Canister X – A.P. Fuchs: Zombie, Paranormal Romance and Superhero Novelist, Blogger, Artist, Publisher

Being a lifelong DC and Superman fan, this new Man of Steel trailer has made me go nuts over a live action superhero movie the likes of which I’ve never been before. The recent Batman movies were very, very good and I was eager to see them, but they didn’t have that element of the fantastic because they’re Batman movies. They’re not supposed to. As cool as the whole Marvel Phase One project was, being a DC fan, there was still something missing for me.

Now that missing piece is in place. Even if Man of Steel is only as good as this trailer, the future of DC heroes on the big screen is going to be something bigger and grander than anything ever unleashed on the world, and Marvel–whose presently the leader–should take notice and should start to worry. DC is killing it in the direct-to-DVD features, something Marvel has just stepped up to with Iron Man: Rise of Technovore. In my opinion, though DC Comics has fewer characters than Marvel–that I’m aware of–the mythology attached to each is more interesting and more vast, easy content for the movieverse.

Enough rambling. The great “Who’s Better? DC or Marvel” debate is one I’ve been having with a friend for a decade and a half. Soon, I won’t need to argue. Man of Steel, Justice League and the others to follow will put an end to it, if this trailer has anything to say about it.

On a side note: I don’t know if the music in the trailer is the official Man of Steel score by Hans Zimmer or not, but following in the footsteps of the great “Superman Theme” from John Williams is no easy feat and the music in this trailer got me going and says to me one name: Superman.

At a place of frustration today. I’m super swamped work-wise and have a crazy amount to do by Oct. 10-11. That’s cut off for about five or six different projects, all presently in progress. Has to be done if I’m to make C4 for both my personal work and the work of others.
Also really frustrated about not smoking. I really want to and feel like a kid whose parents aren’t letting them do whatever they want even though, technically, the kid could do it if they wanted to. You know? That place where you feel stuck and you want to stomp your feet and growl because you hate the solid ache of “GAAAAHHH!” inside yet you know you have a chance to make it go away but feel tied up? Yeah. That’s today.
On the craving front, I’m about the same as yesterday, maybe a bit less, so around a 7.
Today’s attitude is an honest: Quitting smoking is dumb.
Anyway, got to go back to typing up edits. Hope everyone is having a better Saturday than me. Think I’m going to a break and read the latest Justice League comic to make me feel better. This is the one with Superman kissing Wonder Woman on the cover.

I just cannot believe how amazing this looks.

And, you know, even if a Justice League live-action movie never gets off the ground, I’d completely settle for a JLA movie done in CGI if it looks anything like this DCU Online trailer.

So crazy good.

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4 out of 5

Digging deep beneath the planet’s surface, Lexcorp accidentally unearths the merciless killing machine known as Doomsday. Immediately, the behemoth of rage goes on a rampage, destroying everything in its path, and all efforts to stop it fail.

The Man of Steel, learning of the destruction and deaths in Metropolis, takes it upon himself to take the monster down before more lives are lost.

The battle is epic.

The action is huge.

The consequences are dire.

Superman fails, falls . . .

Dies.

Adapted from the biggest and most shocking comic book story of all time, Superman: Doomsday is the emotional and action-packed tale of the life, death and return of the world’s greatest superhero.

This story is dark, and not just because Superman dies. This isn’t a kids cartoon. The themes are mature (i.e. Lois half-naked in the Fortress of Solitude), Lex Luthor, distraught over Superman’s absence in his own weird way, is the most evil Lex ever seen in a cartoon and the things he does at some points in the film make you go, “Man, that’s evil. Not just evil. HUGELY evil.”

What was most astonishing was the swearing. I never would have expected that from a Superman cartoon.

On the plus side, the battle between Superman and Doomsday is the greatest slugfest this reviewer has ever seen in a superhero cartoon (and I’ve seen nearly all of them). The story is solid and packs a lot in given the amount of time Warner Brothers seems to allow for these direct-to-DVD cartoons of theirs.

The animation is dynamic, the coloring bold, the art in the style of the Justice League cartoons.

This DVD includes a few special features, most notably the enthralling documentary on the life, death and return of Superman, chronicling the death saga from conception to fruition, with interviews with the many artists and writers and editors on the project.

Language warning: Cursing and blasphemy

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5 out of 5

There’s a new superhero in Gotham, one who wears silver-gray tights and a cape.

And she’s a woman, a bat-woman.

At first it appears she’s here to help, but when she begins targeting the Penguin and Rupert Thorne’s secret arms operation, the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder step in to solve the mystery of the Batwoman.

Who is she? What does she want? And why is it each time Batman thinks he’s solved her secret identity does he find himself back at square one?

As Batman and Batwoman put the strain on the Penguin’s operation, the bird man calls in a deadly force to eliminate them: Bane.

The Bruce Timm-designed Batman series is a staple on the animated superhero genre. The sleek yet angler style’s been used in Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. And in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, it’s delivered in spades. The art is just simply amazing straight through.

The story is terrific, with twists and turns right up till the end, and no punches are pulled in giving each and every character a level of depth not usually achieved in animated features.

Kevin Conroy is Batman and has the greatest Batman voice out of them all, both live action and animated. His line delivery as the Dark Knight forces you to respect the pointy-eared vigilante and take him seriously. The dude’s got major authority.

Likewise, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred? Wow. Between him and Kevin, these two hold down the film and set the tone for the entire movie. The relationship Alfred and Bruce Wayne share is beyond close and is a stark contrast to the relationships the bat women suspects have with their own family or loved ones.

You know what? All the voices were terrific, not a one out of place. Each suited the character they portrayed, the acting and tone behind their voices never missing a beat.

The stakes are high, the danger’s real and Batman is better than ever.

Go. Watch. Enjoy.