Royal Canadian Mint Launches Justice League Coin Collection at 2017 Central Canada Comic Con

2018 25-Cent Lenticular Coin - The Justice League

The Royal Canadian Mint is celebrating pop culture with comic book fans from all over the country attending Central Canada Comic Con (C4) by introducing its new Justice League series of coloured coins, crafted in cupro-nickel, gold and silver, which feature artwork specially conceived by Canadians Justice League artists Jason Fabok and Brad Anderson. 

• Comic book super hero fans attending C4 from October 27 to 29, 2017 can be among the first to get their hands on these finely crafted collectibles.

2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin - The Justice League - Complete packaging -
The Flash and Wonder Woman

This 2018-dated Justice League collection consists of the following:

• a 25-cent cupro-nickel lenticular coin animating all six members of the Justice League
• a trio of 1oz. fine silver coins with a $20 face value, each featuring a pairing of super heroes (Cyborg and Superman; Batman and Aquaman; The Flash and Wonder Woman)
• a $30 fine silver coin celebrating "The World's Greatest Super Heroes"
• a $100 14-Karat gold coin entitled "United We Stand".

2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin - The Justice League - Complete packaging -
Batman and Aquaman

• Mintages, pricing and full background information on each coin can be found on the "Shop" tab of www.mint.ca.

2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin - The Justice League - Complete packaging -
Cyborg and Superman

Comic book super hero fans will be able to meet the artists at the Mint booth during the following times:

• Friday October 27, from 3 pm to 6 pm
• Saturday, October 28, from 10 am to noon
• Sunday October 29, from 10 am to noon

2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin - The Justice League - The World's Greatest Super Heroes

2018 $100 14-Karat Gold Coin - The Justice League - United We Stand

The Cards:

Cyborg, Superman and Aquaman

The Flash, Batman and Wonder Woman

SOURCE: Royal Canadian Mint

Move Over Batgirl, Our Superheroine Is Just A Normal Human Being

Feline revolution. Ursula Dorada/Angela Sprecher/MSCSI

By Will Brooker, Kingston University

Warner Bros has announced that Joss Whedon will be directing a new Batgirl movie. On one hand, I’m delighted, because the superhero genre needs more leading women, and Batgirl is one of the most undeveloped but deserving characters in the DC Comics universe. But I’m also wary, because Batgirl has already taken more than her fair share of abuse over the years, and I really want to see her treated with respect.

First introduced in 1967, Barbara “Batgirl” Gordon spent 20 years as a token figure of women’s liberation before being violently retired in 1988 in Alan Moore’s notorious short story The Killing Joke, in which she was shot in the spine and paralysed, then sexually assaulted by the Joker. Having been transformed into the computer expert and information broker Oracle – her disability making her a different kind of icon – Barbara was relaunched as Batgirl in 2011, in full costume and with the use of her legs restored.

My relationship with Batgirl began when I finished with Batman. If that sounds like a break-up, that’s also how it felt: I studied Batman for my PhD, and three years of obsessive connection with the Dark Knight became my first book in 2000. After a long break, I wrote another book in 2012 on Batman’s 21st century incarnations. By that point I was done with Batman. So I started researching Batgirl, and wrote a few articles about her unrealised potential.

Batgirl’s first outing. Detective Comics Vol 1 359/DC Comics

Like no PhD I know
Batgirl, from her first appearance onwards, was also a PhD student, but never really seemed like one. One autumn day, I led a class for new doctoral students. As is often the case in the humanities, they were all young women: diverse, demanding, enthusiastic and incredibly intelligent. They were nothing like Batgirl.

During the lunch break, I wandered down to the local comic shop. The covers of the comics were glossy. The costumes on the covers were glossy. The women on the covers were contorted into cleavage-exposing, soft-porn poses. The young men running the shop looked up from their games console and stared at me as if I’d walked into their house. I walked out without buying anything. If I, a fortysomething, male author of Batman books, felt unwelcome in their shop, how would the average young woman feel?

I began to feel that if Batgirl was a PhD student, then she should be written like one. And so I set about building a better Batgirl. Rather than criticising comics from the outside, I decided to try making my own, to show how it could be done differently – and done better.

I wrote scripts and commissioned art from almost entirely female creators in order to reverse the usual male-dominated dynamic: one of the illustrators was my former PhD student Sarah Zaidan, the other artist Suze Shore. The idea was to re-imagine Batgirl as an incredibly intelligent young woman, living in a shared house in a hip, arty neighbourhood, and piecing together her costume from the kind of thing you could find in local shops – black boots, a ribbed sweatshirt, a rucksack. Her logo was yellow paint, sprayed through a stencil.

My so-called secret identity

Cat, heroine of My So Called Secret Identity. Susan Shore/MSCSI

But I realised the project could be bigger than just a hypothetical example of what comics could be like. I changed it to become its own story, with its own characters in its own world, and launched it online as My So-Called Secret Identity in 2013. The response was extraordinary. It was as if people had been waiting for it: comics’ blogs embraced it, mainstream newspapers and magazines featured it, artists and writers praised it. The Daily Dot announced that: “My So-Called Secret Identity will change your view on women in comics.”

How did we create a character so different from other superheroines? It was radically simple: we wrote and drew her as a normal human. Cat isn’t incredibly fit, or incredibly glamorous: she’s refreshingly average. She gets nervous around new people, and becomes exhausted running up stairs. She sometimes wears a dress and heels, and sometimes falls asleep dribbling on her hoodie.

At some points in her story she’s muscular and slim, at others she’s heavier and curvier. We see her in her bra at the gym, and fully-covered in her superhero costume. The whole point is her normality. What makes her exceptional is her intelligence: her ability to join the dots, make connections and see the links between things, illustrated by Sarah Zaidan through the comic’s complex MindMaps. For Cat, smart is a superpower.

Smart can be a superpower. Suze Shore/Sarah Zaidan/MSCSI

Four years later, My So-Called Secret Identity has expanded to four print volumes, and the whole story is still available free online as we always planned. The art team is still dominated by women – Suze Shore, Samantha LeBas, Ursula Dorada, Jennie Gyllblad, Angela Sprecher – and I share the writing credits with new authors, who submit stories from their own cultural experiences – for example, as a black woman, a trans woman, or a British Asian woman. As a white male writer, it was important for me to offer a platform to others who could tell those stories better than I ever could.

Leaving an impression

Have we changed things? It’s hard to say. Both Marvel and DC have strived for greater diversity in terms of who they employ and the way minority groups are depicted. But in many ways, comics continue just as before.

The Killing Joke was adapted into an animated film last year, its gratuitous depiction of Barbara’s sexual assault now queasily echoed by a sex scene between her and Batman. The abusive relationship between Joker and his partner Harley Quinn gained a new prominence and popularity through 2016’s Suicide Squad: she started out wearing a full bodysuit in the style of superheroes (or villains), but her costume has now been reduced to a “daddy-issues” T-shirt and tiny hotpants.

Harley Quinn impersonators in the run-up to the launch of Suicide Squad. 

Batgirl, in turn, was rebooted in 2014 by DC Comics: the new version lived in a shared house in a hip, arty neighbourhood, and pieced together her costume from local shops. Her logo was yellow paint, sprayed through a stencil. I like to think we might have somehow shaped that interpretation. And Joss Whedon’s new movie is said to be based on this recent DC interpretation of Batgirl, which means that, indirectly, My So-Called Secret Identity is a contributory part of its cultural DNA. I’m glad to see Batgirl get her place in the spotlight. But Barbara and I have history: I hope this time DC does her justice.

About Today's Contributor:
Will Brooker, Professor of Film and Cultural Studies, Kingston University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. 

Upcoming New Superhero Movies

With their collection of super powers, superior fighting skills, great looks and victorious nature, superheroes are attractive to kids and the young at heart. Their colorful costumes and often unique residences keep us entertained and inspired at the same time.

Examples of superheroes include:
• Superman
• Spiderman
• Batman
• The flash
• Aquaman
• Wonder Woman

Every superhero has a nemesis. In most cases, the nemesis is just as impressive as the superhero and whenever they fight, it is a sight to behold. Originally presented in comic books, superheroes now grace the big screen thanks to Hollywood.

This year, there are some upcoming new superhero movies to look forward to. Read on to learn more.

The Lego Batman Movie
Many kids have played with Legos and loved the experience. Now, Batman is about to be expressed in Lego format for you.

The Lego Batman Movie is slated for release on February 20, 2017. It will be directed by Chris McKay and features Mariah Carey, Zach Galifianakis and Ralph Fiennes as part of the cast. The director plans to show the dark, crime-fighting, caped crusader in Lego form against his arch-nemesis, the Joker.

This movie is bound to attract audiences worldwide.

Logan
The X-Men are famous superheroes who save the world with their mutant powers. Wolverine is one among them who has received his own movie spin-off story and it has caught on like wildfire.

On March 3, 2017, Logan will be released. It is the last of a series of movies featuring the clawed mutant. Hugh Jackman again takes the lead as Wolverine for the last time. He is supported by Patrick Stewart, Boyd Holbrook, Richard E. Grant among others.

Directed by James Mangold, Logan will explore the later years of the Wolverine and maybe even introduce a new mutant to the world, X-23. It is definitely worth the watch!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
The first movie about the Guardians of the Galaxy was received with wide international acclaim. In this one, director James Gunn hopes to make a splash again with a deeper story and some surprise appearances too. The cast for this movie includes Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel and others.

The movie explores the parents of the Star Lord and introduces a new, adorable character, Baby Groot.

Wonder Woman
This is the first superhero movie ever to have a woman as the lead character and a female director too. Gal Gadot makes history playing the role of the iconic Wonder Woman while Patty Jenkins will sit in the director's chair.

Wonder Woman first showed up in Superman: Dawn of Justice and is slated to appear in the Justice League movie too. However, she appears in her own movie first. It tells the story of a World War 1 soldier who washes on the paradise island of Diana Prince. He tells her of the war going on in the outside world and Wonder Woman swoops in to save the day.

The movie is slated for released on June 2, 2017 and will feature Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Elena Ayana and Danny Huston among others.

Justice League
This is one of the most anticipated superhero movies of the year, find more information about it on our blog. Its release is planned to be on November 17, 2017.

The movie wil be directed by the legendary Zack Snyder. It will have a star studded cast of Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Jeremy Irons, Ezra Miller and others. Produced by Warner Bros., the movie will depict this group of superheroes fighting against an evil brought forward by Steppenwolf who was summoned by Lex Luthor to earth.

It is bound to be a big screen blockbuster and fans are at the edge of their seats in anticipation.

Conclusion
Superhero movies bring a fantastic world of wonder into cinemas and living rooms. These characters inspire and empower. We look up to them and believe in them too. This year, there is a slew of new movies from this genre that is bound to satisfy even the most ardent fans.

These are just a taste of the expected releases for 2017.

About Today's Contributor:
This article was prepared by Gaetano Esposito, he is a famous avid traveler and wild life lover.

Batman v Superman: G2A Proves Once Again That #Gamers Have Hearts!

This unique Batmobile PC casemod (a computer inside a customized case), was designed for the joint G2A MSI and Gaming for Good charity auction. (PRNewsFoto/G2A.COM)

G2A.COM is a multi-award-winning marketplace with over 30 000 digital gaming products. As part of its ongoing commitment to Virtual Reality research and development, G2A has worked with leading computer hardware manufacturer MSI to create an application using Virtual Reality technology to promote the 'Batman v. Superman' movie. It is called the 'Gotham VR' application and allows players to drive the Batman's motorcycle and see Gotham City.

The Batmobile Travels Across Istanbul's Newest Bosphorus Bridge

Batmobile Cross-Continental Ride (PRNewsFoto/Turkish Airlines)

The cross-continental journey is the first-ever and longest-ever real world ride for the Batmobile 

Turkish Airlines brought the world-famous, iconic Batmobile to Istanbul to travel cross-continental for the first time via the newest Bosphorus bridge to celebrate the release of Warner Bros. Pictures' highly anticipated action adventure movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Who Cares About Batman Vs Superman? Wonder Woman Finally Steals The Show

© Warner Brothers

By Amanda Potter, The Open University

Batman Vs Superman: The Dawn of Justice has received a frosty critical reception, to say the least. Despite this, I found myself coming away from the cinema filled with hope. Certainly not for either of the titular characters – who have never been less inspiring. Instead, the future finally seems bright for superwomen. Although Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) is given far less screen time than her male counterparts (and is not even referred to as Wonder Woman), she steals the show when she appears in superhero costume for the finale.

Wonder Woman initially appears as a nameless beautiful woman of mystery, dressed in a succession of slinky backless dresses and gold jewellery – including what could turn out to be her signature bullet-stopping bracelets. Gadot is also known for being Miss Israel, linking her with former beauty pageant winner, Miss World Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman in the 1970s television series.

Rather than concentrating on this link, however, interviews have been keen to play up Gadot’s two years' military service as a suitable grounding for a superheroine. Gadot’s Wonder Woman is admired by Ben Affleck’s Batman, but she is not cast as his love interest.

Not-too-subtle clues are given to Wonder Woman’s identity, and they are grounded in the world of Greek mythology. She first appears at a party where villain Lex Luthor is making a speech about Prometheus and Zeus. Her second appearance is in a museum, looking at a (fake) sword used by Alexander the Great to cut the Gordian knot. We learn from a flight attendant that her name is Miss Prince, and she tells Batman that she has avoided the world of men for 100 years, but returns to help in the end. This is a Wonder Woman who likes to go her own way.

Amazon origins
The character of Wonder Woman was originally conceived by US psychologist William Moulton Marston in 1941 for what would become DC Comics. Wonder Woman, known by her alias Diana Prince, is Princess Diana of the Amazons, a tribe of women living on Paradise Island.

According to Greek mythology, the Amazons were warrior women who lived in the Black Sea area, on the edges of the ancient Greek known world. They would take local men as lovers for the purpose of procreation, but would only keep female children.

Unlike Greek women, they hunted and fought battles. In literature and art they are often used to epitomise the opposite of what it meant to be Greek and civilised. Archaeological evidence has been found in the modern Ukraine of women from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE buried with horses and weapons. It is now believed that nomadic Scythian women who lived in the Eurasian Steppes did in fact hunt and fight, leading to the origins of the myth of the Amazons.

Diana Price. © Warner Brothers

In the comics and in the Warner Bros Wonder Woman television series that aired from 1975-1979, starring Lynda Carter, Wonder Woman’s potential as a female superhero is impaired by romance. In the original story, she falls in love with US military intelligence officer Steve Trevor, whose plane crashes on the island, and returns with him to 1940s America, where she helps to fight the Nazis and other criminals. Her romantic relationship with Trevor holds her back.

This positioning in relation to a male hero is also a defining feature of the Amazons from Greek mythology. Although seen as brave warriors, skilled at fighting, they ultimately exist to be defeated, conferring heroic status on the male heroes who kill or pacify them. Heracles (Hercules) takes the belt of Hippolyte, the Queen of the Amazons, as one of his labours. Theseus abducts an Amazon Queen (either Antiope or Hippolyte). Achilles defeats Penthiselea in the Trojan War, falling in love with her at the moment she dies at his hands.

None of this for Wonder Woman. © Warner Brothers

I feared that the latest incarnation of Wonder Woman would be similarly defined in relation to men. But Wonder Woman’s latest incarnation is confident and self-sufficient. In a film where the other female characters, Lois Lane and Martha Kent, are used and cast in the roles of female victims who need to be saved, the appearance of a Wonder Woman who is more than a match for the male superheroes leaves me with hope that finally we will see a female superhero who can live up to her potential. Let’s just hope that the Wonder Woman feature (to be released in 2017) does the same.


About Today's Contributor
Amanda Potter, Visiting Research Fellow, The Open University



This article was originally published on The Conversation. 

Holy Infographic, Batman! - Wayne Manor Vs Fortress of Solitude

For decades (since they both first appeared in comics, really), people have been debating over who is better, Batman or Superman... 

Today's (quite funny and full of interesting info) infographic is taking the debate to a brand new level by asking "who has the best home?"

Our friends at Cast Iron Radiators 4u have put themselves into the mind of a realtor in the DC Comics universe to try and figure out which of these two giants of the comic book world has the coolest bachelor pad. 

To do this they’ve looked at the history of the Fortress of Solitude and Wayne Manor (and the Batcave, obviously) to see which has the most impressive features, the best location, and the most potential for the non-superhero buyer.

Enjoy...

Loup Dargent

Batman's Manor (and Batcave) Vs Superman's Fortress of Solitude

The Infographic

Wayne Manor vs Fortress of Solitude by Cast Iron Radiators 4u.

More Batman and Superman Stories

For more Batman related stories, click here...

For more Superman related stories, click here...

The One:12 Collective Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice Wows Collectors

The new line of collector-grade, super articulated action figures from The One:12 Collective is a "game changer" according to collectors. (PRNewsFoto/Mezco Toyz)

During their annual Toy Fair Preview at their world headquarters in New York last week, Mezco revealed their latest additions to The One:12 Collective, Batman and Superman from the Dawn Of Justice.

The Evolution Of The Batmobile [Infographic]

Holy Batmobile's History, Batman!

Today's amazing infographic (courtesy of the team at BookMyGarage.com) details the history of the Caped Crusader's iconic car from its earliest incarnation to the very latest version...

Surprisingly enough, it was not until the 1966 TV series that the first real Batmobile appeared. (In the 1930s and early 40s Batman’s car was just a bulk standard red convertible with elongated wings and a bat emblem on the front.)

The 1966s TV series' Batmobile was actually a converted Ford Lincoln Futura, which was a concept car that never made onto the forecourt. But, it only took three weeks for the car to be transformed into a vehicle that was fit for a mysterious masked crime fighter.

Since then, the Batmobile has evolved and been brought up to date many times to appeal to each new generation.

Enjoy!

Loup Dargent





About Today's Infographic:
The Evolution of the Batmobile by BookMyGarage 

Batman Villains - What Do You Know About Poison Ivy?

It's sad that Pamela Isley, or Poison Ivy, became the way she did because of experiments. While she was taking Biology, her professor seduced her and injected her with poisons and toxins.

This caused Poison Ivy to transform into a plant-like menace to society. One of the Batman villains, Poison Ivy started out as a wealthy girl with parents who could care less. 

After this has happened, Poison Ivy's boyfriend suddenly passes away, and she drops out of school. She is gradually changing from Pamela Isley to Poison Ivy.