Daily Archives: May 14, 2020

How Batman Became a Vampire in the DC Multiverse | CBR – CBR – Comic Book Resources

Posted: May 14, 2020 at 6:05 pm

In the darkest corners of the DC Multiverse, Batman has been transformed into a real creature of the night.

In almost any version of the DC Universe, Batman is one of the world's greatest heroes, even though he uses the cover of darkness to bring down his enemies. Within Gotham City, Batman's iconography and nocturnal missions have given many residents the impression that he is actually a supernatural creature of the night. But while he's a mostly human man in the core DC Universe, some stories from the other worlds of the DC multiverse -- such as Elseworlds andFlash Forward-- explore that concept.

Now, we're taking a closer look at what happened in the worlds of the DC multiverse when Batman transforms into a true creature of the night, a vampire.

RELATED: Jim Lee Draws Batman To Benefit A Different Charity

The Batman & Dracula trilogy takes place over the course of three Elseworlds graphic novels - Red Rain, Bloodstorm, and Crimson Mist by Doug Moenich and Kelley Jones. In this reality, Batman ended up coming up against a number of vampires, who had made their home in Gotham. One of the vampires, Tanya, reveals the truth of Dracula and his vampires to Batman, and works with him to lure the vampires into the Batcave. The hero wipes out the vampires and Dracula, although he is transformed into a vampire himself.

Batman: Bloodstorm centers around Batman trying to protect Gotham as a vampire, and dealing with the Joker and his new band of vampiric killers. Although he does his best to resist the darker influences that his new vampiric form allows, Batman lashes out and kills the Joker after he kills Catwoman. Batman has Alfred and Gordon stake him - putting Batman into a catatonic state.

But when the criminals of Gotham quickly use his absence to take over the city in Batman: Crimson Mist, Alfred and Gordon restore Batman. Having been driven to madness by his isolation, this new bloodthirsty Batman quickly wipes out most of his enemies in bloody form, drinking their blood in the process. In the end, he's killed by Alfred, Gordon and Gotham's final villains -- Killer Croc and Two-Face -- in an effort that leaves everyone involved dead.

RELATED:Batman: How White Knight's World Captures the Spirit of the Animated Series

Earth-43 began in a similar way to the Batman & Dracula trilogy, with Batman being transformed into a vampire while fighting Dracula. But while that version of Batman appeared to die once and for all in the finale of the trilogy, Earth-43 of the current DC multiverse features a version of the vampiric Batman who was restored to life. He was then able to spread his vampiric infection to many of the other heroes of the Justice League, turning them into monsters like himself. The Blood League quickly grew to include Superman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Flash, Green Lantern and Batgirl among its infected heroes. The former heroes quickly turned their now demented attention on the world around them, infecting many of the regular humans they once protected.

Some heroes like Nightwing fought back, but they didn't last long before falling to the superhuman vampires. The Blood League now threatens the Raan Empire, which is defended by Adam Strange. However, some recent defeats have seen the Blood League somewhat humbled.After encountering the magically empowered League of Shadows in an attempt to attack other realities, Earth-13's Annataz is said to have used her powers to change the vampire's hunger for blood to coffee. In Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth's Flash Forward #3, the core DC Universe version of Wally West ended up in this reality. Working with the still-human Roy Harper of Earth-43, Wally was able to kill the vampire Flash and trap the vampire Batman in a radioactive core, hopefully containing him long enough for someone to reverse the curse.

RELATED: Batman's Best Weapon Against Superman Is Cooler Than Kryptonite

Batman: Nosferatu is the second part of the trilogy that combines DC characters with concepts from the classics of German Expressionist cinema. Following the events of Superman: Metropolis (where Clarc Kent-son and Lois Lane took over the massive strange city of Metropolis), the twisted Dr. Arkham tries to resist the changing times by using his twisted creation known as the Laughing Man to kill his enemies - including Eschevin Gord-son and Dirk Gray-son. Dirk's friend Bruss Wayne-son and Gord-son's daughter Barbera try to suss out what happened, which ends with Bruss thrown into a pit. But rather than dying, Bruss is changed by the sentient computers at the core of the city into a creature of the night to protect the city - Nosferatu.

Transformed into a bat-like creature that appears like a twisted vampire, Bruss hunts down Arkham and his allies, even killing the Laughing Man in battle. Bruss ends up actually coming into conflict with Super-Man, who sees no place for Nosferatu's darker sensibilities in his world. However, Super-Man eventually comes to terms with the idea that Nosferatu will protect the city in the night and take vengeance from the shadows, while Super-Man defends the people in the light. In the end, they come to an understanding, and Bruss even ends up in charge of the Asylum in his civilian identity, with Arkham -- the only person who knows his true identity -- as one of his patients.

Keep Reading: Gotham High: The Biggest Changes to the Batman Mythos

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Solar Opposites connects Rick and Morty and The Simpsons in one shared universe – digitalspy.com

Posted: at 6:05 pm

Solar Opposites is far from the opposite of Rick and Morty but that was always to be expected. While Adult Swim fans waited patiently for new inter-dimensional exploits, Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland developed a new show which bears more than a striking resemblance to its forebear, both in terms of subject matter and animation style.

This story of five aliens stranded on Earth even shares some of the same voice talent as Rick and Morty, including Roiland himself, which has led fans to wonder if the two shows are directly connected in the same universe.

Unfortunately, Korvo's family are unlikely to meet the Smiths anytime soon. Solar Opposites is produced by 20th Century Fox Television (now owned by Disney), while Rick and Morty airs on Adult Swim, a subsidiary of Warner Bros Entertainment.

Since the release of Solar Opposites, Roiland has expanded on this further with The Hollywood Reporter, explaining the legal issues which would prevent such a crossover from taking place:

"Navigating those IP waters, those are two behemoths," Roiland said. "We got Disney+ or Disney, and you have the HBO/AT&T/Time Warner behemoth. Those are very separate pools of water, I dont know."

Despite all that, Roiland does suggest the two shows exist in the same multiverse together, and eagle-eyed fans might have already spotted some evidence which proves that to be true.

In the Solar Opposites pilot 'The Matter Transfer Array', Terry and Korvo watch a fictional show-within-a-show called Funbucket where a creature plays around with portals in its basement. Sound familiar?

Later in the same episode, Rick's favourite word, "schwifty" can be seen on a poster describing "live jazz" outside the principal's office.

These homages to Rick and Morty make sense given Roiland's involvement on both shows, but things get far squanchier in the third episode thanks to one easy-to-miss Easter egg which directly connects Solar Opposites to Rick and Morty.

Watch Now Rick and Morty seasons 1-4

If you look closely at the background of a NYC-like cityscape around ten minutes in, you'll spot a five-star poster for something called Trover Saves the Universe, which just so happens to be a VR game created by Roiland in real life.

That title is crammed full of nods to Rick and Morty, even though the game itself revolves around a chair-bound alien who's tasked with saving the universe from a puppy-stealing monster.

Since the release of Trover Saves the Universe, Rick and Morty returned the favour by including a billboard poster of the game in the season-four premiere. You'll notice it when the show quickly cuts to a video of Morty in Times Square.

Trover Saves the Universe exists in both Solar Opposites and Rick and Morty, therefore creating a small but concrete connection between the two. Bizarrely though, that's not the only animated show which directly crossed over with Korvo's family in their first season.

At one point in the Solar Opposites finale, Terry and Corvo reminisce about the time they beat basketball players from the movie Space Jam with help from the Simpsons (!!), and they even appear briefly on screen.

While no other yellow-skinned people show up in Solar Opposites, it's not impossible to imagine the aliens visiting Springfield at some point using inter-dimensional travel. After all, Rick and Morty did exactly that just a few years ago in The Simpsons 26th season finale.

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Watch The Simpsons on Disney+

Given that The Simpsons didn't end up as Rick/mutant hybrids in season 27, it's safe to say that this couch gag shouldn't be considered as canon. And given that the two shows belong to different networks, don't expect more crossovers between Bart and Morty anytime soon either.

However, Solar Opposites is a different story. Disney now owns Fox and it also owns Hulu too, which makes future guest appearances from The Simpsons on that show surprisingly viable.

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And if Solar Opposites is indeed connected to Rick and Morty (like Roiland himself confirmed), then perhaps, somewhere out there in that big wide multiverse, there's a show where all three families cross over with each other.

Looks like it's time to sign up for some Interdimensional Cable!

Solar Opposites is available to watch on Hulu in the US. There is currently no UK broadcaster yet.

Rick and Morty season 4 airs Sundays on Adult Swim in the US, and airs in the UK on E4 and All 4 on Wednesdays.

Rick and Morty Season 1-3 [Blu-Ray]

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10 Insane Alternative Versions Of The Hulk You Won’t Believe Exist – WhatCulture

Posted: at 6:05 pm

The beauty of the Marvel Multiverse is that there is an infinite number of alternate realities, many of which contain a version of someone like the Incredible Hulk. Even in the standard Marvel Universe of Earth-616, there is more than one Hulk running around, but the Multiverse is home to some of the strangest around.

The Multiverse contains some of the weirdest, strongest, most ridiculous, and craziest versions of the Hulk around, but not every gigantic green rage monster is one who could top a list about the most insane versions out there. There are some freaky Hulks that have shown up in the comics over the years, and odds are, they're weirder than you think.

Whether it's a futuristic version of the Hulk or a version of the Hulk that stems from someone other than Dr. Bruce Banner, there are plenty to choose from in finding the one considered to be the craziest one out there.

These ten versions of the Incredible Hulk may not be the strongest, they may not be the smartest, but they are certainly ten of the most insane alternate versions of the jade giant to have graced the pages of Marvel Comics over the years.

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Rick And Morty’s Heist Episode Reveals Everything Wrong With Rick – Screen Rant

Posted: at 6:05 pm

Season 4 episode 3, "One Crew Over The Crewcoo's Morty" of Rick and Morty showcases why C-137 Rick Sanchez is the biggest jerk in the multiverse.

Rick Sanchez has never exactly been the most altruistic scientist in the galaxy, but the Rick and Morty episode "One Crew Over The Crewcoo's Morty" exemplifies exactly why the character is one of the worst human beings in the multiverse. While the first season was more focused on vignette episodes exploring the multiverse and building the world that the show would inhabit, seasons 2, 3 and 4 seem to be gearing up to redefine the way that each character views Rick. From Jerry, to Beth, to Summer, and of course, Morty, each member of Rick's immediate family have gone through a major crucible that recontextualizes their opinion of Rick.

Rick and Morty is a show that finds increasing enjoyment in lampooninggenresin pop culture and entertainment. Whether it be literally fist-fighting the Devil in "Something Ricked This Way Comes" or taking direct aim at the newfound popularity of superheroes and comic books with "Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender," the show has no qualms about attacking the fictional concepts that have embedded themselves in the zeitgeist (all in good fun, of course). Episode 3 of season 4 is no different, setting itself up as a parody of heist films in the vein of Mission: Impossible and the Ocean's Elevenfranchise. The episode revolves around Rick and Morty's trip to HeistCon, a massive nerd culture convention themed around heists, where Rick is challenged to a Heist-Off for the Crystal Skull of Horowitz.

Related: Is Solar Opposites Set In The Same Universe As Rick And Morty?

However, below the veneer of mocking the tropes of heist media, the heist episode also displays some of Rick's worst tendencies as a character. While Rick and Mortyhas slowly been keying audiences in on Rick's temperament for seasons now, "One Crew Over The Crewcoo's Morty" is definitive proof that Rick is undefendable.

Throughout the course of the show, Rick has been the ultimate nihilist, and he has no problems sharing that viewpoint with people. From his mocking insistence that God isn't real to his belief that nothing in the multiverse truly matters because it's infinite, Rick Sanchez is trulyan acerbic character,and that attitude also extends to the people around him, whom he constantly humiliates for believing in and participating in behaviors that he feels are worthless.

Nowhere is that more evident than his entire demeanor throughout season four's heist episode. From the moment that he and Morty raid the alien tomb at the beginning of the episode, Rick spends the entire time belittling and berating both fans of the genre as well as the genre as a whole. When he and Morty go to HeistCon to confront Miles Knightley, they're given the opportunity to register as either professionals or fans. Of course, refusing to express interest in anything he deems inferior, Rick refuses to enter the con as a fan, leading to an extended sequence of him putting together a team of heist experts for the sole purpose of registering as a professional, only to dump them once he gets what he wants. Not only does Rick's total lack of investment in anything ruin his own relationships, but he actively weaponizes it to ruin other people's enjoyment of things.

The traditional mold of Rick and Morty episodes unfolds with Rick instigating a grand adventure with one of his family members, which inevitably goes off the rails when someone deviates from the plan laid out before them. This leads to Rick being forced to save the day, usually begrudgingly. Rarely, however,is there anepisode in which the main problem comes from Rick himself and his inflated ego, but that's exactly what happens with the heist episode. In his selfish and mean-spirited desire to show fans of the heist genre that their interest is totally juvenile, Rick invents an AI named Heist-o-Tron, programmed with the tropes of several heist films in order to predict and counteract Miles Knightley's plan. This allows him to steal the Crystal Skull, as well as mind control every inhabitant of HeistCon and force them to steal every square inch of the convention arena. However, his plan totally backfires when Heist-o-Tron gains sentience and turns on Rick, quickly stealing the entire planet in a matter of hours.

Related: Every Rick & Morty Character Brought Back To Mock Fans

Despite his creation of a sentient intelligence being the entire reason for their current predicament in the first place, Rick decides to create another AI, entitled Rand-o-Tron, that gives them a series of totally randomized events that will lead them to Heist-o-Tron's lair. In a twist of irony, however, Heist-o-Tron seemingly has Rick's same level of arrogance and ego, as the two of them spend hours bickering back and forth over hypothetical double crosses until the robot short circuits and explodes. In classic fashion, Rick's inflated sense of intelligence saves the world, but he conveniently disregards the fact that it's what put it in danger in the first place.

Throughout the episode, Morty continuously hints at the fact that he's writing a screenplay for a heist movie (a new layer of meta for a show that frequently references other movies). This is why he's so excited by the prospect of the episode's adventure: it brings him closer to an understanding of the genre in order for him to be able to write a successful script. However, the entire time Rick mocks his creativity and continues to remind him that the heist genre is one that's creatively bankrupt and easy to predict.

This is all for the sake of a point, as audiences have come to expect from Rick Sanchez. At the end of the episode, Morty gets the opportunity to pitch his script to Netflix. However, the events of the episode have left him disillusioned with the heist genre, leading to him abandoning his pitch despite the fact that the Netflix executives were interested. It's then revealed that the entire episode was a cheap ploy to burn Morty out on the entire heist sub-genre, so that he would sabotage his own pitch out of a lack of enthusiasm. Rick's motives were simply so that he could keep Morty close to him and keep him going on adventures with him.

This is a textbook example of emotional manipulation and gaslighting, something that Rick has done to several characters throughout the series. Despite the few instances of genuine emotional affection sprinkled throughout the series, Rick is a narcissist emotional abuser who will resort to any methods to get people to cling to him. It remains to be seen what the hidden overarching plot of the show is, but Rick and Morty continues to make a great case as to why Rick just might be the show's greatest villain.

More: Rick & Morty's Story Train Is Dan Harmon's Story Circles Made Literal

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Chrishaun Baker is a Feature Writer for Screen Rant, with a host of interests ranging from horror movies to video games to superhero films. A graduate of Western Carolina University, he spends his time reading comic books and genre fiction, directing short films, writing screenplays, and getting increasingly frustrated at the state of film discourse in 2020. You can find him discussing movies on Letterboxd or working up a migraine over American politics on Twitter.

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This ‘Game of Thrones’ Star Would Be Perfect to Play a New Deadpool in the MCU, According to Creator Rob Liefeld – Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Posted: at 6:05 pm

Long before Ryan Reynolds made the character a household name, Deadpool fans had a long wait to see the Marvel anti-hero done right. Reynolds infamously played a bizarre version of the Merc with the Mouth in X-Men Origins: Wolverine before reprising the role seven years later.

And now that Disney has acquired Fox, Deadpools future remains for the moment, at least somewhat unclear. So, in the meantime, fans are speculating about how the character could be adapted for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And one idea involves a popular Game of Thrones star.

Before we get to the latest Deadpool rumor, its worth exploring exactly what the characters status is right now. Following the Disney-Fox deal, fans assumed this meant Deadpool would soon join the MCU in some form or another. Yet, over a year has passed since the deal closed. So whats the hold-up?

According to Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld, Marvel Studios and its head Kevin Feige are behind the delay. Like many impatient fans, Liefeld just wants the studio to move forward with the characters integration into the MCU. [Marvel is] the reason it isnt happening, he said. Whatever conundrum or it didnt fit into your master plan, just commission it.

To be fair, Marvel has been gearing up for Phase 4 of the MCU. Coming off the heels of Avengers: Endgame, the next few years of stories including movies and Disney+ shows was underway prior to the Fox deals closure. And the coronavirus pandemic has only further delayed these plans.

Since Marvel hasnt offered an update, fans have no clue whats next for the character or when to expect Deadpool 3. So when Game of Thrones star Lena Headey recently voiced her interest in playing Deadpool, fans were all about it. After all, Headey already starred in comic book movies like 300 and Dredd.

And better yet, theres precedence in Marvel Comics. In 2010, Liefeld and writer Victor Gischler co-created a character called Lady Deadpool. Liefeld caught wind of Headeys comment and, according to ComicBook.com, supports the casting idea.

Bring it on, baby! Bring it on! Liefeld said. Lady Deadpool is fantastic. Shes ridiculously popular as well. Also slightly underused, I think.

The character is actually a member of Deadpool Corps., a team the original one assembles himself. If Marvel Studios decides to bring the team to the big screen, the MCU is already heading for the perfect opportunity.

Feige confirmed Phase 4 will introduce the Marvel multiverse. This storyline could open the door to a variety of exciting developments, such as the Deadpool Corps. The team is comprised of alternate universe versions of Reynolds character, meaning he could go on a multiverse-hopping quest to assemble his own team.

It would be just like Wade Wilson to meet the Avengers and try to one-up them by making a team of people just like him. Plus, the storyline fits with where fans last left the character. In Deadpool 2, he discovered time travel and the importance of family. So it makes sense he would rebound fast from a failed attempt at creating X-Force to Deadpool Corps.

Reynolds previously teased Deadpool 3s crazy story. A focus on Deadpool Corps. would certainly qualify. After all, not only does the team include Lady Deadpool but also Kid Deadpool, Dogpool, and a severed head named Headpool. The film would be like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse but weirder. Would Marvel Studios embrace such a bizarre story? Well see.

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Scoob!: Could a New Hanna-Barbera Cinematic Universe Emerge from This Riff on Cartoon Classics? – Yahoo Entertainment

Posted: at 6:04 pm

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With Scoob!, Warner Bros. Animation launches a new Hanna-Barbera cinematic universe built around the crime-fighting Mystery Inc. teenage gang and its lovable Great Dane. The plan was to release the franchises first CG-animated feature theatrically on May 15, but, of course, the pandemic intervened, so its going straight to VOD instead.

Whether or not Scoob! taps as large an audience as DreamWorks Trolls World Tour remains to be seen, but, according to director Tony Cervone, a veteran of the Hanna-Barbera and Looney Tunes home video franchises, it offers nostalgic comfort food for quarantined families. Sure, I wouldve loved a theater experience, but were in a weird time, he said. Its a bummer. But because of that, theres families at home looking for stuff to watch, and theres something reaffirming and warm and fuzzy and bright and colorful [about Scoob!].

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It begins with Scooby (Frank Welker, best known as the voice of the original Fred) and Shaggy (Will Forte) bonding as kids and later teaming up with Fred (Zac Efron), Daphne (Amanda Seyfried), and Velma (Gina Rodriguez) on a fateful Halloween in Venice, California. The quartets first case to prevent a global dogpocalypse features such Hanna-Barbera favorites as superhero Blue Falcon (Mark Wahlberg), his trusty assistants Dynomutt (Ken Jeong) and Dee Dee Sykes (Kiersey Clemons), the villainous Dick Dastardly (Jason Isaacs), and the wacky Captain Caveman (Tracy Morgan).

Five years in the making with Dallas and Montreal-based Reel FX (The Book of Life), the Scoob! contemporary origin story started out in the spirit of the zany 50-plus year-old cartoon series, and veered off wildly into photo-realism before coming full-circle with an appropriately classical, 2D vibe.

I think we had to go through that process to [re-imagine] it in 3D, added Cervone. We talked a lot about the connection between Scooby and Shaggy, and then we changed our direction in the design. We leaned in on their physical likeness and had them looking at each other more. We built a lot of symmetry in their poses so that one of them was almost an extension of the other. When they ate a piece of food, they did it at the same time and in the same way. And we had to discover that.

For Reel FX animation supervisor Bill Haller, this was a chance to especially hone in on the cartoony essence of Scooby, accentuating the floppy jowls and ears and going for as much squash-and-stretchy physical fun as he did on Hotel Transylvania. Performing draw-overs to get 3D animation to perform more like 2D has become standard industry practice, and it proved useful here as well.

I was always asking myself, if [Hanna-Barbera animation legend] Irv Spence could do this shot over and on a feature budget, how would he do it?, Haller said. That drove us to push it beyond what they could achieve. Scooby had some of that Tom and Jerry cartoony style, but we added a lot more tricked-out physics for 3D. And Shaggy was the same way. And I had one of the software guys write a script to add a staggered [effect] anytime they jumped up in the air or got scared. I got this from Tex Averys The Ventriloquist Cat and all they did with those staggers was animate it straight through and reorder the drawings in a certain format and then played it back. So I ripped it off [and made it work in the computer].

The hardest part was dealing with the varied styles of this multiverse, which ranged from the naturalism of Fred, Daphne, and Velma, the Batman-like Blue Falcon, and the old school caricaturing of Dastardly. We had a lot of young animators and Bill and I took them back to animation school in a way, Cervone said. Blue Falcon is an obvious nod to Bruce Timms Batman but also [Max] Fleischers Superman, who influenced Bruces Batman, so were all borrowing from the same stuff.

Haller added that The Captain Hook-like Dastardly was influenced by a combination of Milt Kahls Shere Khan (the Bengal tiger voiced by George Sanders in The Jungle Book) and Richard Williams Zigzag in The Thief and the Cobbler. I studied every Khan pose and realized [Kahl] was a genius, and with Dastardly, we constantly asked if there was a better angle, a better way to display this awesome design. And once we found that, we looked at Zigzag, who had a mouth that just never stopped. The corner would go up like The Grinch. So we did that with Dastardly.

And for the trippy, VFX-filled action set piece, they had to look no further than Ghostbusters. On a cinematic level, it lives up to what would have been a big screen experience, Cervone said. But the most important part was emphasizing the inseparability of Scooby and Shaggy and how their friendship becomes threatened by Scoobys rise in stature as a hero. That alone justified their entire approach to this origin story.

This movie is really about friendship and what happens when its challenged, added Cervone. And what happens when youre separated by adversity. And now with the predicament that were in with this pandemic, some of these messages are even stronger. And its a time when people need that kind of stuff to watch.

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DC’s The Batman Who Laughs Gets His Own Board Game – ComicBook.com

Posted: at 6:04 pm

Over the past few years, The Batman Who Laughs has grown from a creative one-off take on The Dark Knight into one of the DC universe's most formidable foes. The Batman/Joker hybrid has terrorized the heroes of the DC canon -- and it looks like he's about to do the same to your board game collection. The Op recently announced The Batman Who Laughs Rising, the fifth installment in their Rising game series, which previously tackled franchises like Star Wars and Harry Potter. The cooperative card and dice game will pit players against the villainous foe, allowing them to recruit key superheroes in the fight ahead.

In The Batman Who Laughs Rising, a passage from the Dark Multiverse has allowed the most dangerous evildoers to infiltrate Gotham City, and these Dark Knights alongside their menacing leader are eager to do their worst to the city.

"Save the multiverse and do battle with Power, Purpose, Determination, and Justice with four starting heroes: Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Batman, each with their own teams and special abilities," the game's description reads in part. "Prominently on the opposition stands a custom sculpted, full-color figure of The Batman Who Laughs, crazed and commanding a fistful of chained Evil Robins. As the demonic leader doles out damage wherever he turns, regain control by empowering Allies such as Harley Quinn, The Flash, and Cyborg, whose skills can complete objectives or help recover what is lost to darkness. Take out villainous versions of Batman such as The Merciless, The Dawnbreaker, The Murder Machine, and more before facing off with the psychotic Joker-ized antagonist himself!"

The game will include one miniature figure of the titular baddie, as well as a slew of objects and features, which can be found below:

The Batman Who Laughs Rising is recommended for 1-4 players ages 15 and up, and is expected to retail for $49.99. A release date has not been officially released, although The Op recommends keeping an eye on its social media for future updates.

Will you be adding The Batman Who Laughs Rising to your game collection? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.

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Astronaut on how to survive isolation, and the future of space travel – Business Insider – Business Insider

Posted: at 6:03 pm

Scott Kelly is a retired NASA astronaut who has been to space four times, including a 340-day trip on the International Space Station. He is the author of the book "Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery"

Kelly spoke with Business Insider about his experience in space and shares lessons he learned that also apply to the isolation many are struggling with during the coronavirus pandemic. He also shares his thoughts on the future of space travel. Following is a transcript of the video.

Sara Silverstein: Before we get your tips, as a lot of us are dealing with being cooped up in our own homes after many, many weeks, I don't want to try to compare the two. So let's give a little bit of perspective and how much space did you have while you were living in space, and what limitations did you have as far as diet and water?

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly enjoys his first drink from the new ISSpresso machine aboard the International Space Station on May 3, 2016. NASA/Reuters Scott Kelly: Well, space-wise I actually had more space on the space station than I do in my apartment here in Houston. It's a big place. Now, having said that, it's filled with a lot of stuff, but you have more usable room when you can float above your head, use the space towards the ceiling. But there are a lot of similarities between this situation, being isolated, kind of being cut off a little bit from society, as what I experienced on the International Space Station. And one of them is the fact that we are all part of the same mission now. One thing that makes getting through your time in space easier is recognizing that you're there for a reason, an important reason, a purpose. And that's the same case in this situation. We are following the guidance, the guidelines as best. At least we should be doing that, because that's our job and it's our responsibility not only to ourselves, but to our family, but also to every other citizen of this planet.

Silverstein: And so talk us through some of the tricks you learned to pass the time while you were stuck in the space station.

Kelly: Yeah. So I flew a six month flight, nearly six months, before I flew for a year. And when I did that, as I was getting towards the end, I was feeling a little bit of anxiety, like the walls were closing and I was ready for it to be done. And then when I got home, I had the opportunity to fly in space again, but this time for twice as long. Initially it didn't appeal to me, but I thought about it some more. I wanted to find space again. I wanted it to be different and I wanted it to be more challenging. And I came to the conclusion that this was the flight for me. But I went into it with a lot of thought and consideration for how I could get to the end with as much energy and enthusiasm as I had in the beginning.

So I came up with a plan. And part of my plan was maintaining a very, very rigid, rigid schedule. Easy to do when you're working for NASA and they build your schedule, but taking that very seriously as a schedule that has a variety of activities on it during the week, from work to taking care of your environment, making sure it's clean. We have to do that now. In this situation, I kind of treat the front door of my house kind of like an airlock right now where the bad stuff stays outside, good stuff comes inside. Those two will not cross. So having this schedule that has time for rest, time for work, consistent sleep times, exercise. In this case, in this situation at least we can go outside and get some light and some fresh air, which is important. Couldn't do that in space. But the schedule was important. Having a weekend that's different from the weekends was critical because it gave something for me to look forward to at the end of the week.

I tried not to count the days I was there. I definitely didn't count down. And I think it's important we do that in this situation because this situation is ... Some people think this is over, this is not over. We will be living in this new reality in some form or the other for quite some time. So I look at this like this is my life. This is what I have to do because it's my job, which is following the guidance and the direction that we get. It will be over someday. Not sure when it is, but I am not going to count the days. I could not tell you how many weeks I've been doing this. I can't even tell you what month I started this, I don't think, because it's not the way I look at it, it's not the way I want to look at it.

Silverstein: And how do you differentiate the weekends from the weekdays in space?

Kelly: Well, in space, one of the days you devote to cleaning the place in space, virus and bacteria grow easily. You put your hands on a lot of things, your immune system is suppressed very much like this situation. When you're in isolation, anxiety, fatigue suppresses your immune system. Same thing in space. So on the weekends we clean all house and then we leave Sunday for just rest. So yeah, our weekend days are structured much differently. Now, I understand, I get it. Everyone's not in the same situation. I have advice and some people this advice is not important to because they're worried about when they're going to be able to get some money to feed their kids. I get it. So these are just the things that worked for me. And maybe some people could take some of this advice and have it help them through the situation. But I absolutely recognize that everyone's situation is different.

Silverstein: Absolutely. And you've mentioned before journaling was something that you did regularly while you were in space. Did that help you get through the time?

Kelly: Well, I did that mostly because I felt like I might want to write a book after it and I wanted the experience and the thoughts and ideas to be fresh. So I decided to write them in my free time on the space station. But I also found that it was kind of a cathartic thing. When you're dealing with a challenging situation, especially if you have no one to talk to about it, it's important, I think to admit that it's hard and you write that down. By writing it down, I think you're admitting to yourself that this is challenging because this is, this is a very challenging situation. And I'm sure a lot of people are scared, whether it's getting the virus or how am I going to pay my bills, what's going on with my job? If you have a job, will I lose my job? I mean, this is scary stuff. Understandable. Flying in space was scary. There were scary things about it.

What I've learned flying in space four times is the fear sometimes allows you to focus, but if you dwell on it, it will prevent you from making the right decision and doing the right thing. So I always to kind of tamp down the fear, I would focus on the things that I could control, which was the spacecraft, my job, what I was doing, ignoring the stuff I had no control over. Like is the thing going to Is the rocket going to blow up for no reason that I had any ability to prevent it from happening? So same situation here. I mean, there's stuff we can control and stuff we can't, knowing what that is.

I think also one thing NASA was good at was always thinking about what is the next worst possible failure? And I think people need to be considering that. What actions do I take if one of my family members get sick, who do I call? What do I do? If I lose my job if I can't pay my rent, where can I get relief? I mean, even if you don't need it, you need to be thinking about, well what if I do need it next week or the week after, so you're prepared.

Silverstein: And you were there for the entire time with your Russian counterpart, Mikhail, and it sounds like you two have a pretty good friendship. Did you ever have disagreements while you were out there together, and how did you deal with that?

Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko spent 340 days at the International Space Station together. NASA Kelly: Yeah, so over the course of the year I was there, Mikhail and I were there for the whole time, and we had 13 other people come and go. I have never had an argument with Mikhail ever about anything.

He is just like one of the nicest guys in the world. I can't see him getting into an argument with anybody. I have had disagreements with people in space and a lot of times those disagreements can be avoided if you bring up issues early. I think in this situation, we're living in maybe close quarters and just spending a long time in the same place with people that you generally don't spend that much time in a single place with. There can be opportunities for conflict, and one thing they teach us at NASA and that I've always practiced myself as much as I could is if there are things that are bothering you with your crew members or if something that I'm doing is bothering other people, you'll need to recognize it's better to talk about it early rather than it to develop into a bigger issue.

My wife was telling me, I guess the other day she kind of got a little bit frustrated with what I do with the dishes and I think I do the dishes. I certainly put them in the sink, I put them in the dishwasher sometimes, I take them out sometimes. But what I wasn't doing was following the approved system, which was her system, which is actually a really good system. The only thing is she never told me what the system was. So I did it a different way and it turns out it bothered her. But at least eventually she explained to me what it was. And I was like, "If I would've known that 10 years ago, it wouldn't have bothered you for the last 10 years because I would've just did it how you did it." Because it makes sense to me. It's just, it was never explained to me.

So I think it's important that people share their thoughts and feelings, understand we're all different. We all have different skills in this kind of situation. Help each other out. I always found that on the space station, the facility you're living in is a shared space. So you're all kind of responsible for keeping it clean and so I always felt like if I just did a tiny bit more than was expected of me, and if everyone always just did a little bit more of what's expected from them, that made everything run very smoothly. You don't want someone doing all the cleaning and the other person sitting on the couch, that's not good for anybody. Even the person sitting on a couch because it's not going to last. It'll create conflict. So I think always trying to contribute just a little bit more than you think you should is a good approach.

Silverstein: Well, I think that's very relatable to a lot of us right now. And I have to say, I'm listening to your book right now, "Endurance." And one of the things that struck me about it was that you were not a very good student early in your life and you became an astronaut. And right now it seems like a time that school is being rethought. Is there a way to make school more either rewarding or appealing to people like you that will one day turn out to be overachievers but are not recognized by the traditional school system?

Kelly: Yeah. So for me it was impossible to pay attention. I always had the best intentions to do well. The start of the school year, I'm like, "Okay, this is the year I'm going to get straight As." And three days into it, already three days behind on homework, wasn't able to pay attention in class, game over. Try again next year. And I was always smart enough that I could get by Cs without doing anything, without even paying attention in class. Or maybe it was just easier then. I think if I was in school today, I probably would have flunked out, but it seems harder now. But what I found was for me it was impossible to pay attention until I found something that I wanted to do so badly that I had to force myself to become a good student.

That was inspiration I had, I found in Tom Wolfe's book, "The Right Stuff." Inspired me to be a fighter pilot, a test pilot, and even an astronaut. And I guess my point is all kids are different. They all need inspiration and they learn in different ways. So I think it's kind of ... There's some good that can come out of this and, and one good thing maybe recognizing that education is going to look different and it could look different in a way that makes it better. And I don't know what that is. If it's going to school a few days for the social interaction, and then doing it at home online. Maybe that's good for some kids, maybe not for others, but trying to have it evolve, and cater to all different types of learners, because kids learn in different ways.

Silverstein: And what do you think about the commercialization of space travel? Do you think that it's a positive, it will get us further faster? And do you still think that astronauts should be overseen or regulated by the government?

Kelly: No, I think it was a positive thing. I think it's great when you have companies that are investing their own money in something that I feel is very important and, and strongly about. Yeah, I think it's a great thing. We need to do it with the appropriate amount of attention to detail and safety. There will be significant risk in the beginning, but as we get more experienced with it, it will become safer. Kind of like commercial aviation was in the early days of aviation. It was expensive and it was risky and that's what what space flight is going to be. But yeah, I'm all behind any commercial space flight. I think it's great. Flying in space is one of the greatest things I've ever done in my life and I wish everyone had the opportunity to do it. I'm not selfish. Let everyone go to space.

Silverstein: I would love to go to space. When do you think we'll get to Mars? Can you give me an estimate?

Former NASA astronauts Mark Kelly (left) and Scott Kelly (right) speak during the 2017 Breakthrough Prize at NASA Ames Research Center on December 4, 2016 in Mountain View, California. Kelly Sullivan/Getty Images Kelly: I've never been able to give that estimate. We can go to Mars. I'll quote my brother, give him a bone here, but he always He's got a good quote and he says, "Going to Mars is not rocket science. It's political science."

We have the technology to do that. We have to learn some other things a little bit. How to take care and protect the crew from radiation as an example, but it's more of an issue of investment and a desire, investment, money available. Before this pandemic and the resulting economic impacts we've had, I'd probably, if you would have pushed me on it, I probably could have given you a number that is probably not the same number I would give to you today.

But I still think it's important. I think we will one day get there. I hope I see it in my lifetime. I think it's going to be a great adventure for not only the people that are involved, but for the people that are watching on their couch. And I hope there's some kid out there today, probably not watching this show, but probably alive and wondering what they're going to do in their life, having no idea that it's going to be walking on Mars someday, and that's going to be a great moment.

Silverstein: And one of our viewers wants to know, do you think it's a good idea to have a space station on the moon?

Kelly: Yeah. The moon is an incredible place. It seems like it was built there just for us to experiment on. And I would love to see a lunar base, but again, I think it's a priority that would ... A financial investment that would be in competition with going to Mars. So we have to just make some tough choices. And if building a base on the moon would take away from being able to go to Mars someday, maybe it's not worth it. I don't know. It's a hard decision and I think a lot of people have to put a lot ... A lot of people that are smarter than me have to look into this and decide what the best thing to do is.

Silverstein: And I saw that Tom Cruise is planning to shoot a movie in the International Space Station. What do you think about that?

Kelly: I think Tom Cruise is a great actor. I've probably watched most of, if not all of his movies, and I'd watch that movie.

Silverstein: And before I let you go, I need to know, just based on the way that you write about your life and this quest for risk, what is the next adventure for your life?

Kelly: Hey, though about Tom cruise though, right? So I think what he really needs to realize is this is not a movie. I'm sure he realizes that. And it is really, I mean the highway to the danger zone because launching on a rocket is pretty risky. They sometimes blow up and kill people. So as long as everyone understands that, that that might happen, then I think it'll be great. It'll be interesting to see how he films a movie without his normal crew of probably 100.

Silverstein: Absolutely.

Kelly: But what was your last question?

Silverstein: And what is the next adventure for you?

Kelly: Right now I'm just navigating my way through this new reality. My primary job was as a motivational public speaker, so I would travel around the country and the world talking in person to large groups of people in small rooms. And that is going to happen again, I'm just not sure when. So I've been doing a lot of stuff like this. One thing we're really excited about is we're building a house and we're moving to Colorado. So building a house is normally ... I'm not building it with a hammer, I've got a contractor. And that's normally a tough job, but it's even tougher now because of this pandemic. So we're spending a lot of time doing that. And then once this whole situation is past us, and I think hopefully we can look back on it and it's going to be not a whole lot of good that's going to come out of it, but maybe we can look back on it and we learned some things and we're better for those things that we've learned. I'll find some other exciting things to do with my life.

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Virgin Galactic Is a Solid Long-Term Bet on Space Travel Demand – InvestorPlace

Posted: at 6:03 pm

Virgin Galactic (NYSE:SPCE) stock has been out of this world.

Source: Tun Pichitanon / Shutterstock.com

In fact, since bottoming out at $6.90 late last year, SPCE stock blasted to a high of $42.49 just months later all on the idea that a global space industry could quickly become a multi-trillion dollar industry.

However, after flying too high, too fast, SPCE stock plummeted after posting a loss of $73 million in the fourth quarter of 2019. Analysts, including Credit Suisse analyst Robert Spingarn, said the firm could no longer recommend the stock after such a hefty run higher. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas noted Even Spaceships Must Return to Earth after downgrading the stock to a hold rating.

Virgin Galactic fell even more on news Sir Richard Branson plans to sell $500 million worth of SPCE stock. However, the sale is nothing to be too alarmed about. Branson is reportedly selling to help prop up his airline and leisure assets, which have been crushed by the novel coronavirus.

Even with all of the negativity, I still believe Virgin Galactic could revisit early 2020 highs. All thanks to sky-high space travel demand, and a recent deal with the folks over at NASA.

Granted, earnings are nothing to write home about just yet.

The company posted a loss of $60 million, or 30 cents a share in the first quarter, as compared to a loss of $42.5 million, or 30 cents, year-over-year. Revenue fell to $238,000 from $1.8 million, as well. Meanwhile, analysts were only looking for a loss of 15 cents on sales of $700,000.

While Virgin Galactic isnt pulling in great numbers just yet, dont write it off. With its One Small Step space travel initiative, its already received 400 deposits payments from individuals in 44 countries, which represents more than $100 million of potential future revenue.

Analysts are also bullish. Morgan Stanleys Adam Jonas, despite his calls for a modest correction, is maintaining an overweight rating and $24 price target.

Despite the modest adjustments to our space tourism [discounted cash-flow model], the company maintains a healthy cash position (~$500 million) and its expected ~$16 million per month cash burn position it well to navigate any near-term headwinds, he noted in late March.

Virgin Galactic and NASA just signed a Space Act Agreement to develop high-speed technologies.

In partnership with NASA, Virgin Galactic believes there are significant opportunities to apply higher speeds to drive technological development to allow industries to adapt to the changing economic and ecological environment. The collaboration will aim to inform the development of national strategies using economic and technical foundations with a focus on sustainability.

Plus, as InvestorPlace analyst Matt McCall notes, SPCEs status as a pure play alone will drive some optimism. And theres a real business here. Virgin Galactic is charging $250,000 a flight. But there are, well, millions of millionaires who will pay that sum for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And as the company grows and improves, those costs will come down.

Granted, Virgin Galactic is a speculative bet at the moment. But Im willing to bet that if it can help transform air travel at hypersonic speeds, create more deals with NASA and get off the ground to meet sizable space travel demand, itll be well worth the investment.

In my opinion, the safest move is to take a small speculative bet on SPCE stock. Buy it. Forget about it, and check back on it next year.

Ian Cooper, an InvestorPlace.com contributor, has been analyzing stocks and options for web-based advisories since 1999. As of this writing, Ian Cooper did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.

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Meet The Women Of The San Diego Art Prize – KPBS

Posted: at 6:03 pm

The exhibition of work by the four finalists, originally set to open last weekend, has been officially rescheduled forSeptember

Credit: Griselda Rosas, Melissa Walter, Kaori Fukuyama, Alanna Airitam

Above: Clockwise from top left: work by Griselda Rosas, Melissa Walter, Kaori Fukuyama and Alanna Airitam, this year's finalists for the San Diego Art Prize.

The 2019 San Diego Art Prize has been in the works for so long, it seems strange to keep including the "2019." Now, the show of works by the 2019 finalists scheduled to open last weekend has been officially postponed until the fall. Opening September 3 at Bread & Salt, the show will run through October 24 and announce the eventual winner.

Organized by San Diego Visual Arts Network, the finalists were announced in October 2019. Earlier that year, they had also announced an overhaul from their previous model, used since the prize's inception 14 years ago. The project paired two emerging artists with two established artists, who would then produce new work together throughout the year to prepare for an exhibition. For the 2018 prize, Anne Mudge chose emerging artist Erin Dace Behling, and Bob Matheny selected emerging artist Max Daily.

In 2019, when Chi Essary took over as curator, the move was made to eliminate the pairings with established artists, have each of the four artists involved be emerging artists four finalists and each of them win some cash. The four for this general "year" (a year that will always somehow smudge our history books with its pre-, during- and post-pandemic signposts) all happen to be women: Alanna Airitam, Kaori Fukuyama, Griselda Rosas and Melissa Walter. And you can meet them all here.

San Diego photographer Alanna Airitam draws on the old Dutch masters their skillful use of light, the regal poses that seem to not just exude art but define it. In some ways making a broad statement for representation and in other ways reclaiming what counts as art, her portraiture and still life photography pull from centuries of work.

Airitam's work is as rich with symbols and objects as it is with light and characters. Airitam opened an exhibition at the Athenaeum Art Center the weekend the coronavirus shutdowns began. Read about her recent work here and the way she spins newness fresh, unexpected, speculative and surreal elements into her photography.

San Diego visual artist Kaori Fukuyama's work is the kind of art that reminds you that light exists. Ranging from oil on canvas to ink and paper, fishing wire-like monofilament suspended from the walls to light refracting through plexiglass, what unifies her vast collection of work is its exploration of the interplay between light, shadow and color.

Read about Fukuyama's recent solo exhibition, her high-profile mural in North Park and how her work is often a response to the last piece or series of works she's created.

Griselda Rosas is, it seems, suddenly everywhere. And so is her work. The cross-border artist's broad repertoire from large hanging sculptures suspended from ropes to mixed media pieces she embroiders at her kitchen table after her son goes to sleep is specifically inspired and informed by place. The origins of the materials she uses and where they've traveled to seem as important to her as the shapes they take in her works.

Read about Rosas' big year now partly interrupted and the way each of her works represents a series of migrations.

San Diego visual artist (and longtime illustrator for NASA) Melissa Walters work is subtle, often inviting a viewer to lean in close. Some are compact, crisp, white sheets of paper cut and layered, and sometimes, the only shape or form is found in the relief or the shadows. Other times, she forms massive installations, showcasing her unmistakable inclination towards white paper, shadows and shapes but serving up splashes of color, film, metal and other materials here and there.

Her new works mark a shift for her: not just studying science, but considering our role in it. "Rather than think specifically on celestial objects or scientific theory, I really started thinking of the morality of space travel," Walter said. Read more about the origins and transformations of her process and the work she's doing during the pandemic.

KPBS' daily news podcast covering local politics, education, health, environment, the border and more. New episodes are ready weekday mornings so you can listen on your morning commute.

Julia Dixon Evans Arts Calendar Editor and Producer

I write the weekly KPBS Arts newsletter and edit and produce the KPBS Arts calendar. I am interested in getting San Diegans engaged with the diversity of art and culture made by the creative people who live here.

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