In conjunction with the opening weekend of the new WONDER WOMAN movie's theatrical release, DC Entertainment will be partnering with book stores, comic book shops, libraries, and other venues to celebrate the Amazon Princess's 75th birthday on Saturday, June 3, 2017. Participating locations will be hosting themed activities and distributing free copies of two special edition comic book issues. WONDER WOMAN DAY SPECIAL EDITION #1 reprints DC Comics Universe's Rebirth Wonder Woman #1 written by Greg Rucka with artwork by Liam Sharp.
For young readers, DC SUPER HERO GIRLS WONDER WOMAN DAY: SPECIAL EDITION #1 will feature a chapter from the upcoming DC Super Hero Girls Vol. 3: Summer Olympus graphic novel written by Shea Fontana with art by Yancey Labat.
In addition to giving out these free comic books, DC Entertainment is also teaming up with an array of retail partners, including Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Walmart, Costco and Amazon for exclusive in-store and digital promotions to take place on WONDER WOMAN DAY. There will also be cross-divisional promotions taking place during the day by Warner Bros. (which owns DC Entertainment) various entities along with key partners such as Six Flags Theme Parks to spotlight the heroine. For more information about what is new with the Amazon Princess, visit her official Facebook page.
The Wonder Woman movie debuts in movie theaters on Friday, June 2, 2017. Starring Gal Gadot who returns as the title character who was introduced in Warner Bros Pictures' Batman vs Superman, this movie provides the backstory of how Wonder Woman became a super hero. The film also stars Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen and Elena Anaya. For more information about the movie, please visit wonderwomanfilm.com
The King is back! King Kong is returning as the focus of a motion picture next week in Kong: Skull Island which hits theaters everywhere March 10, 2017. I so want to go see this movie! How about you?
To share my excitement for this movie I've teamed up with The Hopping Bloggers to give one lucky winner an awesome prize pack worth over $60! Included in this package is:
Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures' "Kong: Skull Island" reimagines the origin of the mythic Kong in a compelling, original adventure from director Jordan Vogt-Roberts ("The Kings of Summer"). In the film, a diverse team of explorers is brought together to venture deep into an uncharted island in the Pacific - as beautiful as it is treacherous - unaware that they're crossing into the domain of the mythic Kong.
"Kong: Skull Island" stars Tom Hiddleston ("The Avengers," "Thor: The Dark World"), Samuel L. Jackson ("The Hateful Eight," "Avengers: Age of Ultron"), Oscar winner Brie Larson ("Room," "Trainwreck"), John Goodman ("Transformers: Age of Extinction," "Argo") and John C. Reilly ("Guardians of the Galaxy," "Step Brothers").
The legendary Kong is being brought to life at a whole new scale by Industrial Light & Magic, with two-time Oscar winner Stephen Rosenbaum ("Avatar," "Forrest Gump") serving as visual effects supervisor.
To fully immerse audiences in the mysterious Skull Island, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts and his cast and filmmaking team are filming across three continents over six months, capturing its primordial landscapes on Oahu, Hawaii - where filming commenced on October 2015 - on Australia's Gold Coast, and finally in Vietnam, where filming will take place across multiple locations, some of which have never before been seen on film.
For fans of DC Comics super heroes, 2013's INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US from NetherRealm Studios is one of the most action packed and immersive video game experiences to date allowing players to engage in combative competitions featuring these characters. Similar to the dream sequence shown in the recent Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice movie this fighting game also has Batman battling Superman in a dystopian future INJUSTICE takes place in an alternate reality from the primary DC Comics fictional universe where the Joker has tricked Superman into killing Lois Lane and their unborn child. Fueled with grief, Superman becomes a dictator over the world ruling the planet as its High Councillor imposing his will over all of subjected humanity. Batman doesn't let this go on without a challenge and leads a resistance that also includes Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman. I've spent a lot of hours having fun playing this game on my PlayStation 4 and its mobile version on my iPad so it was exciting to find out that a new and improved sequel will be arriving in 2017.
Available for Playstation 4 and Xbox One, INJUSTICE 2 will feature a massive roster of Super Heroes and Super Villains allowing players to create the ultimate version of their favorite DC Comics characters personalizing them with unique and powerful gear that can be earned throughout the game. INJUSTICE 2 will allow gamers to take control of how their characters look, fight, and develop through a variety of game modes. The game will continue the cinematic story introduced in INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US as Batman and his allies work to putting the pieces of society back together while struggling against those who want to restore Superman's regime. In the midst of this chaos, a new threat appears that will put Earth's existence at risk.
To get INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US fans excited about the upcoming sequel, players of the mobile app version of the original video game can now unlock INJUSTICE 2 versions of Superman and Aquaman through its in-game Challenge Modes. The mobile device version of the game is available as a free download on the App Store and Google Play. It does contain in-app purchases but casual games can enjoy the game without spending money as I've personally had a lot of fun playing it without buying any enhancements or power-ups.
My daughter had some allowance money she'd saved up burning a hole in her pocket to be spent and asked if we could go to Target so she could pick out a new toy to play with. She was really excited to discover in the toy aisle a new type of super hero action figures that cater specifically to the interests of young girls and began jumping up and down holding the toy box yelling out "Daddy can I buy it!" My little girl hasn't been particularly interested in super heroes because of the rough and tumble nature of many of the characters that includes a big focus on fighting bad guys while she herself has a more gentle side. On the other hand, my daughter finds the stylish appearance of the Super Girl action figure we brought home appealing and appreciates how the character's description puts a focus on utilizing her special abilities to solve problematic situations rather than engaging in fist a cuffs battle royal with evil villains.
The Super Girl toy my daughter bought with her allowance money is part of a new effort by DC Comics, a division of Warner Brothers, to get girls aged 6 to 12 genuinely interested in super heroes. Warner Brothers has created a multi-media / toy product lineup called DC Super Hero Girls featuring teenage versions of popular comic book characters hoping to build a young female fan base for the company's entertainment properties. The premise of DC Super Hero Girls is that age appropriate for young audiences versions of popular male and female comic book characters such as Bat Girl, Beast Boy, Cheetah, Flash, Harley Quinn, and Wonder Woman interact in light-hearted high school themed adventures. Warner Brothers has partnered with Mattel to create 6-inch action figures, like the one my daughter bought, as well as 12-inch action dolls depicting the DC Super Hero Girls that are currently available exclusively at Target. The toy line will be rolled out to other major retailers beginning later in 2016. Additionally, Warner Brothers has released a series of video shorts to tell the story of the DC Super Hero Girls that can be viewed for free at dcsuperherogirls.com website or on their youtube channel.
In addition to the toys, DC Super Hero Girls will also have an app for mobile devices, a Random House middle-grade reading level novel series, a television show on Turner Broadcasting System's Boomerang cable network, and graphic novels from DC Comics telling stories featuring these young ladies during their formative high school years as they begin to discover their full super power potential. At this point in their lives Harley Quinn isn't a villain but rather a mischievous class clown, Bat Girl is an A student technology whiz, Super Girl is the kind-hearted girl next door and Wonder Woman is the class president go-getter.
DC Comics will also be telling the Super Hero Girls story on Free Comic Book Day. They'll be giving out a special free issue on May 7, 2015 during this annual event at participating comic book shops. It will feature two stories from the upcoming graphic novel DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: FINAL CRISIS. In these stories it is
the day before finals...and nothing
is going right for the girls. These stories show how the DC Super Hero Girls find out that fun, friendship and hard work are all part of growing up!
DC Super Hero Girls encourage young ladies to get their capes on! As a dad I like that DC Super Hero Girls promote that super heroes aren't just a genre for the boys to enjoy plus provides the message that girls don't have to choose between being strong or feminine as they can be both. So DC Super Hero Girls gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval.
Though I know it's make believe, I've always been interested in how tech, gadgets and vehicles would work within their fictional comic book, novel and movie universes. I have a shelf filled with books, blueprints and posters that contain concept art, layouts, schematics and drawings for the gadgets, vehicles and weapons used in some of my favorite Sci-Fi movies. So it would probably be an understatement to say I was geeked to find out that DC Comics is publishing a book tied to the upcoming Warner Brothers's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice that promises to be a Tech Manual for the cool props that we'll be seeing in the movie. Batman is all about his gadgets and you know he will have an all new bat-suit, bat-mobile, bat-wing, and enough other tools and weapons to fill up a book, but the publisher also promises to have other interesting tidbits included as well including info on some of the Kryptonian tech used by Superman and the Amazonian weapons used by Wonder Woman.
Batman’s
tech has been reimagined and reinvigorated in Batman v Superman: Dawn
of Justice, the new blockbuster from director Zack Snyder releasing in
March 2016. This book takes an exclusive, in-depth look at Batman’s
arsenal, vehicles, Batsuits, and the iconic Batcave. The new Batmobile
design is explored from first concept sketch, through detailed
blueprints, all the way to the physical construction of the vehicle
itself.
"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Tech Manual" is a definitive guide
to the weaponry and props created for the movie. It closely examines the
Utility Belt, the Batwing, grappling hook and batarang. Everything in
the Batcave is explored down to the construction of the set and the
graphics from Bruce Wayne’s mainframe. This official volume also goes
deeper in to the world of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," showcasing
Superman’s Kryptonian suit and Wonder Woman’s iconic weaponry.
The official companion book to the new movie, "Batman v Superman: Dawn
of Justice Tech Manual," features interviews with concept artists, the
film’s weapon’s master, the mechanic for the Batmobile, and Zack Snyder
himself.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice arrives in theaters across the United States on March 25, 2016 a few days after the Tech Manual hits store shelves. Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City's own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis' most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it's ever known before.
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!
The King is back! King Kong is returning as the focus of a motion picture next week in Kong: Skull Island which hits theaters everywhere March 10, 2017. I so want to go see this movie! How about you?
