July brings the conclusion of the “Their Dark Designs” storyline in Batman #94, from the creative team of James Tynion IV, Rafael Albuquerque, and Guillem March. DC has released a series of preview images for the issue.
Check out the official description, interior pages, and cover art below:
BATMAN #94
Their relationship shattered…is the Dark Knight prepared for war?
“Their Dark Designs” reaches its thrilling climax in Batman #94, on sale Tuesday, July 7 and here’s your first look at interior pages by Rafael Albuquerque and Guillem March!
The Designer’s machinations have left Batman’s life in tatters! Gotham City’s ambitious rebuilding has skittered to a halt as new powers are rising to shape its destiny—and Batman is powerless to stop them! With no Alfred or Bat-Family to lean on, the Dark Knight stands alone against the ascendance of his greatest adversary!
BATMAN #94
written by JAMES TYNION IV
art by GUILLEM MARCH and RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
Main cover by TONY S. DANIEL and TOMEU MOREY
The Joker/Punchline variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
1:25 The Underbroker variant cover by JORGE JIMENEZ
Sad news to report today, Dennis “Denny” O’Neil, famed writer/editor for DC and Marvel Comics, has passed away at the age of 81.
O’Neil began his comics career in the 1960’s writing for Marvel with such titles as Doctor Strange and Daredevil, before beginning his long-lasting collaborative work with Neal Adams after moving to DC Comics. The dynamic duo of comics, O’Neil and Adams, would go on to create the critically and commercially acclaimed series Green Lantern/Green Arrow. They would also revitalize Batman out of the 1960’s camp version into the Dark Knight that is generally accepted as the definitive version today.
O’Neil would later revitalize other characters such as Joker, Two-Face, Captain Marvel (aka “Shazam”), and The Shadow, as well as create new characters, including Batman supervillain Ra’s al Ghul, Leslie Thompkins, Madame Web, and Hydro-Man. In addition to Neal Adams, O’Neil had successful collaborative efforts with Frank Miller, Curt Swan, Michael Kaluta, Mike Grell, John Romita Jr., Denys Cowan, and several more legendary artists.
The Comics Industry recognized O’Neil for his writing and editing skills on multiple occasions with Shazam Awards for Best Individual Story and Best Writer, largely on Green Lantern publications. In later years, O’Neil went on to teach Comics Writing at Manhattan’s School of Visual Arts.
O’Neil is survived by his son, Lawrence O’Neil. O’Neil’s contribution to the Comics Industry cannot be over-stated. He will be deeply missed.
If you wish to show support, in Denny O’Neil’s honor, for one of his favorite causes, he spent several years as a board member of the Hero Initiative, a charity designed to help comics creators in need. Please consider supporting the Hero Initiative today.
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected every facet of life as we know it. The comic book industry has been hit particularly hard; it practically came to a standstill for several weeks and, even when it resumed some semblance of normalcy, delays and cancellations have continued to rock publishers. These reasons, along with several other factors like work, stress, and burnout, explain why I didn’t crack open a comic book for two months during the heart of the pandemic. It suddenly became hard to find the energy to keep up with various series, especially as more and more issues came out.
Recently, Marvel and DC have resumed semi-regular publication of their main series, which was the perfect opportunity to dive back in. I gradually regained my appreciation for comic books, but it wasn’t until I read Nightwing #71 (on sale June 9) that I fully remembered why I love comics in the first place.
Nightwing #71 Writer: Dan Jurgens Artist: Ronan Cliquet Color Artist: Nick Filardi Letterer: AndWorld Design
The last few months of Nightwing have been hit or miss, as Ric Grayson has been forced to forge a new life after he lost his memory of his previous identity. Writer Dan Jurgens has taken Nightwing in a new direction. Sometimes, shaking it up can breathe new life into our favorite heroes, but it can also leave us begging for the good old days. That’s why the sight of Ric battling the Joker in this week’s issue was so satisfying; finally, we might be on the cusp of getting Dick Grayson back.
DC has announced that Batman and Grayson will reunite in the upcoming “Joker War’ storyline, and Jurgens brilliantly sets the stage for this team-up. Everything about this issue screams “epic showdown waiting to happen.” Artist Ronan Cliquet shows the Joker wearing a blood-stained shred Nightwing’s costume and carrying a crowbar as he emerges from the shadows. Jurgens quickly establishes that once again, the Joker’s plan is as terrifying as his appearance. With a close-up of the Clown Prince of Crime’s maniacal smile, he explains how he’s come to help Grayson: “I know more about you than you know about you,” he says. “I’m here to help you remember.”
Tempting Grayson with the ability to remember his lost identity is a cruel gambit by the Joker, and his masterful manipulation puts Nightwing’s mind right in his hands. The Joker ratchets up this deception until it reaches a thrilling climax; Cliquet shows the Clown Prince of Crime looking like the devil himself as he dangles the crystal holding the ability to alter Grayson’s memories in front of the hero. Color artist Nick Filardi makes the moment even more cinematic as he shows radiant lights colorfully reflecting off the crystal, adding a dream-like quality to the scene. The closing panel is even more powerful, and it leaves the issue on a cliffhanger that leaves us begging for more.
Filardi subtly shows the crystal reflecting purple while the Joker holds it in front of Grayson’s face, which suggests that the Joker is corrupting the memories it contains. The image, complete with another close-up of the Joker’s diabolical grin and his wicked eyes, compliments Jurgens’ dialogue: “Let me tell you about a little boy whose parents died in the circus,” the Joker says. “Allow me to tell you about his life.” The Joker is going to rewrite Grayson’s history, which could have Earth-shaking consequences for the Bat Family.
This electrifying ending has me champing at the bit for “Joker War,” which is a star change of pace from where I stood just a few months ago. I was keeping up with Tom King’s Batman run and increasingly rolling my eyes as the “City of Bane” arc perpetually disappointed. Even when James Tynion IV took over the series, the damage was done; though I had always been a huge Bat Fan, I was tired of the typical stories featuring the Dark Knight. But with Nightwing #71, and the promise of a fascinating “Joker War,” my love for Batman has been renewed. Given that the Caped Crusader was my gateway into comics, it’s only natural that my passion for superheroes themselves has been reignited.
The COVID-19 pandemic is still drastically affecting every aspect of life, and generally, we’re living in chaotic times. So we all need a reliable form of escape. I’m very appreciative that Nightwing #71 reminded me why I love comics, and I will gladly dive back into the wild, wonderful world where superheroes offer us bright beacons of hope when we need them the most.
Check out your local comic shop to see if you can pick up Nightwing #71 there.
Most Batman readers are probably aware of the upcoming “Joker War” event, and now DC Comics has announced a new one-shot companion comic. Batman: The Joker War Zone will be in stores September 29.
Here’s the official description and some preview images by the various artists:
BATMAN: THE JOKER WAR ZONE #1 The Future of Gotham City Starts Here! New Stories written by James Tynion IV, John Ridley, and Joshua Williamson!
Gotham City is a battleground as The Joker takes over the Wayne fortune and wages a street war against the Dark Knight and his allies! Enter the “war zone” on September 29 with short stories featuring characters like Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, and Luke Fox…and see how they’re fighting back in a city under siege!
Also, the brutal full debut of the mysterious new anti-hero known as Clownhunter!
Batman: The Joker War Zone #1, a 48-page one-shot anthology comic with stories by James Tynion IV, John Ridley, Guillem March, James Stokoe, Joshua Williamson, David Lafuente, and more, will be published on September 29 with a cover by Ben Oliver and a card stock variant cover by Derrick Chew.
In Columbia PicturesÕ 21, three members of the M.I.T. blackjack team Ð Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth, center left), Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess, center), and Choi (Aaron Yoo, center right) Ð strut through a casino flanked by two of BenÕs friends: Cam (Sam Golzari, left) and Miles (Josh Gad, right). Directed by Robert Luketic, the screenplay is by Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb, based upon the book "Bringing Down the House" by Ben Mezrich. The producers are Dana Brunetti, Kevin Spacey, and Michael De Luca. The film opens in theaters nationwide on March 28, 2008.
The casino industry is one of the most profitable industries in the world. To put it into perspective, 2019 was one of their most successful years after it netted a total annual revenue of over $400 billion. Some people may criticize their work, but one thing is certain – the casino industry is a massive contributor to the global economy. They pay billions of dollars in taxes each year and employ thousands of people.
Gambling has become our everyday life and it has a massive influence on many people. We even have some famous movies that describe this type of life perfectly and that is the topic that we wanted to indulge in. We are here to name some of the best casino movies and to explain how movies helped the casino industry grow. It’s worth noting that other parts of the pop culture influenced the gambling life, but movies are at the forefront.
The Relationship Between Movies and Casinos
Gambling is a legal activity in most parts of the world today, but things weren’t always like that. During the 1950s and 1960s, casinos were banned all around the globe. The punishments for gambling were major and people faced years in jail if found guilty.
But, people loved the activity nevertheless and were more than eager to participate in it. At around the same time, Hollywood started producing many casino-themed movies and all of them were a huge success. The movies were an ‘extra motivation’ for the people to demand a change in the casino legislations. After a few years of pressure, countries around the world started to see the benefits and approved the people’s idea of legalizing them.
Now, this industry has evolved so much that its services are also available online. Casino sites operate 24/7 and everyone over 18 is welcomed to play. To make things even better, some of them offer free games. The most popular are the free Vegas slots and are worth a try. They bring tons of excitement and fun.
We talked about how much movies helped the casino industry grow, but what are some of the greatest casino movies of all time? Let’s check out our top picks.
Casino Royale
There is no better action movie to watch on a lazy day than a good-old James Bond film. After gaining his 00 status, Bond is sent to the casinos in Montenegro to capture Le Chiffre. He is believed to have vital intel for MI6. The plan is to force Le Chiffre into losing, thus seeking asylum with the British government in exchange for the vital intel. But, things do not go according to plan and Bond is forced to improvise, adapt, and overcome. With this movie, Daniel Craig’s character was listed among the best characters from casino movies.
Rounders
Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) is a gifted poker player and a law student whose dreams is to win the World Series of Poker. His friend, on the other hand, becomes a master at the game as a cheater. He manages to take out a big loan in Mike’s name, gets tangled with a KGB member, and loses it all.
Mike is left alone to pay off the debt and deal with the KGB member. His quest has major bumps on the road and not only does he fail to pay it off, but he manages to do the complete opposite – he incurs an even higher debt. Now, Mike organizes an all-in poker game in an attempt to clear his name.
21
The controversial Kevin Spacey leads a team of gifted math students into the casinos in Vegas. Their plan is simple – master the game of Blackjack and win huge amounts of money by counting the cards. The only problem here is, counting cards is not allowed. To make things even worse, Micky Rosa (portrayed by Kevin) has a long history of trouble in the casinos in Vegas. As the story unfolds, things get complicated and the students find themselves in great trouble.
It’s time for the Flash Age to end. The Scarlet Speedster has sought out his archnemesis, Eobard Thawne, to help him take on Paradox. The speedsters agree to work together to take him down. While they search for the speed force lightning rod, the time-traveling villain uses Godspeed to hunt down versions of the Flash, killing him at iconic moments in the character’s history. When Barry and Thawne arrive to take down the man who’d become Paradox, they begin to fight with each other. During their fight, Paradox comes and kills his younger self to absorb the paradox energy. With Paradox more powerful than ever, can The Flash survive?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
We pick up where we left off with Barry and Thawne staring up at an overcharged Paradox. The Flash quickly frees Godspeed before the trio are teleported to the villain’s realm. As the trio bicker, Thawne realizes that there is still a chance to save everyone. Due to Paradox’s lack of knowledge of how time travel works, Thawne knows that the changes he had made haven’t happened yet. This leads to The Flash coming up with a plan. While Barry and Godspeed distract Paradox, Thawne heads back in time and makes sure the man who would become the villain is safe. As Thawne speeds off to the past, the remaining two speedsters prepare for their final battle.
Maybe it’s because of the first issue of the arc being issue #750 with a theme on The Flash Legacy, but this felt underwhelming. The entire goal of Paradox was to wipe the scarlet speedster and his impact from existence. Sure, the last issue we saw brief glimpses of these legendary moments and a few brief glimpses here and there, but it played no part. Instead, it ended like a run-of-the-mill Flash story: Bad guy is defeated, heroes outrun the explosion. It’s honestly a bit of a let-down considering how all of this started.
There are some positives in all of this, specifically near the end. Along with a surprising kind act from Thawne, we get an ominous promise from Thawne. While The Flash has the same powers as Eobard, there is one significant aspect that Thawne has never had. While I won’t say what it is to preserve the suspense, it gets me excited at just the idea alone.
Art:
Rafa Sandoval finishes off this arc with one of the best looking issues the series has had yet. His designs for the characters have always been top-notch, but he leaves nothing behind this time around. It has giant moments like Paradox using his powers to small details like Thawne’s see-through hands as he’s being erased.
The thing that makes these illustrations better, however, is the spectacular colorwork. Arif Prianto takes up the colorist position and honestly does a great job. The brightest colors come from the powers being used, leaving a perfect balance of bright and subdued colors for the characters. It’s a good look for The Flash comic, and I hope we get more of it.
Conclusion:
This finale wasn’t entirely disappointing, but it wasn’t great either. When having a story about the legacy of The Flash, you’d think the ending would reflect that. Instead, we get a conclusion we’ve seen done before, only leaving the final page to get us ready for the future. The art team, on the other hand, brought it home with the best looking issue of the arc. In the end, this was a tremendous looking average issue when it could have been so much more. We’ll just have to keep running forward to see what the future holds for The Flash.
With the “Joker War” storyline about to drop like a bomb on the members of the Bat-family, DC Comics has revealed the solicitation and preview for the upcoming Detective Comics #1023.
Detective Comics #1023
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art and cover by BRAD WALKER and ANDREW HENNESSY
Card stock variant cover by LEE BERMEJO
Just when you thought it was safe to crack a smile, The Joker is back to crash the party! Hot on the heels of “Joker War,” the Clown Prince of Crime is revealed as the mastermind behind Two-Face’s turmoil—but to what end? Batman will need all the allies he can get, and what better ally than Harvey Dent? Can the Dark Knight cure his friend once and for all in time to fight the greatest battle of his life? ON SALE 07.07.2020
Writer Tom Taylor continues his streak of edgy DC material with Hellblazer: Rise and Fall. This time he’s joined by artist Darick Robertson (The Boys; Oliver) for a new look at fan favorite John Constantine.
Here’s the official press release from DC Comics, along with some preview images:
Hellblazer: Rise and Fall by Tom Taylor and Darick Robertson
When a nation is steeped in terror and the irredeemable 1% are dropping like flies… …will John Constantine lift a finger?
If so, which finger?
In Hellblazer: Rise and Fall,a new three-issue mini-seriesby Tom Taylor and Darick Robertson launching this September, a billionaire mysteriously falls out of the sky and is gruesomely skewered on a church spire. Even stranger, they have angel wings attached to their back. More bodies soon follow, raining death and causing widespread panic. Detective Aisha Bukhari is stumped by the phenomenon, until she’s visited by her childhood friend, occult investigator John Constantine.
“This is a very twisted book,” says Tom Taylor. “But, I actually want to give people exactly the John they’ve seen before. I want to write the bloke who steps out of the shadows with the smirk, the lit cigarette and all the answers. I want a story of shocks and sadness and triumph in the face of utter horror.”
DC’s Hellblazer soon discovers a link between the falling elite and a shocking moment in his and Aisha’s misspent youth. How do these killings tie to the first act of magic ever committed by John Constantine? How does this involve Heaven and Hell? Thirty years later, Constantine’s no stranger to supernatural threats and hard-pressed to consider stopping any monster who haunts a nation by killing the most corrupt among its citizens.
“I love writing characters who speak truth to power,” continues Taylor, “John doesn’t just speak truth to power, he tears power a new one any chance he gets. He’s also not your standard perfect hero. He makes a lot of mistakes and people in his orbit get hurt. But there’s a beautiful heart beating in the bastard…there’s something very cathartic about class warfare where the upper class doesn’t win every damn battle.”
Even if this mess is kind of John’s fault, will Constantine be happy to let a few more rich bastards fall from the sky, like a vindictive Robin Hood? Does John have any interest in stopping the 1% from…trickling down?
Hellblazer: Rise and Fall, a three-part 48-page Prestige Plus format (approx. 8.5″ x 10.875″) mini-series written by the bestselling Tom Taylor (DCeased, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Suicide Squad) with art and cover by master storyteller Darick Robertson (Transmetropolitan, The Boys), debuts September 2020.
All three issues of Hellblazer: Rise and Fall will carry DC’s Black Label content descriptor (Ages 17+) and will retail for $6.99.
Following on the heels of the hit series DCeased, writer Tom Taylor will be back June 30 with the new book DCeased: Dead Planet.
Here’s the official DC Comics press release and image gallery:
DCeased: Dead Planet #1 Is there Life after Anti-Life?
After a corrupted Anti-Life Equation turned billions into monsters—including Earth’s Greatest Heroes—our planet was as good as dead.
Years later, a distress call brings Damian Wayne, Jon Kent, and Cassie Sandsmark—the Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman of Earth 2—back to a dead planet…but what will this new Justice League find waiting for them? If life still exists on Earth, who—or what—is lying in wait for these heroes? The original creative team of Tom Taylor and Trevor Hairsine reunite for the sequel to the 2019 blockbuster series DCeased!
DCeased: Dead Planet #1, written by Tom Taylor with art by Trevor Hairsine, Stefano Gaudiano, and Gigi Baldissini, hits shelves June 30!
Hello all, Anthony here, EIC for Monkeys Fighting Robots.
Out of respect for the recent protests, I want to say a few words about what’s going on. I’m not going to pretend to have any answers or act as if I understand what it feels like to be black in America. But I do believe that those of us – myself included – who are in positions of privilege need to first acknowledge our privilege and accept that we don’t understand the plight of the oppressed.
After that, we need to listen. Listen to our friends and neighbors of color. We need to speak out against systemic racism. It’s not enough to just say that you stand with the protesters. It’s not enough to post a black square to Instagram. We need to actively look for systemic racism and speak out against it on a daily basis. We need to say Black Lives Matter. Those of us who consider ourselves “allies” need to look at ourselves and admit how and where we have failed, even if it makes us uncomfortable, and every day we need to wake up and try to do better. Most importantly, we need to stay committed to the cause. We can’t speak out this week, and then go back to being silent next week. I know the situation is infinitely more complicated than that, but I also know that we can’t just sit on the sidelines and say “racism is bad.”
I know you come to our site for comic book chatter, and we still have plenty of that, but this all needs to be said. If you have a voice, you have a power. And with that power, comes a responsibility.
That’s all for now, but remember: if you’re not an active part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
