McFarlane Toys’ DC Multiverse “The Dark Knight Trilogy” Wave of Action Figures Now Up for Pre-Order!

 

The next line of DC Multiverse figures based on one of the most acclaimed superhero trilogies ever made is now inching closer to release, as McFarlane Toys has put up “The Dark Knight Trilogy” wave of action figures up for pre-order!

Arriving on the same year that Christopher Nolan’s second Batman film in “The Dark Knight” celebrates its 15th anniversary, the wave consists of Batman, The Joker, Harvey Dent/ Two-Face, and Scarecrow - with the Build-A-Figure being none other than Bane himself! You can check out how to pre-order them here via the McFarlane Toys website! 

Looking back at Batman Begins - 15 years later and its legacy is still going strong

Just like that, it's been a decade and a half since Warner Bros. and director Christopher Nolan took a stab at the Batman film franchise - when prospects looked bleak moving forward for DC Comics' flagship character after 1997's "Batman and Robin" - and literally brought the character back to his roots and reinvigorated the franchise with 2005's "BATMAN BEGINS" a grounded realism and telling the definite origin story of the future Dark Knight - who he is and how he came to be.

Just with the release of the very first teaser trailer in 2004 - we already knew we were going to be in for a wild ride and a Batman story that would be a superhero movie yet have none of the camp and comedy that featured heavily in the past movies - putting the franchise into a bit of a hiatus before finally getting its second wind as a brand to take very seriously.

Batman Begins - Teaser Trailer
Nolan, then known for films "Memento" and "Insomnia", was a big Batman fan himself and looked to tell the definitive Bruce Wayne story - an aspect of the character that was briefly touched on but never explored in full detail in a Batman movie save for the death of his parents. The journey and training of Wayne as well as the influences and experiences he received were the focal points of "Batman Begins" that drove us, the viewers and fans,  to see Bruce Wayne's rise from a traumatized individual into the vigilante hero who adopts the persona of his childhood fear - turning it into a symbol to strike fear into the hearts and minds of criminals that plague his hometown of Gotham City.


Batman Begins (2005) Official Trailer #1
Featuring an ensemble cast lead by Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/ Batman, Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Liam Neeson as Henri Ducard, Gary Oldman as James Gordon, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes, Cillian Murphy as Jonathan Crane/ Scarecrow, Ken Watanabe as Ra's Al Ghul, and Rutger Hauer as Hauer William Earle, Batman Begins was poised to be a blockbuster and triumphant return for the Caped Crusader and cinema - and sure enough it was. It spawned two sequel in 2008's "The Dark Knight" and 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises" - completing Bruce Wayne's story and crusade with a "beginning, middle, and end" structure that collectively went on to be known as "The Dark Knight Trilogy", and solidifying Christopher Nolan's place as one of Hollywood's film prodigies and innovators.

Happy 15 years, Batman Begins!

Aquaman crosses $1 Billion Worldwide; End Credits sequence officially released

In what certainly is one impressive wave for the King of the Seven Seas and his newfound success in the hollywood box office, Warner Bros. Pictures has announced that "Aquaman" has passed $1 Billion mark, surpassing expectations and ranking in #2 in the highest-grossing DC Films only behind 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises"! That means the numbers will only continue to grow, and this is great news for the DC Extended Universe moving forward as Jason Momoa's solo flick as Arthur Curry/ Aquaman has done wonders under the direction of director James Wan - who sent a special thank you to fans worldwide as well as the cast and crew of the film.

“Firstly, Massive LOVE and THANK YOU to the fans and audiences around the world. Humbled by the way you’ve embraced ‘Aquaman’ and how it has resonated on a global scale. I’ll forever be indebted to Jason for turning Aquaman into one of the coolest, cinematic Super Heroes ever, and becoming the gold standard for this character for generations to come. Huge thank you to the amazing cast—Amber, Patrick, Nicole, Yahya, Willem, Temuera, Dolph, Ludi—for breathing life into our beloved characters. And, of course, this movie wouldn’t be what it is without the incredible achievement of everyone involved, from the heads of department to every single crew member, who demanded utmost excellence in helping design and create this cinematic experience.”

Also coinciding with the good news, the official end credits sequence for Aquaman has been released online by Filmograph and Vimeo, which you can watch below.

Aquaman / Main on End Title Sequence / Filmograph from Filmograph on Vimeo.

Aquaman is currently still playing in theaters!

The Dark Knight Trilogy: CBR's "9 Worst Decisions" Batman made in the TDK Films

We all know that Christopher Nolan's Batman films that make up "The Dark Knight Trilogy" were masterpieces and blockbusters that have entertained and presented a version of the Caped Crusader that was grounded on reality. Christian Bale embodied a more realistic interpretation of Bruce Wayne and Batman, and it was a self-contained set of films that wrapped up a journey of a man who wanted to inspire people to make a difference and fight injustice.

However, Spinoff Online (via CBR) has also compiled a list where The Dark Knight has made some pretty bad decisions... 9 of them in fact. You can read 'em here, starting from the ones seen in Batman Begins all the way to The Dark Knight and finally for The Dark Knight Rises.

ICYMI: Happy Birthday to Christian Bale, aka Batman/ Bruce Wayne of The Dark Knight Trilogy

He may have finished his tenure as The Dark Knight in Christopher Nolan's epic Batman film trilogy, but today marks a grand occasion still, as Christian Bale celebrates his birthday today!

Playing the part of Bruce Wayne/ Batman in Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises, Bale would also be seen in films like The Fighter (where he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), American Hustle, and most recently in Exodus: Gods and Kings. However, it's his role in The Dark Knight Trilogy that people will fondly remember him by, as he embodied a more realistic and grounded Batman for a generation to see!

Short Feature: The Journey of Bruce Wayne
While the world prepares for Ben Affleck's tenure as Bats for the DC Cinematic Universe, today is a celebration of his predecessor's nameday!

Happy 41st Birthday Christian Bale!

The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector's Edition: Teaser videos of new extra content go online

It's hard to imagine that it's been over a year already since the final installment of Christopher Nolan's epic Dark Knight Trilogy "The Dark Knight Rises" was released, signifying the end of an awesome film series based on DC Comics' Dark Knight that clearly chronicled the life and journey of Bruce Wayne into becoming a symbol of justice and hope for Gotham City and his fellowman.

Now, fans who want to add the entire collected saga to their line-up if they didn't start already will be ready to spend big, as Warner Bros. is gearing up for the official release of "The Dark Knight Trilogy: Ultimate Collector's Edition" this month.

More than just a repackaging of content that was made available with the standard releases of each individual film, this new re-release features some collectibles, memorabilia, and new special features added to give Batman fans a reason to look twice and see what this collected masterpiece of cinema can offer.

To promote the upcoming release, some clips of those actual new content have made their way online.

The Dark Knight Trilogy: The Ultimate Collector's Edition Set is official

After rumors, reports, and then unconfirmed information popped up online of a new collector's edition of Christopher Nolan's epic Dark Knight Trilogy was on the way, Warner Bros. has officially announced that the set known as "The Dark Knight Trilogy: The Ultimate Collector's Edition" is indeed real, and will be arriving in stores this September with a whole lot of goodies that Batman fans new and old may want to get!

Priced at $99.97 and aimed for a September release, The Ultimate Collector's Edition of "The Dark Knight Trilogy" contains all the movies and features that ran with the previous releases of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises, plus a new disc containing new Bonus disc with New special features, including "The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of The Dark Knight Trilogy" and "Christopher Nolan and Richard Donner: A Conversation". The set also includes memorabilia Mattel Hot Wheels Batmobile/ Tumbler, Batpod, and The Bat, as well as Mondo commissioned art cards and a 48-page hardcover production and art book.

For more information on this newly announced set by Warner Bros. as well as the official press release, visit the source post at Coming Soon!

On a related side note, Christian Bale also confirmed with an interview with Entertainment Weekly that he's NOT coming back as Batman on a potential Justice League film. Still, his epic run on all three Dark Knight films collaborating with Nolan was self-contained and enough, and he gives his blessing to pass the mantle of The Bat to someone else in a shared DC Movie Universe. For more on that story, read about it on the source post at EW and here.

The Dark Knight Trilogy: The Ultimate Collector's Edition sees release on September 24, 2013.

The Dark Knight Trilogy: The Ultimate Collector's Edition revealed?

A while back, rumors were running around that a new "Ultimate Collector's Edition" set of Christopher Nolan's epic Dark Knight Trilogy of Batman films would be released. No official word has been given yet on whether this set will actually see the light of day, but it appears that a Polish Batman site may have gotten some promotional material that promotes said rerelease of "The Dark Knight Trilogy" on home video, and it looks pretty real too.

Remembering 2012~!

Time for another year in review post... This time for the year 2012~! It's been a stellar year for movies, comics, games, and yes even music, and there's a lot I'd like to nominate from the circle of great choices that have made this a memorable time for all things popculture.

Now, before we sign off 2012 and get to the picks, here's a Happy New Year greeting to you all!

COMICS: Batman - Death of the Family

Still ongoing at the moment but promising to spiral down into a story Batfans will never forget, Scott Snyder has followed up on his epic "Court of Owls" run of The New 52 Batman series with the return of The Dark Knight's epic nemesis The Joker in a very sinister and gruesome form. Last seen in the pages of last year's relaunch of Detective Comics #1, the Clown Prince of Crime had his face removed and has finally returned... Targeting Batman and his allies in a way that will change them forever when all is said and done. This is sure to be a classic fans will never forget!

MOVIES: The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises

This is a tie, certainly because one ushered in the BIGGEST blockbuster superhero team-up movie ever and the FINAL CHAPTER of Christopher Nolan's epic Dark Knight Trilogy! Both movies took in a lot of Box Office Returns for 2012, but The Avengers clearly stood out on top between the two thanks to the sheer number of heroes gathered in the film.

On the other hand, The Dark Knight Rises also wrapped up the trilogy pretty well... A feat rarely accomplished by most superhero movies. The tale of Bruce Wayne's journey was weaved together well by Nolan and his team, and it will certainly go down as one of the best superhero movie adaptations ever based on realism and detail.

ANIMATED MOVIE: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part I

Long awaited and highly anticipated an animated adaptation, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part I certainly gave comic book fans who remember Frank Miller's seminal work a good treat of finally seeing an aged Batman returning from a 10 year self-imposed retirement to fight crime once more. It's missing some of the dialogue from the books that made it noteworthy but it's still fun as heck, especially with casting legendary Robocop actor Peter Weller as Bruce Wayne/ Batman! January will see Part II out in the market, and if you get a chance to pick this up in home video, do so.

GAMES: The Walkind Dead: The Game

Nominated as "Game of the Year" at this year's Spike TV Video Game Awards, I only recently played and finished the retail edition of The Walking Dead: The Game, and I can totally see why it earned that award hook, line, and sinker. Telltale games has crafted a compelling tale that tests your choices, your humanity, and how you can survive the zombie apocalypse with a band of other survivors and a little girl under your care. It's worth checking out, and very easy to play at that. In fact, the first episode that makes up this 5 episode season is free for the iOS and Xbox Live Marketplace.

TV SERIES: The Walking Dead - Season 3 and Arrow

Still at its mid-season hiatus, The newest season of The Walking Dead has proven that it has comeback strong and hard in presenting an action-packed drama full of zombies and humanity going head-to-head amidst the apocalypse. Rick Grimes and crew face tougher choices this season, and it's sure to be a memorable ride once it returns this February.

Arrow, the CW's newest superhero show based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, feels a lot like Smallville and Batman Begins meets Lost, with Oliver Queen coming back to his hometown of Starling City and cleaning up crime based on a list his father gave to him. It's also on mid-season break til January, and is chalk full of guest appearances by other DC Characters that make this a good comic book show to check out.

MUSIC: Gangnam Style by PSY


Gangnam Style - PSY
I think it's pretty much self-explanatory why this became the music pick of 2012... PSY has exploded everywhere... A billion hits in YouTube!

And that wraps up what I like about 2012! Happy New Year, and looking forward to 2013!

The Dark Knight Rises: "For Your Consideration" iBook App

Warner Bros. is on the trail with the Oscar campaign for Christopher Nolan's final entry in his Dark Knight Trilogy saga, The Dark Knight Rises, by releasing a couple of promotional stuff to promote their chances in next year's Academy Awards. To that end, they've released a new iBook App that shows a couple of info notes on the movie, TV Spots, and a Behind-The-Scenes Trailer video. Apple users can pick it up over at iTunes to check it out, or visit the source post at Batman-News for more details.

The Dark Knight Rises is now available in home media.

The Dark Knight Rises: Lego Style Trailer #3

Following up on his impressive LEGO recreation of the second trailer of "The Dark Knight Rises", YouTube user ParanickFilmz has a new one for fans of the wonderful block building toyline and Christopher Nolan's epic Dark Knight trilogy to witness - a LEGO version of the third trailer to TDKR! Thanks goes to Batman-News for scoop, and it's mighty impressive to see this again after the release of The Dark Knight Rises on home media!

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer 3 - LEGO Style
For more Lego inspired works and trailers, check out ParanickFilmz official YouTube page!

Post TDKR: Anne Hathaway on Catwoman Spin-Off and Christopher Nolan discusses "Man Of Steel"

Following the release of The Dark Knight Rises on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital Download, a lot of buzz has begun circulating again on the people behind the film, specifically director Christopher Nolan and star Anne Hathaway, who played Selina Kyle/ Catwoman in the final chapter of The Dark Knight Trilogy.

Man Of Steel: New poster unveiled

To coincide with the release of The Dark Knight Rises on Home Media, Warner Bros. put up an "Exclusive Reward" for those following the TDKR release promos that was related to Zack Snyder's upcoming Superman reboot flick, Man Of Steel! Now via Superherohype, that surprise was finally unveiled... In the form of a brand new one sheet poster that shows the Man Of Steel  himself(played by Henry Cavill) in cuffs and escorted by armed personnel somewhere!

Star Trek Into Darkness Teaser Poster

Slated to come to theaters, 3D, and IMAX at warp speed next year, Paramount Pictures and Bad Robot Productions have released the very first teaser poster to J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie sequel - Star Trek Into Darkness. Via Slash Film, here's the one sheet in all it's destructive glory.

The Dark Knight Legend L.A Exhibit

If you happen to be one of the lucky people living in or visiting Los Angeles, then maybe you should take a trip down to L.A Live's Event Deck to visit Warner Bros. FREE EXHIBIT based on Christopher Nolan's epic Batman saga - The Dark Knight Legend L.A Exhbit! To celebrate the release of The Dark Knight Rises on home media, WB is showcasing everything used in the Nolan movies, as well as the numerous Batmobiles used in the various Batman shows and films over the years.

Christopher Nolan weighs in on The Dark Knight Trilogy

A brilliant article featured in Film Comment highlights the "Cinematic Faith" British Director Christopher Nolan had when he adapted his vision of Batman to the big screen with three movies that eventually made up the highly acclaimed "Dark Knight Trilogy" of films. During a presentation of his first film "The Following" which was restored using 35mm footage, Nolan answered a Q&A session that was happily transcribed and posted by Film Comment, as well as featured by Batman-News. It's certainly worth reading if you're a big fan of the Nolan Batman universe, as he digs deep into his inspiration and shares it with the rest of the world, including insights on the ending of The Dark Knight Rises!  Check out the links above for an interesting look at the man behind Bruce Wayne's epic journey as a hero in modern cinema.

Justice League: The Man of Steel connection and JGL (SPOILERS)

Several news bits have dropped for Warner Bros. planned superhero team initiative that is their planned "Justice League" film for 2015, and the latest seems to play connect the dots with two of their movie franchises, one that recently wrapped up and the other starting next year. SPOILERS below after the jump, so read it at your own risk!

The Dark Knight Rises: Where's the Trigger?!" Extended Version

With a few days left until it reaches home video in international territories and next week in the US, a pretty awesome user created this hilarious extension of a pivotal fight scene from "The Dark Knight Rises"!

The Dark Knight Rises: "Where's The Trigger?! Extended Scene
Via YouTube, HomeTrailers managed to create an "extended version" of the infamous "Where's The Trigger?!" scene from the final battle in the film. SPOILERS of course, so view this spoof at your own risk! Poor Bane here has to take blows from Batman literally and verbally, lol.

The Dark Knight Rises sees release on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital format this November 28th internationally and December 4th in the US!

The Dark Knight Rises: Sneak peek on Home Release Special Features

With the release of the DVD and Blu-Ray on the horizon for the holiday season, Warner Bros. has amped up the promotions for their home video release of The Dark Knight Rises. Due for release on international territories on November 28 and the US on December 4th, Christopher Nolan's final installment on his epic Dark Knight Trilogy will feature a number of interesting special features that will be included on the home release.

Happy Thanksgiving Bat-Day!

Today is a day we give thanks for our countless blessings and gifts, and I'd like to extend my gratitude and warm form of appreciation via this gathering of Batman figs I took with Instagram, wishing everyone a "Happy Thankgiving" the Batman way! It's truly been a year of exciting things and interesting stuff, and we can only look forward to more as we count down to Christmas and the New Year!

Also, treat yourself to more Batman awesome this Thanksgiving by grabbing yourself a copy of the last Christopher Nolan flick, The Dark Knight Rises... Or the ENTIRE "The Dark Knight Trilogy" set! It arrives in stores on November 28th in The Philippines, and December 4th in the US!  For Philippine buyers, find out details via Astroplus' Facebook page!

Happy Thanksgiving people, and God Bless! - Timzster, PopCulture Crusader