The first full-length trailer for The Dark Knight Rises has been released by Warner Bros. and you can now tune it (and download it) from iTunes.

Scheduled for release in theaters July 2012, The Dark Knight Rises has seen quite an extensive promotional campaign and anyone that went out and caught the IMAX version of Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol were treated to an eight-minute prologue to the film. [That prologue was part of a bigger digital campaign for Mission: Impossible and helped draw big healthy business over the weekend.]

If you’re one the masses that does not use iTunes, we got you covered with the trailer for The Dark Knight Rises below, courtesy of Apple.

The Dark Knight Rises also stars Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Josh Pence, Daniel Sunjata, Diego Klattenhoff, Burn Gorman, Nestor Carbonell, Alon Aboutboul, Matthew Modine, Tom Conti, Brett Cullen, Chris Ellis and Joey King.

LaTwan Holland was a writer for a local under ground newspaper, The Spinner Rack that covered comics, video games, anime and related movies and is currently the Producer of the DIRECT EDITION. To find out the latest that’s happening with LaTwan and the Direct Edition check them out at the DIRECT EDITION podcast, blog and you tube site.

People like first issues (and surprises):

Yes, that’s true. I have three issues of Spawn #1 to bear this out. First issues allow you to get in on the ground floor of things. Of course, most folks will always want to get in on no-brainers such as Batman #1 but what it really did and should be is help you find new characters and creators. Of all 52 titles initially released, I’d have ranked Animal Man very low on my “BUY” list. WRONG! Oh, how wrong I was. Having read Animal Man 1 & 2, it is a comic you deserve to be reading. It is smart, well-drawn and has a plot that dares the reader to not follow-up. The true success of Animal Man was that not only did it make me add the title to my pull list but it made me seek out other things by AM writer Jeff Lemire such as Sweet Tooth and Essex County and I’m glad DC opened that particular door.

People (me) don’t like it when you Yoga-tize a smart, capable woman of color who was OK with not being rail-thin:

DC, you’d better bring back my capable, fat, black Amanda Waller who scares Batman and reminds me of my own mother.

Do it NOW.

DC, whenever you would massively screw something up, I could always point to Amanda Waller as the one thing you’d gotten right from the get-go and kept it right. From her first appearance on, I always loved that Amanda Waller had no problem with who she was. She was a short, fat black woman who through years of hardship and hard work, earned the right to be whoever she damned well pleased. I appreciated that in at least one instance in the DC Universe, someone had thrown out the cookie cutter and asked of the artist to draw what needed to be seen. Let Amanda Waller eat again, DC.

People, nailing a face to a wall doesn’t say, “Detective:”

In Detective Comics #1, the end comes with a fairly well-known Batman antagonist having his face nailed to a wall. Maybe it’s just me but this plays more as “Saw” Comics than “Detective” comics. For a better use of the “detective” theme, see Batman #1.

People (Men) don’t draw women like ladies:

Having read Catwoman #1, I can see what others have been going on about. Yes, when you see Catwoman for the first time you may think, “Wow, the new Catwoman comes with less head,” due to the artist’s drawing her as a flashing series of ass and boob shots before we even see her face two pages later culminating in a four page sex scene where she gets her fratboy on and pretty much sexually assaults Batman. This scene is gratuitous and does not honor the characters at all. They deserve better and as I read this issue, all I could think was,“ When did Catwoman become “Crazy Nasty Ass Honey Badger?” Get it together, guys. Everyone deserves better.

That said, what did YOU take away from DC’s 52 #1?

With countless photos pouring in from the weekend of shooting of The Dark Knight Rises, fans can finally get their clearest look at Anne Hathaway in costume as Catwoman.

Certainly appears to marry elements of Darwyn Cooke’s Catwoman costume, as well as a nod to the 60′s Batman series with the mask and cat ears. Too bad Anne Hathaway’s still playing her, though.

Nothing says gritty quite like the opening pages of Detective Comics #1, which features a naked Joker stabbing the hell out of a man who purports himself to be one of his biggest fans, clearly evidenced by the fact that he’s wearing a mask made out of skin, ala Leatherface! It’s all delightfully gruesome, as we’re reintroduced to the Clown Prince of Crime, as well as the Caped Crusader.

What makes this issue work so well is that, unlike titles like Justice League, which will probably spent the next two or three issues introducing all the characters to one another in the most forced and contrived ways possible, all Detective Comics has to do is focus on establishing Batman, which is done rather efficiently. What we have here is a first issue where stuff actually happens. Even with the story arc destined to span multiple issue, it’s balanced with some sense of a beginning, middle, and end to the one issue. Batman is obsessed with catching the Joker, and it’s made quite clear that for one, cops don’t like him, and two, this is a Batman that seems to genuinely regret not having a normal life. Missing out on dating seems to genuinely affect him. There seems to be less focus on him putting on a billionaire playboy front, choosing to portray him as someone frustrated that he doesn’t have enough time to be Bruce Wayne and he really wants to be. It’s impressive how well Tony Daniel illustrates this without over-selling it. It’s played more as something for readers to merely keep in the back of their minds, while the main story is going on.

And part of the story is establishing Batman’s relationship with Commissioner Gordon. De-aged to his ginger state, Gordon is still a man who believes in what Batman is trying to do, but makes it clear that it’s a balancing act for him, having to play to the loyalties of his police force, as well as thinking about the Mayor’s political interests. Both characters are still trying to prove themselves to one another, and it’s an aspect of the book I’m very much looking forward to.

Art-wise, it’s amazing to see just how much Tony Daniel has evolved (and continues to evolve) as an artist. For someone I honestly believed would be little more than a poor man’s J. Scott Campbell (and this was even before coming out with his “poor man’s Danger Girl” title, F5!), he’s managed to truly come into his own in the past few years. It’s a more restrained style that doesn’t skimp on the detail, grit and grime, that perfectly fits Batman. To say nothing of nods to the art of Dave Mazzucchelli and Dark Knight Returns-era Frank Miller that are present, but never overbearing.

While I’m still on the fence regarding DC’s bold relaunch, I’m more than happy to support the good books that come as a result, and Detective Comics is leading the pack at the moment.

Verdict: A-

Within a week, everything you know about DC Comics will change. The Batgirl you did or didn’t grow up with could potentially become someone else’s favorite character.

The familiar red and blue image of Superman becomes a little red as DC Comics has, in a move that could very well be seen as the ultimate form of symbolism or cynicism, taken down Superman’s red underwear, exposing him to the greater world.

Your favorite team or character may not have made the final cut of  the new 52 titles to be launched in September. Secret Six or Power Girl? Well… you’ll always have the memories. The actual issues, as well. Well, as long as you haven’t shredded them up or mailed them back to DC in some form of protest. Memories, like the physical comics, are yours to do with as you please.

Personally, I’m kind of excited for this. I want to be surprised and yes, DC has surprised me very much over the last three months. More importantly, they’ve managed to keep my interest in all 52 titles over three month’s time. Am I interested in all 52 titles? No, but I can say this. Over the past few weeks, as more news and images have been shown, I’ve truly gotten the sense that DC is trying and that’s something I can’t necessarily say I’ve seen them do in a good long while. There’s a sort of manic energy going on here that I sort of appreciate. Is every title worthy of even being looked at? Certainly not but there are gems out there to be had.

Stormwatch, a comic written by Doctor Who tv series writer Paul Cornell has a cold and dour Martian Manhunter owing very much to the Manhunter of the Justice League Unlimited cartoon series essentially taking over  Wildstorm’s The Authority, the book that put writers Warren Ellis and Mark Millar on the map. The Martian Manhunter not only has access to arguably The 21^st Century’s first superhero team but he has access to The Bleed, a universe within itself that allows its users to bend space and time to their will. If you’re a longtime DC Comics fan and that doesn’t excite and scare you a bit, you’re somewhat in the wrong place.

This couldn’t have been possible if someone, somewhere hadn’t asked questions and seen possibilities. Imagine if someone hadn’t said, “Maybe Superman should fly.”

This is a chance. This is a chance for rediscovery. This is possibility amidst the very much known. We know Superman and no one can take that away from us and no one’s trying to do so. This is change, plain and simple. I welcome it. And yes, I’ll miss Wally West just as much as anyone will.

The truths of comics are simple ones. We know them inside and out.

The rocket from Krypton will always land in a Kansas cornfield.

A young boy will weep gently to himself while kneeling in a pool of his parents’ blood.

A baby girl will be born and be held up as the greatest of the gods’ gifts.

This is canon.

This is truth.

Everything else is simply story.

Enjoy.

There’s been a lot of news coming out with the filming of The Dark Knight Rises, and we’ve all seen quite a bit of footage that some of us would consider spoiler-ish. It’s almost strange that so much is being seen by the public, definitely moreso than either of the previous films. And with all the filming and set pics we’ve been privy to, it seems we’ve already seen a new transformation for Batman’s primary vehicle, the tumbler, which will now be able to fly. Admittedly, I’ve never liked the vehicle. I understand it from a conceptual standpoint, but in terms of execution, it’s profoundly destructive!!! Say what you want about the Joker blowing up a hospital, but it’s hard to overlook the handful of cop cars Batman’s ride has pancaked (with cops still in them!!!), or caused to crash spectacularly, the rooftops that were torn to shreds, oh yeah, and lest we forget the total destruction of Gotham’s primary source of public transportation! Even after being totaled after deflecting a rocket, Bats still had an ace in the hole . . . the Batpod!!! A suped-up motorcycle ejecting from the tumbler, and doing almost as much property damage, mostly in the form of exploding cars (a number of them even explode in front of children!!).

But getting back to the vehicle’s latest metamorphosis, it’s become painfully obvious what the inspiration for this Cuisinart of Conveyance must have been . . . .

And ya know what, C. Nolez? I ain’t mad at’cha! ‘Cause back when I was young and naive, and foolish enough to believe in the cockimamy idea of “the power of imagination”, I often times had to make due with crumpled up pieces of paper, and imagine that they were high-tech super vehicles. See, while my parents were more than happy to shell out three bucks a pop for action figures, they drew the line at whatever vehicles I wanted to put those action figures in! “If it ain’t Christmas, or your birthday, you ain’t gettin’ that shit!!!” See, I wasn’t like some o’ y’all young whipper-snappers today! I had to earn my toys, dammit!!!

In short, the underlying theme of The Dark Knight Rises . . . value your toys children!!! ‘Cause you could just be playing with crumpled up paper, and y’all ain’t built for that kind of childhood disappointment!

PCS Villain, Colt 45 running across the bay

Recently, Sony Online Entertainment brought PopCultureShock to tour the SOE Studio in Austin, Texas where they’ve put a tremendous effort in creating the much-anticipated DC Universe Online game. After a tour of the office and a debriefing of the game’s inception, creative process, and breakdown of the main elements of the game, I got to spend a few hours exploring the game in Beta, and what follows are my first impressions of the game. Click on images to enlarge

Harley Quinn guards the Joker Suit

DCU Online is not a pure MMO, at least not in what longtime MMO-ers are used to; it’s more of a hybrid of a few game types mixed together. There’s a little real-time strategy, a little bit of RPG, and all of it is encompassed in this MMO world. It’s heavy on the combat and logistically so because DCU Online is getting a simultaneous launch on the PS3 and PCs. Because of the amount of combat that’s involved, I found the PS3 Dualshock controller to be much more natural when dishing out combos and making changes on the fly. I played on a PC, but played with a Dualshock controller after quickly ditching the keyboard route.

Custom Make it Your Own

For those that don’t know, DCU Online has always been about a custom hero that you bring to the table. One of the early misconceptions is that you’d be able to play the classic DCU heroes and villains for an entire campaign, but not so. It’s possible to play a few dozen of them in alert missions, and you can tailor make your character to look like and act like your favorites, but it’s better to make it your own, no? Well you have that choice, regardless. You create a character that exists in the DCU, and you choose to be male or female; design your build and stature including both the look and abilities/powers; and live out the fantasy of a hero or villain. Those choosing the heroic path get to pick one of DC’s classic Trinity: Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman as their mentor, while those who decide the villainous route get to choose from their arch enemies in Lex Luthor, Joker, or Circe.

One of Gotham's finest getting the beat down, or with the red flashing, is it me who is getting beat down?

The name I chose for my super villain was Colt 45. (The creative juices were flowing a little slow that day and I’ll blame it on traveling eastward.) It’s so easy to make a character with the powers you always wanted as a kid, and so I did. I had to go for super speed (I love the Flash and ran track) and had to have sorcery powers because I wanted to see the visuals of comic book magic. Besides super speed, flight and acrobatics are the additional choices in terms of traveling. Given my limited time with the game, the ability to cover a large amount of area in a short time was a luxury I considered heavily.

Other core powers include: gadgets, fire, ice, nature, and mental while even more staple powers can be unlocked and added to your utility belt. You can pick your personality, which you can see in your character’s saunter or posture when you leave your character idle (I chose flirty), fighting style (martial arts), and then the costume. I knew that I could have spent hours just on costumes so I patterned my look after Deathstroke, and then tweaked the colors. You can pick the color for each piece of the costume or you can pick from several three-color palettes that can be helpful in shortcutting this part of the creation. In the end Colt 45 looked a little more early 90’s comics than I ever intended but I think gamers and comic fans alike, are going to love making multiple characters. After about 25 minutes of creating my character, I just wanted to jump into the action but it’s easy to spend an eternity in character creation.

Running down a building

No matter what combination you choose, each campaign starts off in Braniac’s ship where you have to escape out of. Here you’ll get a tutorial and get your feet wet while coming to grips with the controls. Once you exit, you get brought to one of two worlds. All villains and techies go to Gotham. Everyone else is sent to Metropolis to start. Shown here are both images from Gotham, Metropolis and the Legion of Doom and you’ll get a taste of some of the massive worlds created by the design team.

The Dashboard

In Gotham or Metropolis, your mentor will list out your goals to the bottom right of the screen; your map is in the upper right corner; your customized utility and abilities “belt” lies at the bottom center while the health and magic/powers bar is at the familiar upper left. None of the Heads Up Display is overwhelming or covers up the action, just make sure you’re playing with a widscreen set.

A different view of running on water; up close and behind

Feeling the Need, the Need for Speed

I loved playing with a character with super speed. The blur and lightning visuals in combination with the sounds of the Speed Force were awesome as seen in the screen caps. Being able to run up and down buildings was a trip. Camera movement and angles were fluid and it gives you unlimited access to Gotham City and Metropolis. Because I just had to, I ran across the Metropolis Bay, and when I stopped in the middle, I plopped right in and began treading water.

This is not an endorsement for the super speed route for travel powers. When creating my villain, I was torn on choosing flight or super speed. While it’s possible to unlock flight, you just don’t command it like you do if it is one of your main abilities. In speaking with the other journalists, the acrobatics route is apparently a lot of fun too and very intuitive. After about three straight hours of super speed though I can tell you, I had to take a break for my eyes. I was a bit too enthusiastic travelling and fighting in super speed mode, but luckily it’s very simple to toggle that on or off.

The sorcery powers added another level to the combat not normally seen in comic book console games. I could levitate detectives in the distance and knock them out in the middle of the air before they could set their feet down. I could cast spells and make Gotham City Police Department’s finest think they’re on fire. More time would have unlocked even cooler skills for sure.

One of the more exciting parts of the game is leveling up. Whenever I got a notification of a level up or an item grab, I’d race to see what exactly I could add to my fighting or grow my powers tree. The more combos you unlock and learn, the quicker you can get through battles.

When you level up, you get a chance to upgrade your fighting abilities, or your superpower. Also any items you pick up along the way or buy are added to your costume or arsenal on the fly. Because it’s an MMO, I was repeatedly reminded that there is no pause button, so if you want to make a change you can fly up to the top of a building and make the necessary changes.

Another suit in the Legion of Doom to unlock guarded by Mr. Freeze

The Verdict So Far

Essentially, you’re playing to get through 30 levels, the current cap, which amounts to roughly 40 hours of play. My propensity to explore everything would probably extend that period of time. But then the fun really begins because you can then enter the PvP mode where you get to interact with other players. Each month new missions and new worlds are being added to the game, potentially making the game as endless as your favorite monthly comics. There are battle suits (from actual stories) to unlock and use, several skill challenges and missions where you’ll need to team up with others online. For instance, we were shown an Alert Mission that transports you to Smallville where you take on Doomsday and fight beside the Justice League.

Gameplay is extremely smooth. There’s no jerking or staggering in battles, even when there’s as many as 15-20 characters on the screen. I also found no glaring glitches or noticeable areas where the game feels underdeveloped or needing more. The game is so close to completion and understandably, the delays have hurt the buzz, but it’s only because they are taking the time to put the detail that will overwhelm the most ardent DC Comics fan and gamer.

Voice acting for instance is one of the finishing touches needed to complete the game. Kevin Conroy is recording for Batman and Mark Hamill reprises his familiar role as The Joker. Other voices include Summer Glau (Supergirl), Adam Baldwin (Superman), James Marsters (Lex Luthor), Michelle Forbes (Circe), Diedrich Bader (Solomon Grundy), Gina Torres (Wonder Woman), Powers Boothe (Gorilla Grodd), Dwight Schultz (Flash-Barry Allen), Wil Wheaton (Robin-Tim Drake), Tony Todd (Darkseid, Kevin Michael Richardson (Clayface) and Robert Patrick (Hawkman).

The streets of Gotham City

In trying to describe the experience, I’ll compare it to other games I’ve played. The combat is reminiscent of God of War or Batman: Arkham Asylum only with no cut sequences or stoppage of play; just fast, live, and seamless action. It can be intense, relentless, and button-mashing will be mandatory. The mentorship missions remind me of Grand Theft Auto, where you slowly gain skills and experience as you rise through the ranks of becoming a villain, or by doing accumulative acts of heroism. Bribing rookie GCPD cops or strapping bombs to their squad cars may not appeal to everyone, but that’s why you can put a stop to Gorilla Grodd and his apes.

The cities and environments are immersive and overwhelming at first glance. You can go to the Daily Planet, or Metropolis Stadium. The Batcave has the penny, the T-Rex, the Batmobile and a bunch of bats flying around. Comic readers will geek out interacting with artifacts and places that they’ve only read about. One thing I really enjoyed about DCU Online was that the learning curve was small but still presented a challenge. I felt I could come in, drop an hour or two whenever I wanted and not feel like I had to put in several hours at a time on each campaign to feel some sense of accomplishment.

A penthouse view of the Metropolis Bay.

Hardcore gamers may wonder how much they’ll enjoy this game, and I can’t answer that based on what it is each person is expecting out of the game. There’s plenty to see and do, that much I do know. What I can do is let you know what my perspective is on MMO’s, games and comics and how DCU Online fits in with that.

I came in with an open mind and a broad gaming experience, skepticism on paying a monthly fee for a game, and a long love and knowledge of comics. Though I am a console gamer and spend countless hours on my PS3, no MMO has made this comics fan take the plunge so far. I was not just thoroughly entertained with DCU Online; I’m brainstorming ways to shift my monthly disposable income around to accommodate playing this game in the winter. The DC Universe is a world I’m familiar with, unlike World of Warcraft or Everquest. I invest in a portion of the DCU each week in the comics I buy and that’s truly what the draw is for me with DCU Online: the characters, the universe and the license. The fact that the game delivers on multiple fronts is a bonus in my mind.

Hopefully my impressions keep the anticipation high for those waiting for DCU Online, which is now scheduled for early 2011 release. But if this wasn’t enough, throughout November and December we’re going to continue covering the game through to the release date. Check back here for screen shots and videos, an exclusive interview with DCU Online Senior Producer, Wes Yanagi, and a detailed tour of the SOE Austin Studios. We enjoyed what we learned at DC University and think comic fans and gamers alike may want to consider enrolling when Spring Semester arrives.

A glimpse of the massive Metropolis. In the distant skies is one of Braniac's ships

Batman fans can rest easy knowing that the franchise is staying in the hands of a pro in what may just yet be the Dark Knight’s most harrowing adventure on the big screen.

BURBANK, Calif., February 23, 2010 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group announced today the acquisition of a majority stake in Rocksteady Studios, a privately held developer of interactive entertainment targeted at teens and adults, continuing Warner Bros.’ pattern as one of the industry’s fastest growing games publishers.

“We are delighted to be deepening our relationship with London-based Rocksteady Studios, one of the UK’s most respected games developers and 2009 recipient of the VGA’s coveted ‘studio of the year’ award,” said Josh Berger, president and managing director, Warner Bros. UK. “Rocksteady clearly has the talent, expertise and technology to make great games and we are fortunate to continue working closely with them as we further expand our games portfolio.”

Where do they get those wonderful toys, you ask? INTERNET!

Where in the world is Bruce Wayne? Or, to be more accurate, when in the world is Bruce Wayne?

It has been nearly a year since comic book readers last saw Wayne, better known to most as the original Batman. While battling a god-like villain named Darkseid during DC Comics’ Final Crisis series, Batman was hit by an energy beam that sent him hurling out of control to an unknown place in time. Bruce Wayne hasn’t been seen or heard from since. Until now.

In 2010, DC Comics will launch a new series created and written by legendary comic book scribe Grant Morrison. Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne finds the original Batman trying to reclaim his memory, his identity and his proper place in time and space. The series marks the return of one of comic book’s most iconic characters and, Morrison says, begins an important new chapter in a complex series of Batman stories that the author has been developing and intertwining over the past five years.

Morrison recently took time with USA TODAY’s John Geddes to answer questions about the upcoming series and provide some insight and hints about where the story will lead.

Q: In Final Crisis, the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, is hit by the Omega Beam during a battle with the villain Darkseid. This beam sends Wayne spinning into the unknown, cast off into the time stream. He is thought to be dead by both friends and enemies. In the aftermath, the role of Batman is assumed by the original Robin, Dick Grayson, and the role of Robin is assumed by Bruce Wayne’s son, Damian. What else should readers know as a lead-in to The Return of Bruce Wayne?

A: Could there possibly be anything else to know after that masterful summing-up?

To be honest, I don’t think readers need to know even that much in order to enjoy Return. Although it’s also the latest chapter in the long-running, “definitive” Batman epic I’ve been trying to pull off since 2005, Return has been structured and written to read as a complete story on its own — everything a new reader needs to know will be in the pages of the book itself. Read all the graphic novel collections together, however, and a much bigger, more complex and involving story will emerge.

Return is a fairly intricate time-travel story in which the world’s greatest hero, the optimum man, is up against the supreme challenge to his ingenuity and skill. How does Batman get out of the ultimate trap? It has a mystery and an apocalyptic countdown going on, there are some major twists and reveals, and it sets up big changes to the Batman universe status quo.

Q: It’s my understanding that Return will follow Bruce Wayne through different eras as he makes his way — presumably — back to the modern day. Any hints on which eras we might see Bruce exploring in his quest to find his proper place in time?

A: The first episode is set in the Late-Paleolithic Era, the second is in Pilgrim-era Gotham Village, and we also get to see Gotham in Western or noir style.

Each of the stories is a twist on a different “pulp hero” genre — so there’s the caveman story, the witchhunter/Puritan adventurer thing, the pirate Batman, the cowboy, the P.I. — as a nod toward those mad old 1950s comics with Caveman Batman and Viking Batman adventures. It’s Bruce Wayne’s ultimate challenge — Batman vs. history itself!

I’ve tried to thoroughly research each time period so that the stories work not only as at least fairly plausible reconstructions of life in the real 17th or 19th centuries but also as romanticized “pulp” versions too, while at the same time referencing the more extravagant history of the fictional DC Comics Universe in the background.

Q: How many issues are planned for The Return of Bruce Wayne series?

A: There are six issues of Return. The first one’s 38 pages long, the rest are 30.

Q: Without giving away any spoilers, how will/would the return of Bruce Wayne to the present day affect the dynamic of the current Batman & Robin duo? Might we see Damian Wayne develop into a new character?

A: As I mentioned above, the status quo of the Batman universe will be changed completely after this book. This is the beginning of a new and different take on the idea of Batman as we approach the 010s — the latest of these ever more fleeting and flimsy modern decades!

Q: There are certain readers out there who will undoubtedly complain about yet another rebirth or reincarnation of a famous comic book character. What about Return is going to be different from these past stories in which iconic characters have been brought back to life?

A: As we saw at the end of the Final Crisis book, Bruce Wayne was never dead, only AWOL, so this was never a literal “back to life” story. And I like to think the series will have a wider general appeal than some of the continuity driven “death and rebirth”-type stories we’ve seen before.

This is more for me about putting Batman/Bruce Wayne through my own, and my collaborators’ version, of the ultimate test of who and what he is. So far I’ve had him overcome the Devil, Madness and Death; now we see him, truly lost, amnesiac, and stripped down to basic human survival mode in some extremely hostile environments and unfamiliar situations. He’s the best fighter in his world, he’s one of the smartest and most driven men who ever lived, but we’ve seen him outwit the Joker 10,000 times. This was a way of taking the character off the grid, as they say, and reminding readers what kind of man he is and what he’s capable of. If you wonder why Batman is so cool — here’s why Batman is so cool.

This is an attempt to look at a very familiar character from some unusual angles. And it’s about Bruce and who he is — I want to remind people how the man and the mask are inseparable parts of a terrifying whole.

Q: You’re a writer who has never been afraid to experiment with storylines involving major characters. What are some of the challenges you face when developing stories specific to such a high-profile character as Batman/Bruce Wayne?

A: The challenge is to keep everything familiar while making what appear to be far-reaching changes and having characters react as if those changes are permanent!

Batman needs to be eternally young, renewed like some pagan Fertility King to suit the changing tastes of his audience in each fresh generation. Batman can never grow old or die — and stories, no matter how good, which depict these events cannot be considered “canon.” Batman was born in 1939 and would now be a sprightly 70-year-old if he aged like the rest of us. The “real” Batman, however, enjoys godlike immortality and must always be 30-ish moneyed orphan, Bruce Wayne, who dresses as a bat to fight crime. The trick is to tell stories which expand the limits of how far you can go and still maintain the integrity of the basic idea. And everything has to be done with the knowledge and understanding that I — as the current writer — am only a tiny link in a long chain of all the people who already have or will one day tell stories about Batman.

Q: Your writing for Batman over the years has seen you interpret the character through a variety of lenses (a Zen-warrior, a darkly philosophical detective, the traditional hero, etc.) With Return, what type of Bruce Wayne are we going to see?

A: All the elements that make up this great pop icon will be upfront — his intellect, his detective skills, his martial arts abilities, his heroism and compassion and grit. His chiseled cheekbones! In this series, in particular, he represents us, humanity, at our very best and most resourceful. And, in the first issue, we get to see the many advantages ninja training has over the traditional caveman grunt-and-lunge technique.

Batman’s story begins with Bruce Wayne, kneeling by the bodies of his murdered mom and dad. To me, at the most basic root of Batman is the story of the ultimate survivor. The Return of Bruce Wayne— a title that becomes increasingly ominous as the story progresses — puts that aspect of Batman under the microscope.

Q: Themes play such a huge role in most, if not all, of your writing. Is there an overarching theme running throughout the story of Return?

A: Survival. Not only the physical survival of our hero but the survival through time of memories, grudges, artifacts, ideas. What persists? What endures?

Q: Over the years, you’ve been involved with some of the most well-known and beloved characters out there — Batman, Superman, JLA, X-Men and Fantastic Four, just to name a few. Are there other iconic comic characters you’d like to reinterpret or for whom you’d like to develop storylines?

A. I’m very happy with the take on the Captain Marvel/Shazam universe that appears as part of the upcoming Multiversity series of books, but that’s it for the moment. Along with Geoff Johns and Marv Wolfman, I’m part of the consulting team at DC Entertainment involved in rethinking some of DC’s big characters for the screen. So between that and the comics, I think I’ve had my say on just about every comic book character I’ve ever had any interest in.

Q: Who else comprises the creative team attached to Return? Can you speak about how it’s been to work with this team?

A: I haven’t seen any of the art yet. The book launches in the summer and each issue is drawn by a different artist, so that side of it has barely got underway. I know Chris Sprouse is penciling the first one, so I’m fairly confident it’ll be the best comic set in the Late Paleolithic Era that you’ll have seen for a very long time. I’m a huge fan of Chris’ work, so I’m keen to see what he’s done. I think Frazer Irving might do the second one, cementing his reputation as the comic world’s most prominent Puritan Goth Adventure artist.

Q: Aside from Return, what new work can readers look forward to from Grant Morrison in 2010?

A: Mostly Batman work — I’m doing at least another year of stories with Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne in the Batman and Robin book before that book starts to dovetail with Return and we rush headlong and screaming into the next big, earth-shattering, game-changing twist in the life of Batman.

I’m slowly working my way through the Multiversity sequence of books and loving it. I’ve set myself the task of making each issue the best superhero story I’ve ever written, so I’m growing them patiently and all together before I hand the scripts out to artists.

There’s also the Joe the Barbarian book with Sean Murphy, which starts in January at Vertigo and is my first new, creator-owned comic for a while.

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What do you think of the plans for bringing Bruce Wayne back into the fold? Let us know below. If your interest is piqued, be sure to check back soon! We’ll let you know as soon as you can pre-order the first issue of Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne.

In the meantime, check out all our Batman stuff.

Six years ago, a series of grisly murders rocked the city of Gotham. Despite the efforts of the police and the legendary Batman, the crimes remained unsolved, the victims unavenged.

Now, the killer has returned and Batman has been granted a chance at redemption. But the pursuit of a murderer unlike any he has ever faced leads Batman on a strange and unexpected path: a young girl, the fields of Vietnam, and ultimately to his own dark soul.

The time of the Harvest Breed has come, when the gates of Hell will be thrown open forever.

This excellent graphic novel, Batman Harvest Breed TPB, is just $16.15, so make sure to add it to your collection if you’re a fan of the Bat. You can find this and many other awesome horror titles on our Horror Month page.

Written by Brian Azzarello; Art by Phil Noto; Sketchbook material and variant cover by Rags Morales; Cover by JG Jones

Doc Savage returns to DC Comics…and comes face-to-fist with the Batman! Superstar scribe Brian Azzarello (100 BULLETS, JOKER) and the breathtaking art of Phil Noto combine to shine the first light on a shadowy new version of the DC Universe, where the thugs run rampant, corruption runs deep, and even heroes can’t be trusted! Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze, hates what he’s heard about the connections between a grisly murder and Gotham City’s violent new vigilante. But the Batman can’t abide do-gooders getting in his way…and his .45 just won’t stay in its holster!

Be here for this vital prologue to an upcoming 6-issue miniseries by Azzarello and Rags Morales (IDENTITY CRISIS), which will pull back the curtain to reveal the full width and breadth of DC’s new pulp-influenced universe. This special issue also features sketchbook material by Rags Morales that will show you just what you’re in for! You might think you’re ready – but you’re very, very wrong…

Format: FC, 56pg.
Price: $4.99

In the ‘Totally Insane’ FreeFlow Combat map, players’ will be tested to their fullest as scores of escaped lunatics bear down upon BATMAN as they make their escape through the asylum’s secure records facility. These fast-moving foes will challenge all but the most practiced players, with quick reactions and expert timing needed to fend off wave upon wave of insane inmates, bent on taking down the DARK KNIGHT. In the ‘Nocturnal Hunter’ Invisible Predator map, players take on a wholly different approach, practicing their predatory skills to remain in the shadows, utilizing the Arkham watchtowers and Batman’s arsenal of gadgets to gain the upper hand on The Joker’s army of goons patrolling below.

Video reviews for JSA #30, Superman #691, Flash: Rebirth #4, Hulk #14, Secret Warriors #7, Last Days of Animal Man #4, Wonder Woman #35, New Mutants #4, Batman: The Widening Gyre #1, Sinister Spider-Man #4, X-Force #18, Gotham City Sirens #3, Dark Wolverine #77, Avengers: Initiative #27,

Green Lantern #45 (BUY IT)
Blackest Night: Titans #1 (BUY IT)
Detective Comics #856 (BUY IT)
Batman & Robin #3 (SPLIT DECISION)
New Avengers #56 (WAIT FOR THE TRADE)
Gotham Sirens #3 (DIANA’S BOOK OF THE WEEK)
Batman: The Widening Gyre #1 (SHOLA’S BOOK OF THE WEEK)
Beta Ray Bill #3 (JON’S BOOK OF THE WEEK)
Diana’s Recaps (Last Days of Animal Man, Sinister Spider-Man, Dark X-Men: Beginnings)

Special thanks as always to Comic Smash for providing Diana’s books for review and Midtown Comics for providing Jon’s.

Already set to star in Jonah Hex in June 2010, and in Michael Turner’s Fathom in the same year, according to British Tabloid, The Sun reports the current “It Girl” and Transformers star has possibly signed on to be in Christopher Nolan’s third Batman film set to hit theaters in 2011 along with Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman.

Read the whole article on The San Diego Movie Examiner