Batman: Arkham Origins - Official Trailer

Here's an impressive-looking trailer from Batman: Arkham Origins, the next installment in the blockbuster "Batman: Arkham" videogame franchise whic goes on sale in the UK in October. Developed by WB Games Montréal, the game features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, the first two critically acclaimed games of the franchise which spawned their own comic tie-ins.

Taking place before the rise of Gotham City's most dangerous criminals, the game showcases a young and unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, players will meet many important characters for the first time and forge key relationships. (One shot suggest we might have a Green Arrow cameo, but that could just be a tease).

Deathstroke will be a fully playable character in the challenge mode for Batman: Arkham Origins, and will come complete with his own unique weapons and special moves. Fans who pre-order the game for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 system or Windows PC will receive exclusive early access to the Deathstroke pack containing two additional challenge maps and two alternate Deathstroke character skins.

• Batman: Arkham Origins will be available for the Xbox 360, PS3, the Wii U system, and Windows PC. The game will release worldwide 25th October 2013 along with Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate for Nintendo 3DS handheld system and PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system.

Batman Automobilia Collection launches in January

A new fortnightly series, Batman Automobilia Collection, launches in the UK in January from Eaglemoss, which distributors Comag say will offer Batman fans and car model enthusiasts alike the chance to collect the most iconic vehicles ever driven by the DC Comics hero.

Aimed at predominantly at men aged 16 and over the 80 part work series will feature Batmobiles from the hit TV shows, blockbusting films and more than 70 years of comics, from its first appearance in Detective Comics No.27 in May 1939 to The Dark Knight Rises film in 2012.

The Batmobile has gone through numerous incarnations, but has always been an innovative and inspirational vehicle for fans of the Caped Crusader. With weapons, gadgets and special abilities, it is almost a character in its own right in the stories for some, and its appearance is eagerly anticipated whenever a new one is designed.

Every issue will carry a superb quality die-cast model of a Batmobile in a Perspex display box with a lenticular background. In addition to the Batmobile, each issue will carry a 12-page magazine that describes that particular version of the vehicle.

On sale for a month, issue No.1 of Batman Automobilia Collection is on sale 2nd January 2013 at the introductory price of £2.99 and will carry a Batmobile from the 1989 film Batman. Issue No.2 will be on sale 17/01/13 priced £5.99, with a model of the vehicle from the 1966 TV series. Issue No.3 will be on sale 31/01/13 at the regular price of £9.99, featuring the Batmobile from the 2005 film Batman Begins. Issue No.4, on sale 14/02/12, will have the car from 1995’s Batman Forever.

Comag says the magazine will be supported by a staggering £1 million media campaign across TV, e-mail, online marketing and social media - imagine that kind of budget for The Phoenix or 2000AD...

Judge Dredd-Batman Collection out soon

If you're a fan of those once occasional cross-company comic crossovers, then you'll be happy to hear that the epic Batman vs. Judge Dredd stories are still among the most brutal crossovers in comics, 20 years since it was first published.

Out later this month from 2000AD and DC Comics is The Batman Judge Dredd Collection, which brings together the four team-ups between the Lawman of the Future and the Dark Knight for the first time in a brand new hardback edition, with a fantastic roster of superstar talent, including Simon Bisley and Glenn Fabry.

Originally released between 1991 and 1998, these epic crossovers - Judgment on Gotham, Vendetta in Gotham, The Ultimate Riddle, and Die Laughing - brought the dynamic duo together to fight their ultimate foes. From alien super-fiend Judge Death escaping to Gotham to the Joker teaming up with the Dark Judges to cause mass slaughter in Mega-City One, The Batman Judge Dredd Collection brilliantly captures the lunacy and non-stop action of these two all-too-similar worlds from either side of the Atlantic.

Judge Dredd co-creator John Wagner leads a pack of top names, including Alan Grant (Batman, Lobo), Simon Bisley (Hellblazer), Glenn Fabry (Preacher, Hellblazer), Val Semeiks (The Demon, Lobo), and Cam Kennedy (Batman, The Light and Darkness War) - all contained in a cover from Hellboy creator Mike Mignola.

Published by 2000AD in the UK and Ireland, and by DC in North America, this ultimate new edition also includes the hard-to-find meeting between Dredd and psychotic biker Lobo, and deserves a place in the collection of any self-respecting Dredd or Batman fan.

• The Batman Judge Dredd Collection is available from 27th November 2012

• Buy it from amazon.co.uk

• Buy it from ForbiddentPlanet.com

 

Lazy Oaf launches chic Batman clothing range

Image: Viktor Vauthier © Lazy Oaf

East London-based fashion street wear label Lazy Oaf has just launched a very stylish range of Batman-themed clothing, in the run up to the release of The Dark Knight Rises on 20th July.

Image © Lazy Oaf

Promoted at a swish launch party for press in London last night, the range for women features super hero body suits, leggings, oversized shirts, including a unique play on the bat wing and a super cool 1990’s inspired sheer bat crop top.

The men’s collection features hand picked Batman imagery arranged into their instantly recognizable Lazy Oaf prints. These appear on their staple and popular men’s garments including short sleeve shirting, T-shirts and jersey crew neck sweatshirts.

There's also a stylish Batman knapsack on offer.

Online, the range is being helped with a viral video filmed, directed and edited by João Retorta, with a music from punk-style band Throwing Up (see below).

Under the licensing deal with Warner Bros Consumer Products UK, Lazy Oaf has acquired the global rights to the archive of iconic Batman artwork that it will use on clothing and accessories collections for men and women that launches in-store and online in the UK, Japan, Korea and US this month.

• Batman Men's Range

• Batman Womens Range

• Meet Lazy Oaf's very own BatDog




• For the full range, head over to www.lazyoaf.co.uk/Batman/c201/index.html


• Launch party "Catwomen" photos (and no, we didn't get to go): http://lazyoaf.tumblr.com/post/27339768301/catwomen

Images © Lazy Oaf

The Dark Newt Rises - in The Dandy!

Watch out, folks - there's a new superhero in town... well in The Dandy, anyway, as Lew Stringer brings the Dark Newt to the weekly comic next week.

"This is the first time I've solely created a character for The Dandy," says Lew. How other popular strips, Kid Cops and Postman Prat were created by the editors and passed to the longtime comic creator to develop.

The name and premise is, of course, a spoof on the classic Batman saga The Dark Knight but Lew says the story goes off on its own direction. "Good job too, as there are a couple of other Batman spoofs in that issue by other artists," he reveals. "Anyone would think we were all influenced by some movie or something..."

"I'm very proud to have created a new strip for one of my lifelong favourite comics in The Dandy's 75 anniversary year," he says, "but I'm also a bit apprehensive about the reaction.

"I'm hoping readers like it. I certainly enjoyed writing and drawing it."

The Dark Newt will initially run in the comic for six weeks. Let's hope it goes down well.

• Check out Lew's blog for some pre-production art on the strip. The Dark Newt starts in The Dandy 3590 next Wednesday (18th July). More about The Dandy online at: www.dandy.com

Panel Borders: Scott Snyder and Jock – The Black Mirror

In the first of a series of shows about comic book creators who collaborate together, Alex Fitch of radio show Panel Borders talks to writer Scott Snyder and artist Jock about their 2010 / 2011 collaboration on Detective Comics, collected as the graphic novel Batman: The Black Mirror.

Although Snyder’s current run on Batman is also winning critical acclaim, his first story showed his great affinity with the Dark Knight right from the start; The Black Mirror, also featured back-up tales illustrated by Francesco Francavella, which combine with the ‘features’ by Jock to tell a memorable tale of Jim Gordon’s estranged son James Junior returning home with murderous intent, while a former Robin, Dick Grayson, is protecting Gotham City as the Caped Crusader .

Recorded at Kapow! comics convention, London 2012 and broadcast 1st July 2012 on Resonance 104.4 FM, you can listen to the show over on Panel Borders now.

• The next new episode of Panel Borders will be broadcast / podcast on Sunday 15th July 2012.

Holy Mustard, Batman! It's a competition

Batman Live Opening

Put on your apron, dust off your mixing bowls: it's competition time and National Family Week is looking for a cooking hero - who could win a VIP pass to the Batman Live Arena show when it tours the UK this sumer.

National Family Week and French’s Mustard are on the hunt for the nation’s favourite family BBQ recipe - whether that be a delectable dip, a gorgeous grilling recipe or a sensational sauce - and they'll reward the winning chef and their family with an all expenses, VIP trip to see the Batman Live World Arena Tour in the UK.

All you need to do is design a grilling recipe that the whole family can enjoy using everyone’s favourite, French’s Mustard. The recipe must take no longer than 25 minutes to prepare and be ready to serve, totally original to you and never published (full rules here). It can be anything from a vegetable dip to a main course. Be as imaginative as you like, just as long as it’s tasty!

When you’ve created your recipe, upload it here on the National Family Week web site, along with a photo of your prepared dish.

The winner of the best dish as chosen by celebrity chef Antony Worral Thompson, will experience the VIP treatment courtesy of French’s to see “The Batman Live Stage Show” at any of the UK arena venues with a night's accommodation. The show will incorporate all of the trappings of the Batman universe: Batman and Robin, as well as butler Alfred, will battle many of the iconic villains such as The Joker, The Riddler, Catwoman and The Penguin in a new, original storyline created for the show.

Five Runners-up will receive family tickets to the Batman Live Stage Show at any of the venues across the UK, while each and every entrant will be sent a tube of French’s mustard.

• Entries must be received by: Monday 6th June 2011; winners will be drawn on the: Wednesday 15th June 2011

• For full rules and to upload your recipe go to http://www.nationalfamilyweek.co.uk/competition_frenchs_cookery

Detective Comics #27 flies for £28,200 in British comics auction

Multiple bidding in the room from their live internet feed and three transatlantic telephones led to some impressive results from the Dominic Winter/ Comic Book Auctions on Thursday night, including the headline sale of a copy of Detective Comics #27 for £28,200 - the comic in which 'Bat Man' (sic) debuted.

Aside from Detective Comics #27, the big sellers were a restored copy of Superman #1 for £10,500 and Batman #1  for £9,600. A copy of Marvel's X-Men #1 sold for £3,877.00.

Some other key results were Amazing Spider-Man #1 CGC 6.5 at £3,350; Amazing Spider-Man #14 CGC 9.2 at £2,700 and Amazing Spider-Man #25 CGC 9.4 at £1233.

A copy of Avengers #1 CGC 7.5 sold for £4,112 and Avengers #2 CGC 8.5 at £1175. Even an issue Avengers #11 sold at a good price - £870.

All prices include 17.5% buyer's premium.

'The sale was largely successful with all eyes on the Detective #27 at an impressive £28,200 including 17.5% buyer's premium," notes Comic Book Auction's Malcolm Phillips.


"The Avengers did particularly well in advance of the upcoming movie, as did the ever-popular webslinger and Professor X's Militant Mutants. Superman #1 and Batman #1 were both CGC restored copies, just meeting their reserves.

"Given this was our our debut live auction of a one-owner collection of 2,500 US comics, the biggest inventory ever offered outside the USA, both ourselves and the vendor were absolutely delighted with the overall results."

• For more UK comics auctions visit the Comic Book Auctions web site

Detective Comics 27 goes under a UK hammer

Rare and much sought-after US comics, including Detective Comics #27, featuring the first appearance of Batman, will go under the hammer in Gloucestershire next week.

The auction of US comics from a ‘one owner’ collection will take place on Thursday 16th December 2010 at Dominic Winter’s UK auction rooms in association with Comic Book Auctions.

Over 2,500 comics in 200 lots are on offer, perhaps the most important collection of American comics ever offered outside the US.

Included in the auction is Detective Comics #27, dated May 1939 (which recently sold for $1 million in New York). The first appearance of 'Bat-Man' is listed as CGC Apparent 4.5 [vg+], restored, cream to off-white pages. Notes on the lot indicate it has had professional restoration that includes: colour touch, pieces added, tear seals, cleaned, re-inforced, re-glossed.

Also on offer among the many comic lots are Batman #1, Superman #1, Superboy #1 and #2, issues of Marvel's Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Journey Into Mystery, Iron Man and X-Men #1 - plus Mile High copies of Crime And Punishment #1-5. Many of the comics offered are with CGC grading.

Full details of the lots can be found here on the Dominic Winter Auction Room web site.

A 2001 figurine of Walt Disney
and Mickey Mouse. More info here

The US comics on offer are part of a much larger auction that also includes rare antiquarian and juvenile books, bygone toys (including Disney toys), Louis Wain postcards, a huge collection of the works of crime writer Edgar Wallace (who was also the co-creator of King Kong), first edition books, including many James Bond hardcovers, film posters (including 2001: A Space Odyssey and Goldfinger), plus many Disney figurines and serigraphs.

• US Comics Section: www.dominicwinter.co.uk/catcal/S290/P15.html

• Bidding can be done online, via telephone or in the auction rom. For full details please check the website www.dominicwinter.co.uk or call on 01285 860006

• Dominic Winter Auction Rooms is at Mallard House, Broadway Lane, South Cerney, Nr Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 5UQ. Email: info@dominicwinter.co.uk

Batman Live To Tour UK Arenas

We've had Doctor Who Live and now it's the turn of another iconic character who's been around even longer than the Doctor - Batman!

The Batman Live World Arena Tour will premier in the UK in summer 2011 and has been described as 'an all-new, live-action arena adventure set to take the world by storm.'

The story is all-new and written exclusively for the show. Batman Live will feature exciting stunts, acrobatic acts and illusions. Gotham City, Wayne Manor, the Batcave and Arkham Asylum will be brought to life on stage and Batman and Robin will fight old foes such as the Joker, The Riddler, Catwoman, The Penguin and Two-Face.

Starting at the Manchester Evening News Arena on 20 July, the show will also appear in Newcastle, Glasgow, Sheffield, Birmingham, London, Liverpool, Nottingham, Dublin and Belfast.

Further details can be found here.

Paul Dini Signing in London Friday 28th August

Marking the highly anticipated release of Batman: Arkham Asylum in the UK, Emmy award-winning script writer Paul Dini will be signing copies of the game at Game 100 Oxford Street, London tomorrow (Friday 28th August) between 1 and 2.00pm.

Paul, whose credits include Detective Comics and is currently writing Batman: Streets of Gotham and Gotham City Sirens, also produces his own comic, Jingle Belle, about the rebellious teen-age daughter of Santa Claus. For TV, his credits include Batman Beyond, Batman: The Animated Series and Lost. He wrote the original script for the Batman: Arkham Asylum game and helps to bring the universe of DC Comic’s detective to life.

Paul has earned five Emmy awards for his animation work: he was also the co-author (with Chip Kidd) of Batman Animated, a 1998 non-fiction coffee table book about the animated Batman franchise.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a dark, action packed videogame adventure for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows. In the game, developed by Rocksteady Studios, the player assumes the role of Batman as he delivers The Joker to Arkham Asylum. There, the imprisoned super-villains have set a trap and an immersive combat gaming experience unfolds.

The game has been awarded a Guinness World Record for the ‘Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever’ before it has even hit the shelves - an impressive achievement.


Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars movies and leading television and stage actor Kevin Conroy lend their voices to the videogame. Known as the voice of Batman and Bruce Wayne for over 15 years in various animated films and television series, Kevin Conroy repeats his role as the caped crusader, while Mark Hamill, also a veteran of many animated Batman properties, again stars as legendary villain The Joker.

• More Info on the Game: www.batmanarkhamasylum.com

Dandy Issue 1, Amazing Fantasy #15 Up For Sale

There's still time to bid on items - including a rare copy of the first ever Dandy - from British online auction site Comic Book Auction's Summer Catalogue.

Included in the British section of the catalogue is an extremely rare first issue of DC Thomson's humour title, Dandy. Published in 1937, this first edition introduced Korky the Cat, Desperate Dan, Keyhole Kate and their chums and is described as "a well worn copy with 3 inch spine tear and multiple edge tears although only minor loss." Only 20 copies of this first issue are known to exist, so expect some high bids, well above the £500-£600 reserve.

Also included this time are some also rare wartime Beanos, all with bright fresh covers and white/off white pages. Since a lot of paper was recycled for the war effort, copies of these issues are probably even rarer than some of the pre-war titles such as Champion, Butterfly, Hotspur and Schoolgirls' Own, which are also being offered.

Original Desperate Dan art by Dudley Watkins - a staple of most these regular auctions - is also offered, including work published in a 1942 issue of the Dandy. (Artist Dan paints the town with bristles from his beard. The pictures are so realistic the mayor gets Dan to camouflage all the tanks and planes for battle!).

Of interest to many downthetubes readers though will be a page of Ron Embleton art featuring Wulf the Briton from Express Weekly 155 (published in 1957), in which Viking Wulf proves himself to the warrior tribesmen in his quest to solve the riddle of the Sphinx. Also beng offered is original Dan Dare art from the Eagle by Desmond Walduck (featuring both Dan and the Mekon), Supercar and Joe 90 art, a Dan Dare space gun, bound copies of Eagle and Lion, issues of TV Century 21 - including several rare and much sought after Specials - Valiant, Tiger and more.

For US comics fans, the chance to own the first appearance of Spider-Man in Amazing Fantasy #15 is sure to stir plenty of interest, even if the issue comes stickered with a British 9d tag. A first issue of Amazing Spider-Man is also in the auction, along with plenty of ther goodies including Fantastic Four #1, X-Men #1, Millie the Model, Batman #20 from 1944 - the first Batmobile cover - and lots of other goodies.

• Bids on items, which include comics and original art, will be accepted until Tuesday 9 June at 8 PM UK time (GMT).

Catalogue Links:

• British comics, annuals and artwork
• US Golden Age comics
• US Silver Age Marvel comics
• US Silver Age DC comics
• US 1970's & 1980's comics

Tube Surfing: 13 March 2009

• Lucasfilm has published a feature on Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore’s connections to Star Wars, documenting the pair's early Star Wars work. Alan wrote several Star Wars tales for Marvel UK while Dave's first contribution was as an artist on the second set of Star Wars Galaxy cards from Topps. Moore's Star Wars contributions went largely unknown outside the UK until the mid-1990s, when Dark Horse Comics collected them into a two-issue limited series, Classic Star Wars: Devilworlds. Pictured here is a frame from the story Rust Never Sleeps.

• The Guardian reports a man dressed as Batman villain the Joker has been shot dead by police in America after pointing a loaded shotgun at them...

• The splendid fellows at Doctor Who podcast Radio Free Skaro have posted up an MP3 interview with Simon Guerrier, conducted at the Gallifrey convention in LA last month. "Hear me stumble my way towards the articulate without ever quite getting there," says Simon.

• As part of the Bradford Laisterdyke Business & Enterprise College's innovative mini-literary festival and literacy promotion event Leap Into Books, Tony Lee will be doing two days, Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th April at the college. Also as part of the evening programming, he'll be live on stage at the Bradford Playhouse on the night of Wednesday the 8th from 7.30pm - 8.30pm, doing a 'one man show' for the more mature comic reader. The He's Only a Writer event is at 7.30pm-8.30pm, Wednesday 8th April. Tickets are £5.00 (£3.00 concession) and are available from the Playhouse Box Office (01274 820666), or online from www.leapintobooks.org.uk (payment is either using Paypal or personal cheque)

• The upcoming Cold Day in Hell collection of early Seventh Doctor Who stories from Panini, out in May, will include a background feature on the 'making' of the stripsincluding interview material with Lee Sullivan, Ricard StarKings, Mike Collins and others. (I know this because I just filed it...) Richard Starking also provides an introduction to the volume.

• More Watchmen "and I know there’s been plenty of those around recently, but I think this one is a bit different," says Forbidden Planet International's Joe Gordon. New York writer Tom Crosshill kindly offered FPI a combi review/interview piece on the Watchmen: Portraits book after he met the photographer Clay Enos at the MoCCA Art of Watchmen exhibition and interviewed him. "I know some folks were less than impressed with the idea of that book but I thought it had some gorgeous photography and I like the fact Clay avoided Photoshop in the work," says Joe. "There’s plenty of gorgeous, luminous black and white photos to enjoy in the article too." Read it here

• Jim Boswell has posted pages of his Michael Owen strip from Kick! that is on sale now in the UK.

• (with thanks to David Hughes) Hungry? This won't help but it's worthwhile swinging by Rob Jacksons website as a matter of regularity, his work on a Pasty Anthology is continuing apace with a great planet of the apes painting, erm with a twist. The anthology is based around Greggs Pasties - the food of modern Britain. "The story of Greggs is a Viz style tale of the centuries of loyal service done for the people of Britain by the bakers, and lots of other stuff about pasties too," Rob explains. Small press at its best, although my favourite food-related comics idea was one from former Fantasy Advertiser editor Martin Skidmore who, when asked to contribute a recipe to a fanzine wrote soemthing along the lines of: "Get Some Money. Go To a Fish and Chip Shop. Buy Fish and Chips. Eat Them." Priceless...

• And finally on Comic Relief Day, over on Bear Alley Steve Holland has uncovered a classic comic-styled cookery book from Disney: Cooking with Pooh. No, really...

Tube Surfing: 16 October 2008

• Orang Utan Comics have begun to serialize Young Gods on ROK Comics. You can read it on ther web site or via WAP subscription (wap.rocomics.com).

• Talking of phones: the iphone, which is beginning to feature more and more comics applications, is not a passing fad: at least not according to author Charles Stross who reveals in a blog post titled "How to tell the difference between a trend and a standard" that "90% market dominance is all very well, but when half the cars destined to be sold in the USA in 2009 offer iPod connectivity it's a fair bet that the iPod isn't going to die out in a time frame of less than a decade.
"It's the new cassette tape, and that lasted for nearly four decades," he argues, "even taking into account the faster turnover of technologies I reckon being built into cars means it's going to be around for another 5-10 years minimum — one to two generations in the automotive world."

• The first issues of Warren Ellis' Doctor Sleepless have been collected and the book's now available from "better comics stores and bookshops".

• (via Chris Weston): 2000AD cobver and strip artist Cliff Robinson, creator of hundreds of iconic Judge Dredd covers for the Galaxy's Greatest Comic, now has his own blog at cliffrobinsoncomicart.blogspot.com

• (via Forbidden Planet International): the Irish Comics Wiki has moved from Wiki to Wikia, which uses similar software but is apparently easier to use and register with. You can access the new version here.

• SciFi Pulse has published a handy round up of Star Trek movie pictures.

• (Via FPI): Top British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe has received a CBE from the Queen. “It’s slightly strange since I’ve spent most of my life being rude to people that I should receive this," he said. "It came completely out of the blue, I had no idea - but naturally I’m proud."

• Neal Hefti, a Big Band trumpeter, arranger and composer of themes for the film The Odd Couple and the Batman television series, has died. He was 85.
Links: Daily Telegraph obituary • Los Angeles Times

• Matthew Craig just uploaded my new Trixie Biker novella, Attack of the Sixty-Inch Pixie, to The Matthew Craig web site. "Sixty-Inch Pixie is the longest Trixie Biker story to date," he says, and sees the unconventional superheroine contend with frantic fairies, superhuman hermits and a threat to both her peace of mind and her secret identity, in the form of the sister that leaves this superhero in the shade." Matthew very nearly sold out of his initial print run at the Birmingham International Comic Show, but anyone who would like a copy of Sixty-Inch Pixie (and can't wait for Thought Bubble) should get in touch with him via my website. The print edition costs £1.75, including postage.
His other new comic, Bostin Heroes - For The Black Country And Beyond, continues apace, over at www.bostinheroes.com.

Tube Surfing: 17 July 2008

• Due to unforeseen circumstances Jimi Gerkin's much anticipated 'Pens, Pencils and Photocopiers' Comics and Zines Event in London this Saturday is going to cost exhibiting contributors £7 each. More details here: Jimi has asked that contributors get in contact with him to confirm.

• Talking of events, London Undrground Comics has announced its announce its second festival of the year, Low Energy Day on 30th August. "After the success of No Barcodes, with its beautiful atmosphere, universal profit making and footfall of over six hundred visitors we’ve decided to do… well pretty much the same again actually," says Oli Smith. The event in Camden will have more tables and DJ Laurence Powell from small press legends Modern Monstrosity (Tales From The Flat) will be entertaining fans all day with his comics themed mixes in the middle of the main room.

• Lee Slattery, whose work has previously apeared in Eddie Campbell's Bachus, has just finished putting his Everyone Loves the Lizard man online. This used to run as a serial in Deevee at the same time as my How to be an Artist. Also, he has coloured the whole thing. It's brilliant.

(in the scroll that opens for the five chapters watch out for the numbering, as I don't think they appear in correct order)

• Glu Mobile has released The Dark Knight, a mobile game based on the latest Batman installment due for US release this week (18 July). The game is Glu Mobile’s second title for Warner Bros and the companu is also releasing a suite of content associated with the film, including over 30 wallpapers, 14 voice tones, four music tones and eight animated screensavers for mobile phones.

• More comics on mobile news: Fun Mobility is bringing Hello Kitty to mobile phones thanks to a new deal with Sanrio, which created the icon more than 30 years ago. FunMobility will sell Hello Kitty imagery and more to mobile phone users through its wallpaper applications and syndication deals with carrier storefronts.

Pow! Zowie! Braaak! It's (Still) Batman!

As an addition to the Batman trailer, here is the American poster for the 1960's re-release of the 1943 Batman and Robin serial, taken from Tony Nourmand and Graham Marsh's book Science Fiction Poster Art published by Aurum.

Nourmand and Marsh have compiled a remarkable number of these poster books over the years, including the decade series of books running from the 1930s up to the 1990s, as well as Science Fiction Poster Art and Horror Poster Art. All are well worth a look.

Titan Magazines' new DC title

Titan Magazines recently launched a fourth comic licensed from DC Comics. DC Universe Presents Batman Superman follows on the heels of Superman Legends, Batman Legends and Justice League Legends to the UK news stand.

Featuring stories and artwork never previously published in the UK (although available as imported titles), the 76-page comic uses the smash-hit superhero stars Superman and Batman to take readers on what Titan describes as "a dizzying tour of the captivating DC Universe".

Each issue of DC Universe Presents contains three fantastic stories, written and drawn by some of the greatest comic superstars, featuring superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Supergirl, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and the rest of the Justice League.

The first six issues include the epic The Brave and the Bold (written and illustrated by comics legends Mark Waid and George Pérez) featuring Batman, Green Lantern, Blue Beetle, and the Legion of Superheroes and a cast of thousands.

Heroes and Lost producer Jeph Loeb reintroduces the smash-hit character Supergirl to Earth. Follow her struggles as she encounters the teams and heroes that make up the rich tapestry of the DCU — before going toe to toe with the infamous Lex Luthor.

The comic also features Superman and Batman facing the strangest and most fearsome extraterrestrials the universe has to offer in the Superman/Batman team-up story, ‘The Enemies Among Us’!

With reader interaction all the rage these days, DC Universe Presents will enable them to have their say in which fantastic DC characters will be introduced next – with the Teen Titans waiting in the wings! "Fans can have a say on which of their favourite characters they’d like to see more of by writing to the comic’s letter column, where all ideas will be considered," explained a Titan spokesperson. "Teen Titans follows the trials and tribulations of the next generation of young superheroes and features Robin, Wonder Girl and Kid Flash, among many others.

If that isn't enough for even the most die-hard DC comic fan, the comic will also include news on DC merchandise and exciting competitions.

Issue 1 is on sale now, 76pp, four weekly, priced £2.60 from all good newsagents. Issue #2 on sale 18 October.

Happy Birthday, Batman!

How old is Batman?

Bruce Wayne varies in age between 15 and 50, depending on the retelling. But (and forgive me for not spotting this earlier, but you'll have noticed by now the focus of down the tubes is generally about British comics - certainly on the main site, anyway) - the story of Batman is 68 this month.

Detective Comics No.27 published the first Batman story in May 1939 , and a dark star was born. So belated birthday wishes, dark knight!

There's an entertaining tribute to his longevity on the Inside Bay Area news site, just published today, written by longtime comics fan Sumana Harihareswara, remarking that Batman's success, she feels, is because "We are drawn to Batman's ambiguity, regret, decades-old grief and all those other grown-up situations."

There's also a handy checklist of recent Batman spin-offs for anyone interested in re-tellings of his origins (all links in the list below are to various titles on Amazon.co.uk), to which I've added what I'd say were some other landmark issues:

• Batman: The Animated Series now out on DVD. Personally, I'd also recommend Batman Beyond, sadly not yet available on Region 2 DVD, known as Batman of the Future here in the UK.
  
• Paul Pope's Batman: Year 100 re-imagining (in paperback), the least cartoony Batman ever. Harihareswara says that Pope's Batman, a dissident in a dystopian future, is so physically present in the art that "I can hear him pant as he escapes hoverpods."
  
• Frank Miller's 1987 Batman: Year One - a definite landmark, as of course, I would argue, is his seminal Dark Knight Returns
• Then of course there's the films: Batman Begins attracted plaudits, but I enjoyed Tim Burton/Michael Keaton's version back in the 1980s (and let's be honest, who wasn't charmed by the 1960s absurdity of Adam West's take on the character?)

My other favourite Batman stories? Probably one of the first I ever read, which involved Batman riding a stagecoach in a cemetery: nope, I can't remember the issue off the top of my head but it was drawn, I suspect by Jim Aparo. I'd have been drawn in by the Neal Adams cover it probably had, an artist whose take on Batman brought him back to his roots after the 1960s campness of the Adam West-led TV show.

Then there's wonderful work of Steve Engelhart and the late, great Marshall Rogers, an eight issue run of Detective Comics (#469 - 476, and republished several times), described by some as the "Definitive Batman" (and indeed, the story arc was the inspiration for the Tim Burton movie mentioned above). DC Comics paid limited tribute to Rogers in recent Batman comics after his untimely death, and Engelhart talks about the issues on his own web site here.

I don't know about definitive, but I do know they are definitely some of my favourite Batman stories.