Director Zack Snyder (300, Man of Steel, Batman V Superman) recently appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast for a lengthy interview that reignited a longtime debate within fandom: Should Batman Kill? We have our own, very strong opinions on the subject here on The World’s Best Podcast. So what better way to return from our long hiatus? It’s good to be back! Thanks for listening and enjoy!
Below, we have some of the specific moments from Batman comics, video games and film, that show how the character’s “No Kill” Rule is pretty… flexible. We covered some of these on this episode of the podcast. Judge for yourself!
The Dark Knight Returns
This is the much debated sequence from The Dark Knight Returns, that Snyder discusses on JRE, judge for yourself:
While the moment is definitely a little confusing and ambiguous, it is definitely not Batman shooting The Mutant Gang member in the head, as Snyder described it on JRE. At the very least, Batman definitely seems to shoot the guy. However, confusion about this moment doesn’t invalidate the larger points Snyder was making.
Batman Leaves KGBeast For Dead… TWICE!
In Batman #420, rather than test his skills against the formidable KGBeast, Batman traps and seals him abandoned, underground room. Deep in the bowels of Gotham. In a complete cop out from DC, a later issue retconned this moment, at the behest of DC, mentioning that Batman eventually told the police where KGBeast was. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the intentions of the writers and Batman were crystal clear when this comic was published. This was Batman committing a man to a slow and brutal death.
After KGBeast shot Nightwing in the head, causing permanent brain damage, Batman hunts KGBeast to the ends of the Earth. Culminating in a vicious battle in remote Siberia in Batman #57. To end the fight, Batman pulls out his grapple gun sticks it under KG beasts, chin and fires it at point blank range. The tremendous force instantly snaps his neck, paralizing the man. Despite the assassin’s pleas, Batman leaves KGBeast to die in the frozen wilderness. The only question was if he succumbed to his injuries, or to the cold first.
Batman Begins (2005) “I won’t kill you, but I don’t have to save you”
Well, that’s a fine line, isn’t it Batman?
Batman Mortally Wounds Darkseid
Those are just a few examples, but there are plenty more. Batman may not have outright murdered many people since his early years, but there are plenty of times when his actions knowingly resulted in someone’s death. It’s not much of a rule if Batman’s frequently bending it. Maybe it’s time to get rid of the whole damn “No Kill” Rule altogether?
Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
At long last, James Gunn has revealed a significant portion of DC STUDIO’s 8-10 year plan, for their interconnected film, television, animation, and gaming DC Cinematic Universe. They’re calling this first chapter, Gods and Monsters (sick title!). Gunn was quick to point out that while these are the Chapter One projects they’re ready to announce, these projects don’t include every planned Chapter One release. So expect more projects to be announced in the months and years to come.
This is some very exciting stuff. I love this slate of projects and I think they’re the perfect mixture of characters, films, and television series to give The MCU a run for their money. Check out James Gunn’s full announcement about DC Studios: Chapter 1 – Gods and Monsters, right here…
Very, very cool, right? Here’s the full slate of movies and TV shows announced for Chapter One:
This is an absolutely killer line up! There’s a lot here to be really excited about! Below, I’ve listed the top 4 projects that I’m most looking forward to…
As a die hard Green Lantern fan, it was impossible for me not to thrilled about Lanterns, starring Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Gunn described the series as an HBO prestige drama in the vein of True Detective, with Jordan and Stewart acting space cops on “Precinct Earth” (Along with a few other notable lanterns popping up here and there). The story centers on Jordan and Stewart as they uncover a horrifying mystery connecting to the larger DCU. This project has massive potential.
For a long time, one of the things I’ve most wanted to see in a Batman movie is the introduction of the “Bat-Family”. Characters like Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl, Red Hood, etc. Other orphans and vigilante’s Batman has taken under his wing and joined in his fights to protect Gotham City. So I love that our intro to this new DCEU Batman, will be through the film The Brave and The Bold, which will be heavily influenced by Grant Morrison’s classic Batman run. The story sees Batman training and contending with a whole new type of Robin, the biological son Bruce never knew he had, Damian Wayne. Son of Bruce and Talia Al Ghul, dauighter of R’as Al Ghul. Damian was raised and trained from infancy in his grandfather’s League of Assassins. So Batman has his work cut out for him as he attempts to mold his 10 year old assassin son, into a Robin that adheres to The Dark Knight’s ‘No Killing” code. This is territory that has never been covered in a Batman film before, so this will feel both fresh and fun. This is the beginning of “The Bat-Family” in The DCEU and it’s about time!
The Authority is one of the coolest, most groundbreaking comics I’ve ever read. When then The Authority first hit stands about 20 years ago, it rocked the comic book industry. I’m shocked and thrilled that this is hitting theatres. One of the craziest, most cinematic comics of the last few decades.This is the type of story that’s perfect for those audience members feeling superhero fatigue. THIS is something new, my friends!
A hardcore, Swamp Thing horror movie? Hell yeah. Swamp Thing is one of DC’s best and most unique characters. With classic stories from, creators like Alan Moore, Len Wein, Scott Snyder, Charles Soule, and Neil Gaiman, there are wealth of amazing stories for the film to draw from.
Well, those are the projects that got me the most excited, check out the full list of releases below.
What do you think of Chapter One: Gods and Monsters? What Projects are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!
Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews for the podcast, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
The SUMMER ain’t over yet! These are my picks for the movie, TV, streaming, and comic book content to check out in August 2021.
TV
UFO – Documentary Series (Sunday 8/8) Showtime
UFO’s have been in the news now more than ever. As a long time UFO researcher, it’s very satisfying to see this topic finally being taken seriously. This is a 4-part documentary series from JJ Abrams premiering on Showtime. Abrams may have fallen out of grace as a filmmaker, for me at least, but the subject matter makes this a must watch.
Stargirl Season 2 (Tuesday 8/10) The CW
This was a very pleasant surprise when the first season premiered last year. A great cast, cool villains, and fantastic use of classic characters and lore from throughout DC‘s history. This is a great superhero show that the whole family can enjoy. From what I’ve seen, they seem to have really kicked it up a notch in Season 2.
Marvel Studio’s WHAT IF…? (8/11) Disney+
After the events of LOKI, this promises to be very cool.
Titans Season 3 (8/12) HBO
An underrated superhero show that I highly recommend checking out. The first two seasons are available on HBO Max right now.
The Walking Dead: The Final Season (8/22) AMC
I gave up on The Walking Dead a few seasons back, but I just might tune in to see how everything wraps up.
Blu-Ray/4K
Batman: The Long Halloween Part II (8/10)
This has been one of the stronger stories put out by DC Animation over the last few years. Part 1 was great and reviews for Part 2 are even better. I’ve heard that the best way to watch this, is to watch Part 1 & 2, back-to-back. As one movie, like the filmmakers created it to be. I’m sure that, just like their adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns, DC animation will release a Deluxe Edition that is the entire Long Halloween story as one film.
Movies
The Suicide Squad (8/6)
This is a James Gunn movie. Enough said
Free Guy (8/13)
I had zero interest in seeing this film, however I’ve heard nothing but great things about it. The early word is that it’s phenomenal, which is kind of shocking. Friend of the podcast Mark Fitzgerald, who I interviewed, a few months back worked on this movie. So I’m definitely going at the very least auto for loyalty my friend Mark.
The Green Knight (8/18)
This unique and captivating retelling of a classic Arthurian fable has been receiving rave reviews since its release. The film is very far from your typical fantasy movies like Lord of The Rings, as a result some have found it difficult to find a local theater playing the movie on the big screen. So the company that produced the film is giving moviegoers as chances to watch this excellent new story online. Here are the details on how to watch courtesy of Screen Rant: The A24 Screening Room will be playing The Green Knight for one night only in an online format. It will be available on Wednesday, August 18 at 9PM EST and tickets are available now on the A24 Screening Room site at the price of $20 per ticket. The film is accessible through the web, Apple TV, and Roku. After creating an account and buying a ticket, customers will be able to have access to the movie at the aforementioned date and time. Audiences will have 4 hours to watch the film and any other content provided.
New Movies On Streaming
Godzilla VS Kong (Available on HBO Max on 8/17)
A sometimes dumb, but nonetheless fun watch.
Comic Books/Graphic Novels
The Trial of Magneto (8/18)
Someone murdered Wanda Maximoff, The Scarlet Witch, and Magneto is the prime suspect. But what if Magneto is innocent? Did he really kill his own daughter or is there something far more sinister at play? The 5-Issue miniseries is the latest chapter in Jonathan Hickman’s ongoing X-Men Saga that continues to rock the Marvel Universe to it’s core.
Kang The Conqueror #1
SPOILERS FOR LOKI!!!! Fans of the recently wrapped first season of Loki, had a lot of questions following the standout finale episode. The character at the center of many of those questions, was the man pulling strings of The TVA: He Who Remains. He Who Remains, is of course better known to comic book readers as Kang The Conqueror. Kang, He Who Remains, or whoever you want to call him, has gone by many names while becoming the self proclaimed Master of Time. No matter the incarnation we see him in next, this character is going to be massively important moving forward into Phase 4 of The MCU. This 5-issue miniseries is a great place to start for anyone wanting a better understanding Kang and how this fascinating villain will shape the past, present, and future of The MCU.
Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter @PJWrightWBM, Instagram @worldsbestmedia2017, and our Facebook Page, Worlds Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
We’ve had a lot of great content on the site lately, so I wasn’t in a rush to post individual pages for the last couple of episodes of The World’s Best Podcast. Regardless, I still wanted to make sure I posted something about the latest episodes of the show. The first episode is my review of the DC Animated Movie, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. The 2nd and latest podcast is my review for the great new DC live-action superhero series, Stargirl. We have the links for both podcasts posted below. I like to go out of my way to create a webpage for each of the episodes of The World’s Best Podcast, so I can add some cool new content, some additional insight into the episode, or bonus material. I have trailers for Justice League Dark: Apokolips War and DC’s Stargirl posted below, along with some interesting stills, photos, and concept images to give you a closer look at the projects I’m reviewing in these 2 episodes. You can check out that content right here.
First up, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War…
Justice League Dark: Apokolips War! Superman and the Justice League decide to take the fight to Darkseid and lose… badly. 2 years later, with many of the heroes dead and Earth decimated by Darkseid’s forces, a desperate and de-powered Clark Kent turns to John Constantine for help with a suicidal plan to end the threat of Darkseid once and for all.
Listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/28915924 Or subscribe on Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Podchaser, Castbox, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes…
Next, our latest episode reviewing the new series, DC’s Stargirl!
The new series based on the DC Comics hero, Stargirl created by Geoff Johns, will be airing on The CW and the DC UNIVERSE Streaming Service. The new show stars Brec Bassinger and Luke Wilson, the series also heavily features the heroes and villains from the classic DC comic book, JSA. Over the course of the first season, High School student Courtney Whitmore takes up the mantle of superhero, Stargirl with the help of her stepfather Pat (Luke Wilson), formally an unofficial member of the JSA who wears a giant robot super suit that he built, called S.T.R.I.P.E.
Together they’ll form a new generation of The JSA since the original JSA were killed by The Injustice Society. The society includes villains like Icicle, Solomon Grundy, Sportsmaster, Tigress, Brainwave, and The Dragon King.
Listen here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/29775621 Or subscribe on Stitcher, Spreaker, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Podchaser, Castbox, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts, & Apple Podcasts/ITunes…
Villain Icicle, Series Hero & Main Character Courtney Whitmore AKA Stargirl, New Hero Hourman
Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again! Stay healthy and stay safe!
It’s Movie Trailer Tuesday here at World’s Best Media! We have some new trailers and featurettes from 2 very different, but very cool upcoming superhero movies: Marvel’s Black Widow and the new film from DC Animation, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War!
First up, we have the final trailer for Marvel’s Black Widow, opening May 1st. Fans have been clamoring for a Black Widow movie for years and early projections have this film doing big numbers for Marvel.
Personally, I’m most excited to see Taskmaster make his big screen debut. Taskmaster is a mercenary and assassin who can perfectly mimic the fighting style and ability of any combatant he encounters. It was especially cool to see Taskmaster studying the surveillance videos of Natasha’s big fight with the guards at Hammer Industries during the climax of Iron Man 2 (her first appearance in The MCU). We also see Taskmaster breakout moves mimicking the some of the best hand to hand fighters in The MCU, like Captain America, Black Panther, and Hawkeye. I think this is going to be a blast, but check out the trailer for yourself right here…
DC Animation just released their adaptation of Superman: Red Son, arguably one of the most beloved Superman stories ever told. I loved the film, it was a return to the glory days of fantastic DC Animated Movies. Even though I love the DCAU, lately they have not been on par with the amazing work they’ve done in the past. However, it looks like they may be back on track. While Red Son was excellent, I found myself even more excited by the sneak peek at the next DC Animated film, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.
This is the culmination of at least a dozen or more movies that began with Justice League: War, which was about how the Justice League was formed to repel the forces of Darkseid and his invading armies. DCA puts out at least 3 or 4 movies every year and at least 1 or 2 of these films have taken place in this shared DC Animated Universe that started with Justice League: War (The other films released each year tend to be their own standalone stories like Superman: Red Son, Batman Gotham by Gaslight, or The Killing Joke). This new film looks like the DCAU version of Avengers: Endgame. This video was previewed as a feturette on the special features of Superman: Red Son, just give it a watch and you’ll see how cool this movie looks…
If that wasn’t enough, DC Animation also released a trailer for the new film as well which you can watch right here…
Justice League Dark: Apokolips War will be available digitally on iTunes on May 5th and on Blu-Ray/4K on May 19th.
Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @PJWrightWBM or type Worlds Best Media into the search bar, you can also like and follow us on our Facebook page; World’s Best Media. Those likes and follows, as well as iTunes reviews, go a long way to supporting World’s Best Media. We really appreciate the loyalty and support shown to us by our fans, so thanks again!
After the surprisingly solid Batman: Hush, it looks like we’ll be getting one more DC Animated Movie before the end of 2019: Wonder Woman: Bloodlines. You can check out the first trailer posted below. I am more excited for this one than I thought I would be. I really like seeing how the film is using many of the classic Wonder Woman villains that we don’t often get to see in projects like this. DC has been putting out some strong animated films lately after a few years of some mediocre entries, hopefully Wonder Woman: Bloodlines continues the trend of increasingly good DC Animated Movies. The movie will be released digitally on 10/5 and on Blu-Ray and 4K on 10/22. One of the bonus features included with the movie will be a short film about the character Death, one of The Endless from Neil Gaiman‘s The Sandman comic book series. Watch the trailer here:
Even though they haven’t knocked one out of the park in a while, I love the DC Animated Movies that are released digitally and on Blu-ray every year. A few of these movies are even in my top 25 favorite films of all time. I’d consider more than a few to be among some of the best superhero movies ever made (I’ll probably make a list below, cataloging the best of the best). Today, DC released the first trailer for their next DCAU film, Batman: Hush.
For a while now, it seemed like the DC Animated Movies were adapting all of the classic Batman stories as animated films, one by one. Which is fine with me! Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns both received excellent movie adaptations. Unfortunately, Batman: The Killing Joke didn’t work as well when it received the DCAU treatment. After TDKR and Year One, The Killing Joke fills out the trifecta of the best and most revered Batman stories ever told. All 3 graphic novels came out of the “dark and gritty” comic book renaissance of the 80’s (for better or for worse). Batman: The Killing Joke received a controversial release a few years ago with a mixed response at best. I don’t think it’s the disaster that a lot of people make it out to be, but I understand the issues people have with the film.
If DC is going to continue down this path of adapting all of the most famous and revered Batman graphic novels, the story I’d love to see them tackle is Batman: The Long Halloween. If you’re going to adapt the most iconic Batman graphic novels of all time, after The Dark Knight Returns, Year One, and The Killing Joke, the story that makes the most sense to give the fans next, is The Long Halloween. Especially if they released it in two parts, like they did with The Dark Knight Returns. It could be something really spectacular. It’s a sprawling, epic mystery taking place early in Batman‘s career. The Dark Knight faces off against a serial killer, whose murders coincide with holidays. It’s The Godfather meets Seven with Batman in it, how is that NOT fucking awesome?! The Christopher Nolan films heavily borrowed from this story with Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent being key characters. I think they’ll probably get around to it eventually, but when they do, I hope they give it the same incredible treatment they have for movies like Under The Red Hood and The Dark Knight Returns.
Director of the upcoming new stand-alone Batman film, Matt Reeves has repeatedly said his film will go back to an earlier time in Batman’s career and feature a cavalcade of Batman’s unique and fascinating villains. Reeves has also said the film will be a mystery, that will lean heavily into and play up Batman’s title as “The World’s Greatest Detective”. This is huge part of the character in the comic books, but it’s barely been touched on in the live action Batman film’s. In all of literature, Batman is a detective on par with Sherlock Holmes, but none of the live action Batman films ever give us the sense that he’s a brilliant detective. Everything Reeves said about his film fits perfectly in line with The Long Halloween. A live action adaptation of Batman: The Long Halloween would make my decade. However, there are a lot of great stories that fit Reeves’ description his new Batman film, so we’ll just have to wait and see what he comes up with. The movie is still several years away and things haven’t been exactly smooth sailing on the Batman front over at DC and things can change at the drop of a hat.
Photo from IGN.com
Considering that this article is supposed to be about Batman: Hush, it’s probably a good idea that I actually start talking about Batman: Hush now. The classic, Batman story is heading to the small screen this summer as the next DC Animated Movie to be released this year. The tale is an adaptation the mega-hit Batman mystery saga: Batman: Hush written by Jeph Loeb with art by the legendary Jim Lee. Hush is definitely not one of my favorite Batman stories. I’ve always had some serious problems with certain writing choices made throughout the story. Which is ironic because Hush was written by Jeph Loeb, the same man who wrote one of my favorite Batman mysteries ever; The Long Halloween (As much as I have my problems with Loeb as a writer, I think The Long Halloween is one of the coolest titles ever for a dark Batman mystery). Even though Hush isn’t one of my go to Batman stories, I have to admit, I am very, very excited to see this movie. For every issue I have with the story, there are just as many fantastic and cool moments in the graphic novel that any Batman or DC fan would love to see. The people behind the DC Animated Movies have made magic in the past while adapting huge comic book stories like this. If they’re able to do for Hush, what they did for a story like Flashpoint for example, we could be in for something really special. Check out the trailer right here to see for yourself:
This story has some absolutely classic moments that, based on the trailer, the movie seems to embracing: Batman’s first in continuity fight with Superman, Batman and Catwoman’s attraction to each other blossoming into a real romantic relationship, a showcase of the best of Batman’s rogues gallery, and much more.
You can see from these pictures that they’re pulling moments straight from the source material.
The film is available on Blu-Ray on August 13th, a digital release date hasn’t been announced yet, but expect the movie to be available digitally at least a few weeks before the Blu-Ray. I’d say late July is the most likely time for it to premiere on iTunes and other digital platforms. It may not be getting a theatrical release with a massive worldwide marketing campaign, but Batman: Hush is definitely one of my most anticipated movies of the summer.
For those interested in checking out some of the other DC Animated Movies, below is a list of my favorites. The top 4 or 5 are among my all time favorite comic books movies, but all of the films listed here get my personal recommendation:
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Deluxe Edition *(This film was initially released in 2 parts. The Deluxe Edition allows you to watch both parts as one movie, but they can be watched separately as Parts 1&2)
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
Batman: Under The Red Hood
Batman: Year One
Wonder Woman
Justice League: New Frontier
Justice League Doom
All Star Superman
Green Lantern: First Flight
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight
Justice League: War
Justice League Dark
The Death Of Superman
Anyone interested in reading Batman: The Long Halloween or Batman: Hush can find them at your local comic book store, on the ComiXology app, or Amazon. I’ve included the Amazon links to purchase each book below.
You all know how much I love the MCU, but I think my favorite cinematic universe could be the what I’m going to call TheBatmanTheAnimatedSeries/BruceTimmUniverse. This Universe includes all time classics like Batman The Animated Series, Superman TheAnimated series, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. Bruce Timm having essentially created this shared universe, is the reason his name is a part of the universe’s title. I love both of these universes so much, it would be really hard to pick which of them I hold more dear.
Honestly you’d have to have a gun to my head and a gun to gun my balls, with the gunman screaming in my face, “CHOOSE! NOW! PICK ONE! CHOOSE! I’M NOT FUCKING AROUND! DECIDE! YOU HAVE TO THE COUNT OF 3! THEN I’M GOING TO SHOOT YOU IN THE BALLS AND SHORTLY AFTER THAT, SHOOT YOU IN THE HEAD!CHOOSE! 3… ,2… ,1..!” Then I guess we’d have our answer. But until that day comes, I guess I’ll just have to keepthem both very special in my heart.
Which is why I wanted to share this trailer with you guys today. I’m a big fan of the animated movies that DC releases directly to Blu-ray and digital three or four times every year. Some of them are fucking spectacular and are probably some of my favorite comic book movies of all time. The movie I was most looking forward to this year is their adaptation of Batman: Hush, hitting later this year, in early or mid summer. However, while Hush is still my most anticipated DC animated film this year, after watching the trailer below, (which debuted on ign.com) JusticeLeague VS TheFatalFive has my attention in a big, bad way. Check out the trailer below:
It appears, from the animation style, to the voice cast, to the people working on the film behind the scenes, that the movie takes place in TheBatmanTheAnimatedSeries/BruceTimmUniverse. Last year they released a film called Batman & HarleyQuinn that also seemed to take place in what I call the BatmanTheAnimatedSeries/BruceTimmUniverse, but that movie was pretty shitty. While this one looks really great. It’s awesome to hear the original voice cast from these classic TV shows (I love hearing Kevin Conroy as Batman and George Newbern as Superman), in what looks like an extension of this classic universe, but with some new faces as well. New heroes including Ms. Martian, Mr. Terrific (2 of my personal favorites), Jessica Cruz Green Lantern, and Starman. I love see DC’s Trinity (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman), alongside new and unique heroes.
It looks like this is the next DC animated movie that’s coming out this year and they usually release their second film around March or April, with the summer release reserved for the third film. However this year they are releasing a fourth films, one of which will focus on Wonder Woman, so we may end up seeing JusticeLeagueVSTheFatalFive sooner than we think. I’m sure a release date will be announced soon. I wasn’t super interested in this project at first, but after watching the trailer, I’m psyched. I thought it looked great and I wanted to share it with all of you. Please let me know what you think in the comments below and thank you for reading!
UPDATE: Justice League VS The Fatal Five will be available for Digital Download on 3/30/19 and Blu-Ray 4/16/19! I
World’s Best Media 