BATMAN DAY

Happy Batman Day! Four years ago, DC Entertainment organized a special day promoting their most popular comic book character's 75th anniversary with freebies and special deals from partnering retailers.  That celebration of the Caped Crusader has become an annual event, but this year's festivities have a new twist to them...everyone's favorite villainous Harley Quinn has taken it over!

2017 marks the Clown Princess of Crime's 25th birthday.  Harley Quinn's character was first introduced in 1992 when she debuted on Batman: The Animated Series.  Her role in the DC Universe has expanded since her introduction in that animated television show to include her own comic book, inclusion in video games including the Batman: Arkham series and a starring role in the Suicide Squad movie.  Harley Quinn has become a fan favorite in her own right.

FREE COMIC BOOKS

Stop by a participating comic book shop TODAY to pick up a FREE Harley Quinn Day comic book.  They are giving out 3 to choose from.  A DC Super Hero Girls comic for young readers, which I plan to take my daughter to go pick up, as well as reprints of Batman #16 and Harley Quinn #11 are also being given away.

DC Super Hero Girls Batman Day 2017 Special Edition #1 features a chapter of the upcoming all-ages original graphic novel DC Super Hero Girls: Out of the Bottle, starring Harley Quinn and written by Shea Fontana with art by Marcelo DiChiara and Agnes Garbowska and a cover by Yancey Labat.

Batman Day 2017 Special Edition #1 reprints Batman #16, the first chapter of "I Am Bane," written by Tom King with art by David Finch. This issue's cover art is by Ryan Sook and features Batman and Harley Quinn in an homage to The Dark Knight Returns #1. 

This issue also includes a new, three-page original story written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Bret Blevins.

Harley Quinn Batman Day 2017 Special Edition #1 reprints Harley Quinn #11, the first chapter of "Joker Loves Harley," written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by John Timms and a cover by Amanda Conner.

CLICK HERE to find a participating comic book shop, bookstore or library near you that is giving away these comic books.

ACTIVITY SHEETS

Enjoy Harley Quinn Day with FREE activity sheets, coloring pages and character masks you can download and print out from DC Entertainment.  Just CLICK HERE to get the 2017 Batman Day Activity Kit for yourself.

SPECIAL DEALS

Amazon.com has exclusive Harley Quinn sticker/t-shirt bundles available from Popfunk.

They also have some cool Batman sticker/t-shirt bundles available exclusively on Amazon.com from Popfunk.

In honor of Harley Quinn Day, Build-A-Bear is debuting today a plush animal based upon the character.  You can also get a Joker version to go along with your Clown Bear of Crime.

Experience the world of Batman playing the DC LEGENDS video game on your mobile device. Get exclusive Harley Quinn content today when you play the game!  DC LEGENDS  is available through Apple App Store and Android GooglePlay.

HARLEY QUINN DAY

In celebration of fan favorite villainous Harley Quinn's 25th birthday, DC Entertainment is basing their annual BATMAN DAY event on Saturday, September 23, 2017 around the Clown Princess of Crime.  Harley was introduced to the DC Universe in 1992 when the character debuted on Batman: The Animated Series.  Most recently, she played an important role in the movie Suicide Squad.  Over the last twenty-five years, Harley Quinn has also been featured in comic books, clothing, toys, and video games making her one of DC Entertainment's most popular characters.

Hot Toys is releasing some incredible Harley Quinn collectible sixth scale action figures based upon  Margot Robbie’s appearance in Suicide Squad.  Harley Quinn Day marks a nice opportunity to consider placing an order for one.  There are three varieties of these toys featuring the character's main movie costume along with versions in an orange prison jumpsuit and a dancer dress.

Hot Toys produces action figures like these in limited production runs with overall quantities based upon the preorders they receive from distributors like Sideshow Collectibles.  They fulfill the preorders received and produce a slightly higher number in which the excess are made available for retail sales.  Sometime the toys that are available through retail can sell out very quickly.  Preordering assures you of being able to get your hands on a Hot Toys products you absolutely want and not have to worry about it being sold out.

DC Comics Harley Quinn Dancer Dress Version DC Comics Sixth Scale Figure recreates the scene from Suicide Squad where the Joker introduces her as the Queen of Gotham City at a night club while she is pole dancing for the crowd.  This sixth scale figure features a hand painted head sculpted into an impressive likeness of Margot Robbie, a finely tailored fabric dancer dress, numerous pieces of jewelry, a metal chain, a dancing pole and a specially designed Suicide Squad themed figure stand with character backdrop.  The action figure has movie accurate facial expressions with detailed makeup, skin texture and tattoos.  It has over 30 points of articulation for posing and is approximately 29 cm tall with her high heals on.

DC Comics Harley Quinn Prisoner Version DC Comics Sixth Scale Figure portrays the character as she is in the lockup during the film wearing her prison jumpsuit.  This action figure has a newly developed specialized body with enhanced leg articulation to assist with mimicking Harley's sitting poses in these scenes from the movie.  It also features a finely tailored prison costume, a variety of accessories representing items she enjoyed as a "privileged" inmate, and a specially designed figure stand with character backdrop and a removable prison cell mattress.  The action figure is approximately 28.5 cm tall.

DC Comics Harley Quinn DC Comics Sixth Scale Figure represents Harley Quinn as she is primarily seen throughout the movie Suicide Squad.  This figure focuses on a moment in the film when Harley's laughing with a head sculpt capturing a Jokeresque expression.  It features a number of accessories including a baseball bat and pistol along with a very detailed replication of her outfit from the movie.  Harley also has a high level articulation as Hot Toys are known for just like the other two action figures.  The toy stands approximately 29 cm tall when wearing her high heals and comes with a Suicide Squad themed display stand.

Whether you are looking for a unique decoration for a home or office or want to spoil a child with the most incredibly detailed action figures they could possibly get, these Harley Quinn toys are sure to delight any fan of DC Entertainment's universe of super heroes and villains.  Don't miss out on getting one of these Harley Quinn action figures by Hot Toys from Sideshow Collectibles.

It Was The Wednesday Before Christmas & New Holiday Themed Comics Appeared On Store Shelves

I always enjoy stopping by a comic book shop on Wednesdays which is the day new weekly releases are placed on store shelves.  It is always a fun break to check out all the cover artwork and see what interesting stories are out.  With Christmas being just a few days away, it was nice to see publishers were still releasing a few holiday themed treats for consumers to enjoy:

KLAUS & THE WITCH OF WINTER -- Boom Studios

Klaus returns for an epic oversized one-shot, perfect for any comic fan's stocking! Brought to you by legendary creator Grant Morrison and 2016 Russ Manning Award winner Dan Mora, join the continuing adventures through space and time of the man that would become Santa Claus.

HARLEY QUINN -- DC Comics

Come spend the holidays with Harley in issue #10's collection of wintry short stories-just don't expect to make it to New Year's in one piece!

LUCIFER -- DC Comics

It's a LUCIFER holiday special! Forget coal-this nice 'n' naughty issue is your reward for a year of indulgent misdeeds with the devil. Writers Holly Black and Richard Kadrey team up to deliver a darkly festive and irreverent ode to the joy of seasonal sin and twisted Secret Santas.

X-FILE X-MAS SPECIAL 2016 -- IDW Publishing

When a school holiday pageant takes an extraterrestrial turn, Mulder must contend with old ghosts, present dangers, and close encounters yet to come. But this is no cookie-cutter Christmas Carol. Together with Scully, and a host of holiday visitors and visitations, they'll rediscover the spirit of the season... if they can only survive the night. Executive produced by The X-Files creator Chris Carter!

POWER MAN & IRON FIST SWEET CHRISTMAS ANNUAL -- Marvel

YOU BETTER NOT POUT, YOU BETTER NOT CRY! 'Cause you're getting an extra helping of POWER MAN AND IRON FIST! This Christmas will be sweet, indeed! But not for Luke Cage, who is feeling neither holly nor jolly. Surely Danny can change that! Or maybe these demonic toys will! Wait, demonic toys?! OH, NO!

Drink a glass of egg nog sitting by an open crackling fire while you appreciate the joy of reading a comic book during the Christmas holiday break.  Is there a favorite comic book that you like to pull out to read this time of year?

New Suicide Squad - Pure Insanity

Next year Warner Brothers is releasing the movie SUICIDE SQUAD which it hopes will play a big role in the studio creating a successful cinematic universe with multiple films tied together featuring a variety of DC Comics characters similar to what Disney has done with Marvel.  SUICIDE SQUAD is based on a comic book of the same name which has been an ongoing series with DC Comics since 1987.  The premise of the comic book and movie I guess could be summarized as the Dirty Dozen with super villains instead of military convicts.  Ever wonder what happens to the adversaries of Batman and Superman after the heroes have won the battle?  The U.S. government has created a secret program called Task Force X which takes incarcerated super villains and has them undertake high risk black ops missions in exchange for commuted prison sentences.  If anything goes wrong the U.S. government can deny any association with this team which has been given the nick name "Suicide Squad" and say these thugs were just acting out some criminal venture on their own.  So what keeps these bad guys from just escaping when they are out and about on missions?  Well each one has a bomb placed inside of them that can be detonated at anytime by their government handlers plus if someone tries to tamper or remove it will also go BOOM!

 

If you are interested in the upcoming movie and haven't read a SUICIDE SQUAD comic book before now may be a good time to jump in to check out the comic book series.  DC Comics has just released a compilation of the first eight issues of the New Suicide Squad titled New Suicide Squad Volume 1 - Pure Insanity.  You can pick up this graphic novel beginning July 21, 2015 at various local and online comic book retailers.

Here's the official synopsis for New Suicide Squad Volume 1 - Pure Insanity from DC Comics:

Setting the world’s most dangerous super-criminals against the most insidious threats to national security: that’s the idea behind the elite black-ops unit officially designated as Task Force X. It’s perfect…on paper.

But the real world rarely goes according to plan. Threats evolve. Teammates turn on each other. Blood and betrayals flow like rivers. And that’s why Task Force X is better known as the Suicide Squad.

Vic Sage aims to change the equation. Replacing Amanda Waller as the puppet-master of Suicide Squad’s motley crew, he’s introducing wild cards like Deathstroke and the Joker’s Daughter to whip the existing team-Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and Black Manta-into shape. But the world’s deadliest assassin and the Clown Princess of Crime have ideas of their own…and no explosive implants to keep them in line.

Can this new Suicide Squad survive-or will it implode before it even begins?

Find out in NEW SUICIDE SQUAD: PURE INSANITY, the first action-packed chapter of an all new Suicide Squad saga by writer Sean Ryan (BATMAN, SUICIDE SQUAD) and an elite squad of artists! Collects issues #1-8.

There have been various incarnations of the team throughout the years in the DC comic book title.  The characters in the upcoming movie which is arriving at theaters in the United States on August 5, 2016 resemble the cast from the "New 52" era of the comic book which ran from 2011- 2014 and featured the characters Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, El Diablo, Harley Quinn, and Killer Croc among others.  DC Comics rebooted the series though in September 2014 and renamed it "New Suicide Squad."  The premise is pretty much the same but the cast of characters has changed and these are the ones featured in the NEW SUICIDE SQUAD: PURE INSANITY comic book compilation.

Rick Flag who was a military special operations commando who led the Suicide Squad in the field on missions to keep the team on target with getting its missions accomplished has been replaced by a mercenary named Deathstroke.  Harley Quinn and Deadshot remain as established members of Task Force X and are joined by new additions Black Manta, Joker's Daughter, and Man-Bat.  Black Manta is one of my all time DC Comics villains so I was glad to see him added to the mix and the character really plays a big part in the new dynamic of the series.  Joker's Daughter is primarily meant to play off Harley Quinn to create some comedic situations and tension in story scripts based upon the two's Joker connection.  Joker's Daughter also ups the insanity level up another notch in the stories.  Man-Bat is like the red shirt uniformed guy or gal in Star Trek in that he's the minor character to kill off in the story.  In as much as Task Force X has released a fair share of minor villains back into society it has also killed off quite a few in the DC Comics continuity as well contributing to the name Suicide Squad.

In the first story arc of the New Suicide Squad stories that are featured in this graphic novel, the team is sent to steal the blue prints from Moscow of Russia's version of Iron Man ...

... and to do recon in China of that country's experiments to create Super Soldiers that would be a match for the Justice League or any other super hero in the world.

Rated T for audiences Teen and older, New Suicide Squad - Pure Insanity is 192 pages of violent mayhem. If you have ever wondered what the action would look like from the villain's perspective, here you go!

Do you have what it takes to be a professional comic book artist?

OK, I have to say up front that I don’t have any artistic talent, but if I did one of my dream jobs would be drawing comic books.  So if you have any artistic ability or know someone who would love the chance to work on comic book layouts for a living, you will definitely want to know about the Open Talent Search being held by DC COMICS.

They are asking for anybody with an interest to submit a 4 panel page based upon a script they provide for an upcoming Harley Quinn comic book.  Harley Quinn is the side-kick and girl friend to DC Comics infamous villain The Joker.  The contest kicked off with a little infamy itself with complaints from some public interest groups that the script promoted or glamorized suicide.  DC has issued an apology and said the script portrays a fantastic dream sequence and does not depict a real suicide. They have maintained the script as is for the contest with the questionable scene being that depicted in Panel 4 remaining in place.  Harley Quinn is a violent lunatic so suicide isn't that tough to believe for the character and doesn't seem that far off beat for a comic script involving the character though it may have been a little too edgy to include in a public contest like this. 

The winning entry will be included within the published on page 15 of the first edition of a new Harley Quinn series that begins in November with issue #0.  Best case scenario is this could open doors to a paying gig by winning this contest and worst case is you get a great portfolio piece or souvenir for yourself.

Check out all the contest and submission rules on the contest website:  www.dccomics.com/node/305151 . Than provide them your original artistic interpretation of what the four panels should look like from the provided script below on a single page:

PANEL 1
Harley is on top of a building, holding a large DETACHED cellphone tower in her hands as lightning is striking just about everywhere except her tower. She is looking at us like she cannot believe what she is doing. Beside herself. Not happy.

PANEL 2
Harley is sitting in an alligator pond, on a little island with a suit of raw chicken on, rolling her eyes like once again, she cannot believe where she has found herself. We see the alligators ignoring her.

PANEL 3
Harley is sitting in an open whale mouth, tickling the inside of the whale’s mouth with a feather. She is ecstatic and happy, like this is the most fun ever.

PANEL 4
Harley sitting naked in a bathtub with toasters, blow dryers, blenders, appliances all dangling above the bathtub and she has a cord that will release them all. We are watching the moment before the inevitable death. Her expression is one of “oh well, guess that’s it for me” and she has resigned herself to the moment that is going to happen.

The contest ends on Tuesday, October 1, 2013 at 10 am PDT so get those entries in.  If you win let us know too!  Good luck!!!

DC COMICS: Open Talent Search