“THE BATMOBILE” DOCUMENTARY SPECIAL PREMIERES MONDAY JULY 16 AT 8:00 PM ON THE CW NETWORK!

Just a quick reminder: 

The broadcast network premiere of the new half-hour Documentary Special on the history and evolution of the Batman Vehicles, "THE BATMOBILE" will air on Monday, July 16th, 8:00-8:30pm ET on The CW.  An encore of the special will air from 8:30-9:00pm ET. 

The special will have its world premiere screening at the 2012 Comic Con in San Diego on July 12th, where all six of the Batmobiles from film and television will also appear for the first time together.

New BATMAN Book - THE DARK KNIGHT MANUAL

SAN RAFAEL, CA, June 2012:



Following Christopher Nolan's award-winning film "The Dark Knight", the Director will return to Batman's legend with "The Dark Knight Rises", the final installment of The Dark Knight trilogy in theaters on July 20, 2012. Just in time for this epic conclusion, Bruce Wayne divulges key sketches, diagrams, observations, and other classified documents about the process of becoming Batman in THE DARK KNIGHT MANUAL from Insight Editions.



For the first time, the Dark Knight's secrets are revealed in THE DARK KNIGHT MANUAL, which details all of Bruce Wayne's cutting-edge collaborations with Lucius Fox at Wayne Enterprises. The Manual gives readers unprecedented access to Batman's amazing arsenal featuring numerous documents and items including: designs and upgrades for the Batsuit, the specifications of the Utility Belt, blueprints for the Batcave, detailed dossiers on foes and allies, plans for the Dark Knight's latest vehicles, and much, much more. All these, and a plethora of never-before-published materials, shine a light on how the mysterious Bruce Wayne operates as Gotham City's greatest protector.



Hardcover, $40.00, Release Date: June 2012

112 pages, More than 35 removable insert items and dossiers

ISBN-13: 978-1-60887-104-9

New BATMAN Book - BATMOBILE: THE COMPLETE HISTORY

SAN RAFAEL, CA, June 2012:

Since 1939, the Batmobile has been immortalized in nearly every imaginable entertainment medium. Tearing through the streets of Gotham City in pursuit of criminals for more than seven decades, it has remained an iconic crime-fighting vehicle for generations of Batman fans. In Christopher Nolan's extraordinary film trilogy, it was given breathtaking new life-and incredible capabilities-as the "Tumbler". Now, in anticipation of The Dark Knight Rises, the epic conclusion to The Dark Knight trilogy,the entire history of the Batman's trademark ride is captured for the first time in "BATMOBILE: The Complete History" from Insight Editions.



BATMOBILE: THE COMPLETE HISTORY

is the story of the distinct, sophisticated, incomparable car. From its evolution in the pages of Detective Comics, to its unforgettable appearances on the big screen, this book explores each incarnation of the Batmobile with the detail such an extraordinary automobile warrants.

Author Mark Cotta Vaz uncovers insights and stories from creators and conceptualists that reveal the nuts and bolts of putting these dream machines together and explains the philosophies behind each design. With stunning gatefolds, including a large-scale panorama of the Batmobile Cars featured in film and television-and detailed specs, blueprints, and historical comparisons.



Mark Cotta Vaz is a New York Times bestselling author with more than 25 published books, including the critically acclaimed Living Dangerously: The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper, Creator of King Kong, a TLA finalist selection. His "making of" books have documented TV's Lost and such feature film productions as The Spirit and the Twilight saga.



Paul Levitz is an award-winning writer, comics editor, and executive (publisher of DC Comics for two decades; President & Publisher from 2002-2009). He recently wrote 75 Years of DC Comics (Taschen) and teaches at Columbia, Pace, and Manhattanville. He lives in New York City.  



Nathan Crowley is the twice Academy Award® -nominated Production Designer behind Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy. Crowley's credits include Insomnia, The Prestige, and Public Enemies, among many others. The Dark Knight Rises marks his fifth collaboration with Nolan.



Hardcover, $35.00, Release Date: June 2012

148 pages, More than 100 full color photographs and illustrations

ISBN-13: 978-1-60887-104-9

New UK Book - HOLY FRANCHISE, BATMAN! By Gary Collinson

I just got some news about a brand-new "Batman Movie & TV History" Book titled, "Holy Franchise, Batman!", which was written by Gary Collinson. The book covers the ENTIRE film and television history of the character. We're talking from the 1940's Serials to Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher, Christopher Nolan, and all of the animated TV cartoons. It even has a full episode guide for the 1966 Adam West and Burt Ward TV Series. 

One thing though, I think this book will only be available in the UK & I'm guessing it will be available on UK Amazon? Sorry, Publisher didn't share many details. But one thing I do know is that the release date is June 29th, 2012. Also, sorry my description is kinda vague but the Publisher never sent me a Review Copy either. So, I can't really review it or anything. But it sounds like a fun book, especially for fans of the bat-films.

NEW BATMAN MOVIE BOOK - Christopher Nolan's Batman - The Art and Making of the Dark Knight Trilogy

Around July 28th, 2012, Abrams is set to release "Christopher Nolan's Batman: The Art and Making of the Dark Knight Trilogy". This book tells the complete behind-the-scenes story of, what will be at the time this book is released, three monumental films. 

The book will be based on in-depth interviews with Director Christopher Nolan and all of the films’ Key Cast and Crew, including Co-Writers David S. Goyer and Jonathan Nolan, Cinematographer Wally Pfister, and more! The book reveals the creative process behind the epic Dark Knight Trilogy, supported by lavish art and never-before-seen photography.



One cool side note is that the foreword will be written by Christopher Nolan and Michael Caine will write the Introduction ( Love him, and besides being a great Actor, he's actually a very talented Writer so it should be very cool ). We can't wait!



Oh yeah, one last thing, you're seeing the COVER ART right here as a "Bat-Blog.Com Exclusive" way before anyone else! Also, if you click the TFAW Button down below, you can pre-order this book for 20% off the regular retail price.

BILL THE BOY WONDER! - New BATMAN History / Biography Book

WOW! Here's a brand-new book that every serious Batman Fan and Comic Book Historian is going to want to read. It's titled "BILL THE BOY WONDER! The Secret Co-Creator of Batman". Basically, it's a very well researched Biography on Bob Kane's Ghost Writer, Bill Finger. It was written by Marc Tyler Nobleman, Author of  "Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman", and Illustrated by Ty Templeton, a fan-favorite Batman Comic Book Artist. 

Please check out the BOOK TRAILER up above for an idea on what this book is about. Also, It's being published by Charles Bridge and you can get more details by clicking HERE!

Robby Reed's DIAL B FOR BLOG is Back!

Yes, you read that right, DIAL B FOR BLOG is Back! Now a lot of people are gonna be real excited about this news. Back in the day, DIAL B FOR BLOG was a really fun website. It covered silver age comic book history like no other. It had style, substance, & was very well designed. But then one day the owner/creator decided to quit. It was discovered that he had a set goal to reach a certain number of posts & then quit. So, after hitting that number, he did. The site was left up for people to enjoy but it was never updated for a really long time. Well I got an email from him & he said he's bringing it back. No way! I didn't believe him. That is, until I went to go check it out for myself and yes, DIAL B FOR BLOG is Back! Do you too also think it's too good to be true? Well, Just CLICK HERE!

BATMAN VIDEO - THE JOKER'S UTILITY BELT! Comic Book History

Shown up above is the cover to a now ultra-classic comic book, BATMAN #73. This was the issue that introduced "Jokers Utility Belt". This story inspired a "Joker episode" for a 1966 BATMAN TV Show Script, has been reprinted numerous times, and even made an appearance on the recent BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD animated TV cartoon in an episode titled "Emperor Joker". 

Well, someone made a set of videos that tell the story. I don't know what the source of the audio is but it seems like some "Story Record" you might have heard as a little kid. If anyone knows, please let us know. But hey, watch the 3 videos, they're fun!

NEW BAT BOOK - Christopher Nolan's Batman - The Art and Making of the Dark Knight Trilogy

OK, Cool! Here's some news I came across the other day that Christopher Nolan Fans are gonna love. Around July 28th, 2012, Abrams will be releasing a brand-new BATMAN MOVIE History Book titled, "Christopher Nolan's Batman: The Art and Making of the Dark Knight Trilogy". It will be written by Jody Duncan Jesser, Janine Pourroy, and designed by Chip Kidd. It's also gonna be a 304 page Hardback!



Here's their Press Release Info:

In 2005, director Christopher Nolan redefined the Batman legend with Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader. A fresh, dynamic reboot of the franchise, Batman Begins explored the comic book hero’s origins and his evolution from billionaire Bruce Wayne to dark avenger who fights crime and corruption in Gotham City. A 2008 sequel, The Dark Knight, took those compelling, character-driven foundations and raised the stakes, pitting Batman against a deranged master criminal, the Joker, in an all-out war for Gotham’s soul. Now, the final film of Nolan’s trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, is 2012’s most anticipated film release. Christopher Nolan’s Batman: The Art and Making of The Dark Knight Trilogy tells the complete behind-the-scenes story of these three monumental films. Based on in-depth interviews with Nolan and all of the films’ key cast and crew—including cowriters David S. Goyer and Jonathan Nolan, cinematographer Wally Pfister, and more—the book reveals the creative process behind the epic Dark Knight Trilogy, supported by lavish art and never-before-seen photography.

VIDEO - DETECTIVE COMICS #27 Review by Atop The Fourth Wall

Check out this funny VIDEO REVIEW of the Classic Golden Age BATMAN Comic Book Issue, Detective Comics #27. It also features other interesting bat-history as well. Enjoy.

New Discovery on the Origin of the Very 1st Batmobile Car!

OK, This is a fun post. For many years now many Comic Book Historians have believed that the very first "Batmobile Car", which appeared in Detective Comics #48 in 1941 ( drawn by Bob Kane ), was based on a Cord. But now, a Writer for the "Cars In Depth" website named Ronnie Schreiber has discovered what he thinks to be the original inspiration, a 1938 Graham Paige “Sharknose”! Now, I don't know much about Old Cars, but Ronnie's argument seems pretty valid. For more details be sure to read his article by clicking HERE!

BATMAN VIDEO - SECRETS OF THE BATCAVE The 3-Minute Expert

A cool YouTube Site called COMIC VINE used to do these extremely interesting news stories called "3-Minute Expert". Basically, they would pick a comic book character & tell their origin history, all within three minutes. Here's one they did on the "Secrets of The Batcave".

TODAY IN BAT-HISTORY It's Barbara Rush's Birthday!

The BAT-BLOG.COM would like to extend the happiest of "Happy Birthday" Greetings to Barbara Rush! She was born today on January 4th, 1927. Serious TV Fans of the 1966 BATMAN Series will know her as "Nora Clavicle", the Feminist Evil Super-Villain! That character is famous for putting Batman, Batgirl, and Robin in a trap called the "Siamese Human Knot". Will they ever escape?! For highlights of that check out the video clip down below:

BATMAN AND THE HISTORY OF THE BAT-SUIT

You might remember awhile back there was a very popular graphic that circulated all over the web that featured "The Evolution of The Batmobile". Well, here's the latest popular graphic to hit the web and it's pretty funny, "Batman and the History of the Bat-Suit!" This was drawn by Benjamin Andrew Moore for a website called SCREENRANT. This graphic is very clever because, if you study each bat-suit, they're pretty accurate. Plus, I like how each one has it's own catch-phrase, ha! ( Be sure to click on the image up above for a HUGE picture ).

THE BOY WHO LOVED BATMAN - Michael Uslan Book Signing in NYC

Meet The Author of THE BOY WHO LOVED BATMAN, Michael Uslan, and get your copy of the book autographed on Tuesday, October 18th, 2011 at 7:00 PM at the Greenwich Village Barnes and Noble Bookstore in NYC!



Michael Uslan is a film producer & Author. He has been the Executive Producer of all of the Batman movies from 1989 BATMAN to THE DARK KNIGHT RISES.



Barnes & Noble – Greenwich Village

396 Ave of the Americas at 8th Street

New York City, NY 10011

( 212 )674-8780

Video - Michael Uslan BATMAN The Dark Knight Phenomenon

Here's an interesting video shot at New York Comic Con of an almost 1-hour speech by Michael Uslan, the Producer of the Batman Movies. This is part one ( 10 minutes ) & there are 5 total, that you can enjoy at YouTube. Basically, he shares his stories about being a HUGE Comic Book Fan & going to early Comic Book Conventions. In fact, he went to the VERY FIRST Comic Con in NYC back in the 1960's. Now the reason I'm posting this video is because he talks about Batman, a lot!

New Book - THE BOY WHO LOVED BATMAN By Michael Uslan

THE BOY WHO LOVED BATMAN, The True Story of How a Comics-Obsessed Kid Conquered Hollywood to Bring the Dark Knight to the Silver Screen. This is the new memoir written by Michael Uslan that will be coming out later ( No exact release date has been issued yet. But please stay tuned to the Bat-Blog because, "we're on it!" ). Now, some of you might think, "Hey, I recognize that name". Well, Michael Uslan has been the Movie Producer of all the BATMAN Movies. Yes, this is the guy responsible for bringing the Dark Knight to the big screen! In this new biography he shares the story of growing-up in the 1950's & totally being obsessed with comic books, especially Batman ones. He also shares his 10 year fight to get Batman to film. It sounds like a great story! Once we get more information we'll keep ya updated.



Important Side-Note:

A friend on Facebook just told me the release date will be around August 8th ( Thanks Torsten )

Vintage 1950's BATGIRL SQUADRON JACKET PATCH - US Navy VP-24

OK, I know the Bat-Blog reports some strange stuff every now & then but I thought this was pretty cool, from a "Military History" point-of-view. This is an Original US Navy VP-24 Squadron Jacket Patch from the 1950's ( probably from the "Korean War" ). It was made by the Ace Novelty Patch Company in Tokyo, Japan. The cool thing is the mascot is BATGIRL! OK, That's kind of a stretch, but it could also be BATWOMAN! I mean, look at the bat-wings cape & the mask, ha! This particular Military Patch was once owned by a US Navy WWII Enlisted Pilot who later retired as a Lieutenant. He was a survivor of Pearl Harbor & became an Aviator. He also served in the war in Korea. Toward the end of his career he was involved in Search & Rescue missions.

BATMAN NEWS: Bruce Wayne Went To Yale University!!

Batman is on the cover of this month's YALE Alumni Magazine! No, seriously! Some very serious Scholars have done a lot of research and found more than one example of proof that Bruce Wayne, while in his early "Batman training days", had gone to Yale & even got a Diploma! They cite "Detective Comics # 439, page 16" where there's an image of Batman standing in Bruce Wayne's office & it shows a framed YALE Diploma on the wall, ha! They also use the proof from another piece of Bat-Hstory where Batman is looking at a Wayne Family Photo Album & there's a picture of his Grandfather wearing a Yale Football Uniform & there's some comment about 3 generations of the Wayne Family going there. There are also many more fun references that are total proof that "Batman Went To Yale", ha! For the complete story be sure to visit the YALE Alumni Magazine website, just click HERE!



Side Note: Remember that there are different articles to read online, just look for the "March/April 2011" issue.

VIDEO - Comic Book Villain Origins - CATWOMAN

From WATCHMOJO we get this wonderful video to teach us everything we need to know about the origin of Catwoman. It covers the character from the Comic Books ( Golden Age & Modern Day ) to the Movies. It's both entertaining & educational! With "Selina Kyle" to be played by Anne Hathaway in the next Batman movie, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, this video has perfect timing... MEOW!