Batman: Brave and the Bold two-parter pics

Here are details and images from the Feb. 27 and March 6 episodes of "Batman: Brave and the Bold."

When parallel worlds collide, Batman swaps places with Owlman--his criminal counterpart in an alternate universe--to stop the Crime Syndicate from taking over their world. Crime fighters in one world must battle their evil counterparts in a crime spree melee. Meanwhile back on Earth, Owlman has been perpetrating crimes disguised as Batman and assembled all the villains to join him. When Batman returns, he finds himself on the wrong side of the law and hunted by Green Lantern, Aquaman, Blue Beetle, Red Tornado and Plastic Man. It’s a strange twist of fate that leaves Batman with only one option - to team up with Joker and take Owlman and the Crime Syndicate down!

Neal Adams DC Universe cover collection details

Here's a peek at DC Universe Illustrated by Neal Adams: The Covers, out in hardcover this fall.



Over the years, many artists have contributed to the look of comics but the most influential and popular may be Neal Adams, who in the late 1960s changed the look of comics forever with his photorealistic style that updated the image of Batman, Superman and the other DC Comics heroes for a new generation of fans.

Now, for the first time, all of Neal Adams's work -- covers and stories -- is being spotlighted in an extraordinary hardcover featuring commentary by the artist himself as well as his collaborator, contemporaries and the generation of writers and artists that he inspired.

Adams's contributions feature his illustrations of not only Batman but many other DC heroes, including Superman, The Flash, Aquaman, and The Teen Titans, as well as his signature character, Deadman.

When Adams burst onto the scene in the 1960s, his sense of design, color and realism helped influence a generation of artists and excited fans, and also inspired many writers to new heights of creativity -- which continues to this day.

Pop links: Golden Age Comics exhibit! Free Neko Case! Duke Ellington for a quarter! Buck Rogers with your breakfast cereal!

Geek Orthodox hips us to "Zap! Pow! Bam! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938-1950," a multi-media exhibit now on display in Los Angeles. Despite the silly Batman TV show-era title (I mean, really must we always say "zap" when speaking or writing about comics?), it look pretty cool. Check out details in the LA Weekly. And you can see an image gallery here.

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I'm a fan of the alt-countryish (but, actually she's quite rock'n'roll) Neko Case. You can check out her new album free, and legally, on NPR.

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Awesome: America's greatest composer, Duke Ellington, will be featured on the "state" quarter honoring the District of Columbia, Ellington's birthplace.

African Americans have featured on commemorative coins but Ellington's quarter will be in everyday use.

The director of the US Mint, Ed Moy, said Duke Ellington was an inspirational figure to have on a coin as he "was equal parts talent, hard work, passion and perseverance".



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Golden Age Comic Books shares a Buck Rogers book issued as a cereal premium back in 1933.

Watch Lost tonight!

See a preview for tonight's show and get more information at the Lost Season 5 blog. Then go back there tomorrow for a full rundown of what happened.

Race to Witch Mountain poster and pics

From Germany

Up movie poster and pics

From Germany:

New comics Feb. 25, 2009

Here's what looks interesting to me this week. Click the title links to order books from Amazon--and help support this site!


EERIE ARCHIVES VOL. 1 A great batch of black-and-white horror tales illustrated by some of the best artists in the comics biz.

BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #2 I wasn't knocked out by the first issue of this tie-in to the latest Batman 'toon. Not much of a story. But I'll give this one a skim and see if it's any better. At any rate, it's nice to see a kid-appropriate Batman comic on the stands. And the TV show is quite fun from what I've seen of it.


SHOWCASE PRESENTS SUPERMAN FAMILY VOL. 3 More goofy-as-all-get-out Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane tales from the Silver Age.


DC DIRECT WATCHMEN ACTION FIGURES Although I read it and was into it when it first came out, I've since come to believe "The Watchmen" was a silly conceit that's essentially killed children's superhero comics. I mean, how great an idea as "let's do a story about what it might be like if superheroes were real and unpleasant" anyway? Big whoop. The Phantom Zone--now that's a groovy idea. So, needless to say, I won't be buying these...
--DR MANHATTAN
--NITE OWL
--SILK SPECTRE
--THE COMEDIAN

MARVEL MASTERWORKS FANTASTIC FOUR VOL. 1 The first FF Masterworks in a more affordable softcover edition.


DOCTOR WHO WHISPERING GALLERY A one-shot illustrated by Ben Templesmith. Looks like it might be decent.

Pop links: Black Bolt! Shadows meet the Thunderbirds! New Beatles boot!

Booksteve spotlights Jack Kirby's Black Bolt.

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Today in sharity:



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Hear the Beatles "Revolution" outtake everyone is talking about, before YouTube takes it down. It's the spotlight track on a new bootleg collection that includes several new Fabs-related recordings.

CD new releases Feb. 24, 2009: Van Morrison! Dr. Strangely Strange! War Child! Shawn Phillips! Beefheart! More!

Click the title links to order from Amazon--and help support this site!


Astral Weeks Live At the Hollywood Bowl by Van Morrison


Mr Lucky by Chris Isaak


Kip of the Serenes by Dr Strangely Strange


War Child presents Heroes by Various Artists


At the BBC by Shawn Phillips


Country Folk by Waylon Jennings and The Kimberlys


Juicy Fruit (Disco Freak) by Isaac Hayes


Safe as Milk by Captain Beefheart

DVD new releases Feb. 24, 2009: Breaking Bad! Argento! Otis Redding! Ravi Shankar!

Click the links to order titles from Amazon--and help support this site!


Breaking Bad - The Complete First Season


Dario Argento's Four Flies on Grey Velvet


The Universe: Collector's Edition Megaset


Respect Live 1967 ~ Otis Redding


Ravi Shankar In Portrait: Between Two Worlds / Live in Concert

Pop links: Weirdest Who tunes! Smiley face history! T.H.E. Cat TV Show! Oscar winners!

The newest issue of Mojo mag spotlights The Who's "weirdest record" (and my favorite of their LPs, what does that say about me?) The Who Sellout. And, as an tie-in, the mag is also counting down the "weirdest songs" of the band's entire career.

Here they are doing one of the picks "I'm a Boy":



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Via The Comics Reporter: The history of the smiley face.



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Classic TV Showbiz presents a 1966 episode of "T.H.E. Cat."



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Here's the list 2009 Academy Award winners.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie pics

Astro Boy movie pics