tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69935089564868477682024-02-20T11:20:26.641-08:00The Future Machine.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-16507792543242270862014-07-03T07:25:00.002-07:002014-07-03T07:25:57.084-07:00FIRST LOOK AT HENRY CAVILL AS SUPERMAN IN BATMAN V SUPERMAN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxIom2bj4zmQQCbRSfUhXH2evg9af_j-N8hCK7Dk77QFFF2-joPS8xdYqUeHxzAtyu98jhJyR31-IHTa10mGzq8rLaLL-jEdZ_583BmPzyxdko93-jrAbGMqwOgwetVMr8eEWku3Zf8xa/s1600/supeman-bvsdoj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxIom2bj4zmQQCbRSfUhXH2evg9af_j-N8hCK7Dk77QFFF2-joPS8xdYqUeHxzAtyu98jhJyR31-IHTa10mGzq8rLaLL-jEdZ_583BmPzyxdko93-jrAbGMqwOgwetVMr8eEWku3Zf8xa/s1600/supeman-bvsdoj.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-28302677903167387732014-06-25T15:41:00.000-07:002014-06-25T15:41:45.722-07:00BATMAN VIDEOGAMES: WHERE TO GO FROM HERE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7C1zj3XD66xh0UYiNBGEC1iCnT4jw6ymfKQXCsC-rdTlA0A5KE20KRA2vwhKMkGa_eBIdzjEqhMaP73ZuqIP4cdd7WiT8ccIorbu7Kwj4cTDWGziR_JMe_kwOJ3AYWAbHPQIqJzKd60/s1600/Screenshot+(1777).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7C1zj3XD66xh0UYiNBGEC1iCnT4jw6ymfKQXCsC-rdTlA0A5KE20KRA2vwhKMkGa_eBIdzjEqhMaP73ZuqIP4cdd7WiT8ccIorbu7Kwj4cTDWGziR_JMe_kwOJ3AYWAbHPQIqJzKd60/s1600/Screenshot+(1777).png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Since the release of <em>Batman: Arkham Asylum</em>, developer Rocksteady Studios redefined the comic book genre in the video game medium, and demonstrated that with the proper care and consideration, pop-culture icons like The Dark Knight could be expertly brought to interactive life (to read more on how Superman could be realized in a videogame <a href="http://thefuturemachine.blogspot.com/2014/06/editorial-superman-video-game-how-and.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">click here</span></a>).<br />
<br />
With each new iteration (even <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman:_Arkham_Origins" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Batman: Arkham Origins</span></a></em> developed by WB Montreal), the Rocksteady approach to successful Batman-gameplay has brought players deeper into the mind and body of the Caped Crusader. With the addition of The Batmobile and a massive, more open Gotham for players to explore, Rocksteady aims to add the final piece to the Batman-experience puzzle in their swan song, <em><a href="http://www.batmanarkhamknight.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Batman: Arkham Knight</span></a></em>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dxa34RatmSc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
But where do we go from here?<br />
<br />
Rocksteady plans to leave the Arkham series and move on to new projects after <em>Arkham Knight</em> becomes available, which likely means WB Montreal or a new in-house developer will inherit the property and continue expanding upon it.<br />
<br />
While the prospect of sequels, especially an unhealthy, yearly deluge of them, is always cause for concern, as a Batman fan, I can't help but already be looking forward to whatever future video game adventures my favorite comic book character finds himself in. Certainly we should savor Arkham Knight, and the great Batman games we already have, but one can't help but imagine what might be coming someday in the not too distant future.<br />
<br />
And so, examining what Rocksteady and WB Montreal have already done, considering that the basic gameplay tenets originated in Arkham Asylum haven't changed much in five years (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), here are some thoughts and suggestions on where the Arkham series could go, and how, like other stalwart franchises, it might evolve over the next several years.<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<em><strong>Will they keep the "Arkham" Moniker?</strong></em><br />
<strong><em></em></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LitgiXKJLjmWNcCj923pIz1sfEBsJOIrZW8FdmN1FiFvD56kY2x_dITFGpUgEYNbA1TDNMm0zkZeRQVh4feQqt3_IHeli7QytGz54778wdxbu2lTxUBf7CMDXaPRFd4rR1_WWglKrqg/s1600/531e72a192261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LitgiXKJLjmWNcCj923pIz1sfEBsJOIrZW8FdmN1FiFvD56kY2x_dITFGpUgEYNbA1TDNMm0zkZeRQVh4feQqt3_IHeli7QytGz54778wdxbu2lTxUBf7CMDXaPRFd4rR1_WWglKrqg/s1600/531e72a192261.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Comic book titles have proven increasingly problematic over the years. It's hard for them not to all start sounding the same, especially when they go the colon route.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Arkham series painted itself into a corner, establishing "Arkham" as a brand, integrating the word into each title. It's hard to imagine that they'll ever drop the "Arkham" from the series because it's become such an integral aspect of the story, the series, and the marketing.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But such comes at the cost of originality and integrity.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Is it really go to be <em>Batman: Arkham Something </em>for the next decade?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgER5fUoDLzD2n8WUwyWomxUV_nDvMOfjx30Fyf11Op25uepjhSucPGM1Bqn8l1-lo-BUvmA812h8ORukZcuep3AK-wtMDUgrY3oxWPZtxZWtt8vjAIv6fLbJDOvsw6fAnp22A0NxBl0P0/s1600/1920x1200-master-wallpaper2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgER5fUoDLzD2n8WUwyWomxUV_nDvMOfjx30Fyf11Op25uepjhSucPGM1Bqn8l1-lo-BUvmA812h8ORukZcuep3AK-wtMDUgrY3oxWPZtxZWtt8vjAIv6fLbJDOvsw6fAnp22A0NxBl0P0/s1600/1920x1200-master-wallpaper2.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I suggest that the "Arkham" be dropped after Rocksteady's fond farewell.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The word "Batman" is enough to move units (to keep the businessmen happy), and people will always want a good Batman game regardless of whether or not it continues in the same storyline or even the same universe that we've grown accustomed to over the last five years. Being that Rocksteady means <em>Arkham Knight</em> to be their farewell, to continue with the Arkham story and name simply feels like milking the cow that's already given you everything it's got.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It's best for Batman video games, and the series as a whole, if a fundamentally new storyline is established, preferably taking place after the events of the next Arkham game, similar to how the Halo series birthed a new trilogy with Halo 4 after Bungie went independent.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Dropping "Arkham" permits the writers a little more freedom and also means the titles won't start sounding hackneyed. When you get a bunch of people in a room thinking "Okay, how do we work <em>Arkham </em>into this title?", creativity has died.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We don't need an <em>Arkham: Brotherhood </em>and an <em>Arkham: Revelations</em> and an <em>Arkham: Unity</em>. <br />
<br />
And those certainly aren't the titles Batman deserves.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><strong>How many times can they remake Gotham?</strong></em><br />
<strong><em></em></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkOhJagnu2MIkoAMV_8p_mrUMSvdZC_M0fwAObs7UMYVy9BvAeqgmLpHouQSefPXkg2RhWfPx8tIHLBGn1vAWhJ-F4MHgYdYvNdLnO5XaqCvX1ZlWp3e_ib1Q2Qucn8ZVtPBCcr40iHU/s1600/536985badd3fc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkOhJagnu2MIkoAMV_8p_mrUMSvdZC_M0fwAObs7UMYVy9BvAeqgmLpHouQSefPXkg2RhWfPx8tIHLBGn1vAWhJ-F4MHgYdYvNdLnO5XaqCvX1ZlWp3e_ib1Q2Qucn8ZVtPBCcr40iHU/s1600/536985badd3fc.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Gamers gave <em>Arkham Origins</em> and WB Monreal a hard time. Unjustly. The game remains every bit as enjoyable as the previous Rocksteady games, and actually boasts a superior story and superior writing. My own reservations about it being a copy and paste game quickly vanished when, after about thirty seconds in, I realized the unavoidable truth; <em>it is fun...it is good</em>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But will WB risk hearing the same criticisms and damaging the brand for the inevitable <em>Arkham Knight</em> sequel by simply rehashing the <em>Arkham Knight</em> environ? Will they rush another game simply to capitalize on the popularity of the series, re-use the new larger Gotham in, and once again add some signature touches and a new story?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If it's written by the same people who wrote <em>Origins</em>, I know I'd buy it, but the idea of continually pumping out Batman games in the same environment over and over again is unsettling. Quality would inevitably suffer, as well as innovation.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But this isn't <em>Assassin's Creed</em> where the developers have a wide-assortment of time periods and locations to choose from (unless they eventually alter the franchise and set it in a different time and a different Batman-universe).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So where do future Batman games go, literally? I don't suggest they leave Gotham, I just wonder at the longevity of the environment, but perhaps a drastic enough change will come to the series, similar to how <em>The Legend of Zelda</em> approaches Hyrule, that it won't grow stale.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I foresee getting one game the likes of <em>Origins</em> a year or two after <em>Knight</em>, and I foresee the same complaints from snarks and reviewers, proclaiming "copy and paste" and "cash-in". And it very well may be, but it also might be amazing. And then, perhaps a year or two after that, I foresee a proper sequel with a re-tooled city built from the ground up.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But how much can Gotham really change before it starts to feel too much like retcon <em>and</em> still remain interesting? How much can be added before developers are just adding things to add things? Will we ever really need to control the Batwing or the Batboat?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Perhaps, to keep things fresh, the developers of Batman games in the distant future might want to re-think their release-model entirely and allow, organically, to work with a single environment for several years.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><strong>Serialized Batman Adventures</strong></em><br />
<em><strong></strong></em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5IO-rc3R7tqmP5IZt2bm3GgIoPdDNO2iOZHkc39_FMOWAxMocspWrWHcMMelun06wHsivPKgdDsYwJiXeMvobScDzf9N2l-r1I8BXU6_cvF8U0ju12xfe5BXlF1UEdsUmcxL2ZwPhCU/s1600/533ca210719d6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN5IO-rc3R7tqmP5IZt2bm3GgIoPdDNO2iOZHkc39_FMOWAxMocspWrWHcMMelun06wHsivPKgdDsYwJiXeMvobScDzf9N2l-r1I8BXU6_cvF8U0ju12xfe5BXlF1UEdsUmcxL2ZwPhCU/s1600/533ca210719d6.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<em><strong></strong></em></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Unlike other cash-cow yearly franchises, comic book characters actually <em>do</em> lend themselves to serialization.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Perhaps the future of games like the <em>Batman: Arkham Series</em> is a model not unlike TellTale's superb <em>Walking Dead</em> and <em>Wolf Among Us</em> games.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If <em>Batman: Arkham Origins</em> was a forty dollar expansion that was <em>marketed</em> as a forty dollar expansion, would you have disliked it so much? Would you have complained that it was a copy and paste game, or thought that it was amazing?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What if future Batman video game developers release their main, flagship game, and then, instead of rushing the development cycle on the sequel, permit a team to craft new stories utilizing that flagship game's tech and engine over the course of the true sequel's development.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The way this would work is as follows: <em>Batman: Arkham Knight</em> is released. Six months later Season 1: Part 1 of a new Batman adventure is released as DLC and the season runs for a year, leading up to the release of Season 2, and so on, each new episode focusing on new characters, new conflicts, and even new areas of the already existing map.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
These episodes would be available through a Season Pass, or, eventually, a compilation disc.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This model emulates the medium from which The Dark Knight came, and would inspire continuous conversation among videogame and comic book fans throughout the year. They would ask their friends, "Have you played the latest episode?" with the same intensity they discuss their favorite television shows.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Such addresses gamers' complaints that a yearly release model or a game like <em>Origins</em> is a mere cash grab by remaining transparent about what's actually <em>in</em> the game, ensuring that gamers know what to expect and simply judge the quality of the stories. More importantly, such a model also expands upon the Batman-videogame formula in a potentially exciting way that more closely emulates the source material.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><strong>Will there ever be Multiplayer?</strong></em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqElafIAxKWrNDwoRMgbJxHC3lo1xg7QRk6DgiXw2Yx5cGYCRMqJIZS-6rJPSQVxUAwbT8xj83l1JpylMd7oMNlePJSZzSEwAfJ40rZ2U-ch-gzl_8LB_zMyYnkVxdrHAZdLzKtX3aIa0/s1600/Batman-Arkham-City-robin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqElafIAxKWrNDwoRMgbJxHC3lo1xg7QRk6DgiXw2Yx5cGYCRMqJIZS-6rJPSQVxUAwbT8xj83l1JpylMd7oMNlePJSZzSEwAfJ40rZ2U-ch-gzl_8LB_zMyYnkVxdrHAZdLzKtX3aIa0/s1600/Batman-Arkham-City-robin.png" height="640" width="450" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The addition of multiplayer seems inevitable. <em>Batman: Arkham Origins</em> dabbled in an MP feature, but it wasn't supported and didn't resonate with audiences. There were some novel concepts, but it just didn't really work.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For multiplayer to work in a Batman game, it probably shouldn't involve Gears of War-like third-person shooting. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It would have to involve co-operative play. Far too often videogame features, whether they be small tropes like maps or additional gameplay features like multiplayer, are not imagined from the perspective the characters in the videogame itself. And, similarly, the reason gamers play such a game is not taken into consideration. If designers consider what's fun about Batman and who Batman is and why players want to be Batman, then it becomes clear that a natural extension of his world in the form of multiplayer is playing with your friends, each friend becoming a member of the extended Bat-family.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Gamers have been hungry to explore Gotham with a sidekick for a while now, and should such a feature never come at the cost of a great, single-player narrative, I'm all for it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Swinging and souring through Gotham as Batman, Robin, and Knightwing together would certainly be a thrill, and entirely plausible on current technology.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><strong>A Truly Living City</strong></em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><em></em></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0HC8QCWU7I2nBdgpKOOShp7FAb_e5sM1129b-blGUdZlYomJnmY5iprkuA1qHkOIzRnUS4KyLqaPSPe8mIbCnlTsjPri-0GVVSCSuTWYU95d8dj9Qf4bYtwHjWzm4tJqSLPWAw7rNCE/s1600/Screenshot+(1776).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0HC8QCWU7I2nBdgpKOOShp7FAb_e5sM1129b-blGUdZlYomJnmY5iprkuA1qHkOIzRnUS4KyLqaPSPe8mIbCnlTsjPri-0GVVSCSuTWYU95d8dj9Qf4bYtwHjWzm4tJqSLPWAw7rNCE/s1600/Screenshot+(1776).png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Each of the Arkham games, even the forthcoming <em>Knight</em>, establishes a conceit that leaves Gotham overrun by thugs and short on regular citizens.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In the future, it would be nice to see Gotham fully-realized as an inhabited urban sprawl not unlike the heavily populated environments in the works of Rockstar Games.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Arkham series has demonstrated a natural evolution toward an increasingly open environment, all the while placing restrictions on the worlds and gamers, albeit in natural, intelligent ways - in <em>Asylum</em> Batman was on an island, in <em>Arkham City</em> Batman was in a massive prison, and in <em>Arkham Knight</em> the citizens have fled due to the Scarecrow's threat of fear toxin.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Moving forward, it's only natural for the city to become increasingly alive, populated with the citizens Batman is sworn to protect. Such could create a stronger connection between gamers and The Dark Knight and his home - imagine hearing NPCs shout, "It's Batman!" as you sour through the sky, or shudder in awe if you happen to land in the city streets.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I envision a city that depends upon the Batman, a city that will descend into twisted chaos or ascend into a beacon of justice depending upon how gamers play. Instead of implementing arbitrary morality meters, why not allow the actual <em>look</em> of the city to indicate how selfish or altruistic players are in the role of The Dark Knight?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The more Batman takes care of random crimes throughout the city, the more he takes care of his home, the lower the crime rate will be, the happier the citizens will be, and the less likely it is that the cops will be on the look-out. The city will look cleaner, brighter, and be an all-around more hospitable place.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The more Batman ignores saving citizens, instead focusing solely on his larger, main-narrative pursuit of justice, the darker and drearier the city will become, the angrier and more terrified the citizens will be, and the more vigilant the Gotham Police will be in capturing The Dark Knight.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwSsjGWBeWztNqJdpR99B0wXspnYfKDwVFz-eOOgSHgbs1baQDqtQ15IUHd-aSVNebEX6_fXwnpgOEO5tmLEjjtCWrdR7owEfjhyphenhyphenlgkJFSsjQCOR8vgVIeGL8QRAA3vgQGiCkc6W2Id4/s1600/53345bb07d7ae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwSsjGWBeWztNqJdpR99B0wXspnYfKDwVFz-eOOgSHgbs1baQDqtQ15IUHd-aSVNebEX6_fXwnpgOEO5tmLEjjtCWrdR7owEfjhyphenhyphenlgkJFSsjQCOR8vgVIeGL8QRAA3vgQGiCkc6W2Id4/s1600/53345bb07d7ae.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In this way the psyche of the player and Batman will be reflected, literally, in the world itself and offer opposing, yet equally exciting gameplay paths.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There wouldn't need to be a day and night cycle; it could remain permanently night, with the occasional cutscene during missions explaining the passage of time if necessary. Batman's activities would be made up of everything we've seen in previous games, but also everything we've seen in comics and films and cartoons, but have never really had the chance to partake in - random crimes like robberies, murders, and the like. Occasionally, it would be interesting and in keeping with the theme of moral-examination, if different crimes occasionally spawned at the same time and players would have to choose which one they valued more - perhaps a woman is being robbed in an alley while a bank heist is going down across town.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Integrating news broadcasts into this thriving city could also act as an extension of Batman's choices - filling players in on the consequences of their actions. For instance, players that choose to save the woman might hear a news report about how the bank robbers got away, killing two cops in the process. And then the report would give the names of the cops and who they were survived by. Conversely, if players chose to stop the bank heist, they'd hear about how petty crime rates are at an all time high and how five women and two men have been found dead in Crime Alley just last night.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rlXhQvkGo5XQ6Nj4Ejqt93HkFGqm5UVVAPgLtA4H2eLmiUnnQHGYv61u5RTnNUztQihgXYKhwzOoXpNnmyuIvS0wYoaeBKSyQatxk9yxlQA9tA3zPmAbdFp8W1COo3GpuYa1D1_Mmw4/s1600/533ca3dcc5607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rlXhQvkGo5XQ6Nj4Ejqt93HkFGqm5UVVAPgLtA4H2eLmiUnnQHGYv61u5RTnNUztQihgXYKhwzOoXpNnmyuIvS0wYoaeBKSyQatxk9yxlQA9tA3zPmAbdFp8W1COo3GpuYa1D1_Mmw4/s1600/533ca3dcc5607.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Implementing subtle touches such as these will help draw players even further into the mind and habitat of The Caped Crusader.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
I have no doubt that <em>Batman: Arkham Knight</em> will deliver the purest Batman-experience yet, as well as an all-around excellent videogame adventure. As Rocksteady forges a new path, hopefully tackling some of DC's other popular characters, I look forward to seeing what a new developer will bring to the series, and how The Batman might continue on his righteous quest for retribution and justice.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2emYaKZEOnt36iiQY3T8WEq43kw-tROQHTLwaafMOiH5kvG76AeaXo-as7lhoydHmw22LdGIXLCubG6glI_VnRf54EWhE8KGN6K4mxGKcZ03SWTQOXMwVyAjQ-dtY0iCmSzyQa0W7hBk/s1600/532b3a6973e8c+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2emYaKZEOnt36iiQY3T8WEq43kw-tROQHTLwaafMOiH5kvG76AeaXo-as7lhoydHmw22LdGIXLCubG6glI_VnRf54EWhE8KGN6K4mxGKcZ03SWTQOXMwVyAjQ-dtY0iCmSzyQa0W7hBk/s1600/532b3a6973e8c+(1).jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<em>Thank you for reading and be sure to follow on Twitter </em><a href="http://www.twitter.com/maximuswrestler" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><em>@MaximusWrestler</em></span></a><em> for more.</em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
TKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010563237906194240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-32612323595540110512014-06-20T21:28:00.000-07:002014-06-20T21:28:11.252-07:00EDITORIAL: THE SUPERMAN VIDEO GAME: HOW AND WHY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3EpdGPfxdHoLzf7daTN8SpYnLYV19wjjtGXum-kFlp3qgeSaOytW87gdmmC9wh8BmmNAyP7cmI3iXiGVJ6xIiYVbarb6azyv1mo9zgZFmmXSmsBOujSqWbkEKGcof-BFsCoyVg3HUvs/s1600/superman+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3EpdGPfxdHoLzf7daTN8SpYnLYV19wjjtGXum-kFlp3qgeSaOytW87gdmmC9wh8BmmNAyP7cmI3iXiGVJ6xIiYVbarb6azyv1mo9zgZFmmXSmsBOujSqWbkEKGcof-BFsCoyVg3HUvs/s1600/superman+cover.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The Man of Steel has struggled to find his footing in modern pop-culture. For almost three decades now his greatest successes still remain in the medium that birthed him. The character is supposedly difficult to translate into a variety of artistic mediums in a manner that resonates with modern consumers, and in a manner that still honors his origins. <br />
<br />
I believe that this perception is a self-fulfilling prophecy, however, a misunderstanding of the character that has evolved into a flawed, easily accepted notion that "Superman is just difficult". <br />
<br />
He's not difficult. He's terribly easy. And perhaps that's why we've felt a need to turn him into something he's not.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENVVM9OzS10Tawug2rmCImNmNbx5h9UwUEso6tJ_N7Q5r7HWFs3rm-bI1Gmnr8ssumUld9Be9zw580XzdLp8C8t0_HschyphenhyphenqkUA3qE3kfqIDc_2f_PCeAqQ8RwL03-DRYipX5FbsN-z5o/s1600/3107813-5271414131-Man-of.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
The Internet Age and the GroupThink it inspires has clouded our judgment with this character and allowed us to forget what's so great about him.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivye3uqTKsu-vxPAapEWSCLhR-Du9U8NmDPnt-O9X9Sa5r0Z-p0S5SJ2qs8BbktsnGexFeu4ZwUujA6gkmDhM73-K3byBlN_HPFSlpRX9MZqISc8_cotenAKd6ZtX0yJCUwJXXl3qvA94/s1600/superman_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivye3uqTKsu-vxPAapEWSCLhR-Du9U8NmDPnt-O9X9Sa5r0Z-p0S5SJ2qs8BbktsnGexFeu4ZwUujA6gkmDhM73-K3byBlN_HPFSlpRX9MZqISc8_cotenAKd6ZtX0yJCUwJXXl3qvA94/s1600/superman_1.jpg" height="430" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Despite the financial success of Superman's latest incantation in the <em>Man of Steel</em>, the film is terribly divisive and, arguably, misses the mark when it comes to tapping into the natural joy and wish fulfillment inherent in the Superman character. It is a dreary film (both in look and subject matter), that approached Superman as a character in desperate need of a gritty overhaul. The filmmakers went to great, transparent lengths to distance their version from all previous "Boyscout" representations of Superman in order to appeal to today's supposedly pathos-seeking moviegoer.<br />
<br />
As a result, it is a blatantly superficial film indistinguishable from any other current summer blockbuster, and the hopeful and fun icon is reduced to an angsty brute in midnight-blue tights. The truly exciting, inspirational nature of the Superman character (which in no way needs to veer into sentimentality or sappy Americana anachronisms) has been completely abandoned in favor of flashy special effects, big muscles, and uneven psychological examination.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6YKe6lCi7wxR2k7g9a9xgPe6FlKnRNw-1x8Mk2tPfTy5Mp0D_2Yxgro1GdWsMN63GCKhbo-7Frn9DzA1Hy4xB8HoWxxFwVcwSZFfLNjN35fbuucNuBVav8X39rytfjVPSs8SWhm7Xh0/s1600/3107813-5271414131-Man-of.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6YKe6lCi7wxR2k7g9a9xgPe6FlKnRNw-1x8Mk2tPfTy5Mp0D_2Yxgro1GdWsMN63GCKhbo-7Frn9DzA1Hy4xB8HoWxxFwVcwSZFfLNjN35fbuucNuBVav8X39rytfjVPSs8SWhm7Xh0/s1600/3107813-5271414131-Man-of.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
As a fan of the character, and someone who desperately wants him to be realized in a universally appealing way that is in no way influenced by the fleeting dictates of a self-obsessed culture, this current iteration troubles me and I fear that Superman's greatest characteristics will be lost on future generations.<br />
<br />
I believe such an approach as <em>Man of Steel </em>is not only resultant from misunderstanding the true worth and value the Superman character has for society, it's resultant from a misunderstanding in why most people like comic book characters and go to see comic book movies in the first place; <em>joy</em>.<br />
<br />
Beyond all the potential angst, commentary, and religious allusions the Superman character allows, he is, at his core, pure wish fulfillment. <br />
<br />
Where Batman represents everything that we are and desperately want to avoid, Superman represents everything we desperately want to become, but never will.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_irZ4viyzWsGGDZrHPVRIgt1JPXNjjviwv_gqV1DF8uw9WK-VuhdumusEeZXDPjKRaHkdNLiRScgP7iwu_rxy80-1ORcamTBrfALMtM0BIb6-BRKp3E-CtC2OmC1ZcCOoQvDmw1xdYw/s1600/superman-batman-alex-ross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_irZ4viyzWsGGDZrHPVRIgt1JPXNjjviwv_gqV1DF8uw9WK-VuhdumusEeZXDPjKRaHkdNLiRScgP7iwu_rxy80-1ORcamTBrfALMtM0BIb6-BRKp3E-CtC2OmC1ZcCOoQvDmw1xdYw/s1600/superman-batman-alex-ross.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
He takes on the magical attributes of flight and super strength that almost every child dreams of attaining. His real-world origins and initial appeal comes from child-like wonder, goodness, altruism, and kindness - such themes Richard Donner, Mario Puzzo, and Christopher Reeve understood.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQiDiTnCgGurZF57N2Ttsxmv94W3yRhxHCT0NRu983A7M5goUiS4pOQSbTJ81tZWw5hNpOQ13mjdSPQw_aujqhh_R_iLchY1dwcQ2Uv2aNBQeJTAHeNdcA8-_LfSThSg3A-D3IO8UfX4/s1600/dc_comics_superman_christopher_reeve_desktop_1024x768_wallpaper-1073650.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQiDiTnCgGurZF57N2Ttsxmv94W3yRhxHCT0NRu983A7M5goUiS4pOQSbTJ81tZWw5hNpOQ13mjdSPQw_aujqhh_R_iLchY1dwcQ2Uv2aNBQeJTAHeNdcA8-_LfSThSg3A-D3IO8UfX4/s1600/dc_comics_superman_christopher_reeve_desktop_1024x768_wallpaper-1073650.png" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The Superman character, by the fundamental nature of his construction, simply <em>doesn't</em> belong in a shadow-filled, blue-tinted, angry movie with quick cuts, neck-snapping, massive catastrophes that <em>aren't</em> addressed for the horrors that they are, and a decidedly miniscule amount of <em>hope</em>.<br />
<br />
Certainly Superman can be approached from a mature, dark, and psychological perspective, but that should never come at the expense of the character's benevolent, powerful soul and the hope and joy his existence inspires.<br />
<br />
In Superman's latest dark-reboot transformation, something beautiful and universally appealing about the character has been lost in the name of "seriousness", and both filmmaker and movie goer never seem to consider that lots of screaming, death, destruction, and darkness is not synonymous with "depth" and "quality".<br />
<br />
People today are not averse to the positivity, joy, and moral righteousness of Superman. They're averse to the cheesiness associated with his past, and feeling as though the character is rubbing his goodness in their face. That's all. They don't want him to be obnoxious. They want him to be tough and strong and capable without saying trite things or behaving like a "goody goody". The <em>cheesiness</em> is what needed to go, not the pleasure, not the wish fulfillment, not the altruism and the selflessness of the character.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFoGn8EU_ztOB6MsRTwl2ujRUHULISdXkw11Svv8ldYtdxMwLMrw0IjPo6deI84GR7YSUDGnOIhBignQLWoH6kttEhvPWDAucofMPd01w6_rohvo5B_ah6-lpsSIWD4RreaZBNRGnwL0/s1600/sreeves6oct27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFoGn8EU_ztOB6MsRTwl2ujRUHULISdXkw11Svv8ldYtdxMwLMrw0IjPo6deI84GR7YSUDGnOIhBignQLWoH6kttEhvPWDAucofMPd01w6_rohvo5B_ah6-lpsSIWD4RreaZBNRGnwL0/s1600/sreeves6oct27.jpg" height="268" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
It is time to inject some hope back into Superman, to return him to his universally appealing roots whilst simultaneously making him pertinent to modern audiences.<br />
<br />
If Superman is fundamentally about joy, goodness, morality, happiness, and wish-fulfillment as I contend, then he is best suited for the medium founded on the same principles.<br />
<br />
Superman belongs in a video game.<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<strong>- THE "PROBLEM" WITH SUPERMAN -</strong><br />
<strong> </strong></div>
<div align="center">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3aWa1trAWNbPnx02W8pEkdNO-2KQ5RrwbiScN8gljtTp1E28AWcpjXlmknQsV-n18L0ZBppfIU95X9WCvdgZEwDN3vptyd6Bhd4ZqXIpBMkQO9YpFUBAHfmJUWTluzd3-JCAOMlM0zg/s1600/468444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3aWa1trAWNbPnx02W8pEkdNO-2KQ5RrwbiScN8gljtTp1E28AWcpjXlmknQsV-n18L0ZBppfIU95X9WCvdgZEwDN3vptyd6Bhd4ZqXIpBMkQO9YpFUBAHfmJUWTluzd3-JCAOMlM0zg/s1600/468444.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The nature of Superman's powers, particularly his ability to fly and travel virtually anywhere (even into the farthest reaches of space), seems to raise a pretty clear conundrum for developers. The trouble with any video game structure when Superman is the lead playable character is that, given the current technology, there will be inevitable contrivances set in place to limit the Man of Steel's abilities and thus impede a player's desires.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
These inevitable limitations are seen as a hindrance, and, in the past, have resulted in terrible video games that negate what's fun about the Man of Steel.<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Even with a massive open-world to explore, players would eventually hit an invisible wall or ceiling. Players wouldn't be able to fly through the ground to the center of the earth. Players wouldn't be able to fly to Australia. Players wouldn't be able to fly laps around the sun.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Players wouldn't be able to do things that, conceivably, they <em>could</em> do as Superman and that they've seen Superman do in comics, cartoons, and films.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Due to Superman's super strength, punching any human opponent would result in that opponent's immediate death.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Who are Superman's enemies in a video game then? Where is the challenge? With so much power, what can Superman actually <em>do</em> in a video game that's consistently fun and representative of the character?<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiED6b6G20flp6TkiPTY1jGclBVUw3pl1jT5uPTFgOR5PGYkOlhoS912R_5MGc9A5eG9GPxyiCu8h28Mh9jpXGBsYJY6uKjTgKJcG_ldhZXcWuubRxSWk7o97WsEnmqn8FOXhpsUkcyaoA/s1600/superman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiED6b6G20flp6TkiPTY1jGclBVUw3pl1jT5uPTFgOR5PGYkOlhoS912R_5MGc9A5eG9GPxyiCu8h28Mh9jpXGBsYJY6uKjTgKJcG_ldhZXcWuubRxSWk7o97WsEnmqn8FOXhpsUkcyaoA/s1600/superman.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When faced with the possibility of a Superman game, commenters, gamers, and video game journalists will harp on the fact that Superman is just too powerful for there to be a challenge and, simultaneously, that if his power is reduced in any way that it will result in a less enjoyable experience that compromises the character.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So Superman is caught in gaming limbo, a Catch-22 that has plagued him in various mediums for a long time.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But no one is offering a solution to this supposed problem. No one has an answer, even going so far to <a href="http://www.dualshockers.com/2014/03/14/the-superman-dilema-and-which-three-dc-heroes-rocksteady-should-make-games-out-of-instead/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">suggest</span></a> that developer Rocksteady (famous for The Arkham series) shouldn't even bother with Superman, and instead tackle the likes of Wonder Woman and Green Lantern.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegPtRzMduPg08Gy1pAhn6W0ZYjMYQXHTik4kbaql0lkR9Cq8Ci1I3yaabM414FHPeTpNCy__mjA1lA8YgambaZ6UzD8nQ0RzIqqMSYGMACI7XCBVZSB9EZuo1s-QH95-OHl_f-uGk4rw/s1600/Wonder-Woman-Batman-Superman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegPtRzMduPg08Gy1pAhn6W0ZYjMYQXHTik4kbaql0lkR9Cq8Ci1I3yaabM414FHPeTpNCy__mjA1lA8YgambaZ6UzD8nQ0RzIqqMSYGMACI7XCBVZSB9EZuo1s-QH95-OHl_f-uGk4rw/s1600/Wonder-Woman-Batman-Superman.jpg" height="330" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I refer to this Catch-22 as a <em>supposed</em> problem for one very simple reason: <br />
<br />
<em>it is not actually a problem!</em></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<em></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Our <em>perspective</em> is the problem. Not Superman.<br />
<br />
What if we simplified our approach to the character?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What if we considered who he really is and what his values are?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What if we reimagined integrating him into a video game, allowing his personality to dictate his actions and his environment?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What if we started by realizing one simple truth: <em>if the game is good (regardless of inevitable contrivances that limit a player's ability) people will love it</em>? <br />
<br />
If the gameplay is <em>good</em> then the inevitable limitations and contrivances that get in the way of a player's ability to "do anything" as Superman simply won't be a problem anymore. It's important to remember that there hasn't been a Superman game with fundamentally <em>good</em> gameplay. The lack of good gameplay is the most basic reason for the lack of a good Superman game, not necessarily the limitations placed on Superman in such games. <br />
<br />
People didn't think Batman would work in a game either, and that's because the <em>essence</em> of the character wasn't brought to life in a game that actually <em>played</em> well.<br />
<br />
Put Superman in a game that actually functions, looks good, and feels good, and people will love it, inevitable limitations and all.<br />
<br />
And this is why Rocksteady has proven themselves the best studio to tackle the Man of Steel. They put limits on Batman in Arkham Asylum, and yet you never feel those limits. They understood the fundamental abilities of The Dark Knight and how to make players <em>feel</em> like Batman. It is in creating that <em>feeling</em> that the success of a Superman game lies, and a good writer and good designers with open minds could easily realize this elusive dream.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
How do you make players feel like Superman in an inevitably limited open-world Metropolis?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
How do you make players feel like Superman and give them enemies to fight, without putting too many limitations on their power and sacrificing fun?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
How do you make players feel like Superman <em>and</em> provide a challenge?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here are some possible answers:</div>
<br />
<div align="center">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcfNU2KymluO3QMTiHvkaMd9lhMLTgomfY1ecoq2pMox-3J9zlsl-w1H0d7wq9Y9r95wcxdn3SvhYzSbQqmCcHAEeZLLx9j-LkxTAKqXQR0Ju0ca7leNW5tgSgX0_pznBhyr7ZhVUfGo/s1600/Superman-Flying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcfNU2KymluO3QMTiHvkaMd9lhMLTgomfY1ecoq2pMox-3J9zlsl-w1H0d7wq9Y9r95wcxdn3SvhYzSbQqmCcHAEeZLLx9j-LkxTAKqXQR0Ju0ca7leNW5tgSgX0_pznBhyr7ZhVUfGo/s1600/Superman-Flying.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>- THE SOLUTION -</strong></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<div align="left">
Superman actually provides a lot of solutions to typical design issues. He is a self-contained multi-talented gameplay entity that acts as his own vehicular transport and suit of gadgets. With Superman there's no need for players to have to steal pedestrian vehicles or upgrade their powers over time. Superman's all purpose nature immediately strips away typical barriers between gamers and an open environment.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
That's a good, unique, and fun aspect of the character that should be permitted to flourish, regardless of the invisible walls that make it impossible for gamers to achieve <em>any</em> conceivable feat of strength or flight.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
An intelligent design team would offer gamers Superman's suit of powers immediately, with an accessible open world right from the start.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
But to reign gamers in without compromising the fun or the character, it will be essential to remind players just <em>who</em> they're inhabiting.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60Ys7IulzorXXWDca2K4JwROozULpMvKVf2Eadkj8fhc-5E7OqijAnnAGO3T3jtXhk7J_0HEQyToH2qf9AfaOFkMiXDTnOJuPUEgMYGc6zZulSnQHv7Tr2xwaFUh5oITb6qwOqRztFVk/s1600/1_Superman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60Ys7IulzorXXWDca2K4JwROozULpMvKVf2Eadkj8fhc-5E7OqijAnnAGO3T3jtXhk7J_0HEQyToH2qf9AfaOFkMiXDTnOJuPUEgMYGc6zZulSnQHv7Tr2xwaFUh5oITb6qwOqRztFVk/s1600/1_Superman.jpg" height="282" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Superman, the man, wouldn't randomly blow up a building, fly to the center or the earth, or even fly to the edge of the galaxy simply because he could. There would need to be a reason for <em>all</em> of those actions and that reason would be dictated by altruism.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
What if, in the video game's story, Metropolis was under threat of constant attack? What if Brainiac invaded Earth and remained hovering over Metropolis? This would likely cause mass hysteria, perhaps inspiring some of the Man of Steel's greatest foes to attack amidst the chaos, thus providing players with a wide assortment of activities and battles. </div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
What if Doomsday was unleashed upon Metropolis?</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
Superman simply wouldn't leave. He would stay until everything was returned to normal.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLQL6Dk-i-ajL4-mdt3tBwhl_odR_613VpiQLEnZxxOhVybr-VtokTszm4dT3tivnqaVHBJ3PUvjtTEG5WWu5TkqPKQsIkVNnCcbKlOsF8YiU4aaopVOv1rlXhv2PiaC6RC4MZGTXYjA/s1600/Superman_Doomsday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLQL6Dk-i-ajL4-mdt3tBwhl_odR_613VpiQLEnZxxOhVybr-VtokTszm4dT3tivnqaVHBJ3PUvjtTEG5WWu5TkqPKQsIkVNnCcbKlOsF8YiU4aaopVOv1rlXhv2PiaC6RC4MZGTXYjA/s1600/Superman_Doomsday.jpg" height="414" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div align="left">
In this way, typical complaints leveled at inevitable contrivances that comprise a player's fun and Superman's ability to do anything are answered with a logical solution - <em>player's are inhabiting Superman's skin, not the other way around.</em> </div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
Instead of placing arbitrary invisible walls that keep players from exploring the entire planet or doing anything they want, a good Superman game will contextualize those limitations as Superman's choices, and integrate barriers in a more natural, less obvious way.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
Our typical open-world whims would need to be provided the kind of focus Rocksteady offers in the <em>Batman: Arkham</em> series. In placing Batman in a situation where he <em>wants</em> to stay on Arkham Island, the sight of that inaccessible Wayne Tower in the distance doesn't sting so much. Firstly, you're just happy to be playing a good video game (<em>that's</em> what you're focused on - what you <em>can </em>do, not what you <em>can't</em>)<em>,</em> and secondly, you understand why that limitation is there and how it makes sense within the context of a story.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-6a718q1x3We9zkW7I3jQn9wCU-0KEhMFRQNmGjHfTCVEnCgeGkFvNxDTLB2_7OYauuz5rdazq_tKZEscB2IHSfRjb6r2biztBAhf60v9K0AUhxrlLTIQN-kKmnuAADPMJCEABQ_iOc/s1600/BATMAN-ARKHAM-ASYLUM-PS3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix-6a718q1x3We9zkW7I3jQn9wCU-0KEhMFRQNmGjHfTCVEnCgeGkFvNxDTLB2_7OYauuz5rdazq_tKZEscB2IHSfRjb6r2biztBAhf60v9K0AUhxrlLTIQN-kKmnuAADPMJCEABQ_iOc/s1600/BATMAN-ARKHAM-ASYLUM-PS3.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The same could very easily be achieved with Superman, albeit in a larger, more open Metropolis.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
Superman <em>wants</em> to be around his friends and family. He <em>wants </em>to be near Metropolis so that he can protect it. And <em>this</em> is where the supposed limitations inherent in video games actually provide some creative solutions to the "problem" of Superman.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
Because he <em>wants</em> to be around his friends and family, there are only so many conceivable environments we would ever actually see in a typical Superman story:</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
<strong>Metropolis</strong></div>
<div align="left">
<strong></strong> </div>
<div align="left">
<strong>Smallville</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>The Fortress of Solitude</strong></div>
<div align="left">
<strong></strong> </div>
<div align="left">
<strong>A section of outer space/The Moon</strong></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
And so the game has its basic environments, dictated more by Superman's <em>wants</em> than his abilities - dictated by his <em>humanity</em>, his love.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnhYmwMwrCv1KfHgk2wqkuRNQCtZs1qMpb0SnU-YUlIBakRnLdyZZMF8PPDOwaJWuLdQ7ySoZznJ6tBpnqjc5rcjr_Z6KtJQet8V-2VA6H4nJ0V1T7U9o3b4IRe4Gzb-8TG46BITQfZo/s1600/superman-returns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnhYmwMwrCv1KfHgk2wqkuRNQCtZs1qMpb0SnU-YUlIBakRnLdyZZMF8PPDOwaJWuLdQ7ySoZznJ6tBpnqjc5rcjr_Z6KtJQet8V-2VA6H4nJ0V1T7U9o3b4IRe4Gzb-8TG46BITQfZo/s1600/superman-returns.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div align="left">
The way this could literally function in a game is that when players fly upward, after breaking through the clouds, they enter into a transitional cut-scene/loadscreen that shows Superman ascend into outer space, or perhaps The Moon. Players would then regain control and navigate a limited section of space, gathering collectibles, helping astronauts in trouble, engaging in boss fights, or repairing satellites; small asides that fit in line with Superman's altruistic nature and simultaneously give players the freedom to experience environments they associate with the Man of Steel.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
If players fly toward the stretch of country beyond Metropolis, a similar transitional cutscene would show Superman arriving at the Kent homestead in Smallville. Once there, players could transform into Clark Kent, run chores for Ma Kent, visit Lana Lang, explore the town etc. And littering these small, but playable sections with easter eggs and memorabilia (as Rocksteady is well-known to do) would contribute to the sense that players <em>are</em> Superman in Superman's world even if they can't fly to Paris and Italy on a whim.<br />
<br />
<em>Batman: Arkham Origins</em> makes use of this cutscene/loadscreen transition when players use the Batwing to get from the Batcave to various points in Gotham, and there is never a break in one's persistent sense of <em>being</em> Batman.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJVa4zzRDyxnxY42ajqXkrbS0wdLSZwMOjS8rmahebgPReBHmfrWwRpK6hyphenhyphenx6Uh7dRL0Ev188Zz3vz90t9rJMFvio035cR0UCS5B5epBr4RobxSHuLvZLX02i1jWqIRntEYPczjVF2U4/s1600/Superman-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJVa4zzRDyxnxY42ajqXkrbS0wdLSZwMOjS8rmahebgPReBHmfrWwRpK6hyphenhyphenx6Uh7dRL0Ev188Zz3vz90t9rJMFvio035cR0UCS5B5epBr4RobxSHuLvZLX02i1jWqIRntEYPczjVF2U4/s1600/Superman-1.jpg" height="366" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div align="left">
The exploration of these areas would be driven by the movements of the story, all the while permitting players to visit them at any time (as is the case in the smaller Arkham games). Even if the activities in these areas eventually run out, it's always nice to simply have the option to examine these areas in a game, especially when they're as beautifully realized as Rocksteady's environs.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
This blend of seamless transition, beloved locations, and Superman's abilities and actions being dictated by his personality, could easily provide players the <em>feeling</em> of inhabiting Superman and his world.</div>
<div align="center">
<strong></strong> </div>
<div align="center">
<strong>- FLYING-</strong> <br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gMr_XeTlv7z1ZO67Ly5YLsgATuNyULlKrp9xk1-1hFY64OG17VwjSWTam3kFS5QzMxg27CsKqI428tUnBsw9coz6Rck94UThsVCbf08rMMEnMvqjtGw4Fm_zP1OAmAznDGISJD5_toA/s1600/3702805-4972693279-71977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gMr_XeTlv7z1ZO67Ly5YLsgATuNyULlKrp9xk1-1hFY64OG17VwjSWTam3kFS5QzMxg27CsKqI428tUnBsw9coz6Rck94UThsVCbf08rMMEnMvqjtGw4Fm_zP1OAmAznDGISJD5_toA/s1600/3702805-4972693279-71977.jpg" height="640" width="472" /></a></div>
<br />
Superman's most recognizable and most enjoyable ability is flight. While those ever-present naysayers argue that Superman's speed can't possibly be captured in a game, and that he'd be able to zip from one side of the map to the other too quickly, I contend that we should remind ourselves of not only who this man is, but how <em>fun</em> actually works.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<em>Fun</em> in a Superman game does not mean doing anything you want whenever you want because you're Superman and you can.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Fun in a Superman game means experiencing, in a well-constructed way, his powers and his world. This can be achieved in a few subtle ways, least of all the actual presentation. <br />
<br />
A good Superman game will offer the very best motion-capture available, and watching the Man of Steel naturally shift arms as he banks in the sky, watching his cape flap wildly in the breeze, and seeing him transition from the ground to the sky in explosive, exciting animations will go a long way in capturing the essence of the character. Small graphical and technical touches like leaving small craters in the concrete when he lands and feeling the controller rumble with every step he takes subtly engender the experience with a uniquely Superman feel.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'd like to see his speed dictated by simple momentum; how much pressure one applies to the left thumbstick so as to establish a clear link between the player and Superman. And then, to give players the thrilling sensation of going faster than a speeding bullet, perhaps one of the shoulder buttons could act as a boost, where you see Supes clenches his fists and gradually stretches into a red-blue, sound-barrier-breaking streak.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is one concept the Superman Returns video game implemented quite well, even though the majority of the game was unsuccessful.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/zTp54Q3BQu4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>- COMBAT -</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ergpuZ2KdLtl6SVv5glqpcZmHTix12rMJhgqUP2ro_7ZPa5HIDAvjL3a8desIJV3vwUn05sKjt3CBJ4Tz6hR914oB2UruSVeplnbgCCbkoMYIVUNJ87g1tACsyQ8jqAUT8wc0KBGFfI/s1600/superman-batman-fight-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ergpuZ2KdLtl6SVv5glqpcZmHTix12rMJhgqUP2ro_7ZPa5HIDAvjL3a8desIJV3vwUn05sKjt3CBJ4Tz6hR914oB2UruSVeplnbgCCbkoMYIVUNJ87g1tACsyQ8jqAUT8wc0KBGFfI/s1600/superman-batman-fight-5.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
This is the trickiest to envision, especially given I'm merely a gamer and a Superman fan and not a designer.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
The combat obviously shouldn't be a typical beat 'em up with combos and the like. Such has never worked in a Superman game, and such doesn't make proper use of the character.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
When it comes to everyday crooks on the city streets, players should be able to dispatch these thugs quickly and with ease by just grabbing them and tossing them in jail or knocking them out. Or such shouldn't even be an aspect of the game.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
Boss Battles involving powerful enemies that can put Superman's abilities to good use would have to make up the majority of the combat, and possibly exist as persistent, random events. Think <em>Shadow of the Collosus</em> meets <em>Batman: Arkham City - </em>powerful bosses scattered throughout the world that appear at certain times throughout the story, each challenging a different aspect of Superman's strengths.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FTV_JuVurSWEVW9hzPqnsracq-6ZIBKxMj0LgSSvaNLKdSUGN9KJIkGH2jCiR8dYzVJpZvHI4xNFL0M4rYHTDMR1fvvTQBnFr9zXq6L2tNlgzsaATF-bX7_OWTO4PyEzVhwE-5LVMVo/s1600/Metallo-animated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FTV_JuVurSWEVW9hzPqnsracq-6ZIBKxMj0LgSSvaNLKdSUGN9KJIkGH2jCiR8dYzVJpZvHI4xNFL0M4rYHTDMR1fvvTQBnFr9zXq6L2tNlgzsaATF-bX7_OWTO4PyEzVhwE-5LVMVo/s1600/Metallo-animated.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
The best point of reference I can think of for the intense, diverse combat possible in a Superman game is the BioShock series. Multiple abilities are tested in dynamic environments, often feeling like action set-pieces while somehow remaining largely unscripted. One of the reasons this works, apart from the enemy AI, is that the controls are easy to understand. </div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
In our hypothetical next-gen Superman videogame, perhaps each of the buttons could function as one of Superman's abilities to create a quick, fluid, one-button-press combat system that permitted gamers to switch between and combine all abilities on the fly, in contextualized combat scenarios.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
X - Punch</div>
<div align="left">
Y - Grab</div>
<div align="left">
B - Laser Eyes</div>
<div align="left">
A - Leap/Take off</div>
<div align="left">
LT - Enhance Super Power</div>
<div align="left">
RT - Super Speed</div>
<div align="left">
LB - Super Sight/See through objects (except led, of course)</div>
<div align="left">
RB - Super Sound</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
These abilities could be put to good use for puzzles created by Lex Luthor a la Akrham's Riddler Challenges, enemies dispatched by Brainniac or whoever the main villain is, and the ever-present bosses lurking throughout the city.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
For example, Doomsday could <em>always</em> be a potential problem, in the way that Big Daddies are a persistent threat in BioShock.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1UCkQKl1Wh80RciViFJamWY1c3S68Ez-InHKlUoG31TdT1YEGy5A8Xe0yRGcN0lG3cMwjbvjEmo_EPdqzIcOYJHdWUIzFZ3XhlnhQ8P-Cy1BBRACTxjpAP6Kszp9yrtUItZcW2_VQ-Y/s1600/batman-supers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1UCkQKl1Wh80RciViFJamWY1c3S68Ez-InHKlUoG31TdT1YEGy5A8Xe0yRGcN0lG3cMwjbvjEmo_EPdqzIcOYJHdWUIzFZ3XhlnhQ8P-Cy1BBRACTxjpAP6Kszp9yrtUItZcW2_VQ-Y/s1600/batman-supers.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
The game might not be the largest open world adventure with the ever-present combat activity other, similar games boast, but such is non-essential to the Superman experience.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
Superman's activity is about more than punching people - it's also about saving people, but more on that later.</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>- THE SUPER POWERS AND HOW THEY WORK -</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSntECH6itJyhZq3ZuNL7KWPDhkk0uckhYHeyoKe359zfBqZrqR8vxX0kfLJwmfseYIquBMO5SnxRpwASdeC-eEePCtE0eQQjOxVfXl6ulhKhIVwbFqMIhrTJYu7PSGWbGN2gaGTMw1q0/s1600/ku-xlarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSntECH6itJyhZq3ZuNL7KWPDhkk0uckhYHeyoKe359zfBqZrqR8vxX0kfLJwmfseYIquBMO5SnxRpwASdeC-eEePCtE0eQQjOxVfXl6ulhKhIVwbFqMIhrTJYu7PSGWbGN2gaGTMw1q0/s1600/ku-xlarge.jpg" height="392" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
It's important to remember that Superman <em>does</em> get tired. I don't suggest there be any arbitrary meters of any kind. In fact, there shouldn't be any HUD whatsoever in a Superman game.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Superman's powers, from super-speed to super strength to laser vision, are powered by the yellow sun. Every so often, players should have to catch some rays to have access to the higher-powered versions of their every-present abilities, and to keep Superman in overall good health. <br />
<br />
These subtle "limitations" placed upon Superman's abilities should be woven into the story and made explicitly clear from the get-go: that he is not an all-powerful god, but an alien who requires energy, and that there is a correlation between how much energy he takes in and how much energy he can exert. Establishing this logical connection between the sun and Superman's power, not necessarily limiting him, but contextualizing and grounding him in a recognizable relationship, would go a long way in addressing the many issues people have with the character's powerful nature.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6ctAPOk1Rpo3ZmFbTxHirpz_GN3a_rGjEmMnzyqCpqZMAF4Dd0S7fnfurzSkPoHbiB72-iVEsIonov2ciIyDm4n86nG969NuWNNdlQ4bMiesDEUXfL-tYPJmO3wG3seE2qCBQb6syF4/s1600/51a0b5127b0f014345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6ctAPOk1Rpo3ZmFbTxHirpz_GN3a_rGjEmMnzyqCpqZMAF4Dd0S7fnfurzSkPoHbiB72-iVEsIonov2ciIyDm4n86nG969NuWNNdlQ4bMiesDEUXfL-tYPJmO3wG3seE2qCBQb6syF4/s1600/51a0b5127b0f014345.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is not to suggest he ever arbitrarily lose his powers or be stripped of powers or that he has to upgrade his powers at any point. He should always be able to fly, lift heavy objects, hear "everything", see through objects except led, and shoot lasers from his eyes. But how <em>well</em> he does these things should be determined by how often players soak up the sun.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When players get drunk in Grand Theft Auto IV and V the world suddenly starts to look fractured and fuzzy, and players begin to lose actual control of their avatar.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Perhaps something similar, but less severe, could be implemented into a Superman game. When he's exerted too much energy for too long, without basking in the sunlight for an extended period, he could grow weary and perhaps a little unruly. This kind of situation often occurs in Superman stories, and, when handled well, really creates a sense of accomplishment, relief, and godliness when he finally bathes in sunlight.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/WdmzCN6Kshs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The visual cue for when Superman is at his strongest/highest-powered should be represented by his character model, not a visible meter. When he's feeling a little low on yellow-sun energy, he should look a little less pumped up and maybe even a little less bright. After he's bathed in the sun for a little while, he should be more beefed up and radiant.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Not only does this make a player <em>feel</em> like Superman by requiring them to participate in recognizable Superman-activities, it provides a payoff with access to sudden over-powered versions of laser-vision, super-speed, and super-strength.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Again, players should always have access to Superman's basic suit of powers, but offering a way to gain over-powered versions to be used at key points in the game is a typical video game trope that can actually work in Superman's world, and bind gamers to that world in a tangible, emotional way.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqjP6nXjYPJK1oieBmJZd6V5lOQrQuED1YjGgEDwqMateaitzT24dtpZyl3Uoz83p9Q32QPZatguKDsEyGCw5RyMT9XNh_5YBFOcKRxyylMWz3MqwQq0_GqvXwmK8lZ7HVSvtQvk0f_k/s1600/superman-unchained-1-review-laser-time-cape-crisis-man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqjP6nXjYPJK1oieBmJZd6V5lOQrQuED1YjGgEDwqMateaitzT24dtpZyl3Uoz83p9Q32QPZatguKDsEyGCw5RyMT9XNh_5YBFOcKRxyylMWz3MqwQq0_GqvXwmK8lZ7HVSvtQvk0f_k/s1600/superman-unchained-1-review-laser-time-cape-crisis-man.jpg" height="382" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Actually <em>seeing</em> Superman gradually grow tired and downtrodden after having endured great hardship establishes a strong link in a gamer's mind between themselves, the events in the game, and the Man of Steel. Such a system is not unlike the gradual wear and tear Batman's suit takes in the <em>Arkham</em> games throughout the course of the adventure, only this system wouldn't be purely cosmetic, and instead <em>subtly</em> influence gameplay.<br />
<br />
Such a feature would also inspire sympathy for Superman, revealing that he is indeed <em>affected</em> by the constant altruism and goodness he shows Metropolis. This allows for interesting thematic issues to develop; the more selfless Superman is, the more beat-up and downtrodden he becomes. The more time he takes for himself, the stronger he becomes.<br />
<br />
And so players are forced to deal with a problem Superman himself would naturally deal with - <em>how do I balance my need to save all of these other people with my need to maintain my own health?</em><br />
<em></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>- MISSION STRUCTURE IN THE OPEN WORLD -</strong> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyj69A9-9nkx3fmtWqvxU0dZqSudDvCwsxzp4HpXEjqhog7LaohjgBli-C64PF_el5c7hvI8TSu4gCboV1D6HWEfCTC8-nCR49SpH0Z34K8SggoqDRT6cB5tU4fnvmuoljckkgx0XupA/s1600/2974810-dc52superman.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyj69A9-9nkx3fmtWqvxU0dZqSudDvCwsxzp4HpXEjqhog7LaohjgBli-C64PF_el5c7hvI8TSu4gCboV1D6HWEfCTC8-nCR49SpH0Z34K8SggoqDRT6cB5tU4fnvmuoljckkgx0XupA/s1600/2974810-dc52superman.png" height="304" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
There needs to be an overarching narrative that cohesively unites the environments and side-missions of the game. As the Arkham games demonstrated, providing a coherent narrative where a single villain motivates the actions of the hero is key. That narrative could then be peppered with logical challenges and adversaries for Superman to overcome.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Using the previous example, let's imagine that the mysterious presence of Brainiac's ship has inspired wide-spread panic throughout Metropolis. Villains such as Metallo or Doomsday have been unleashed amidst the chaos and Superman has to stop them.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Between these prolonged boss battles and main story objectives, Superman should have to restore Metropolis to a place of peace and stability. Activities could involve rebuilding structures, stopping fires, and putting high priority criminals back in jail. And players would see the effect their kindness has on Metropolis as the city turns from chaos to serenity (just as players have to take care of Superman, they have to take care of the city).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilOnkUNhyphenhyphenkgLo5MmhRJ29P7VjYhC6oMyDVRLDtjZIxpT8_utFPe7KndcOeE_FWacX_AiL8w-8bKXdy2cOfDtOwRLp-2ZBhl42CEB_SH9KK5uoHRuAy6Tv2vLjNSH3qw-0M6FTxZLKWEQ/s1600/Superman_in_flight_by_JPRart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilOnkUNhyphenhyphenkgLo5MmhRJ29P7VjYhC6oMyDVRLDtjZIxpT8_utFPe7KndcOeE_FWacX_AiL8w-8bKXdy2cOfDtOwRLp-2ZBhl42CEB_SH9KK5uoHRuAy6Tv2vLjNSH3qw-0M6FTxZLKWEQ/s1600/Superman_in_flight_by_JPRart.jpg" height="484" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
"Helping people" in games often results in incredibly obnoxious gameplay, however, and it's important to keep in mind what's <em>fun</em> about Superman when building side missions. Far too often side-missions in super hero games are not nearly as grandiose or satisfying as they should be, playing like nonsensical filler and reducing heroes to mere errand boys. The trick to making the aforementioned "rebuilding/helping" activities actually fun is in how they use Superman's power and in their presentation.<br />
<br />
While Superman would certainly stop to help an old lady across the street, such an event should be an exception rather than the rule (perhaps an amusing way to get an achievement/trophy).<br />
<br />
The foundation of Superman side-missions has to involve visitations to space, Smallville, and The Fortress of Solitude, as well as allow players to engage with Metropolis in an exciting, less passive way. Rather than filling the world with obnoxious obligations, designers need to create brief, thrilling adventures within the larger narrative that test the player's ability.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Oe7xoG5XedPO-MkimnNNKE6AmoIP6WKbEtg976yuvNp7ufNVmZnEbuSpsv2z0I8DgBTSGEJ72H14gtgtqmH5QkfBPzy0KTYKsjp60aOaUFKGayYBxRe11aAK6Ax-WVwBzdjtMmkGjhk/s1600/trailer14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Oe7xoG5XedPO-MkimnNNKE6AmoIP6WKbEtg976yuvNp7ufNVmZnEbuSpsv2z0I8DgBTSGEJ72H14gtgtqmH5QkfBPzy0KTYKsjp60aOaUFKGayYBxRe11aAK6Ax-WVwBzdjtMmkGjhk/s1600/trailer14.jpg" height="270" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
While runaway trains, falling planes, and burning buildings are old Superman standbys, even passé to some, implementing such events in a detailed, satisfying way through a mix of cutscenes, the use of Superman's specific abilities, and a brief, but strong subplot is far better than fisticuffs with mob bosses and purse snatchers on the sidewalk.<br />
<br />
To discover these side-missions, various non-essential activities, and collectibles, players could fly up above the city and activate Superman's super-powered-hearing. Scanning the city below, players would be able to locate where crimes are taking place, where people are in need, and where help is needed just by listening to the world.<br />
<br />
This, coupled with his superior vision, could even be reimagined as the actual map.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/rvJEvEvzr9g?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>- CONCLUSION -</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjRBBG6N-G0380U-Wy_RXVs3DHLV-7RFheAOsaw8iVu-hc97oMHbZl_KpMZzbs00DhZBUjDEE5uE16q7j6_mHNzKsu4neJEOfoTlOqtc-cV_tu1WVPcOvSVBpyJVHLbbcpezg-aVHa0Y/s1600/superman_2377134b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjRBBG6N-G0380U-Wy_RXVs3DHLV-7RFheAOsaw8iVu-hc97oMHbZl_KpMZzbs00DhZBUjDEE5uE16q7j6_mHNzKsu4neJEOfoTlOqtc-cV_tu1WVPcOvSVBpyJVHLbbcpezg-aVHa0Y/s1600/superman_2377134b.jpg" height="398" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Superman is not the problem.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-kg85bl8kxBywOvOVPjLeQ3GieFNkMwvb0GGCWT3D7Yc_9ffwOOxEkUjzdeVfWi3arUwh7j2uewk4BWsUYyrcex68TuDdtMuyVCNs-GEX7OWVOp_wuYsB5oevz3eDgIZgJAQu58FfBM/s1600/tumblr_mh9j9rQhn41r0uwm4o1_r1_400.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<em>We</em> are the problem.<br />
<br />
The Superman character lends himself perfectly to modern video games (and any medium so long as he's actually written well and <em>understood </em>by the artists creating him), and it is only in our limited perspective and approach to the character that he seems ill-fit for the medium. So many video games have successfully provided gamers with a suit of empowering super-abilities and an environment tailored for the use of such abilities: <em>BioShock, Crysis, inFamous, Assassin's Creed</em>, and <em>Batman: Arkham</em> to name a few.<br />
<br />
For the Superman character to work well in a video game, developers need to reimagine inherent video game barriers as natural extensions of the character's psyche and world instead of creating arbitrary limitations. And gamers need to be reconditioned from the start of the game to understand that they are <em>becoming</em> Superman, that Superman will not simply act as a vehicle for achieving their far-fetched whims.<br />
<br />
Grounding the character in tangible relationships with his friends, his family, and his environments, populating his world with an assortment of exciting activities that highlight the character's altruistic nature and his relentless power will surely give players the Superman experience they crave.<br />
<br />
Superman remains every bit as pertinent and significant to society as ever, he simply deserves to be handled with intelligence and care. He comes from a place of innocence a joy, and this must be embraced and appreciated for all other aspects of the character to flourish. He is unique in his morality and kindness, a comic book character that exists in a complex, but instantly recognizable human dream.<br />
<br />
He deserves to be more than just another brooding thug that does things "on his terms". He is infinitely more fascinating as our adopted son, a friend who yearns to give thanks and is willing to sacrifice all for the betterment of all. This is a message that needs to be passed on to a new generation, a positive, nourishing notion that inspires imaginations, not frustrations. It is a message that <em>deserves</em> to be shared, and it has become more and more scarce in Hollywood's increasingly bleak comic book interpretations.<br />
<br />
Being that videogames provide a level of interactivity and depth of experience unavailable in other media, and that both the Superman character and the videogame media originate from the same joyful, childlike need for play, imagination, and benevolence, there is no better place for the Last Son of Krypton to find his home, and for his enduring message of peace and bravery to thrive.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-kg85bl8kxBywOvOVPjLeQ3GieFNkMwvb0GGCWT3D7Yc_9ffwOOxEkUjzdeVfWi3arUwh7j2uewk4BWsUYyrcex68TuDdtMuyVCNs-GEX7OWVOp_wuYsB5oevz3eDgIZgJAQu58FfBM/s1600/tumblr_mh9j9rQhn41r0uwm4o1_r1_400.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-kg85bl8kxBywOvOVPjLeQ3GieFNkMwvb0GGCWT3D7Yc_9ffwOOxEkUjzdeVfWi3arUwh7j2uewk4BWsUYyrcex68TuDdtMuyVCNs-GEX7OWVOp_wuYsB5oevz3eDgIZgJAQu58FfBM/s1600/tumblr_mh9j9rQhn41r0uwm4o1_r1_400.gif" height="344" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Follow on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/maximuswrestler" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">@MaximusWrestler</span></a> for more gaming editorials, news, and reviews.<br />
</div>
TKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010563237906194240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-35926787786920270732014-06-11T09:56:00.002-07:002014-06-11T09:57:28.414-07:00THE MANY THEORIES SURROUNDING MGS5: THE PHANTOM PAIN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9CSDcbSDCKow6FObMhHgXQPFzxEsWJIpSwV56Ptgocj-hMdKBGqLBEtyzGGbC0WC3mM3JkiSD-c3Kek7atNe9tChOPbUu0XB-qR8vwWfaHWVrP_mmbvQ9IFoyYfVvETGjqAi5MaDUivU/s1600/411657.gif.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9CSDcbSDCKow6FObMhHgXQPFzxEsWJIpSwV56Ptgocj-hMdKBGqLBEtyzGGbC0WC3mM3JkiSD-c3Kek7atNe9tChOPbUu0XB-qR8vwWfaHWVrP_mmbvQ9IFoyYfVvETGjqAi5MaDUivU/s1600/411657.gif.jpg" height="384" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Spoiler Warning: If you have not finished Ground Zeroes and don't want to know key plot details, please stop reading. For the rest of you nerds, here we go...</span></b><br />
<br />
Hideo Kojima is notorious for his bizarre humor and deceptive marketing campaigns. Since Metal Gear Solid, Kojima has, for lack of a better term, fucked with his fan base. When Metal Gear Solid 2 was being advertised, every video depicted the series protagonist Solid Snake in every scene as the main character but when the game was released, you instead played as a new character Raiden. Then when Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was being advertised, everyone thought you would be playing as Solid Snake in the jungle. But instead, it was slowly released through hints and mysterious messaging that you would in fact be playing as Big Boss in a prequel game.<br />
<br />
With Metal Gear Solid 5 came the most bizarre marketing campaign to date. At first, the Phantom Pain trailer was released as a new game. There was a new (fake) video game company called Moby Dick Studios headed by a new (also fake) CEO Joakim Mogren. It was impossible to not notice the similarities in character and level design. The main character looked like Big Boss, a flaming image of Volgin showed up and there was an undeniable siting of Psycho Mantis as a young kid. There are literally hundreds more references that undeniably linked it to Metal Gear but I've omitted them so I can get to my point. Shortly thereafter it was announced through another trailer that Phantom Pain was in fact a MGS game and that there was actually two being released:Ground Zeroes and the Phantom Pain.<br />
<br />
Now that Ground Zeroes has been released and a host of new trailers for The Phantom Pain has debuted, there has been a ground swell of theories about what is in store for this franchise in the next installment. If there is one thing that Kojima does best, it is that he gets us to delve so deep into his marketing and games, that it's hard to sort through what is real and what is not. But in the end, that is one of the many themes of the Metal Gear Solid series, which is a fascinating takeaway from the theories below.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<b><u>The Body Double Theories:</u></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dZJmyu1rS9E?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
The video above sums up most of this theory in great detail. The theory presented by many is that Big Boss is replaced by a body double who is in fact Gray Fox for most of the game. It is a known fact that Big Boss ends up in a 9 year coma at some point during the Phantom Pain. When he awakes there is a bandaged man with him that is oddly enough also voiced by Kiefer Sutherland. He helps Big Boss to escape the all to eery hospital that he finds himself in. Either there wasn't the budget for two voice actors, the bandage man is a projection of Big Boss' psyche, or it is in fact another person who could be a body double for Big Boss. I doubt that there wasn't enough budget for another voice actor as MGS is a cash cow for Kojima. And for a man so committed to detail, I doubt this was just a throw away casting choice for the bandage man, Kojima does EVERYTHING seemingly on purpose. The man could be a projection which would explain why he doesn't help Big Boss to his feet or really do anything throughout the trailer, but that would open up a whole new host of theories. But if it is a body double, what does that mean for the time line of the game?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/UmHfxgM3MNA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
At the end of Ground Zeroes, Big Boss, Paz, Chico, and a mysteriously hidden medic escape in a helicopter. The medic's face is never really shown but his voice is oddly deep. In the video above someone took the audio from the scene and changed the pitch of the medic's voice to a few octaves higher. The end result? It is unmistakeably Kiefer Sutherland's voice. But why? In a glimpse of the medic, right as Paz jumps out of the helicopter, you see his profile that looks similar to young Snake from Snake Eater. Could this soldier/medic be someone we know? Gray Fox? Solidus? Neither really match up with the timeline but that has never stopped Kojima from retconning his own series. If it is somehow Gray Fox perhaps when Big Boss is in a coma, we play as him as he was made to look like the real Big Boss, only to protect the real one's existence. Gray Fox fought in Rhodesia and Mozambique according to MGS lore, which is presumably where the game takes place. There is even a scene depicting Big Boss killing child soldiers which is what Gray Fox was said to have done right before he met Naomi. If Gray Fox is impersonating Big Boss for the "greater good", this would all conveniently line up. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinf77scPZHTqlfG8iTN4Cjbhaeu5nYUaSuYHoO0glYYz0HrIONYn7O2D5Y7TyNiTkCS29HahzKDtjVJM_0rF6kq0uuSbFIFOK6NPDOXHjYyjgvx4YlHW02isF1RGg1_F2L5qpgx428mhe9/s1600/eurogamer-bnwt5j.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinf77scPZHTqlfG8iTN4Cjbhaeu5nYUaSuYHoO0glYYz0HrIONYn7O2D5Y7TyNiTkCS29HahzKDtjVJM_0rF6kq0uuSbFIFOK6NPDOXHjYyjgvx4YlHW02isF1RGg1_F2L5qpgx428mhe9/s1600/eurogamer-bnwt5j.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Perhaps when Big Boss comes to in the hospital, Gray Fox has already undergone the surgery to change his appearance back to normal which is why he is bandaged up. He even says, in Sutherland's voice, "I've been watching over you for the past 9 years." Watching over your body? Ideals? Legacy? He tells Big Boss to call him Ishmael. Ishmael references Moby Dick that harkens back to the fake production studio that was headed by bandaged Mogren. Clearly, this bandaged man is important to the story. Even though David Hayter has gone on record to say how upset he was that he wasn't in Phantom Pain to reprise his role as Snake. Could this be another Kojima fake outs where Sutherland is voicing the body double while Hayter will actually voice Big Boss? Unlikely, but fun to think about nonetheless.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Perhaps even, during there escape, the bandaged man/Gray Fox's face is injured more leading him to become the scarred XOF man from the trailers and Ground Zeroes. Or perhaps, the impersonator is even Decoy Octopus?! The body double theory is an intriguing one, albeit very far fetched. But the clues are there that support it. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFaiw88I4FtY0gyQgdBLMV0M0e_h1ShLIhaQlCsrNDhUhwn1WmZJZwsJQUiFpzKGHG-G5hTT2pCb6StC8ohnwY3BiqkV01XQPlB_zPOrCzFudd1dmEwvljZG43lsl5Z6FsREOf6htRKTu/s1600/image_294704_620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFaiw88I4FtY0gyQgdBLMV0M0e_h1ShLIhaQlCsrNDhUhwn1WmZJZwsJQUiFpzKGHG-G5hTT2pCb6StC8ohnwY3BiqkV01XQPlB_zPOrCzFudd1dmEwvljZG43lsl5Z6FsREOf6htRKTu/s1600/image_294704_620.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><u>Eli is Liquid Theory:</u></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This one is sort of a no brainer. We have been introduced to Eli "A youth who curses his fate" through recent trailers. He has slick back blonde hair, an open shirt, a necklace with teeth hanging from it, and a jacket that says NEVER GAME OVER. First off, Liquid was a child soldier in Africa when he was younger. The necklace he wears is similar to other child soldier's necklaces shown in the trailer. They also happen to look like jackal teeth which is what Liquid says he hunted as a child in the end of Metal Gear Solid. His open jacket surely reflects the way Liquid wore his long trench coats and the slick blonde hair is a dead giveaway. Even the name Eli suggests that he is Liquid since Eli and David were brothers in the bible. David is the name of Solid Snake as we learn from Metal Gear Solid. And even the boy who is voicing him has a British accent. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4sipdOGLYZKdkM8tZpARweBmQOOglHXDjHWd5rm_LI1TKDxpoXY9zsT6bZ05Ty5KTh_atTsxr9HT66lsrp7hSB_XjsmMQTICERbybYcMIFfN2I1ACBINQvjOiAgrnz3vxKmR3Zv0C78p/s1600/ELI-LIQUID.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4sipdOGLYZKdkM8tZpARweBmQOOglHXDjHWd5rm_LI1TKDxpoXY9zsT6bZ05Ty5KTh_atTsxr9HT66lsrp7hSB_XjsmMQTICERbybYcMIFfN2I1ACBINQvjOiAgrnz3vxKmR3Zv0C78p/s1600/ELI-LIQUID.jpg" height="356" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Though this all seems a little to plain and clear for Metal Gear. Usually when something is so obvious, it turns out to be something completely different. Just like how we thought Eva would end up being Sniper Wolf when Snake Eater was coming out since they both unzipped their tops to the belly button. I digress but this timeline also lines up to Liquid being 12 or 13 years old at the time which Eli looks to be. </div>
<br />
<u><b>The Abstract VR Theory:</b></u><br />
<br />
It wouldn't be the first time that a game in the series' story ends up being one giant VR Training mission. Metal Gear Solid 2 was about this very same concept so it is a little redundant, but the fact remains that there are a lot of time jumps, strange phenomena, and spiritual manifestations throughout the trailers that have been released. Could this be some sort of Assassins Creed style memory based mission to extract info from Big Boss' memories for the Les Enfants Terribles project? There is a good chance Liquid is Eli which means Solid would be around the same age and could show up. Perhaps this is all wrapped up into a larger plot to provide the sons of Big Boss the means necessary to become his heirs. This one is probably the hardest to believe, but the inconsistencies and bizarre details seem to point to something like this being in the realm of possibilities.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0000ee;">These </span>are just a few of the theories that are more popular out there. The further you dig the weirder they get, which seemingly reflects the very nature of the Metal Gear Solid series. The deeper you get into the story the stranger it is. But this is why we have loved the series for so long. Even after 25 years, Kojima is still surprising, thrilling, and making us laugh with the characters we have grown to love. One thing is for sure, this is going to be one hell of a game!<br />
<br />
What are you theories?<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-78315520729849283432014-05-21T10:54:00.001-07:002014-05-21T11:02:30.472-07:00BATMAN VS SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCED<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFb22iA1kCwKN9mGF31sw85w0BoxOYGRm1prm8f5Te6sdw8I23kuozSGGBIyo2QLTdaRdea2O4wnDG9sEnWK7iMT367kW5UpUnwHoda6HBtfMzH7g4TqDatmxrIsXN6IOpEl2pR3wabxQ6/s1600/_1375065189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFb22iA1kCwKN9mGF31sw85w0BoxOYGRm1prm8f5Te6sdw8I23kuozSGGBIyo2QLTdaRdea2O4wnDG9sEnWK7iMT367kW5UpUnwHoda6HBtfMzH7g4TqDatmxrIsXN6IOpEl2pR3wabxQ6/s1600/_1375065189.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: #444444;">Nerds rejoice! Warner Bros. has officially titled the Batman Superman film “Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice” with principal photography starting today in Detroit.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444;">The movie obviously stars Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, and Gal Gadot as Diana
Prince/Wonder Woman, with Zack Snyder directing. Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane
are all returning from “Man of Steel,” Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy
Irons as Alfred, and Holly Hunter. The film is written by Chris Terrio, from a screenplay by David S. Goyer. As if none of you reading this blog would know all this. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #444444;">Production will take place in Detroit as well as areas around
Illinois; Africa; and the South Pacific. Film is set to bow May 6, 2016.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #444444;"><br />
</span><span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="background-color: #444444;">Bring it!</span> </span><br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-40911540698247678832014-05-15T11:03:00.001-07:002014-05-15T11:03:11.692-07:00A GUT REACTION: 5 MINUTE TRAILER FOR NEW FLASH TV SHOW<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/KxnMK90wjFg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
YES PLEASE.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-27246334687914863202014-05-13T09:45:00.004-07:002014-05-13T09:46:13.505-07:00A GUT REACTION: FIRST IMAGE OF BEN AFFLECK AS BATMAN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUr5CAA-kWbppBUqMiKHz-7hg6DiOKkj099JGtQPxMmZcOlS5-04BWTNCm7gzwDZ_wShxgj9Zo2MdVKUS4iJb1bSxVazZQPDM-kirWpZP2beMPrUMY_zEXCx9VWmk0zpVIPBkQ9H_zCcbF/s1600/Bnhzak2CMAAmX8Z.jpg+large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUr5CAA-kWbppBUqMiKHz-7hg6DiOKkj099JGtQPxMmZcOlS5-04BWTNCm7gzwDZ_wShxgj9Zo2MdVKUS4iJb1bSxVazZQPDM-kirWpZP2beMPrUMY_zEXCx9VWmk0zpVIPBkQ9H_zCcbF/s1600/Bnhzak2CMAAmX8Z.jpg+large.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
HOLY SH*T.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-56581397435599927802014-04-28T19:09:00.002-07:002014-04-28T19:09:57.790-07:00THERAPY WITH BATMAN: DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEES<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVU5rGz_MjhM65XhFfSnWBuo2-pd9-CGTXOswph2vLbnh42GLva1xyP7ptOwe_0llc-QN155yKtPEMb_KeM018BlEBycxmjg0-Nu0FrmTzMXluyDrkHI4ZKZXKv9AveUqSPfEijplVsU/s1600/Therapy+With+Batman+Zack+Snyder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVU5rGz_MjhM65XhFfSnWBuo2-pd9-CGTXOswph2vLbnh42GLva1xyP7ptOwe_0llc-QN155yKtPEMb_KeM018BlEBycxmjg0-Nu0FrmTzMXluyDrkHI4ZKZXKv9AveUqSPfEijplVsU/s1600/Therapy+With+Batman+Zack+Snyder.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TO ENLARGE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Follow on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/MaximusWrestler" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">@MaximusWrestler</span></a>TKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010563237906194240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-78074541696415885792014-04-28T13:57:00.000-07:002014-04-28T13:57:19.080-07:00JUSTICE LEAGUE MOVIE ANNOUNCED: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR<h4>
First off, it's finally happening</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxf-6VgISf1hU91Yjeo96cGxGXxnfm7RoN_eVJfjArQcXQ0MK-LJXewLK_CJJJhOEBzxvvt19rixUJzacNB9VUL18-NcqS7wd8fj2cnXtdOCmjCJAYI92F4X-WjluuMMFGQ8NUaJMk82PM/s1600/GalleryChar_1900x900_JusticeLeague_52ab8e54d0a6f0.42170553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxf-6VgISf1hU91Yjeo96cGxGXxnfm7RoN_eVJfjArQcXQ0MK-LJXewLK_CJJJhOEBzxvvt19rixUJzacNB9VUL18-NcqS7wd8fj2cnXtdOCmjCJAYI92F4X-WjluuMMFGQ8NUaJMk82PM/s1600/GalleryChar_1900x900_JusticeLeague_52ab8e54d0a6f0.42170553.jpg" height="151" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
At times it seemed like Justice League would forever be in development hell along with the likes of Lobo, Shazam!, and Wonder Woman, but last night it was finally announced/confirmed that Justice League will follow the sequel to Man of Steel tentatively called Batman vs Superman. There had been many rumors circling about that the release date of BvS was pushed back due to WB reassessing their plan for the DC Cinematic Universe. Now it seems that that was exactly the case and that a script is pretty solid and ready to film during/after BvS.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Now it could go two different ways. One that BvS leads directly into Justice League in a great and exciting way. Or Justice League feels rushed and thrown together from cameos in BvS. I would like to believe that Ben Affleck and his Argo screenwriting buddy Chris Terrio (who was in charge of rewriting BvS) will have some sort of creative influence on the DCU franchise which would give me confidence that it could turn out to be a good movie. Especially compared to the Avengers. <br />
<br />
<h4>
Zack Snyder is directing </h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGM1H8XPZt3wQQox1T_rM7pamg8l24vxhZBTgQG06YkaKNlro1UexC53iXXouT2Zw9tB1Exep_m2f5O8JrAxE8ndC718UmDKWRWA7OMLhhSkEwd52ucrZcQwbOp5QCe2IAhpjlu8Ooz8b/s1600/zack-snyder-1-justice-league-dos-and-don-ts.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGM1H8XPZt3wQQox1T_rM7pamg8l24vxhZBTgQG06YkaKNlro1UexC53iXXouT2Zw9tB1Exep_m2f5O8JrAxE8ndC718UmDKWRWA7OMLhhSkEwd52ucrZcQwbOp5QCe2IAhpjlu8Ooz8b/s1600/zack-snyder-1-justice-league-dos-and-don-ts.jpeg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
As polarizing as Man of Steel was, there is no doubt that the film did at least a fair job at setting the table for the rest of the DCU film franchise. Whether Zack Snyder is your favorite or least favorite director, there is no denying that Superman is back in the minds of movie goers and that his overstuffed action packed film made a sizable splash. Though fanboys could argue your ear off about its flaws (while completely forgetting all of the Avengers flaws) Zack Snyder at least found some sort of success in his film. Where this science fiction action fest somehow became his most realistic movie is baffling to me. But still there is a little comfort in knowing that Zack Snyder can at least direct action (something Christopher Nolan wasn't very good at in his Dark Knight trilogy). <br />
<br />
<h4>
Wonder Woman will be in costume</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81fQ_IWRnalEK0BrX1DGo20A43cSNShmIMqEdCTvZFlvGAztWmSNKyz2LAkHqipspyq91nU-LX0Inhfhvayu_-C6XBaX7rze7jdq9lLzY4zit9-WnIlpE2fQ0rBw-T4QMi0cZHuiMM2Zo/s1600/wonder_woman_actress_gal_gadot-1024x655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi81fQ_IWRnalEK0BrX1DGo20A43cSNShmIMqEdCTvZFlvGAztWmSNKyz2LAkHqipspyq91nU-LX0Inhfhvayu_-C6XBaX7rze7jdq9lLzY4zit9-WnIlpE2fQ0rBw-T4QMi0cZHuiMM2Zo/s1600/wonder_woman_actress_gal_gadot-1024x655.jpg" height="204" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When the Oscars rolled around, there were quotes from the BvS costume designer Michael Wilkinson saying that he had been working on the iconic Wonder Woman costume, trying to keep it modern yet respectful of the history.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<i>“I’m designing the new Wonder Woman costume, I’m tweaking the Superman
suit. So yeah – I’m glad [to be hearing] good buzz about it.”</i><br />
<br />
He goes on to say: <i><br /></i><br />
<br />
<i>“It’s a thrilling and slightly scary prospect of course. It’s so
important to get her right. She really deserves to be presented onscreen
in her full glory, so what I do is look at the history of the character
has been presented on the big screen, small screen, comic books, and
graphic novels; we process it all. Then we kind of put that aside and
work out what is right for our film, for the cinematic universe that our
director Zack Snyder is putting together. We try to create a Wonder
Woman relevant for today’s audiences.”</i><br />
<br />
Pretty much confirms that we will be seeing Wonder Woman in BvS at the least. <i> </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<h4>
The release date will be at the latest 2018</h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Wall Street Journal</span> broke the news that Justice League will follow BvS and see a release date of 2018. Now there are reports flying in that since the film will film back to back, if not during, BvS that the film will be released sometime in 2017. Many speculate that May 2017 will be the most likely date as summer blockbusters seem to all come out in May now, there are many that believe we will see a release date announced somewhere near San Diego Comic-con. <br />
<br />
<h4>
Jason Momoa is going to play someone...or something...</h4>
<h4>
</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxn41iUhxGVpf8eLGCg6VUh8NW2NGsK-1ElLhLCK51prfqbGAaWaiSTPkKKYg7iYJb7gueN-K6NBLHI9OT5wf-K-0KvWG7pAHlyx9z_1APZY6pVUNuVe9juVIAqlCnYPyw4X0J8RVPXOC/s1600/Jason-Momoa-as-Aquaman-in-Batman-vs-Superman-and-Justice-League-Movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLxn41iUhxGVpf8eLGCg6VUh8NW2NGsK-1ElLhLCK51prfqbGAaWaiSTPkKKYg7iYJb7gueN-K6NBLHI9OT5wf-K-0KvWG7pAHlyx9z_1APZY6pVUNuVe9juVIAqlCnYPyw4X0J8RVPXOC/s1600/Jason-Momoa-as-Aquaman-in-Batman-vs-Superman-and-Justice-League-Movie.jpg" height="206" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Rumor after rumor has poured in about Jason since BvS was first casting. Now it seems that he has signed on for some mysterious role. Before we knew about Jessie Eisenberg being cast as Lex Luthor, many had thought that Momoa would play Doomsday or perhaps Lobo. Now the popular belief is that he will be playing Aquaman. This to me seems somewhat silly as he in no way resembles the King of Atlantis. Momoa's presence and stature speak more to a villain for me. Darkseid anyone?<br />
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-82549251263245192212014-04-23T09:47:00.000-07:002014-04-23T09:47:01.969-07:00TEN COOLEST MUTANTS FROM THE X-MEN MOVIE UNIVERSE<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkmZ5rAPdEj225FNpX8wXpXrQNEEOdORcBjVomQjpEQoWCj9nP6dJzddlsajXekK2cfJU1OG_n5vmFM2JeIRxfG_njiFcgw_kgYnbY1xmVAmxDtJYNWeySA5JgH-ErxbQihExGvOz5eeX/s1600/6688-x-men-days-of-future-past-wallpaper-75245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkmZ5rAPdEj225FNpX8wXpXrQNEEOdORcBjVomQjpEQoWCj9nP6dJzddlsajXekK2cfJU1OG_n5vmFM2JeIRxfG_njiFcgw_kgYnbY1xmVAmxDtJYNWeySA5JgH-ErxbQihExGvOz5eeX/s1600/6688-x-men-days-of-future-past-wallpaper-75245.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
With the release of the highly anticipated X-Men: Days of Future Past just a few weeks away, we here at the Machine wanted to focus on the X-franchise as a whole and determine the coolest of the coolest mutants around. Say what you want about X-Men: The Last Stand, but we can only assume that DOFP will use all of the X-continuity and rework it into a new timeline. Though the days may be numbered for the X-Men and other mutants of the Fox X-verse, we would like to celebrate the appearances of the most memorable mutants. I think that's as many X puns I can come up with at 9:00am in the morning!<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<h4>
10.) Azazel </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfT2-EQaHf5nJUVQrpOFsoyGQlxhAF5tVcgSupQ6sPo5R09TxwY7-X5cMvdOp8tSAgBaZ0bS52BwmoAzHW8wPwGXYm8gPi5aE5qKqBU3KPXpTAy1Ur54JmTf_q5YsjEtftWZoGo3f4dEQG/s1600/Azazel-X-Men-Jason-Flemyng.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfT2-EQaHf5nJUVQrpOFsoyGQlxhAF5tVcgSupQ6sPo5R09TxwY7-X5cMvdOp8tSAgBaZ0bS52BwmoAzHW8wPwGXYm8gPi5aE5qKqBU3KPXpTAy1Ur54JmTf_q5YsjEtftWZoGo3f4dEQG/s1600/Azazel-X-Men-Jason-Flemyng.jpg" height="210" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Azazel is a rather unknown Marvel villain, mostly hated by fans (and not the "love" kind of hate). Created to look and actually be the Devil as in Beelzebub, Azazel's origins are now not mentioned in the comics. Now he is most notably known as the father of Nightcrawler. His inclusion in First Class was minimal and left fans unsatisfied as they had been clamoring for more Nightcrawler since X2. Though his inclusion also left us wondering if Mystique and he would get together to birth the devout Catholic blue son. They did leave together with Magneto at the end of First Class. And as tormented about her image as Mystique is in the films, one could imagine that she could confide in, and perhaps fall in love, with someone in similar visual circumstances. <br />
<br />
<h4>
9.) Banshee </h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtMTiWrbdcdD7lgrdKNJoU3qmwyyskrXUQNR74DpHvmXgppcqAROeyGhxzNhVx2CdvIXQa_-A-OPEL17mlWQ3UdN2bxKBMUppBXX1MmGfPoUqBKMoAZYELAKtkWJhzEG5zXkWJp3pkJhR/s1600/banshee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtMTiWrbdcdD7lgrdKNJoU3qmwyyskrXUQNR74DpHvmXgppcqAROeyGhxzNhVx2CdvIXQa_-A-OPEL17mlWQ3UdN2bxKBMUppBXX1MmGfPoUqBKMoAZYELAKtkWJhzEG5zXkWJp3pkJhR/s1600/banshee.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Another mutant introduced in First Class, Banshee easily makes this list solely on how cool his powers were. Anyone that grew up reading the comics or watching the X-Men cartoon series knows how big a part of the X-Men Banshee plays. Having super powerful lungs capable of producing sonic screams for various effects, none were cooler than when he found out how to use his power to fly. This power is very easy to convey in the comics but to actually see it in a life action movie proved that Banshee has one of the coolest powersets that we've seen thus far in the X-Men cinematic universe.<br />
<br />
<h4>
8.) Beast</h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrGyo673rQNip2kil8OZzWY4GkwNBxE5dF2g-0o-Jq5gqfTjxjr2XcNZd9ukd-_7KznMThdNRPCFJqPSXXYYFx3U5UPY0qm4xQakJrlWTlc0_iJLOqMinVNUIFV_VJ4MTV-wamDioc3RA/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrGyo673rQNip2kil8OZzWY4GkwNBxE5dF2g-0o-Jq5gqfTjxjr2XcNZd9ukd-_7KznMThdNRPCFJqPSXXYYFx3U5UPY0qm4xQakJrlWTlc0_iJLOqMinVNUIFV_VJ4MTV-wamDioc3RA/s1600/images.jpg" height="299" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Hank McCoy was teased throughout the first two films both in easter eggs and in production rumors but was finally realized in the panned X-Men: The Last Stand. While Kelsey Grammer embodied the personality and voice that fans of the animated series had been hoping for, his physicality in the role was somewhat limited.As many things were fixed by First Class so too was this. The younger version of Beast was much more tormented and vulnerable than his older counterpart leaving a much more interesting and visually stimulating and comic faithful adaption of Mr. McCoy. We only got hints at Wolverine and Beast's relationship in DOFP but we can only assume it will only help raise Beast's coolness on this list.<br />
<br />
<h4>
7.) Sabertooth</h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlbPFcY9Nd3GhH6uGi_XNSj8xqjKhyWxGXaDDe1g9pyACAqUBevxU0J-N4iNbWFJyxxsct8uRGztVDKmJDgYnLj1SXbaI1RecFPEqiN3rp82Sb_kHjPevWQ4UdkNLNGHbPpbKC2FUFvxz/s1600/wolverine-xmen-origins_219.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlbPFcY9Nd3GhH6uGi_XNSj8xqjKhyWxGXaDDe1g9pyACAqUBevxU0J-N4iNbWFJyxxsct8uRGztVDKmJDgYnLj1SXbaI1RecFPEqiN3rp82Sb_kHjPevWQ4UdkNLNGHbPpbKC2FUFvxz/s1600/wolverine-xmen-origins_219.jpeg" height="238" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sabertooth somehow has not really attained his adversarial antagonistic role to Wolverine that he does in the comics, but the two times we have seen him on screen proved to be just enough to make this list. Portrayed first by the incompetent but dominating Tyler Mane in the original X-Men film, and later portrayed by the always awesome Leiv Schreiber in Wolverine: X-Men Origins, only in the later did we get the sense that these two are opposite sides of the same coin, forever entangled in a battle to the death that will never come. Though, Leiv added a new dimension to the beast, the coolest parts, albeit only good parts, of Wolverine's first spin-off were the scenes with Wolverine and Sabertooth fighting and or talking about fighting. <br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
6.) Colossus</h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5c7t0Fa2V2ZtnXDdp3OT4oS3vB8YNfcT-ldTHWwZaL2MCxCciX2nCHp4qk3y3rE0_V3Hd9AMhLmUKoU3jchHXNr3jUZIuKlrMy10Ru3rgW38MN6tK3v4T92wNJPn-9KTdjDfz1n_Fx9Pk/s1600/2518420-2290418_colossus_x_movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5c7t0Fa2V2ZtnXDdp3OT4oS3vB8YNfcT-ldTHWwZaL2MCxCciX2nCHp4qk3y3rE0_V3Hd9AMhLmUKoU3jchHXNr3jUZIuKlrMy10Ru3rgW38MN6tK3v4T92wNJPn-9KTdjDfz1n_Fx9Pk/s1600/2518420-2290418_colossus_x_movie.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
A fan favorite of the cartoon series and a mainstay in the X-Men comics, Colossus made his debut in X2 along with a lot of other cool characters, some who will not make this list. Colossus, like Wolverine, had a coming out party in the attack on the X-Mansion. With a lot of anticipating and building up to the moment when he would finally don his metallic skin, he finally suited up to make sure the younger kids made it out of the mansion. Fast forward to X-Men: The Last Stand where Colossus was a main X-team member, there were many memorable scenes with him with the ultimate fanboy shout out of the fast ball with Wolverine. <br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
5.) Sebastian Shaw</h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmoA-Vu1TVEw1rqMRe8JaVjnYZ8Or1xDh418iGI4taYQBPGev33Gm08u9pQ0NoH8FOw36S_0Wyp_pRvzXe9ZJ0PZrDZR4wRK73nFPqdXEen4lkyKMrfO4pZfmbcxxzzQWM9rFYJXCql7a/s1600/BaconShaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmoA-Vu1TVEw1rqMRe8JaVjnYZ8Or1xDh418iGI4taYQBPGev33Gm08u9pQ0NoH8FOw36S_0Wyp_pRvzXe9ZJ0PZrDZR4wRK73nFPqdXEen4lkyKMrfO4pZfmbcxxzzQWM9rFYJXCql7a/s1600/BaconShaw.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sebastian Shaw is a rather well known villain but a villain that not a lot of fans thought that the cinematic universe would use. He is a seemingly unkillable mutant with the power to absorb energy. With most of the mutants of the world's power based on energy, Shaw proved to be more than formidable for the X-Men. And with the creation of the future Magneto signature helmet, Shaw proved his badassary all over First Class. It is a shame he met his demise at the end of the film as he would be an interesting foe to haunt the X-Men over the years.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
4.) Magneto</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnsNc5OuXK3GB1PQGdSgBDELzbbw5GvREjeJ_syYb_RDjKdrawzWjVIe4MXlEc4StBnjkDDcBpvq9zx8qXR2fbsIuVvNdFLlJdfS6V4SvBcV6vKP7JLnNDt6BKVR40WK0rEc5SLiGGqVZ/s1600/michael-fassbender-x-men-days-of-future-past.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnsNc5OuXK3GB1PQGdSgBDELzbbw5GvREjeJ_syYb_RDjKdrawzWjVIe4MXlEc4StBnjkDDcBpvq9zx8qXR2fbsIuVvNdFLlJdfS6V4SvBcV6vKP7JLnNDt6BKVR40WK0rEc5SLiGGqVZ/s1600/michael-fassbender-x-men-days-of-future-past.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
It's hard not to put the master of magnetism higher on the list as he is one of the coolest mutants of them all. Ian McKellen brought a gravitas to the character that could only be matched by the bad ass killer instinct that Michael Fassbender brought to the table in First Class. Magneto's early history involved him hunting down the Nazi's who were responsible for the death of his family and many others which presented a thrilling, almost Bond-like feel to the character. As we can only assume that he will have a hugely prominent role in DOFP, Magneto may very well be sky rocketed to the top of this list by the time X-Men: Apocalypse is out. <br />
<br />
<h4>
3.) Mystique</h4>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6Vs-gtl1tRetvxUkVMSgsEqBsiFsVpF3XJHKbyMVuPHLYMVoqI862h6Bv_Eo0PT5aPSg_fvY06pfpCdOrY3t6zjLZ8jV8bgLOb1UurqLDilETK_B4Xsnn2wT0PvgUypL9d6X2xmomKZu/s1600/mystique.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6Vs-gtl1tRetvxUkVMSgsEqBsiFsVpF3XJHKbyMVuPHLYMVoqI862h6Bv_Eo0PT5aPSg_fvY06pfpCdOrY3t6zjLZ8jV8bgLOb1UurqLDilETK_B4Xsnn2wT0PvgUypL9d6X2xmomKZu/s1600/mystique.png" height="256" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Mystique is a tough one to place on this list. In the comics she was nothing more than Nightcrawler and Rogue's mother and a shape shifting villain.In the movies however she is second only to Magneto and one of the most dangerous foes that the X-Men face. Her kick ass acrobatics and ninja like prowess have been on show for us time and time again never getting old. And now with Jennifer Lawrence (the coolest gal in Hollywood) bringing a much needed depth to the character, Mystique is one of the interesting and layered as well as one of the most bad ass characters to grace the X-verse. <br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
2.) Wolverine</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NB2sqC3sI7SpWNX-VwKK3ag4EBTBR8hSu0EwUVp0Qp_uDOiTEQA1Vm1kSSlL1qcGAYLtrddWImWGqEArqgMpXLhhCX04tLWBIQizwhLwYfE_dtsNb4meVwQTwqEG-AVZQtjtAN9WvG3-/s1600/the-wolverine-poster-145.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NB2sqC3sI7SpWNX-VwKK3ag4EBTBR8hSu0EwUVp0Qp_uDOiTEQA1Vm1kSSlL1qcGAYLtrddWImWGqEArqgMpXLhhCX04tLWBIQizwhLwYfE_dtsNb4meVwQTwqEG-AVZQtjtAN9WvG3-/s1600/the-wolverine-poster-145.jpeg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
It would be incredibly easy and cliche to make Wolverine the number 1 pick. Obviously he has been kicking ass and taking names ever since the first X-Men movie but only in X2 did he really get to shine as the brute he really is. The first time he kills on screen the audience lost their minds and in the ensuing battle in the X-Mansion, it was an all out nerd fest. But the major blight on the character's chances to be number 1 is his first spin-off film. The bad movie to end all bad movies. The film was so revolting that both fanboys and cinematic audiences alike were turned off by the sheer lack of care put into the film. It was a major misstep only just rectified by the competent film The Wolverine. Though that film has its flaws too, it was the first true film to showcase Wolverine as he truly is. Here is to hoping that Hugh Jackman continues his tenure as Wolverine as long as his body can hold up. <br />
<br />
<h4>
1.) Nightcrawler</h4>
<br />
Why Nightcrawler you ask?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/i7lpQFHpSPk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
That's why. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-3428851678376997982014-04-11T00:39:00.000-07:002014-04-15T07:11:47.513-07:00New Batman Animated Short Film By Bruce Timm w/Analysis - In Honor of My 75th Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtbPsBNqqqweUtdVFxOgRKyCzzpvPTBo_XLM5T_-7N2HYX_tFYyLvtoVkacKVDwyh6VIfTZchOuKXBIzdMlz8nbWqoGcAD3TSdnajwjUYluLkjZGwfApHwAqX1Lhh64L7R0po2FefSpQ/s1600/Screenshot+(369).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtbPsBNqqqweUtdVFxOgRKyCzzpvPTBo_XLM5T_-7N2HYX_tFYyLvtoVkacKVDwyh6VIfTZchOuKXBIzdMlz8nbWqoGcAD3TSdnajwjUYluLkjZGwfApHwAqX1Lhh64L7R0po2FefSpQ/s1600/Screenshot+(369).png" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"STRANGE DAYS" by Bruce Timm<br />
<br />
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
<span style="font-size: small;">Writer, producer, animator and Batman-guru </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Timm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;">Bruce Timm</span></a><span style="font-size: small;">, best known for his work on </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman:_The_Animated_Series" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: small;">Batman: The Animated Series</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> and the DC Animated Universe, has released a new animated short-film starring everyone's favorite Caped Crusader.</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8Zvt2ldLK3z5otZbBGbLVjUyzVBAzrskxdLxjGsO88IJtHh-iBCLBPvYmyT7WNA9i0S5EnI5siiSdcrQonO0L-jNikG-MwM5ZDgCNuzCYefycwFZpvHUDY7kFG5Slz8dIhzOMPvn1J8/s1600/Screenshot+(355).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8Zvt2ldLK3z5otZbBGbLVjUyzVBAzrskxdLxjGsO88IJtHh-iBCLBPvYmyT7WNA9i0S5EnI5siiSdcrQonO0L-jNikG-MwM5ZDgCNuzCYefycwFZpvHUDY7kFG5Slz8dIhzOMPvn1J8/s1600/Screenshot+(355).png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The film is as beautiful as it is succinct.<br />
<br />
Heavily influenced by the original comics created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the self-explanatory short is in black and white, and features a narrative-style and aesthetic common to Batman's first days in comic form. The subtleties of the short are particularly enjoyable for Batfans that have been fortunate enough to get their hands on an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Archives-Vol-Bob-Kane/dp/0930289609" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">anthology</span></a> and sift through those early comics; Batman's basic gloves, elongated, curved ears, and art-deco-style plane (a pre-cursor to the Bat-Wing - complete with auto-pilot even back then).<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMa25BR7rDwqTy2dhNJfbXe3FzL5QZ0VwAr2hCpaTGx1cdIMV9tCj0tws2l5QCjU_o_ylNsgq-MgeHEiJ3i51cCDFK96IVvpSA8IheVVD1GwSutH45IXTEYlb_ndqsOwLMoJkxz7wQp8Q/s1600/Screenshot+(352).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMa25BR7rDwqTy2dhNJfbXe3FzL5QZ0VwAr2hCpaTGx1cdIMV9tCj0tws2l5QCjU_o_ylNsgq-MgeHEiJ3i51cCDFK96IVvpSA8IheVVD1GwSutH45IXTEYlb_ndqsOwLMoJkxz7wQp8Q/s1600/Screenshot+(352).png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Have a look for yourself and enjoy:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/IFwOS2R9o_8/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/IFwOS2R9o_8&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/IFwOS2R9o_8&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
Batman's earliest adventures were filled with damsels in distress, mad scientists, monstrous villains, and trips to far away, sometimes supernatural lands - stories that would be widely regarded as absurdist-camp by today's standards, but inevitably retain the soul of the character and the spirit of adventure.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreb3_mU2hsw-Omkt6NE_Ul3in8CnKqSvR6oMVaF4nPOUwx0idjueOgdIK3nWRo93zHuEoac-c8bcLYDi-4jQAe_SsWzj9fMSXn5OUMS_OCFnP3Sbe_V0valKTWZt7V4n5lfA2Cyuj4GA/s1600/Screenshot+(356).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreb3_mU2hsw-Omkt6NE_Ul3in8CnKqSvR6oMVaF4nPOUwx0idjueOgdIK3nWRo93zHuEoac-c8bcLYDi-4jQAe_SsWzj9fMSXn5OUMS_OCFnP3Sbe_V0valKTWZt7V4n5lfA2Cyuj4GA/s1600/Screenshot+(356).png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The Dark Knight was initially conceived as a cross between Sherlock Holms, Zorro, and Dracula and this combination of archetypes and psychologies is felt very clearly in Timm's short film.<br />
<br />
While the examination of fear has become an incredibly significant psychological staple of many recent Batman stories, this short film examines the fear of the supernatural and the unknown, as it was explored in The Golden Age of Batman comics. The moment that highlights this form of fear is in the end when the villain tells Batman, in a quivering voice, "I'm not afraid of you". After this, all The Dark Knight needs to do is take a single step through the fog and the fear this step inspires essentially wins the day.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJ3jjKbIs2DAh_qxxLjEgoDD9mwmBywyw_KeUY4c59n-mqT1cdYb_dp454Bnqp9demFI3bHwICboobYbQLLTa1iIDUaqdQaUMC7nVyp-CgTTQc6zQW4Ftr50KqHWIvBSdw-zY8MluUgo/s1600/Screenshot+(368).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJ3jjKbIs2DAh_qxxLjEgoDD9mwmBywyw_KeUY4c59n-mqT1cdYb_dp454Bnqp9demFI3bHwICboobYbQLLTa1iIDUaqdQaUMC7nVyp-CgTTQc6zQW4Ftr50KqHWIvBSdw-zY8MluUgo/s1600/Screenshot+(368).png" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful camera-work/animation - simulated focus.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NMeESx11Txg1g8efagegaR0GCQCrVEIGUFPwQuWqVfnAgrg4t8v3LTDlOn1jVvc6KqvsPONpyReFAjSqBFLtOwana1HbT_F69Mpxb_W107CzcJbSAfDgv_lFsnEOgHGu9xaZRsEhb8g/s1600/dc_comics_golden_age_a_p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NMeESx11Txg1g8efagegaR0GCQCrVEIGUFPwQuWqVfnAgrg4t8v3LTDlOn1jVvc6KqvsPONpyReFAjSqBFLtOwana1HbT_F69Mpxb_W107CzcJbSAfDgv_lFsnEOgHGu9xaZRsEhb8g/s1600/dc_comics_golden_age_a_p.jpg" height="640" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via hollywoodreporter.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
While the basics of Batman and Bruce Wayne's origins are very present in the first batch of Batman-comics, prior to being fully realized over the course of various iterations created by various artists, the comics were a blend of dark, eerie noire and lighthearted camp. <br />
<br />
As Bruce Wayne, the character was less a brooding recluse masquerading as a playboy, and more a good-spirited chum, an aristocrat with high morals and an affinity for sleuthing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwO19MPA-wD3jVob1yHRWPX_gs7vM0yQhs50YOtgBk2UPJNzV9aZgpzQhulRD5qolbt2TGHc37O47Y0DaH7K432GQ_EnTAR6iK9mnbfmSqJA4bE-wcmeUpstJZx_22vwNm0fEgIYgIa3Q/s1600/view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwO19MPA-wD3jVob1yHRWPX_gs7vM0yQhs50YOtgBk2UPJNzV9aZgpzQhulRD5qolbt2TGHc37O47Y0DaH7K432GQ_EnTAR6iK9mnbfmSqJA4bE-wcmeUpstJZx_22vwNm0fEgIYgIa3Q/s1600/view.jpg" height="595" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via comics101.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
As Batman he was less a furious brute and more supernatural, almost otherworldly, often referred to as a "weird figure" or "menace".<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0MeaW2nKQGnoAJ2Qx_0bC8ZO_5b1hXGWwl6kdZ654l7MbGwdd5-duTYZeR7zgCPIrbCpAIgx69NDjKet3rquOcA2u0wrPPvDDwWyf0XlTJVUMga9SsIx4DkVsag-W_LKvJemEr02wl4/s1600/detective30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0MeaW2nKQGnoAJ2Qx_0bC8ZO_5b1hXGWwl6kdZ654l7MbGwdd5-duTYZeR7zgCPIrbCpAIgx69NDjKet3rquOcA2u0wrPPvDDwWyf0XlTJVUMga9SsIx4DkVsag-W_LKvJemEr02wl4/s1600/detective30.jpg" height="316" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via kleinletters.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNk_UcsD_eyz4ae4x8PgVBmhMe8CaamlHpm5sL4s7cAYJkeOKmZ8qNneDhCUwiERUklhErgXSzQsjPiA4i6bDenncZfCWrOxTbYZGl9BO5BI320MKBnSB82Zp7qOC_gVYD-jx_HfYg68/s1600/Screenshot+(373).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNk_UcsD_eyz4ae4x8PgVBmhMe8CaamlHpm5sL4s7cAYJkeOKmZ8qNneDhCUwiERUklhErgXSzQsjPiA4i6bDenncZfCWrOxTbYZGl9BO5BI320MKBnSB82Zp7qOC_gVYD-jx_HfYg68/s1600/Screenshot+(373).png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Regardless of the subtle changes, the crux of the character has remained unchanged for 75 years: an orphaned playboy billionaire trains himself to physical and mental perfection, dons a cape and cowl, and takes off into the night to fight crime.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaHj5XqUV2MQFjQ2fstFeWpIbaAIH4czpMJcU2G4v7yWUhz4X1Wo9ZlqUwyGkSdq9A1FcC_8IG6y82VUhlPnv5KeiWbVyW14PseWMcWju3opNta18ql2yeV0U5S4cDaxeo_QHeCivFXk/s1600/batman1+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaHj5XqUV2MQFjQ2fstFeWpIbaAIH4czpMJcU2G4v7yWUhz4X1Wo9ZlqUwyGkSdq9A1FcC_8IG6y82VUhlPnv5KeiWbVyW14PseWMcWju3opNta18ql2yeV0U5S4cDaxeo_QHeCivFXk/s1600/batman1+(2).jpg" height="414" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Astonishing to see how such imagery remains largely unchanged in today's comics.<br />
via chaosmechanica.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Timm's short is filmed and scored like a B-Horror movie from the 40s. While there are certainly visual cues to Timm's own animated series (also influenced by animated serials of the 40s-50s), the inspirations and homages for this short reach beyond merely Batman as a character and his visual history, but to popular styles of film and television of the time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvdS6cG1gIGBw9zAiu4fl157fA0R1vXNbAoPBuONKVmlKcNc4axCsyw4x15mtUaJSLJm0a0nk8DP_RXBDjNbjgjjIW_YozLDFV9-ymB0XVw3l0S3VI2GYB8gSvMxxQyOxBTRiRhrQmno/s1600/Screenshot+%2528343%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvdS6cG1gIGBw9zAiu4fl157fA0R1vXNbAoPBuONKVmlKcNc4axCsyw4x15mtUaJSLJm0a0nk8DP_RXBDjNbjgjjIW_YozLDFV9-ymB0XVw3l0S3VI2GYB8gSvMxxQyOxBTRiRhrQmno/s1600/Screenshot+%2528343%2529.png" height="356" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWO4EJSERA7ID320-Vk_r08k2Fry32zXI1N0NBbgDWsX2dtakRax1nB1H2WRczSip_HYs1GV0BcAo-lQLSmnXd6wQdRR8C76A5bHLIXXSUPjoGPr9KjVgIOz_WFLKZG7V3mYJ8upnci8/s1600/imagesL9ONLCOV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWO4EJSERA7ID320-Vk_r08k2Fry32zXI1N0NBbgDWsX2dtakRax1nB1H2WRczSip_HYs1GV0BcAo-lQLSmnXd6wQdRR8C76A5bHLIXXSUPjoGPr9KjVgIOz_WFLKZG7V3mYJ8upnci8/s1600/imagesL9ONLCOV.jpg" height="248" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) via qagoma.qtix.com.au</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOj68Djz3iAYuPr8Bg29bOpMXhFdlDRuYzPEb2jLMYCXZxO7MwXkMkfdJjr8h48dUCzFUVzYuklcmwR_pELdtEsLbnl_04zjx8I6NyxFO3P4rHzQkEnZbLhhlPOgxlHiX-7MxEZcQT9t4/s1600/Screenshot+%2528353%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOj68Djz3iAYuPr8Bg29bOpMXhFdlDRuYzPEb2jLMYCXZxO7MwXkMkfdJjr8h48dUCzFUVzYuklcmwR_pELdtEsLbnl_04zjx8I6NyxFO3P4rHzQkEnZbLhhlPOgxlHiX-7MxEZcQT9t4/s1600/Screenshot+%2528353%2529.png" height="356" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AQ9BPunTyXV_T2_UQcW77iwOeBFEedpo7iQ6FQFEMqRmxF9te0ZmW-Jl1Z2lLVJua5Te76r_3yS6Ca9GtA5QDQapfNi-xvHi3pw5BTNcYqQLzKQBla88czPV8P9W3Zqta7EJjNmPZUM/s1600/1349389410_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AQ9BPunTyXV_T2_UQcW77iwOeBFEedpo7iQ6FQFEMqRmxF9te0ZmW-Jl1Z2lLVJua5Te76r_3yS6Ca9GtA5QDQapfNi-xvHi3pw5BTNcYqQLzKQBla88czPV8P9W3Zqta7EJjNmPZUM/s1600/1349389410_1.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Wolfman (1941) via dvdtalk.com</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyi-VlKUiUqmqx8iKtCQbzqOufX9KhLjERAbHrNEGPp1vEuc4rBZSIYtip94NpK-_b_4voGQRJnEWxOt43-cCIKpUihYrpSAGSCvxYy5xENsxoWU-JJmi8-mf6E5xPT9DklktOz2SbaXQ/s1600/Screenshot+%2528359%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyi-VlKUiUqmqx8iKtCQbzqOufX9KhLjERAbHrNEGPp1vEuc4rBZSIYtip94NpK-_b_4voGQRJnEWxOt43-cCIKpUihYrpSAGSCvxYy5xENsxoWU-JJmi8-mf6E5xPT9DklktOz2SbaXQ/s1600/Screenshot+%2528359%2529.png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwjkPd7Z8e9vm2nlTumYLgLnWp2FnNxZp3oXjQ6-y3xpNcCCUe_Osk-AnxfulTvBJ7gNF4AO5uePJhiAUPHiH5vUTIjHdgTHThG5PZto-RuLMDIGwBo5l0GpChEe-ycxvk0RouhAh3Ko/s1600/Dracula-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwjkPd7Z8e9vm2nlTumYLgLnWp2FnNxZp3oXjQ6-y3xpNcCCUe_Osk-AnxfulTvBJ7gNF4AO5uePJhiAUPHiH5vUTIjHdgTHThG5PZto-RuLMDIGwBo5l0GpChEe-ycxvk0RouhAh3Ko/s1600/Dracula-2.jpg" height="474" width="640" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dracula (1931) via blidesowitz.com</span></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
In what might be another subtle nod to the animated series, this Batman defeats the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Grundy_%28comics%29" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Solomon Grundy</span></a>-like foe by blinding him with his hat and forcing him into a rock wall. In the first episode of Batman: The Animated Series, titled "On Leather Wings", Batman covers the eyes of Man-Bat whilst riding on his back, forcing the violent creature to crash into the side of a building.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Skip ahead to 20 minutes in to see the similar fight. Or just treat yourself and watch the whole thing.</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/uwvwRuEVb0Y?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
If this action isn't an overt homage, it's at least in keeping with the history of the animated crusader, and how he goes about his badass business.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTsqEo0EK2TYDqWyLjQJXMbH6tsJHiVKiY9XGSEtbXVD3PIVYvRRECjP6_26h3qa9lBfPKqFEFHZI1UAJ5E0888hqU7WAsqiRCvYFcwHw1anDxZ5gyKoPE1BumVyhZ9IS8PhoKGDgCDo/s1600/Screenshot+(365).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTsqEo0EK2TYDqWyLjQJXMbH6tsJHiVKiY9XGSEtbXVD3PIVYvRRECjP6_26h3qa9lBfPKqFEFHZI1UAJ5E0888hqU7WAsqiRCvYFcwHw1anDxZ5gyKoPE1BumVyhZ9IS8PhoKGDgCDo/s1600/Screenshot+(365).png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
It's particularly worth noting how violent Timm's short-film is. Batman repeatedly smashes the brute's head into a rock to the point of excess, and in tried and true serials fashion, allows the main villain (who looks an awful lot like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Strange" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Hugo Strange</span></a>) to fall (seemingly!) to his demise.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBQf3AkEpN87e-qVhsOGDLcagnE6bdL2On0GujVTuThyxWxuVTl8BBLxVIjaguwSBipgDdbdbpYU_XlTIsEAx8gfTOwfsy4CfHUEdA43dRcGpYa-NMitMvifzTAmJ9LWAvgwWtvxknc8/s1600/Screenshot+(371).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBQf3AkEpN87e-qVhsOGDLcagnE6bdL2On0GujVTuThyxWxuVTl8BBLxVIjaguwSBipgDdbdbpYU_XlTIsEAx8gfTOwfsy4CfHUEdA43dRcGpYa-NMitMvifzTAmJ9LWAvgwWtvxknc8/s1600/Screenshot+(371).png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Timm obviously had more creative freedom here than he did on the animated series in the 90s, seeing as how the creative team barely got Tommy Guns past the censors. Here there are villains holding knives to women's throats and The Dark Knight himself firing a Gatling gun (albeit one loaded with tear gas pellets). All of these instances are nice winks to the animated series and how it sneakily managed to present mature, oftentimes violent content on a Saturday morning cartoon show for kids.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZij_mYXDc5ae_fsnK1wpJVjpxZht1IUylNHiOarweTzRSzWURQuWIavBoUklM-i26qUsnDWyiKeuFuY3ySE8x5UmNYsmFno92t1uBEA-RtcOg1IMW1CM5NDW5KXLKxFqnRzZL4U5Z4ME/s1600/Screenshot+(367).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZij_mYXDc5ae_fsnK1wpJVjpxZht1IUylNHiOarweTzRSzWURQuWIavBoUklM-i26qUsnDWyiKeuFuY3ySE8x5UmNYsmFno92t1uBEA-RtcOg1IMW1CM5NDW5KXLKxFqnRzZL4U5Z4ME/s1600/Screenshot+(367).png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Seeing that close up on the "Tear Gas" label provides a smirk, eliciting emotions reminiscent of those inspired by the cutaways in the animated series that revealed Batman's dispatched thugs hadn't actually fallen to their deaths. They'd landed in a pool or a terrace. <br />
<br />
At first we might be shocked to see Batman wielding such a massive, mechanical tool of death, and then, with that "Tear Gas" close-up we are reminded of his benevolence and can rest easy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheLSdmZQdWeULry0Ci__q43mRz8P6noso041IPlILeUjBA2_Awm9PDvZDAaTVBvbEnOB2gCRBzSU52C9Flv7DSBcVU5W-hUPpJe2J2kWR49YLRrqqOta8Kh83bloQqb7sCSFCh0DeWOc/s1600/Screenshot+(350).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjheLSdmZQdWeULry0Ci__q43mRz8P6noso041IPlILeUjBA2_Awm9PDvZDAaTVBvbEnOB2gCRBzSU52C9Flv7DSBcVU5W-hUPpJe2J2kWR49YLRrqqOta8Kh83bloQqb7sCSFCh0DeWOc/s1600/Screenshot+(350).png" height="356" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80Y8kDWjKshrle7WJVYlxNbEA9XXi7xOO0HXPSJM0698Sd7VfhJ181CpXgs9Xk7B1JFETBBpUC8U8LZjBwWuCWeVHo2OvjUCEAVtw3_tkmVOq3bFL1t0o2Pj838aCZS2fUVEYsP8SYuU/s1600/Screenshot+(351).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh80Y8kDWjKshrle7WJVYlxNbEA9XXi7xOO0HXPSJM0698Sd7VfhJ181CpXgs9Xk7B1JFETBBpUC8U8LZjBwWuCWeVHo2OvjUCEAVtw3_tkmVOq3bFL1t0o2Pj838aCZS2fUVEYsP8SYuU/s1600/Screenshot+(351).png" height="356" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Fans of The Dark Knight that haven't read the early comics will likely be surprised by how violent they actually are. Batman wasn't above using a gun or letting people die back in those days...before the one rule.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9pv8MEx7Rk0UZkZf4IGgzkCgwd8eZLJYJ7C5kas25_oOnKGkB87sjO6EvGfKjJHmYjFDBdycDxkj9vC4JP9hAveZFO617yFFJdX8XZwKXQ8qOKxhE7uh2syOr4MbHLa-HDTxx8wZzDM/s1600/with-gun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii9pv8MEx7Rk0UZkZf4IGgzkCgwd8eZLJYJ7C5kas25_oOnKGkB87sjO6EvGfKjJHmYjFDBdycDxkj9vC4JP9hAveZFO617yFFJdX8XZwKXQ8qOKxhE7uh2syOr4MbHLa-HDTxx8wZzDM/s1600/with-gun.jpg" height="640" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">via comicbookmovie.com</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Utilizing the always stellar talents of Kevin Conroy (the definitive voice of The Dark Knight), this short is a perfect marriage of <i>every</i> previous iteration of this iconic character, honoring, in just under three minutes, Batman's complete audio-visual and literary history.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDyqa8AbAfNHNz1io7FFrPs5nalcclF0a9MSmBxJJlMRPdOm-AFThFdDT7-Uxkr8YabNeA3XN8Pi6LZH3mOZws6NCNejEEWS5Ui74Vi2U9rpi0zQwEi6avHBe6ITgV2dl-XgM7G6QSt4/s1600/Screenshot+(372).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDyqa8AbAfNHNz1io7FFrPs5nalcclF0a9MSmBxJJlMRPdOm-AFThFdDT7-Uxkr8YabNeA3XN8Pi6LZH3mOZws6NCNejEEWS5Ui74Vi2U9rpi0zQwEi6avHBe6ITgV2dl-XgM7G6QSt4/s1600/Screenshot+(372).png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
For all the interpretations of Bruce Wayne/Batman that have existed throughout his legendary 75-year run, there is a consistent thread of adventure, excitement, and altruism that endures. The character appeals to our deepest sense of self, our deepest understanding of reality. In him we see what we hope to become, but we also see what we inevitably are. We are inherently flawed beings, scarred by our experiences. <br />
<br />
But it is in our resilience that we achieve greatness. It is in our unwillingness to submit to despair that we prove our worth.<br />
<br />
It is in our ability to overcome our selfish, darkest desires and ascend to a place of passion and self-sacrifice that we reveal our true nature.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Gwt_k9DZ5DCt9mdqjD_akLlvkdhg4rQnL_RvdTXDNR6SNJWwFDzc1jrB7a5NXRia8bOcz89y5a70Jbr8DHmHEs8uhcxovfNvPRMEx__GD-qicz_eXlh35LQ18-JhpCWKVItqe5SsG7I/s1600/Screenshot+(357).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Gwt_k9DZ5DCt9mdqjD_akLlvkdhg4rQnL_RvdTXDNR6SNJWwFDzc1jrB7a5NXRia8bOcz89y5a70Jbr8DHmHEs8uhcxovfNvPRMEx__GD-qicz_eXlh35LQ18-JhpCWKVItqe5SsG7I/s1600/Screenshot+(357).png" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Batman represents what is best in us all. <br />
<br />
He wouldn't have lasted this long any other way.<br />
<br />
In this short Bruce Timm demonstrates that Batman is a timeless hero, and that he shall remain so for generations. <br />
<br />
I can think of no better way to wish The Dark Knight a happy birthday.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0glJzuBl5OcyTGOUxpD_-MPvi-qPrSXdwZDCCRcg6W46Zb9XtNxFLePOWbSAesJyMvwoQ29FS0lQsTfHjvqXSm91jvx8VB0LHplT_nsFVXXDKqNecPqa1vyydfYgGg6zDDbrU6EfYXE/s1600/Screenshot+(377).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0glJzuBl5OcyTGOUxpD_-MPvi-qPrSXdwZDCCRcg6W46Zb9XtNxFLePOWbSAesJyMvwoQ29FS0lQsTfHjvqXSm91jvx8VB0LHplT_nsFVXXDKqNecPqa1vyydfYgGg6zDDbrU6EfYXE/s1600/Screenshot+(377).png" height="356" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/MaximusWrestler" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">@MaximusWrestler</span></a> and come back soon.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i>Same Bat-Time. Same Bat-Channel.</i>TKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010563237906194240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-36785529608632034792014-03-19T07:52:00.001-07:002014-03-19T07:53:10.187-07:00METAL GEAR SOLID GROUND ZEROES REVIEW<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_K_k8rYLLYcRB6ULfCV96csp_tpXO4AF5GpPM0EIaBoMiJHNByeqt2xgtBfmcNuguJK4cNkZqZSXDhQS-KRPk4Yyb4J6OBn9c1a5Y2CyLVI-Ekd5zWR5qmZ3XBh3z0V-_HAIO6uyGWvp/s1600/MGS-GZ_PS3_packshot_RGB_PEGi_Crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_K_k8rYLLYcRB6ULfCV96csp_tpXO4AF5GpPM0EIaBoMiJHNByeqt2xgtBfmcNuguJK4cNkZqZSXDhQS-KRPk4Yyb4J6OBn9c1a5Y2CyLVI-Ekd5zWR5qmZ3XBh3z0V-_HAIO6uyGWvp/s1600/MGS-GZ_PS3_packshot_RGB_PEGi_Crop.jpg" height="369" width="640" /></a></div>
For a series as old as I am, it is a monumental task to reinvent itself while still retaining the core mechanics and entertainment value that has kept fans intrigued and coming back for more. From Snake Eater's survival mechanics to Guns of the Patriots' run and gun addition to Portable Ops and Peace Walker's home base and deployment features, Hideo Kojima has always been on step ahead of the fans and the technology he uses to bring his acclaimed series to life with.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
In what is essentially a prologue to the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, the $30 Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes may seem like a glorified DLC at face value but that would do this innovative game a dishonor.<br />
<br />
Ground Zeroes doesn't get bogged down by the lengthy cut scenes that the series is known for electing to instead throw the player right into the fray as Snake, aka Big Boss, attempts to infiltrate a base holding Chico and Paz, essential characters from Peace Walker. And therein lies the innovation that was promised. Kojima's FOX engine has been highly touted as the new standard for third person games. This new engine, even on the PS3 which is what I played it on, showcases the depth and detail attainable by modern gaming systems. When approaching the base you use you binoculars to reach across the entire length of the base to tag enemies and map your infiltration.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkAT2lMEQjV20kGn-m2U-zO2yHE73sT0X5NpiV-CbB8q5VediAnqyI_5Q8wntsuXZdUcQXlAACb9_pu0opFX6I1hVVSKxvaajmrQHZgvIzcv-45_ZCfsqzbijkY3gYcA4EHekZLf0Htwf/s1600/la_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkAT2lMEQjV20kGn-m2U-zO2yHE73sT0X5NpiV-CbB8q5VediAnqyI_5Q8wntsuXZdUcQXlAACb9_pu0opFX6I1hVVSKxvaajmrQHZgvIzcv-45_ZCfsqzbijkY3gYcA4EHekZLf0Htwf/s1600/la_05.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
Once inside the true nature of Metal Gear Solid 5 is revealed. The once static and linear gameplay now pulls back and leaves the player in a veritable sandbox where anything can happen. Metal GEar Solid 4 attempted to do this very thing with its slogan "Nowhere to hide" but never truly achieved the same level of helplessness. Where once guards only had a cone of vision, they now are equipped with what feels like 20/20 vision capable of spotting you from what feels like yards away. In essence this more realistic approach brings a inherit suspense that the player feels while sneaking through the base. Players now can find themselves trapped in their own attempt at infiltrating scheme leaving the only way out through the barrel of a gun.<br />
<br />
That being said, there is still the elements of sneaking that are essential to the gameplay, even rewarding players who go unseen throughout the entire mission. Much like Deus Ex and Hitman, there is not one "right" way to approach any given situation. There even isn't always a way through leaving the player helplessly searching for a vantage point while evading guards.<br />
<br />
Perhaps the coolest/most forgiving new mechanic added was the last ditch save from being spotted. Once the all to familiar ! sound hits you have a few seconds as you draw your weapon in slow motion automatically aiming at the alerted guard to deliver a lethal or non lethal takedown. The experience is exhilarating and is a convenient out for players getting used to the new system to keep the story moving and the experience entertaining.<br />
<br />
While the story only clocks in around two hours, no one really should expect going into this "game" with much more in mind. There are side missions yes but for $30 the visuals, mechanics, and welcome familiarity of being Snake again should be sufficient for die-hard fans of the series and new fans alike. The only downside of Ground Zeroes is that it leaves you wanting more. With The Phantom Pain seemingly a year away, I can't wait to see what the full game on PS4 has in store.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9B2faRhRp0BH1nffuXtUpZPBlmhLvvvUigXovnSgOxEDo6q3X_inLzLb5HCJccujsSGIVzMKnJWi8M22eTipXYj05OXQ6FYDA3kEkd1_ABp0AyEQHTJLPhD_HEMG8A2m6HEdKSgdAjL6/s1600/ground-zeroes-header-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9B2faRhRp0BH1nffuXtUpZPBlmhLvvvUigXovnSgOxEDo6q3X_inLzLb5HCJccujsSGIVzMKnJWi8M22eTipXYj05OXQ6FYDA3kEkd1_ABp0AyEQHTJLPhD_HEMG8A2m6HEdKSgdAjL6/s1600/ground-zeroes-header-2.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
Score: 9 out of 10<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-40416235837695930532014-02-28T11:30:00.001-08:002014-02-28T11:30:39.972-08:00CW'S FLASH COSTUME REVEAL ONE SENTENCE REACTION<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRTW-lvqFcMNTnGMVEldKZmn5hFw4pBd_5Js40CgB1T9yTbgU3cVdS4TtvkjD22beHu46MmSNFgZDIApx8LMQG6gRr0O6J6tzvj3vVxermtOUAkahOAPFiTx0F5B-pBR6Xh1veNp82MU2u/s1600/gustinflash-8ce05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRTW-lvqFcMNTnGMVEldKZmn5hFw4pBd_5Js40CgB1T9yTbgU3cVdS4TtvkjD22beHu46MmSNFgZDIApx8LMQG6gRr0O6J6tzvj3vVxermtOUAkahOAPFiTx0F5B-pBR6Xh1veNp82MU2u/s1600/gustinflash-8ce05.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
Much better than I expected.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-52493032008867960722014-02-28T08:32:00.001-08:002014-02-28T10:21:05.091-08:00TRUE DETECTIVE THEORY HUNT: WHO IS THE YELLOW KING?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKy3LwYNdmXs_3pJPtFvXg2B5j8_j5nkpyPmtGKc1_Ko1oV4APesYpxwY0BK7Rx_343VYbAXikDo9ggUKwanJcFgAAVMDYEiv7w_RwVczBDGCgilay1IgYbKvqHg5zIqRrRUGqP0dpuRk/s1600/true-detective-poster-16x9-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKy3LwYNdmXs_3pJPtFvXg2B5j8_j5nkpyPmtGKc1_Ko1oV4APesYpxwY0BK7Rx_343VYbAXikDo9ggUKwanJcFgAAVMDYEiv7w_RwVczBDGCgilay1IgYbKvqHg5zIqRrRUGqP0dpuRk/s1600/true-detective-poster-16x9-1.jpg" height="356" width="640" /></a></div>
First off, if you aren't watching True Detective then there is something wrong with you. The series is treated with the utmost care and depth that echoes great shows like Breaking Bad and The Wire. Not often do you come across such intelligent and powerful storytelling that you actually realize that the show is smarter than you are.<br />
<br />
And thus with a show so steeped in its own mythology, theories have spun forth uncontrollably about who the series villain, The Yellow King, truly is. Tons of theories have pinned Marty, Rust, Governor Tuttle, Reggie Ledoux, even the Lawnmower guy that keeps the grounds of the closed school. The problem with nailing down who exactly to suspect is that the show has departed from every facet of conventional story telling for a more grounded and realistic take on the occult. It would be easy to say that we haven't seen The Yellow King yet, but it would be like True Detective to say we actually already have.<br />
<br />
Digging through theories I came across The Four Horsemen Theory. The basic idea behind it is that instead of just one main baddy, we may actually have five men involved in this deep conspiracy. Even for those with a keen eye for detail would probably have missed these signs but that's what makes True Detective so special. The clues have been right under our noses.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Again this isn't entirely my own, just a fan theory that I like and expanded upon.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRK9N-5e_ir58zw2DxC1JVYQuwpGL2HmQXWF4j_fbLfA_YIFQ_JsLPPvKANUzwWuZP0p_kkbY1061ps3dRTwuFb1mai7sfEz8L1mPxdGvMlmSuahIbVPbmw54GZvrrJ-EoVgmUSlEl5QKA/s1600/5ncTvfK-thumb-550x309-91467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRK9N-5e_ir58zw2DxC1JVYQuwpGL2HmQXWF4j_fbLfA_YIFQ_JsLPPvKANUzwWuZP0p_kkbY1061ps3dRTwuFb1mai7sfEz8L1mPxdGvMlmSuahIbVPbmw54GZvrrJ-EoVgmUSlEl5QKA/s1600/5ncTvfK-thumb-550x309-91467.jpg" height="223" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This picture was in the house of Dora Lange's mother. Dora is obviously the woman found dead in episode one surrounded by all sorts of ritualistic and occult imagery. The picture depicts Dora surrounded by five horsemen literally. Could this be indication that the Five Horsemen are someone close to Dora or possibly that they have been around for a long time, killing and abusing women? The series certainly suggests this as Rust goes back through old files and finds numerous cases with the same spiral imagery on the victim's body. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FXfbkCnQ0XoVKT5mSGF7x9q8XDgP84MERn325L_BvJ5zRxXZT-CpIYQ4gFWq5QnruDyXEIQUnyNstVS1mNAQMCi8Eg2yUPC1L0_Ti_gY8t3QukZ6wp6itsx074AU7DL_K4_GN_fCU4eV/s1600/jhWhGAM-thumb-550x305-91469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FXfbkCnQ0XoVKT5mSGF7x9q8XDgP84MERn325L_BvJ5zRxXZT-CpIYQ4gFWq5QnruDyXEIQUnyNstVS1mNAQMCi8Eg2yUPC1L0_Ti_gY8t3QukZ6wp6itsx074AU7DL_K4_GN_fCU4eV/s1600/jhWhGAM-thumb-550x305-91469.jpg" height="221" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This was found by Marty when he went into her daughter's room before dinner. The girls have enacted some sort of sexual scene with five men surrounding a nude woman. This certainly suggests that Marty could be involved with the Five Horsemen which is where his daughters would have gotten this notion from, or possible some sort of supernatural influence where the young susceptible girls are influences to play with their dolls in some sort of way just for Easter Egg implementation. Either way this is very disturbing and not something that a father would want to see his children doing, and not something that we as an audience should leave to coincidence. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3v7UpPdfr0eb7hyJ1CikCRfQvQkQEq9fNLH9wi36NsZPX2pb8z1Rnvv6lXmuUxYNMdYiEs1Bejw8OW78JpEc6j2HL6-fDeYCNw61JnjPerRcXo8KJGmmJnWhBTD6gAincDyyH2wm1y1o/s1600/4ak6MHq+(1)-thumb-550x309-91465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3v7UpPdfr0eb7hyJ1CikCRfQvQkQEq9fNLH9wi36NsZPX2pb8z1Rnvv6lXmuUxYNMdYiEs1Bejw8OW78JpEc6j2HL6-fDeYCNw61JnjPerRcXo8KJGmmJnWhBTD6gAincDyyH2wm1y1o/s1600/4ak6MHq+(1)-thumb-550x309-91465.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
This scene depicts Rust making five men out of beer cans he has been drinking while trying to discern what the detectives investigating him know about the Yellow King. Five men in a circle, with gold stars on their heads. This could be hinting at the idea of them wearing the ritualistic crown, or it could be hinting at the fact that they are police or involved in state legislature. There are plenty of shady cops including the task force assigned to take the Dora Lange case from Rust and Marty that could possibly be involved. The show has hinted at a conspiracy coverup involving many important figures including Governor Tuttle. But this could also be Rust giving the detectives a little hint at what he knows from his own 15 year off the record investigation into the Yellow King. Or this could be Rust telling us he is involved in some sort of way. There are many different ways to interpret this scene in particular which truly shows the depth of what True Detectives is capable of attaining in it's story telling.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The victims have often hinted at the man with the scars on his face being the Yellow King which describes someone we haven't seen yet. It could very well be the Yellow King at the top with his Five Horsemen to gather his victims. It certainly is plausible that there are many more people involved with this cult then we realize or could comprehend. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Only time will tell if this theory is correct as only two episodes are left in this amazing series. Marty says that the detective’s curse is not being able to able to see what’s right under their nose. I have a strong feeling that the answers we are desperately searching for are right in front of us. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-88137100032164809622014-02-19T07:01:00.000-08:002014-02-19T07:02:08.826-08:00GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY TRAILER ONE SENTENCE REACTION<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/pTZ2Tp9yXyM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
It is going to make a billion dollars. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-5170003721006036702014-02-18T08:38:00.000-08:002014-02-18T08:38:25.789-08:00ROBOCOP REVIEW: THE MOVIE YOU DIDN'T GET<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yaPthOBwPEphVh-rJ9uU0of9FG3FQyNFLC3xj6QhXOXQlE9C17YxJHnKMBTtcMQ5fjEWLIGzzbF_z_fVoBlOnfGWuWhnwxqSUg2CivrOVe_9c51rBYHyNk5vkVc7UFRNpV9Q3bCy-16R/s1600/RoboCop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yaPthOBwPEphVh-rJ9uU0of9FG3FQyNFLC3xj6QhXOXQlE9C17YxJHnKMBTtcMQ5fjEWLIGzzbF_z_fVoBlOnfGWuWhnwxqSUg2CivrOVe_9c51rBYHyNk5vkVc7UFRNpV9Q3bCy-16R/s1600/RoboCop.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></div>
It's been almost 20 years since the first time Robocop stepped onto the big screen. Movies have changed a lot since the 80's as we all know, Hollywood has changed drastically, but most importantly, audiences have changed. And it is clear from the reviews and performance of the reboot that audiences aren't happy with what they got.<br />
<br />
For one, its not the action movie it is billed as. In fact, besides the climax of the film, there really isn't any action in it. Of course its sprinkled throughout but if you're going into this movie thinking it is going to be an all out action movie a la Transformers or Pacific Rim, you are sadly mistaken. Where most movie goers are expecting a reboot of this caliber to be a pure visual and entertainment feast they are given something much different than what was expected of this franchise.<br />
<br />
The sad truth about Robocop is that people didn't get what they wanted. But I also mean that people didn't <i>get</i> what they wanted. Or perhaps they didn't even <i>get</i> what they saw.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
This reboot is a whole new and modern take on the idea of putting a man inside a machine. Where the original had Peter Weller in the robo-gear early enough to jam pack the film with over the top, almost cartoon-ish action we were so accustomed to in the 80's, this film explores the ethical and practical implications of actually putting a man inside of a machine. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGENKODwtbaUhoaf1E12vXpCJGEEVpq0FVUw3-JeLHatrzV3N9iKBsdCayTYZV6MyseJQLZ15b_h1tm_eYlWYs_r8AZinrZlU19buEYdGJUcRYr2mXVcCihRjMPYpCcMkpIS76kl4gzS2/s1600/article-0-1941F13F00000578-502_634x263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGENKODwtbaUhoaf1E12vXpCJGEEVpq0FVUw3-JeLHatrzV3N9iKBsdCayTYZV6MyseJQLZ15b_h1tm_eYlWYs_r8AZinrZlU19buEYdGJUcRYr2mXVcCihRjMPYpCcMkpIS76kl4gzS2/s1600/article-0-1941F13F00000578-502_634x263.jpg" height="165" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The stark contrast of tone isn't unlike the original Batman or Superman movies compared to the more recent iterations from the past few years albeit this film does not in any way compare to the Chris Nolan franchise. It does however drastically differ from the original idea and themes of Robocop. Where once it was an metaphor for a Jesus-like resurrection from the dead, the film debates (very much in your face) what it would take to for this to actually happen. Nothing is wildly unbelievable in the film but it's own logic is easy enough to understand and swallow. It even almost seems to fight the urge to regurgitate the original material as the studio may have wanted in lieu of wanting to make an actual film about topical issues.<br />
<br />
Much has been said about the redesign of his robo-suit but even that is a dig at the studio and perhaps the will for the movie to think outside the robo-x. The scene in which they decide to go with the redesigned black suit is all about marketing to the people. Alex Murphy is already in the traditional grey suit but the executives at Omni Corp including Michael Keaton and Jay Baruchel think that he needs to be sleeker and more cool looking for the American people to like him. Thus the change of appearance for the titular character.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBDfOOxtICLAo9nGpzvwVE2qtM6p6v9xOXrVOasHim1UyBnoWs-hSVhWXb53-AMA4STKeXqESy2OaeNXpYMylTv9ryWKTu1vT6GVc4QGHEkLqRLhB306RrBV06kvowOwwQYFfmSL7yarf/s1600/robocop-old-vs-new1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxBDfOOxtICLAo9nGpzvwVE2qtM6p6v9xOXrVOasHim1UyBnoWs-hSVhWXb53-AMA4STKeXqESy2OaeNXpYMylTv9ryWKTu1vT6GVc4QGHEkLqRLhB306RrBV06kvowOwwQYFfmSL7yarf/s1600/robocop-old-vs-new1.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Take that America!<br />
<br />
The actual journey of Alex Murphy's character is truly heartrendingly portrayed by Joel Kinnaman. The family man is truly ashamed of what he has become and it is surprisingly hard to watch the first time Murphy sees what he looks like underneath the suit. This character development is what replaces the action that we would expect, to give a more realistic approach to the idea of Robocop. It also explores the domestic and foreign politics of actually implementing Murphy into the Detroit police department. Does this take maybe a little too long for the most part, of course, but for those that enjoy true science fiction done well it is a welcome departure.<br />
<br />
Of course the film builds to a climax with all kinds of robot action that is entertaining enough to watch, but if it didn't have it, the movie would have been fine as well. Obviously it wouldn't be as fun or marketable but the action wasn't the main focus of the film by far. Which brings the realization that Robocop is not a fun movie. It lacks the bombastic action and the entertainment value of its predecessor. It lacks the very soul of what made the original Robocop we all know and love. But couldn't that be the point of what director Jose Padilha was going for? To actually put a man inside of a machine blurs the line of whether or not he would actually be human any more, possibly even forfeiting the idea that he even had a soul anymore.<br />
<br />
If you are looking for a action movie that you can turn off your brain and enjoy, you will not <i>get</i> it here. If you go in thinking that it is going to be like the original film you will not <i>get</i> it here. Unfortunately for the film, the majority of audiences won't <i>get - </i>scratch that - <i>understand </i>what this reboot is. Is it a great film? No. Is it better than the original? It terms of practicality and realism? Yes.<br />
<br />
Will it reinvigorate the franchise? No, but that is because it tries to do something <i>different</i> which is rare in Hollywood now-a-days.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxNotjn35Q9DAppOL-eTB2Ab42_PKIGs6x0aey_k3AptR41Lw0IbF2C861lJCbBZil5927K1YbQGUeHlBPd9J0i6iXcXbSH9K1mHpyZ2ZgOUKNti1eYvhI07DknSNJLKZpMoY3t36eQLh/s1600/Emil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxNotjn35Q9DAppOL-eTB2Ab42_PKIGs6x0aey_k3AptR41Lw0IbF2C861lJCbBZil5927K1YbQGUeHlBPd9J0i6iXcXbSH9K1mHpyZ2ZgOUKNti1eYvhI07DknSNJLKZpMoY3t36eQLh/s1600/Emil.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Agree? Disagree? Let me know what you thought of the movie. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-86985521737036759212014-02-05T09:18:00.001-08:002014-02-05T09:19:39.238-08:00IS THE ROCK GREEN LANTERN?You may remember a while back, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson tweeted that he was talking to Warner Bros and DC Comics about some badassery of some sort. There has been much speculation as to who he could be playing in either the Man of Steel sequel, Justice League or possibly a stand-alone film. Some have thought that he would be playing Shazam but there have been rumors that Warner Bros thought the character was too close to Superman. Others have speculated that he could be playing an older Cyborg. An interesting thought especially with the Justice League rumors swirling about.<br />
<br />
But then the Rock Insta'd this on Instagram:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8E5chSyiJ8Fza55-NokilKbBu7OPnSCKio2k_QZEEQknv_SUJwrVnAJlJflMPK04mkA0ISZrl0bWrEIUVxsO6p4ylK5EXDaWBSofU5nIqGHEH4POXrCtELxo1btNe-fcV1BW1nGLEqRTv/s1600/Screen-Shot-2014-02-04-at-3.58.27-PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8E5chSyiJ8Fza55-NokilKbBu7OPnSCKio2k_QZEEQknv_SUJwrVnAJlJflMPK04mkA0ISZrl0bWrEIUVxsO6p4ylK5EXDaWBSofU5nIqGHEH4POXrCtELxo1btNe-fcV1BW1nGLEqRTv/s1600/Screen-Shot-2014-02-04-at-3.58.27-PM.png" height="380" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The last hashtag reads, "<b>#JohnStewartCanStillWhupSupermansAss</b>”<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
It's surprising that the internet hasn't exploded like it does with every casting announcement/rumor that comes out of the Man of Steel sequel and or Justice League machine. But this tidbit could be hinting at the fact that the Rock may be playing Hal Jordan's one time replacement and future partner John Stewart.<br />
<br />
For many, John Stewart is THE Green Lantern. A large fan base grew up watching Justice League: Unlimited where John was a member of the Justice League, while the comic book fans grew up when Hal Jordan was dead. Some have even blamed this fact for Green Lantern the movie's failings. That audiences didn't know who Hal Jordan was, leaving them uninterested.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjahNFjQM1_ubfuZBKfbdGq0XOaX8kB4njY6jL1klWhCNLoEyeFfBcZTQm8YUjI4XS-kfAu09xzJ_4D-j1QN29-r01q9fnpppeELs2WAc_Xb86ykRXho5UpG7ehbqyByQ6zx7iPCYGJ8xT/s1600/Dwayne-Johnson-Green-Lantern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjahNFjQM1_ubfuZBKfbdGq0XOaX8kB4njY6jL1klWhCNLoEyeFfBcZTQm8YUjI4XS-kfAu09xzJ_4D-j1QN29-r01q9fnpppeELs2WAc_Xb86ykRXho5UpG7ehbqyByQ6zx7iPCYGJ8xT/s1600/Dwayne-Johnson-Green-Lantern.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
If this Insta has any truth to it, it could mean big things for the Justice League movie. The Rock certainly has the military look that John Stewart rocks on his resume. He also looks like a goddamn superhero more than anyone on the planet. He would even make Henry Cavill look small.<br />
<br />
But as in every movie that the Rock is cast in, herein lies the problem. The Rock has such a personality, that you can't call celebrity, beyond his films that casting him is basically casting the Rock and not the character you're looking for. The reason that they could use someone like the Rock in the Justice League movie is that they seem to be doing the reverse of what Marvel Studios has done with their franchises. They are starting big and working out.<br />
<br />
Marvel made Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, and Chris Evans stars (albeit RDJ was already fairly big and back on the upswing) before they made Avengers. Starting with the Justice League, it sounds like the film makers think it would require the stars to already be established so that the audiences would buy into them. It's a smart move, but its also a very polarizing move.<br />
<br />
I for one think that the Rock would be a good John Stewart, but I also worry that his persona will get in the way. Also, the guy is 41. Besides Henry and Gal, the Justice League is rounding out its roster with older actors that are only getting older. Do they really want to begin what could be one of the biggest franchises out their in the hands of these "actors"?<br />
<br />
As always, we complain about these casting choices and then are proven wrong when the film actually is released. So we can only wait and see.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNke-S_2QpbSeSx-cWtvDFPAgXFHex5dmmmTJARoX4r5xuoMku963F3ndi893t7MISMomNaK4Z1kVOMB3xEF1mP8rVc0KXKLoPlq8gHuIVftO84W1EokcCplV9O82Tp6oEL4Pjnh1YQhn/s1600/212377-Header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkNke-S_2QpbSeSx-cWtvDFPAgXFHex5dmmmTJARoX4r5xuoMku963F3ndi893t7MISMomNaK4Z1kVOMB3xEF1mP8rVc0KXKLoPlq8gHuIVftO84W1EokcCplV9O82Tp6oEL4Pjnh1YQhn/s1600/212377-Header.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Stay tuned for more updates on the Man of Steel sequel or Batman vs Superman and the Justice League movie developments right here on the Machine!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-13722150307821313222014-01-29T07:41:00.001-08:002014-01-29T07:41:20.545-08:00CM Punk Walks Out on the WWE<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKVzMi220hqm39e4ZskhrcfEuXT0W1mI5f-U9WGv9-CajeFh8yCnSUNzUdxUI7Ug4u-4awLXfti6yDsCfRp0hDDEC6bgcFxUFczZcEbMHz2kLwj5bf9EB94-HiYRJJI0addKkQJFq8XqI/s1600/RAW_1038_Photo_154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXKVzMi220hqm39e4ZskhrcfEuXT0W1mI5f-U9WGv9-CajeFh8yCnSUNzUdxUI7Ug4u-4awLXfti6yDsCfRp0hDDEC6bgcFxUFczZcEbMHz2kLwj5bf9EB94-HiYRJJI0addKkQJFq8XqI/s1600/RAW_1038_Photo_154.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
And so the saga continues. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
According to credible source (the Internet), following the Royal Rumble match where CM Punk was this years Iron Man, Punk told Vince McMahon that he was going home. He hasn't been back for either Raw or Smackdown and there has been no word on his return or retirement.<br />
<br />
It's easy to imagine Punk being unhappy with the company following his 434 day title reign. Losing to the Rock was the first HUGE nail in the coffin, followed by the hurriedly Undertaker feud (which turned out to be the best match of last year's Westlemania). But since then Punk has struggled to stay on top when the likes of John Cena and Randy Orton and now Batista are basically given the title.<br />
<br />
John Cena had a work a few weeks back where he tore Randy Orton apart. It was the closest thing Cena will ever do that will come close to CM Punk's infamous Pipe Bomb. He called out Randy's real life backstage troubles, and how he has been given chance after chance while guys that have earned it like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan get pushed to the side.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.f4wonline.com/component/content/article/112-wrestling-observer/35190-jan-28-observer-radio-breaking-news-audio-bryan-alvarez-and-dave-meltzer-talk-about-departure-of-cm-punk-from-wwe-what-happened-where-to-go-from-here-bryan-vs-hhh-potential-other-possible-mania-ideas-more" target="_blank">Dave Meltzer provided some details on a breaking news edition of Wrestling Observer Radio</a>:
<br />
<blockquote>
<i>"It's funny that it took so
long to come out because he did it right before Raw started. I guess the
deal is he told Vince McMahon that he was going home and he went home.
And they were not expecting that to happen. People had certainly
expected that he was going to leave in July. They could see that it was
coming, he was getting burned out, the signs were there. I had heard
about it for quite a while that he was theoretically going to leave in
July, but I always take that with a grain of salt because you know how
many guys say 'I'm retiring' in pro wrestling and then when the day
comes they don't. It's hard to walk away because there's so much money.</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>
</i><div class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph4">
<i>"The thing with him is he's
very different from a lot of the guys in the sense that he saved his
money, which is a big thing, and he didn't need them, in his mind. I
think that most of these guys... because a lot of these guys are
frustrated, not all of them but a lot of them, but at the end of the day
they don't complain and they're afraid to say anything. I don't want to
say he's not afraid to say anything but he spoke his mind more than
anyone else and he didn't have a fear of being fired because if he's
fired, what's going to happen? He's going to have more free time and
he's going to be able to rest up his injuries, and he doesn't have that
financial concern.</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph5">
<i>...</i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="pgh-paragraph" id="paragraph6">
<i>"I have no idea what the straw
was that broke the camel's back in the last couple of days other than it
happened. But it wasn't one thing, that I can tell you. It's been
building up for a year, maybe a little less than a year maybe even more
than a year. What I do know obviously is he wanted to be the top guy in
the company and as long as John Cena was there it was not going to
happen. He went heel when he was a very strong babyface because of the
idea that he could be the number one heel. ... Whatever it was, I can't
tell you more, I just know that he didn't need it and the guy's that
don't need it have a different mentality than the guy's who need it."</i></div>
</blockquote>
This issue probably goes back to when Punk first won the title and left after his match with Cena at Money in the Bank. Punk is the kind of guy that isn't afraid to speak his mind and has enough money to walk away from the machine for a while if not indefinitely. The WWE needs him more than he needs it. Is this saying that he will be gone forever, probably not. But this isn't completely unexpected with Punk ever the revolutionary. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8GEsRYbP-OscfP0bwfEvzsInMt01nuyi5ZGcMdIJvbS7S_CQaAufr6QjB7RqU2GqV5g7L0bd8lrGAst7PyBu3pQVNrwhyQ-tUbTZWJVPmKotw0HbLmGH_mee0afe4eN2XY_5IXyzuXcre/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8GEsRYbP-OscfP0bwfEvzsInMt01nuyi5ZGcMdIJvbS7S_CQaAufr6QjB7RqU2GqV5g7L0bd8lrGAst7PyBu3pQVNrwhyQ-tUbTZWJVPmKotw0HbLmGH_mee0afe4eN2XY_5IXyzuXcre/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Only time will tell what will happen with Punk. Check back with The Machine for any updates on this story as it progresses.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-76155566083978598272014-01-28T10:32:00.000-08:002014-01-28T10:34:31.943-08:00Presenting The Future Machine Presents Tumblr!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe9BYIi96vxw8lGKkTA636epPzB6ytvMt4CHKPBZ3KU_pKJWFiD5KSXh0JJ003AI4fElUXHqVWVnFLf3mBnO_p6LrBzNFDPbZ2OIIGlXb0eFIY6yrEtw9cIA_i8565sW5iF6M9EbQ-0JV/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe9BYIi96vxw8lGKkTA636epPzB6ytvMt4CHKPBZ3KU_pKJWFiD5KSXh0JJ003AI4fElUXHqVWVnFLf3mBnO_p6LrBzNFDPbZ2OIIGlXb0eFIY6yrEtw9cIA_i8565sW5iF6M9EbQ-0JV/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" height="138" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Now introducing the brand-new Future Machine tumblr!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thefuturemachinepresents.tumblr.com/">Click here! </a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-56040233553208772172014-01-27T09:49:00.000-08:002014-01-27T09:49:17.493-08:00The Unreality of the WWE: A 2014 Royal Rumble Review<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSaAdQwOSLpHcLTJaRla3947ihERnPVEUbkHvoVmHsrORbWEGTg2iiAqiT6douDKQLIxuk9O0RAfkq1yYhmdR6AZTkqV_FG5JReB0bz8Yk5Hvcmd1DXW28i1kMSmmCpUZRWXjOePUuG-3/s1600/20131217132643!Royal_Rumble_2014_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSaAdQwOSLpHcLTJaRla3947ihERnPVEUbkHvoVmHsrORbWEGTg2iiAqiT6douDKQLIxuk9O0RAfkq1yYhmdR6AZTkqV_FG5JReB0bz8Yk5Hvcmd1DXW28i1kMSmmCpUZRWXjOePUuG-3/s1600/20131217132643!Royal_Rumble_2014_poster.jpg" height="255" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Three! Two! One!<br />
<br />
FEED. ME. MORE.<br />
<br />
The spoon fed catchphrase issues forth as the 26th entrant in the 2014 Royal Rumble comes barreling down the entrance ramp, shirt exploding as he enters the ring. A year removed from being one of the last men standing in the Royal Rumble with the full support of the crowd to beat John Cena for a chance to headline Wrestlemania, Ryback now induced an arena-wide cringe. Though Ryback has fallen from grace in the eyes of the fans and the WWE, the anxiety that his entrance brought was due to the fact that only four more entrants were left and there was no sight of the most over superstar on the WWE roster.<br />
<br />
Daniel Bryan.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
According to the pizza-math that the entire audience was doing at that moment based on the Rumble promo played earlier, the last four spots were the following in no particular order: Batista, Rey Mysterio, Big E. Langston and Alberto Del Rio. But wait, where is Daniel Bryan? Where is the superstar that deserves a trip to the big dance more than anyone? Where is the justice?!<br />
<br />
Last minute rationale then started to set in as the WWE Universe tried to come up with some way that Daniel Bryan can still emerge and claim what is rightfully his. But when the WWE makes up it's mind about what WE want, there is no going back. Rumors had permeated the internet that the deal Batista signed was for two years of appearances which included a Wrestlemania main event. Once again, the WWE is bringing in a "transcendent" movie star to pimp Wrestlemania to the uninitiated. Like the Rock, Brock, and Hogan, Batista is this year's superstar to come in and steal the championship from one of the superstars on the WWE roster that deserves it. Once this fact truly set in beyond the point of no return when Alberto Del Rio entered, the hot crowd of Pittsburgh knew what was in store. And then the Daniel Bryan chants started.<br />
<br />
Once it was down to the last three combatants, Roman Reigns, Sheamus and Batista, the crowds displeasure had reached a crescendo. Sheamus was set up for the Brogue kick by smacking her pearly white chest and shouting Brogue with the crowd, or so he thought. In reality the crowd was chanting "No!", another of Bryan's catchphrases that devolved into boos. Sheamus looked out to the crowd in disbelief as they had lost the WWE Universe to their own system, leaving only hate and dissatisfaction. The fact that the crowd and the WWE Universe as a whole could hold on to hope that Reigns might win was only enough to stem the tide of boos for a few fleeting moments until Batista dispatched him.<br />
<br />
And it isn't the fact that the WWE Universe hates Batista, it has nothing to do with him as a superstar or a celebrity. It's what he represents in the WWE and the Wrestlemania system that Vince employs when the Royal Rumble comes around. It's the fact that Batista can come back and steal the coveted title shot without even seeing one of the men that truly earned it throughout the year. Batista is just the scapegoat for this problem. It wouldn't matter who won the Rumble, as long as it wasn't Daniel Bryan. The fans were going to be unhappy.<br />
<br />
The fact of matter is that the WWE Universe doesn't need to get what it wants all the time. If it did, Cena wouldn't be working in the company and Raw would consist of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk matches over and over again. But the disconnect between what the WWE thinks the fans what and what they give them is so off that the fact that JBL, Fandango, Alexander Rusev, and the Uso's got a spot in the Rumble over Daniel Bryan is sickening. <br />
<br />
To really sum up what the WWE did last night to it's fans and itself, one needs only to look at what happened as Batista left the ring. Showered with boos from the crowd, Batista made his way out of the arena while high-fiving fans. One fan in particular flipped him the bird twice and Batista stopped in his tracks, returned the favor and stood there for 20 seconds staring the fan down. This in essence it was the WWE machine does at this time of year. It is saying f you, this is what you want and this is what we are giving you. You will like it, pay for it, and accept it because we are in control and you are not.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEC8z6gtAxojBPLQavuZIF9UXiVTWxBzOjKUV4-wiecYSGDTKdU88IX4MaZT4dBAAUrIFloOWbLBKK-Z-HX03Q0GhUk3lz6xLLXVmD0_FOL7hc-2xXu04QiUdObBMlWIG0en5upaWK27h9/s1600/tweets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEC8z6gtAxojBPLQavuZIF9UXiVTWxBzOjKUV4-wiecYSGDTKdU88IX4MaZT4dBAAUrIFloOWbLBKK-Z-HX03Q0GhUk3lz6xLLXVmD0_FOL7hc-2xXu04QiUdObBMlWIG0en5upaWK27h9/s1600/tweets.jpg" height="320" width="253" /></a></div>
<br />
This is the sad unreality of the WWE when on the Road to Wrestlemania. Vince and the machine reaches across all mediums and news platforms to grand his company and saturate the market as much as possible with the show of shows. It works, which is unfortunate for the WWE Universe. But what is most unfortunate for fans is that they will always come back for more, hopeful that they will finally get what they want.<br />
<br />
But if this Royal Rumble is a sign of things to come, the fans are once again set up for disappointment.<br />
<br />
Rumble Rating: 4 out of 10<br />
<br />
Disappointment Rating: 10 out of 10<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15893159135449451027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-40101572870152702642013-11-06T12:14:00.000-08:002013-11-06T12:14:35.538-08:00THERAPY WITH BATMAN - LISTENING<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbA3PxDwFbttqSBfiCIDfD-P_tgbHpeeYKW7v06L8fHK_esTZI8S21tk9iJy7mT4FgXOPkEpVKRJscM10xS-hjLdhvB_tNhzHdZTcLOwkYj0yyyko5pxD0ml0Of8658zKY_3dQtM9juYo/s1600/Therapy+Batman+Catwoman.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbA3PxDwFbttqSBfiCIDfD-P_tgbHpeeYKW7v06L8fHK_esTZI8S21tk9iJy7mT4FgXOPkEpVKRJscM10xS-hjLdhvB_tNhzHdZTcLOwkYj0yyyko5pxD0ml0Of8658zKY_3dQtM9juYo/s640/Therapy+Batman+Catwoman.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />TKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010563237906194240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-45856441553772230932013-10-30T15:41:00.001-07:002013-10-30T15:43:51.048-07:00THERAPY WITH BATMAN: RESPECT<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxMfxO7fIITTt_xvvB1GCs3ztkXJoztoSJr7fm5qtFiSq6d_EkmdHyWBigs5gflilNVDamJd09_TyIh7BWmbL10fCeKkuXxsnvGanJ4LB3wav-vQBtbjY2uIBS1uCSK2PgVCvfMVIRtQ/s1600/New+Therapy+With+Batman.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZxMfxO7fIITTt_xvvB1GCs3ztkXJoztoSJr7fm5qtFiSq6d_EkmdHyWBigs5gflilNVDamJd09_TyIh7BWmbL10fCeKkuXxsnvGanJ4LB3wav-vQBtbjY2uIBS1uCSK2PgVCvfMVIRtQ/s640/New+Therapy+With+Batman.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TO ENLARGE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />TKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010563237906194240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-53210573997906932712013-10-23T10:29:00.000-07:002013-10-23T10:29:35.116-07:00THERAPY WITH BATMAN: FATHERS<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2NJfVtaUAMLPvhz7Fh2vxZDMrdz6rbqyCiQNzxie6LzKzgg_uc2EUXc7X1Kv5D1jwuNLKFDmvcqdDFracfq4M4gL-8rrlShPWTXyUXTJPG3n5hxiMLVJGj-3f_qYJT9ZEccf9vpEhYM/s1600/Therapy+With+Batman+Fathers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2NJfVtaUAMLPvhz7Fh2vxZDMrdz6rbqyCiQNzxie6LzKzgg_uc2EUXc7X1Kv5D1jwuNLKFDmvcqdDFracfq4M4gL-8rrlShPWTXyUXTJPG3n5hxiMLVJGj-3f_qYJT9ZEccf9vpEhYM/s640/Therapy+With+Batman+Fathers.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />TKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010563237906194240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-5695129397934209152013-10-18T21:21:00.000-07:002013-10-18T21:21:22.240-07:00Therapy With Batman (10/18/2013) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pz3yV3mL-D9oVWMwJl7ZCNk67xdhceLnMN1ND1PL1VPaT3rQQplGWB1L3jQ0JoPQjX4olLS-oqizvSPGnUf5qGww3f6A4cS549ZC5Go_cx6h0TpTgwRhRAaPrt5g-HeW2wcBI5f94RM/s1600/therapy+with+batman+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pz3yV3mL-D9oVWMwJl7ZCNk67xdhceLnMN1ND1PL1VPaT3rQQplGWB1L3jQ0JoPQjX4olLS-oqizvSPGnUf5qGww3f6A4cS549ZC5Go_cx6h0TpTgwRhRAaPrt5g-HeW2wcBI5f94RM/s640/therapy+with+batman+4.png" width="640" /></a></div>
TKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010563237906194240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6993508956486847768.post-47651104141633997692013-10-15T22:22:00.000-07:002013-10-15T22:22:15.466-07:00Therapy With Batman (10/16/13)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6_Tww-uJ5MQxMHPmydRP1RNwUHABdD4Mop1t4HEkpcUaK1Y_6pBQZF7AV5og7CXLqh_Wi41y9z6AKg2cLBny1NkwajnWMoZF6VMANMYLW80vPnf3kGjmli1REZ3LP8x60SrAlEtgLCE/s1600/Batman+Therapy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6_Tww-uJ5MQxMHPmydRP1RNwUHABdD4Mop1t4HEkpcUaK1Y_6pBQZF7AV5og7CXLqh_Wi41y9z6AKg2cLBny1NkwajnWMoZF6VMANMYLW80vPnf3kGjmli1REZ3LP8x60SrAlEtgLCE/s640/Batman+Therapy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />TKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010563237906194240noreply@blogger.com1