Suffering Sappho – Wonder Woman 84 Trailer Truly Is A Gift From The Gods…

Well it’s finally here, my astonishing Amazonian associates, THE one film trailer that I know you’ve all been waiting for… Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins’ sequel to the stunning 2017 Wonder Woman movie finally has a trailer, and Great Hera! it’s absolutely phenomenal!

The 2017 Wonder Woman movie really was a fantastic homage to William Marston’s groundbreaking creation, it captured everything that’s essential about Diana that fans wanted from DC’s premier female lead character. Her origin story respected both versions that have been laid out throughout her almost eight decades of virtual existence, daughter of Zeus and child of clay. Her Amazon sisters were also spectacularly brought to life and Chris Pine was perfect casting as the wry yet honourable Steve Trevor. Yet it was Gal Gadot as the titular heroine that stole the show, sublime casting that was ultimately the reason behind the film’s massive box office success.

After three torturous years of waiting, WW fanatics are finally blessed with a trailer for the much anticipated sequel, and it’s a doozy! 1980’s setting replete with era appropriate music and fashion, the return of Steve Trevor after he met his heroic fate in the original, Kristen Wiig as Dr Barbara Minerva aka Wondy nemesis The Cheetah, Pedro Pascal as the scheming sociopath Maxwell Lord, plus of course Gal Gadot back in her career defining role as Princess Diana of Themyscira… The trailer is astounding, and right here for your delectation. Enjoy:

 

The Week In Geek… With Precinct1313

Welcome fellow agents of Precinct1313 to another exhilarating episode of  The Week In Geek  where we love to share our favourite Comic-Book, Video-Game and Cult Movie news for your perusal and pleasure. And so once more unto the geek, dear agents, once more…

And ‘hoo boy’ do we have a wondrous line up of fantastical female fiction courtesy of our beloved DC Comics and their two biggest selling and widely renowned female characters – The Themysciran Titan – Wonder Woman and the Hellacious Hellcat – Harley Quinn. So grab your lariat of Hestia and comically oversized mallet ’cause the girls are back in town to spread love, joy and also kick arse (there ain’t no gum!) and spout incredulously funny one liners…

We Can ‘Harley’ Wait For The New Birds Of Prey Movie, But Whilst We Do, Let Us Indulge In The Newest Quinn-tastic Trailer…

I mean, how awesome does that look? honestly this film seems to be beautifully capturing everything we love not just about Harley, but also Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti’s stunning and character defining recent run on her monthly comics… and that friends, is a wonderful thing (and Bernie’s in it, I mean you can never have too many stuffed Beavers, right!?)

Also of note are the fantastic posters that Warner and DC have been releasing in the run up to the highly anticipated movie. Of particular note are the influences behind the promotional images – including Italian renaissance paintings such as Sandro Botticelli’s – ‘The Birth Of Venus’ amongst others. Astounding!

“Great Hera!” Wonder Woman #750 Covers And Interior Art Released For Incoming Iconic Issue…

By the golden grace of Gaea, Princess Diana of Themyscira is just two short years away from celebrating eight decades since her illuminating inception, but we don’t have to wait that long to celebrate THE greatest fictional female of all time, ’cause in just six weeks time DC will be releasing the 750th issue of the astonishing Amazon’s eternal adventures!

That’s right my astounding Amazonian associates, Diana has been fighting emancipation, gods of war and anthropomorphic super-villains in her own comic since June of 1942 (though her first ever appearance was in 1941, courtesy of Sensation Comics) and in celebration of 750 illustrious issues, DC are bringing together some of her finest ever creators for a 96 page Amazonian anthology of awesome!

Writers and artists of such inspirational ilk as – Gail Simone, Nicola Scott, Kami Garcia, Jose Luis Garcia, George Perez, Greg Rucka, Jim Lee, Brian Bolland and Stanley Lau to name just a few will be creating a cavalcade of classic and compelling comic covers and stunning storylines commemorating our absolute favourite comic-book creation. “Suffering Sappho!” January 22, 2020 can’t come soon enough for this WW fanatic!

Why not join us again next time friends for more Week In Geek!

 

Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, The Huntress, Black Canary, and yes, Bernie the Beaver are Copyright: DC Comics.

Birds Of Prey Trailer Courtesy Of Rapid Trailer.

The Week In Geek… With Precinct1313 – Harley Quinn And The Birds Of Prey Special

Welcome fellow agents of Precinct1313 to another exhilarating episode of  The Week In Geek  where we love to share our favourite Comic-Book, Video-Game and Cult movie news for your perusal and pleasure. And so once more unto the geek dear agents, once more…

The Girls Are Back In Town – The Birds Of Prey Are Here To Chew Gum And Kick Arse… And They’re All Out Of Gum (but they do have baseball bats, crossbows and a penchant for ass-kickery!)

Birds Of Prey And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn

Well what can I say, but, how excited am I right now… really, really excited! I just finished watching the first trailer for DC’s newest upcoming blockbuster movie ‘Birds Of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn’ and after viewing it for the umpteenth time I must say… I absolutely love this movie already.

I Can ‘Harley’ Wait For This To Come Out!

That’s right fellow fans of fantastic fiction, the hellacious hellcat of hi-jinks is back, once again brilliantly brought to life by magnetic Margot Robbie cementing her hold on DC’s wild child villain/anti-hero with what looks like another priceless performance as Ms Harleen Quinzel. This time though she isn’t in the corruptible company of the Suicide Squad or her former lover Mr J, but is striking out with the feisty, fiery, femme fatale’s and all round arse kicking bodacious baroness’ of broody brawls -The Birds of Prey.

Based upon DC’s top rated comic-book series, The Birds of Prey weaves the tale of Gotham’s favourite female fighting furies, and the costumed crime-fighters from this popular series being brought to the silver screen include two of my absolute fave female Superheroes – Black Canary as portrayed by Jurnee Smollet-Bell and The Huntress, ably brought to crossbow wielding life by the marvellous Mary Elizabeth Winstead. And if that wasn’t enough of a geek overload, brilliant British thesp – Ewan McGregor is cast as big, bad Batman villain – Black Mask! Revel in the trailer below, and whilst you do I’m off to invent a time machine ’cause I’m not sure I can wait until February 2020 for this to appear…

 

World’s Finest: An Exclusive Interview With Lego Batman

Welcome fellow Agents of Precinct1313 to another exhilarating episode of “World’s Finest” a series of exclusive interviews that aim to introduce you to some of our very favourite convocation of comic-book characters of… all… time!

Each episode we cordially invite one of our most treasured – Superheroes, SuperVillains, Costumed Crimefighters, Dimension Dwelling Demons and, of course, Super-Pets to answer a quotient of quintessentially quirky questions about life, the universe, and cake (’cause everyone loves cake!)

And so, let’s welcome to Precinct1313’s stately sanguine sofa of shockingly satirical secrets – the larger than life, laudable yet litigious loner – Lego Batman!

Precinct1313: Welcome Bats, and thanks so much for joining us on this weeks World’s Finest.

Lego Batman: It’s Batman… B-A-T-M-A-N! not Bats or Batsy, or any other cute nickname… I’m the goddamn Batman!

Precinct1313: Uuh, I’m sorry, Batman… loving that Frank Miller reference though, very cool.

Lego Batman: Who?

Precinct1313: You know, Frank Miller, one of the most celebrated chroniclers of your adventures.

Lego Batman: Never heard of the guy, I, of course, chronicle my own adventures, I mean, who else could do as an amazing job as me… I’m Batman, although Alfred is currently helping write my memoirs for my upcoming autobiography.

Precinct1313: Intriguing, and what’s the title of said book so I can pick it up once it’s available.

Lego Batman: “I’m Batman – An Autobiography”

Precinct1313: Erm, that title seems a little… simple, for someone of your stature…

Lego Batman: It does have a subtitle.

Precinct1313: Which is?

Lego Batman: “The Memoirs Of The World’s Most Significantly Awesome And Greatest Superhero, Who Has Beaten Superman In Every Fight Ever, Has Dated Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Zatanna, Power Girl… In Fact Every Female Superhero In Existence, Is A Billionaire Genius With Lots Of Cool Gadgets And A Batcave, And Is Appreciably More Important Than Anyone Who Has Ever… Ever Lived”

Precinct1313: That is, uuh, one seriously impressively long subtitle you have there.

Lego Batman: Yeah, well, the ladies dig a guy with an impressively long subtitle…

Precinct1313: I’m sorry!?

Lego Batman: Oh nothing, go on, ask me another question so I can dazzle you with my wit, charm, expertise and, of course, supreme modesty…

“That’s right ladies, I’ve got everything anyone would ever need, wit, charm, billions of dollars and an impressively long, uh… utility belt! “

Precinct1313: Ok then, now you recently starred in a big budget blockbuster movie, how hard was the switch from a night-clad costumed vigilante to an actor and superstar?

Lego Batman: Pfft! well I’ve always been a superstar…. world’s greatest Superhero, remember, but it also turns out I’m a damn fine thespian also…

Precinct1313: It had quite the cast list too, with virtually every member of your infamous Rogues Gallery appearing. 

Lego Batman: Mmmmm, speaking of my Rogues Gallery, is that a photo of you and the Mischievous Minx of Mayhem hanging on the wall?

Precinct1313: You mean the photo of Harley Quinn and myself? yes indeed she was a guest on the show a few months back… in fact she was sat on that very sofa you are on right now.

Lego Batman: Whaaaaat! why didn’t you tell me, the sofa is probably rigged to explode, or implode… it’s definitely going to do some kind of ‘ploding’ that’s for sure…

Precinct1313: Eh, surely not, I mean she was really rather nice to be honest, well apart from the bit where she violently assaulted me with a comically oversized mallet.

Lego Batman: Mmmm, yes, as I suspected, the sofa is rigged with Smilex gas… the Joker’s deadly toxin, and through the pressure of my Bat-butt I seem to have triggered the mechanism… we have only seconds to live!

Precinct1313: I’m sorry! did you say seconds to live!? ummm, what are we going to do!?

Lego Batman: Well I’m going to retrieve my Bat gas-mask from my trusty utility belt, whereas you will likely inhale the Smilex, laugh manically until your internal organs rupture and then die in severe pain with a hideous rictus grin on your face… unfortunately!

Precinct1313: Eep!

 

Lego Batman is trademark: DC Comics.

A Celebration Of Kate And Bette Kane…

Well now, how excited do you think we are right now here in the celebrated Comic Crypts of Precinct1313? I mean, I assume you’ve heard the rather awesome news, right? Batwoman is finally materialising into live action form… yep, Batwoman… how awesome? Much awesome fellow Agents, much.

CW, the company responsible for DC Comics’ vice like grip on small screen Superhero sagas are to add another of DC’s worlds finest creations to their burgeoning cast list in the form of Kate Kane, aka Batwoman. And, in what appears to be the finest piece of actor casting in recent history, they have also revealed that popular actress Ruby Rose will be donning the iconic black and red costume of Gotham’s titular anti-hero… anticipation overload in 3… 2… 

Ruby Rose Has Been  Confirmed In The Role Of Batwoman!

Batwoman had been skirting the edges of the DC Universe since her original introduction by comic-book auteurs Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff in Detective Comics #233 in 1956. Kate (known as Kathy in her original form) was initially created as a female counterpart and love interest for Batman to refute the idea that the Caped Crusader had homosexual tendencies. An unfortunate and rather disturbingly awful vision for any comic book creation to be ushered into the limelight, the 1950’s were an extremely unenlightened time, sexism and misogyny ran rampant in all areas, and especially the entertainment arena, which included the wildly popular comic book scene.

Kathy And Bette Circa 1961

In 1961, Sheldon Moldoff, alongside Batman co-creator Bill Finger, added Betty Kane to the ever growing Bat-Family as the niece of Kathy, whom upon discovering the secret identity of her crime fighting aunt, persuaded her to train her as her sidekick, resulting in the initiation of Batgirl, long before the mantle was taken up by the arguably more famous Barbara Gordon version of the wildly popular character. Just three short years later though, Batgirl, Batwoman and other popular members of Bruce’s broody band (such as Ace the Bathound and the mischievous Bat-Mite) were removed entirely from Bat lore in a restructure of the Batman universe by new editor Julius Schwartz.

Bruce And Kate Unite In A Scene From The Recent Animated Movie – Batman: Bad Blood

Kathy and Betty Kane remained consigned to creative memory for decades following their shock erasure, that is until their revamped and progressive resurgence through the hands of master scribe and astonishing artist JH Williams III. Reversing the unenlightened and inauspicious history of the characters, Williams delivered to us strong, diverse and sophisticated heroes who could match their peers in Gotham, and finally laid to rest the awful spectre of their past conception. Phoenix like, Kathy and Betty (now renamed Kate and Bette) became a new standard for empowerment in the burgeoning female Superhero market, shrugging off their inception and, especially for Kate, becoming one of DC’s most popular and biggest selling creations.

In fact, aside from sharing similar names, the two variants of Batwoman couldn’t be more disparate if they tried. Whereas Kathy was a fun loving socialite with the hots for Bruce Wayne, Kate is resilient, no nonsense ex military, who, until recently, cast herself independent from Batman and his crime-busting cohorts. Also of note is Kate’s sexual orientation, Kate is a lesbian, and much was made of this revelation at the time with both good and bad press from various media outlets. Ultimately it proved not just a popular move by the creators, but also a defining trait for the character of Batwoman herself, with LGBT groups worldwide heralding the character and Kate ultimately becoming a poster child of diversification and emancipation.

Bette Kane Eventually Took On The Mantle Of Flamebird, With Her Relationship To Kate  Retconned To Cousin, As Opposed To Niece

Are You As Excited As We Are For Kate’s Live Action Debut? Then Why Not Sound Off In The Comments Section Below, Fellow Fans Of Fantastic Fiction…

 

The Week In Geek… With Precinct1313 – SDCC Special

Welcome fellow Agents of Precinct1313 to another exhilarating episode of  ‘The Week In Geek’  where we love to share our favourite – Comic Book, Video-Game and Cult Movie news for your perusal and pleasure. And so once more unto the geek dear Agents, once more…

Well, of course they did…

A veritable feast for the eyes was unveiled at this years largest American geek gathering – San Diego Comic-Con, in fact smorgasbord would be a rather more fitting word for the absolutely astonishing avalanche of DC Comics greatness that was available… and, of course, your ever prescient Precinct1313 is here to share said greatness with you, it’s fellow Agents, beginning with…

The First Trailer For Shazam… Blew Minds!

It’s an unfortunate thing being a geek sometimes… especially when awesome stuff comes along that literally explodes your head, I mean it’s such an unpleasant and rather icky chore to constantly pick up brain matter and skull fragments from the floor every time something uber cool makes an appearance… and the trailer for DC Comics’ cinematic adaptation for the coming of age Superhero – Shazam is just that thing. In fact the trailer is so damnably great, that I rigorously had my hands pressed hard against my head to stop the inevitable explosion of said geeky brain matter (more fool me of course… implosions are just as goddamn messy!) 

Indulge in the trailer below fellow fans of fantastic fiction…

Aquaman Trailer Makes Waves At SDCC…

Sorry folks if you’ve just finished scooping up your inevitably exploded heads from the floor after watching the stonking Shazam trailer, cos it’s about to happen again with the premier for James Wan’s adaptation of DC’s king of the seas, Aquaman. Atlantis’ favoured son, Arthur Curry, will be surfing his way towards the big screen this Winter, and under the guidance of film auteur – the aforementioned Wan, everyone is expecting great things… and this first glimpse definitely does not disappoint… it’s looking like the tide has finally turned for Aquaman.

Luxuriate In The Trailer Below My Astonishing Atlantean Associates…

 

Stargirl – Coming Back To A Small Screen Near You Soon…

We love the character of Stargirl here in Precinct1313’s comic crypts, she has been a favourite of ours for many a year now. So it was with great delight when we saw her pop up in CW’s live action Legends Of Tomorrow series, and she was actually rather well realised in the episodes. Yet, we were really hoping she would ultimately become a team mainstay, alas that never happened… luckily though, one of her creators, the fantastic Geoff Johns is currently working on bringing Courtney Whitmore back for her own series, for DC’s upcoming digital streaming service – DC Universe.

Two live action versions of Courtney have already materialised through shows Smallville (inset pic) and Legends of Tomorrow. but you can never have too much Stargirl, so a third version, by her own creator no less, is definitely welcome.

The project is an emotional and significant one for Johns, who based the character on his sister, Courtney, who died in a plane explosion in the 90’s. Johns will both write and produce the series along with cohort Greg Berlanti, who has been the driving force behind DC’s commanding Superheroic presence on the small screen with such shows as Supergirl, The Flash and Arrow.

Why not join us again next time friends, for more Week In Geek…

Jared’s Joker Revival…

Oh boy did we love Jared Leto’s take on the clown prince of crime in 2016’s Suicide Squad movie, it was a sublime rendering of DC’s most infamous SuperVillain. The only thing we didn’t appreciate was the fact that most of his filmed scenes did not actually appear in the finished movie, in fact he was originally cast as the big bad for the film, alongside Cara Delevingne’s Enchantress, but his role was so heavily cut, that he ended up as nothing more than a side character… Boo!

But it appears that Warner and DC have seen the error of their ways and are looking to redress the fact… by giving Jared another chance to don the green hair and maniacal grin of the jester of genocide, with Variety reporting that he is set to star and executive produce an as yet untitled standalone movie! YES!! 

This of course is also alongside his apparent reprisal of the master of mirth in the undated Birds of Prey movie, which currently has only cast Margot Robbie, returning as everyone’s favourite mischievous minx of mayhem – Harley Quinn.

We have written a number of times about how impressed we were with Leto’s take on DC’s titular villain, he has actually become our favourite live action version of the character ever (yes, yes, we still believe Mark Hamill’s animated variant is the greatest of all time, so please no angry comments!) Leto’s Joker was ripped straight from the comic-book source itself, an almost perfect rendition of the homicidal sociopath.

To put this statement in context, like sixties Joker actor, Cesar Romero, Leto captured the Joker’s essence both visually and narratively from the actual character in DC’s almost eight decade running Batman comics. Though we do really adore both Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger’s take, they both gave us their own interpretation of what they perceived the Joker to be, as opposed to a specific comic book appearance.

Jared Leto’s Joker is ripped straight out of the comics themselves, predominantly from the 2014 Batman: Endgame by master scribe – Scott Snyder…

‘Batman: Endgame’ was a six issue long story arc released in 2014, written by Scott Snyder and pencilled by Greg Capullo. It features the return of Batman’s arch foe, who had not been seen in comics since the 2012  ‘Death of the Family’ storyline. Endgame was written in conjunction with Batman and the Joker’s 75th anniversary and explored the discordant bond the characters shared throughout their tumultuous history.

Leto’s Joker appears to be drawing heavily from Snyder’s storyline, again both visually and narratively. I also see a lot of similarity with Grant Morrison’s version of the Joker from the 2009 story arc ‘Batman: RIP’, again his visual look seems honed from Mr J’s appearance in this fantastic tale.

So, are you as excited as we are for Leto’s re-emergence as the Joker? sound off in the comments below, fellow fans of fantastic fiction…

The Week In Geek… With Precinct1313

Welcome fellow agents of Precinct1313 to another episode of  ‘The Week In Geek’  where we love to share our favourite – Comic Book, Video-Game, and Cult Movie news for your perusal and pleasure. And so once more unto the geek dear agents, once more…

Who Watches The Watchmen?

HBO are, once again, hinting that they are attempting to bring Alan Moore’s seminal comic book series ‘Watchmen’ to the small screen. The groundbreaking 80’s series published by DC Comics is one of the greatest pieces of Superhero fiction ever wrought, and was previously brought to life through Zack Snyder’s masterful 2009 cinematic adaptation.

HBO have approached Damon Lindelof, the creator of shows such as ‘Lost’ and ‘The Leftovers’ to take the reins of the series. Lindelof told Comic Book Resources in 2009 that Watchmen had “influenced his writing style more than anything else he had ever read”, so he seems like an excellent choice for reuniting us with it’s iconic cast of misfit Superheroes and masked vigilantes.

Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm Returns In All New HD Remaster…

Well finally… the stunning 1993 animated movie ‘Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm’ will release on Blu-Ray next month in an all new 1080p high definition remaster.  Warner Bros 90’s classic is a favourite amongst Bat-fans, and for good reason, it’s one of the best interpretations of Gotham’s guardian outside of the comic books themselves. The film successfully drives home the pain and sacrifice that Bruce Wayne has had to endure to become the justice seeking creature of the night that haunts the dreams of Gotham’s many miscreants and malefactors. 

‘When the city’s most feared gangsters are systematically eliminated, the Caped Crusader is initially blamed. But prowling the Gotham night is a shadowy new villain – The Phantasm, a sinister figure with links to Batman’s past. Can the Dark Knight elude the Police, capture the Phantasm, and clear his own name?’

Wonderful Art For A Wonderful Woman…

With the excellent Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot ‘Wonder Woman’ movie still breaking records at the box office and finally showing the world that a female led Superhero movie is not only viable, but essential, let’s celebrate the Themysciran Titan’s triumph with some fantastic poster art images that have been released in the wake of the stunning movie by Poster Posse. 

Images are copyright – Poster Posse

Why not join us again next time friends for more ‘Week In Geek’

Wonder Woman Final Trailer Is Legendary In Every Way…

Hang on one second, I just need to catch my breath… after what was quite possibly the most enthralling and epic film trailer I have ever witnessed. Warner Bros have released one final denouement in their campaign to advertise the forthcoming big screen solo appearance  of the legendary Princess of Themyscira, and Suffering Sappho it’s bloody marvellous indeed!

The new trailer, which debuted during the MTV movie awards ceremony, expertly showcases the massive scope, astounding action and gritty realism of it’s WW1 setting. A film that spans a millennia of generations and finally unleashes to the silver screen the most important and revolutionary fictional female character of all time. Great Hera, it’s going to be glorious… June 2 cannot come soon enough. Enjoy, my amazing Amazonian associates…

The Week In Geek… With Precinct1313

Welcome fellow agents of Precinct1313 to another episode of  ‘The Week In Geek’  where we love to share our favourite, Comic Book, Video-Game, and Cult Movie news for your perusal and pleasure. And so once more unto the geek dear agents, once more…

Big Trouble Is Heading To Your Tabletop…

We are huge fans of director John Carpenter here in the Precinct, which will be obvious to most considering the name of our website is a riff on one of his greatest movies. After Halloween and The Thing our third favourite Carpenter classic is the fantastically funny “Big Trouble In Little China”  the Kurt Russell starring martial arts/comedy combo is an absolute gem of a film, and now you can recreate the quintessential classic at home thanks to a new board game based upon the cult movie.

The game itself is currently still in development, but designers Chris Batarlis and Boris Polonsky have revealed the workings of the game itself and images of the fantastically recreated board and pieces, which look remarkably like their cinematic counterparts.

The Board Recreates Scenes From The Classic Movie In Fantastic Detail

“It’s a thematic, co-operative, strategy, miniatures adventure game that allows 1-4 players to experience the events they remember from the film as well as create new adventures of their own. The game plays in two acts – Act One uses the front side of the game board: Chinatown, whilst Act Two takes place on the back: Lo Pan’s Lair”

Intricate Game Pieces Evoke The Original Movie Beautifully

Batgirl Joins DCEU Courtesy Of Joss Whedon…

That’s right Bat-fans, everyone’s second favourite bat eared, cape wearing vigilante, Batgirl will be starring in her very own movie… directed by Joss Whedon no less! It has been confirmed by entertainment magazine, Variety, that Babs Gordon’s red haired costumed crime-fighter will follow Wonder Woman into the annals of female led Superhero movies… great news indeed, the diversity will surely help balance out the overabundance of male driven comic-book films and pave the way for more classic female heroes and villains (Come on Batwoman!!)

Variety also confirmed that the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Avengers director is currently in talks with Warner Bros to write and direct the comic-book spin off, which should help the prospective film to gain traction amongst fans and critics alike… exciting news indeed.

Black Lightning Strikes: First Look At Cress Williams In Costume…

Our first glimpse at actor Cress Williams in the iconic Black Lightning costume was revealed this week, the upcoming CW show is being produced by Greg Berlanti and is currently still in production.

Black Lightning (real name Jefferson Pierce) was created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden, and made his debut appearance in ‘Black Lightning #1′ in April 1977. Jefferson is one of the first major African-American Superheroes to appear in comics, he has been an on/off member of the Justice League and a regular in the Batman created team ‘The Outsiders’. Jefferson’s power set includes – the generation and manipulation of electricity, flight, and the ability to conjure force fields.

Why Not Join Us Again Next Time Friends, For More ‘Week In Geek’

Justice League Assemble In Stunning New Trailer

The first official trailer for the world’s finest team of Superheroes, Justice League, has finally been released to a fervent DC Comics fanbase, and it’s spectacular! After several individual character teasers, Warner Bros finally released the full trailer on Saturday, and it was met with adulation from both fan and critic alike. The trailer shows a montage of action sequences as we get introduced to each individual member of the titular team of costume clad crime-fighters.

Stunning doesn’t quite do the trailer Justice (pun intended!) so how about, stupendous, incredible, astounding, breath-taking… Watch the trailer below, fellow fans of fantastic fiction and be prepared for your brain to implode from its sheer mind-blowing radiance (you can tell I loved it huh!?) Enjoy…

Nightwing Steps Out Of Batman’s Shadow…

Nightwing Movie Incoming!!

We love The Batman here in the Precinct, we really do, but let’s be honest he has hogged the limelight when it comes to big screen appearances over the decades. Now we can understand why DC Comics have utilised the Caped Crusader so much in films over the years, I mean he is quite possibly THE most popular comic book character ever created, but his intrinsic lore includes many other fantastic creations that haven’t honestly been given a fair shake of the escrima stick! And one of the most beloved of the bodacious Bat Family is Richard Grayson, aka Nightwing.

Warner Bros announced this week that Batman’s one time sidekick will be getting his very own movie, which will slot right into DC’s burgeoning extended cinematic universe. Dick Grayson is the character who first took on the mantle of Robin in 1940, after his family was murdered (the acrobatic team known as “The Flying Graysons”) he was adopted by Bruce Wayne and inducted into the dangerous world of costumed crimefighting.

Dick left his position as Robin in 1984, taking on the role of Nightwing. Strangely enough the original holder of this title was Superman! When the Kryptonian Superhero and his pal, Jimmy Olsen found themselves stranded in the Kryptonian City of Kandor (famously miniaturised and stolen by the villainous Braniac) they adopted the identities Nightwing and Flamebird, and became Kandor’s costumed saviours.

After the venerable 80’s “Crisis On Infinite Earths” reboot, the original character of Nightwing was re-imagined as a masked vigilante from Krypton, whose legendary background served as the inspiration for Dick’s choice of identity.

Now those of you who have seen the outstanding ultimate edition of Zack Snyder’s criminally underrated “Batman v Superman” will have noticed the glass tube containing the Robin outfit, with the words “Ha Ha, Joke’s On You Batman” scrawled on it, this is famously tied in to the death of Dick’s replacement as Robin, Jason Todd, who was bludgeoned to death with a crowbar by the Joker in the classic “Death In The Family” storyline from 1988. Which means if Jason Todd’s version of Robin existed in the DC Cinematic Universe, then Dick accordingly must have also.

No date has been set as of yet for the film, but we do know that scripting duties are being handled by Bill Dubuque, who wrote the Ben Affleck starring “The Accountant” and is to be directed by Chris McKay, who recently delivered the fantastic “Lego Batman Movie”. This really is exciting news for DC fans, as it opens up the possibility for more varying characters from DC’s huge roster of heroes and villains, my personal favourite Robin was the aforementioned Jason Todd, who re-emerged from death’s cold embrace after being submerged in Ra’s Al Ghul’s life giving Lazarus Pit and became the scourge of Gotham’s underbelly as the violent masked vigilante Red Hood. If Nightwing is successful we may just end up getting a visit from that particular sociopathic guardian of the night.

Red Hood Wants In On The DC Cinematic Universe!… And He’s Not The Type To Take No For An Answer!!

Precinct1313’s End Of The Year Geekstravaganza…

2016, oh how we lament thee… ’tis been a rollercoaster of a year it has to be said, the world outside of the Precinct’s impenetrably darkened walls has seen many moments of both grief and utterly incredulous disbelief (as an example of this, being a Brit, I am still astonished that the larger populace of my home actually voted for Brexit!?) Some well loved and talented individuals passed away, and the political climate across the globe has shifted in a rather uncomfortable direction. Now more than ever we really need our alternate realities to hide in, be that comic books, movies or video-games and for this at least, 2016 was a great year.

2016, for me, was the year that I had been waiting for since I was six years old… as my beloved DC Superheroes finally burst forth from their comic book shackles, and onto the silver screen. Sure we’ve had plenty of movies throughout the decades that have brought us DC’s big two… Batman and Superman, and quite a few of them have been amazing, but the scale that DC have thrown their much loved characters onto the big screen this year has been literally stratospheric. 

These Were Our Favourite Moments From 2016:

Bats and Supes Had A Disagreement…

Batsy and Supes Threw Down At The Beginning Of 2016… And It Was Epic!!

The Year began with a disagreement between The Dark Knight and The Man Of Steel. In March the world’s two biggest Superheroes clashed head on in Warner Bros and Zack Snyder’s epic ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and it was awe inspiring. Forget what the critics said, the film is a deep and psychological look at how the world would react to Super-humans amongst them, but for all it’s depth, it was also an outstandingly awesome action movie with stand-out turns from Ben Affleck as Batman, and the unforgettable big screen debut of the Themysciran Titan – Wonder Woman, a role actress Gal Gadot seemed born to play.

Suicide Squad Broke Their Bonds…

“Smile For The Camera Mr J…”

In August Task Force X escaped from their well deserved incarceration in Belle Reve penitentiary to inflict all kinds of mayhem and mirth at the cinemas in David Ayer’s spectacularly fun take on DC’s ‘Suicide Squad’. John Ostrander’s classic comic book series about a group of Supervillains and disgraced Superheroes who are recruited by the Government for fully deniable black ops tasks in return for clemency was masterfully translated to the big screen by Ayer. With an eclectic cast of characters, an overtly powerful and enigmatic antagonist, and great performances from Jared Leto, Margot Robbie and Will Smith, this is an exemplary exercise in bringing a comic book series to vivid life (and Batman’s in it… and you can never have too much Batman!)

The Phantom Turned 80…

2016 marked the astonishing 80th anniversary of Lee Falk’s genre defining Superhero ‘The Phantom’, it was The Ghost Who Walks who first donned a mask and colourful costume to fight an eternal and ceaseless battle against corruption and injustice with only his quick wits, martial skills and faithful companions; Devil his pet wolf and Ghost his trusty white steed. The Phenomenal Phantom was the progenitor of what later became a deluge of Superheroes and preceded peers Batman and Superman by a full two years.

Wondy Celebrated Her Anniversary…

Oh How Time Flies, One Minute You’re Basking In the Golden Hues Of The Sun On The Resplendent Beaches Of Themyscira, Surrounded By Your Amazon Sisters, Then A Mere 75 Years Later You’ve Become A Superhero, Ambassador, Herald, God Of War, Feminist Paradigm, And Indomitable Icon To The Masses!

It’s been an awesome 75 years since Diana of Themyscira first burst onto the scene, wielding her golden lasso of truth and inspiring female empowerment and emancipation, Wonder Woman has proven to be the most important fictional female ever wrought. 2016 not only marked her 75th anniversary but also her big screen debut in Batman v Superman, and she was a huge highlight of that exceptional movie, and with her own solo movie set to appear at cinemas in mid 2017, there appears to be nothing stopping our immortal idol from ruling the roost for another seventy five… 

The DC Universe Was Reborn…

May 2016 marked a humongous relaunch of DC Comics’ entire line of monthly comic books aptly named ‘Rebirth’. It was primarily intended to return the DC Universe to a time prior to ‘Flashpoint’, a time paradox storyline that altered DC’s timeline and led into the 2011 ‘New 52’ reboot. The reboot itself was divisive amongst fans and some creators alike, and though initial sales were strong, the titles began to lapse in sales as fans yearned for their favourite heroes previous incarnations pre-52.

Wonder Woman Rebirth Has Been Astonishing, With Sublime Visuals Courtesy Of Liam Sharp And Nicola Scott

Rather than a reboot though, Rebirth was more of a soft relaunch retaining much of the history and happenings of the New 52 continuity, but returning characters back to their more popular personas prior to the paradox. And it’s been a hit! Rebirth has proven so popular that DC Comics for the first time in many a year has been soundly thrashing it’s closest rival Marvel in sales month in and out. Detective Comics, Wonder Woman, and Red Hood and the Outlaws have been stand out the best of these for this particular DC fanboy, but all titles have been fantastically written and engrossing, with both superstar veteran creators and upcoming stars scrabbling to join the DC Rebirth fold.

Our Top Picks For DC’s Rebirth, Though Whichever Title You Choose You’re In For An Absorbing And Wicked Ride With Fantastic Art And Engrossing Storylines, Replete With Classic DC Characters… It’s A Win Win!

Happy New Year To All Our Followers, Special Agents, Readers And Everyone Else, 2017 Is Set To Be Even Bigger For DC With The Highly Anticipated Wonder Woman And Justice League Movies, Not To Mention Yet More Marvellous Comics From The Rebirth Line, Kicking Off With Batwoman Rebirth In March, Until Then… Make Mine DC!

The Week In Geek… With Precinct1313

Welcome fellow agents of Precinct1313 to another episode of ‘The Week In Geek’ where we love to share our favourite Comic Book, Video-Game and Cult Movie news for your perusal and pleasure…

David Ayer Sends Out A Siren Call…

Best be prepared folks, I may just get a tad bit over-excited on this one… just sayin’.

‘Gotham City Sirens!, Gotham City Sirens!!, Gotham City Sirens!!!, Gotham City Sirens!!!!, Gotham City Sirens!!!!!, Gotham Cit… Phew!’

OK, now that I’ve calmed down (a bit) let’s get straight to the epic news that DC Comics’ troublesome trio, Gotham City Sirens, have been announced as a major motion picture as part of the burgeoning DC Cinematic Universe. Suicide Squad director, David Ayer will be returning to helm the flick, and it will also mark the return of Margot Robbie as the Hellacious Harley Quinn. 

Gotham City Sirens is one of our all time favourite comic book runs here in Precinct1313, the scintillating series was first published in 2009 and brought together three of Batman’s most famous female foes, feline felon – Catwoman, vined vixen – Poison Ivy, and of course mischievous misfit – Harley Quinn. The series lasted just two short years despite being a financial and critical success, to make way for DC’s ‘New52’ reboot. However, the Triumvirate of Temperamental Troublemakers have come together to cause mischief, mirth and misbehaviour several times since then, mostly in Harl’s own long running (and most excellent) comic book series.

Little else is currently known about the project, but Warner Bros have announced that the marvellous movie will be scripted by Geneva Dworet-Robertson, who is also currently writing the screenplay for another famous fictional female, Lara Croft, for the 2018 dated  ‘Tomb Raider’ reboot.

Exciting times ahead indeed, my fellow fans of fantastic fiction, what with next year’s Justice League movie and of course Wonder Woman’s solo film, let’s be honest it’s about time that more female led comic book movies were being developed, and DC have an infinite amount of Superheroines and Villainesses they can bring to the silver screen, we have our fingers crossed for Batwoman, Power Girl and The Huntress being next.

          

Justice League Prepare For Action…

“Listen Diana can you stop sulking now, I already told you the reason we took the Justice League jet and not your Invisible Plane was because I couldn’t find it, I mean… IT’S INVISIBLE!”

At the beginning of the 90’s DC Comics and Warner Bros entered a renaissance period in animation when it aired the much loved ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ in 1992. The highly praised and award winning show was co-created by the inimitable Bruce Timm and Eric Ramdoski, the series was complex and explored themes oft unseen in Superhero cartoons previous to it’s existence. A dark and emotional ride with a noticeable film noir style, it ably captured the moodiness and angst of its titular star with consummate ease, and cogently drew influence from Tim Burton’s cinematic foray into Gotham lore, in the Michael Keaton starring ‘Batman’ and ‘Batman Returns’.

The Show’s Intro Drew You In Beautifully With Its Combination Of Dramatic Noir Style Visuals And Danny Elfman Soundtrack

The series was more adult oriented than previous comic-book animations, and was noteworthy for its voice casting especially one character in particular, The Joker, voiced sublimely by Mark Hamill. Hamill has been a fan and critic favourite since then as the Clown Prince Of Crime and has gone on to voice the Genocidal Jester in both animated films and video-games adaptations. The series was also the progenitor of the shared animated universe and brought into it’s continuity timeline ‘Superman: The Animated Series’ and ‘Justice League’ with each sharing the show’s distinctive art style.

In 2004 a sequel to the popular ‘Justice League’ series was produced, ‘Justice League Unlimited’ continued the shared universe begun by the Batman animated original, but added a veritable army of characters to the original JL roster. In fact the first episode of the new show contained over 50 characters, some of them were previously included in a guest starring spot on Justice League, but most were making their debut appearance in animated form.

The popular series ran for three seasons and left the viewer with many memorable storylines, including a long running romantic entanglement between Batman and Wonder Woman, and a complex love triangle for Green Lantern, Hawkgirl and Vixen, these story beats added an emotional depth to the characters and show itself and were quite often more compelling than any of the superheroics on display.

Sizzling Sidekick Superhero Show Succeeds Succinctly!

DC and Warner Bros have produced a plethora of animated shows and movies since JLU, with the most popular of more recent times being ‘Young Justice’. The series follows the teenage sidekicks and heroes of the DC Universe as they attempt to establish themselves as superheroes, but also focuses on their adolescent dramas and personal issues. The show is aimed squarely at the teenage market, yet fans of all ages have found themselves drawn to the animated antics of Robin, Superboy, Miss Martian et al, thanks to fantastic scripting and a genuinely uplifting and heartwarming ethos.

DC and Warner Bros’ newest animated series ‘Justice League Action’ will attempt to recapture their peers’ animated triumphs when it airs on the Cartoon Network on December 16 this year (though it has already aired on UK television). It’s been 10 years since Justice League Unlimited ceased and DC are hoping to once again produce yet another exemplary, industry leading cartoon showcase of their legendary creations. Returning voice actors from the 90’s shows include; Kevin Conroy as Batman, Mark Hamill as The Joker, James Woods as Lex Luthor, and Brent Spiner will be voicing Batman’s conundrum posing enigma The Riddler.