JOE KUBERT TRIBUTE - The Greatest Comic Book Artist Ever!

OK, I'm gonna try to get through this post without crying and I'm being completely serious. Yesterday, while goofing around on Facebook, I came across the tragic news that a personal childhood hero of mine, the legendary Comic Book Artist Joe Kubert, passed away. He was 85 years old. Mr. Kubert had a very long career working in comics and all of his artwork has become totally iconic. Once you see it you can never forget it. He is mainly known for his work on Tarzan & Sgt. Rock but my personal favorites were when he drew Batman. He just had an incredible style.

I never had the privilege of meeting him but about 2 months ago our friend in New Jersey, BatDave, went to a signing at a popular Comic Book Store in New York City. Dave said that Joe Kubert was one of the nicest guys he had ever met. He also said he was kinda shocked that Mr. Kubert was not even charging for Autographs, a rare thing in today's greedy marketplace. But this doesn't surprise me as I have always been told by other friends who have met him that he was always very down to earth & super friendly. Another thing I know is that his art will live on forever. In fact, it's hard for me to even think about any other Artist even drawing Sgt. Rock. His style was so much a part of that character. He will be missed. My condolences go out to his friend and family. Please find peace & know that he will live on forever in the hearts of Comic Book Fans all over the world.

R.I.P. JOE KUBERT 1926 - 2012

Free Batman CATWOMAN Wallpaper Backgrounds!

Yesterday was "Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday" but I was too busy in my real life to post anything so I'm doing it today. Yeah, get over it! I'm also responding to a Bat-Blog Fan named "Cat" who keeps emailing me about "More Catwoman, More Catwoman!". So, here are 2 Catwoman Backgrounds to keep that Reader happy. 

The 1st one is the lovely Anne Hathaway in her beautiful Cat-Suit, as seen in the current motion picture, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. The next one features a "Comic Book version" of the feline femme-fatale with some amazing artwork.

Writer PAUL DINI is Set To Return To The BATMAN Character

According to a recent interview by the UK website SFX Paul Dini, Batman Comic Book Writer, has a brand-new BATMAN Graphic Novel that he is working on. Paul is very well known for his work on TV's Batman: The Animated Series. He also scripted the Batman: Arkham Asylum & Arkham City Video Games. So, this is great news. To read their excellent article, just click HERE!

BATMAN - THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS - 2012 Comic-Con-Exclusive Hallmark Keepsake Ornament

HALLMARK today announced its return to Comic-Con International and its line-up of 2012 Comic-Con-Exclusive Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments. Now, they're gonna have some characters from the "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" movie and a Cylon Centurion from TV's "Battlestar Galactica", but the really great news here is for Batman Fans! Yes! They're gonna have a brand-new BATMAN Ornament called "A Human Hero", inspired by the 1986 Batman Comic Book & Graphic Novel,  "The Dark Knight Returns"!!

New BATMAN DEATH BY DESIGN DELUXE EDITION Graphic Novel by Chip Kidd & Dave Taylor on Sale Tomorrow!

Oh man, Everyone here at the BAT-BLOG is so excited about tomorrow, May 30th, because it's the release date for the brand-new BATMAN: DEATH BY DESIGN Deluxe Edition Graphic Novel!! Now of course we're talking about the new book written by Chip Kidd & illustrated by Dave Taylor. Just check out some of the artwork up above, it looks totally amazing! Please be sure to click on them for larger versions. Also, the book is available RIGHT HERE or at your local Bookstore/Comic Book Shop.

New HOT WHEELS 1:50 Scale BATMOBILE CAR 3-Pack SETS by Mattel

OK, Remember the 1:50 Scale-Sized Diecast Batman BATMOBILE Cars created by Mattel? Of course you do, they were/are totally amazing! Well, our Good Friend & Ace Bat-Reporter Batmobilly spotted these extremely cool 3-Pack Sets at his local Toys-R-Us last night! 



In no particular order, the 1st Set includes: Batman Returns Batboat, 1989 Batwing, and 1989 Batmobile! The 2nd Set includes: Super Friends Batmobile, 1966 Batmobile with Trailer Hitch, and Comic Book Batmobile! The 3rd Set includes: Batman Begins Batmobile, The Dark Knight Bat-Pod, and The Dark Knight Batmobile! 



These 3-PACK SETS all retail for about $25 each & are in stores now ( Sorry, I forgot to ask if they are TRU EXCLUSIVES but I'm assuming they'll be sold everywhere. If we find out otherwise, we'll let ya know ). Thanks Batmobilly!

Pat's BATMAN TATTOO ART PHOTO 1970's Comic Book Logo

OK, Here's the deal. Lately I've been dealing with one crisis after another and my focus is complete crap. I've been stressed out more than any other time in my life, so keeping up with the BAT-BLOG has been difficult. Now, I'm not whining or complaining. I'm just sayin', ha! Anyways, a Facebook Friend of this site, named Pat, submitted an incredible BATMAN TATTOO Photo awhile back and it just got lost in the mix. I was kind of unorganized at that moment and it never got logged-in to post. So, here it is a week or two later and I'm finally posting it, ha! Sorry Pat, Hey, "Better Late Than Never", my Grandmother used to always say. 



But Hey, People, check this out! Pat's Bat-Tat is a 1970's version of the comic book logo and it's really great! In fact, this logo is one of my favorites because it reminds me of my old "comic book collecting days" as a little kid in the 70's and that was a good time in my life. In other words, that BAT-LOGO brings back fond memories. Thanks Pat for sharing your pic & sorry it took so long to get it posted.

BATWOMAN, BATGIRL, and BATMAN ARKHAM CITY - Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday!

Brand-New Fans of the BAT-BLOG ( where have you been? ) will soon discover that we post a few FREE Batman Backgrounds every week. We call it "Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday!". Yeah, I know, it's corny but easy to remember.  But anyways, recently I was inspired by some Batman-related Comic Book Covers so that's where these new graphics come from.

The 1st one uses artwork from the cover to the new BATGIRL #12 ( Art by Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cinfuentes ). This issue will be out in August, 2012.

The 2nd one is from BATMAN: ARKHAM UNHINGED # 5 ( Art by Dave Wilkins ), also coming out in August.

New JOE FRANKENSTEIN Graphic Novel in the Works!

Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan are working on a creator-owned project called JOE FRANKENSTEIN! It's going to be a Graphic Novel that will be published by IDW. For now it's in the very very early stages and if you would like to keep-up with the project (or follow their progress) you can visit their website, the link is down below. OK, now I know this post is sort of not Batman-related but these are the 2 guys who worked on Detective Comics for many years AND created a Comic Book Villain Character you might have heard of called BANE! This is a personal project for them and I know there are a lot of Batman Fans who loved their work on the character and will probably have an interest. So, please feel free to check out their blog, just click HERE!

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!

LEGENDS OF THE KNIGHT - Filmmaker Focuses on the Fans of Batman in New Documentary

While Batman fans await the summer blockbuster “The Dark Knight Rises,” filmmaker Brett Culp is turning the camera on them. His documentary film “Legends of the Knight” will tell the stories of people who have been inspired by the legacy and tales of Batman.



Not only will this film focus on the fans of Batman, its creation is dependent on the support of the fans via the crowdfunding campaign that began April 12, 2012 ( www.indiegogo.com/batmanfilm ). The campaign raised $5,775 in its first day.



“Batman has become contemporary mythology,” Culp said. “Our goal with this film is to show how enduring stories like this shape us. As all great stories have the power to do, Batman has been a symbol that has inspired real people to achieve amazing things. The purpose of ‘Legends of the Knight’ is to show that heroic stories have the power to lift us up, and we need more of them.”



Culp is a life-long Batman fan. He and his team are capturing stories from around the U.S. and across the globe. They are filming with individuals whose love of the Dark Knight has inspired them to overcome devastating obstacles, to motivate and encourage young people, and to contribute to their communities.



Well-known Batfans who have confirmed their participation in this project include:



Michael Uslan - executive producer of "Batman", "Batman Begins", "The    Dark Knight", and "The Dark Knight Rises".

 

Denny O'Neil - legendary Batman writer

 

Rabbi Cary Friedman - author, "Wisdom from the Batcave"

 

Dr. Travis Langley - author, "Batman and Psychology"; teacher of university course in psychology called "Batman"

 

Gotham Chopra - co-author, "Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes"; son of best-selling author Deepak Chopra



“Human beings have always been stirred to greatness by the tales of heroes,” Culp said. “We connect with Batman because he is the super hero with no super powers. Just as he has committed himself to making the world better, we can dedicate ourselves to a noble cause and make a difference. This type of inspiration is a core function of storytelling in society.”



The Release Date will be about early 2013 so look for it then. Also, click HERE for the Official Website and more info.

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.

BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD The Comic Book - Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday!

Hey Kids, it''s time again for Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday! This week I thought I'd post a few backgrounds that are sort of inspired by the BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD Cartoon. Except, instead of using images from the TV series, I thought it would be interesting to borrow some graphics from the B: TB & TB Comic Books. Here are 2 images featuring Batman and one also has Jonah Hex. Yeah, fighting a Steampunk Robot, that's cool!

VIDEO - BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED - Adam Beechen's Writer Commentary # 2

Finally! Here's the 2nd video of the BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED Comic Book Writer's Commentary series. Which is pretty cool because you get to hear directly from the Writer, Adam Beechen. OK there might be some spoilers here if you have not read the comic book yet so please be warned. But otherwise it's pretty cool to hear about the creation of this really nice book. You also get to see some great artwork by Norm Breyfogle ( Pencil & Inks )

New BATMAN BAT-SYMBOL LOGO Beach Towel at Target Stores!

NEW! For 2012!! Our Good Friend and Ace Bat-Reporter BatDave said he spotted a fun new piece of Batman Merchandise the other night while at Target, a Huge BATMAN BAT-SYMBOL LOGO BEACH TOWEL! It's the Classic Comic Book version, the "yellow oval"... sweet! It's 100% cotton, measures about 28" x 58", and has a decent Retail Price of $10.99. ( Thanks BatDave! ) Hey, keeping up with all the brand new Batman merchandise is going to be a nightmare soon so if ANY Bat-Blog Readers out there see anything fresh in stores then please let us know!

New BATMAN "PENCIL SKETCH" T-SHIRT Spotted at Kohl's Store

Our Good Buddy Frank came across this most excellent Batman "Pencil Sketch" T-Shirt at Kohl's the other night and was nice enough to shoot us this wonderful photo ( Thanks Frank! ). I really like the design of this thing. The "Original Comic Book Art" motif is very cool! It seems like clothing with the Dark Knight is getting very popular and being sold almost everywhere, that's great! If any other BAT-BLOG Readers out there ( that includes YOU ) spot ANY brand-new Batman Merchandise anywhere then please let us know.

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!

FREE BATMAN ROBIN and BATGIRL WALLPAPERS - The Silver Age of Comics

It's time again Boys and Girls for Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday! Yes, this week I thought we could celebrate the "Silver Age of Comics"! These 2 Free BATMAN WALLPAPERS were made from hi-res scans of a few vintage comic book covers. They both feature the Dynamic Duo and one even has Batgirl.