Spin Master and CMON are finally inviting fans to jump into the world of DC Super Heroes United, which is now live on Gamefound and has absolutely crushed its initial $200,000 goal. The project is now sitting at over $770,500 and still has 18 days left, and as of now already features not just the core game but also a new Teen Titans expansion and a Gamefound campaign exclusive set of playable heroes. Those heroes are none other than the Wonder Twins and their adorable super monkey Gleek, which will come with any pledge alongside all of the unlocked stretch goals, and more stretch goals are presumably on the way. As for expansions, the Titans expansion is already up for order, but in past campaigns, we've seen multiple expansions released, so we'll have to wait and see if DC Super Heroes United follows suit.

Teen Titans Expansion

DC Super Heroes United currently has one expansion you can add to the core set, which is the Teen Titans expansion that is exclusive to the Gamefound campaign. Teen Titans features four heroes to play as, including Robin (Dick Grayson), Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy. You will get two equipment cards to use, which are Robin's Batarang and Escrima Sticks, as well as eight Animal Form cards for Beast Boy's various transformations.

You'll need villains to battle of course, and the expansion comes with two of the Titans' greatest villains in Deathstroke and Trigon. Deathstroke will focus on deadly assassination techniques throughout his turns, and he will get a head start as well, as he gets to take two turns back to back at the beginning of the game. Then there's Trigon, who stands at 14 centimeters tall and can spawn in any game, tasking the Titans with having to banish him from this world.

Core Set and Stretch Goals

The core set features Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman, and they will face villains that include Joker, Darkseid, Cheetah, and Lex Luthor. Each villain plays completely differently and will necessitate players to change their strategies as they work together to take them down. Meanwhile, the heroes will also play quite differently and will require players to take advantage of their heroes' unique abilities and work together to save civilians, defeat henchmen, deal with threats, and ultimately attack and defeat the boss to win the game.

In addition to the core box characters, the campaign has already moved through a host of stretch goals, unlocking even more heroes and villains to add to your DC Super Heroes United experience. So far the campaign has unlocked Wildcat, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Mega, Red Tornado, Black Lightning, Martian Manhunter, and Vixen as playable heroes. On the villains' side the campaign has unlocked Black Mask, Black Manta, Parasite, Gorilla Grodd, Despero, and Steppenwolf. Other stretch goals unlocked include Complications Challenge cards and New Super Hero and Super-Villain cards, and the next stretch goal up to bat is Ra's al Gaul, who will unlock soon. There is also a campaign exclusive Power Girl that is included for those who back the campaign.

Are you excited for DC Super Heroes United? You can talk all things DC and gaming with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

Your favorite DC superhero could soon make their way to an official collectible coin. Earlier this week, the United States Mint announced a new collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, which will honor DC's crop of characters on a series of commemorative coins and medals. This three-year deal will begin in the summer of 2025 with Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman honored as the first three heroes. From now until Sunday, August 11th, fans can vote on six additional characters who will earn their own coins in 2026 and 2027. The survey includes twelve established DC heroes for fans to vote for -- Aquaman, Batgirl, Black Canary, Blue Beetle, Cyborg, The Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Robin, Shazam!, and Supergirl.

The partnership, which is being billed as the first of its kind for the U.S. Mint, will have characters depicted on 24-karat gold coins, .999 fine silver medals, and non-precious metal (clad) medals. The art direction for the coins is spearheaded by United States Mint Chief Engraver Joseph Menna.

"This opportunity with DC signals an exciting new era for the Mint as we continue our efforts to engage seasoned collectors, but also connect with younger, more diverse audiences," said the Honorable Ventris C. Gibson, Director of the Mint. "We are thrilled to highlight the role that comic books have played in upholding American values, and the fact that the American public will be a guiding force in shaping this coin and medal series makes it even more special."

"For me, the real gift of creating coins and comic book collectibles is how happy they make people. With that incredible honor comes great responsibility. Nothing beats bringing joy to peoples' lives," said Menna. "Comic books are my greatest inspiration. Comic books taught me how to draw, to dream, and got me through some of the most challenging times in my life. I am really looking forward to celebrating the impact of comic art through coins and medals. I see this as an opportunity for me to combine all the worlds I love together, bringing to the American people what I hope will be the greatest collectibles of all time."

"It is an honor to collaborate with the Mint and immortalize DC's iconic place in American pop culture with this incredible set of collectible coins featuring the DC 'Trinity': Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman," said Preston Kevin Lewis, Head of Consumer Products & Retail Strategy, The Americas for Warner Bros. Discovery. "While the first set of coins releases in time for DC's 90th anniversary in 2025, we're eager to see how fans vote this summer when they select the next DC characters joining this engaging collaboration with the Mint."

As mentioned above, The U.S. Mint's DC survey will be available at their website from now until Sunday, August 11th.

The Bazooka Bubble Gum x DC crossover has been delightful, and now the King of Atlantis is joining the party. A number of DC's biggest icons have joined the Bazookaverse, including Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Batman, and now it's Aquaman's time to step into the spotlight. When Arthur isn't defending his underwater kingdom or the world above, he's more than happy to spend some time in the Bazookaverse, even taking some time to provide some water to Bazooka Joe, Pesty, and Mort. You can check out the full comic below, and you can find the entire run of Bazooka Bubble Gum x DC comics on the official hub.

The King of Atlantis

In the new comic, Joe, Petty, Mort, and Aquaman are hanging out on the basketball court. Mort is taking a few practice shots while Pesty and Joe take a break and drink some water, courtesy of the King of Atlantis himself Arthur Curry. Mort can't seem to make a shot though and could use some extra height, which he mentions as the rest of the crew hangs out by the court. Bazooka Joe then has a great idea, saying, "Maybe you should try spring water!" You can check out the full comic below.

Welcome to the Bazookaverse

The Bazookaverse is welcoming in the entire DC Universe, with characters like Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, Superman, and more finally being introduced to Bazooka Joe's colorful crew. That includes characters like Mort, Herman, Petty, Toughie, Tex, Pat, Gloomy Gus, Jane, and more. More crossovers are coming, and new digital comics featuring these crossovers can be found on Bazooka's Instagram, Facebook, and BazookaJoe.com, as well as right here on ComicBook.

Bazooka Bubble Gum was first launched in the United States in 1947, followed by the debut of Bazooka Joe comics in 1953. New friends joined Bazooka Joe and the Gang in 1983, and the brand celebrated its 27th anniversary in 2022. Bazooka is still going strong in 2024 and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

"The BazookaverseTM celebrates the brand's deeply rooted legacy in the comic world while delivering an immersive experience for fans everywhere to enjoy," said Rebecca Silberfarb, Vice President of Marketing at Bazooka Companies, LLC. "Coming together to collaborate with DC to kick start this series was such a great fit given both brands' significant impact on pop culture. Today marks a huge milestone for Bazooka, and the adventure has only just begun!"

Which DC superhero should jump into the Bazookaverse next? You can talk all things DC with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

A new era of Batman animation is set to arrive this August, with the release of the Prime Video animated series Batman: Caped Crusader. The new show, which promises to deliver a noir-driven take on DC's iconic Dark Knight, has already surprised fans with its trailers and marketing material thus far -- and now, that includes the first clip for the series. On Friday, DC released a brief clip from Caped Crusader, which showcases Bruce Wayne / Batman (Hamish Linklater) driving his new Batmobile down the streets of Gotham. This clip comes ahead of Caped Crusader's presence at this month's San Diego Comic-Con, which will include a screening and panel on Saturday, July 27th. Executive producer Matt Reeves and series stars Linklater, Jamie Chung, and Minnie Driver are all set to be in attendance.

"We are beyond excited to be working together to bring this character back, to tell engrossing new stories in Gotham City," Timm, Abrams, and Reeves said in a statement when the series was first announced. "The series will be thrilling, cinematic, and evocative of Batman's noir roots, while diving deeper into the psychology of these iconic characters. We cannot wait to share this new world."

Introducing the hot rod being driven at 100mph on the streets of Gotham City. Batman: Caped Crusader arrives August 1 on Prime Video. pic.twitter.com/xrAiAJRt9u

-- Batman (@Batman) July 12, 2024

What Is Batman: Caped Crusader About?

In Batman: Caped Crusader, welcome to Gotham City, where the corrupt outnumber the good, criminals run rampant and law-abiding citizens live in a constant state of fear. Forged in the fire of tragedy, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne (Hamish Linklater) becomes something both more and less than human--the BATMAN. His one-man crusade for justice attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications. The cast of Batman: Caped Crusader also includes Christina Ricci, Jamie Chung, Diedrich Bader, Minnie Driver, Eric Morgan Stuart, Michelle C. Bonilla, Krystal Joy Brown, John DiMaggio, Mckenna Grace, Jason Watkins, Paul Scheer, Reid Scott, Gary Anthony Williams, Dan Donohue, David Krumholtz, and Haley Joel Osment.

The series is a reimagining of the Batman mythology through the visionary lens of executive producers J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves and Bruce Timm. Based on DC characters, Batman: Caped Crusader hails from Warner Bros. Animation, Abrams' Bad Robot Productions and Reeves' 6th & Idaho. Along with Abrams, Reeves and Timm, Batman: Caped Crusader executive producers include Ed Brubaker, James Tucker, Daniel Pipski, Rachel Rusch Rich, and Sam Register.

Batman: Caped Crusader will premiere exclusively on Prime Video on Thursday, August 1st.

Make room on your shelf because three new figures are heading to the DC Multiverse McFarlane Collector Edition lineup - an awesome original Red Hood (Detective Comics), Ragman (Shadowpact), and Clock King. Additional details about the figures haven't been revealed, but look for them to be available to pre-order starting on July 12th at 9am PT / 12pm ET.

After the launch, you should be able to get your pre-orders in via the links below. UPDATE: The figures live now priced at $29.99 each. All three figures include the chance to score a rare Chase version. In addition to Red Hood, Ragman, and Clock King, we've also added some details on additional upcoming McFarlane Toys product launches that will be available outside of SDCC 2024, including the first drops in their Marvel collection.

• McFarlane Collector Edition DC Multiverse Red Hood - See on Amazon
• McFarlane Collector Edition DC Multiverse Ragman - See on Amazon
• McFarlane Collector Edition DC Multiverse Clock King -See on Amazon

McFarlane Toys has partnered with Marvel to create 1:6th scale posted figures inspired by Todd McFarlane's iconic artwork featuring Spider-Man and Captain America on the covers of Amazing Spider-Man #301 and The Amazing Spider-Man #323 respectively. Each figure will include an an environmental base, a diorama backdrop, comic book reprint, and an art card. Look for these figures / statues to launch on July 18th at 9am PT / 12pm ET at retailers like Amazon and Entertainment Earth.

McFarlane Toys' Marvel collection will also include 1:10th scale posed figures based on cover art by Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, Steve Ditto, John Romita Sr., and Rob Liefeld. Characters featured will include Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine, Iron Man, and Deadpool. These figures are also expected to launch on the 18th. McFarlane had the following to say to ComicBook about the future of the lineup:

"Well, you know, I sort of got a soft spot for some of the guys I grew up with," McFarlane said. "I'm gonna do a tip of the hat in the first series to Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld because I thought that during that whole era where we came along, we sort of each made our mark in different ways that were there."

"Eventually, I'd like to tip my hat to some of the people that inspired me a ton, George Perez and John Byrne," McFarlane said. "But I also know that there's a whole generation that have come in who those aren't the guys they grew up with, right? It's more of people that they're looking at right now. And whether it's the interior artist and, or the cover artist, I'll be sort of looking at what they're asking for and giving them that."

Finally, look for DC Multiverse Batman/Superman Fusion (World's Finest), Dick Grayson Batman (Batman: Reborn), and Adam West Batman '66 figures to launch in on July 25th at 9am PT / 12pm ET. Once again, they should be available after that time at the retailers listed above.

We're just a few months away from the debut of The Penguin, a new live-action HBO series that hopes to recapture the magic of 2022's The Batman. The spinoff series has already teased its gritty world of crime across multiple teaser trailers -- and now, it is employing a familiar tactic. On Thursday, the "rataalada" website from The Batman was updated for the first time in years, offering a new puzzle just as it did in the lead-up to the movie's release.

The website shows a string of instant messages between anonymous criminals hoping to link up at The Iceberg Lounge, which is Penguin's base of operations in the comics. Completing the puzzle will grant fans access to reserve passes for The Penguin's pop-up activation event at this month's San Diego Comic-Con 2024.

What Is The Penguin About?

Plot details surrounding The Penguin remain under wraps, other than that it is being referred to as "the next chapter in The Batman saga from Matt Reeves."

The Penguin will star Colin Farrell as Oz Cobb, Cristin Milioti as Sofia Falcone, Rhenzy Feliz as Victor Aguilar, Michael Kelly as Johnny Viti, Shohreh Aghdashloo as Nadia Maroni, Deirdre O'Connell as Francis Cobb, Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maroni, James Madio as Milos Grapa, Scott Cohen as Luca Falcone, Michael Zegen as Alberto Falcone, Carmen Ejogo as Eve Karlo, and Theo Rossi as Dr. Julian Rush.

When Will The Batman Part II Premiere?

The Batman Part II is scheduled to be released in theaters on October 2, 2026, thanks to delays caused by last year's Hollywood labor strikes. During a recent appearance at ACE Superhero Comic Con 2024, Alfred Pennyworth actor Andy Serkis confirmed that we could see The Batman Part II begin production at some point in early 2025.

"Basically, I know nothing about the movie other than that I've just found out that we're probably likely to be starting filming early next year," Serkis explained (via PopVerse). "Therefore, if you do the math, it'll be a year and a half after that. I know that Matt [Reeves] is working really hard on the script. Matt Reeves being Matt Reeves, the extraordinary filmmaker that he is, I can only assume that it's going to be another brilliant script, because I thought what he did with that first film was pretty amazing. I loved working with Rob Pattinson, and I really look forward to playing Alfred once more."

The Penguin will premiere exclusively on HBO on September 19th.

A new piece of art from Creature Commandos, the DC Universe's flagship animated series, has been released ahead of Comic Con International in San Diego next week. The image serves as the cover to a Comic Con-exclusive edition of Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1, which you can pick up at the show. Similar covers reveal the DC Universe's new Superman movie logo and a Silver Age throwback cover for Absolute Power #1. The Frankenstein issue will also include the first appearance of the Creature Commandos in Weird War Tales #93.

The Creature Commandos series will center on a team led by Rick Flag's father, and including Nina Mazursky, Dr. Phosphorus, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, G.I. Robot, and Weasel. It seems as though this will give background as to how Weasel came to be in the possession of Amanda Waller at the start of The Suicide Squad (although exactly how much of The Suicide Squad is canon is still not clear). You can see the new art below.

"Creature Commandos is based on the great team from DC," Gunn explained. "What we're doing with the DCU is, we are having animation tied directly into live action. Television, movies, and games all intertwine within the same universe. We're going to cast actors that are going to be able to play the characters in this as well as in other things, some of which we've already cast. I've written all seven episodes of the show, and it's in production. So that's the first thing, and I love it."

As a team, the concept of the Creature Commandos might seem like it goes way back, but not as far as you might think. The team was created by J.M. DeMatteis and Pat Broderick, and first appeared in 1980's Weird War Tales #93. They have only appeared in a few different iterations, but since 2011's Flashpoint, have appeared in a few different big crossover stories and even had a batch of animated shorts on Cartoon Network's DC Nation block in 2014.

Creature Commandos stars Sean Gunn as Weasel, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Indira Varma as The Bride, Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky, Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus, David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein, Sean Gunn as G.I. Robot, and Steve Agee (Peacemaker) reprising his role as John Economos.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Oz. Before Colin Farrell's Oz Cobb attempts to seize Gotham City's underworld in The Penguin, the HBO-branded next chapter in The Batman saga from filmmaker Matt Reeves, the DC series is taking over San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Streamer Max announced today that the eight-episode DC drama is bringing a star-studded cast panel, immersive fan experiences, and a new trailer to the San Diego-based confab, which runs July 25th--28th.

"We are incredibly excited to tap into the rich and passionate fanbase in San Diego this year by introducing them to our new series, The Penguin," said Pia Barlow, Executive Vice President, Originals Marketing, HBO and Max. "With our in-world activations, fans will have the chance to engross themselves in the underground world of Oz Cobbs's Gotham, picking up where we left off in Matt Reeves' The Batman, as we look to generate excitement for the series premiering this September."

The streets will know his name.

Join the cast and executive producers of the @HBO Original Series #ThePenguin at @comic_con on July 26 & 27 for an exclusive panel, a stop by the Gotham Ice Truck, and an unforgettable night at the Iceberg Lounge. pic.twitter.com/PQ8gi8cDNt

-- Max (@StreamOnMax) July 11, 2024

Farrell will virtually join fellow cast members and in-person panelists Cristin Milioti (Sofia Falcone), Rhenzy Feliz (Victor Aguilar), Matt Reeves (executive producer), Lauren LeFranc (showrunner and executive producer), and Dylan Clark (executive producer) for a revealing Hall H panel moderated by MTV host Josh Horowitz and an official trailer premiere.

Warner Bros. Discovery is set to turn the Gaslamp Quarter into Gotham City with a recreation of Gotham's Iceberg Lounge as seen in 2022's The Batman movie, and a Gotham Ice truck in front of the San Diego Convention Center.

San Diego Comic-Con 2024: The Penguin Panel Schedule and Details

• On Friday, July 26th and Saturday, July 27th, Max, in partnership with Giant Spoon, will transform the Bloom Nightclub into Gotham's famed Iceberg Lounge. Upon arrival at "The Iceberg Lounge" Experience, guests will enter the "Iceberg Descent," created in partnership with BUCK and VT Pro Design, an immersive experience filled with special effects, haptic technology, interactivity and exclusive content displayed on Samsung big screen TVs. This multi-sensorial, subterranean descent drops users into Gotham's notorious Iceberg Lounge lobby to navigate through the wreckage left by The Riddler at the end of The Batman (2022) film to reach the party deeper within.
  
• Fans will party with Oz's crew by venturing through the dark corners of the club for a chance to be inducted into the Penguin's inner circle... if they dare. This multi-room experience offers complimentary drinks, live DJ sets, exclusive giveaways including a Jefferson's Bourbon tasting, and photo opportunities including Oz's iconic purple Maserati -- giving partygoers an unprecedented glimpse into Gotham's criminal underworld. By exploring the main club, guests can discover a password that will give them access to the inner sanctum, 44 Below, the club within the club, diving deeper into the world of The Penguin.
  
• Max is providing 21+ adult fans with three ways to get a chance to receive an invitation to "The Iceberg Lounge" from today through Saturday, July 27:

1. Fans can now register on 1iota.com for an exclusive invitation to Gotham's hottest nightclub, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

2. From Thursday, July 25th through Saturday, July 27th, Max, in collaboration with Map 360 Collective, is partnering with select local establishments to offer specialty cocktails, bespoke swag and a chance to attend "The Iceberg Lounge" Experience through a limited number of scratch-off tickets. Below are the partners and their locations:

Gaslamp Pizza | 505 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Sunday - Thursday: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Friday - Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 a.m.

The Butcher's Cut | 644 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Sunday - Thursday: 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday - Saturday: 4:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Osteria Panevino | 722 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Sunday - Thursday: 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday - Saturday: 4:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Prohibition 1920 | 548 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Monday - Sunday: 8:00 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.

3. From Thursday, July 25th through Saturday, July 27th, the Gotham Ice Truck located in Downtown San Diego (exact location to follow) will offer free Slush Puppies to beat the heat. The cups will feature a QR code, providing a chance to receive an invitation to "The Iceberg Lounge" Experience, revealing the truck's true inspiration in the spirit of Oz Cobb's dealings himself: guiding patrons to The Penguin's exclusive nightclub.

• On Saturday, July 27th, Max will host "The Penguin Panel" at the San Diego Convention Center in Hall H from 4:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Panelists will include Colin Farrell (Oz Cobb aka "The Penguin" and executive producer - virtually), Cristin Milioti (Sofia Falcone), Rhenzy Feliz (Victor Aguilar), Matt Reeves (executive producer), Lauren LeFranc (showrunner and executive producer), and Dylan Clark (executive producer). The highly anticipated official trailer for the series will be released during the panel, which will be moderated by Josh Horowitz, host of MTV and the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast.
  
• From Sunday, July 21st through Saturday, July 27th, The Penguin will take over the @TheBatman social accounts. The "7 Days in Gotham" content series will chronicle Oz's journey towards becoming Gotham's next kingpin and his impending takeover of San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter.
  
• Launching Thursday, July 25th, Max and Snapchat are partnering to introduce a revolutionary augmented reality (AR) lens throughout San Diego. This exclusive AR lens transports Snapchat users into the dark, atmospheric underworld of Gotham City.

"The Iceberg Lounge" Experience Location:
Bloom Nightclub (Iceberg Lounge) 21+ only
919 Fourth Ave
San Diego, CA 92101

"The Iceberg Lounge" Experience Hours:
Friday, July 26: (Press Preview): 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday, July 26: General Admission 8:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Saturday, July 27: General Admission 7:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Gotham Ice Truck
Location: Downtown San Diego (location to follow)

Gotham Ice Truck Operating Hours:
Thursday, July 25: 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Friday, July 26: 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 27: 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

The Penguin premieres this September on HBO and Max. Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for the latest news and updates out of San Diego Comic-Con 2024.

Superman's Isabela Merced has some praise for James Gunn's process with this movie. Empire Magazine profiled the actress ahead of of Alien: Romulus and the new take on The Man of Tomorrow. Merced said that putting on that Hawkgirl suit is still a thrill everytime it happens. DC fans have been peeking at the filming for Superman on social media. Kendrra Saunders has already made some appearances on-set with her flying alongside other heroes. Merced and others have to know that a large portion of the comic book world is absolutely leaning on every single word from the production. The Hawkgirl actress isn't spoiling anything though. But, it's clear, she's soaring with anticipation like the rest of us.

When it comes to Superman details, the actress is on high alert. Merced joked, "I can feel James Gunn's eyes boring into the back of my head." She continued, "Honestly, inside I'm just a nerdy guy. I feel like that's who I actually am. I'm geeking out every time I try on the supersuit! It's just the coolest thing in the world to me." A lot of DC fans feel extremely similarly and can't wait to see all these characters in action.

James Gunn's Superman Drips Style

When it comes to this new era of the DC Universe, all eyes are on James Gunn's Superman. In Cleveland, this production has spawned so many viral images already. But, the affection runs deeper than simply seeing your DC favorites realized with comics-accurate suits. Merced's Kendra Saunders will play a role alongside some of these heroes. In her eyes, Gunn is doing an amazing job at capturing a fresh take on this wild world of characters. She told The Hollywood Reporter about his signature style and how its shaping Metropolis.

"James Gunn is so creative and he has such a unique style, and whatever he touches, he always adds his own flair to it," Merced told the outlet. "And for that reason, I'm very excited. I was directed by him during the [screen] test for this, because I auditioned for this. I got to do [the screen test] with my other castmates, and that was really cool. It felt very professional; it was almost like a legitimate shooting day."

"So I've already learned so much about his process, and this man has such a solid team," she added. "He has the best of the best working for him, and they've worked together for so long that it's only up to me to mess it up. So I hope that I can understand and take notes and continue training and just be healthy throughout it all. Then I'll be able to give the fans the performance they deserve."

Are you excited for Superman? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

Like Clark Kent ripping open his button-down shirt to reveal the Man of Steel's symbol, James Gunn unveiled a shiny new Superman logo. The director and co-chair of DC Studios on Thursday took to social media to post a one-sheet for the upcoming reboot formerly known as Superman: Legacy -- the first film in the new DC Universe taking flight into theaters one year from today on July 11th, 2025.

"In exactly one year #Superman opens all over the world," Gunn wrote when sharing the new Superman poster on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by James Gunn (@jamesgunn)

Gunn's first DC movie since 2021's The Suicide Squad "tells the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas," the official synopsis states. "He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned."

The Superman release date has its own legacy: it's a tribute to Gunn's late father.

"My brother Matt told me when he saw the release date he started to cry. I asked him why. He said, 'Dude, it's Dad's birthday.' I hadn't realized," Gunn previously shared on social media. "I lost my dad almost three years ago. He was my best friend. He didn't understand me as a kid, but he supported my love of comics and my love of film and I wouldn't be making this movie now without him."

"It has been a long road to this point. I was offered Superman years ago -- I initially said no because I didn't have a way in that felt unique and fun and emotional that gave Superman the dignity he deserved," the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker added. "Then a bit less than a year ago I saw a way in, in many ways centering around Superman's heritage -- how both his aristocratic Kryptonian parents and his Kansas farmer parents inform who he is and the choices he makes."

David Corenswet stars in the title role opposite Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, and Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell as Clark Kent's adoptive parents. The movie also features a superhero ensemble that includes Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as the Guy Gardner Green Lantern, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, Frank Grillo as his Creature Commandos character Rick Flag Sr., and Mar?a Gabriela de Far?a as The Authority's Angela Spica.

DC Studios' Superman soars into theaters July 11th, 2025.

Fan-favorite comics and TV writer J. Michael Straczynski will provide the screenplay for Warner Bros. Animation's forthcoming adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' seminal comic book Watchmen. The two-part, animated movie aims to be the most direct adaptation to date (if you ignore the motion comics that actually did get a DVD release in 2009). Addressing the movie's just-released trailer on social media, the Babylon 5 creator warned fans not to watch out for any of his signature touches, as he did his best to basically translate the comic into a format that worked for animation.

Per Straczynski, he actually insisted on an "adapted by" credit for the movie, rather than the standard "written by." There's no word on whether Moore and Gibbons will get an onscreen credit; when a Watchmen sequel was brought to the small screen in 2019, Moore asked that his name be left off it.

"I can now talk about it as the news is breaking. I adapted Watchmen for Warners animation," Straczynski said on social media. "By 'adapted' I mean strictly configuring the structure to work in a movie. I saw no need to write more material or change what works in the book. It's pure Moore."

Straczynski has already written more material featuring these characters; he wrote three of the Before Watchmen miniseries that were released in 2012. At the time, he was defiant when presented with criticism of the project.

"I think that Alan loses the moral high ground when you look at the last ten, fifteen years of his career, and he's working with other people's characters--in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Lost Girls, on and on--almost creating slash fan fiction," Straczynski told me in 2012. "That's kind of the cowardly way to look at it. At least we're doing this while Alan is still alive and he can have a voice."

On X, Straczynski also seemingly took a shot at Zack Snyder's live-action Watchmen movie, which removed the Tales of the Black Freighter sequence from the film, but released it as a stand-alone animated movie. Tales of the Black Freighter was a comic book within the universe of the Watchmen narrative, and readers experienced it along with a young reader at a newsstand. While it was a story-within-a-story, it interacts narratively with what's happening in Watchmen, and its removal from the theatrical film was one of the common criticisms by comic book fans.

"That material isn't expendable, as it reflects, comments upon and counterpoints what's going on in the present storyline," Straczynski said. "Treating it like something apart means one doesn't actually understand what it's there for."

Of course, the Ultimate Cut of Snyder's Watchmen restored the Black Freighter material, so maybe we're overthinking what Straczynski was trying to say there.

Here's how WB describes the animated movie: "In an alternate world, the murder of a government sponsored superhero draws his outlawed colleagues out of retirement, into a mystery that threatens their lives and the world itself."

Watchmen Chapter 1 will be available digitally on August 13.

The DC franchise has transformed in a few massive ways over the past decade, with various live-action adaptations coming to light over the years. One effort that found a unique bit of success was The CW's "Arrowverse" of interconnected DC shows, which ran for several years and spanned massive crossovers. Over the past few years, every Arrowverse series has wrapped up its run -- and one of the saga's primary producers, Greg Berlanti, is looking back on the experience. In a recent interview with Deadline, Berlanti reflected on the grand experiment that the Arrowverse became, while acknowledging that the larger DC franchise is now in great hands with DC Studios' James Gunn and Peter Safran.

"It was a moment in time for me, and one plan, the size and the scope of which we were altogether able to achieve," Berlanti explained. "The closeness that I had with many of the actors, and still have, and other writers and directors and the family that we built over that time. And the opportunity where every year we were doing these big crossover episodes and all the different showrunners would come in from all the different shows. To create in that way was such a joy and incredibly challenging. But it is nothing I would try and replicate again at this moment. That felt very singular. I love Warner Bros. I wish them all the best with these amazing characters. We had a credo that I would say to everybody all the time, which is, we're so lucky to have these characters. Let's return them to the shelf more valuable than when we took them off. It was very much about that, and trying to build a world and a place where everybody who loved them as much as we did could come and tell stories. Now I think it's time for new; the torch has been passed beautifully, and I'm really excited by all they're doing there now."

What Is on the DC Universe Slate?

As Gunn and Safran revealed back in January of 2023, the initial DC Studios slate will include 2025's Superman, 2026's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and currently-undated movies The Brave and the Bold, Swamp Thing, and The Authority. It will also include the HBO Max television shows Waller, Booster Gold, Lanterns, Paradise Lost, and an animated Creature Commandos series.

Reports have indicated that a live-action Teen Titans movie and an animated Jurassic League movie are in the works at DC Studios, although neither have been publicly confirmed.

Michael Zulli, a beloved artist known for his work on titles like The Sandman, The Puma Blues, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, has passed away at the age of 71. Born on December 20, 1952, Zulli had a decades-spanning career as an artist and illustrator, both on mainstream comics and on cult-favorite work such as The Puma Blues.

"Just heard that Michael Zulli passed away," writer J.M. DeMatteis wrote on social media. "Michael and I worked on a number of projects together in the late 90s/early 2000s. He wasn't just a brilliant artist, he was a brilliant man: deep, passionate, philosophical. Condolences to his family. Safe travels, Michael."

Zulli's first published comic work was with Dave Sim on The Puma Blues, working on the series' entire initial run from 1986 through 1989. Beginning in 1988, Zulli also wrote and illustrated a trio of issues of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles dubbed the "Soul's Trilogy" arc, which controversially rendered the iconic characters in a realistic style.

"The only training I ever had in comics was, believe it or not, I'd gone to the local bookstore and bought How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way," Zulli told The Comics Journal. "Which was a complete disaster, but I did learn a few things that I found technically appropriately. To this day I still cannot draw a comics page with blue pencil. I tried but I just hated the damn thing. The learning curve was daunting to say the least."

A year later, Zulli first joined Neil Gaiman on The Sandman #13, which introduced the beloved supporting character Hob Gadling. He then illustrated a total of seven issues of The Sandman, including the series' original finale "The Wake." Zulli's work on "The Wake" earned three Eisner nominations in 1996, for Best Serialized Story, Best Penciller/Inker, and Best Comics-Related Item. Zulli and Gaiman also collaborated on the 1994 adaptation of Alice Cooper's album The Last Temptation, and an unfinished Sweeney Todd story for Taboo. His other notorious unpublished work was an issue of Swamp Thing, which would have seen the character cross paths with Jesus Christ.

Zulli continued to work on comics into 2011, working on titles such as The Sandman Presents: Love Street, Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man, and Star Wars Tales.

Our thoughts are with Zulli's family, friends, and fans at this time.

A fire in Rio de Janeiro destroyed the Casa Warner exhibition -- an installation featuring props from Warner Bros. film and TV projects -- early this morning, according to multiple reports out of Brazil. The fire reportedly consumed the entire exhibit, which had been set up in the parking lot of the Nova Am?rica Shopping Mall since June 14. No injuries were reported, as the fire took place between 2:40 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., and was contained to the Casa Warner area. Warner Bros. has not commented yet, and has not confirmed whether the props involved were originals or replicas.

Video of the fire is available on UOL, a Brazilian news site. The cause of the fire is either not known, or has not yet been revealed, at least as of the last reports we can find.

One report suggests that a number of original, screen-used props were destroyed in the blaze, but notes that they were all key props from big-budget movies, meaning that multiples exist. That means that while the props might have historical relevance and be technically irreplaceable, Warner Bros. (as well as private collectors and other museums or exhibitions) likely have more.

There are conflicting reports as to what was included in the exhibit, and whether the props were original or not. Items reported to have been destroyed include an Annabelle doll; wands from the Harry Potter franchise; a Batmobile from the 1966 Adam West TV show; ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz; Sauron's helmet and ring from The Lord of the Rings; and a cape from one of Christopher Reeve's Superman movies.

If those items were originals rather than replicas, it is not clear how many of each of those items exist, and how many are still in Warner Bros.' possession. For instance, there are five known pairs of screen-used ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz that exist. Some are on display in museums, at least one is in a private collection, and one was stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005. The pair were recovered in 2018, and their exact whereabouts are unclear now, although one knowledgeable commenter on Reddit suggests they still belong to the insurance company, which paid out the loss in 2005.

No known pair of screen-used ruby slippers belongs to Warner Bros., who did not produce the film (although they own the rights now, having purchased them from MGM in the late 1990s). In 2023, they made a limited-edition run of screen-accurate replica ruby slippers, so it's possible the ones on display in Rio (assuming there really was a pair) may have been one of the 2023 replicas, or could have been an original pair on loan from another owner.

Similarly, Reeve's capes are obviously rare and sought after in absolute terms, but a number of them belong to private collectors, and there were enough of them made that tiny cuts from at least one have been sold mounted on cards and photos for years.

ComicBook will update our readers when we learn any details of the scope of damages, and whether the props were originals or replicas.

Bigfoot is hanging on to this week's Top 10 after an announcement from Fox brought a book to the spotlight once more. In Reign II, Kaare Andrews revisits Spider-Man's future, leading to a new critical cover appearance. Nova also takes a spot in our top ten because of another key to chase. A DC team is still the favored rumor to appear opposite Superman in his upcoming film, and Doom continues his steady popularity streak. Deadpool & Wolverine is just around the corner, and three books relate to the heroes this week. A super sneaky Moon Knight variant has been making waves in the aftermarket, and a new rumor about Captain America: Brave New World brings back an old fan-favorite cover!

Want to know what comic books are trending each week and why? COVRPRICE.COM uses live sales analytics to identify and compile the most robust market price guide, highlighting the weekly top trending comics. No opinions. Just data. Each week, they present a newly updated list of the TOP 10 COMICS trending in the aftermarket. These trends are due to rumors, fan-favorite covers, story-driven content, and content-related news.

Top 10 Comic Books Rising in Value for the Week of 07/08/24

1: X-FORCE Vol.1 #1 | Marvel | June 1991: While anticipation for Deadpool & Wolverine is building towards the release date, Captain America: Brave New World has been putting out tons of news/rumors. This past week, a rumor was released about Giancarlo Esposito's character in the film. In case you missed it, the actor was cast late, and leaked set photos of the reshoots showed Esposito in what looked like a military/mercenary outfit. Fans were trying to pinpoint who the actor could be playing but could not find an answer. That is until a known insider tweeted that it was the character George Washington "G.W." Bridge. This character was a mercenary in a group called the Wild Pack, led by Cable. He later went on to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. Does this mean Esposito will be with the MCU for more than just this movie? Who knows. The only thing we know for certain is that the rumor caused a huge spike in interest for this cover (and all its card variants!). We tracked 26 copies sold, at a 7-day growth trend of 269%. This number is conservative, as we have broken down the book into separate entries for each card variant. This variant had a high sale of $75 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw FMV at $12.

2: MOON KNIGHT: FIST OF KHONSHU #0 - Alessandro Cappuccio - Secret (1 per store) | Marvel | July 2024: It seems that surprise variants have been the trend in comics for 2024. Marvel's secret one-per-store secret variants have always been extremely popular and done well in the aftermarket. Moon Knight is no exception. The new Moon Knight series is a highly anticipated book, and this prequel has drawn many eyes to it. However, no one expected a secret variant to be released under the radar. It immediately picked up speed and value, making it one of the best-selling books in the aftermarket this past week! We tracked it at a high sale of $48 for an NM copy and a current NM raw FMV at $44.

3: THE NEW MUTANTS #98 - Rob Liefeld - Regular | Marvel | February 1991: It seems like Deadpool & Wolverine has been the talk of the MCU for the past year... and it's true! Since this is the only film being released by Marvel this year, it has generated a ton of buzz. The rumor is that Deadpool will "reset" the MCU in a major way, paving the path for a new plan in the cinematic universe. If Deadpool really is "Marvel Jesus," then this book will be the holy grail of his legend. Many are counting on this movie putting this book out of reach and grabbing it before the fire gets too hot! We tracked it at a high sale of $1,059 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw FMV at $353.

4: WOLVERINE #88 - Direct Edition - Deluxe - $1.95 Price | Marvel | December 1994: Have you heard? Deadpool & Wolverine's release date is right around the corner. Early ticket sales reports show that it is on a trajectory to break many records in a short couple of weeks. Fans are rushing out to pick up iconic covers of the duo, and this book is one of the best! It depicts the first meeting and fight between Deadpool & Wolverine, sporting a phenomenal cover. The $1.95 price variant has been a top pick for collectors these past few weeks! We tracked it at a high sale of $425 for CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw FMV at $66.

5: DOOM #1 - Sanford Greene - Regular | Marvel | May 2024: Doom continues to trend between our Top 10 and our Runner-Ups! Doom's popularity as a character sent this book flying on the aftermarket. However, what fueled its staying power is the subtle, almost hidden tribute to late rapper MF Doom. The text in the first pages of the issue is directly pulled from the late rapper's lyrics. It's been nearly two months, and this book is still trending strongly. We tracked it at a high sale of $120 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw FMV at $38.

6: X-MEN #11 | Marvel | August 1992: Jim Lee stands tall as one of the most popular comic book artists of all time. Recently, the artist announced that he would open his commissions again after a 15-year hiatus. While the pricing may have surprised many in the community, it did shine a light back on the renowned artist. Jim Lee and Wolverine fans rushed to the aftermarket to pick up iconic pieces of his work. The prices on this book are extremely reasonable for such an iconic comic book cover. We tracked it at a high sale of $95 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current NM raw FMV at $10.

7: THE AUTHORITY #1 | DC | March 1999: The Authority is still a popular fan theory in the aftermarket. Speculation is that The Authority would debut in James Gunn's upcoming film, Superman. The Engineer has already been cast and confirmed to be in the film. In addition, more and more heroes are popping up in the film. This past week, we saw a leak of a set photo featuring Guy Gardner and Hawkgirl. With so many additional heroes making their appearance, the rumors that Superman will be facing a team of adversaries instead of a singular villain are sounding more reasonable. We tracked it at a high sale of $130 for a CGC 9.6 copy and a current NM raw FMV at $43.

8: ANNIHILATION 2099 #1 - Pete Woods - First Appearance (1:25) | Marvel | July 2024: All eyes are on the MCU as we prepare for the only MCU film of the year to debut later this month. Even though we only received one movie this year, other projects have continued to make progress. In early March, Marvel confirmed that they were still working on the Nova project. There isn't much known about this project, and nearly all Nova keys were hot on the aftermarket at some point this past year. This week, it looks like fans are chasing the latest Nova to debut - The Last Nova. The book is also a retailer incentive, making this key much more desirable. We tracked it at a high sale of $43 for an NM copy and a current NM raw FMV at $34.

9: SPIDER-MAN: REIGN 2 #1 - Lesley Leirix Li (1:25) | Marvel | July 2024: Many might remember the first iteration of Spider-Man: Reign. Its release divided fans; half applauded the storyline, while others questioned why certain parts were included (radioactive sperm, anyone?). It was also the first time Peter's web-slinger was put on display in the infamous "Nude Panel" of the first issue, which was quickly recalled. This issue brings us back to this world, introducing new characters to the universe. This issue debuts Kitty Cat, Black Cat's daughter, and Earth-70237 Miles Morales. In addition to these appearances, this book is also the first cover appearance of Kitty Cat, and it is a retailer incentive. In addition to all this issue has going on, the cover is also by an often chased cover artist, Leirix Li. We tracked it at a high sale of $16 for a VF copy and a current NM raw FMV at $27.

10: PROOF #1 | Image | October 2007: A new supernatural crime series is coming to Fox, and it involves an FBI agent partnering with Bigfoot. The two go on missions to protect the world from creatures of myth. It is a fun twist on the buddy-cop stories, often described as a cross between Men in Black and The X-Files. The series comes to Fox from writers Cory Goodman and Jeremy Lott, who previously worked on projects like Priest, Underworld: Blood Wars, and Bass Reeves. The premiere issue has generated tons of buzz, landing it on the Top 10 list this week! We tracked it at a high sale of $103 for an NM+ copy and a current NM raw FMV at $63.

The iconic comic Watchmen is getting an animated adaption, and its first trailer has been released online. Fans have enjoyed Watchmen on the comics page as well as the big and small screen, with Warner Bros. Pictures releasing a Watchmen live-action film in 2009 and a live-action TV series on HBO in 2019. Warner Bros. and DC always seem to make their way back to the seminal story, and that trend continues with Watchmen Chapter 1, the first in a planned series of animated movies. With almost a month until the digital release date, the animated Watchmen offers audiences a new look.

A red band trailer for Watchmen Chapter 1 gets its R-rating for "violent content and some graphic nudity," which matches the overall tone of the graphic novel it's based on. And indeed, there are flashes of brief nudity and violence in the trailer. Rorschach greets the viewers as he narrates an entry in his journal, detailing The Comedian's death he's investigating. "Somebody knows why," Rorschach says. "These days, nobody's safe." The rest of the trailer sticks closely to the source material from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen, which features a group of retired superheroes in an alternate 1985 America who reunite after one of their own is murdered.

What is the Watchmen animated movie about?

In an alternate world history shaped by superheroes, once-celebrated "costumed adventurers" have been banned by a society disenchanted with vigilantism. Now, in 1985, the murder of The Comedian, a hero-turned-government operative, draws the attention of Rorschach, the last of the outlawed vigilantes. Rorschach's investigation embroils his retired colleagues, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, Dr. Manhattan and Ozymandias, in conflict with their pasts, with each other and in a mystery that threatens their lives and a world on the brink of war.

Will Watchmen get a Season 2 on HBO?

The Watchmen movie marks the latest attempt to adapt the events of the maxiseries, following Zack Snyder's 2009 movie, and later HBO's award-winning television series in 2019. According to previous comments from HBO executive Casey Bloys, there are no current plans to continue the Watchmen series in any way, and it would ultimately be up to series creator Damon Lindelof to return to the project.

"Watchmen was so much his creation," Bloys previously told Variety. "If he doesn't think there's a story that he wants to put his heart and soul into, it's hard for me to think that it would be worth doing. It was a very special limited series for us. I would put it in the pantheon of HBO greats. If Damon ever wants to revisit it, he knows that it's an open door. But it is hard for me to imagine doing one without him."

Watchmen Chapter 1 is available on Digital August 13th.

There is always something alluring about the road not taken, the story not told. In the world of comics, stories that shift outside of canon tend to make for particularly interesting explorations. While exploring the opposite side of the coin can be intriguing, it can also be challenging, leading to a mixed bag of results when taking on beloved characters and stories with significant outcomes. It's that challenge that faces From The DC Vault: Death in the Family - Robin Lives #1 this week as it kicks off a miniseries exploring what happens if Jason Todd (a.k.a. Robin) had survived the Joker's now-infamous attack in 1988's "Death in the Family." But it takes on that challenge admirably, offering not only a bit of nostalgia in its presentation but also an insightful and interesting reading experience.

Robin Lives #1 opens with breaking news that the Joker is dead and the news's impact upon Batman and Robin, before taking readers back in time to a period shortly after Jason's physical recover from the Joker's brutal attack. The story, narrated by a third-party introduced later in the issue, offers insight into the nature of trauma and mental illness. This emphasizes the complex situation Batman finds himself in trying to help Jason who might have recovered physically, but not emotionally after his ordeal. This approach to the writing by J.M DeMatteis is well done--particularly in that it allows for a seemingly neutral perspective and engage in dialogue with the story itself--as readers receive glimpses of character dynamics and reactions. What emerges is a well-crafted and interesting portrait that is a complete and quite good read. DeMatteis also does a good job, tonally, of keeping the story rooted in the late 1980s without it feeling like a gimmick. The comic book feels of the time, not like something created today.

That feeling continues with the artwork in this issue as well. Rick Leonardi does a fantastic job of capturing the visual energy of the "Death in the Family" time period without coming across as overly nostalgic. It also pairs beautifully with DeMatteis' writing. The comic book is, at no point, competing with itself. Instead, there is an almost perfect balance between images and words with the action offering just the right amount of energy where it's needed. Additionally, Rico Renzi's colors pop splendidly, while Taylor Esposito's letters are top-notch.

But between the balance of good writing and good art, all lengthier alternative histories or "what if" stories must have a distinct point, or purpose, or draw and that might be where Robin Lives #1 excels most. Going into this work the reader has knowledge of "what" has happened and "why" and maybe even "how," the psychological structure of the story--digging into things through the perspective of a professional helping Jason--suggests there is more to the story than a tale of trauma and revenge. The last page of the issue even goes to the place many readers do when thinking about Batman and his young sidekicks asking, "whatever possessed him to bring a child into the Batman's world?" It's a layer that makes the story more compelling and prompts readers to wonder what might actually be next, and thus makes this more than just a revisitation of roads not taken.

Looking back can be tricky, but From The DC Vault: Death in the Family - Robin Lives #1 does a fantastic job of taking an infamous story and providing it new life. By asking new questions and without leaning too much into nostalgia, the issue presents a compelling story that both scratches the "what if" itch and gives readers something entirely new they'll want to continue reading for issues to come.

Published by DC Comics

On July 10, 2024

Written by J.M. DeMatteis

Art by Rick Leonardi

Colors by Rico Renzi

Letters by Taylor Esposito

Cover by Rick Leonardi and Dave Stewart

My Adventures with Superman is now nearing the final episodes of its run for Season 2 with Adult Swim, and a new early preview has been released teasing Lois' struggle within the Black Mercy! Things have taken a turn for Clark as now that he's been captured by Brainiac, the newest episode of the series saw the villain dig deep into Clark's psyche to make him weak enough to have his body taken over. With the villain being successful in this matter, Lois figures her only option is to chase down Clark in his mind and save him somehow.

My Adventures with Superman ended the previous episode with Lois putting on the Black Mercy, and the early preview for Season 2 Episode 9 sees Lois waking up within Clark's mind and losing her memories in the process. But it's clear that this mental version of Clark's father and mother are much different than their real counterparts, and Brainiac is likely going to work hard to somehow erase Lois before she has an impact on Clark's current state. Check out the preview for My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 9 below as released by Adult Swim.

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 9 Release Date and Time

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 9 is titled "Pierce the Heavens, Superman!" and the synopsis for the episode teases it as such, "Jimmy and Kara race back to Metropolis to stop Brainiac's invasion of Earth; Lois tries to free Clark from Brainiac's control, only to lose herself in an alternate reality where Superman never left Krypton." My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 9 will be premiering on Adult Swim on Saturday, July 13th at midnight EST. If you wanted to catch up with the first season and Season 2's available episodes so far, My Adventures with Superman can also be found streaming with Max the day after their initial debut.

Adult Swim teases what to expect from My Adventures with Superman Season 2's new episodes as such, "In the latest season, the three best friends face a host of new threats. Powerful foes will emerge from Clark's alien past, Amanda Waller will take aim at Superman, Lois will grapple with the future, and Jimmy Olsen will spend an unbelievable amount of money. Krypton is coming for our young heroes, and its arrival will test their strength, loyalty, and love like never before."

My Adventures with Superman Season 3 is now in the works for a future release with Adult Swim and Max.

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 has reached its climax, and now fans have gotten the first look at what to expect next with the teaser for Episode 9! My Adventures with Superman Season 2 has been a particularly tough one for Clark Kent as he has felt more alone than ever before. Making matters worse was the fact that reaching out to his cousin only resulted in more pain as he was betrayed and was locked in a mysterious mental trap set by the dangerous Kryptonian machine, Brainiac. But it's only going to get much worse before it can get better.

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 left things off on a huge cliffhanger with the latest episode as after Brainiac wore down Clark's mental defenses, the villain completely took over Clark's body with the intention of using it to expand the new version of the Kryptonian Empire. As for where the new season will go from this point onward, My Adventures with Superman Season 2 is teasing Lois' journey in the Black Mercy with the first look at Episode 9. Check it out below as spotted by @Swimpedia on X.

Tune into #Toonami on Saturday, July 13th at midnight to catch the next brand new episode of My Adventures with Superman Season 2, "Pierce the Heavens, Superman!"! pic.twitter.com/vrFLV2kP7L

-- Swimpedia (@swimpedia) July 7, 2024

How to Watch My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 9

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 9 is titled "Pierce the Heavens, Superman!" and the synopsis for the episode teases it as such, "Jimmy and Kara race back to Metropolis to stop Brainiac's invasion of Earth; Lois tries to free Clark from Brainiac's control, only to lose herself in an alternate reality where Superman never left Krypton." My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 9 will be premiering on Adult Swim on Saturday, July 13th at midnight EST. If you wanted to catch up with the first season and Season 2's available episodes so far, My Adventures with Superman can also be found streaming with Max the day after their initial debut.

Adult Swim teases what to expect from My Adventures with Superman Season 2's new episodes as such, "In the latest season, the three best friends face a host of new threats. Powerful foes will emerge from Clark's alien past, Amanda Waller will take aim at Superman, Lois will grapple with the future, and Jimmy Olsen will spend an unbelievable amount of money. Krypton is coming for our young heroes, and its arrival will test their strength, loyalty, and love like never before."

My Adventures with Superman Season 3 is now in the works for a future release with Adult Swim and Max.

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 has reached its final couple of episodes, and it's made a big swing as Brainiac has taken over Clark Kent's body by the end of Episode 8! My Adventures with Superman has really been challenging Clark in new ways this season as while he's questioning his place within humanity, he's been feeling more alone than ever before. It's that mental weakness that Brainiac has decided to take advantage of as the newest episode of the series sees him trap Clark within a mental space and manipulate his memories and feelings.

My Adventures with Superman had Clark at his lowest yet as while he first was able to fight back against Brainiac's manipulations within the Black Mercy for the majority of it, it all started to break away when Brainiac began to use what happened to Lois against him. With Clark getting even more depressed and vulnerable, Brainiac was successful at taking over Clark's body completely. And in doing so, Brainiac unleashes his own dark new form for Clark that brings the season into its final episodes. Check it out below as shared by Adult Swim:

How to Watch My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 8

If you wanted to seek out the episode, My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 8 is titled "The Death of Clark Kent" and the synopsis for the episode teases it as such, "Lois and Jimmy confront Kara and make a plan to rescue Clark. Meanwhile, Brainiac delves into Superman's mind to figure out what makes him tick...and how to tear him apart!" If you wanted to catch up with the first season and Season 2's available episodes so far, My Adventures with Superman can be found streaming with Max the day after their initial debut. So you'll be able to check out Brainiac's takeover right now!

Adult Swim teases what to expect from My Adventures with Superman Season 2 on a whole as such, "In the latest season, the three best friends face a host of new threats. Powerful foes will emerge from Clark's alien past, Amanda Waller will take aim at Superman, Lois will grapple with the future, and Jimmy Olsen will spend an unbelievable amount of money. Krypton is coming for our young heroes, and its arrival will test their strength, loyalty, and love like never before."

Writer James Robinson and artist Tony Harris will reunite for a new Starman miniseries, according to a new report. The pair, whose original Starman series ran from 1994 until 2001, will apparently team up with colorist Gregory Wright for a Black Label miniseries. The bookstore-friendly label is home to projects like Superman: Year One, Strange Adventures, and The Bat-Man: First Knight, and caters to mature readers titles that are intended as evergreen titles in the trade paperback market. That's a market where Starman -- which has been in reprints more or less constantly since it ended -- fits right in.

According to Bleeding Cool, who broke the news, fans can expect a formal announcement from DC later this month at Comic Con International in San Diego. The story was "picked up from the gossip at today's London Film And Comic Con," per Bleeding Cool boss Rich Johnston.

Robinson and Harris's Starman centered on Jack Knight, the son of the Golden Age Starman, who battled villains in Opal City with the help of his cosmic staff. First appearing in Zero Hour #1 by Dan Jurgens, the character was nevertheless created by Harris and Robinson. Starman was one of a handful of series to spin out of Zero Hour -- an event that celebrates its 30th anniversary this year -- and it became far and away the longest-running and most successful.

Part of what made Jack Knight a compelling lead was his reluctance to take on the role. In Zero Hour, fans learned that Ted Knight (the Golden Age Starman) had two sons, David and Jack. In the story, Jack, who owns an antique store -- more of a junk shop, really -- and has no interest in taking on the family business. David, however, has always wanted to succeed his father as Starman, and is delighted to get the job. Unfortunately, in Starman #0, the first issue of the series, David takes off for his first night patrol and is immediately shot by someone on the ground, and dies. Jack takes on the name and role -- but not the costume -- of Starman to try to make things right.

Starman ran for 81 issues, and returned with a Blackest Night one-shot in 2010. After 2011's The New 52 reboot, the Starman villain The Shade headlined her own title by Robinson and a variety of big-name artists, including Darwyn Cooke (DC: The New Frontier), Frazer Irving (Batman & Robin), Gene Ha (Superman: Action Comics) Jill Thompson (The Sandman), Cully Hamner (RED) and Javier Pulido (Spider-Man). Starman has been collected in standard trade paperbacks as well as paperback and hardcover omnibuses. The series is widely regarded as one of DC's best comics of the last 30 years, and DC has rarely allowed any other writer to touch Jack Knight, seemingly saving him for Robinson and Harris's return -- a day that seemed like it might never come, but now could be right around the corner.

My Adventures with Superman has reached its intense slate of final episodes for Season 2, and Clark is now in more danger than ever before! My Adventures with Superman Season 2 kicked off with Clark at his highest as not only was he dating Lois, but Jimmy was rich and successful. Clark then discovered that he even had a cousin who survived Krypton's destruction as well, and reached out to her in the hopes of finding someone who understood why he felt so isolated from humanity. But it all quickly went south from there with a long string of bad luck.

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 might have spent the latest episode showcasing how Lois and Jimmy ended up in space in their attempts to find and rescue Clark, it's time to get back to Clark himself as we last saw him within the clutches of Brainiac. It's going just as well as one might expect as Clark is being manipulated and challenged by his memories as the villain gets closer to taking control of Clark's body. Here's everything important that went down in My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 8, "The Death of Clark Kent."

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 8 Recap with Spoilers

• Brainiac uses a device known as the Black Mercy, a Kryptonian device that traps Clark within his mind and allows Brainiac to see and manipulate his memories. Brainiac then explains that the current housing for his mind is slowly heading towards destruction and thus wants to take Clark's body for his own. Using Clark's memories, Braniac is trying to find his weakness and kill Clark. Meanwhile, Jimmy and Lois speak with Kara.
• Jimmy invites her onto the ship so they can discuss things, much to Lois' protests. Kara's happy to see Jimmy, and it's clear there's a bit of a spark between the two of them. Kara asks them for their help because she thinks Clark's in danger...even if she's not completely clear about what's been happening with the planets and Krypton's empire thus far. Meanwhile, Brainiac takes Clark through his first fight with Livewire and is disappointed to find that Clark can't be beaten physically.
• Then taking him back to his fight with Ivo, and wonders where he manages to find last minute strength to defeat these strong foes. Taking notice of Lois and Jimmy, Brainiac starts to explore more of that connection such as when Clark was fighting against his spaceship to protect them as seen in the first season. This only makes Brainiac more curious as Clark himself can't land a hit on Brainiac while trapped within the Black Mercy.
• Meanwhile, Kara tells Lois and Jimmy that their best opportunity at getting Clark would be when Brainiac is recharging himself for maintenance. She still wants to speak with her perceived father to find out the truth of what's really going on, and will do so when Lois and Jimmy retrieve Clark. But Jimmy's also concerned about what's going to happen to Kara after as while she's been fighting for the Krypton empire in this way, there's still a whole universe she has yet to freely see.
• Heading onto the ship, they move on with the plan but Kara tries to confess something to Jimmy. She blushes and says she feels admiration for him as the leader of the planet, but it's clear that she might be feeling something more instead. Hugging him before they part, Lois hilariously pokes at Jimmy about calling himself the leader of the planet. Back in Clark's mind, he's trying his best to stop Brainiac from seeing them. But instead, Brainiac notes how Clark seems to be afraid of hurting them himself.
• He knows Clark fears about them not loving him in return for how much he protects them, and replays all of the memories he's gotten over the course of this season. Rejection from the scared humans, overhearing Lois saying he's different, Jimmy ditching him for Kara, and this is Clark's weakness. His love he has for his friends and family makes him vulnerable. Because he can't be beaten physically, he's weak mentally and Clark denies that this is the case. So Brainiac begins to manipulate his memories to make Lois say horrible things about him.
• Meanwhile, Lois and Jimmy head to the observation deck and find Clark isn't there while Brainiac's drones start to activate. It's Kara who finds him, however, and she immediately confronts Brainiac over it. She wants to know what's really going on, and Brainiac explains that she actually previously refused to destroy the planets that they discovered before. Instead arguing about each of their good qualities, Brainiac then forced her to destroy them instead.
• Kara finally understands how Brainiac has been manipulating her, and he doesn't mind as he's seeking to turn Clark into his next weapon instead. Inside of Clark's mind, he's still being tortured by Lois telling him terrible things. Having enough of this and refusing to believe this is true, Clark instead starts manipulating the Black Mercy himself and heads to his real memories of Lois offering him her love and support through their adventures so far. But Brainiac continues to push forward.
• Showing Clark more instances of Lois telling him horrible things, Clark even starts to doubt whether or not those memories actually happened. Until finally, he revisits his breakup with Lois. This one true thing that happened starts to chip away at Clark's trust of the others. While Clark is fighting on the inside, Kara is fighting Brainiac on the outside. With one final push, the both of them land decisive blows and the physical and mental Brainiac until Clark frees himself from the Black Mercy.
• Clark then has a vision of a younger version of himself on Krypton, and reunites with the rest of his family. But actually, Clark is still trapped within the Black Mercy. Brainiac has taken full control of Clark's body and morphs it into a dark kind of "Super Brainiac" look. Lois and Jimmy see this go down, and Brainiac declares that Kal-El is no more. Kara tries to fight him but fails as Brainiac explains that each generation of Kryptonians have been genetically built to be stronger than the last.
• He himself was built to be the greatest mind of Krypton meant to uphold the greatest ideals of their empire, and explains that he still has love for Kara. Even so, he completely demolishes her in a fight. Jimmy tries to interfere with the piece of Kryptonite he and Lois brought, but it's killing both Kal-El and Kara instead of Brainiac as he can just move his mind to a new body. He then flings them off into space.
• Thankfully, Mallah and Brain rescue them with the ship in time. Lost without much of a path forward, Lois reveals she's grabbed a Black Mercy device and puts it on in the hopes of going after Clark. She then enters a catatonic state like Clark was before, and the episode comes to an end.

Batman Ninja revealed the first major look at its upcoming sequel anime during Anime Expo 2024, and Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League has shown a closer look at its DC Comics heroes makeovers with new character posters. Batman Ninja was one of the first DC Comics turned anime projects released a few years ago, and with it fans saw each of Batman's rogues gallery in a whole different light thanks to this new alternate universe. Now it's time to expand on it further as even more DC Comics heroes make the jump to this new ninja influenced world in the sequel.

Warner Bros. Japan took the stage during Anime Expo 2024 this year to reveal the first full look at Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, and with it revealed how Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, and Green Lantern will look in the upcoming anime project. To get a much closer look at these new heroes and their respective makeovers, you can check out each of the character posters highlighting the newest additions to the Batman Ninja world for Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League below.

What Is Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League?

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League will feature Jumpei Mizusaki as director (who returns from the first film) for Kamikaze Douga. Shinji Takagin will also help with director duties with Kazuki Nakashima returning from the first film to write the script, Takashi Okazaki designing the characters, and Yugo Kanno composing the music once more. A release date or window has yet to be announced for the film as of the time of this publication, but Koichi Yamadera has been confirmed to return from Batman Ninja to voice Batman once more.

Mizusaki had the following message to fans for his return in Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, "I'm a co-director for Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League. I'm currently getting everything together to make the film more exciting, with the screenplay by Mr. Nakashima, character design by Mr. Okazaki, music by Mr. Kanno. The prelim version is already so exciting. I'm looking forward to bringing the completed work to you. I'm proud of the work, and hope you'll enjoy it!"

Screenwriter Kazuki Nakashima said the following, "I'm in charge of screenplay. The first trailer contains only tiny fragments of Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League and full 90 minutes is filled with even more crazy sequences!! The content is so intense that it might make your head spin, so please enjoy that dizzying sensation. It's another crazy film you will enjoy."

Batman is the DC hero who's understandably gotten the most games unique to that character over time to the point that we have an entire Arkham series as well as plenty of other Batman adaptations like LEGO games and more. While we unfortunately haven't gotten a new Batman game focused solely on the hero in awhile now, the positive about the age of some of the older Batman games means that they're pretty cheap nowadays. And during a limited-time sale that's ending next week, some of those beloved Batman games are as cheap as $2 right now.

We've got Steam to thank for the newest sale on Batman games since the PC platform is in the midst of its massive summer sale event right now. The aforementioned Arkham series is on sale alongside much different takes on Batman.

The cheapest of those games, the one that's $2 for the time being, is Batman: Arkham Knight, the fourth game in Rocksteady's acclaimed Arkham series of games. The rest of the series is on sale, too, with those games and some others to consider listed below courtesy of Steam's on-sale listings for Batman titles. We've included some Batman adjacent games, too, such as Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League which is only around $20 right now.

Batman Games on Sale

• Batman: Arkham Knight - $1.99
• Batman: Arkham Origins - $3.99
• Batman: Arkham City - Game of the Year Edition - $3.99
• Batman: Arkham Collection - $8.99
• LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotcham - $4.99
• Batman - The Telltale Series - $7.49
• Batman: Arkham VR - $4.99
• Lego Batman: The Videogame - $4.99
• Batman: The Enemy Within - The Telltale Series - $7.49
• LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes - $4.99
• Gotham Knights - $11.99
• Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League - $20.99
• Injustice 2 - $5.99
• Injustice: Gods Among Us - $4.99
• DC's Justice League: Cosmic Chaos - $9.99

The full list of all the Batman titles on sale via Steam right now can be seen here.

There is technically another Batman: Arkham game in development right now, but it's a bit of a double-edged sword. The game in question is Batman: Arkham Shadow which features a wholly new story albeit in a virtual reality game that's exclusive to the Meta Quest 3, so access to the game will be severely limited compared to other Arkham titles.

The history of Arrow's John Diggle as a Green Lantern stand-in is long and sometimes frustrating -- even for the people making the show. Because of the long-standing relationship between Green Lantern and Green Arrow in the comics, some fans almost immediately perked up when Oliver's bodyguard/sidekick/best friend on TV turned out to be a Black former Marine named John. It didn't seem to matter much that Oliver Queen is typically shown as teaming up with Hal Jordan, not John Stewart, or that Diggle's last name was...well...Diggle. The speculation persisted until the show finally started to toy with the idea.

Eventually, in the series finale, Diggle was knocked over by some kind of cosmic item which audiences knew was a Green Lantern ring. In the previous season, we had met his stepfather, whose name was Stewart and who "basically" raised Diggle, so the accepted interpretation was that John was embracing his destiny (even if it was too expensive for us to see it on TV). There was another bit after the fact, where The Flash more or less said "eh, he didn't like being a Green Lantern so forget about that," but that's a different conversation.

The point is, there was a seemingly never-ending give-and-take between what fans (and actor David Ramsey) wanted and what producers were actually allowed to give. Since Ramsey wanted to continue appearing as John Diggle -- who kind of became the Arrowverse's Nick Fury, able to move between basically any show due to his official relationship with A.R.G.U.S. and his personal relationships with the heroes -- that final "ending" couldn't be an "ending" without getting approval to suit him up as a Green Lantern -- something that either DC, or Warner Bros., or both, was always unwilling to give.

In the latest issue of his Legal Dispatch newsletter, Guggenheim addressed questions about this from "a friend...in the comic book community." He confirmed that Diggle as a GL was always a non-starter, but they had tried and failed to get him a costume upgrade for the final season of Arrow:

"Unfortunately, we never got the approval to go full 'Green Lantern' with Diggle, but we were always trying to push the envelope as much as possible," Guggenheim said. "For example, check out the proposed Season 8 costume for Dig that we weren't able to slip past the powers that be." He actually shared two -- one very Green Lantern-inspired jacket, and a second that he called more "subtle," but that's still pretty identifiable if you see it in the right light:

...It's not hard to imagine that, if these had snuck past, the chest emblem would have lit up just right when that ring box opened at the end of the show. It's worth noting the production name was "Green Spartan," with Spartan being Diggle's official callsign within A.R.G.U.S. and Team Arrow.

Guggenheim praised the work of Costume Designer Brie Thorpe and Illustrator Keith Lau on the sadly-unused designs.

There's a lot of unspoken baggage here: first, this sketch comes the same week set photos from James Gunn's Superman emerged, with some fans excited to see their first look at Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner in action, but just as many pretty unhappy with the look, drawing comparisons to the failed Justice League of America pilot from 1997. Of course, any costume fans don't like also draws comparisons to The CW's costumes, which ranged from feature-film quality to "dude in a leather jacket," the latter being especially common on Arrow (where they were mostly just street-level vigilantes) and Smallville (where it first became a running gag).

Besides all of that, Guggenheim and Arrowverse boss Greg Berlanti both worked on the failed Green Lantern movie. They, along with Michael Green and Michael Goldenberg, were credited as screenwriters on the film (although an earlier draft of the script, available online, shows how wildly different the final product ended up). Guggenheim has spoken before about how, when The CW approached the pair to pitch on Arrow, he was so nervous about being seen as a "superhero killer" that one of the conditions was, if the show didn't go forward, nobody would ever known it happened at all.

Of course, it did go on to happen, run for eight seasons, and spawn a sprawling shared universe that is the biggest DC Universe ever in live-action. Even if it never got a real Green Lantern.

The countdown is officially on for Joker: Folie ? Deux, the massive sequel to Warner Bros. surprising DC hit. As the film's first trailer revealed earlier this year, Joker: Folie ? Deux is set to be a musical, pairing Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck / Joker with a new Harley Quinn, portrayed by Lady Gaga. During a panel at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, casting director Francine Maisler offered very high praise for Gaga's work in the film, arguing that the actress and musician more than holds her own while playing such an iconic character.

"She's so good in it, you guys," Maisler explained. "She's going to blow your mind. I didn't suggest Lady Gaga. It wasn't my idea. That was Todd Phillips, before me. But I will tell you, she's really surprising -- and really good. I saw it and I was really surprised. I mean, we all knew what she could do in A Star is Born, but I thought, 'Oh, well, that's kind of in her wheelhouse.' Something she could do and just be real. But this... Man, she's good. Joaquin blows your mind, but that she could keep up with him, and be real -- and not just wiped off the screen by what that role is and what the performance is -- shows she's good."

What Is Joker 2 About?

Joker: Folie ? Deux will be a musical that follows the twisted romance between Arthur Fleck and Harley Quinn, with a lot of the film believed to be taking place within Arkham Asylum. Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker: Folie ? Deux will also feature appearances from Zazie Beetz, Brendon Gleeson, Catherine Keener, and Jacob Lofland.

"I actually think it makes wonderful sense," Beetz previously said of the film's musical elements. "I wasn't really surprised by that Todd has always had a creative approach to the character. I love musicals, and I think of them as the characters are feeling and experiencing so much that they can only sing and dance about it, whether in sorrow or in joy. And I can actually see that within myself as well, because singing and dancing is quite a cathartic experience for me. I was going through a really, really difficult time at one point in my life, and I just started dancing and crying by myself. And that was an expression that matched where I was at that moment. And so, I can see Arthur, who is feeling and experiencing so much, dancing and singing about it. He's the Joker, so I think it makes sense to me."

Is Joker 2 in the DC Universe?

Joker: Folie ? Deux is technically classified as a DC Elseworlds production, meaning that it exists in a canon outside of James Gunn and Peter Safran's forthcoming DC Universe of movies and Max-exclusive television shows. In a previous post on the social media platform Threads, Gunn revealed his involvement in Folie a Deux, explaining that he did give notes on the finished footage. That being said, Gunn did stress that the Joker sequel is one of the few upcoming DC films being shepherded by Warner Bros. Pictures, given when the film was first put into development.

"Todd had Joker in full swing by the time we came onboard - I've watched and given notes, but it is mostly with WB, where it started," Gunn wrote at the tim. "Everything forward in live-action we're involved with."

Joker: Folie ? Deux will be released exclusively in theaters on Friday, October 4th.

h/t: Deadline

After years of being in the works, DC's Arkham Asylum spinoff series has reportedly been put on ice. On Friday, reports indicated that the current iteration of the Arkham Asylum project is not moving forward. The series, which has been in the works in some capacity since being given a series order in July of 2020, was originally designed to be a spinoff to Matt Reeves' The Batman series of films focused on the Gotham City police department. In 2022, it was confirmed that the project had evolved into focusing on Arkham Asylum, with The Staircase and Christine's Antonio Campos being brought on to serve as showrunner and head writer. It was subsequently teased that the series could be set in James Gunn and Peter Safran's forthcoming DC Universe.

According to reports, there is still a chance that a project set in Arkham could be developed at a later date, either as a spinoff of The Batman or as part of the DCU. The Batman already has a spinoff series, The Penguin, set to debut later this year, as well as a sequel in the works, which is set to make its debut in the fall of 2026.

What Is Arkham Asylum About?

While exact plot details were never made public about the Arkham Asylum series, the show would have taken place in the titular compound, where some of Gotham City's most dangerous criminals and supervillains are held. A number of writers joined and left the project since its initial announcement in 2020, including Terrence Winter and Joe Barton.

"The GCPD thing, that story has kinda evolved," Reeves explained in a 2022 interview with The Cyber Nerds. "We've actually now [moved] more into the realm of exactly what would happen in the world of Arkham as it relates coming off of our movie, and some of the characters... almost leaning into the idea of... it's like a horror movie or a haunted house that is Arkham. The idea, again the way that Gotham is a character in the movie, I really want Arkham to exist as a character. You go into this environment and encounter these characters in a way that feels really fresh. And so in our work on Gotham, that story started to evolve, and it started feeling [like], 'Wait, we should really lean into this.' And then that's kinda where that's gone."

h/t: Variety

Harley Quinn Season 5 is coming up sooner than expected. Fans can can look forward to new episodes of the Max animated series in the coming months. This revelation comes from Dean Lorey, co-creator of the series as he was talking to The Direct about what time table viewers can look forward to seeing Harley Quinn Season 5. "I know it's before the end of the year. I don't remember the exact date yet," Lorey said. "But I think it's in the next few months. I know that." Kite Man: Hell Yeah his first up on the list for Max, but Harley Quinn should follow after in short order. That might relieve some of the fans who might have been concerned that there wouldn't be enough room for two entries in that animated universe this year.

James Gunn, DC studios head, has his hands full with the movie side of things. It's reasonable to be a little confused about the release timeline for these Max TV shows. But, after all, he did appear in episodes of the show. You don't mess with a good thing. DC and Warner Bros. have been nothing but supportive when it comes to Harley Quinn.

"The talented Harley Quinn team has once again succeeded in delivering a season that builds on everything that has come before while still feeling fresh and inventive," Suzanna Makkos, Executive Vice President, Original Comedy and Adult Animation, Max and Adult Swim wrote when the series was renewed for Season 5. "They continue to provide hilarious, heartwarming, and deranged stories with our lovable group of DC misfits, and we couldn't be more excited for the fans to see what they've accomplished in season 5."

Will The Bat Family Be Back For Season 5?

Harley Quinn Season 5 has been long-awaited by fans of Max's critically acclaimed animated series. Despite the long layover, having more information has to make a fans of Harley Quinn feel even better about the show's prospects heading into another salvo episodes the last two entries have managed to really shake Gotham and Harley's personal world up in ways that fans might not have expected one thing that people are going to be looking forward to when the new season gets kicked off is the fate of Batgirl as she tries to assemble the Gotham City Sirens. ComicBook had the chance to speak with her voice actress, Briana Cuoco after the shocking reveals the end of Season 4.

"I don't know anything," Cuoco sadly shared. "I just got asked this in another interview and he thought I was being facetious. I actually really don't. I hope that girl's around, obviously I have no control over that. I love her so much. I love how sort of earnest she is and pure and I mean, obviously in this last season she's changed a little bit, but I adore her and I hope I get to go back."

Are you stoke to be getting Harley Quinn Season 5 this year? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

There were a number of intriguing twists and turns throughout DC's Absolute Power, but one of the biggest surprises was a key betrayal from a former ally, making the heroes' defeat at the hands of Amanda Waller even more brutal. Spoilers are incoming regarding Absolute Power #1, so if you haven't read the issue you've been warned. Later in the issue, DC's heroes are already reeling from Waller's A.I. and Amazo assault, but things get even worse when Batman learns that Green Arrow is working with Waller on this whole operation. Oliver Queen then reveals to Batman that all of their possible avenues of escape have been cut off, twisting the knife even further.

A Painful Betrayal

As Batman and Robin try to communicate with the other separated heroes on a supposedly hidden frequency, someone interrupts and says "incorrect Bats". Batman recognizes the voice and asks Green Arrow if he's injured and where he is, and that leads to Oliver revealing that he's "on the right side of history." He then goes on to explain that he's been warning them about something like this for a long time, saying that "us humans don't appreciate being looked down on", but adding that they never listened to him.

"I'm sorry, I really am, but I've been warning all you super-folks for a long time that us humans don't appreciate being looked down on. And you wouldn't listen to me. Sure you're great at capping volcanoes...but fixing society's real problems? Actually empowering the powerless? Effecting actual change? You get an 'F'for effort," Queen says. Batman says, "Arrow, you're talking nonsense! You're one of us!" Queen replies, "Not anymore. I'm on Team Waller now. And we're coming for you."

The Full Plan

It's then revealed that this is just one part of an orchestrated plan by Waller to take down superheroes by taking the powers that make them super in the first place, and what better way to help make that happen than to recruit one of their longtime allies? It's then revealed that Waller has teamed up with the Brainiac Queen and Failsafe to create and upgrade an army of Amazo androids designed to take away the powers of their foes, and they manage to do just that once unleashed on the heroes they encounter.

Waller then reveals that, unlike previous confrontations with Amazos, there is no return function for those powers, meaning that effectively their powers are gone forever. Waller's forces have also found ways to absorb energy from technology and devices, and have also found a way to disrupt magic users by making them forget how to cast. They've also sealed off space thanks to the United Planets and have sealed off the time stream and micro-verse, so there appears to be nowhere to run for those left.

What did you think of Absolute Power #1? You can talk all things comics with me on Threads, Twitter, and Instagram @mattaguilarcb!

We've seen a lot of different interpretations of the Dark Knight over the years. In the live-action universe, Robert Pattinson is the current wearer of the cape and cowl while Amazon Prime will unleash a new animated series focusing on the Bat next month. Warner Bros wasn't finished in creating new projects for Batman however as the studio had announced earlier this year that a sequel to Batman Ninja was on the way. At this year's Anime Expo, Warner Bros Japan shared a first look at Batman Ninja Vs. Yakuza League, pitting Batman against twisted versions of some of his greatest allies.

From the new promotional material, it appears as though Batman will be taking on the Green Lantern (Jessica Cruz), Aquaman, The Flash, and Wonder Woman. Of course, these aren't the heroes that DC fans have come to know as all are sporting new dangerous looks and have seemingly fallen to the dark side. Much like in the original Batman Ninja animated movie, Bruce is wearing a different costume that reflects his new setting in feudal Japan.

First Look At The Yakuza League

The first movie of this wild series saw Batman taking on some of his greatest foes who received similar makeovers to the Dark Knight. Even though taking on the Joker, Gorilla Grodd, and other Gotham villains was tough on its own, taking on an evil Justice League will be a whole different question.

The first Batman Ninja film is available to stream on MAX and here's how the platform describes the animated adventure that features Bruce Wayne in a very unique setting, "Japan's finest artists reimagine Batman and his adversaries in this ground-breaking anime feature. In an all-new story, The Dark Knight travels to a land ruled by sword-wielding samurai and ninja assassins. Beginning in Gotham City, Gorilla Grodd's time displacement machine malfunctions sending a crazed cast of tyrannical villains back in time to terrorize medieval Japan. The most depraved is Lord Joker, who seeks total domination of the feudal states and the final elimination of the legendary Batman. Can The Caped Crusader gain the advantage--without his signature tech-- to keep Lord Joker and the others from rewriting history? Watch as an ancient legend comes to life in this stunningly realized, adrenaline-fueled addition to the Batman saga."

Want to see how the conflict between the Dark Knight and the Yakuza League plays out? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for all the latest on the anime Batman.

Screenwriter Will Beall is time-traveling back to 2012: the year Warner Bros. hired the Gangster Squad scribe to write Justice League. In a new interview, the writer, whose credits include Bad Boys: Ride or Die and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, reveals an early draft of the superhero ensemble movie was inspired by 1989's Back to the Future Part II.

The second act of Beall's script took place in a version of the Knightmare timeline -- a nightmarish, post-apocalyptic possible future ruled by Darkseid -- which was glimpsed in the Zack Snyder-directed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021), Snyder's four-hour director's cut (a.k.a. the Snyder Cut). Even before Joss Whedon extensively rewrote and reshot the version of Justice League that ultimately released into theaters in 2017, Beall's script was dramatically different.

"The biggest difference with mine, I think, was that much of the second act was that little sort of coda that was on the Snyder Cut, where it's this post-apocalyptic sort of dream sequence or flash forward, and there's good guys and bad guys, they're forced to team up. Much of my second act was taken up with that," Beall told TheWrap. "My version of it owed a lot to Back to the Future II."

In the Back to the Future sequel, time-traveler Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) winds up in an alternate-reality 1985 after Biff (Thomas F. Wilson) steals and misuses Doc Brown's (Christopher Lloyd) DeLorean time machine to make himself rich and powerful. Their only chance to repair the present and prevent their future is in the past, at the point in time where the timeline skewed into the tangent that created Biff's "Hell Valley" nightmare reality.

But Beall's unmade script wasn't entirely lost to the timestream. While 2017's Justice League was credited to Whedon and Chris Terrio, Beall received a "story by" credit he shared with Snyder and Terrio on Zack Snyder's Justice League, which restored and expanded the Knightmare sequences with new footage shot by the director. Beall went on to co-write the script and story for 2018's Aquaman, the only film set in the DC Extended Universe to earn over one billion at the box office.

"I'm proud of the script that I wrote and I'm happy that it helped. I feel like I did my job," Beall added of his Justice League screenplay. "So your first job as a writer, working with any of these things is to is to be a good steward. Right, it's sort of to 'do no harm.' And so you have to respect the fans and you have to respect the characters and and what makes them great, and not try to outsmart it."

The Suicide Squad Isekai is one of the biggest anime arrivals of this summer and that should come as no surprise to both anime fans and fans of the DC supervillain team. Assembling some of the greatest villains introduced in the comic book medium to their first anime adaptation, the series has been hinting at the arrival of some other big names from the DC Universe making an appearance. As a part of this year's Anime Expo, the Warner Bros Discovery and Wit Studio collaboration has released a new trailer that shows off the other squad that was already inside the Isekai realm.

The other team has been hinted at throughout the isekai series, and those watching the show have already seen Ratcatcher in action. Joining the rat-chatting villain is Enchantress, Katana, Killer Croc, and the Thinker, who are shown front and center in this new trailer. Needless to say, Harley and her crew are going to have some major hurdles as the series continues on both MAX and Hulu.

Suicide Squad Isekai: Super Villain Party

If you need a breakdown on the new Suicide Squad anime, here's how Warner Bros describes the series, "Amanda Waller, the head of A.R.G.U.S., has assembled a group of notorious criminals for a mission: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Peacemaker, Clayface, and King Shark. These DC Super-Villains are sent into an otherworldly realm that's connected to this world through a gate. It's a world of swords and magic where orcs rampage and dragons rule the skies -an "ISEKAI!" Harley Quinn and the others go berserk after arriving in the ISEKAI but are captured by the Kingdom's soldiers and sent to prison. They only have 72 hours before the bombs implanted in their necks explode. The clock is ticking."

The synopsis continues, "After negotiations with Queen Aldora, their liberation is contingent upon the conquest of her enemies, the hostile Imperial army. The Squad members have no choice but to throw themselves head-first into the battle's frontline. If they run, they die. If they lose, they die. With their lives on the line, can Harley Quinn and the Suicide Squad survive in the ISEKAI? Brace yourselves for the pulse-pounding saga of the elite task force known as the "Suicide Squad" as they embark on a jaw-dropping adventure! Let the party begin!"

Want to see what the future holds for the anime squad? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for the latest on the DC supervillain anime adventures.

The Boys has revealed its twisted take on Batman lore, and it's a version of The Dark Knight that fans will not be forgetting anytime soon!

Tek Knight (Derek Wilson) is The Boys Universe version of Batman, whose presence has been referenced in every season of the show. He was Batman to Homelander's Superman, although the two never liked to be around one another. Tek Knight finally appeared in the spinoff series Gen V, as host of Vought's true crime series The Whole Truth, in which he used his superhuman deduction abilities (through hyper-senses) to determine what had happened between Marie Moreau and Golden Boy, one of Vought's rising stars who killed himself.

In The Boys Season 4 Episode 6 "Dirty Business" we finally take a trip inside Tek Knight's world. The hero holds a political PAC fundraiser at his mansion; he reveals himself to be scummy when talking to A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) about how The Knight family's old money came from being slave-catchers (a clear jab at DC's lore about the Wayne Family aiding the Underground Railroad). Knight also boasts about keeping the family business alive by creating a cycle of beating down and locking up criminals in his prisons, on repeat, as well as putting down Firecracker as being trash compared to his old-money wealth.

Tek Knight goes from being a wealthy jerk version of Bruce Wayne to being a certified F.A.N. when he takes Hughie (disguised as The Boys Universe Spider-Man, "Webweaver") into his secret "Tek Cave" under the mansion. There, Tek introduces his version of "Alfred," Elijah (Tyrone Beskin) who raised him as a boy. Elijah is hosing down a BDSM "playroom" that's set up in the cave, and Tek Knight reveals he's there to "audition" Webweaver to be his new sidekick.

Naturally, the rest of the episode reveals that Tek Knight is a sadistic and masochistic sociopath, that he has a dark sexual history with Ashley (Colby Minifie); and that his true weakness is having his billions of dollars forcibly donated to liberal and/or humanitarian causes.

The Boys is now notorious for its ability to lampoon superhero pop culture - and this takedown of Batman is deliciously timely. The last few years have seen fans reconciling with a lot of new questions and points of view about Bruce Wayne and Batman - to the point that even DC Comics has had to answer those questions in Batman's latest story arcs. As of writing this, Batman is poised to enter a new era where his mansion has been swapped for a group home for troubled youth, and The Dark Knight has community relations and development on his mind as much as beating up the next bad guy. Better than than becoming Tek Knight...

The Boys Season 4 is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

The DC Universe is about to be reborn, with James Gunn and Peter Safran shepherding a new era of movies and television shows. The first cinematic outing on that list will be Gunn's Superman movie, which is currently filming for a summer 2025 release date. Some set photos have given us an early glimpse at one of the film's costumed characters, Angela Spica / The Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria). In a new interview with Marvel Latinews, de Faria spoke about the experience of donning her superhero cotume.

"It is a beautiful suit, and every time I put it on, I don't put it on by myself," de Faria revealed. "I have four people putting it on me because it is not easy. One of those people has to be a man who grabs me hard and puts me on, or rather, pushes me in the suit, and every time I put it on, I say: 'I love you suit, I love you, I love you suit, let's do it, we're going to achieve it.'"

"The character is so physical and you do a lot of things, so, well, there is a bit of resistance with the suit always, no," de Faria continued. "But yes, it is hot, especially when we film in the middle of summer. It is quite challenging, but, as an actor, you learn to use the difficulties to your advantage and at the end of the day I am dying on that set and my character is trying to survive too. So beautiful."

Who Is DC's The Engineer?

The mantle of The Engineer was originally created by Warren Ellis and Tom Raney in 1997's StormWatch #48, as an unnamed man who wanted to remake the world with nanotechnology as part of The Changers. After dying two issues later, the mantle was succeeded by Angela, who became a member of The Authority beginning in 1999's The Authority #1. Both iterations of the character are genetically enhanced by nanites, with Angela having the ability to turn her body into liquid and solid shapes.

"I'm very happy and can't shut up about it so here's a compilation of moments after I found out [James Gunn] had invited me to play Angela, The Engineer," de Far?a wrote on Instagram after her casting was first announced.

Superman's Cast and Crew

Per DC Studios, Superman tells the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and a better tomorrow, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.

Written and directed by Gunn, Superman will star David Corenswet as Clark Kent / Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, Terence Rosemore as Otis, Mar?a Gabriela de Far?a as Angela Spica / The Engineer, Isabela Merced as Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt / Mr. Terrific, Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason / Metamorpho, Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant, and Christopher McDonald as Ron Troupe.

It has been over a decade since Arrow first made its debut, redefining what audiences expected from a DC television show in the process. The live-action The CW series became a bonafide hit, spawning an entire "Arrowverse" of interconnected shows and stories, but as a new interview reveals, that came close to not happening. During a recent interview on The Showrunner Whisperer podcast, Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim spoke about how the series held "the pressure of keeping the whole network on the air," as The CW evolved and pulled in smaller ratings over the years.

"[Warner Bros. TV chairman Peter Roth] took us out to lunch and basically laid out for us in incredible detail the reality that if Arrow wasn't a hit, there would be no more CW," Guggenheim revealed.

Will Arrow Return?

All of the Arrowverse's shows have already reached their conclusion, with the fourth and final season of Superman & Lois (which has since been revealed to be unconnected to the Arrowverse) being the last DC show to air on The CW for the time being. Guggenheim explained elsewhere in the interview that he doesn't think Arrow could have gotten made under the current Nexstar-owned regime of The CW, echoing recent comments made by Supernatural and Walker star Jared Padalecki.

"I don't think we could have done it with the amount of leeway and creative freedom that we had. It was a very special, unique time in the business," Guggenheim revealed.

Will Stephen Amell Return as Green Arrow?

With James Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe on the horizon, it has been safe to assume that the role of Oliver Queen / Green Arrow will be recast down the line. In a 2023 live stream, Arrow star Stephen Amell addressed that new franchise change.

"I don't know, man. I don't know. Those guys... the DCEU, they need to decide if they think that they're better than television or if they want to participate," Amell revealed. "Because I get mixed messages, which to me just signals that, I don't know. You guys do your own thing. We did our thing. We don't... I mean... Listen, as of right now, first of all, I wish everyone nothing but the best. I want nothing more than amazing movies, but right now, they need us a lot more than we need them."

DC's long-awaited Absolute Power is finally here, and it did not disappoint. There's a lot to break down regarding the issue, and the first one up to bat is how Amanda Waller hit DC's heroes in a way they never expected. Spoilers are incoming for Absolute Power #1, so if you haven't read the issue yet you've been warned. Early on Amanda Waller reveals her assembled team of Queen Brainiac and Failsafe, and how they have together created Task Force VII. Task Force VII is the key to their plans, as they are designed after the former Justice League's power set, and since they are Amazos, they also have the ability to absorb the heroes' powers but have been given an upgrade. Waller takes away the very powers that make them superhuman, and the biggest reveal is that there's no way to get them back.

Superpowered No More

Working with Failsafe and the Brainiac Queen, Waller creates an army of Amazos that are able to steal away powers, and we see that happen with Superman, Connor, and Jonathan, as they all lose their powers and fall back to Earth. We also see the Justice Society of America affected as well as Aquaman and Doom Patrol. Mister Terrific, the Flash Family, and Wonder Woman are all confronted by this new army, and many are having their powers drained throughout the issue, though Waller isn't stopping there.

Not only is she taking powers, but she is also targeting other abilities and skill sets to complete her takeover. Task Force VII has been designed to take powers but also have the ability to drain devices, and we see that happen with Doctor Fate, who is having his helmet drained of its magical abilities. Speaking of magic, that isn't available either, as Waller reveals those who use magic will no longer remember how to conjure it, and that is presented through the disappearance of Spectre.

It's also revealed that Waller has sealed away the timestream and the micro-verse, so there's no escaping there either, but one more gut punch awaits the former Justice League. Waller says that unlike previous Amazos, these are completely new designs with new technology, so even if they manage to defeat them, there is no return mechanism for their powers. Their powers are never coming back, and that's where the issue ends.

New Readers Welcome

While the series does pull from those other books, those who haven't been keeping up with those other stories shouldn't hesitate to jump right into this. "A little bit, but I think we do a pretty good job making sure everything's in context and making sure everyone knows, and we spell out for new readers," Wait said. "Even if you haven't been reading DC comics for a couple of years, by the time you get to page eight or nine or whatever, I think you get a pretty good sense of what's at stake, who the players are, and what they want. So I would encourage you, even if you are a casual DC fan, not inclined to pick up everything, I think this is something that will scratch every itch."

What Is Absolute Power About?

"THE HEROES OF THE DC UNIVERSE ARE POWERLESS! THE TRINITY OF EVIL HAS WON! ...THE RESISTANCE MUST RISE! DC's epic summer event kicks off with a bang, as the combined might of FAILSAFE and the BRAINIAC QUEEN has at last given Amanda Waller the ability to steal the metahuman abilities of every hero and villain on planet Earth. As chaos erupts in the streets and a massive misinformation campaign sways public opinion to her side, the founder of the Suicide Squad methodically targets each superhero dynasty one at a time, starting with SUPERMAN. But even in this darkest of hours, a resistance is forming... and BATMAN is out for vengeance. It's a shocking blitzkrieg across the globe that is decades in the making - and will shape the course of the DC Universe for years to come! Brought to you by the superstar talents of MARK WAID and DAN MORA - it all starts here!"

What did you think of Absolute Power #1? You can talk all things comics with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

James Gunn's Superman movie is still in the throes of production, preparing to deliver a massive blockbuster upon its summer 2025 release. In recent weeks, Superman has filmed an array of exterior sequences in Cleveland, Ohio, providing some surprising public glimpses at what the film will deliver. The latest glimpse arrived on Wednesday, with set photos showing the first look at Guy Gardner / Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) and Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) in their superhero costumes, alongside Michael Holt / Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) and Clark Kent / Superman (David Corenswet). the set photos feature plenty of recognizable elements for Guy and Kendra -- their bright comic-accurate color schemes, her masked helmet and mace, and his signature bowl cut haircut. But other aspects of the costumes have immediately been met with online scrutiny, namely the matching white paneling across their costumes and the LordTech symbols embossed on their chests.

We're still over a year from Superman's theatrical debut, and probably several months away from the marketing campaign beginning in earnest, so we don't yet have context for how these hero costumes factor into the film. Given Superman costume designer Judianna Makovsky's experience working with Gunn on comic-accurate costumes for The Suicide Squad and the last two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, it is safe to assume that there is some sort of intentionality behind these new aesthetic choices. In fact, there is a chance that they could play a key role in Superman's storytelling -- and in the larger storytelling set up for Gunn and Peter Safran's new DC Universe.

The first clue might be within the LordTech symbol, as it has been heavily theorized, thanks to Sean Gunn's casting as Maxwell Lord and various other context clues surrounding Superman, that Lord might be funding the film's version of the DCU Justice League. There is certainly plenty of comic precedent for this, particularly with Lord bankrolling the fan-favorite Justice League International roster (which Guy is among the most beloved members of) in the 1980s, in an effort to rebrand the team for a globalist and capitalist world. Sure, the comic iteration of the JLI were never explicitly branded with Lord's name or business ventures, instead wearing their own individual flashy jumpsuits. But having Guy, Hawkgirl, and Mister Terrific all wear the Lord brand could help immediately establish their team's reputation as a corporatized entity in the DCU, providing a stark contrast to Superman's status as a freelance hero.

There's also the fact that Guy, Hawkgirl, and Mister Terrific's costumes share matching silhouettes and white paneling -- an aesthetic that, while ripped almost exactly from the comics for Terrific, is a bit out of place with the other two characters. Outside of special gear worn on a random odd mission, no comic roster of the Justice League has worn costumes that match this much, a fact that has given some fans pause upon seeing these photos. But that reaction might be part of the point, especially in a landscape where matching uniforms have grown common in superhero media. Parallels can easily be drawn between these color-coordinated suits and the Quantum realm suits worn in Marvel's Avengers: Endgame, which homogenized the aesthetics of multiple heroes into time-traveling soldiers clad in red and white. Guy's vest, while technically comic accurate, even has the same visual effect as many of the screen-accurate Marvel Cinematic Universe outfits. You can also see the resemblance to many of the costumes worn on The CW's Arrowverse of DC shows, which often boiled down to heroes with the same silhouette and some sort of personalized leather jacket. Time will only tell if these parallels are intentional, but it certainly wouldn't be the first time that Gunn's superhero work has been interpreted as a meta dissection of the larger genre.

Either way, there's a good chance that there's more to Superman's superhero uniforms than meets the eye. Superman's colleagues in the superhero world be a portrait of commercialized sameness -- only for his actions to inspire them to break out of the mold -- would be a profound storyline for the movie. It has been safe to assume that Guy, Hawkgirl, and Mister Terrific will appear in plenty of additional DCU projects after Superman, and this theme would give them a chance to lean into their own individuality (and the costumes) that fans already know and love. Through the costumes of Superman, we could get a window into what kind of fleshed-out superhero world the DCU already is -- as well as what it can be.

Superman is currently scheduled to be released exclusively in theaters on July 11, 2025.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Absolute Power #1.] "Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound" no more: Superman is powerless. After weaponizing artificial intelligence to discredit superheroes using AI-generated deepfake videos, Amanda Waller -- head of the government's Bureau of Sovereignty -- wielded her unchecked powers to steal the superpowers of metahuman heroes and villains alike.

DC had been teasing that Absolute Power, from Batman/Superman: World's Finest creative team Mark Waid and Dan Mora, would depower the DC Universe's superheroes for the crossover event spanning a four-issue series (and tie-ins with ongoing runs of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, and Green Lantern). And in this week's issue, titled "Powerless," Waller -- with Failsafe, the Brainiac Queen, and Task Force VII, her own "Justice League" of power-stealing Amazo androids -- did just that.

As "The Wall" launched the blitzkrieg that stripped superheroes of their powers, the now-mortal Man of Steel lost his invulnerability to bullets just as Superman was shot by a panicked criminal's gun. Superboy and Jon Kent were nearby to rush the critically wounded Superman to a hospital, but they then lost their powers mid-flight. The issue ended with the depowered Superman bleeding out and the world's superheroes powerless to stop Waller's literal power grab.

The Absolute Power cliffhanger was resolved in a backup story in Batman #150 (written by Chip Zdarsky and drawn by Mike Hawthorne, also on stands Wednesday). The oversized milestone issue picks up where Absolute Power #1 left off: with the Dark Knight determined to stop Failsafe, the "uber-Batman" robot controlled by Bruce Wayne's backup personality, the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh.

Batman went to Titans Tower in Bl?dhaven in hopes that Cyborg could disable Waller's Task Force VII, only to find that Waller infected him with a virus. Cyborg revealed that Waller's power source is a Mother Box, a dangerous Apokolips-made supercomputer that Batman plans to steal with help from a thief: Catwoman.

There were two more revelations. First, the Flash is one of the only heroes who hasn't lost his powers, which he's used to stay on the move at super speed. Second, Superman survived with the help of Mr. Terrific, and he's recuperating in the silver-and-black Superman suit the Kryptonian wore when recovering in his return from the dead after The Death of Superman.

But Superman isn't the only powerless superhero getting a new look in coming issues of Absolute Power. Solicitations for future issues reveal that the Batman-led resistance -- including Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter -- armor up for their fight against the Trinity of Evil and their super-powered Task Force VII.

"The biggest thing was I wanted to create a real sense of peril and drama without endangering the universe," Waid told ComicBook in an exclusive interview. "Because those crossovers have been great, but it's not my wheelhouse exactly to do the big cosmic stories. So that was goal number one. Then I started thinking about it, and, 'What is the worst thing that you can do to these characters? What great sense of loss can you imprint upon universally all of them?' It's not just a matter of taking away their loved ones or their friends, because some of them have loved ones, some of them don't, or whatever. What's the one thing universally across the board you can do? And that's to make them stop being superheroes."

Absolute Power is the culmination of a story that has been building in of recent issues of DC's comics -- including Batman's "Dark Prisons" arc and Superman's "House of Brainiac" -- and 2022's Dark Crisis and 2023's Beast World consequential events.

Paying off those story threads "wasn't the challenging part, because a lot of that, especially in the case of the Titans, for instance, they were laying the groundwork [in Beast World]," Waid added. "For Flash, same thing -- laying the groundwork for Amanda Waller taking bigger swings. So that wasn't really an issue. Brainiac Queen being the third leg of the Trinity of Evil made perfect sense to us because she's able to bring something that Failsafe and Waller can't to the table."

As for more casual fans coming to DC's blockbuster event that started with a bang, Waid said readers immediately "get a pretty good sense of what's at stake, who the players are, and what they want. So I would encourage you, even if you are a casual DC fan, not inclined to pick up everything, I think this is something that will scratch every itch."

A logo spotted in at least three different places on the set of Superman has fans on social media convinced that Maxwell Lord is putting together the Justice League International. A logo for LordTech, a company owned by Maxwell Lord, is featured on the costumes for both Mr. Terrific and Guy Gardner, as well as on a piece of signage on one of the sets. It's the signage that ultimately confirms the logo is definitely LordTech's, although there has been speculation for days now. Both Guy Gardner and Mr. Terrific wear the logo on their chests, where it's raised in relief against a solid color background.

The logo, which is a diamond-shaped logo that creates the impression of letters -- which letters depend on who you ask! -- using negative space, seems to be a riff on the logo introduced on Supergirl in the Arrowverse. In the comics, Lord's company is called Maxwell Lord Enterprises, and in the Arrowverse, it's Lord Technologies.

The logo itself has been spotted on the set -- namely, on a sign hanging in a store window that advertised the LordTech brand alongside tech giant Samsung (and another Easter egg -- a company called Quitely and Sons, named for All-Star Superman artist Frank Quitely).

The same logo has been spotted on Guy Gardner and Mr. Terrific's costumes. Depending on how you look at it and who you ask, it either has "ML" built into it, more than one "L" pointed at odd angles (like the Supergirl version), or "JLI." Of course, the JLI interpretation is the most exciting but also the one that would be weirdest for Lord to be using on Lord-branded products.

After Mr. Terrific's costume appeared to be sporting a Lord logo, fans on social media suggested that Lord could be building the Justice League International in the movies. Longtime JLI artist Kevin Maguire, who visited the Superman set back in May, posted "Golly, that would be a shame" to Threads after seeing such speculation. Today's first looks at Guy Gardner seemingly cemented it, with Gardner wearing the same logo on his shirt. Like Mr. Terrific and Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl's costume is leather or pleather and features a jacket, so it seems likely she will be sporting a LordTech shirt underneath as well, although no straight-on shots of her front have surfaced online.

(We don't have anyone on-site taking photos, so we can link out to these images, but can't host them here.)

Since all three heroes were added to the movie at the same time (as far as the casting announcement is concerned, anyway), it could stand to reason that there's a narrative thread connecting the three of them.

Lord appeared as the primary antagonist in Wonder Woman 1984 (played by Pedro Pascal) and one of the main antagonists in the first season of Supergirl (played by Peter Facinelli). He will appear in the DC Universe that kicks off with Creature Commandos and Superman. In the new universe, he will be played by Sean Gunn, who played Kraglin in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies directed by his brother James Gunn.

While more recent comics (and TV/film) stories have transformed Max into a villain, things were not always that simple. In his earliest appearances, Maxwell Lord was a wealthy industrialist who wanted to create a team of superheroes for a murky blend of public good and clout chasing. Using the name "Justice League" because it had goodwill attached to it but had been abandoned, Lord put together a team composed mostly of second-string heroes. Soon after, he would rechristen the team "Justice League International," bringing on heroes from around the globe like the Soviet Union's Rocket Red and Brazilian supermodel/superhero Fire.

During his time with the Justice League, Lord was possessed by supervillain Kilg%re briefly, which turned him bad, but spent most of his time with the group as a morally gray opportunist. Along the way, he recruited Booster Gold and Blue Beetle, the team's most famous comedy duo, one of whom (Booster) was almost as mercenary as Max. It wasn't until more than 15 years after his first appearance that he would be turned into a Machiavellian supervillain.

Those aforementioned costume jackets could play into Booster's character in particular; during the DC crossover event 52, he altered his costume to add a jacket, covering it in sponsor patches like a NASCAR driver. That idea was later carried over into his live-action debut on Smallville.

In Countdown to Infinite Crisis, Max murdered Blue Beetle (Ted Kord), revealing that he hated superheroes and had secretly weakened the Justice League with also-rans in the hopes of making it a joke. He was revealed to be a secret leader of the intelligence organization Checkmate, where he ran a spy satellite tracking the activities of Earth's heroes.

It appears -- at least on the surface -- that the earlier, less-evil version of Max will be the one seen in Superman, opening the door to the JLI. Guy Gardner was a part of that League from the moment it was founded, and Booster Gold -- who joined at the start of the "International" era -- has a TV show coming from Max in the near future. Metamorpho -- appearing in Superman and played by Anthony Carrigan -- was a member of the Justice League Europe, which happened when the JLI ballooned in size and then split up between teams for the eastern and western hemispheres.

Other members of the JLI -- Shazam, Batman, Martian Manhunter, and the Ted Kord Blue Beetle -- appeared or were discussed openly in movies that came out under the previous DC management team. Aside from Batman, it is not immediately clear which of these characters will return in the new DC Universe. An ad for Chocos -- a cookie brand beloved by Martian Manhunter in the Justice League International comics -- can be spotted in some set photos from Superman.

Obviously, it's impossible to know at this stage whether there is any weight to the Justice League speculation. Gunn has openly admired Keith Giffen, J.M. Dematteis, Kevin Maguire, and the JLI in the past -- but so has pretty much any creative person who grew up during the Justice League International era, considering what a seismic change it was for the team and for mainstream superhero comics as a whole. Him being a fan doesn't necessarily mean he's planning on making it (even if we did write, years ago, that he should).

During its heyday, JLI felt like it was stealing the thunder of oddball superhero books like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Flaming Carrot Comics and incorporating their anarchic energy into the DC Universe. That's not too far off from what Gunn did with the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and The Suicide Squad.

Superman stars David Corenswet as the title character, with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. Other DC heroes set to appear in the movie include Metamorpho (Gotham's Anthony Carrigan) and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi). There has been some speculation that Milly Alcock's Supergirl and Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner could appear as well.

Little is known about the story of Superman, other than that it will involve a version of Superman who is settled into his role as the world's protector, but who also has a network of allies to fall back on. The Wire and Jack Ryan star Wendell Pierce will play Perry White, with Pruitt Taylor Vince (Constantine) and Neva Howell (Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul) on board as Jonathan and Martha Kent.

Gunn is lining up some familiar talent on the project, with cinematographer Henry Braham (The Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3); production designer Beth Mickle (The Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3); costume designer Judianna Makovsky (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Avengers: Endgame); and art director David Scott (Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Spider-Man: No Way Home). Casting is by Yellowstone and Oppenheimer's John Papsidera.

Superman flies in to theaters on July 11, 2025.

The relationship between comic books and their covers has always been fascinating to me. The better part of the past century has proved that a striking cover image can push forward ideas that revolutionize the entire industry, plague an otherwise-fine book with controversy, or falsely advertise a plot point. Amid the more than half-dozen variant covers of this week's Absolute Power #1, the beginning of DC's latest line-wide event, one provides a striking encapsulation of the story within. It's not the main cover, but Chrissie Zullo's gloriously cartoonish "Sandbox" variant cover, which shows a child version of Amanda Waller excitedly (or maniacally, depending on your interpretation) playing with dolls of the Justice League's heroes. After years of teasing Waller's grand plan to take power in the DC universe, Absolute Power #1 puts it into action in a frustrating frenzy, one that is largely saved by the fact that the title has two of the industry's best creators, Mark Waid and Dan Mora, at the helm.

Absolute Power #1 shows Waller, having acquired the talents of the maniacal Batman villain Failsafe and a newly-reborn Brainiac Queen, launching her no-holds-barred fight against the metahumans of the world. After destroying the credibility of the superhero community in the eyes of the public, Waller instigates an all-out war that will strip countless heroes of their powers and potentially reshape the DC universe as we know it. Together, heroes from across the world must form an alliance to stay alive, as even that challenge becomes increasingly impossible.

Waid is no stranger to using a DC universe-spanning threat to tap into larger cultural themes; his and Alex Ross' work on 1996's Kingdom Come is regarded to be one of the most poignant stories of that decade, if not all of modern DC, thanks in part to its dense portrait of heroism and legacy. He also is no stranger to compelling character dynamics, as exemplified everywhere from 1998's JLA: Year One to his and Mora's recent work on Batman / Superman: World's Finest. All of this does make Absolute Power #1 into a much stronger reading experience than it easily could be, one that crackles with urgency and a sense of rapport from countless characters, even as they spout frantic lines of exposition. The issue is also surprisingly relevant to our current moment, offering commentary on artificial intelligence and misinformation that is only growing more necessary by the day. Even as the issue descends into its bleakest territory, it almost presents the larger event as a fascinating puzzle, as the reader is left to wonder exactly how the superhero community can get out of this situation.

The narrative problem with Absolute Power is, arguably, one that Waid inherited from the past few years of Waller stories in DC comics, which have foregone her complex views on chaos and order in favor of a simpler nihilism. Waller has, for lack of a better term, been "Flanderized" for the sake of the larger conflict, leading her to take action in dark ways that are increasingly improbable, and coupled with an unflinching stance on why she believes she is in the right. Even if some twist is on the horizon that walks back her staunch anti-superpower beliefs, the events of Absolute Power have already done heaps of damage to her presence in DC continuity going forward. Without getting into spoilers, that same dissonance can be felt with another hero who has allied themselves with Waller, despite decades of canon evidence to suggest they hold an opposite view, although fans have already speculated that they are operating as some sort of double agent. Again, this tightrope of storytelling and potential character assassination would be much more harrowing if anyone outside of Waid was at the helm, but there's absolutely no telling at this point how these plot points will land.

Mora embraces the Herculean effort of rendering locales and characters scattered across the DC universe, effortlessly transporting the reader from one dire situation to the next. As has been the case with his work on World's Finest, it is absolutely electrifying seeing Mora's interpretations of different characters' aesthetics and physiques, whether in the throes of battle or in a fleeting quiet moment. This works wonders as the actual events of Absolute Power #1 grow more upsetting, without ever becoming too dark or gruesome to look at. Alejandro Sanchez's color work bathes the entire setting in hues that are dark, but still evoke a sense of vibrance. Ariana Maher's lettering effortlessly carries the reader through the chaos, all while delivering thematic gut punches at just the right moments.

Absolute Power #1 might be the rare comic book where the execution vastly outweighs its central concept, as Waid, Mora, and company give it their all in rendering DC's next monster event. That does not excuse the issue of its flaws, namely the grandfathered-in characterization of its central villainess, but it does prevent the event from veering towards total narrative desolation. Luckily, through various tie-ins and one-shots, we'll get plenty of chances to see if and how Absolute Power ultimately proves itself, but at least the artistry on display makes the central title interesting.

Published by DC Comics

On July 3, 2024

Written by Mark Waid

Art by Dan Mora

Colors by Alejandro Sanchez

Letters by Ariana Maher

Cover by Dan Mora