Did the 1992 “Death of Superman” storyline from DC Comics send you into a fit of fanboy fury? Max Landis, son of director John Landis and writer of the film Chronicle, was pretty ticked by it. His 15-minute rant-slash-reenactment is required viewing for all true comic book fans.

Landis himself directs and retells the story of Superman‘s death and return, while a bunch of his friends act out the story he’s telling. Among the many, many guest stars Landis enlisted for his short film are Elijah Wood, Mandy Moore, Simon Pegg, Matt Bennett, Ron Howard, Chris Hardwick, Morgan Krantz, Kelsey Gunn, and many more, all of whom prove entirely game for Landis’ lo-fi, low-budget dramatizations.

Despite the angry ranting over the endlessly illogical plot points and wacky play-acting by his goofball friends, in the end Landis does make an excellent point about how this pivotal moment in comic book history changed the medium forever — and not for the better.

Just be warned: watching this video is not recommended if you’re turned off by excessive profanity. Because of this, it’s most definitely NSFW.

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.

LEGO has just released its first toys in the new “LEGO DC Universe Superheroes” lineup (“LEGO Marvel Superheroes” sets are coming later this year). To celebrate, adult LEGO builder Rod Gillies created this awesome TV displaying a Superman minifigure TV show — and it really plays.

Gillies’ ingenious MOC has a built-in scrolling function, allowing the background to roll by, which cleverly creates the illusion that LEGO Superman is flying over Metropolis. It’s a brilliant piece of work, and it couldn’t have been easy, since the entire landscape had to be created using perfectly vertical slats that aren’t connected. This is the only way the whole thing could be made to scroll. That he made such a thing work in such a small size only adds to its wonder.

Gillies posted the above video that shows how the TV set looks when it’s “on” and the background is scrolling, and it’s a pretty flawless effect. Major kudos, Mr. Gillies. Very impressive.

I’d love to see another video or maybe some photos that show how the scrolling mechanism works. I can think of a few different ways one could do this, and I can’t help being curious about what method he used.

LEGO Superman TV by Rod Gillies

Tumblr blog/fansite TimBurton.jp brings the goods today, with some incredible concept art and one intriguing maquette. Let’s take a look at some highlights, and then I’ll send you over to TimBurton.jp to see the rest.

First, take a look at this design for a drastically updated version of Superman’s red-and-blue costume. This would have been how Supes looked “regularly,” before his death at the hands of Doomsday and eventual resurrection.

'Superman Lives' concept art

Horrific, right? I mean, what are those diamond looking things covering his six-pack? Also: you don’t ever screw around with Superman’s S-shield. The next image shows what Superman would have looked like post-resurrection. It was part of Burton’s storyline that after he returns to the living, it takes a while for his superpowers to return. So while he’s waiting, he uses some Kryptonian technology from the Fortress of Solitude to “mimic” his powers, in the form of a specialized suit.

Concept art from 'Superman Lives'

Makes me think of that ridiculous X-Man named Marrow, who grows extra bones that protrude out all over her body. Thank God this movie was never made. Lastly, let’s look at the aforementioned maquette.

Maquette from 'Superman Lives'

This is the only image that doesn’t make my eyes hurt. This is a 3D model of what would have been Brainiac’s skull-shaped spaceship, which plays perfectly into Burton’s love of the macabre.

Seeing these images just makes me ever more thankful that Warner Bros. pulled the plug on this disaster-in-the-making. Head over to TimBurton.jp to see more, including a look at the Eradicator and Superman’s tomb.

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.

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Hobo95

Hobo95's 'Man of Steel' poster

Definitely the best photo/pose of Henry Cavill on this list, though of course it’s a total Photoshop manipulation putting that pic of him into the suit. I think this would be a great way for Warner Bros. to go with the marketing; they’ve been talking up the “darker and grittier” new take on Superman, and this shows that off in spades. Everything about it works for me. [Source]

Martin Hunt

Martin Hunt's 'Man of Steel' poster

I like the murky, almost steampunk quality of this one. The clouds symbolize the darkness hovering over Metropolis, its citizens waiting for the light to break through. [Source]

Juan Jose

Juan Jose's 'Man of Steel' poster

Iconic pose, nice composition. Predates the casting of Cavill and the release date move to Summer ’12. But still, it works. Looks like a comic book cover. [Source]

Luke Mawdsley

Luke Mawdsley's 'Man of Steel' poster

In case you’re in the dark on this one, that’s Michael Shannon, who’s cast in the film as the big bad, General Zod. I’m not usually a fan of “character” posters like this, so I didn’t want to like this one. But it’s hard not to. It strikes such a cool tone, and I even dig the costume, even though it’s total conjecture on the part of the artist. It rocks. [Source]

Daniele Moretti (#1)

Daniele Moretti's 'Man of Steel' poster (#1)

This one seems to have become the de facto poster in use across the Net. [Source]

Daniele Moretti (#2)

Daniele Moretti's 'Man of Steel' poster (#2)

Another by Moretti, very simple but effective. [Source]

Brenton Powell

Brenton Powell's 'Man of Steel' poster

A perfect study in minimalistic design. [Source]

Corentin Pruvot

Corentin Pruvot's 'Man of Steel' poster

A clear take-off on the Dark Knight Rises teaser poster, but I’m surprised at how well done it is and how smartly the artist translated it. It would never be used in real life, but it’s pretty cool. [Source]

Jonathan Rudolph

Jonathan Rudolph's 'Man of Steel' poster

There are several fan posters that use the first official image of Cavill as Superman, but this is by far the best of them. [Source]

Chris Treborn

Chris Treborn's 'Man of Steel' poster

This one is really outdated, listing JJ Abrams as director and Jared Padalecki as star. But I included it because it’s such a smart take on the “comic book panels” look. [Source]

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So where do you go, when a Watch Tower on the Moon, or a swamp that touches every possible reality (and then some) just are not enough?

The Fortress of Solitude

Classic Silver Age Fortress, Action #241

We all know of the Silver Age version, of an ice cavern with a gigantic metal door, unlockable only by an equally massive golden key. Or a blowtorch I imagine. Yet it was home to an Interplanetary Zoo, Superman robots and science labs more advanced than anything on Earth; technology that Superman chose not to share even with his colleagues of the Justice League.

Post-COIE Fortress, AOS #461

Yet after the Crisis, the creation of the base was entirely organic, at least in terms of the story, as the Eradicator Artifact turned itself into a little piece of Krypton, this time at the South Pole. This didn’t last, it got wrapped into a pocket dimension, a portal to which was placed in the Daily Planet Globe.

The Peru Fortress

Then more reboots. In an effort to find himself, Superman relocated to an Amazon Jungle fortress, and of course, there was a Kryptonian Sunstone creation in the post-Infinite Crisis reboot, to mirror the Fortress of the classic movies and the Smallville series.

The birth of the crystal fortress, Action #480

The most outlandish has to be the Fortress in the C853rd, based inside the very sun itself. Which makes sense really.

The Pyramid of the Aztec Ace

The Twin Pyramids of Aztec Ace

Jungle properties are obviously hot. You kinow what they say, it’s all about ‘Location, Location, Location’.

The Anachrony Den

Based in the Gardens of Tenochtitlan circa 1518 sit twin step-pyramids. In one sits an egg shaped time capsule better known as the Azure Crosstime Express; while the other contains Ace’s living space, better known as the Anachrony Den, where cool limestone conceals technology from multiple eras. From here, Caza monitors the entire timestream, working to undo paradoxes created by his enemy Nine Crocodiles who wishes to destroy history, and frequently saving the existence from himself.

Housekeeping does not seem to be Caza's forte

Originally native to the Twenty-Third Century, he picks up a girlfriend from the Nineteen Forties. One would hope coming from such an advanced era, he has installed air-conditioning and central heating.

The Fortress of Solidarity

Superman #708 The Fortress Of Solidarity

A base operating outside the regions of Space and time, the Fortress Of Solidarity is home to yet another incarnation of the Superman Squad, that we will no doubt never see again after the events of Flashpoint.

The Fortress is ‘a tesseract housed in a pentagonal icositetrahedron’ within the Still Zone, which is not quite the Phantom Zone, but related. This zone touches all times, yet has sometimes been used as a prison! Go figure!

Within the Fortress itself, there are portals/windows into spacetime, through which certain events or moments can be observed. No doubt this is related to it’s shape, which basically means a solid with twenty four pentagonal faces. Or for the less mathematically inclined of us, a twenty-sided die.

Has to be the oddest D20 I've ever seen

I’m not sure what Aztec Ace would make of this. How would this team ensure the stability of history if they are taking a proactive, interventionist role? Or is this more of a glorified social club? They claim they banded together to protect the timestream. Hmm, how’d that work out?

Vanishing Point

The original Vanishing Point in Zero Hour

Speaking of maintaining the integrity of the timeline, whatever happened to the good old Linear Men? They briefly blossomed into the Linear Authority, then appeared to collapse under their own weight. After all, when we see their later schism in Time Masters: Vanishing Point, Rip Hunter had locked the rest of his comrades away, and upon their escape, Liri Lee departs in a snit after refusing to agree with Rip’s rules of time travel. Of course then the Flashpoint happened, so it doesn’t look like she was very successful in keeping to her own ideals.

Home to the Linear Authority

The Heartland

Now, it may be okay for the Sandman to live within a conceptual realm when is the very embodiment of Dream, but for a team of government operatives, you would think it is a little more difficult.

The Heartland from Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #2

Not so for Uncle Sam and his Freedom Fighters. It seems that being the living embodiment of the Constitution allows him to create his own living space as well. Now here is a concept I would like to see again.

The Soul-Society and the Seireitei

Now, how many heroes can claim their base in deep inside of the after-realms? Even Deadman hovers around the land of the living.

The Seireitei of the Soul Society

Not so in the anime Bleach. Ichigo Kurasaki may be based in the living Karakura town, but his powers and authority (and lack of respect for authority) derive from the Soul Society, better translated as ‘dead spirit world’. The Thirteen Court Guard Squads are based in the capital city, known as the Seireitei, or Court of Pure Souls.

If this is Heaven, it certainly seems far from paradise; controlled by social order and etiquette and leaving little room for the individualism we in the West so treasure.

One would think that a city in the after-realms would have the decency to stay dead, but no, it seems happily able to transport itself into the living world, swapping places with Karakura Town in order to protect it from a former Shinigami who wants to destroy the very natural order itself. (Seems like a popular pass-time!)

The Ant-Farm

The Ant Farm, the new base of S.H.A.D.E.

Seen in the pages of Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E, and earlier being the object of the Atom’s short lived series last year, the Ant Farm is a 3-inch mobile sphere that agents can access via Ray Palmer’s shrinking technology. The Farm seems to fly randomly (and quickly) around the world undetected.

What better base could one ask for covert operations, especially since it is also provided with its own teleportation network? This is the type of ingenuity we need to see more of, if the real estate war is to continue!

The H-Dial

Now you may wonder why I would include the origin of the super-powered identities seen in Dial H For H.E.R.O.

The fabled H-Dial

Yet in Superboy And The Ravers, it was implied not only that each super-powered identity adopted by the Dial bearer had its own personal thought patterns and style of reactions, but that each identity was a personality in and of itself, that merged with the bearer. That must make the H-Dial one of the most crowded super-hero bases, even more so than a fully staffed Legion Of Super-Heroes Clubhouse.

No wonder Vicki Grant went so schizophrenic in the pages of The New Titans.

The Infinite Mansion (Avengers)

The Infinite Avengers Mansion was created to be the headquarters of Hank Pym’s Mighty Avengers. It was created by Pym from the ever-expanding body of his ex-wife Janet Van Dyne and is located in a pocket dimension.

Infinite Mansion, Mighty Avengers #27

Though it has suffered recently in the events of Fear Itself, I rather hope this one will stick around. Plus one has to admire the cheek of a man to create a base out of the corpse of his dead ex-wife. It seems there is no limit to the abuse that he will subject Janet to, yet this fails to raise an eyebrow from anyone?

With millions of floors, and a potentially infinite amount of doors leading to everything the team will need and anywhere on Earth. Jocasta is the resident counterpart to the ever-faithful Jarvis, being both the mainframe and guide of the base, with an infinite number of bodies throughout the mansion available for duty at the flick of a digital switch.

The TARDIS

Of course, with all these bases floating outside of time, whizzing around the planet or dependant purely on conceptual ideals, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the not quite first but greatest of them all, the TARDIS.

The original TARDIS console room. Ah, memories!

The Fortress of Solitude first appeared in 1958, which predates the first voyage of the time-travelling Doctor and his granddaughter, but this is surely the creation with the greatest scope. Able to traverse both space and time, the TARDIS is sentient, and contains an entire universe within itself. Indeed, if it were not a universe, it would be unable to function.

Though the gothic or steam-punk looks are cool, I cannot but help feel nostalgic about the clean white lines of the very original console room, presented her for your pleasure.

Get involved in the comic book debates at the ForeverGeek Forum

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?

Henry Cavill as Superman in 'The Man of Steel'

Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have headed off speculation and potential spy photos of their new Superman by releasing this early promotional image for a movie that’s almost 2 years away. The Immortals‘ Henry Cavill stars Superman in 2013′s The Man of Steel.

Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) is directing the film based on a screenplay by David S. Goyer (who wrote Batman Begins, all three Blade films, and one of my favorite movies of all time, Dark City), and is being produced by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception). The new film’s story is top secret, but it’s being called a complete reboot, with no continuity to Superman Returns or any other Superman films. British actor Cavill plays Clark Kent/Superman; the eclectic cast also includes Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Jonathan and Martha Kent, Russell Crowe and Julia Ormond as Jor-El and Lara, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, Michael Shannon as villain General Zod, and Amy Adams as Lois Lane.

Much of the cast feels kind of kitschy to me for some reason, with so many supporting roles filled out by big names like Crowe, Costner, Lane, and Fishburne. But you can’t get any pluckier than Amy Adams, who should be perfect as Lois Lane, and Michael Shannon should make for a fascinating Zod. Snyder’s reputation is shaky, with hits like Dawn of the Dead and 300 balanced by the total flop that was Sucker Punch. Then there’s Watchmen, which most fans are surprisingly dispassionate about. There’s no doubt that Snyder can confidently execute big-budget, special effects extravaganzas, but his own tastes have sometimes been an issue.

Screenwriter Goyer has a similarly spotty record. There’s no doubt he’s contributed to some of the best superhero movies of all time, helping shape the stories of all three Christian Bale Batman films. But his resume also includes the abysmal David Hasselhoff TV movie Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD. He also co-created TV’s FlashForward and Threshold, both of which started strong but quickly fizzled. He’s had a number of buzz-worthy scripts circulating Hollywood over the years that ultimately never went before screens, such as that cool sounding Green Arrow-in-prison film SuperMax. I think he’s got it in him to write a great Superman film, so let’s hope this is it.

As for Cavill in this new costume… It feels pretty Andrew Garfield-as-Spider-Man to me. I’m wondering what that textured fabric is, because it’s awfully shiny. I do appreciate that the S-shield is nice and big, which looks like a direct answer to all the criticism Bryan Singer got for making Brandon Routh’s S-shield so tiny. That cape is crazy long, and I can’t help wondering about the red briefs, since we can’t see them. What’s he hiding in there? Boy shorts? A thong? Cavill’s big hair looks a little disproportionate in this picture, but it’s hard to judge such things based on one picture. I’m thinking the darkness of the image’s composition could be an intentional nod to the tone of the film.

Mark your calendar for The Man of Steel, in theaters June 14, 2013.

Opinions about Superman Returns were (and still are) all over the map, but the one thing most moviegoers can agree on is that director Bryan Singer was far too beholden to his inner fanboy. He was so reverential to both the Richard Donner movies and to the sacrificial nature of Superman’s character, that the result was a movie that lumbered along at a snail’s pace. Superman is meant to be a dynamic character, yet Singer’s movie had precious little action to speak of. What was there was good, and there were some other good ingredients here and there. But the finished product was just heavy-handed for audiences to love.

The five-minute clip above shows Superman arriving at his home world of Krypton, where, if you recall from the film, he had gone to search for survivors of the Kryptonian holocaust. It was an emotional decision on his part — he wanted to not be alone in the universe — but going back to the place that’s made entirely out of the stuff that can kill him turns out to not be his bestest idea ever. Unfortunately, the whole thing plays out like one of those maddeningly slow “V’ger” scenes from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. But at least now we know why Clark emerged from that weird crystal ship into his mother’s arms on the Kent Farm all weak and sickly. And what’s with the giant “S” shield he finds on Krypton? Is that supposed to be his family home or something?

I think it’s a safe bet that it was stuff like this — filming a $10 million sequence that was never used — that kept Singer from getting to do a sequel. And as we all know, without Singer there to helm the next chapter of his story, Warner Bros. instead opted to reboot the entire franchise with Zack Snyder directing and Christopher Nolan producing. The Henry Cavill-starring, mega-budget Man of Steel is expected in theaters in 2013.

We’re big fans of “LEGO artist” Nathan Sawaya here at ForeverGeek. He makes stuff out of LEGO that blows our minds. His latest work captures two popular superheroes in flight.

Sawaya created this piece for The Los Angeles Times‘ Hero Complex Film Festival. He found his inspiration when he saw that Superman director Richard Donner was on the festival’s special guest list. He threw in Green Lantern just for the fun of it. Both creations appear to reach about three feet tall from foot to fist. How awesome is Superman’s cape, with its billowing curls!

Check out more pics at Sawaya’s website.

Ray Middleton

Middleton was a Broadway actor who was the first person to ever appear live, in costume and in character, as Superman. His “performance” was an unscripted appearance at the New York World’s Fair in 1940. He was hired to play Superman as part of a special “Superman Day” sponsored by Macy’s and Toyland, which included a variety of kid-friendly activities throughout the day. Middleton is best remembered for longrunning Broadway gigs in productions of South Pacific and Man of La Mancha.

Kirk Alyn

Most people think that George Reeves was the first actor to play Superman on any screen, but it was actually Kirk Alyn. Alyn, who’s chiseled features were a dead ringer for the character, portrayed the Man of Steel in a series of big-screen serials from 1948-1950. The woefully barely-remembered Alyn can be credited with introducing the idea of Clark Kent showing a different personality to that of his alter ego, as well as the S-shaped curl of hair on Superman’s forehead. Alyn was so respected and beloved in the role, he was offered the part in the famous 1951 Adventures of Superman TV series. Only when Alyn turned it down was George Reeves offered the role.

George Reeves

Between 1951 and 1958, Reeves played Superman in 102 episodes of The Adventures of Superman. A big screen actor with noted potential and industry respect, Reeves was reluctant to do TV at first, but eventually accepted the role. The debate over the circumstances that caused his death — some argue his despondency at being typecast as a superhero led to suicide, while others believe it to be the work of a spurned lover — continues to this day, even being commemorated in a modern day film called Hollywoodland, starring Ben Affleck as Reeves.

Bob Holiday

After Adventures‘ end and the death of Reeves, it would be almost ten years before Superman was seen again. This time he skipped the screen altogether and starred in a Broadway musical called It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman. In the title role was Bob Holiday, who relished the role far more than his predecessor did. He easily bested Reeves’ record for appearances as the character, with 129 performances of the musical. Just don’t mention the hokey songs or choreography to comic book fans. [Image source.]

David Wilson

A 1975 TV movie was made using the It’s a Bird… musical as its source material. Actor David Wilson made his one and only appearance as the Man of Steel in this 2-hour telefilm, which used the same music but updated dialogue. By all accounts, this was the embarrassing “Star Wars Christmas Special” of Superman’s career. [Image source.]

Christopher Reeve

In 1978, audiences believed a man could fly when Richard Donner cast unknown actor Christopher Reeve as Superman for his big-budget blockbuster. Reeve was cast based on his acting ability, then exercised relentlessly to bulk up for the role — a process many modern actors have emulated for all sorts of heroic parts. His take on both Clark Kent and Superman is still considered the most iconic and classic spin on the character, and most fans still consider Superman II to be the best Superman movie ever made. But on the flip side, his third and fourth movies are reviled for their horrid writing. Reeve tragically became a quadriplegic after a horse-riding accident in 1995, and died in 2004 from heart attack.

John Newton

After Reeve gave up the cape in 1987, the film series’ producers dreamed up a new small-screen adventure for not Superman, but Clark Kent in his college years. This Superboy’s setting was the biggest departure of any live-action incarnation, since he was based out of Florida (where the series was shot). John Newton starred in the first season of The Adventures of Superboy, but was fired after a DUI arrest solidified the producers’ feelings that Newton wasn’t right for the role. [Image source.]

Gerard Christopher

Christopher took over the Superboy role from Newton, and held onto it for three additional seasons. His positive reception allowed him to go on to write and produce for the show. He wore the cape for a total of 72 episodes, and very nearly won the part in ABC’s Lois & Clark. [Image source.]

Dean Cain

One year after Superboy left the airwaves, ABC kicked off Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman in 1993. The show capitalized on the chemistry between its two lead actors — Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher — to create a more grounded, rom-com type show. Eventually the series evolved into a more traditional depiction of the Superman mythos over the years, but eventually fizzled out after Lois and Clark got married. The so-called “Moonlighting curse” struck again.

Tom Welling

Smallville was a bold reimagining of Clark Kent’s teenage years for the small screen that strictly held to a “no flights, no tights” policy. Star Tom Welling spent more time on screen as the character than any other actor, in a total of 217 episodes. Which is ironic, considering that (SPOILER ALERT) he’s the only one to never wear Superman’s red and blue costume. (The finale showed a CGI Supes with Welling’s head attached.) The show was often hokey with its emotions, yet its high production values and clever writing made it impossibly hard to turn away from.

Brandon Routh

Superman Returns seemed like a good concept on paper, but the execution was somehow lacking. Bryan Singer’s love letter to Richard Donner’s two films pretended that the third and fourth movies never happened. But its slow, reverential pace needed more adrenaline, and turning Superman into an absentee dad was not Hollywood’s bestest idea ever. (If you value your life, never mention the teeny-weeny “S” shield on Routh’s costume in a geek’s presence.) The movie wasn’t terrible, it just wasn’t great. Brandon Routh’s time in the role was cut short, and I would’ve liked to have seen what he could do if given better material. Fun fact: when Superman Returns hit theaters in 2006, Brandon Routh was 27-years old; Tom Welling is two years Routh’s senior, though in 2006 (when Welling was 29) he was playing Clark Kent as an 18-year-old high school senior!

Now that Smallville is over, and Bryan Singer will make no more Superman movies, the torch has been passed to director Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen), producer Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception), and actor Henry Cavill, who will become the first British national ever to play the Man of Steel. Their take on the mythos is to abandon all existing continuity (unlike Singer’s film), and craft a modern reboot for Superman. Here’s hoping they give us a Superman for the ages.

The Almost-Supermen

I can’t end this without pointing out two people who very nearly took their place alongside the pantheon of actors to portray Clark Kent/Superman. For better or for worse, here’s a glimpse at what — and who — might have been.

Johnny Rockwell

Three years after George Reeves’ passing, another TV show came thisclose to happening. Actor Johnny Rockwell was cast in 1961 and starred in a pilot for The Adventures of Superboy, and things looked so promising that twelve further scripts were written in preparation of the series pickup. But even though the pilot was thought to be very good, the pickup never came (likely because of high production costs), and the project was abandoned.

Nicolas Cage

If you know anything about Superman movies at all, you may already know that almost 20 years passed between Christopher Reeve’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and Brandon Routh’s Superman Returns. Standing between Kal-El and the big screen was a winding road of legal battles, a revolving door of writers and directors, and the ever-difficult task of casting the Man of Steel. Somewhere in there, Tim Burton was set to give Superman a gothic makeover. His proposed film, titled Superman Lives, was said to draw inspiration from the “Death of Superman” storyline from the comics, focusing on a Superman who’s reborn without his powers after being killed by Doomsday. Supposedly, in Burton’s film, Clark uses (Kryptonian?) technology to emulate his powers until he’s able to get them back for real. Burton’s choice for the lead role? Nicolas Cage. The photos above show some costume tests performed during preproduction. I love Burton as much as the next guy, but one look at those pics is enough to see what a disaster this would have been.

In this week’s Superman #711, the issue concludes with a statement of the ‘American Way’ that Superman has already fought for. The issue features LiveWire as the antagonist, the radio host gone bad (oh my, I only see the irony as I write this! D’Oh!), who had recently proved her worth in saving the planet against the Auctioneer, thereby redeeming herself.

Gone to S.T.A.R. to learn more about her powers, she absorbs way too much electricity, and the less attractive insecurities of her motivation resurrect themselves. I won’t spoil the story by a blow-by-blow account, but the interesting point for me is after her defeat, once she is ‘assisted’ in regaining her right mind. Supes is all forgiving despite the feelings of the city, and gives the following speech:

Well, now maybe Leslie will have a chance to find out. A second chance. That’s what America is all about really, that’s the American way. Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness – and second chances. None of us are forced to be anything we don’t want to be.

He mentions about his first experience of Metropolis, how people from all over the U.S. and the world flocked to the city to live the lives they wanted, to be who they want to be. (Why do I have the Soup Dragons playing in my mind?)

That’s the idea that America was founded on, but it’s not just for people born here. It’s for everyone.

I doubt the media will pick up on this, which is why I was inspired to write today; but if that is not a summing up of the U.S. Constitution is a few short phrases, I don’t know what is.

Or am I just a tool in the liberal takeover of the media?

One a totally different note, although I rained criticism on Age Of X, now we really see the justification of the story in the rercent issues of Uncanny and X-Men Legacy. The altered reality, the lifetime of memories are not just disappearing, and now we see some very interesting dynamics being formed between the players, and the awakening of unresolved relationships from yesterday as well as that other world. Now this I appreciate; the difference between ‘it was all a dream’ and ‘OMG! That was a dream but I can’t shake it off’ with consequences. I may yet have to eat my words on this matter.

I only hope Flashpoint has similar lasting repercussions. Else one has to ask – what is the point?

Today it was stated by historian Simon Schama that the wedding was bringing the Monarchy into a new age, marrying itself to the current generation. The amount of familiarity and common touch made this a very different event, especially in the age of social media where we are so much closer to our ‘celebrities’. It’s not so much that taboos have been broken, but the paradigm has shifted.

Not to be outdone, the only person in the world who could compete with the happy couple has made his grab for the headlines. Of course I speak of Superman.

Ignoring the fact that he is not real, this week in Action Comics #900, Superman has stated his intention to renounce his U.S. citizenship in a speech to the U.N., after tiring of his actions being interpreted as U.S. Foreign Policy. During this period of great upheaval across the Middle East in the real world, I think this was a timely announcement in his fictional one as DC increases its acknowledgement of real world events. (Makes you wonder just what role Bialya, Kahndaq and the nuked out remains of Qurac can play in future stories.)

However, this seems to have caused some controversy, especially over at Fox News (surprise). However, the story justifies it, it gives the lead character a far greater degree of freedom; and seriously; are we ever going to forget “Truth, Justice and the American Way”?

Like the ‘American’ ‘Dream’, Superman’s ‘American Way’ is not a reality. It is an ideal to be aspired to, a lofty goal forever out of reach but we are made better in the striving for it. Those who are criticising the writers and DC for their (and I quote) “blatant lack of patriotism’ should maybe read the story, or shut up if they don’t know what they are talking about.

As for the DC fans, wasn’t this the thinking of the renaming of the Justice League Of America to the simple Justice League, or even the Justice League International? (Which is on its way back I notice, according to the last issue of Generation Lost. Same characters and a tad less Bwa-ha-ha, so I’m looking forward to it.)

Storm in a teacup people, give it a rest. For that matter, grow up. It’s fiction. And if the flag thumpers still worry about the effect such a story would have on younger readers, think on this.

It teaches them what the difference is between speaking for a country, and speaking for yourself. Quite an important lesson, wouldn’t you say?

Me, I’m old enough to make up my own mind. The finest form of patriotism is to stand in judgement over one’s country; applauding its successes and reining in its excesses (or worse). Patriotism is making your country the best, not just blindly assuming it is.

And one last point about Superman and his American influence. You may be able to take the farmboy out of Kansas, but you won’t take Kansas out of the farmboy.

Angry Birds

There are plenty of Angry Birds eggs being made this year; this one gets my vote for the best due to its perfect detailing. [Source]

Auto (WALL-E)

Very well-made version of the villain Auto (aka Auto-Pilot) from WALL-E. [Source]

Bender (Futurama)

The egg-maker really nailed Bender’s look, but I can’t help wondering why Futurama‘s robot is so angry. [Source]

Binary Code

Binary code is always big among geeks, but you’ll have to decide for yourself if it’s clever or just plain nerdy. [Source]

Bumblebee (Transformers)

It can’t be easy translating the proportions of a Transformer like Bumblebee into an egg, but this one manages to pull it off. [Source]

Chewbacca (Star Wars)

As you’d imagine, there are a ton of homemade Star Wars eggs, but this one grabbed my attention with that realistic fur. Wow. [Source]

Dalek (Doctor Who)

No matter how you slice it, that is just darn impressive. How in the world did they get the eye stalk and arm things to stay on? [Source]

Death Star (Star Wars)

Never have I seen an Easter Egg perfectly convey so much with so little. [Source]

EVE (WALL-E)

Turning an egg into EVE is a total no-brainer; the character is shaped like an egg, after all. This one perfectly captures the lighter side of her personality. [Source]

The Federation (Star Trek)

The United Federation of Planets design is raised and even has a metallic sheen to it. I have no idea how they did it, but it’s awesome. [Source]

iPhone

The Apple “iEgg” is shown here front and back. And yes, if it were real I’d totally use it. [Source]

Iron Man

Absolutely perfect lighting shows off the steel/glowy goodness of this impressive Iron Man mask. [Source]

Joker

Awful photo. (So blurry!) But staggeringly good work on the egg. It captures Joker’s unpredictable malice so well, it scares the crap out of me. [Source]

Naruto

Another one that manages to translate the proportions of a human figure into an egg remarkably well. [Source]

The One Ring

If Easter was celebrated in Middle Earth… well, they wouldn’t use the inscription from Sauron’s evil ring, would they. But I still love the idea. [Source]

Pac-Man

So many Pac-Man eggs, so little time. I picked this one for its instantly-recognizable depiction of Pac-Man. The ghost doesn’t come across quite as well. [Source]

Rorschach

Watchmen‘s signature crime-fighter. [Source]

Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

The anti-hero from Tim Burton’s stop-motion classic is depicted in one of his most memorable moments. [Source]

Spider-Man

Great version of Marvel’s wall-crawler. [Source]

Superman

Looks like clay was added to give this one a raised “S” emblem. Very cool. [Source]

Terminator

It’ll be back. Next Easter. [Source]

Xbox 360

Another one that left me wondering how they pulled it off. I’m sure the silver is some kind of enamel paint, but the green part all but glows. Very impressive. [Source]

Zombie

The visible brains part is brilliantly executed. Love the creativity! [Source]

The latest (and likely last, since the series is wrapping in May) pair of DC Comics characters to appear on Smallville are coming to a small screen near you on April 22nd. The CW sent over some pics of these two new additions to the Smallville-verse, and while one of them looks pretty good, I think they missed the mark on the other.

Appropriately titled “Booster,” the episode finds Booster Gold — the superhero from the future who craves fame — turning up in Metropolis and stealing the spotlight from the Blur (Clark Kent’s persona precursor to Superman). True to his comic book roots, Booster’s goal is nothing less than to supplant Clark and become “the world’s greatest superhero” in the eyes of Metropolis’ citizens. But all things must eventually go awry, and this time it happens when Booster accidentally causes an alien scarab to fall off a truck. The scarab soon fuses itself to a teenager named Jaime Reyes, turning him into the Blue Beetle, but Jaime can’t control his new superpowers and Metropolis is placed in mega-danger.

The episode is being directed by the Man of Steel himself, Tom Welling, and the ep also features what looks to be Clark’s first-ever phone booth quick-change, as you can see from the photos. “Booster” was written by DC Comics superstar writer Geoff Johns, who also wrote the two-part episode where the Justice Society was introduced to the series. Actor Eric Martsolf, a soap opera mainstay who currently stars on Days of Our Lives, guest stars as Booster Gold, while Jaime Reyes/the Blue Beetle is portrayed by Jaren Brandt Bartlett. Bartlett has appeared in lots of geeky shows like The 4400, Dead Zone, Tru Calling, and The Twilight Zone.

As for the costumes… Booster’s works for me, successfully incorporating the leather aesthetic that Smallville‘s heroes favor with his classic look from the comics. (They sure wear big codpieces in the future, though, eh?) But Blue Beetle just looks all kinds of weird. Maybe it will look better in action, but those ginormous shoulder things throw the whole suit out of proportion.

There are more photos below. What do you think?

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.

Henry Cavill.

Heard that name before? I hadn’t until the news broke that he’s been cast as Superman in the new Zack Snyder/Christopher Nolan reboot of the franchise, tentatively titled Superman: The Man of Steel. If you look him up on IMDB, you’ll find that he’s got a short list of credits, mostly roles in period pieces, and none of them terribly noteworthy. His highest-profile gig was as Charles Brandon on Showtime’s The Tudors.

Cavill stands 6’1″, sports a profoundly square jaw and piercing green eyes, and is a mere 28 years old. Warner Bros. reportedly thinks very highly of him, believing  he has a strong screen presence (not to mention a suitably burly physique).

This may surprise you: he’s British.

Then again, so is Christian Bale, and he pulls off a convincing Bruce Wayne/Batman. Superman is more of a definitively American hero and icon, but I have faith in Nolan. Interesting fact: Henry Cavill auditioned for the role of Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins.

Considering the incredible lengths that Warner Bros. and Bryan Singer went to to find their hero for Superman Returns, this announcement seems to have come considerably quicker and easier. Why? I think a big part of the reason is that Singer was obsessed with finding a successor not for Superman, but for Christopher Reeve. That was why he settled on Brandon Routh. Zack Snyder is making a different kind of movie, updating Superman for contemporary audiences, giving him a more modern sensibility rather than the “classic” feel of Reeves and Routh. And remember who’s producing this thing: Christopher Nolan. He chose a method actor (Christian Bale) when casting his Bruce Wayne, so I think we can expect equally serious acting chops from Henry Cavill.

One thing’s for certain: this won’t be business-as-usual for our favorite Kryptonian. I think we’re going to see a whole new take on the character. And given how stale Supes got at the box office over the years (and that Superman Returns did nothing to help that), Clark Kent might just be due for a makeover. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not expecting a radical departure from the mythology or the suit or any of that . But I am expecting a film that has the crisp, sophisticated look and feel of modern cinema, not another throwback to the old days.

Currently, Superman: The Man of Steel is being planned for a December 2012 release, and is expected to go before cameras later this year.

Here’s a look at Cavill in action on The Tudors.

What do you think?

I am pleased to say I have been pleasantly surprised. The stories have been reminiscent of some of the better titles of the late seventies and early eighties, but updated for today’s tastes. After all, many of those stories don’t translate as well as they could, it wasn’t called the Bronze Age of comics for no reason.

Case in point, this weeks Superman #706. I think this was the best ‘OMG! Superman’s secret identity is about to be revealed’ stories I have ever read. With Clark barely making an appearance in this issue, nor hardly even sight of Lois; the action centres around the Daily Planet and mainly Perry White, no longer just a walking stereotype of bluster and fury.

G Willow Wilson shows how he has a real handle on the supporting casts’ personalities, and a nice nod of the head to the struggles of traditional media nowadays. Due to the wonders of a blogger, Lois and Superman have the fear of god put up them, fearing their relationship is about to be put on world display. (Like it’s the worlds’ best kept secret, but let’s just overlook that one fact.) The risk that the pair could stumble and reveal themselves is apparent, but the situation is resolved in masterful fashion by Perry himself.

So now I am sold on the new writer, trusting his hands to maintain the high standards this title has achieved at many points in it’s career. One little gem contained in the issue is that we find out one thing that truly scares Superman.

The internet! Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha haa!

What happens to these superheroes when someone paints them drawing upon Senor Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (Picasso to most of us) for inspiration?

Artist Mike Esparza thought it would be fun to see what our superheroes would have looked like if the renowned Spanish painter had painted them himself. While the images may not be your run-of-the-mill characters, they certainly will catch your eye. I will not dare analyze the style – I know when to leave well enough alone – but here, take a look at some of the images.

Naturally, the rendition of Iron Man is my favorite of the lot, even if his fingers make me think of having fat little sausages for breakfast.  Superman is a bit too eerie for me, with his face looking like someone with Kryptonite rearranged it.

For more awesome artwork, visit Wonder Bros.  If you want to buy prints – anywhere from $25 to $65 – go to their Etsy Store.

During the later part of the 1990s Tim Burton was asked to write Superman Lives in an attempt to bring the franchise back to the masses, but thank goodness it was one movie Burton was never able to bring to life. Why would I say such things about such a great director? One word: Costume!

As if the script by Kevin Smith which completely removed the ability for Superman to fly wasn’t bad enough, Burton wanted to put Superman in the outfit shown seen above.

The photo was posted by Designer Steve Johnson and features the “Electric Superman” from the nineties.

Here are some more photos of the suit:

[Via Slashfilm]

What do you think about the electric outfit?

Iron Man Tattoos

You will never hear me deny my obsession for this character – and Robert Downey, Jr. Naturally, he is first up on the list.

They say this tatt was spotted by someone somewhere in The Philippines.  Who knows? I just might run into this guy one of these days. Now I love Iron Man and RDJ (sometimes I can’t tell the difference) but I am not so sure about the depiction of IM’s head here.  What do you think? Mask on or mask off for this tatt?

Here’s a hand tattoo, which I think is pretty cool.  I’d be careful not to use this hand for tough jobs if I had this ink, though.

Not everyone wants a huge tattoo on their leg, but if this were the image, I wouldn’t think twice – would you?

Now this tattoo, I had a difficult time deciding whether to include or not.  On the one hand, the concept is cool.  On the other hand, it is very poorly done, don’t you think?

Wonder Woman Tattoos

Artist MeghanBeth says this took them three hours to complete, with the hair giving her the hardest time.  I think the effort was well worth it?  That cascade of black simply looks awesome, don’t you agree?

This Wonder Woman tatt, I like much better.

And, for a more meaningful Wonder Woman tatt (read: woman power and all that), check this out.

X-Men Tattoos

Very very powerful image, don’t you think?  And, the fact that it is purely done in black…I was staring at this for a while.

If the first one was simple (in terms of color), this one is literally fiery HOT.

Gotta love the concept.

Sure looks like this one hurt.  I just can’t get enough of Wolverine, though.  The guys at Ink & Dagger Tattoo Parlour are the geniuses behind this tatt.

Hulk Tattoos

The best of both worlds – that’s what this guy has with this tattoo.

If I had this “baby” on my back, I wouldn’t be apprehensive going out at night – alone, in a strange place.

This tatt cracks me up. I don’t know why, but it really does. It’s not just Hulk, of course, but it’s still worth including in this group.

Batman Tattoos

I love the colors used for this tatt, and I love the quote used in the site where I found it even more: “My world is all just shades of grey, Batman. That’s why you’ll never really understand me.”

Disturbing is the word that keeps repeating in my head. Definitely wouldn’t get one – wouldn’t even dream of it – but this tattoo does catch one’s eye, doesn’t it?

Pretty sassy Batgirl, this one is.   I also like how the colors blend.  It looks like it has just been done – notice the rawness? Doesn’t matter, though – I still like how it looks.

And, lest you are thinking “Where the heck is a Batman tattoo in this group?” here is an overly muscular version.

Spiderman Tattoos

From what I see, the image of this tattoo has been going around for quite some time now, but it has to be part of this list – no question about that.

Beautiful, isn’t he?

Superman Tattoos

Death of Superman chest tattoo – a good change from the usual emblem that everyone and their mom has, isn’t it?

Here’s another nice deviation from the usual emblem. If you like your steak very rare, the chances are that you’ll appreciate this tatt as well.

And for our last tattoo, here’s one of Superman himself.

Superman himself would be happy with this rendition, I reckon.

So there you have it – 23 of the coolest superhero tattoos I could find (for now).  Watch out for another feature on tatts in the next month or so!

If you’re a roller coaster fan you’ll want to head to Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2011, that’s when the park will open two awesome new comic book based rollercoasters.

The first coaster, called “Superman: Escape From Krypton” is the world’s first 100MPH roller coaster and it goes backwards! The rollercoaster offers standard tracks with loops, dips and rises, then it shoots riders up a crazy backwards lift to the top of the coaster and then back down at break neck speeds that will have even the toughest of hearts racing.

The next coaster is “Green Lantern” and aside from separating riders with some crazy ninja stars, the coaster goes up and over tracks, twists and turns at will and leaves riders feeling 100% disoriented after just a few seconds on the coaster.

Here’s a video demonstrating the awesomeness of both rollercoasters:

What do you think about this new kind of awesomeness? I can’t wait to hear how pathetically I can scream while riding these two heart stoppers.

Zack Snyder likes to make movies that are visually unique (300) and interesting to watch with new fresh ideas (Watchmen), so to say I was ecstatic to learn that he would be directing the upcoming Superman movie is an understatement.

However, the news gets even better, Chris Nolan Batman Begins and The Dark Knight is “supervising” the production which should help Snyder add some nice dark elements compared to the film, compared to the almost “cheery” or “whimsical” last attempt Superman Returns.

But that wasn’t enough for studios heads, they also decided to throw in David Goyer, if you’re unfamiliar with his scripted work, just check out Batman Begins then follow it up with some Blade.

Okay so Watchmen wasn’t the best graphic novel movie rendition, but at least Snyder attempted to push the boundaries of how comic books are portrayed on the big screen. However, what I don’t like is a point raised by ToplessRobot, that’s the character of General Zod, who played the villain in the follow-up to the 1979 movie that Superman Returns was based on. Why in the world would you continue in the footsteps of an awful attempt at a new portrayal of a movie, with an awful villain from the movie that preceded it.

If there’s one positive of the Zod rumor, it’s just that…it’s only a rumor discovered at /Film and has not been confirmed by anyone at the studio.

If I had my choice, I would go with a more interesting villain, perhaps Brainiac or Bizarro, but certainly not Zod.  Give one of the other villains who should have been in past Superman movies, but weren’t, a try at the big screen, after all it’s true comic book fans and their hype for these comic book based movies that help them succeed.

What do you think? Should General Zod be called up to perform, if not, which villain would you like to see in a new Superman movie?

1. Marvel Super Hero Comic Characters

Marvel Superheroes, such as Spiderman, swung into McDonald’s stores during the late 90′s.  Figurines and their vehicles including Wolverine, Hulk, Storm, Invisible Woman and various others..

2. Super Hero Mobiles

Drive around in one of these batmobile type cars if you want to celebrate the Batman Returns movie. These toys featured such popular characters as Robin, Joker, Penguin and Cat Woman. Sure they’re just cheap plastic, but still a pretty clever idea and great fun at the dinner table. The cars just needed to be pulled back and released in order to be propelled forward and the Cat Woman mobile even wags it’s tail as it moves across flat surfaces.

3. Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes

This series features not only Superboy, but also the Legion of 8 superheroes which including Brainiac, Bouncing Boy, Timber Wolf, Lightning Lad and others. It’s basically Tiny Toons for the Superman and Legion franchise…definitely no Smallville!

4. Batman Video Game Characters – Happy Meal

Used as a way to cross promote Batman, McDonald’s and the new Lego Batman Game these characters featured all our favorite characters in miniature Lego form.

5. Star Wars Space Craft / Giant Head Action Figures

This happy meal set always freaked me out. Who’s smart idea was it to put characters heads on various ships? With 12 to collect this is the biggest collection on this list. They are strange, but it’s still a pretty cool and unique concept, plus the characters actually look like their movie counterparts.

6. Star Wars Key Chains

I actually know adults who went out and bought happy meals just so they could get one, sometimes even all of these Star Wars key chains. Seriously do children need key chains. They actually had a decent amount of detail for such a small piece of plastic and with 8 to collect there was a reason to eat at McDonald’s everyday for one week and a day.

7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Happy Meal Mutants!

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were featured with two different lines of characters. The first characters had removable cars in their shells, while the others sported their traditional weapons of choice.

8. Super Looney Toons Happy Meal Characters

Okay so the Looney Tunes themselves are not super heroes, but they do dress like them with Bugs as Superman, Ms. Piggy as Wonder Woman, Daffy as Batman and Taz as the Flash. Very cool concept, very cool miniature toys.

9. Spectacular Spiderman Happy Meal

The newest incarnation of the Spiderman animated series, these characters are bigger than the one’s that came before them and they offer a good amount of detail. With firing action or suction cup capabilities these toys offered more than a quick thrill, they actually worked great for covert operations and all out attacks.

10. Astroboy

I wanted to include one modern day toy on this list and the 6 characters from Astro Boy are excellent mini-toys, even if the movie did suck. The toys include (From left to right): the children’s toys are: the Astro Boy Launcher, Trashcan, Astro Boy Puncher, Peacekeeper, Astro Boy Flying, and Zog.

Those are my personal favorite Super Hero, Sci-Fi and Cartoon based Happy Meal toy collections.

Do you have a favorite Happy Meal collection of your own that I didn’t include on this list? Feel free to include your own favorite Happy Meal toys that feature superheroes and sci-fi themes.