During PAX East this weekend, the release date was officially announced for the hyped Rocksteady Batman title. First posted on Eurogamer announcing the release date for Europe: October 21st. Later on, Joystiq announced the dates for North America and Australia: October 18th and October 19th.

Yesterday, VG247 released some concept art for Arkham City. Featuring, of course, the Caped Crusader and Harley Quin; the art shows how dark they are aiming for the game to be. With Arkham Asylum being such a hit, expect the same or more batty fun in this fall release.

Batman: Arkham City is due out on the PS3, Xbox 360 & PC. Look for more announcements about the game come E3. Check out the concept art below:

"Ryan Reynolds? Seriously? I hate you guys."

I miss playing City of Heroes.

I don’t miss the level grinding, the occasionally difficult “solo??? missions, and the often distracting names and costumes of my fellow “Heroes??? that always seemed to interfere with my becoming completely immersed in the game. So I guess I don’t miss playing City of Heroes but I certainly miss the concept of playing City of Heroes which is running around as a super powered being, fighting crime.

I know there have been some major overhauls to the game since I played several years ago but each time I almost convince myself to put the virtual tights back on, I come across a screen shot of a brown and green clad Hero named “Captain Dookypants??? and the urge flees. Rapidly.

But the urge has been particularly strong recently and I’ve been keeping a critical eye on the development of the superhero MMO “DC Universe Online???. The screenshots and video that have come out from the game make me want to be a superhero again, that old familiar feeling I had when City of Heroes first came out.

That kid that used to tie towels around his neck and run around going “WHOOSH!??? is still in here somewhere, co-existing with the grizzled video game player I’ve become. I’ll admit to being particularly jaded when it comes to MMOs. It doesn’t take much for me to decide an MMO isn’t worth it and move back to my single player RPGs thinking that maybe next time they’ll get it right.

But that’s the problem. When CoH came out, they did just about everything right. The character creator was almost perfect. I’d spend hours on my Heroes’ costumes, tweaking their features and making sure the colors were just right. I’d have a backstory in mind when I started and that story would be told, quietly, through the creation of my character.

Here’s my prediction, however, when DCUO launches…  There’s going to be a ton of people who don’t want to make their own original character. They’re going to want to make a clone of Superman or Batman. Within minutes of launch, my character is going to be surrounded by “Souperman???, “Sooperman???, “Siouxperman???, all clad in blue, red, and yellow. My carefully thought out, meticulously created character will be lost in a wash of photocopies of DC’s most popular heroes. And that’s not even considering what will happen when the Marvel fans start making their clones…

The urge, however, is growing stronger every time I see the screenshots. It may be enough that I still want to play a superhero to brave a world where Star Labs went a little crazy when cloning Superman and now the world’s new and upcoming heroes have to wade through those masses of the Man of Steel.

Maybe they’ll let me add some kryptonite to my costume when I make my character.

Gritskrieg – End of Line

(Gamespot) – Comic book-loving gamers got some good news yesterday, when Sony Online Entertainment announced a hard release date for DC Universe Online. The PlayStation 3 and PC massively multiplayer role-playing game will ship on January 11 in North America, with a European release date three days later. The game is currently in a closed beta on both platforms.

The game will retail for $50 on the PC and $60 for the PlayStation 3. Also available is a $100 collector’s edition, which contains a batman figurine, an art book, a Geoff Johns-penned prequel comic, and the first issue of a new DC Universe Online comic book. In terms of subscription, DC Universe Online will cost $15 per month, although the first 30 days of play are included in the game’s purchase price..

Previously scheduled to launch last month, DC Universe online was delayed in October by SOE. Set within the DC Comics world, the game will let players create a superhero or villain and fight alongside or against iconic comic book characters, such as the Joker, Batman, Superman, and others. It was developed under the creative direction of famed comic book artist Jim Lee.

(Press Release) – Join tens of thousands of fellow fans as they converge on the Austin Convention Center at Austin Comic Con to celebrate the best in pop culture. Austin Comic Con brings it all – Movies, Comics, Toys, Video Gaming, Games, TV, Horror, Wrestling, MMA, Original Art, Collectibles, Anime, Manga & More! This is Texas’ best new Comic Con! Austin Comic Con is brought to you by the group who produces the most widely attended Comic Con tour!

FRIDAY
2:00-2:45 P.M.
WIZARD ART SCHOOL W/GREG HORN
Superstar Marvel and DC artist Greg Horn (Blackest Night covers) leads a discussion on digital art and takes you through his creative process.

3:00-3:45 P.M.
THE INCREDIBLE HULK Q&A W/LOU FERRIGNO
The original Hulk, Ferrigno sits down for an exclusive Q&A about the classic show and his status as a pop culture icon.

3:00-3:45 P.M.
THE ART OF ‘CHEW’ AND ‘SWEETS’
Indy art sensations, Rob Guillory (Chew) and Kody Chamberlain (Sweets) join the Wizard World Tour and discuss their breakout Image hits.

4:00-4:45 P.M.
WOMEN OF WRESTLING W/TORRIE, LITA, TARA, CHRISTIE AND JACKIE
Join Torrie Wilson, Amy Dumas, Lisa Marie Varon, Christy Hemme and Jackie Haas as they talk about the ups and downs of being a woman in professional wrestling.

WIZARD ART SCHOOL W/ALÉ GARZA
Fan-favorite artist Alé Garza (Superman/Batman) takes fans on an artistic tour of his style and storytelling.

5:00-5:45 P.M.
BIONIC BUDDIES
The Bionic Woman, Lindsay Wagner, and co-star Richard Anderson discuss the pop culture hit and its continued popularity with fans across the world.

5-5:45 P.M.
WIZARD SCHOOL: HOW TO SCULPT WITH THE SHIFLETT BROTHERS
The fan-favorite sculptors take fans and aspiring toy and statue makers through their creative process.

6-6:45 P.M.
JAMES O’BARR Q&A
The Crow creator talks about his dark creation and the plans for a new Crow franchise in the movies.

7:30-10:00 P.M.
THE MATRIX SCREENING (FREE)
Relive the movie phenomenon that changed filmmaking for a generation! Starring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne, this visual feast is NOT to be missed.

8:00-10:00 P.M.
DRINK & DRAW W/UNCLE STAPLE
Join Uncle Staple of STAPLE! Independent Media Expo, and some of comics’ top artists and newcomers, as they join forces to raise cash and art for charity. (Club Deville, 900 Red River St.)

(more…)

Harley Quinn looking like a tasty tart!

How many action figures based on Batman do you think have been released? The answer for some of you might be, “Way too many,” and others might say, “Not close to enough.” Well we will soon have another set of figures based on the Caped Crusader. The magazine Toyfare (via the Previewsworld web site) has announced they will have the exclusive reveal of the Batman: Arkham Asylum action figures in their June 2010 issue.

The line, from DC Direct, is of course based on the hit Rocksteady-Eidos-Warner Brothers Interactive game from 2009 that will soon be re-released as a Game of the Year version in May. There’s not much info on what the action figure line will contain or when they will be available; obviously the magazine issue will be the first place to get the details.

Expect more details this year, we’d definitely like to get our hands on some of this.

[From BigDownload.com]

Can't keep America's hero down!

Like most people plugged in these days, we here at BG can tell you what day of the week it is by what is going on… For instance… new DVDs and music… that comes out on Tuesdays. New movies? That’s Friday unless it’s a blockbuster, then it’s a Thursday showing. Saturday? That’s when our new Hangovers are due… But Wednesdays, now that’s something special. Because Wednesdays my dear friends… is comic book day.

2009 saw some doozies… here’s our favorite comic happenings for the year:

THE BEST

1. Captain America – He is back. Yeah… after about 3 years of being dead… turns out he’s only mostly dead.

2. Battlefields – It’s WAR! It’s Comics! And it’s written by Garth Ennis of Preacher fame.

3. The “Oz??? series – It all started with “The Wizard Of Oz??? that was adapted more closely to the books, now it’s growing to include the other Oz books. Best part? The art is by Skottie Young.

4. Batman – Shenanigans… Bruce isn’t here any more… Dick Grayson has taken the mantle of the bat. Bruce’s son is the new Robin, and the old Robin… he’s now Red Robin. Beautiful art and writing in the new “Batman and Robin??? series… Fans are a talkin’.

5. Image United – Remember the 90’s? So do tons of others. The original Image creators are back, and Image United has been selling out. Best thing? Al Simmons is back.

THE WORST

1. HULK – This is hard for me… I love the Hulk character… but they need to cut out this Red Hulk business. I’ve never been more bored in my life.

2. The “she characters of Marvel” – Red She hulk and Lady Deadpool. Let’s stop beating a dead horse.

I've got a bad feeling about this...

3. Xmen Forever – Chris Claremont picks up from his 90’s Xmen run. It’s hit or miss. Sometimes it’s interesting… and other times… he kills off Wolverine and gives Kitty a claw. That spells lame.

4. Wolverine Origins – It’s just bad, people.

5. The great comic book company buyout of 2009 – WB bought DC. Disney buys Marvel. We are still awaiting the fallout. I don’t care what anyone says. Never trust the man, The mouse is gonna kill comics eventually. I may be sounding like that crazy bum outside the train station with a “End is Near??? sign… But comics are a dying art form. I doubt a company as money hungry as these two are going to keep a traditional medium like comics.

-Timothy Danger

Dark Knight? Not so much..

So, it’s old news now but it’s had enough time to sink in.

The Dark Knight was a box office smash. I mean SMASH. It sold, outsold, and now with the recent release of DVD and Blu-ray, it continues to sell and will probably be the biggest Christmas item given to young boys ages 9 to 99.

Why, then, did the movie get snubbed at the recent Golden Globe nominations?

Why did THE DARK KNIGHT only receive the one nomination (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture) for recently deceased actor Heath Ledger?

Because it really didn’t deserve anything else.

Admit it, I’m right. The best part in the whole movie was the Joker. Nay, it was Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker that won over the audience. It was great, had you on the edge of your seat, and made you wonder what he would do next.

But the praise stops there.

Why didn’t Christian Bale receive a nomination? Because Christian Bale didn’t break any new ground as Batman. In fact, I think he might have taken a couple of steps back. The character received no growth in this film and despite the fact that Batman spoke in a gruff tone to hide his voice from people who might recognize him, it was damn annoying.

Why didn’t the film receive a nomination for Best Drama? Because it’s not a drama, silly.

Why did Batman have too many gadgets? I know he’s Batman but come on. It started to feel like one of the 90’s flicks for a minute.

Why did TwoFace have a perfectly singed face AND suit? Does the human body really damage as perfectly as that (and suits for that manner)? Why didn’t they make him more disheveled and messy like The Joker? Why did we need more than one villain anyway?

I’ll probably get lots of hate mail for this but I don’t think this movie would have made as much money as it did if it hadn’t been for the highly publicized death that occurred before its release. This all sort of reminds me of THE CROW in the early 90’s. You remember what happened to that movie, don’t you? Box office smash, now a cable TV joke.

-T.Danger