Tiffany/ Debbie Gibson/ SyFy/ Mutant Animals = I am watching

Nathan C. sent this link along. He must have known it would need to go up as an emergency post.

Apparently SyFy is trying to blow all our minds with a low budget giant monster yarn featuring 80's teen pop stars Tiffany and Deborah Gibson.

Gibson will play a fanatical animal-rights activist who frees illegally imported exotic snakes from pet stores, sending them into the Everglades, where they grow to mega sizes. Tiffany will play an overzealous park ranger who uses dangerous methods to save endangered alligators.

In the script, the pair brawl at a party, then take matters outside into the swamp.

SyFy, who have just won yourself a viewer.

DCU Digital Announcement: Brilliant or Lucky?

It just now occurs to me that Marvel may have miscalculated by tieing their digital comics launch in with the launch of the iPad. What's the bigger news that day? iPad or "oh, look, Iron Man!" Of course, it seems to have fit neatly with the release of the Iron Man movie, but people are buzzing about DC's efforts as if we hadn't already seen Marvel pull this off already, and Boom! make an announcement just last week.

That said, I was discussing iPads with my boss, and I think I am waiting for the HP Slate and whatever Dell produces. Not just to be contrarian, but I like to look at YouTube and stuff.

Time to get an iPad: DC Comics goes digital

As recently as Monday, DC wasn't publicly committing to anything when it came to digital comics. As of this morning, DC Comics are available via iTunes. Including the release of Superman #700, which is released today.

In no way does this appear to be an original strategy, but at least they didn't wait much longer to unveil part of the plan.

I have to wonder if plans were to roll out the digital initiative at some other point (San Diego?), but reports that began surfacing this week about Marvel's relative success, and possibly even the story about Hastings getting into the comics game didn't drive the decision to flip the switch.

Well, iPad users, your time is now.

Update: DC's official press release.

Update Update: I was a bit curious as to why DC teamed with Playstation rather than X-Box when it came to their upcoming DCU Online system, which is PC specific for computer and PS3 specific for consoles. But I am guessing that the Playstation Comics thing was already planned, or part of that strategy.

Put Yourself in a Cheap "Twilight" Knock-Off!

As if the heroine of Stephanie Meyer's golden goose, Twilight, wasn't pretty much a stand in for every female who can turn a page, it seems that a company has come up with a brilliant scheme to really, really exploit the concept.

Just fill out the form, add a few details, and... voila! Ladies, you're Bella-@#$%ing-Swan! And that hunky man of your dreams? Edward "Sparkles" Cullen.

You can sample the finished product with three separate scenes. I've cut these a bit short, but they give the general idea...

Now, for just $24.95 (plus shipping and handling), ladies, you can be the star of your very own hastily written Twilight fan fiction.

Click here to order!


Or, you know, search the catalog. If you look at the romance books, apparently you can add anybody you want into what seems to be a steamy, trashy, novel-length tale of inadequate telling! And in genres from werewolf to pirate (with genre specific love scenes).

And now... some samples... You really cannot make this stuff up.

Our Heroes Meet

Jamie could feel the heavy shelves wobble and tilt precariously. Before she could even think of escaping out from underneath, she heard the sound of sudden footsteps and the slap of wood against flesh. She looked up, surprised. A young man in a dark brown leather jacket smiled at her, one arm stretched mere inches above her head as it held back the skewed bookcase.

Their romantic ideal is a vintage late 80's college rock fan

“Pardon me,” Ryan murmured with a slight smile, and with a movement as smooth as a dancer’s, he turned and tipped the heavy bookshelves back into their proper position.
Her heart hammering, Jamie scrambled to stand up. She was so shaken she nearly tottered back off her feet, but the stranger reached out to steady her, his touch lasting only seconds. But it was enough.
“Are you all right?”
Like his clothing, his voice was soft and rich. The light fell gently on him almost like an aura—very appropriate for a guardian angel, Jamie thought as she pushed away some messy strands of blonde hair from her face. “Thank you,” she said after a few speechless moments, one hand patting her heart to calm herself. “Those shelves could’ve killed me.”
“You should be more careful,” he chastised lightly. “This is an old building that’s falling apart. I advise greater caution.”
“I know. I usually am—careful, I mean—but I was so happy to find this book…”
Jamie hugged the red leather to herself, flushing under his piercing gray gaze. Why am I babbling like this? “I didn’t even know you were there. Lucky for me you were, huh? You always keep an eye out for klutzy bookworms?”
“Only when there is need, I assure you.” He smiled, teeth reflecting brightly and his broad shoulders casting a shadow over Jamie. “But you do yourself an injustice. There is nothing wrong with loving books, and you are certainly no klutz.”

Male Hero and Pal:

Ryan had been staring out into the stars for a while when a familiar low voice interrupted his thoughts. “Friend, you’ve got to get over this girl.”

This totally looks exactly like TheDug

He whipped his head around and saw TheDug climbing up with practiced ease onto the roof to join him. The other vampire continued, “What’s gotten into you? I’ve never seen you so taken with anyone. Especially a mortal!” TheDug spat out the word with disgust. “They are ours for feeding. You treat this one as if she were your pet.”
“No. Jamie is not a pet. I think I am in love with her.”
“Oh, I see. Forgive me if I have a hard time understanding that one, Ryan."
TheDug bared his teeth in a wicked smile. “I must say, your strength in her presence is admirable. I’m certain that I could not contain my desire to taste of her sweetness.”
Ryan shot his friend a glare that could have punctured like a dagger. “You shall not touch her!”
“Calm down. I wouldn’t dare face your wrath. But don’t you see the pointlessness of all this?”
“I’ll tell her, truly I shall. Soon.” Ryan stared up at the unforgiving night sky. “She is a modern woman. Perhaps she might understand?”
TheDug chuckled softly. “Perhaps.”

Our Heroes stand around yapping

“Did you enjoy the party?” Jamie tilted her head and reached up a hand to remove her earrings as she watched Ryan in the mirror. That’s another myth gone. His reflection’s as visible as mine.


There's a fine line between models and the people I see at truck stops.

“Let me,” Ryan whispered, circling her ear with one night-cool finger. “Ah, the party. It was interesting. Your friend Kristen has a great deal of energy.”
“That’s one way to put it! No fear, no speedometer, no brakes. That’s what she’d say.” Jamie smiled fondly. “She’s a good friend.”
“Yes.” He looked deep into the mirror, seeing something she could not find; he forgot to pretend to breathe, lost in thought. Jamie waited, curious and concerned, idly admiring the line of his jaw, the sparkle of his gray eyes.
A slow nod signaled his return to the moment. “Kristen has suspicions about me. About what I am.”
Jamie froze. “Are you sure?”
“She seems to have held her ideas for quite some time, on little evidence. Is she one of those who romanticizes my kind? There are many who seem strangely fascinated with my fictional brethren.”
“Well, Kristen likes vampire flicks, but she’s no Goth.What exactly did she say?”
Ryan repeated the conversation verbatim. “As I said, she has little evidence, but still she persists in her conviction, and I cannot argue. She is, after all, correct about what I do.”

Superman News & Superman #700

On Wednesday, June 23rd, you can head to the local comic shop and pick up issue #700 of Superman. Superman, the character, didn't first appear in this comic. He was one of several features in the aptly named Action Comics #1. But within a very short period of time, National Periodical Publications realized that if they were making that much money off of Action Comics and this Superman fellow, then they would make twice as much selling an additional comic book starring The Ace of Action.


This would be the cover you're looking for

It's a phenomenal achievement for any series to hit 100 issues, let alone 7 times that number, but its that ability to not just endure, but remain interesting to older fans and create new fans that pushes Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman (all hitting milestone issues this summer) into icon status for comic fans and in popular culture.

I've been impressed that the new leadership at DC seems interested in doing more than paying lip service to Superman as a flagship character for the company. Not that long ago, the number of Superman comics released was shrinking, the interest in the supporting cast was on life support, and DC seemed entirely happy with the fan narrative regarding Superman, which seemed to spin out of Batman's statements regarding Superman in Dark Knight Returns (which... I think Miller always intended that as Batman's POV more than to discredit Superman). These days Superman is once again attracting top-level talent, and there should be a half-dozen Superman-related comics in print by the fall (I'd still like a "Metropolis" or "Superman Family" comic, but I won't be pushy. I'm getting my Jimmy Olsen back up feature.).

In celebration of the 700th issue, DC has more or less turned this week into "Superman Week" at their blog, The Source.

This Week Its all About Superman

Read Chip Kidd's Introduction to Absolute All Star Superman

Jeff Lemire on Superman #700

Paul Cornell on Action Comics #890


Newsarama jumped in with:

10 Things You Didn't Know About Superman (well, you may not know these things. I know these things.)

InfoGraphic: Superman's History 1938 - 2010

And at Comic Book Resources:

Former Superman editor Bob Greenberger chimes in with The Many Tomorrows of Superman

And DC announces that writer Paul Cornell (taking over Action Comics) has signed an exclusive deal with DC Comics.

Cover to "Absolute Edition: All Star Superman"

This collection will be arriving in October. Art by Frank Quitely. Story by Grant Morrison.

Batman "City of Scars" fan film

Over the weekend, Ransom sent along a link to a Batman fan film. Unlike most fan films, this particular item isn't some pudgy guy in an off-the-shelf Batman costume yelling loud enough so that the mics will pick him up over the sound of the wind and his mom telling him to quit embarassing himself.

Created by Bat in the Sun Productions, the movie's production quality is surprisingly high. The folks behind this movie put a lot of love, thought and, frankly, money into making this one. The actor hired to play Batman/ Bruce Wayne is built (unlike Michael Keaton) like someone who could, likely, take your head off with a good spin kick. The actor selected for The Joker, and the makeup, all professional grade.

The story feels a bit like a two or three issue fill-in story that occasionally crops up in one of the main Batman titles. The events of the story include a grisly crime, and the nature of the crime (and the acts of the criminal) provide Batman with fodder for reflecting upon an aspect of his "mission", which, in the comics, we'd normally track with narration boxes, but in this case, we're given a voice over. Comic fans will be pleased to see how the filmmakers deal with Batman's costume, his vehicles and technology, as well as seeing characters who appear to be Montoya and Allen, two homicide detectives from the mid-90's through the mid-00's in Batman titles. Plus, we get a peek at live action interpretations of some of Batman's B-ist rogues gallery.

I don't want to dwell on how the script could have been tightened up, or how the film could have had a more deft directorial touch. There's no question that as a comics fan film, this is the best work to date.

However, this is a long movie for an internet clip, running over half an hour. So, you know, get comfortable.

Watching "Get Him to the Greek"

I'd seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall on cable, which I actually enjoyed in the way you enjoy a movie you accidentally watch in its entirety on cable. Get Him to the Greek isn't exactly a sequel to Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but it does feature the further adventures of rock star Aldous Snow, Marshall's boyfriend from the first film. I don't regret not catching Sarah Marshall in the theater, but it had some good bits.

Under threat of seeing The A-Team on Saturday, I managed to reroute myself to see Get Him to the Greek, which I wasn't actively trying to avoid, but simply didn't care if I saw it.

Honestly, the movie is a bit of a mess. The basic concept of sending a young wanna-be record label rep to go retrieve Aldous Snow from England and bring him to LA was intended to make us all laugh knowingly at the high-living, irresponsible lifestyle of a rock star. But in Sarah Marshall, the character had made a clear point regarding his sobriety. So, rather than just enjoy the funhouse ride of the premise, the movie tries to have its cake and eat it, too, when it comes to the topics of sobriety, drugs and how these issues can effect relationships.

Clearly the movie doesn't want for you to think about this stuff too much, and, in fact, I'd say that a lot of the conclusions the film takes us to don't seem particularly any happier or healthier for anyone than where they started out, while suggesting that everyone is living happily ever after. Which sort of makes me wonder about the creators' lifestyles, but I suppose that's both supposition and none of my business.

I guess I wanted the movie to just embrace the premise without any worry about moralizing or even much but the A-plot in the same way that The Hangover managed to pull off (The Hangover, btw, is a still very watchable movie on a second viewing, I learned about three weeks ago). Get Him to the Greek just doesn't have enough time and isn't written strongly enough to feel like they pulled off what they were trying to attempt, which is too bad as the movie is absolutely at its strongest when the characters are just going with the absurdity of their situation. Slowing down to reflect upon broken relationships, etc... sends the story through herky-jerky tonal shifts that don't suit it, or the actors, very well.

If you've seen the trailers, and you've seen other movies coming out of the Jonah Hill/ Apatow/ Segal camp, then you know that a lot of the movie was likely improvised and given how many scenes didn't include material shown in the trailer, its not hard to guess a lot of content was left on the cutting room floor.

Sean "P. Diddy" Combs is actually surprisingly funny as a character the audience can guess is basically Sean "P. Diddy" Combs. Russell Brand and Jonah Hill execute their parts with the aplomb you'd expect, when the story isn't getting mopey. Mad Men's Elizabeth Moss manages to play a bit more than the hapless girlfriend, given her limited screen time, but this won't be a huge surprise to fans of Mad Men.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh very hard at some scenes, even a few that had me squirming a bit. But at other points I was just left scratching my head at "why did they choose this direction?"

Anyhow, if I wanted to employ a rating system, I'd recommend just waiting for premium cable or a Red Box rental, and lowered expectations. But that' sort of the story of this summer, anyway.

Batman: What to Read/ What Order?

As much as you'll find a lot of Superman talk around The Signal Watch, I'm also a fan of The Dark Knight Detective.

Batman has been around almost as long as Superman, and its likely there's as much or more in the way of Batman in print out there as The Man of Steel. Reader Mike F. pinged me on Twitter. He's been reading the superlative "Batman: Year One" by Frank Miller and David Mazzuccelli. Which, if you like Batman but don't read comics, you owe it to yourself to read this comic.

There are a few ways to answer the question of "what do I read next?" Do you read more Frank Miller? More David Mazzuccelli? Or more Batman?

Well, I'm generally always going to recommend reading more Frank Miller and David Mazzuccelli. So let's talk Batman.

The biggest problem with jumping into Batman comics at the current date is that the monthly Batman comics are knee-deep in an ongoing, multi-year storyline (in which Bruce Wayne is not currently Batman, btw). So I don't recommend heading down to your local comic shop at the moment unless you're interested in picking up either "Superman/ Batman", "Batman: Confidential" or "Batman: The Brave and the Bold", all of which are intended for various audiences, but all intended so that a reader can pick up Batman comics any time without feeling like they just walked into the third act of a movie.

So, Batman...

I've tried to put these comics down in the order in which I think they should be read. I've also provided a "Required Read Level" or "Req Level", to help you judge how necessary this story might be to understanding subsequent comics. And, of course, this is my opinion and my opinion only. Counter arguments, suggestions, etc... are all welcome in the comments.

I should also note: There's a period in the mid-90's when I simply wasn't reading Batman. I abandoned Batman just prior to "Broken Bat" and didn't return to read "Contagion" or any of the earthquake/ "No Man's Land" stuff. I sort of regret not reading more of the "No Man's Land" stuff, but there you have it. I came back around 1998, and have been reading fairly steadily since. I invite other Bat-fans to join in with their take on what I might have missed, or to argue some of these "Required Reading Levels".

Batman: Year Two (Req Level: High) This comic isn't bad, but reading it reinforces the notion of what a feat Miller and Mazzuccelli pulled off with Year One to lift Batman out of the standard tropes of superhero comics. Mostly, Year Two serves an important function from a chronological standpoint and to answer some of the questions you might have about decisions a young Bruce Wayne would have had to answer early on in his career. The series is occasionally referenced in other media and the Batman comics.

Batman: The Long Halloween (Req Level: High) Jeph Loeb tells a great story, adding on to Batman's early career, following a pre-Robin Batman as he passes through a year of dealing with his rogues gallery, Gotham mobsters and a mysterious set of murders.

Batman: The Mad Monk and Batman and the Monster Men (Req Level: Low) Not a necessary read, but a darn good one. 80's comic legend Matt Wagner came roaring back with retellings of some of Batman's earliest and greatest stories from the 40's, integrating them into continuity. It definitely leans more toward superhero-ism than just detective work and the gritty feel of Year One, but its great to see DC making an effort to keep some of these original tales alive and updated.

Robin: Year One (Req Level: Medium) I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this particular comic. Retells the origin of Batman's sidekick from some of Batman's better writers.

Batman: Dark Victory (Req Level: Medium) The follow up to Batman: The Long Halloween.

Batgirl: Year One (Req Level: Low) A fun read. The origin of DC's Batgirl.

Batman: Son of the Demon (Req Level: Medium) A favorite 80's-era tale of Batman versus Ra's Al Ghul, one of the most interesting of Batman's Rogues Gallery.

Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told (Req Level: Low) Not really necessary reading, and the copy I have was originally timed for release with the Tim Burton-directed Batman film, so you can guess when they quit adding stories to the volume. But its a nice slice of Bat-history in one, very readable volume.

Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told (Req Level: Low) A very similar read to the Batman volume, but featuring tales starring the Clown Prince of Crime.

Batman: A Death in the Family (Req Level: High) One of the most important Batman stories, this four-issue series would be one of a few comics to dictate the direction of the Batbooks for 20 years.

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying (Req Level: Medium) This series followed not too long upon A Death in the Family, and pulls double duty as Year Three and introducing the third Robin, Tim Drake.

Batman: The Killing Joke (Req Level: Highest) Perhaps the most iconic of all Batman/ Joker stories, The Killing Joke defined how a generation would interpret The Joker, and his relationship to Batman, ultimately spilling out into the movie The Dark Knight. As a kid, this comic melted my brain.

Arkham Asylum - A Serious House on Serious Earth (Req Level: High) A personal favorite. This comic would establish Arkham as far, far more than just a jail for Batman's villains. Today's readers will know the series mostly due to the influence its had on the current Batman titles and the game it helped spawn that sold millions of copies and is due for a sequel. Morrison's writing and McKean's surrealist imagery form an hallucinatory exploration of the archetypes of evil Arkham is damned to contain and create. Its also one of those comics where writing and art gel to create a work that seems to stand outside the genre and form. Unfortunately, its also led to a lot of half-baked attempts to milk the initial concept.

Batman: Hush (Req Level: Low) While I enjoyed Hush, and it was certainly a highlight of the post 2000-era Batman, this story seemed to generate more trouble than it was worth. However, it does contain key plot points and introduces the villain, Hush.

Batman and Son (Req Level: Medium) The first chapter in the current storyline for Batman comics. Spins directly out of the 1980's Son of the Demon comic. The beginning of an epic, multi-year arc.

Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Req Level: Low) While not required reading and hardly in continuity or canon, this story is an odd farewell to multiple visions of Batman as seen over the years.

A Special Mention:

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (Req Level: incalculable) Probably the most important comic post 1945, The Dark Knight Returns isn't even in continuity, but Frank Miller reset how three generations would think about Batman, superheroes, and the content of superhero comics. It would also, artistically , change the form of the superhero comic forever. Rife with political satire, unpleasant truths about our caped heroes, and perhaps the first real look at how superheroes might play out given time... It also set up generations of people to think Superman was kind of dumb (which was always kind of missing the point).

Some Additional Batman Reading:

Batman: War on Crime A standalone, painted Batman oversized comic. Beautifully told and rendered, and cutting to the core of what makes Batman work as a character.

Gotham Central A series about the police force operating in Gotham City. The series was never properly appreciated in its time.

JLA: New World Order Grant Morrison reminded us why Batman is so crucial to the JLA in a few short issues. Would establish Batman's presence within the DCU for the next 10 years.

Nightwing: Year One

DC Comics Classics Library: Batman, The Annuals Batman used to be really goofy. I don't know what else to say about it.

The Admiral and KareBear take Rome

The Admiral sent me this pic. This is what he and The KareBear are up to on their Roman Holiday.