Batman: Arkham Knight is FREE on Playstation Plus this month

It's a great year to be a Batman fan. Not only is the Caped Crusader celebrating his 80th Anniversary, but there's PLENTY of other occasions to be happy and be proud about if you're a long time follower of Bruce Wayne and his war against crime and the forces of darkness.

Last month marked the 10th Anniversary of "Batman: Arkham Asylum" - Warner Bros. Games and Rocksteady Studios' first foray into the Dark Knight and his world with an adventure seeing our hero trapped with his worst adversaries inside the institution dedicated to the criminally insane. It was a near open-world third person adventure that allowed players to play as Bats - with access to his tech and fighting prowess while navigating him to cull the uprising inside Arkham Asylum and stop his eternal archnemesis The Joker once and for all.

To say that and its sequel "Batman: Arkham City" are masterpieces are nothing short of classics is one thing. The latter game upped the ante with making a section of Gotham the titular replacement facility, and opening Batman up to a bigger world of exploration and adventure that only saw fans hungry for more... Which they got with "Batman: Arkham Knight".


Batman: Arkham Knight -- Gameplay Trailer | PS4
Released over four years ago, "Batman: Arkham Knight" pushes the stakes even higher for Gotham City by plunging it into a "No Man's Land" scenario and forcing Batman to "even the odds" with a new souped up Batsuit, more tech, and a brand new Batmobile that is introduced as a new gameplay element for the sequel. If you haven't played this game and are just new to Playstation 4 - this is the perfect time to dive in and experience how to "Be The Batman".

Batman: Arkham Knight is Playstation's "FREE PS Plus Game" for September 2019 along with "Darksiders III". For more details, visit the official Playstation Blog.

ICYMI: Batman gets a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star this 2020

Looks like a certain Caped Crusader is going to get even more star power added to his 80th Anniversary celebration, as Variety reports that DC Comics' own flagship superhero Batman will be among those inducted to Hollywood's prestigious Walk of Fame for Class 2020 - joining the likes of Spike Lee, Julia Roberts, Chris Hemsworth, and Octavia Spencer!

Turning 80 this year following his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939, Batman has become a legend and symbol beyond his origins and heroic exploits in comics. The character has appeared in several other mediums - notably in the 60's live action TV Series with Adam West as the titular character, to the famed "Batman: The Animated Series" voiced by Kevin Conroy, and of course the multiple feature films like Tim Burton's Batman (1989) and Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Trilogy, where big profile stars like Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck have donned the cape and cowl of Gotham City's Dark Knight vigilante. Him getting the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star is a long overdue honor that fans of the Caped Crusader will be happy to witness happen next year!

Tim Burton's Batman was released 30 years old today

It's been a while since I blogged here... But no perfect time to make a return like TODAY when one of the greatest movies in popculture, comic book, and cinema history was officially released in theaters this day.

In June 23, 1989, Warner Bros. released "Batman" - their first live-action cinematic foray into the Batman movies franchise based on the DC Comics superhero of the same name. Directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton in the titular role as Bruce Wayne/ Batman, this masterpiece ushered in one of the definitive interpretations of the Caped Crusader as we know him - a dark and brooding vigilante who dons a Bat costume and fights criminals at night in the streets and rooftops of his home turf Gotham City. Opposing him is the talented Jack Nicholson as gangster Jack Napier - who turns into the freakish and insane Clown Prince of Crime known as The Joker after a battle leaves him scarred and his entire body completely bleached in white after falling in a vat of chemicals. Supporting performances by Kim Basinger as Vicky Vale, Michael Gough as Alfred, and Pat Hingle as Commissioner Gordon only brought more conviction and energy into this production - and the rest is film history.

Batman (1989) Official Trailer #1 - Tim Burton Superhero Movie Batman 1989 is a timeless classic that exists because of the direction comic book stories such as "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" and "Batman: The Killing Joke" did to bring the character back to his darker roots. This film would serve as the template for future Batfilms - with an immediate sequel following in 1992 with "Batman Returns" by Burton, then two more not so stellar follow-ups in "Batman Forever" and "Batman and Robin" years later by Joel Schumacher. It was not until 2005 when The Bat would see another triumph in the form of "Batman Begins" by director Christopher Nolan - leading to a renaissance of the character because of that reboot and its sequels that make up the equally legendary set called "The Dark Knight Trilogy".

That being said, this is a celebration of Burton's film and even after 30 years - it still holds up as one of the DEFINITIVE Batman works. From the direction and impressive score by Danny Elfman to the perfect casting and even Prince's soundtrack that included the "BatDance", this is a movie fans must watch. HAPPY 30 YEARS TO "BATMAN" and onward as we continue celebrating the Caped Crusader's 80th Anniversary this year!

Happy 80 Years of Batman! Detective Comics #27 was released this day

Today officially marks the 80th Anniversary of The Batman's debut - as he appeared in the pages of Detective Comics #27 - which has a publication release date of May 1939 yet was out on the streets on March 30, 1939. Since appearing as "The Bat Man", the alter ego of Bruce Wayne has gone through several adventures and an evolution through the years - from an established Caped Crusader to becoming the Dark Knight Detective who upholds his mission to avenge the death of his parents by fighting injustice and swearing never to become like the cowardly and superstitious criminals he fights every day of his life.

Detective Comics #1000 was also released this week - so you should go out and get a copy to join in the celebration! DC  is also holding a special commemoration at Wonder Con and participating comic shops to honor our favorite Dark Knight! Happy 80 years to The Batman!

Batman: The Long Halloween reported to be next DC Universe Original Movie project

Those who have been enjoying DC Entertainment's highly successful "DC Universe Original Movie" line-up of animated films may be getting one of the most critically acclaimed graphic novel adaptations very soon, as a two-part animated movie adaptation of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's "Batman: The Long Halloween".

According to a report by Revenge of the Fans, the 1996 graphic novel series that follows Batman's alliance with Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent - all while facing the criminal underworld while seeing the rise of the first supervillains and the murders orchestrated by the mysterious serial killer known only as "Holiday" - who attacks major players and criminals on key holidays like Halloween and New Year's Eve.

No release date or other details have been released on the possible "Batman: The Long Halloween" adaptation, but expect "Batman Hush" to hit this year in time for Batman's 80th Anniversary.