly written frames. Baz doesn’t put up with any bullshit. To top it all off, Geoff also leaves us with one hell of a cliff hanger that will probably secure another hard earned $5 with GL #19 next month.

As excellent as Johns’s writing continues to be, I should be clear, though: he doesn't deserve all the credit alone. No sir, Szymon Kudranski and Alex Sinclair elevate this book to masterpiece status. Kudranski and Sinclair create an amazing inky black shadow realm for THE DEAD ZONE! It’s like seeing the shadow realm from Lord of the Ringson paper. But what really drives the art home is whenever Baz uses his ring: the green light pierces through the page’s black void. It is an absolute feast for the eyes.

Ardian Syaf and Mark Irwin create the four pages in this issue that take place outside of THE DEAD ZONE!, but their art doesn't even hold a candle to to their co-artists. These pages are necessary for the story, sure, but the others take top prize. That would be my only complaint with this book. And it’s miniscule.

So don’t bother with any other book on the shelf this week, boys and girls. Green Lantern #18is guaranteed to give you the most Willpower for your buck. If you still don't believe me, the issue title is “Dead or Alive, You’re Coming With Me!” A RoboCop reference in a book about space cops. Well done, Mr. Johns. Well done.

"Superman: Unbound" Blu-Ray Details Revealed

We shared the news that this summer's DC Animation entry would be Superman: Unbound straight from the press room at NYCC.  Then, we brought you the first trailer, with the announcement that it was going to hit the stores on May 7.  Now, we have the details of what you'll get when you buy the Blu-Ray and/or DVD on that Tuesday!

When you grab your Superman: Unbound Blu-Ray combo pack, you'll get:

• Standard and high definition versions of the feature film
• UltraViolet Digital Copy
• Sneak Peek at Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie
• Featurette: “Kandor: History of the Bottle City” – An all-new featurette. Kandor: a peaceful scientific community dedicated toward the preservation of all that is good on Krypton, the home world of Superman. That is, until the city was ripped from its world and placed into a small glass bottle! This is the short story highlighting the shrunken city of Kandor. Its history just as fascinating as it is unique, here is how it ties in directly with the Man of Tomorrow.
• Featurette – “Brainiac: Technology and Terror” – An all-new featurette. Mostly machine, but part  sentient being, Brainiac steals cities and destroys worlds. Is he the most vile of Superman’s villainous foes? Experience the Brainiac mythology and find out why Superman barely stands a chance!
• Audio Commentary – Featuring members of the creative team: Mike Carlin, Bob Goodman and James Tucker.
• Four bonus episodes from Superman: The Animated Series (“The Last Son of Krypton, Part 1”; “New Kids in Town”; and “Little Girl Lost, Parts 1 & 2”), all handpicked by producer Alan Burnett.
• Digital Comic – Excerpt from the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.

The film’s stellar voicecast is led by Matt Bomer (White Collar) as Superman, John Noble (Fringe, The Lord of the Rings films) as Brainiac, Stana Katic (Castle) as Lois Lane and Molly Quinn (Castle) as Supergirl. Additional voices in the cast include Golden Globe Award winner Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under) as Ma Kent, Wade Williams (The Dark Knight Rises) as Perry White, Diedrich Bader (The Drew Carey Show, Office Space) as Steve Lombard, Stephen Root (Boardwalk Empire, Justified) as Zor-El, and Alexander Gould (Weeds) as Jimmy Olsen.

Order your copy from Amazon right here!

Hit the jump for the cover art!

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First "Superman: Unbound" Trailer Revealed!

Way back at NYCC, we brought you DC Animation's announcement of their 2013 lineup, including one Superman: Unbound. Not a lot of details were present at the time, but we now we have the trailer (thanks to the good people at The Nerdist) for your viewing pleasure!

Inspired by the "Brainiac" storyline from Action Comics #866-#870 originally penned by Geoff Johns, Superman (Matt Bomer, White Collar) and his cousin, Supergirl (Molly Quinn, Castle), will taken on the Kryptonian AI Brainiac (John Noble, Fringe) from invading, conquering, and bottling yet another city for his collection. (It's actually far more terrifying than it sounds.) Stana Katic (Castle) will also be joining in on the fun as everybody's favorite reporter, Lois Lane.

We were originally told that we'd "go gaga" over their choice for their casting roles in this pic (particularly Superman), and, I'll be honest: I'm impressed. Glad to see Matt Bomer getting some attention - I look forward to hearing his full take on Supes - and we certainly do love our Castle actors around these parts. Most of all though, John Noble's take on the coldly sadistic Brainiac should prove quite entertaining.

Superman: Unbound is slated for a Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital download release this summer.

UPDATE: We have just received word that Superman: Unbound will be released in May 7, 2013!

'Man of Steel' Trailer #2 Arrives Online

Scheduled to be seen in front of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey this Friday, the newest trailer for Man of Steel has debuted online today. Check it out below!

More action-oriented than the first teaser that arrived this summer, this new look at Zack Snyder's reboot of the Superman franchise looks to feature many things we weren't expecting, such as Kryptonian spacecraft and our hero in military custody.

In my humble opinion, I think we might be getting the Superman movie we've been waiting for.

Directed by Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen), Man of Steel stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, and Diane Lane. Look for it in theaters on June 14th, 2013.

NYCC 2012: Green Lantern - The Third Army Arrives

It wouldn’t be New York Comic-Con without our annual dose of Green Lantern from the ring-slinging brain trust at DC Comics. With the Third Army currently rising from the pages of the four Lantern titles, fans were curious to hear about what will befall the seven (potentially nine) corps in the coming months. Once again moderating the panel was Bob Wayne, DC’s Sr. VP of Sales, who was joined by editors Matt Idelson and Pat McCallum, writer Peter J. Tomasi (Green Lantern Corps), and artist Aaron Kuder (Green Lantern: New Guardians).

To get the ball rolling, Tomasi put it all right out there for the audience. “You’ll see some pretty intense stuff happening in those books coming out. The rise is right now but it really kicks into an all-out war with the Guardians being the uber bad guys.”

Starting with the flagship Green Lantern title, Idelson briefly brought up the newest GL, Simon Baz, who is quickly becoming a fan-favorite. His brush with the Justice League at the end of GL #13 will lead to some "action, although the way Geoff [Johns] handled it is pretty unusual and pretty funny. It leads him into his next mess in the next issue, but I'm reticent to say anything because I'll be fired."

Switching gears to Green Lantern Corps, the projector screen showcased and image featuring Guy Gardner surrounded by police officers. “A lot of bad, bad mojo happens to Guy in these next issues,” Tomasi said, adding that Baz would be looking for help from Guy on how to use his ring. “It’s just two guys kicking some serious Third Army ass.” Tomasi also gave an explanation for why Lantern Vandor, whom he developed over the course of the last year, was the first Corpsman to join the ranks of the Third Army. “Vandor got taken out because he was around for a while in Corps and it meant something for him to go instead of a random ‘red shirt.’ The next two issues will be pretty crazy. It kicks into a full out war. After what happens at the end of #13, Guy is full of himself and the next issue brings him down to Earth. He’s in a very tenuous position and he may be without a ring.”

Click below to read more about what DC has planned for The Third Army!

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Review: Green Lantern #0

This month marks the anniversary of the New 52 relaunch from DC Comics. However, instead of simply going ahead with business as usual and filling the comic shop shelves with #13s, DC is publishing issue #0s for every New 52 title still in print, from "Action Comics" to "World's Finest." The #0s will be stand-alone stories, according to Bob Harras, DC Entertainment Editor-in-Chief. “Some issues will tell the origins of a character or a team, or in some case where an origin has already been told, they will fill in the blanks in terms of questions readers may have about the New 52 DC Universe. Each of these issues promises to reveal something surprising.” Only 13 titles have been released thus far, but one book in particular deserves special attention on this particular day.

"Green Lantern" #0, released on September 5th, marked the arrival of a new hero in the DCU. His name is Simon Baz, and he is a Muslim.

Master "GL" storyteller and DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns has been a key factor in the success of the New 52, lending his talents to such titles as "Green Lantern", "Aquaman", and "Justice League." For this particular story, Johns drew upon his own life experiences to bring Simon Baz to the page. The character and creator share Lebanese ancestry and hail from the Detroit area, which boasts one of the largest and oldest Arab communities in the US. With the most recent "GL" arc leaving prominent Corpsmen Hal Jordan and Sinestro in a mysterious state of limbo, expect to see a lot of Simon in the coming months.

"Green Lantern" #0 opens with a very poignant series of panels, devoid of words, yet speaking volumes through the art of Doug Mahnke. It's a scene to which every American can relate as it depicts the Baz family captivated by the image of the burning World Trade Center on their television. Through this depiction, the reader sees that Simon has been affected by these events just as much as anyone else. However, it is the following page that illustrates the true ramifications felt by the Arab community as the Baz family endures hatred in the form of vandalism, violence, and profiling over the next 10 years. 

Up to this point, Simon Baz is quite unremarkable. However, when we catch up with him in the present, we find him behind the wheel of a stolen van and pursued by police. It doesn't take too long for both Simon and the reader to learn that this was the wrong van to steal. The resulting arrest puts Simon directly under the microscope of both federal and international authorities as they accuse him of having terrorist connections. It is through this scene that Geoff Johns creates a sympathetic character, despite Simon's illicit actions. Stealing cars was his means of getting money for his sister, a single parent. Simon, himself, is a laid-off automobile engineer. It is the interrogation that sparks a series of events resulting not only in the unexpected appearance of a particular Green Lantern ring recently separated from its owner(s), but also Simon earning the attention of both Amanda Waller and the Justice League. While we never see Simon in a Green Lantern uniform by the end of the issue, we are left with the mystery of what drew the ring to him.

There has been plenty of vehemence regarding a Lantern ring choosing a Muslim, but if there is one group known for its diversity, it's the Green Lantern Corps. When you can bring together an intergalactic peacekeeping force made up of men, women, giant pig guys, trees, squirrels, bugs, microorganisms, and Guy Gardner, there is no tolerance for petty bigotry. We are the Corps. Through Simon Baz, Geoff Johns can and will show that character isn't defined by your religion, skin color, or culture. Car thieves don't usually become superheroes, but Johns clearly has a plan for Simon in the future of "Green Lantern", especially with Hal Jordan MIA and the "Third Army" arc right on the doorstep.

"Green Lantern" #0 is a well-timed comic, and I hope the new and young readers that the New 52 was intended to reach will welcome this character with open minds. To paraphrase a quote from one of OTF's recent interviews, "He’s a Green Lantern, first and foremost. Secondly, he happens to be of Arab descent."

Green Lantern #0, written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Doug Mahnke, is on comic shop shelves and available for digital download now.

SDCC 2012: All Access - DC NOW!

San Diego Comic-Con panels are pretty hard to get into, especially if they’re in Hall H or Ballroom 20. Luckily, the All Access: DC NOW! panel in Room 6DE was far enough off the beaten path that fans were able to sit down with some of DC’s top talent to discuss what’s to come in the next few months. On the panel were Chief Creative Officer and “Green Lantern” guru Geoff Johns, writer Scott Snyder (“Batman”, “Swamp Thing”), writer Brian Buccellato (“The Flash), writer Scott Lobdell (“Teen Titans”, “Superman”), writer/artist Rob Liefeld (“The Savage Hawkman”, “Grifter”), artist Amanda Conner (“Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre”), and writer Jimmy Palmiotti (“All-Star Western”).

Geoff Johns opened up with “Batman: Earth One,” his graphic novel collaboration with artist Gary Frank. “It’s a rollback Batman,” Johns said. “He doesn’t know what he’s doing and he does it for the wrong reasons. It’s very character-centric and you’ll see new takes on Alfred, Harvey Bullock, Jim Gordon, and the Penguin.”

Justice League #12

Showing the cover of “Justice League #12”, Johns joked, “Aquaman looks pissed!” He went on to state that the first year of “JL” was about who the team is, and the second year will be about who the team is supposed to be. “This image reflects Aquaman calling the Justice League out and saying we need to be a team.”

Moving on to “Justice League #0”, Johns revealed that Captain Marvel/Shazam will be joining the team, delivering on the promise set up by the series of mini-comics at the end of previous “Justice League” issues.

Displaying the “Justice League #13” cover, Johns told the audience this issue will feature the Wonder Woman villain Cheetah, leading into next year’s Trinity War. When asked to describe what to expect in the upcoming event, Johns stated that “exactly two people know what happens in Trinity War.”

Hit the jump for the scoop on the upcoming arcs of "Green Lantern," "Batman," "Before Watchmen," and more!

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