Batman: Year One, the comic-book story by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchilli, is being adapted into one of Warner Home Video's DC Universe animated
movies, The Continuum has learned. According to sources, the film will be directed by Sam Liu, who co-directed Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. Warner Bros. did not confirm the film's
existence. The studio has not commented on projects until their announced release.

Bruce Timm has promised that DC is continuing its work on the animated movie line.

The animator - best known for his work on DC's animated series and feature-length films - addressed rumours that the franchise was in trouble in a Warner Home Video Q&A.

The rumours arose from a reportedly 'exclusive interview' in which Timm suggested that the movies were performing below expectations.

"First of all, it wasn't an actual one-on-one interview - quotes were taken out of context from longer answers I gave on a panel at the Expo," said Timm.

"Bottom line: the DCU films are definitely continuing. We've got projects lined up for the next two years at the very least - lots of films in different stages of development and production.

"I know there are a lot of rumours circulating about future films. Some are true, some are not. I'll tell you this much - anyone at our DCU/Batman: Under the Red Hood panel at Comic-Con will walk away with a very clear picture of the direction we're taking the DCU animated movies in the coming year."

Details have emerged about J.M. Straczynski's highly-anticipated first storyline in Superman.

The 'Grounded' arc begins in the milestone issue #700 which was released this week, and sees Superman reconnect with his homeland by walking across the US.

The Thor writer has invited readers to campaign to have their hometown featured in the 13-part arc.

"Because Superman is a symbol of hope, I wanted folks to have a chance to bring Superman into their town, into their neighbourhood, in the pages of the book," Straczynski told USA Today.

"You have to remember that when Superman was initially created, his fights weren't against vast interstellar forces. They were against criminals preying on the average guy.

"Superman was created to be the ally of the average American, the guy who didn't have lots of money or friends in high places."

The prelude of 'Grounded' appeared as one of the stories in this week's over-sized issue before it begins in earnest when Straczynski takes over the title next month in issue #701

Superman Homepage (via Superhero Hype) has learned the next DC Animated release will be called "Superman/Batman: Apocalypse," based on the second Superman/Batman story line. They even have cover art for it.

reds8n wrote:

Superman Homepage (via Superhero Hype) has learned the next DC Animated release will be called "Superman/Batman: Apocalypse," based on the second Superman/Batman story line. They even have cover art for it.

http://www.supermanhomepage.com/news.php?readmore=8148

hooray ! That's a kick ass story, that should be good.

The costume ties into an alternative history for the character devised by J. Michael Straczynski, the new writer of the series, and into a quest by DC to shine a critical and creative spotlight on the heroine, who stands with Superman and Batman in its primary triumvirate of superstars, despite her series’s modest sales.

In the reimagining of her story, Wonder Woman, instead of growing up on Paradise Island with her mother, Queen Hippolyta, and her Amazon sisters, is smuggled out as a baby when unknown forces destroy her home and slaughter its inhabitants.

IGN Comics: Obviously your bold changes are attempting to bring this character into a new era, redefined for a modern age. Yet the idea of twisting time is bound to be controversial with the fans. Was it difficult to convince yourself – and DC – that a sweeping change like this needed to be made? And what would you say to the fans who cherish some of the past 20 years that are about to be altered in support of this new direction?

Straczynski: That's kind of the beauty of the concept. It's not like we change the timeline and that's over and it never happened. It did happen, and some of those around her remember that other timeline, including the Oracle she consults, and some characters we'll meet along the way, like the Phantom Stranger and Deadman. In a way, what she's doing is fighting her way back to that timeline, if she can, even though she herself has no memory of it.

The premise on all this is that the gods -- for reasons of their own, but having to do with their own survival and the survival of Earth -- changed the timeline to remove their protection of Paradise Island. The island was attacked, most of the Amazons killed, including Hippolyta, in a final desperate defense of their home. Before the end, Diana was smuggled out by the queen's guards and handmaidens. She was raised in an urban setting by those same people, so she has a foot in both worlds. Her task is to find out who's trying to kill them and why...find other surviving Amazons and rescue them...recapture Paradise Island...and discover the secret behind why the gods took this action.

So really, both timelines still exist. We haven't invalidated a single Wonder Woman story. They're all there, just around the corner...and she's fighting her way to that corner. But what she finds when she gets there...ah, that's the question, isn't it?

IGN Comics: In terms of the actual time change, does Wonder Woman start to realize something is wrong now, that somewhere in her past something was altered? Or has she been searching for this evidence ever since she was a child?

Straczynski: She doesn't know or feel it herself -- though she does have occasional dreams in which she sees the Wonder Woman we all know fighting something terrible, but she doesn't know what that means yet -- and it's not initially her main concern. Her agenda at the beginning is to find and save her people, and stop the forces trying to destroy them. There's a lot of pressure on her...there's the sense that when the Princess returns to her people, everything will be fine again, and that's a lot to bear.

At Comic-Con, lots of people wear costumes. It seems that on at least one day, a whole group of people will dress up as a bunch of donkey-caves. Yep, that’s right; apparently since they have nothing better to do, members of the Topeka, Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church, which is led by Fred Phelps, plan to picket Comic-Con in San Diego.

In case you’re lucky enough to not know who I’m talking about, these are the douchecanoes who protest at the funerals of servicemen and -women killed overseas. Classy, right?

Now why, you’re asking, are they protesting the nerd prom? You may have seen this quote around the Interwebz; it’s from the WBC site:


“Are you kidding?! If these people would spend even some of the energy that they spend on these comic books, reading the Bible, well no high hopes here. They have turned comic book characters into idols, and worship them they do! Isaiah 2:8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: 9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not. It is time to put away the silly vanities and turn to God like you mean it. The destruction of this nation is imminent – so start calling on Batman and Superman now, see if they can pull you from the mess that you have created with all your silly idolatry.”

Riiiiiiiiiight.

Well, apparently they are so incensed about this travesty that they’re going to protest for a whole 45 minutes on Thursday (1:15 p.m. to 2 p.m.), which though heavily populated, isn’t nearly as crowded as Friday or Saturday. And that’s if they even show up.

It would be worth the price of admission to see someone dressed up as Buddy Christ tell them all to go piss up a rope.