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?

Folks like community college student and black nerd Troy Barnes:

Easily excitable CEO Jack Donaghy:

Local government worker and red meat lover Ron Swanson:

All kidding aside, I honestly feel rather indifferent for the most part. Those who are upset about how DC is portraying these characters are free to be upset about it. Outside of Harley Quinn dressing like a goth juggalo on Spring Break, I’m pretty much on the side of Mr. Swanson in not really giving a damn. A book headlined by Red Hood and Red Arrow already has two red flags against it, anyway. And as far Catwoman, she’s been on the FBI’s most wanted list for using sex as a weapon for the better part of forever! To say nothing of the the fact that the “offending” splash page at the end of Catwoman #1 isn’t nearly as explicit as some have made it out to be (remarkably suggestive? Oh hell yeah!! But it sure as shit ain’t Skinemax! I’ve seen racier stuff on network television!) I’m sure I’ll be categorized as a boob-loving chauvinist, a member of the lowest common denominator, a sad hormonally-charge immature man-child, ruled solely by my wang, etc., etc., etc. And you know what, I don’t care enough to challenge anyone who would bestow such labels upon me.

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.

SECRET SIX #17 (DC): Is it any surprise that a cross-over (well, technically a crossover) between the Suicide Squad, and the Secret Six is a diabolically gratifying read? Especially with Gail Simone and John Ostrander collaborating, with artist Jim Calafiore on pencils, this is a must read issue in my book. The only downside is that I’d love to have seen the two teams clash without the Deus Ex Machina of the Black Lanterns, though even that element is fun to read. The real centerpiece of the issue, though, is the fight between Catman and Tigerface (no, I’m not going to look up his real name), which is as intense and flesh ripping as you’d want it to be. Plus, I had no idea that dude was just wearing a tiger head. Why would you wear a tiger head when you fight for a living anyway? Having worn animal costumes on occasion (calm down, it was just for this sex thing one time), I can tell you that the heads are heavy, hot, and hard to keep on. Makes no sense. That aside, a great issue as usual, and I can’t wait for the conclusion to this arc.

ADVENTURE COMICS #6 (DC): In retrospect, I wish this was a Superboy mini-series, as the team of Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul lasted only six issues (not even that… I guess only four or five?); and while I liked the Legion back-ups, I LOVED this Superboy story, it was a great way to bring Connor back into the DC Universe. This last issue is emotionally manipulative, but let me tell you: it manipulated my emotions. The ending may have felt a little rushed, or at least dangling, as it sets up plot threads Johns will most likely follow up elsewhere, but this is one story I can’t wait to read in a trade. Hopefully DC will do the right thing and release this as Superboy: Identity Crisis or something like that, rather than the Adventure Comics label. I’m eagerly awaiting what these guys are going to do with the Flash.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #31 (DARK HORSE): With all the hoopla about revealing the identity of the Big Bad this week, it’s easy to forget that there’s actually a Buffy comic book. And while knowing the identity (believe me, I tried to avoid it, but that didn’t work) is very, very distracting, that doesn’t take away from this being the best issue of this series in a good long while, and the best single issue Joss Whedon has written in a good long while. It brims with the trademark action and humor, and while this is the minor rest stop between arcs, it moves the characters forward like any good episode of Buffy would. I’m curious how well Brad Meltzer is going to fit into this tone, but for now, let’s feel good about a solid, enjoyable issue of Buffy, the way it used to be.

ANGEL #29 (IDW): With all the hoopla about the… Yeah, yeah, you know the drill. Anyway, most of this issue is far better than the first. Bill Willingham still has not quite captured the voices of the characters; they feel like things the Angel cast might say, filtered through Willingham-speak. But I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, that he’ll forge his own way once he gets the swing of things. And there’s at least one scene that’s nothing but talking heads… Fine for a TV show, not so fine for a comic book. However, those are smaller parts of the issue, which is filled with dark humor, and good action sequences. It may not be perfect, but it might get there. I’m sticking around to find out.

CATWOMAN #83 (DC): Tony Bedard writes a solid issue of a resurrected Catwoman, pitting Selina against the Black Mask, the one man she ever killed. The solution to defeating the Black Lantern is smart, and the issue ends on a menacing note, but definitely not the most essential of tie-ins. This is well done, but unless you’re a Catwoman superfan, you’re not going to miss anything by not picking up this issue (note: I am a Catwoman super-fan).

RED HERRING #6 (WILDSTORM): This series, which sadly ends with this issue, was as cool as slow jazz. Multiple plot-lines and elements flowed through each issue, intertwining, but never quite meeting. Narration flitted in and out, changing points of view whenever necessary. And just like the title implied, the thing you thought was important definitely was not, and only distracted from the items of real importance. David Tischman wrote a series that demands to be read at least twice, so you can sort everything out (if there’s really any sorting to do), and Philip Bond’s pencils are cartoony and expressive, perfectly matching the Dr. Strangelove meets X-Files vibe of the book. For anyone who’s ever considered that a conspiracy theory might be true, this book deserves a read… Because you’ll learn that they are all, most definitively not true… And also true. At the same time. Hey, it’s just that kind of series. Pick it up, and you’ll see.

Hey everyone! We’ve got an exciting Wednesday New Releases blog for you today, chock-full of delicious options: first up, we have Die Hard Year One #4, followed by Daytripper #2, Angel #29, Captain’s Log: Sulu, the Blackest Night-resurrected Catwoman #83, Amazing Spider-Man #617, and Buffy Season 8 #31. We know there’s a lot of controversy out there about Buffy Season 8, but rest assured: there are no spoilers about the identities of any Big Bads in this video!

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Did you miss us? Between the holidays and getting our comics a bit late last week, we didn’t have the chance to do our Wednesday New Releases video last week, so this one is extra special. Step right up and see the Cover Girls of the DCU Catwoman statue, Wonder Woman Blackest Night #1, Walking Dead #68, JSA All Stars #1, Deadpool #18, and the New Avengers Annual #3!

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Questions? Comments? Post them below!

The following review is excerpted from Comic Book Revolution (click here to read CBR’s full review)

Art : 5/10
Story : 8/10
Overall : 6.5/10

Hush has always had potential, but Dini finally took that potential and made Hush a more compelling character in this story arc.

Throughout this story arc, I have enjoyed all of the flashback scenes involving Elliot. The flashback in this issue was masterfully crafted as Elliot appeared both sympathetic and horribly reprehensible at the same moment. Dini has done an impressive job breathing life into Bruce’s high society past throughout this story arc.

My favorite scene was the one between Bruce and Selina at the hospital. This scene was incredibly emotional as Dini displayed a nice feel for the complex and volatile relationship the two have had over the years. It was a refreshing change of pace to see Bruce open up so candidly and expose an actual warm and caring heart that normally is as cold and hard as ice.

Of course, this is still the goddamn Batman that we are talking about and I appreciate that Dini made a point that Bruce and Selina’s “happy ending” only lasted for one night. This reminds the reader of the fact that Bruce is still an emotionally damaged person who is probably not capable of sustaining a serious and stable relationship with any woman.

Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs combine to deliver some decidedly average artwork. I have seen some of Nguyen’s pencils and they look nice. They certainly look much better than when they are inked by Fridolfs. Having said that, the Batcave was fantastic. Nguyen crams plenty of Easter Eggs into these panels set in the Batcave. I believe that we saw just about every single version of the Batmobile ranging from the original one to the 1960’s TV show Batmobile to the ones seen in the various Tim Burton Batman movies all the way up to the most recent Batman movie.

Overall: Detective Comics #850 was a pleasant ending to a well-crafted story arc. This finale delivered enough action and drama that it should have broad appeal to a large cross section of comic book readers. If you missed out on the Hush story arc then I would certainly recommend checking this story arc out when it is released in trade paperback format.

For more reviews, scans, story recaps and news visit Comic Book Revolution!