‘Joes and Jetpacks’ with E.C. Yi
For the newest Shelf Conscious, Keith is joined by comic artist and toy enthusiast, E.C. Yi!
Tag: Batman vs. Superman
‘Justice League’ Side-By-Side
Today is the day. Zack Snyder’s Justice League has finally been released to HBO Max and people can now see the director’s four-hour magnum opus as he bids adieu to the DC Universe. And while a lot has been made about the restored scenes and characters that were left on the cutting room floor of the theatrical edition, I was most struck by the differences between shots that appear in both versions. Below you will find side-by-side comparisons of several of these scenes.
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NOC Review: The Snyder Cut is Good, Actually
Long time readers of this site will know that I have a a complicated history with Zack Snyder’s take on DC’s most iconic characters. While my opinion on his first foray, Man of Steel1, has waxed and waned over the years, I’ve never been able to see Batman v Superman as anything more than a convoluted mess of bombast and pretension feigning to be more profound than it actually was (Batman’s fight in the warehouse was cool, I guess). Moreover, the ferocity of the online debate about these films — both the religiosity of Snyder’s fans and the unnecessary cruelty of his detractors — turned me off to the whole enterprise. Talking about these movies on the internet was not worth the hassle or the harassment (says the guy who actively engaged in online arguments defending Last Jedi for at least three years).
In other words, I didn’t come into my screening of Zack Snyder’s Justice League (the official title of the Snyder Cut which will finally be streaming on HBO Max on March 18) with a lot of high expectations. Well dear reader, I am as surprised as anyone to say that not only did I like what I saw, I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing how a proper sequel to this version might play out. Oh my god, am I actually hopping on the #RestoreThe Snyderverse bandwagon?!
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Mezco’s One:12 Collective Superman is Out of This World
When it comes to my passion for action figure collecting, you’d think Mezco’s One:12 Collective line would be a no-branier. It takes the intricate detail and soft goods stitching found on 12-inch Hot Toys figures and shrinks them down to my preferred scale, without losing any of the craftsmanship. But by and large, I missed the One:12 boat, focusing more on Marvel Legends, Star Wars Black Series, and the occasional S.H. Figuarts figure. And while I pre-ordered both Batman and Superman from, well, Batman v Superman, I never took them out of their (admittedly gorgeous) packaging. Well, Mezco’s just-released Superman from the 1978 film has changed all that.
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DC FanDome: Zack Snyder Brings the Hype with Surprise Guests and #SnyderCut Teaser
I am a Marvel fanboy. I always have been. DC has been kind to my youth, don’t get me wrong, but as the last several years have attested, it’s been difficult holding our collective breath for a superhero movie from DC that didn’t get immense flack. I won’t lie to you — I’ve goaded friends, some more than others, for rallying behind something like #TheSnyderCut back in 2017.
Fast forward a handful of years and a whole lot of headlines to Saturday’s Snyder Cut panel at DC FanDome and… I’m sold.
Please Cast Armie Hammer for Batman
Over the last few days, movement on Matt Reeves’ Batman movie has gone into overdrive. First, Reeves finally shed some light on his take on the Bat mythos. Then, Warner Bros. finally set a release date for the movie — June 25, 2021. To top it all off, Ben Affleck himself set the record straight about his involvement in the project, essentially confirming his departure as Batman.
Hard NOC Life: The DCEU is Gunning for Marvel Studios
Shawn returns to Hard NOC Life to go over the latest and greatest developments in Nerd World.
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‘Justice League’ and the Future of the DC Extended Universe
Two weeks ago, Justice League — WB/DC’s attempt at uniting all of its iconic heroes in a single movie — fizzled at the box office, calling in to question the future of the DC Universe on film. To talk about the movie, and what it portends for the rest of the DCEU, Mashable movie reporter Angie Han joins the podcast to discuss where Justice League failed to deliver as a follow-up to Batman v Superman.
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The Red Capes Are Coming: A Batman v Superman Retrospective
One year ago, history was made when Batman v Superman: Dawn of Wonder Woman Justice opened in theaters.
Why is this a cinematic milestone?
For the first time in history, the Man of Steel, the Caped Crusader, and the Amazon appeared together in a live action story. This is of monumental importance because not only are these iconic heroes the flagship franchises of DC Comics, they are also the cornerstones of western media and western culture.
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Forget the DCEU: Warner Brothers Should Embrace the Multiverse
It has not been a great couple of weeks (years?) on the DC Films front.
After Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad failed to live up to most people’s expectations last summer, Warner Brothers looked like it was starting to right the DCEU ship. Triumphant teasers for Wonder Woman and Justice League made DC the talk of San Diego, and fans were stoked for directors like James Wan, Rick Famuyiwa, and Ben Affleck to lend their visions to DC supeheroes. Well, less than a year later, 60% of those directors have been dropped and now, Ben (maybe?) doesn’t even want to be Batman anymore. And in the most WTF move yet, Warner has approached an actual misogynst, anti-semitic racist to helm a movie with the initials S.S.!
But, taking a page from Vulture’s always awesome
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Sweet 16: Top Films of 2016
For the better part of a decade, this has become an annual tradition for yours truly.
From January to December I compile a list of the best, artistic and most progressive films, television shows, and music albums. One of the reasons I do this is to provide resources to readers who are looking for cerebral, fun, and progressive media. It does exist as my lists have continued to prove. Don’t say I never gave you anything. You’re welcome.
How to Reboot Lex and Joker in the DCEU
It goes without saying that I haven’t been the biggest fan of Warner Brothers’ approach to the films based on their roster of DC Comics superheroes (also known as the DC Extended Universe). Even before Batman v Superman or Suicide Squad debuted to less-than-enthusiastic reviews, I went on record being against the DCEU’s tone and aesthetic. After BvS failed to become the pop cultural behemoth it was supposed to be, the folks at DC Films attempted a much publicized “course correction” to take their movie universe in a different direction — and if the Comic-Con trailers for Wonder Woman and Justice League are any indication, consider me all in for this new “course.” But as much as I’m looking forward to this new phase of the DCEU, I will never be satisfied until they recast the two characters I feel they’ve bungled the most: Lex Luthor and the Joker.
DC vs. Marvel: Which Movie Franchise Represents Its Audience More?
Originally posted at Just Add Color
With the culmination of the San Diego Comic-Con, we’ve been getting a lot of DC Comics movie franchise news. Some of which includes the new footage of the Justice League movie, featuring Batman (Ben Affleck), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), the Flash (Ezra Miller), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and Superman (Henry Cavill).
With the introduction of DC’s superhero team, I started wondering — which movie franchise represents its diverse audience more?
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Daniel José Older v Batman v Superman
[Ed. note: Over the weekend, our own Daniel José Older found himself on a plane with nothing to do but watch Batman v Superman (which is now available digitally and will be released on blu-ray in two weeks). His tweet thoughts have been collected below. Enjoy.]
#BatmanvSuperman really was dumb as shit tho. For me not to enjoy a movie on a plane it has to be an utter waste of time.
— Daniel José Older (@djolder) July 2, 2016
Battle On, Amazons
Prior to Gal Gadot being tapped to portray Wonder Woman for the DC Extended Universe, there was an online campaign where fans wanted to see actress Gina Torres play the iconic superheroine.
Understandable. Much like Gadot — and for that matter, Lynda Carter — Torres is the perfect blend of grace, beauty, power, and wisdom.
Superman: Seeing Double (Standards)
So last weekend Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hit theaters and proved to be a box office hit. For those who want my thoughts on the film, you can read about them here and here. As was the case with Man of Steel, it seems very fashionable to snark on BvS and the DC Cinematic Universe in general. My theory is that the Marvel films are shiny new toys by comparison to the DC franchises.
This isn’t to say that DC and parent company Warner Brothers are above critique. They aren’t. Neither is Marvel and parent company Disney. I both enjoy and take both companies to task for different reasons when it comes to their comics and films. However, not all of the major complaints have been as valid and they definitely illustrate a double standard at play when it comes to Superman specifically.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Confirmation Bias
I’m examining Batman v Superman from the perspective of the ridiculous and (not) unprecedented fan “outrage” and critical overreaction.
First thing, let’s take a look at the phrase “confirmation bias.” Here’s the definition:
Confirmation bias, also called confirmatory bias or myside bias, is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one’s beliefs or hypotheses, while giving disproportionately less consideration to alternative possibilities.
Simply put, if people desperately wish to cling onto or believe in a certain conclusion, there’s nothing in the universe that can change their mind. They will not entertain — nor have the ability to entertain — anything that falls outside of their way of thinking.
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There’s Nothing Heroic about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
So here are my thoughts on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. I wanted to wait, but I couldn’t. Feel free to discuss and debate. I look forward to it.
This movie overall was… fine. A strong 7, perhaps add a 0.5. You could see where the studio rushed to cobble the Justice League together, and elude to the fact that, perhaps, there was once a Robin. I have to admit that Ben Affleck made a very good Batman. The Bat was brutal, and the fight scenes were enjoyable.
So, if you haven’t seen it, go ahead. If you have skittish children, keep them home. For a DC cinematic effort, it’s like most that have come before, with the sole exception that there was one that one “hero” on display. And that is where my issues lie.
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Things Other Movies Did Better Than Batman v Superman
I didn’t hate Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. I walked into the theater last night fully expecting to hate it. Two and a half hours later, I ended up merely not liking it. That’s progress, I guess?
That said, there were a couple things I actually liked (most having to do with Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman) and I can’t deny that Ben Affleck looks like Batman (even though he sure doesn’t act like him). But the thing that distracted me throughout the movie was the fact that it contained a lot of elements that were executed better in other live action adaptations.
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The Epic Failure of Batman v Superman
Before I begin this review, I want you all to watch this clip from Man of Steel.
I remembered watching that scene from that film and actually yelling out loud how incredibly stupid and unnecessarily melodramatic that was.
That’s exactly how I felt after watching Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
BLK x NOC Preview Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
UPDATE: Part 2 of our BvS podcast crossover with BLKBOARD is available here!
We’re now only a few days away from the worldwide launch of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Before the movie comes out, this special edition of Hard NOC Life — also available on iTunes and Soundcloud — invites the founders of the new website and podcast BLKBOARD, Jermaine Dickerson and Michael Tré, to discuss the launch of the DC Cinematic Universe.
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January Brings Four Straight Days of Greg Berlanti’s DC Universe
It’s no secret we’re big fans of The CW’s shared universe of DC superheroes. Arrow and Flash are two of the only shows we still livetweet and recap on a regular basis (shout out Connie and Christelle!) and this season — though it’s on CBS and not (yet) connected — we’ve thrown Supergirl into the mix as well. Of course all of these shows are now on their annual holiday break and won’t return until January. But when they do, they’ll be joined by a new kid on the block, Legends of Tomorrow.
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Guess We Don’t Need to See Batman v Superman Now
Since when did Jimmy Kimmel Live become the go-to place for movie studios to drop their most anticipated trailers? It made sense before to have all-Marvel or all-Star Wars editions — Disney owns ABC, after all — but using Kimmel to reveal Warner/DC’s formal entry into the cinematic superhero wars was a surprise. Like, why not use The CW’s two-part Flarrow crossover1 to show off their big guns? Corporate synergy, remember? Still, like a proper nerd, I tuned in to Kimmel to see the latest tease for what will be the biggest movie of March 2016.
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