You’ve probably never wondered to yourself, “What would it be like if Aardman did DC Comics superheroes?” (Aardman, in case you don’t know, is the claymation studio behind Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, Arthur Christmas, and lots more.) Today you’re going to find out exactly what it’s like.

Cartoon Network is prepping a block of programming known as “DC Nation,” which is exactly what it sounds like — a group of new shows, shorts, and more, starring DC superheroes. Just one way Cartoon Network is promoting DC Nation is with this clever one-minute short from Aardman that features several DC characters behaving like children (and featuring real childrens’ voices). It’s kooky, it’s campy, and you have to watch it.

If this whets your appetite for DC Nation, here’s what you can expect:

• Green Lantern – a slick-looking CGI cartoon featuring the saga of the Green Lantern Corps
• Young Justice – action-packed traditional hand-drawn animation starring Superboy, Robin, Kid Flash, and more
• Tons of DC-influenced short films and short-form series, including a chibi-style Teen Titans, LEGO Batman, and loads more. The commercial embedded below offers a quick preview of the two flagship shows and the various short spots, and I think I even spotted some of the promo spots for Monolith’s Gotham City Impostors in there. The Aardman bit above fits in with these many other shorts, and word has it more of these DC/Aardman mashups are on their way to DC Nation.
• Beware the Batman (coming in 2013) – a CGI cartoon that presents a new take on the Dark Knight that’s darker and more serious than The Brave and the Bold
• Blue Beetle – a live action show based on the Jaime Reyes version of the character is in production, but it’s unknown if it’s a full-length series (perhaps planned for ’13?) or a series of shorts
• DC News – MTV-like news breaks with quick-cut features on happenings in DC Comics, movies, TV shows, video games, and more.

DC Nation is expected to kick into gear sometime this Spring.

The work that caught my attention features drops of water refracting the earth, or at least part of it.

World in a Drop of Water

How about a couple of superheroes in a drop of water? Well, technically, it is not the superhero that can be seen, but the emblem. It is still one heck of a viewing experience, though. Here’s the first of the two superheroes in a drop of water: Batman.

Batman in a Drop of Water

I’ve never been a huge Spiderman fan, but this drop of water is something else.

Spiderman in a Drop of Water

The artist’s other pieces are mainly of planets – Jupiter and Mars, for example. They are no less beautiful than the others, but I am hoping that he will come up with more photos of superheroes in a drop of water.

Oh, and if you want prints of his work, you can purchase them. Even better, you can get in touch with him if you have a particular subject that you want him to take photos of. Here’s more of Marcus Reugels.

And speaking of awesome, I just discovered a Deviant Artist who goes by name DrFaustusAU. This guy is doing his fellow Aussies proud with his artwork, and if you are a fan of Batman, you definitely will like to see this artist’s take on what would happen if Dr. Seuss put his touch on the popular comic series.

This guy’s work speaks for itself. It is a case of words will really do no justice to the wonderfully wacky images that you are about to see. Enjoy!

So what do you think? Brilliant or not? I love the Cat Woman drawing, but it seems to me that other details from Dr. Seuss’s story could have been added. I think that the best of the lot is “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Arkham Asylum”. Which one is your favorite drawing?

Thanks to Joey de Villa, we even have a silly rhyme to go with the images.

Find the bad guys
And knock them all flat,
I’m happiest
When dressed as a bat.
I’m not sorry
For the life I’ve led,
Because, you see,
My parents are dead!

Do you think you can do him one better?

For more of DrFaustusAU’s work, visit his page on DeviantArt. Don’t be surprised to see other eye-popping art, as he has already made a name for himself with his The Call of Cthulhu – Dr. Seuss mashup.

Batman Beyond movie poster concept by Guy Bourraine Jr.

Warner Bros. is on record as saying that after Christopher Nolan completes his Batman trilogy with The Dark Knight Rises, they will reboot the Batman films again. Artist Guy Bourraine Jr. seems to think that WB should pick Batman Beyond as its next big Batman movie series, and has even created some movie posters to support his cause.

Batman Beyond movie poster concept by Guy Bourraine Jr.

Bourraine also put together some early concept art with designs that re-imagined Captain America’s look for a more modern movie. His designs weren’t used, but still fascinating to see.

More recently, he created these two concept images/fake movie posters for a potential Batman Beyond movie. I love the designs, and the notion raises an interesting proposition for Warner Bros. Nolan’s films are so loved and acclaimed… They’re going to be a crazy hard act to follow. Not to mention the betrayal some fans may feel at Warner Bros. for not leaving the brand alone after Nolan finishes his take on it.

A Batman Beyond movie would kill both birds with a single stone — making it easy to justify a new film series while continuing to push the brand forward. The only worry is that moviegoers wouldn’t be as familiar with this character, and might not be so quick to jump on board. But if it were promoted the right way… Hmm.

What do you think? Is a Batman Beyond movie a good idea?

Take note of the qualifier “significant”, as hardcore Batman fans might take one look at the infographic and complain that there are some bat-suits missing. Also, the bat-suits that you find in the infographic are based on comic books, TV, movies, video games, as well as the theater! The bat-suit gallery goes back to first ever outfit the Caped Crusader wore when he debuted in 1939.

Ben Moore describes Batman and his bat-suits best:

“…what makes Batman such an excellent comic book/movie/television/video game/theatrical character is his unique ability to comfortably exist inside of just about every kind of story. He can fight gods. He can play superhero. He can be the world’s greatest detective or just solve petty street crimes. Whether the story is gritty, ridiculous, or brimming with science-fiction – or in the case of Grant Morrison’s work on the character, all of the above – Batman is always capable of thriving creatively.

Batman’s neverending bat-suit wardrobe is a symptom of that. He can wear just about any sort of outfit, for any sort of story or scenario, and still be the most popular superhero in existence. He’s just that good, man.”

Whether Batman the superhero you like most, or you simply are interested in superheroes in general, this infographic will certainly be a delight for your eyes!

Rocksteady’s not serious about this. Are they? At the VGAs Saturday night, the Joker (in all his CG glory) appeared to accept his award for Best Character — while holding a script for a third game in the Batman series called Batman: Arkham World. But it was just the developer goofing with us. Probably.

During the Joker’s acceptance speech, he holds up a bundle of pages that are labeled “Batman: Arkham World Script,” but he quickly tosses them away while leaning in to the camera and offering his most devious smile. “Spoilers,” he says.

On the one hand, Rocksteady jumping from Batman: Arkham Asylum to Batman: Arkham City certainly suggests a pattern of moving its roster of criminally insane inmates to larger settings with each game in the series. But while they managed to find a good story reason to move from the first game’s island setting to a city suburb, it seems like a nonsensical idea to move all those criminals to a global setting.

But let’s play Devil’s advocate for a moment… Maybe it’s more of a metaphorical title, and the third game will simply move away from the “contained area” concept altogether. What if a third game in the series were to find the criminals from Arkham escaped and scattered, in hiding in various spots around the world? I could definitely see Rocksteady embracing the notion of sending Batman on a round-the-world tour of tracking down escaped criminals and bringing them back to Arkham. Imagine the Dark Knight fighting his way through ninjas in Japan to get to Ra’s Al Ghul, or tracking Killer Croc through a rainforest in the Amazon. Tantalizing, no?

Of course, this is nonsense. No way would Rocksteady tease any game that’s years away from release with an announcement on an awards show. And if they do a third Batman game, it’s highly unlikely it would be called Arkham World.

Still, it’s hard not to daydream about the possibilities. What would you like to see in a third (and final?) Batman game?

Batman Triumphant

A fan poster for 'Batman Triumphant'

This was a proposed sequel to the godawful Batman & Robin, with George Cooney and Chris O’Donnell returning in the lead roles. The story pitted Bats against Scarecrow and Man-Bat in what director Joel Schumacher (who directed the prior two films) wanted to be a return to the darker portrayal of the title character, rather than the goofy, technicolor kiddie flicks that the series had fallen into. But when Batman & Robin failed to perform at the box office (not to mention with critics and fans), Batman Triumphant was scrapped in favor of a series reboot — a move that gave us the triumphant Christopher Nolan films. So it sort of lived up to its name.

Batman vs. Superman

Batman vs. Superman fan art

Director Wolfgang Petersen (Air Force One, The Perfect Storm) came very close to making this one. It introduced a retired, haunted Bruce Wayne and a divorced Clark Kent who start off as friends. There’s a wedding in the story, where Bruce ties the knot to one Elizabeth Miller, and Clark — who has rekindled his high school romance with Lana Lang — is his best man. Things go south when Elizabeth is murdered by the Joker while the happy couple are on their honeymoon, sending Bruce back into the Bat-tights. Lex Luthor is also involved in some way, perhaps in an alliance with the Joker. Presumably, as the title suggests, the two heroes would at some point in the movie come to blows against one another, though I’m sure it all turned to hugs and puppies by the end. [Image source.]

Batman: Year One

Costume concept from 'Batman: Year One'

A collaboration between director Darren Aronofsky and writer Frank Miller, this was conceived as a complete reboot of the Batman film series after the disappointment that was Batman & Robin — but before Christopher Nolan was involved. Aronofsky and Miller’s script is described as a 70s period piece where they “threw out absolutely everything you know about Batman” and started over from scratch. Instead of a billionaire, Bruce Wayne is a street-dwelling orphan after his parents are killed, growing up into “a borderline psychotic who begins taking violent vengeance on street thugs.” And instead of using high-tech gadgets, this street-level Batman uses whatever junk he can get his hands on. His Batcave is an abandoned subway station, and his Batmobile is a Lincoln Continental with some added hardware. The idea of a “year one” take on Batman would carry on to the subsequent Batman Begins by Christopher Nolan, but no story elements from Aronofsky and Miller’s story would be used.

Justice League

Justice League fan art

George Miller wanted to make this film, which was the start of a proposed film trilogy, with a young cast of 20-somethings in the starring roles of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, and others. The script by Kieran and Michelle Mulroney has secret files belonging to Batman stolen by a supervillain team-up — files that describe the weaknesses of each member of the Justice League, in case of worst-case scenario where Bruce might be forced to take them down. OMACs and Brother Eye are involved, Barry Allen is murdered with Wally West taking up The Flash mantle, and there’s a big twist at the end revealing Darkseid as setup for a sequel. At first, the movie was going to be set in the same universe as Batman Begins and Superman Returns, but this was scrapped pretty early in favor of a separate continuity. [Image source.]

Spider-Man (James Cameron)

Storyboard from James Cameron's 'Spider-Man'

Cameron’s take on the web-head was similar to Sam Raimi’s first movie in broad strokes, but Cameron’s outline/script (which you can read for yourself online, or a version with storyboards here) was a darker, more nuanced origin story for Peter Parker. Peter is a repressed bully target who explodes with rage when given the opportunity, beating Flash to a bloody pulp and swinging across New York rooftops as a cathartic sort of therapy. His enemies include a new version of Sandman, who works as a sort of “mob enforcer” for Electro, a wealthy entrepreneur whose electrical powers could alter digital records, access databases, and more, and who tries to turn Peter into a fellow villain. J. Jonah Jameson owns a local TV station instead of a newspaper. Spidey’s web shooters are organic (which is where Raimi got the idea from), but manifest in a sticky wet dream one night in bed. Where Raimi’s film was candy-colored and maintained a plucky optimism, Cameron’s story is set in a world of moral greys, where doing the right thing often causes as many problems as it solves. Peter’s journey to becoming a hero is a longer one, with more mistakes along the way. He swears frequently and even has costumed sex with Mary Jane in a steamy scene atop the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s kind of hard to imagine this film in the wake of Sam Raimi’s successful trilogy, but don’t ever underestimate Cameron’s midas touch at the box office. It was an opportunity lost due to legal battles between various studios who believed they had the rights to make a Spider-Man movie. But in my opinion, despite a few odd choices, it’s ultimately a cool story, and James Cameron + Spider-Man would have made an unstoppable box office dynamic duo.

Spider-Man 4

A fan-made poster for 'Spider-Man 4'

Even though most fans were disappointed with Spider-Man 3, it was an enormous box office success, and Sony greenlit Spider-Man 4 not long after 3‘s release. Raimi wanted the villain this time out to be the Lizard, while the studio wanted John Malkovich as Vulture. Tobey Maguire and Kirstin Dunst were set to reprise their roles as well, and development was in full swing when Raimi backed out, citing creative differences with the studio. Marc Webb was brought in to restart the franchise anew, and he chose Andrew Garfield as his Spider-Man. We’ll see what they come up with next Summer.

Super Max

Green Arrow was the main character in 'Super Max'

A hot script by David Goyer & Justin Marks was the talk of Hollywood a few years ago. In it, Green Arrow has been incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit, in an extremely elaborate, high-tech prison made to de-power superpowered criminals and hold them indefinitely. It was described as a big, complex heist film with lots of supervillains from DC Comics — and a superhero or two as well (in addition to Green Arrow). No Black Canary, but roles were confirmed for Riddler, Joker, and Lex Luthor. There’s no reason this one might not one day see the light of day, but nobody’s in any hurry.

Superman: Flyby

Costume concept for JJ Abrams' 'Superman: Flyby'

J.J. Abrams’ wildly bold reimagining of the Superman story is — not unlike Zack Snyder’s upcoming Man of Steel — a total reboot that leaves behind all past continuity and takes some major steps away from the comic book mythology. This script suffered from a now legendary leak to Aint It Cool News, where Abrams’ reinvention of the mythos was dragged through the mud and generated an enormous negative reaction from readers. Abrams’ screenplay is an origin story with the usual familiar elements. It’s the differences that rankled fans’ sensibilities, such as Lex Luthor being a government agent obsessed with UFOs who’s later revealed to be a Kryptonian himself, and a lot of “kung fu” style mid-air fights between Supes and a quartet of criminal Kryptonians. The story’s epic battle scenes had these super-beings throwing each other into buildings and creating maximum destruction through Metropolis. It was an undeniably geeky script, filled with loads of eye candy, and despite those early knee-jerk reactions from fans worried about an “unknown” (which Abrams was at the time) retooling their beloved mythology, had Abrams’ script been used, and he been allowed to direct it himself… Frankly, that’s something I’d like to see. Abrams is a fantastic storyteller and always has his finger on the pulse of what makes for awesomely cool storytelling. This was was intended as Part One of a new trilogy of films, but it was thrown out when Bryan Singer came onboard to direct.

Superman Lives

Concept art from Tim Burton's 'Superman Lives'

This one went through such a sordid series of drafts and directors, it’s hard to say how it may have turned out. The consensus seems to be that Tim Burton’s new take on the mythos (starring, of all people, Nicolas Cage) was largely based on a written-by-committee script that passed through the hands of Kevin Smith, Wesley Strick (Cape Fear, The Glass House), Dan Gilroy (The Fall, Real Steel), William Wisher Jr., and more. The story evolved through all these iterations but the common elements seemed to be Superman’s fight against Doomsday from the comic books’ “Death of Superman” storyline, which would be followed by Superman’s resurrection in a de-powered form. He would be fitted with ridiculous Kryptonian armor that could mimic his usual powers, until those powers eventually came back on their own. The movie spent a lot of pre-production money on ultimately nothing, and left several Hollywood careers in its wake, but we’re all better off with it never having gone before cameras. Crisis averted.

Wonder Woman

Costume concepts from Joss Whedon's 'Wonder Woman'

Joss Whedon, at one time seen as the perfect choice for building a female superhero (because he’d already done it several times) was going to make this movie, but Warner Bros. had no idea what angle they wanted to take with the character. Whedon tried more than one approach, script-wise, but they refused to approve anything he came up with despite providing him with zero direction. It ultimately fell apart, costing Whedon a two-year “waste of time.”

X-Men Origins: Magneto

A poster from 'X-Men: First Class' highlighting Magneto's tragic past

A Sheldon Turner script was planned for David Goyer to direct. The script was set from 1939 to 1955, and it follows Erik Lehnsherr trying to survive in Auschwitz where he meets young Charles Xavier, an American soldier who helps liberate the camp. While Xavier tries to befriend him, Erik has vengeance in his heart for the Nazis who tortured him, a difference in worldview which ultimately comes between the two young men. The film was delayed by the Writers Guild strike, and eventually replaced with X-Men: First Class, which retained some elements of the Xavier/Magneto friendship-cum-rivalry story.

If this was a movie, I’d be in line at the theater right now buying my tickets. The best two minutes of your day is waiting right after the jump.

I’m really impressed with the level of storytelling going on in this game. The whole thing just looks like Batman: Arkham Asylum times ten. More villains, drastically bigger levels, better graphics (which is saying something), cooler fighting moves, and an even more epic story.

It seems like this one has been a long time coming, but it’s finally upon us, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it! Developer Rocksteady earned my absolute trust with that phenomenal first game.

If you’re not excited for this, don’t bother calling yourself a serious gamer.

Each potential skin for the main player character available represents a pivotal era of the Caped Crusader’s history that has brought us to the cuddly, borderline paranoid schizophrenic, control freak Batman that we know and love today.

Denny O’Neil and Neal Adam’s Batman

Iconic '70's and 80's Batman

This is the Batman of history that many of us will recall, with the iconic yellow surround of the Bat icon. Debuting in Detective Comics in 1970, this marked a new direction for the Dark Knight, moving away from the cheesier elements that had snuck into the comics from the atrocious TV show.

This was seen as a return to Batman’s roots as Bob Kane originally envisioned him. Many of the antagonists we see in Arkham City were already established by this time, but one of the most pivotal creations was Talia al Ghul, mother to the current Robin and child of Bruce Wayne, Damian.

Talia al Ghul

Talia from Batman #658

Talia is the perfect poster-girl for divided loyalties. Torn between her love for Batman and her loyalty to her father, she has both acted to save the world and been a founder member of the modern incarnation of the Secret Society Of Super-Villains, (who fortunately shortened their name to just the Secret Society).

The romance, like all of Batman’s relationships, kept turning up as Talia reappeared almost every year until her place in the legend was secured by the 1987 graphic novel Son Of The Demon, where Damian was conceived.

Talia is ruthless, lethal and yet operates on her own discordant sense of honour.

Maxie Zeus

Maxie Zeus holds court.

Another villain from this era rumoured to appear in the game is Maxie Zeus. Rather than just your common-all-garden psychopath, Maxie suffers from the greatest delusion of grandeur, believing himself to be the King of the Greek Gods himself. He met his match when drawn into the designs of the true Olympians, but remains to be one of the most entertaining villains.

Batman The Animated Series

Batman continues his animated adventures in The Breave And The Bold

When the Paul Dini Batman series was first released, it was a revolution, and a breath of fresh air to Saturday morning televisions everywhere. This was the home of Harley Quinn, one of the few DC characters to successfully make the jump from the TV screen to the page, unlike say, Black Vulcan. Remember him?

Harley Quinn

Harley in one of her more monstrous appearances.

Passionately in love with the Joker, Harley had been developed over the last few years beyond her two dimensional personality in the pages of Countdown, and more recently the Gotham City Sirens.

Harley promised to be the redemption of another star of Arkham City, the deadly seductress known as Poison Ivy.

Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy fighting the bad fight

Ivy began life as a botanist, but over the years has become more and more attuned to the whims of the plant kingdom, becoming half-plant herself. Her motives vary from simple criminality in the early years to a more developed sense of eco-terrorism. First appearing in 1966, she was modelled after the famous Betty Page.

Now there’s a thought. Batman versus Betty Page. Calling Adam West, report Stage Door One!

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

The transition to Dark'n'Gritty began here

Of course, the Dark Knight Returns Batman would not be so easily swayed by a pretty face. In fact, he would not be swayed by pretty much anything.

The Dark Knight Returns has to be one of the most influential pieces of the ‘Dark’n’Gritty’ era, setting the tone for comics for years to come.

The evolution is complete!

Frank Miller’s work in 1986 may well have had many less than quality repercussions throughout the industry, but no one can deny that this is a brilliant and defining Batman epic, creating the dark and driven version of the Batman we have seen in the last decade.

Allegedly, Batman is to be a little less ‘damaged’ in the DCnU, but Frank Miller’s legacy will never be eroded.

Batman Beyond

Batman Beyond #1, the future's not so dark!

Another legacy of The Animated Series, is the futuristic Batman Beyond. Another anachronism just like the Dark Knight Returns, the future from which the successor of the Bat-legacy, Terry McGuiness, hails from is a little less dystopian.

One would think that the futuristic nature of BB would alienate true Bat-fans, but the character has remained for over a decade, and recently returned to print. We can only hope his inclusion indicates his return to the small screen as well.

Deadshot

Deadshot in the sewers where he belongs!

Returning to the thought of colourful villains, the introduction of Deadshot to the game makes me want to rename the entire production Deadshot: Arkham City (guest-starring Batman)!

Originally appearing back in 1958, Deadshot has become an ever more important force in the DC Universe, once he was recruited into John Ostrander’s Suicide Squad. This lead him to star in two of his own mini-series where we saw the ultimate gun-for-hire struggle with the more personal aspects of his life, such as the one thing he cared about, his young daughter.

Sacrificing his relationship with her for the sake of her happiness, Floyd Lawton continued to be a mover and shaker, becoming a regular member of the recent Secret Six. Yet the government, in the form of Amanda Waller, continue to keep their talons in him, and frequently it is unclear whether he is a good guy or a bad guy.

Calendar Man

Calendar Man, in his less than ergonomically designed costume.

Another character older than he first appears, the Calendar Man is obsessed with dates and cycles. In fact his obsession seems to have replaced any form of fashion sense, as one can see from the illustration.

Yet with petty and unambitious crimes, he is known as a loser, and only attracts losers to him. It is ironic then that he was chosen prior to the Crisis On Infinite Earths to be an instrument of what was the most powerful entity in the DCU, the Monitor, to test the Batman.

His moment of glory that explored his truly murderous nature was the mini-series Batman: The Long Halloween. Here we saw his true depravity, yet since then he has retreated to the sidelines, never warranting more than a few panels exposure.

A costume like that, there’s little wonder.

This is only scratching the surface of the world of the Batman. Arkham City promises to contain many more unannounced villains, opening up a whole new world. In these days of revamp and reboot, it is good to see that the old stories are not being forgotten.

Even if you’re not 100% sold on the manic crazy that is Gotham City Impostors, you’re going to love this crazy animated short film that promotes it. I’m talking messy, inhuman need kind of love.

In Gotham City Impostors, you play online deathmatches, Team Fortress 2 style, as either Bats or Jokerz. These street-level wannabes idolize either Batman or the Joker, but unlike the dark knight, these guys have no problem with guns or murder.

It’s a creative notion that gives the developers at Monolith permission to play outside the rules. The download-only game is expected sometime next year.

Batmobile(s)

Batmobile(s)

Why draw just one when two is twice the fun? Worlds collide when the Michael Keaton Batmobile meets the car from the classic Adam West TV series. [Source]

Bullitt

Bullitt

The car chase scene through the streets of San Francisco in Bullitt is considered one of the most influential in cinema history. So it’s only fitting that it get the Pixar treatment in this clever render that also name-drops Steve McQueen — who Cars‘ Lightning McQueen is named after. [Source]

Bumblebee

Bumblebee from Transformers

Mashing up Cars with Transformers is an inevitable no-brainer, though Bumblebee’s smiling demeanor doesn’t really match his depiction in the Michael Bay films.[Source]

Christine

Christine

The evil horror movie car looks appropriately menacing in this spooky render. [Source]

De Lorean

De Lorean Time Machine from Back to the Future

The expression is perfect. It actually resembles Michael J. Fox’s look on the poster for Back to the Future. (If you’re wondering why the De Lorean is in outer space, look closer at the car’s grill.) [Source]

ECTO-1

ECTO-1 from Ghostbusters

In another dimension of time and space (the Pixar Zone?), maybe the ECTO-1 is the fifth Ghostbuster. [Source]

General Lee

The General Lee from Dukes of Hazard

You can practically hear the Southern drawl coming from the General Lee’s mouth. [Source]

Herbie

Herbie

Few movie cars have more personality than Herbie the Love Bug, and now he has a face as well. (Just overlook that missing back tire.) [Source]

Jurassic Park

Jeep from Jurassic Park

The artist pulled out all the stops for this one. You’ve got the jeep, the big digger standing in for the T-Rex, the jungle, the park entrance, and even a clever logo. [Source]

Landspeeder

Landspeeder from Star Wars

I suppose the Landspeeder is the most natural choice from Star Wars for a Pixarization, since it’s the most car-like vehicle in the series. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Millenium Falcon done up, though. How do you feel about the artist’s choice to make the Landspeeder a buck-toothed bumpkin? [Source]

Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime from Transformers

This one’s basically a new skin applied to Mack, Lightning McQueen’s truck driver. But it would have been cool to see Optimus’ face not quite so happy-go-lucky. [Source]

Star Trek Shuttlecraft

Shuttlecraft from Star Trek

A nice Photoshop job on the Galileo, probably Star Trek‘s most memorably shuttlecraft. But again I find myself wishing the artist had rendered the franchise’s most iconic vehicle. How cool would it be to see the Enterprise get the Pixar treatment? (The J.J. Abrams Enterprise, preferably.) [Source]

Don’t forget to get involved in the comic book debates at the ForeverGeek Forum!

You might be thinking that drawing superheroes is nothing to write about, but Keron Grant’s work is more than static depictions of these creatures we look up to. To make things more exciting and breathtaking, the artist has incorporated the element of motion. Indeed, he has made his superheroes look as if they are in a hurry to get somewhere – wherever that may be.

I really should just stop trying to convince you with words and show you these speeding superheroes.

Speeding Superman

Speeding Batman

The Flash

Unfortunately, it seems that there are only three of these speeding superheroes in the gallery. You can, however, see more of Keron’s work which may interest you. Go check it out?

Arnold who?

Rogues gallery regular Victor Fries, aka Mr. Freeze, is putting in an appearance in Batman: Arkham City, and based on this trailer, the game is set to finally erase any remaining shards of memory that may be lingering from that godawful Batman & Robin movie.

Batman: Arkham City arrives October 18th, and by all indications, it’s going to rock your face off. Rocksteady Games has been carefully (and smartly) releasing intel about the highly-anticipated sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum, bit by bit, over the last year or so. Little by little, we’ve learned that Batman mainstays like Hugo Strange, Two-Face, the Penguin, Catwoman, Tahlia al Ghul, and Solomon Grundy are joining most of the cast from the first game. Catwoman will be (briefly) a playable character, Robin is available in multiplayer Challenge maps, and the Riddler, who memorably left mysteries all over Arkham Island for Batman to solve in the first game, plays an even bigger role this time out.

Batman: Arkham City creates a radical new storyline for Batman and his villains, picking up the story of the first game one year later. When the former warden of Arkham Asylum is elected Gotham mayor, he turns a huge chunk of the city’s slums into a makeshift penitentiary commune for Arkham’s former residents. Blackgate Prison’s population is also dumped into this new “Arkham City,” which is overseen by Hugo Strange. The game begins as Batman is forced to enter the “city” after Two-Face sets in motion a plan to publicly execute Catwoman as a means of elevating his status among the inmates.

What’s most fascinating to me about every new piece of information we’re given is that every new character that’s revealed seems to have their own, individual agenda. Observe Mr. Freeze’s interactions with Batman in this very trailer for evidence of this.

Is it October 18th yet? Me want now.

Spire Boat

Being presented at next month’s Monaco Yacht Show is this stunning “Spire Boat.” Onlookers are advised to keep an eye out for billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne.

Designed by the Thierry Mugler Studio, the Spire Boat is said to be heavily influenced by the muscle cars of the 1950s, with powerful, sexy lines and lots of chrome. Mugler already has 26 orders for the boat, which sports a carbon fiber hull that holds dual 250 to 300HP outboard engines. It’s capable of reaching blazing fast speeds of up to more than 100mph.

You can reserve one of your own for a measly $570,000. See more photos below.

Methinks Mr. Mugler must be a secret Batman fanboy, especially considering this isn’t his first Bat-type design. He also recently came up with a sleek, futuristic Batmobile design. I’m including a picture of it at the bottom of the boat photos, below.

Spire Boat

Spire Boat

Spire Boat

Spire Boat

Batmobile-inspired concept car

Tom Hardy as Bane in 'The Dark Knight Rises'

If you’re among the few who — like me — haven’t yet been to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 at the theater, then you haven’t seen this first teaser trailer for The Dark Knight Rises yet. At long last, it’s online.

Go here and watch the trailer, then keep reading below for my thoughts.

So did you get that this is the final Batman movie from Christopher Nolan? I think there were like three mentions in there of ending, finale, never-doing-another-one-of-these-movies-ever kind of stuff. Okay, it’s The End. I’d rather the series went out on a high, with a fantastic crescendo, than drag on forever. So bring it.

What do you make of Gordon in a hospital bed, looking pretty close to death’s door? That had to be Bruce Wayne he was talking to, urging Batman to “return,” so from this we can infer:

1. After the events of The Dark Knight, Batman retired from fighting crime.
2. At some point along the way, Gordon finally figured out who was behind Batman’s cowl.
3. A dire new situation has arisen, something threatening all of Gotham and nearly ending Gordon’s life. The culprit: Bane. Without a doubt.

Whatever’s happened, Gotham can no longer survive without its Bat-guardian, and when Bruce visits Gordon in the hospital, they have a major heart-to-heart, leading to Batman’s return.

The trailer also gives us a brief glimpse of Tom Hardy as Bane, in his freakish mask (above), and later we see another glimpse of Batman and Bane facing off. Bane looks absolutely ginormous, making me wonder if Nolan is adding to Hardy’s bulk via digital manipulation. It’s not like it’s impossible to add convincing digital effects to human bodies. (Digital trickery is used in the Harry Potter movies to flatten most of Ralph Finnes’ face, to turn him into Voldemort, because it’s too hard a job for prosthetic makeup to pull off.)

What do you think of the trailer, and did any details jump out at you that I missed?

Released last night via the movie’s website, here’s the so-much-cooler-than-we-deserve first teaser poster for The Dark Knight Rises!

Click on the image for the highest-res version available, to really soak in all the details. Or head over to the movie’s official website, where this poster is pretty much all there is at the moment.

A while back, we showed you 15 incredible would-be posters for this movie, mocked up by talented fans. Many of those were just ridiculously good, but I think this real one manages to trump them all. Don’t you?

I love how Nolan’s Batman movies have kept this running theme consistently throughout the trilogy’s marketing campaigns, where the shape of the bat logo is shown in the negative space of the posters. I only wish I knew who the artist was that made this thing. I am their fan for life. (Tell us who the artist is in the Comments below if you happen to know!)

Is anybody else drooling? It’s not just me, right?

LEGO Batcave by Alex Schranz

Get ready to pick your jaw up off the floor. ‘Cause you’re not going to believe the intricate level of detail in this incredible LEGO diorama.

I’m not sure which version of the Batcave this is meant to depict — the Tim Burton version? the Christopher Nolan one? the cartoon version? something completely original? — but it’s crazy good. Builder Alex Schranz used around 9,000 LEGO bricks and some terrific ambient lighting to wondrous effect, creating a multi-level Batcave that’s built right into the cave walls. There’s a spot for the Batmobile, an armory, a huge computer/surveillance system, a vault for both Batman and Robin’s suits, winding stairs and catwalks, and even sewer access! If you look closely, you can also see plenty of bats hanging upside down, adding to the authentic feel.

Perhaps most impressive of all, Schranz says it took him only one week to complete this build. A week! Alex has the skills you wish you had. Go here to see more pictures.

LEGO Batcave by Alex Schranz

LEGO Batcave by Alex Schranz

LEGO Batcave by Alex Schranz

Do you even need me to describe this? Look at that art, man. It speaks for itself.

Get a good, long look. (The other two cover versions are below.) This is the box art you’ll be looking for on October 18th, when Batman: Arkham City finally hits store shelves.

I just love the look of this whole marketing campaign. What do you want in your Batman? You want tough-as-nails, genius married to brute strength and infinite reserves of fearlessness. And this image conveys all of that brilliantly. The little detail of blood on Batman’s knuckles is just perfect. This is a Batman who’s about to get real on some bad guys.

What with the incredible gameplay footage and screenshots we’ve seen so far, this game has got so much going for it… it’s going to have to do something really drastic in order to fail.

Does anybody know who’s creating these black-and-white promotional images for Batman: Arkham City? I have no idea if it was someone on staff at Rocksteady Studios or maybe some hip ad agency. I can’t find any official credit for the images anywhere. DC Comics attributes this comic book cover, done in the same style, to the game’s visual designer, Carlos D’Anda. But more than one cover was made available for that comic book, so it’s inconclusive.

If anyone knows who the artist responsible is, please let us know in the Comments!

So I’ve finally gotten around to playing Batman: Arkham Asylum lately. Yeah, I know, I’m way behind the curve. It got to be one of those games that kept be swept to the bottom of the pile. Shouldn’t have, but did.

And of course I’m learning that the game does indeed rock every bit as much as the years of hype have suggested. I first played a bit of the game’s opening back at E3 2009 and was extra impressed with the fluidity of the controls, the dynamic combat and environment interactivity, and the stunningly sharp graphics. Yes, Arkham Asylum is all that and more. (And I’ll have it conquered soon.)

Anyway, since most of the world has moved on from Asylum, we’re all now eagerly licking our chops at every screenshot and video to emerge about the sequel, Batman: Arkham City. After the events of the first game, the Asylum has been closed after being deemed inadequate, and an entire section of Gotham City has been walled off, and all of the inmates from Arkham deposited inside. When a hostage situation breaks out inside its walls, there’s only one hero who can save the day.

Arkham City reprises a lot of the villains from the first film while introducing plenty more, including Two-Face, Hugo Strange, and the Penguin. The morally ambiguous Catwoman will also appear in the film, weaving in and out of Batman’s story as she takes advantage of his presence toward her own ends, and will even be a playable character for about 10% of the game.

E3 — where the game nabbed numerous “game of show” awards — dropped most of these details on us, as well as several other goodies, such as the new glide boost mode, which will allow you to do more than just glide to the ground now. Instead, you can pitch up and down, and use your grappling hook to gain a boost of speed and height when needed. There are some cool new capabilities for Detective Mode, Batman has plenty of new fight moves, and the environment of Akrham City is a huge, open playground for you to explore that’s much bigger than the island of the first game. There are also side missions, not involving the super villain boss battles, which will add a lot to the experience with new and different modes of play, but which are completely optional.

Check out the fantastic E3 demo video above, from Gamespot, and some of the latest screens below. Batman: Arkham City can’t arrive soon enough — but you’ll have to wait until late October to get your hands on it. It’s gonna be a long wait.

And you know you want one.

Batcave

This one’s just a concept for now, but it’s available made-to-order. [by Elite Home Theater Seating]

Death Star (Star Wars)

[by Definitive Audio]

The Enterprise (Star Trek)

Click on the image to zoom in and get the full effect. [by Gary Reighn]

The Enterprise-D #1 (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

I suppose it’s only natural that there would be so many Star Trek home theaters. The bridge of the Enterprise is shaped like a theater, after all. [by Electronics Systems Consultants]

The Enterprise-D #2 (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

Probably best captures the look and feel of the Next Gen‘s flagship. [by Acoustic Innovations]

The Matrix

I’m not sure I see the resemblance, though it’s said to include lots of design elements “inspired by” The Matrix. Personally, I would have gone with the bridge of the Nebuchadnezzar, but that’s just me. [by RPG Diffusor Systems]

Nautilus (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea)

[by Dillon Works]

Pirate Ship

[by Elite Home Theater Seating]

Stargate Atlantis

Sorry Stargate fans, but I had no idea anybody loved the show that much. [by Visual Concepts]

Terminator

[by Cinema at Home]

How’s this for a game pitch: a player vs. player shooter set in Batman‘s city, where players create customized “imitation” characters based on Batman and Joker, and shoot it out with one another. Wow. Talk about a bold concept.

That’s the premise behind Gotham City Imposters, which is coming soon to download-only platforms Xbox Live, PSN, and Windows PC. Developed by Monolith and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the idea is to bring multiplayer mayhem to Gotham City in a way that lets developers use guns while not violating Batman’s code of conduct (the dark knight himself never uses guns).

Warner Bros. already has two major game franchises that prominently feature Batman (the Batman: Arkham games & DC Universe Online), but this is the first time that FPS master developer Monolith (No One Lives Forever, F.E.A.R.) has taken on the Bat. Their game is sure to bring something different and fun to fans.

DC Comics’ Jim Lee reportedly loved the idea behind Gotham City Imposters so much that he began weaving its backstory into longrunning Batman title Detective Comics. As WBIE‘s press release puts it, “Posing as amateur vigilantes or villains, gamers will create their very own Bats and Jokerz characters using unprecedented customization options including insane costumes, homebrewed gadgets, and a wide range of traditional and imagined weapons.”

Sold? (I am. Holy crap, this sounds cool.) Ready to sign up? Start here.

As tired as I am of this trend of slow-mo video game trailers set to moody rock songs, even I have to admit this one’s killer. This new trailer offers our first real look at Batman: Arkham City‘s actual gameplay (previous trailers have shown only CGI animation), and it gives you a hint of the game’s storyline, which involves Batman entering this dangerous new part of town to save Catwoman, who’s been marked for execution.

After you’ve watched the video, you’ve got to look through the incredible screenshots below. I still don’t know how Rocksteady Studios squeezes more high-res beauty out of the Unreal engine than anyone else is capable of, and I don’t care. All I know is that this game is going to rock, and I must have it.

Fortunately for all of us, Batman: Arkham City‘s release date has just been announced. North American players will get our sweaty little hands on it first, on October 18, 2011. Asian audiences can buy it on October 19th, while European players must wait until October 21st.

Sony Online Entertainment has spent a ton of money on DC Universe Online, and boy does it show. The massively multiplayer online universe has so much to do, you can and will spend months trying to get to it all. Of course, not everything is required of players; in fact, DCUO‘s diversity of options might just be its greatest strength. That, and the enormous playground that you’re given total freedom to explore and enjoy.

First things first. DC Universe Online presents players with the chance to create their own superhero or supervillain. You can customize almost everything about your avatar, including not just physical attributes and costumes, but down to even their fundamental styles of movement and fighting. There are hundreds of possible combinations, which is more than enough to ensure that no two players play the game exactly the same. You also select a mentor, who will be sort of your “coach” throughout the game and will influence which kind of abilities you have. Heroes can choose from Superman (meta), Batman (technology), and Wonder Woman (magic). On the flip side, respectively, villains get Lex Luthor, the Joker, or Circe.

The scenario is set up by a gorgeous CG animatic (viewable above) that reveals an Earth in ruins, torn apart by heroes and villains locked in a devastating war — which is when the evil Brainiac shows up with an invasion force. Lex Luthor, one of the few survivors, steals some of Brainiac’s technology and travels backward in time five years, where he disperses Brainiac’s “exobytes” across the Earth. This creates of thousands of new heroes and villains — aka, you and your fellow players — who can be trained to defend the planet from the impending invasion. (Yes, even the villains must fight Brainiac’s forces.)

This is the world in which you’re planted as you begin. Right off the bat, you’ll see that there are two fully realized, gargantuan cities to explore and play in: Metropolis and Gotham. These mega-cities are stunning in size and scope, with entire neighborhoods and skyscrapers dotting the sky — and everything in the cities is playable from the first minute you’re in the game. The game’s designers really let their imaginations run wild in coming up with the architecture of Metropolis and Gotham, and I enjoyed simply exploring these amazing cities.

There are missions awaiting you everywhere (accessed via the handy heads-up display), which almost always involve NPC enemies to dispatch. (Unless you’re playing on a PvP server, which is obviously a far more dangerous kind of play.) The differences between the two cities are day and night — literally. It’s always daytime in Metropolis, sunny, art deco, and optimistic. Gotham exists in perpetual night, all gloom and industrial machinery. There are some buildings in both cities that are inaccessible because they’ve been “bottled” by Brainiac, or essentially claimed.

Death for players is never a possibility. The worst that will happen is that you’re “knocked out,” which results in a few seconds of downtime while you regenerate. You’re returned to your starting point, or a nearby waypoint, forcing you to backtrack your steps to your enemies — during which they usually have time to do some healing. But that’s it: you’re not penalized by losing cash, inventory items, or power-ups.

To get around the cities, you’ll use one of three modes that you selected during your character’s customization: flying, speed-running, or tech-running. The latter two use speed or technology to allow you to run up the sides of buildings, and tech players can glide down from heights. But there’s really no substitute for flying. It’s smooth, intuitive, and really instills a sense of power. Once you try it, you’ll wonder why anyone bothers with the other two modes.

Both heroes and villains get their own safe houses and central headquarters, where they can go to interact with other players, buy cool exclusives, and take on specialty missions. But be warned that all of the exclusives you’ll be offered here can only be bought after you reach Level 30, and then only after you’ve completed a whole new slew of level grinding on specialty missions that significantly raise your renown with the item’s manufacturer.

One of the biggest draws of the game for me was the ability to choose what I wanted to do at any given time. There’s leveling to be done by fighting NPCs, and the requisite exploration and treasure-hunting missions, but you’re never required to do anything. This leaves you free to select an activity that suits whatever mood you’re in.

As for those levels, there’s a good variety of missions that mix things up in fun and satisfying ways. And every mission ends with you getting the chance to team up with one of DC’s known heroes or villains to fight against one of their established enemies. DCUO‘s developers wisely made extra sure that fighting beside these treasured comic book characters is just as awesome as it deserves to be. Each of these main characters is voiced by a mainstream actor — most of whom will be familiar to genre fans. Firefly and Chuck‘s Adam Baldwin makes a great Superman, while Mark Hamill takes on his familiar role of the Joker. Michelle Forbes (Battlestar Galactica‘s Admiral Cain and True Blood‘s Maryann) chews through her words as the villainous Circe, and Star Trek: The Next Generation star and geek guru Wil Wheaton appears as Robin. You’ll also hear from Dwight Schultz (TNG‘s Barclay and The A-Team‘s original Murdock) as both The Flash and Martian Manhunter, Buffy‘s Spike, James Marsters, as Lex Luthor. Firefly‘s Gina Torres effects an odd, almost-British accent for Wonder Woman.

Aside from generic leveling, there are raids, PvP arenas, loot vaults you can buy entrance to, and story-driven co-op missions that take place outside of the two main cities in cool settings like Smallville, Chemo-blasted Bludhaven, Area 51, a base on the moon, Arkham Asylum, and more. There are daily contests, races, Legends matches where you play against other players in the guise of major DC heroes, duo missions, bounties to collect, player leagues to join, feats to accomplish, and so much more. Frankly there’s more to do than I have room to list in this review. In short: you’ll never get bored playing DC Universe Online. It’s impossible.

Level grinding maxes out at Level 30, though I imagine that cap will be raised by a future update. My one and only complaint about the game is the drastic leap in difficulty that occurs when you finally reach Level 30. While leveling up, the game presents you with missions that complement your current power set, but once you reach the maximum level, enemies suddenly become radically harder to take down. So hard that it’s simply impractical to complete any further missions without teaming up with other players. Gamers who prefer to go it alone will find virtually nothing left to do once they reach Level 30.

For many players, this won’t be a problem. A lot of gamers join MMOs for the social aspects. Personally, I’ve never had a good experience playing alongside others in MMOs, and DCUO is no exception. On one occasion, I waited in a queue for hours to get into a dungeon (aka an “Alert Zone”). I don’t typically enjoy dungeons, but this one sounded cool — the level was set in the Batcave. But it was at least two hours before I finally gained access to the dungeon, and when I did, the seven other players, who were standing around the entry point doing nothing, immediately asked me to leave. It turns out they were all real-life friends who wanted to play through the dungeon together, and their eighth friend was having trouble with his Internet connection, which kept dropping him out of the game. The game had put me in the Batcave in his place, which prevented him from returning.

I understand the desire for friends to enjoy some virtual playtime together, and I know how difficult it can be to arrange such a thing in cyberspace, but the experience still left a sour taste in my mouth. Anytime I tried playing alongside others, there was never any communication among my “team,” and every player was pretty much just in it for themselves, refusing to work together.

Admittedly, these issues had very little to do with the design of the game, so Sony Online can’t be faulted. These were just my personal experiences, and could have just as easily happened (and usually does) in any other MMO.

I had my share of lockups over the course of a month of playtime. But given the complexity of constructing an MMO and keeping it running, my downtime was remarkably small — particularly when compared to other MMOs. Sony has definitely invested plenty of time into testing and stabilizing the game. I played the PlayStation 3 version, and DCUO was easily the best reason I’ve found yet for buying that console. There’s a bit of a learning curve, but once you get past that, it’s an absolute thrill to play. It’s simply the best MMO I’ve ever played.

Even though I’m not playing DC Universe Online anymore, I don’t regret one minute of the time I invested in it, and often find myself missing it, even now, weeks later. If that’s not the mark of a great game, I don’t know what is.

Considering what a huge topic of conversation the title of Christopher Nolan’s third Batman film was (and still is!), ForeverGeek had to get this out to you immediately. Warner Bros. has just sent out a press release naming the two villains that will face off against Christian Bale’s Batman in The Dark Knight Rises — and the actors who will portray them.

It’s long been rumored that Tom Hardy — who co-starred in Nolan’s Inception — was already onboard to play one of the villains, but until now we’ve had no idea which villain that would be. The character in question is, surprisingly, Bane. The hulking, doped-up muscleman from the comics is, in typical Nolan fashion, getting a “new interpretation” for The Dark Knight Rises.

Co-starring alongside Hardy as likely the film’s more prominent villain will be Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. Selina Kyle herself, last seen in a Batman movie portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns, will be added to Nolan’s superhero franchise for the first time.

Nolan is directing from a screenplay he’s written along with his brother Jonathan Nolan, from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer. The Dark Knight Rises is expected to be Nolan’s final Batman film, and is set to hit theaters July 20, 2012 (pitting it against Joss Whedon’s multi-Marvel-hero pic The Avengers).

Alright, commenters. Let’s hear it. What do you think of these character and casting choices? And what do these two choices tell us about the theme and scope of the film?

DISCLAIMER: This is a 100-car image, so please bear with the possible slow loading time.

If you have problems deciphering the text, just click on the image for a larger view.

I told you the infographic is comprehensive, didn’t I? Batman fans – your thoughts?

Via: CarInsurance.org