Nolan's Batman Trilogy Gets Posterized by Florey

Artist Florey has created a set of spectacular posters in honor of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy and I really like them... a lot!!! I love the softness of the images and the muted color palette that Florey employs with each one of these posters. My favorite of the bunch is Batman Begins, because it prominently features The Scarecrow (the best character in all three movies as far as I am concerned). Check out all three of the posters in full detail after the jump...

'The Dark Knight Rises' Characters Painted In The Style Of The New Yorker Cartoons by Julian Birchman

Batman is dominating the Net after the launch of The Dark Knight Rises and there are some really cool things floating around out there based on the character. In my perusing of various webpages I came across these awesome drawings by artist Julian Birchman on his blog Sitting Too Close. Julian uses a painting style very similar to the classic New Yorker Magazine cartoons look in his work, and he has two excellent ones featuring memorable scenes from Nolan's recently released third Batman opus. The first one is from the part where Bane unmasks the Bat, and the second comes from their awesome rematch fight set among the police officer/people's army rebellion at the end of the film. Check out more of his awesome here and check out the Bat photos after the jump...

5 Reasons Why 'The Dark Knight Rises' Was The Greatest Comic Book Movie I Have Ever Seen: A Rant by Mike CCD

Everyone knew that Christopher Nolan was gonna bring the funk when he unleashed his 3rd Batman movie. The dude has never really disappointed with any of his films, and his last 3 (Batman Begins, Inception, and The Dark Knight) are freaking epic... so naturally I wasn't surprised that it was wonderful. But after leaving the film Thursday night/Friday morning after the midnight show and contemplating it over the weekend, I feel like this movie is by far the best comic book movie I have ever seen. Now before you geek maniacs start throwing your ergonomic keyboards at the screen and scream to your mom for more meatloaf to eat alone in your basement domain, relax for a second. I said that it was the greatest comic book movie that "I HAVE EVER SEEN"... which means it is MY OPINION. But since I am not a troll I won't just make a comment like that and then let you guys argue whether or not I am correct... I plan on giving you guys 5 reasons to back up my assertion. After reading it, some of you guys might see it my way, others may not. Even if you don't think it is the greatest comic book film ever, I'm sure anybody who sees it will love it. Enjoy the rant after the jump...



Here are the 5 reasons in no particular order (Spoilers Ahead):


#1 - Bane was fucking fantastic!!!

As is the case with all of the greatest comic books ever written, the story is only as good as the villains placed to give our hero a hard time. Honestly, everybody likes the bad guys more than the good guys... and because the bad guys are so awesome it makes it super cool when the good guy overcomes them. Batman is the rare case of a hero that has a dark streak, so his appeal has a bit of a villains touch in it (more on that later). Batman has a Rogues Gallery to die for, and when I heard Nolan was going with Bane I became really deflated. I was really hoping for The Riddler because Nolan's Batverse has a "real life" twist to it and I always thought The Riddler's practicality would work well.  Especially if Nolan would have cast a star like Depp or DiCaprio in the role... Wow!!! But Bane? Meh.... but then I heard it was going to be Tom Hardy, and I became intrigued. I love me some Hardy, and I began to think about the practicality of this character. Sure in the comics he is freakishly huge when high off the Venom chemical that gives him Hulk like muscles, and he has a genius like intellect. But I thought Hardy was built enough to pull off a hulking bad guy that could be quite intelligent, and that is exactly what he does.

 Hardy plays Bane perfect, a true anarchist in every sense of the word. He wants chaos in order to bring forth a new order... and he will gladly be the cause of it. He is similar to Ledger's Joker, but has one vital difference... he is actually in full control of his out of control plan. Ledger's Joker did sick shit and then make his next move accordingly. That isn't really a plan, more like a reactionary course of action. Like when he is chasing after the witness in the car chase scene. He risks life and limb to kill that prisoner, and his overall goal was to get caught so he could detonate the bomb in Gotham County jail... yet he might not even survive the initial car chase. But that was not what Bane was all about... Bane was all about the long term. He was probably operating on those underground tunnels since the day after Batman took his hiatus. It was the ultimate long con, and he was perfect. And then there is the physical aspect of Bane's character. He was awe inspiring when he fought Bale, and I thought the back breaking scene was absolutely epic!!!! Perfectly done... and a menace worthy of the movie. If the villain is the most important part of a comic book (or a comic book movie), there couldn't be a better example of this then Bane...

#2 - Anne Hathaway's Catwoman was not to shabby either...

The more I think about it, the more I realize that I shouldn't be shocked about how good Hathaway was. I think back on all the roles I have seen this young lady in over the past 10+ years and I struggle to remember any that she was really bad in. She is even good in mediocre or terrible movies... I think she is just one of the best overall actresses in the game right now. She adapts to her role, whatever that may be... she can play a bookworm bride, a junkie frustrated with her family, or a young lady dying from a rare disease... no matter the role, she adapts her performance better than most. And when it came to taking on the sassy Selina Kyle, Hathaway killed once again. She has the toughness, the moves, and the attitude to pull it all off... and she does it all in epic fashion. God damn she was sexy... and she kicks MAJOR ass as well. her fight scenes were some of the best of the movie... in a movie filled with EPIC fight scenes. Many people thought Hathaway was miscast in the role and would ruin the movie. But in my opinion she is one of the strongest parts in the film, filling both a secondary villain role as well as providing the sexual tension/relationship angle with Bale. They mesh well, and I was genuinely happy to see them get together at the end. More perfection as far as I am concerned.  As long as I live I don't think I will be able to get the image of her dismounting the Bat Bike... wow!!!

#3- The Devil Is In The Details

Nolan is the master of the long con, and it seems like his plot for the 3rd Batman film was developed quite a long time ago when he decided to go with Ra's Al Ghul as the villain in the first movie. The League of Shadows, Batman's foster father relationship with Ra, and the long term "Batman retiring for a bit and having to come back" were all long gestating ideas. It all adds up now that the series is over. Frankly I am eager to go back and watch Batman begins again just to see if there are any little nuggets in the film linking Ra & The League to The Dark Knight Rises. I love the little twists in the film, like when Bruce is talking to Thalia in the beginning of the film and asks if her family has always been rich. She says no, with a shy type look on her face.. and that is probably the understatement of the century since she was actually born in a fucking underground prison. Not rich forever huh? How about being cell mates with the worst criminals in the world? That is pretty fucked up... and exactly why she becomes the megalomaniac she eventually reveals. I love the death by walking across the frozen river aspect of the court proceedings, how Bane has no influence over the Kangaroo court that is instituted in New Gotham, and the fact that Bane's army is made up of orphans who are being turned out on the street by shelters that used to be funded by Wayne Enterprises. I also like that Bane knows Batman's identity because he is an employ of the League, and the League has known Bruce was Bats all along. I also like the re-appearance of Scarecrow as the mad judge, the flashbacks of Liam Nielsen as Ra, etc. All in all the little things add up to the greatness that is this trilogy, but ultimately shines through in the penultimate film that finishes it all off.

#4 - Action! Action! And More Action!!!

From opening to closing this film is high on action. The big scenes like the police shoot out involving Catwoman, the Stock Exchange raid, the catwalk fight between Bane & Batman, the football stadium scene... all of them more epic than the next. But even the smaller scenes, like when Catwoman saves the little kid from the two thugs by kicking their asses quickfast... it is a snapshot at how cool the action is in the film. I especially love the first time we see Catwoman & Batman together on the rooftop. They are kicking Bane's guys asses and Catwoman grabs a gun and is about to blast one of them... and Batman knocks it out of her hands and says "No Guns". I loved that so much. The two fights between Batman & Bane were epic, and I love that in the 1st fight you see that since Batman is a bit rusty he is no match for Bane, who is on the top of his game. He breaks the bat... literally. All of the action pushes the envelope and is done so perfect. How great was that opening plane jacking scene? There are at least 10 different scenes that a person could call the "best" of the film, and that is why I think this movie is so great. And the fact that the action is the key to the story, but the story is deep & full of drama is a testament to how great of a director Nolan really is.

#5 - Little Tidbits To Make Comic Fans Smile  

A new version of the Bat Copter? Check. Surprise character reveals like Thalia Al Ghul &  Robin? Check. Bane breaking the Bat? check. Gotham being isolated from the rest of the world like in No Man's Land? Check. Thalia & Bruce being romantically linked? Check. Bane's mask being the source of his strength and balancing out his chemical imbalance? Check. Catwoman and Batman having that uneasy sexual tension and sharing kisses here and there? Yup... its all there. And it is done supremely well. Nolan is a killer when it comes to this. He sprinkles in little bits of the comic story and when he decides to change some aspects of the canon story to fit his world (Robin being a grown up when meeting Batman, Thalia's origin, etc) it doesn't seem to make people as angry as when it happens in other comic book movies. Nolan respects tradition, but makes the material his... and that is why this film and the rest of the series is so fucking epic!!!!

So in conclusion, those are my reasons. I hope you guys see my points. If not, say so below in the comments. It's time to sound off people... tell us how you feel! Looking forward to hearing all of your thoughts....

Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy Gets The Marathon Treatment At AMC Theaters

I remember seeing Batman Begins in the theater and thinking to myself  "Wow... comic book movies just changed forever." I was a huge fan of Memento and I was looking forward to seeing what a cerebral director like Nolan would offer to the Bat-verse. Turns out Begins was just the tip of the iceberg, as "The Dark Knight" exceeded all the lofty expectations it had and showed that even a mediocre actor such as heath Ledger could deliver a tour de force with the right director pushing him. So now we are counting down the final 30 or so days until the third film, "The Dark Knight Rises", hits theaters. And the excitement is building to a fever pitch. So how could they possibly make this event any cooler? How about a movie marathon featuring all three films at AMC theaters? Yes please!!! Check out the details after the jump...

AMC will be hosting the marathon on July 19th, probably starting around 6:30-7:00 PM. Your ticket will entitled you to a screening of Batman Begins, followed by The Dark Knight, and it all leads up to the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises. Wow... That is a whole lotta Batman in a short amount of time! Tickets go on sale on Monday, June 11that 12 noon, so make sure you get your tickets early so you don't get left out.

Tickets can be purchased at AMC theaters website by clicking here. 

Happy Dragon Pictures Gives The 1966 Batman Opening Credits A New Spin

I am a huge fan of the 1966 Batman TV series starring Adam West, and I have been thoroughly enjoying the replays of it on the awesome channel The Hub. But when I came across this re-imagining of the animated opening credits sequence from Happy Dragon Pictures, my jaw hit the floor. These guys subbed in all of the characters from Chris Nolan's Bat-verse and it looks totally rad. See the full video after the jump...

Nolanverse Batman Posters by Alexander Stojanov

These three posters from Deviant Artist Alexander Stojanov are unbelievable... they are so well done. The artist used Drew Struzan's famous Blade Runner movie poster as inspiration, and I have to say that it was an excellent choice for a frame of reference. You will find all three posters (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises) in full size after the jump.

Here is the original Drew Struzan Balde Runner poster.

Here are Alexander Stojanov's three Batman posters.

'The Batman Complex' Is Something You Need To Watch If You Love Nolan's Dark Knight

Here is a cool fan made trailer that is making the rounds on all the big geek sites ( /Film, Topless Robot, etc)... which means I usually wouldn't have posted it since those guys had it covered. But this one is to cool to ignore. Here you go:



Here is what the creator of the faux trailer, The Man Batman, has said about the vid:

The gist of the idea revolves around a few fun topics, mainly the whole “what is real?” train of thought, and also every fans desire, deep down or upfront, to be Batman at least once in their lives. LOL. And so, I tried to craft a story where we see what happens when someone takes their dream of being Batman a little bit too far. An idea, after all, is a truly resilient parasite. ;)

While some of it is still left a bit ambiguous (both unintentionally and intentionally – while there’s only so much that can be strung together, I often like to leave a little bit open so as to see what fellow fans are able to imagine/create)… I wanted to focus more on the character aspects (and a bit of the tragedy as well), and attempt to move past the initial shock of the psychological twist. One aspect I tried to hint at was the paralleling descent of both Bruce and Cobb. As Cobb and the team go deeper into Bruce’s mind, they start to encounter the truly dark issues that his subconscious houses. As a result, Cobb himself gets caught up in the obsession of all that lingers in the mind of a Batman. There are a couple fun things in there that are best left to surprise, but all in all, I’m relatively happy with how it turned out. It’s fairly fast paced and doesn’t leave much room to breath, which helps amplify the tension I think. But that’s just me.

Inception, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight & The Machinist all in one? YES PLEASE!!! Would you watch this? Please leave some comments in the section below!!!

Hartter Takes On One Of Nolan's Other Movies, 'Insomnia'

My boy Sean Hartter is at it again. His posters have been featured on CCD too many times to link, but this time he gives us a very cool minimalist approach to Christopher Nolan's 'Insomnia'. Check it out:

Here is what the artist had to say:

"Love this and every other Christopher Nolan film, was watching it today and had an idea for a minimalist type poster design."

Is It Gonna Be 'The Long Halloween' Or What???

Word came out over the weekend that Variety has sources over at Warner Brothers saying that Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be playing Alberto Falcone in 'The Dark Knight Rises'. This is huge because this means that the story MAY contain elements from the Batman story arc called 'The Long Halloween'. The story was written by Jeph Loeb & drawn by Tim Sale, and is one of my all time faves... ever.

Alberto Falcone

To stay away from spoilers for those of you who may have not read 'The Long Halloween', just know that Alberto Falcone plays a huge part in the story. This also seems to signify that we may be seeing some more of one of CCD's favorite actors, Tom Wilkinson, reprising his role of Carmine "The Roman" Falcone from 'Batman Begins'. That is a great turn of events in my opinion.

Sofia Falcone

If this is true, I am going to put this out there right now. Marion Cotillard is rumored to have been cast in 'The Dark Knight Rises' as well... and I am venturing a guess that she may be Sofia Falcone, daughter of Carmine and sister of Alberto. Sofia is also pretty gangster... and another big key to the story arc in 'The Long Halloween'. These little connections are starting to make all of Nolan's casting choices make a lot more sense. I am extremely happy, since this is what I have been waiting for since I read 'The Long Halloween' many years ago. I strongly recommend the book to any Batman fans, as it takes place in its own continuity and can be picked up and read with no prior knowledge of Batman continuity needed. We shall see. I for one can't wait.

Why You Should Watch Batman: City of Scars

The minute I read about the quality of this 30 minute fan made film from the father and son team of Bat In The Sun that cost $27,000 to make, I wanted to post it. But I decided that I wanted to watch it first, and this was 30 minutes long... not your typical 5 minute clip. Now, I thought it would be good considering how much praise its garnering around the net, but geeks like me tend to over exagerate a bit when something cool comes across their face. Could it really be that good??? The answer is yes... yes it is!!!

The film jumps in right after the action of The Dark Knight, and stars Batman tracking his nemesis The Joker after an escape from Arkham... The Joker is cool, and Batman looks and sounds great. But the real cool thing is the supporting characters that are featured, such as Harley Quinn, Scarface, and Mr. Zsasz. The fight scenes were cool, and all in all I do not feel that I wasted 30 minutes on this. I can not wait to see what they do with the sequel to The Dark Knight, but this will definetly hold me over for the time being. Enjoy the film and please tell me what ya think in the comments below!!!