Tag Archives: Batman

Into the Fire Pits With Captain Steel! (Review of Earth 2 #13)

IMG_0428This issue of Earth 2 reveals more about the first “new wonder” of the World Army…and it isn’t who you think.  Nope, not Atom…but Captain Steel!  This New 52 Captain Steel has an excellent and tragic origin story, one that gives him the opportunity to truly shine.  You won’t see Jay this issue, nor will you follow-up on the cliffhanger from the Annual with Scott and Barda…but it is a story well worth reading, and it expands the wonderful new Earth 2 that James Robinson has imagined for his fans.

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD! PLEASE READ THE ISSUE BEFORE GOING FURTHER!

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DC Collectibles’ New 52 Superheroes Vs. Super-Villains 7-Pack Revealed!

Hey Speed Readers,

 

DC Collectibles released their solicits for November 2013 and there is only one real item of interest for New 52 Flash fans:

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DC COMICS—THE NEW 52 SUPER HEROES VS. SUPER-VILLAINS ACTION FIGURE 7-PACK

The battle between good and evil rages on with this special 7-pack action figure set that includes Aquaman, The Flash, Batman, Catwoman, The Joker, Captain Cold, and Black Manta!

FEATURES:

All-New Aquaman Head Sculpt and Sceptre

The Flash Metallic Redeco

Batman Metallic Redeco

All-New Catwoman Action Figure

The Joker and Captain Cold Redeco

*Action Figures* $99.95 US • On Sale November 2013

*Allocations May Occur

 

Nothing too exciting if you plan on just purchasing the Captain Cold figure separately in September, but since I’ve been trying to build and expand my own DC Universe in action figure form, Catwoman, The Joker, and Black Manta will come in quite handy. I have to decide which Batman and Aquaman I prefer to have in my display but I have a feeling they will both be joining that new Flash figure in my Justice League team. Batman looks especially boss with that darker color scheme.

The Flash collector in me will be thrilled to have a Flash with the lightning seams painted in and that excellent metallic sheen reminiscent of the Kotobukiya Flash statue. I’m not sure what exactly is different about the Captain Cold redeco (maybe that icey arm?) but I won’t mind having two; one to put with my Secret Society of Super Villains display and one to put with my Rogues display.

These figures usually retail for about $24.99 a piece so even at the regular price of $99.95 this set is a steal. Of course I’m going to keep an eye out for a deal similar to what I found on the We Can Be Heroes 7 pack set but they only come out to about 14 bucks at regular price which isn’t bad.

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While I’m not too upset about the exclusive figures being packed in with figures I already have I can understand the frustrations of others. Catwoman, Katana, and Vibe are figures that can only acquired by purchasing figures that many of us have already procured. They feature some new additions like head sculpts and paint jobs but they are still the exact same character. I understand the logic that it could possibly help to move little known characters like Vibe and Katana by packing them in with more popular heroes and playing on their in-story connections (Vibe’s abilities can disrupt the Speed Force and Katana has been chosen to join the JLofA to counteract Wonder Woman)  but the target audience is pretty much going to be buying the very first (and probably only figures) of Vibe and Katana anyway. It seems more like them trying to artificially inflate the price by giving us something we already have. Yeah, Flash features a new head sculpt (or more accurately his original head sculpt) but is it enough to justify the $39.95 price point?

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I’ve praised DC Collectibles in the past for their 7 pack releases and I will continue to do so with this one. Yeah there are 3 figures that most of us probably don’t need, but for the patient this is a chance to get 4 figures in one fell swoop and for a fraction of the cost. As long as you aren’t a super completist and need things like weapons and accessories you should be good.

So what do you all think of DC Collectibles’ latest offering? Who plans on picking up this 7 pack in addition to the single of Captain Cold? Let us know in the comments below.

Devin

Flash Advances to Semi-Finals in Injustice: Battle Arena & Action Figure News

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Hey Speed Readers,

We’ve had a busy last few days when it comes to Flash news. First the final fate of Wally West in Young Justice and now some Injustice: Gods Among Us video game news.

First off, the creators behind Injustice, Netherrealm Studios, have been running a tournament called Injustice Battle Arena for the last few weeks. In it DC characters face off against each other with fan votes deciding the outcome. The Flash has already trounced Captain Marvel (or Shazam! ugh), and in a big shock this past week The Flash pulled off a huge upset against insanely popular Batman foe, The Joker.

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Injustice: Gods Among Us Gets A Release Date and Two Collector’s Editions

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Hey Speed Readers,

Some exciting news coming down the pipeline from Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment this yesterday afternoon concerning DC Comics latest video game venture, Injustice: Gods Among Us. Injustice is a fighting game developed in the same vein as Mortal Kombat and in fact is being produced by the studio who brought us Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, NetherRealm Studios (formerly known as Midway). The game is now set to be released on April 16th, 2013 here in the states for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s Wii U game consoles. European gamers will have to wait 3 more days.

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Review: The Law of Superheroes

The Law of Superheroes Cover

Could Batman patent the Batmobile? Is it murder if you kill Wolverine, knowing he’ll regenerate? Does Superman need a warrant to use his X-ray vision on your house? How much trouble can Stark Industries get in if one of Iron Man’s fights levels your business?

James Daily, J.D. and Ryan Davidson, J.D.’s The Law of Superheroes answers these and more questions about the legal implications of super-heroic tropes. You may recognize the names or the concept: The pair of lawyers and self-described comic-book nerds also write the blog Law and the Multiverse.

You’d think a book about law would be a dry read, but it’s actually a lot of fun. That’s sort of the point: some land dispute might not grab the average reader’s attention, but Superman’s troubles with the IRS? That’s something anyone can relate to. More than a “what if?” collection, the book works as an overview of U.S. and international law, told through the lens of comic books.

Examples

Some of the implications are kind of surprising. For instance: Music from a parallel universe where the Beatles never broke up (New Excalibur 4) might not be protected by copyright, because Earth-2182’s U.S. and U.K. never signed our universe’s Berne Convention. On the other hand, the surviving Beatles might still be able to control distribution through trademark law.

Another interesting thing to think about: if Commissioner Gordon calls Batman in on a case, he’s legally required to follow the same rules as the police regarding search warrants and the like, or else evidence may not be admissible. But if Batman goes after the Riddler on his own, he can probably sneak into the villain’s hideout looking for clues and not jeopardize the case (although he’d technically be guilty of breaking and entering). Continue reading

Annotations: The Trial of the Flash, #332 – “Defend The Flash…and Die?”

Welcome to the latest installment in our annotations of the collected edition of The Trial of the Flash!  We analyzed related stories leading up to the summer 2011 release of Showcase Presents: The Trial of the Flash.  In addition, we interviewed author Cary Bates about the buildup and the Trial itself, plus showed you what wasn’t included in the collection.  Are you ready, Batman?

IN THIS ISSUE:  Carmine Infantino vs. Dave Gibbons – you decide!  Plus, Legal…Vultures?

Links to original artwork, scans and research are included throughout this post.  For legal analysis of the story by Bob Ingersoll, go here.  Tom vs. Flash took on this issue here.  See you after the jump!

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