SPOILER: Convergence ends and pretty much "Leaves The Door Open" for the DC Universe

Convergence has ended, big changes have arrived, and the DC Universe as we know in comics has changed into "something else" that will practically spell some big shifts in the way stories are told.

With the release of issue #8, there will be "doors open" that will definitely undo certain things done YEARS AGO... And that's pretty much a SPOILER in itself that would be telling.

Still here? Read on after the jump then. SPOILER WARNING AGAIN.

DC Comics: Spoiler's "New 52" look revealed in cover to Batman Eternal #22

Since it began last April, Batman Eternal has easily become one of the most intriguing if not best collaborations of talents DC Comics has put together to build a weekly ongoing series that focuses on The Dark Knight and his world today. With so much plot arcs and storylines going on, it's a wonder how things will come to a head when all is said and done... And how exactly will the repercussions impact the Caped Crusader's legacy, especially since it's his 75th Anniversary this year.

Of course, one of the main highlights is the reintroduction of Stephanie Brown... Aka The Spoiler, who has been absent from the Batbooks since the beginning of The New 52. With the DC Universe rebooted and her history and slate of being a Robin and Batgirl wiped clean, Steph's back to square one, and after appearing in a special "time skip" sneak peek issue in Batman #28 that gave readers a glimpse into the future of the Batverse, the last page showed Stephanie revealed and captured, with her costume on but sans mask.

Now, thanks to DC's full September Solicitations, we have a FULL LOOK at Steph's new costume as Spoiler, in the cover to Batman Eternal #22!

And while the cover is impressive (and courtesy of CBR and Comic Book.com), there'll be more for The Spoiler to do come issue #24, when she faces her own criminal father, The Cluemaster!

Batman Eternal is currently ongoing and is weekly!

DC Comics: The New NEW 52 Earth-2 Batman's identity has been revealed *SPOILER*

Released this week and already making some waves including in Newsarama, the long mysterious identity of the NEW New 52 Earth-2 Batman has been revealed in this week's Earth-2 Annual #2... And it's not much of a doozy given recent developments but SPOILER MODE nonetheless for those keeping tabs and reading the books.


You have been warned.



SPOILER.

Batman: Eternal "Thanksgiving" image released; Teases familiar faces... And Stephanie Brown?!

Fans of Batman are in for an early Thanksgiving treat, as a new teaser image for next spring's new Bat-book "Batman: Eternal"shows the entire gang and then some enjoying a Happy Thanksgiving lunch, with the heroes, allies, villains, usual suspects... And even some surprises in store.

The tease from DC Comics drops courtesy of Newsarama, and there be some lively faces on the artwork courtesy of Batman/ Detective Comics artist Jason Fabok. If you look closely besides Batman, Batwoman, Batwing, Batgirl, Commissioner Gordon, Catwoman, Professor Pyg, and other familiar characters from the Batman universe, there are some new faces who haven't appeared in The New 52 that have been intentionally teased and obscured, particularly one character beside Batman and Red Robin that's wearing a pink jacket. Could it probably be... Stephanie Brown?! That's certainly what's being teased here, and longtime fans of the character have waited for that chance to occur, and it may just happen soon when Batman: Eternal comes out. Missing ominously is Nightwing, who's fate in the current main DC crossover series "Forever Evil" looks grim with each passing issue. We'll find out soon enough what the status of the DC New 52 Universe will be come March when the series concludes... And then an eventual time skip of "5 years later" will occur as well.

For more information on the story, visit the source post at Newsarama.

SPOILER ALERT: The Big Thing About Justice League of America #4 revealed

If you haven't picked up or are following DC Comics The New 52's newest Justice League series Justice League Of America, then chances are you might to AVOID READING THIS SPOILER POST for issue #4 via Bleeding Cool. Shocking as it is, there's going to be a lot of repercussions by the time Trinity War comes along, and the stakes have been made even higher thanks to what occurs in the issue.

You can preview the issue via Comic Book Resources here, or be spoiled after the jump.

Turn back now, lest you be SPOILED.

SPOILER ALERT: Batman and Robin #19 cover reveals... The New Robin?!

After the fallout of the DC Comics New 52 Batman storyline Death of The Family, significant trauma over trust issues and The Joker's attack in that storyline left the Bat Family divided over trust issues with their mentor and father figure, Batman. Things only worsened during the pivotal issue of Grant Morrison's Batman Incorporated #8, in which the current Robin and Bruce Wayne's son Damian Wayne was killed in the line of duty. The past Batman issues have since been dedicated to the repercussions of that loss, and how Batman and his allies are trying to cope with the loss of one of their own and how to pick up the pieces after that.

Now that the mantle of Robin is vacated... Who will be The Dark Knight's new sidekick? That question has been left looming in the minds of many... And many hands point to Scott Snyder's little birdie and new character Harper Row, whose been spotlighted in the main Batman title.

But, could it be someone else... Someone familiar? DC Comics and writer Peter J. Tomasi of Batman and Robin may have just opened a new can of worms for fans to dig into, as the cover to this month's WTF April issue of Batman and Robin #19 has been revealed, courtesy of Newsarama and DC Comics.

SPOILER MODE ON.

SPOILER ALERT: Batwoman #17 opens up a new chapter in the life of Kathy Kane

Those in the comic mend wil know that this week marks the release of Geoff Johns' second Justice League series with Justice League of America #1, with David Finch joining him for art duties. To say that's not going to be the subject of discussion between fans would be a false notion, but this week's Batwoman #17 by JH Williams III and Haden Blackman may just get the media buzzing as well thanks to a startling revelation by the end of the issue that marks a significant change in the heroine's life. SPOILER ALERT again for those who wish to remain in the dark about this and keep away. Like Batman Inc. #8 which finally arrives next week, this may make heads turn and jaws drop.

SPOILER ALERT AGAIN. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

SPOILER: New upcoming "Arrow" villain revealed

Moving along with a lot of positive fan reaction, The CW's newest superhero TV series Arrow has slowly introduced more DC Comics characters into the fold, specifically heroes and villains for Oliver Queen/ Green Arrow to pair up or face against. Now, a report from Entertainment Weekly has reported the next character to appear in the show soon, and one hint to give is it's another character straight from a fellow hero's universe.

SPOILER ALERT

SPOILER: Ultimate Captain America's Big Decision... Revealed

Thanks to the internet and The Washington Post, a BIG SPOILER has been revealed that will shake the foundations of Marvel's Ultimate Universe. It involves Ultimate Captain America making a decision, which was supposed to be chronicled in the pages of Ultimate Comics Ultimates issues #15-16. Turn back now if you don't want to find out... Or else.

The Avengers: DVD changes spotted in UK version

Bleeding Cool has a post up regarding the Blu-Ray and DVD release of Marvel's The Avengers (renamed "Avengers Assemble" in that territory, showing that there's been a subtle change in one of the  key scenes the movie has. It's nothing that major, but it could be construed as something else given the nature of the "change" by fans who favor the character in that specific scene. SPOILERS abound by checking the link and details up in Bleeding Cool.

Spoiler Alert: Warner Bros. confirms the return of a character in The Dark Knight Rises

It's not much of big news considering it was reported some months back, but now official confirmation has arrived via Warner Bros. of the return of a character in Christopher Nolan's Batman film franchise, who's set to appear once more in his third and final film "The Dark Knight Rises". Anyone who's read the related posts to this previously will know who's being talked about. Otherwise, consider this SPOILER territory, and you wouldn't want to find yourselves there if you want to keep the surprise intact.

The Avengers Update: Teaser Trailer leaks online!

Much like what happened to The Dark Knight Rises teaser trailer before it, somebody has camcorded and released the first trailer of Joss Whedon's epic film adaptation of "The Avengers", which is to be found as a post-credits scene at the end of "Captain America: The First Avenger". First detailed and described by a post in Superherohype, the trailer now finds its way into YouTube, and was featured up in Bleeding Cool along with screenshots. SPOILER obviously, so check it out below at your own risk and while it's still online, but sooner or later it's going to be taken down for sure.

UPDATE: The bootleg has been taken down. Wait til the official one comes out online, or watch it in theaters with Captain America: The First Avenger.

I'll leave descriptions and more info on the trailer above to be the source articles Superherohype and Bleeding Cool.

Captain America: The First Avenger arrives this July 22, while The Avengers assemble in theaters next year May 3!

SPOILER: Death Of Spider-Man is as real as it gets in Ultimate Spider-Man #160...

Looks like writer Brian Michael Bendis wasn't kidding around when he called his latest Ultimate Spider-Man story arc "Death of Spider-Man", and Marvel.com and Newsarama just supplied the news AND POTENTIAL SPOILERS to fans and readers of the title. If you don't want to find out what exactly the final fate of Peter Benjamin Parker in the Ultimate Universe is, best turn your eyes away from this read now. Otherwise, browse through after the big ol' jump button.

Spoiler: Stan Lee reveals his cameo for "The Amazing Spider-Man"!

This is pretty much a SPOILER to anyone wanting looking forward to Stan "The Man" Lee's cameo in Marc Webb's "The Amazing Spider-Man", but as reported in Superherohype, somebody attended the Dallas Comic Con and recorded + uploaded in You Tube Stan's talk on stage, wherein he reveals the details of his appearance! Watch t your own risk below!


The Amazing Spider-Man is slated for a July 3 release next year!

Comic Book Review: Green Lantern Corps #42

Fresh off the grill, this week's comics were numerous. Every single Bat title I pick up came out, and Blackest Night rages on with its tie ins, which I pick up to satisfy my compulsion to read the entirety of the space zombie saga (as well as picking up those juicy rings). What I didn't expect, however, was one of the latter's titles, Green Lantern Corps, to hit me like a BIG SLAP on the face. Writer Peter J. Tomasi just wrote one of the most gut wrenching and tragic stories I've seen in recent years, and what it is exactly will be told if you continue on with this review. I'm giving fair SPOILER WARNING now, so be warned, once you hear or see it, there's no turning back.

Green Lantern Corps #42
Written By: Peter J. Tomasi
Illustrated By: Patrick Gleason

In the midst of the Black Lantern invasion and chaos happening in OA, the Green Lantern Corps find much needed assistance with the timely arrival of the Indigo Lantern "Munk". His arrival is a welcomed sight to Green Lantern Vath and his fellow corps members, but the follower of the purple light can only do so much to quell the growing numbers of the Black Lantern Corps. Elsewhere, Kilowog, Guy Gardner, Soranik Natu, and Kyle Rayner do their best to keep their attackers at bay, only to witness all the Black Lanterns disengage and move towards a new target - the Oan Central Power Battery. Now realizing a greater loss is at stake, the GL Corps move in to defend their power source and salvation against the undead... even if it means life or death in the end.

Ok, brace yourselves for the one thing that made this issue so MIND BLOWING. There's no other way to describe how I felt after turning to that last page of this issue, and by revealing it now to you all reading this, it's considered a BIG SPOILER, especially to GREEN LANTERN FANS.This is your last BIG WARNING, so read at your own risk folks!










SPOILER WARNING!!!

At the end of this issue, a noble and honarable member of the Green Lantern Corps sacrifices his life to save the power battery and buy time for his teammates. That man is none other than the "Torch Bearer" himself, Kyle Rayner.

That's right folks... the one who carried the Green Lantern name when no one else could is gone and dead.T_T

All right... now that I got that big burden of a climax off my chest, I can talk about this issue alone. It's pretty much a solid, action packed, and drama story that's full of hope, tragedy, and despair that any space cowboy reading the GL books would love. Peter J. Tomasi is fresh in his element here, and he delivers the kind of shocker at the end of this issue that will get fans talking for months to come. I happen to be one of those guys, and believe me, it will leave you ruminating about what kind of fate will befall every individual affected one way or the other by this Blackest Night that has spread to the far reaches of the DC Comic community. Unlike the other Blackest Night books and tie ins, GLC has dealt more with the corps as a whole. Since Hal has his solo title, this book has free reign to explore what's happening with Kyle, Guy, Kilowog, and the rest of the green team, and now that they're facing space zombies, there's no telling what kind of shit they'll have to go through to put an end to the evil spreading in the cosmos. I've collected the rest of the issues before this, but this one in particular brings the biggest bang that could possibly happen yet in the Blackest Night that affects the GL Corp directly. Oh, and we learn more about how effective the Indigo Tribe is in handling the black abominations, so it's all good with Peter J. T. at the writing helm.

In the art department, we get some of the most action packed art seen in a GL Title, courtesy of artist Patrick Gleason. His style is befitting of the scale GL Corps draws with the sheer number of things happening all at the same time. It's the kind of art that doesn't feel sketchy or rushed, and just blends in well with the dialogue and emotion running high with this kind of event. In fact, he illustrates the characters well enough to give they dimension and importance in the scope of things. Even in delivering the ending, it's a one pager that will be embedded in the hearts and minds of readers to come.

With all that said, Green Lantern Corps is a must read for those following Blackest Night and everyone else involved in it. Anyone looking for Hal Jordan won't find a speck of him here since he's got his own solo title, but for those worried and curious about what's happening to Guy and the rest of the green team, you'd better pay attention to this book. Like I said, something BIG happens here, and by next issue and the tie ins to come, the ramifications will be BIGGER. It's A class writing and art delivered by the fine team of Tomasi and Gleason. These two have literally made a mark on the industry with this issue... and those who grew up liking certain characters will never forget it.

Score - 10/10

Batgirl's Identity Revealed... It's A Spoiler!

The New Batgirl... who is she?
The new Batgirl series has finally begun this week, and I have yet to pick up my copy since the books were delayed. However, thanks to the folks of DC, the whole world now knows the identity of the new Batgirl in town... and no, it's not Cassandra Cain or Barbara Gordon. The chick with the cowl is a girl who's never worn the costume, yet has fought alongside Batman and his allies for quite a long while now.











SPOILERS!!!!













Literally, it's a Spoiler!!!








The new Batgirl is... Stephanie Brown, aka The Spoiler!
STEPHANIE BROWN... yes, THE Steph Brown. Also known by her original costume identity as "The Spoiler", she was introduced as a supporting character to Tim Drake, the third Robin and currently the new Red Robin.

The Spoiler... Stephanie's original costumed identity
As the daughter of The Cluemaster, a low tier Gotham City criminal, Stephanie originally took up the identity of The Spoiler to stop her father from returning to a life of crime, which she succeeds in doing with the assistance of Batman and Robin. Afterwards, Steph and Tim began a relationship, as crimefighters and then as on and off lovers. At one point, Stephanie found herself pregnant with the child of an ex-boyfriend. With the help of Robin, she carried and safely delivered the child to term, but painfully had to give it away for adoption for the promise of a better life she couldn't provide as a young mother. Since then, Stephanie and Tim's relationship became even closer... for a while at least.

Stephanie as the fourth Robin

Eventually finding out his son's dual identity as the Boy Wonder, Jack Drake confronted Bruce Wayne and forbade Tim from donning the mantle again. A worried Steph wonders what has become of Robin, until Batman shows up and offers to train her himself. He gives her the Robin costume, making Stephanie the forth person to take up the identity. However, this is a short-lived change, as her recklessness and disobedience forces the Dark Knight to fire her. Wanting to prove herself again, Stephanie as The Spoiler steals and activates one of Batman's contingency plans to deal with the criminal underworld, not knowing any of the factors involved. This backfires and begins the "War Games" saga, placing Gotham under siege. In the ensuing chaos, the criminal Black Mask captures Stephanie and tortures her for information regarding Batman. She manages to escape, but is severely injured, and even with medical assistance from Batman's ally Dr. Leslie Thompkins, Stephanie seemingly dies from her wounds, with Batman himself at her side.

Later on in the War Crimes saga, it is revealed that Dr. Thompkins intentionally withheld medication that could have saved Stephanie's life. She did this in order to deliver a painful message to the youth who would follow Steph's example. Of course, all of this proved to be one big hoax; Stephanie was actually alive and well, and the patient who died was a girl who overdosed and looked exactly like her. Hiding with Leslie in Africa, she eventually returns to Gotham, reuniting with Batman and Robin and resuming her crime fighting escapades. At one point, she even worked as a freelance operative for the Penguin, but this too was just a temporary stint.

Currently, Stephanie's relationship with Tim is rocky at best. Under orders from Batman himself, she distracted Tim from his search of the Dark Knight after he went missing following the events of Batman R.I.P. After assuming the mantle of Red Robin, Tim has become more distant than ever, and his refusal to accept Batman's death has made him severe ties with his allies, Steph included. With her new future now as the new Batgirl, will Stephanie ever reconcile with the former Boy Wonder, or will her new identity alienate the two even more? Time will tell I suppose. For now, go and pick up Batgirl #1, available in stores now.