Superhero Bits: The Doom That Came To Gotham Trailer, ComiXology Might Be In Trouble & More
(Superhero Bits is a collection of stories, updates, and videos about anything and everything inspired by the comics of Marvel, DC, and more. For comic book movies, TV shows, merchandise, events, and whatever catches our eye, this is the place to find anything that falls through the cracks.)
In this edition of Superhero Bits:
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"Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham" gets a trailer.
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New footage from Marvel's "Spider-Man 2" game surfaces.
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Mark Hamill might be done voicing Joker for good.
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Amazon is seemingly gearing up to kill ComiXology.
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All that and more!
Penguin announces classic Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four collections
Marvel is continuing its partnership with Penguin Books to bring together some classic tales from comic book history in new, premium collections. The next wave of titles will include "The Avengers," "X-Men," and "Fantastic Four," bringing together some of the earliest adventures of these teams. Each book will have both hardcover and paperback editions, each with a different cover. The books are currently slated for release on September 12, with the hardcovers going for $50 and the paperbacks set at $28 on Amazon. Full details and pre-order links can be found by clicking here.
Arrowverse stars reunite in behind the scenes photo from The Flash season 9
David Ramsey has shared a new look at "The Flash" season 9, showcasing a reunion between John Diggle, Green Arrow, and Kid Flash, all alongside Barry Allen, who is putting on the boots for one last go-around. The upcoming season will bring an end to the long-running series on The CW, but not before one big Arrowverse reunion. The final season kicks off on February 8.
IDW is bringing back The Rocketeer for a new one-shot comic
Fans of classic non-Marvel or non-DC superheroes rejoice, as "The Rocketeer" is coming back for a special one-shot comic later this year. IDW has announced a collection of three tales that will hit shelves in May, with the cover aft for the book picture above. Adam Hughes, Jae Lee, Gabriel Rodríguez, and Phil Noto, among others, will be contributing to the various stories contained within the one-off special. This could help fill the gap until that reboot makes its way out into the world. Full details can be found by clicking here.
ComiXology hit hard by mass layoffs, is Amazon getting ready to gut the service?
Amazon purchased Comixology back in 2014, bringing one of the biggest digital comic book marketplaces under the same umbrella as one of the biggest digital marketplaces of any kind. It appears as though that marriage may be ending bitterly. As reported by Bleeding Cool, Amazon recently laid off a ton of staffers at the division, with reports suggesting as much as 50 percent of the staff has been let go. David Steinberger, Comixology's former CEO, took to Twitter to say, "Feeling for the @comiXology and @amazon folks being cut today. Super talented folks that will land on their feet, for sure, but today it just sucks. Reach out if I can be useful." We'll be sure to keep up with the situation but this is not great for the future of the digital comics distributor, and that could mean big things for the industry at large.
The Good, The Bad, and The Undead DLC announced for Midnight Suns
After a little tease yesterday, the first DLC has been revealed for "Marvel's Midnight Suns," and Deadpool is coming along for the ride. Titled "The Good, The Bad, and The Undead," the new content for the game will bring with it new story missions, and an abbey Upgrade. Most crucially, Deadpool will be a playable character, who will wield 10 unique Hero abilities, and will have some cosmetic upgrades available. Be on the lookout for the DLC when it launches on January 26.
It seems as though Mark Hamill is done voicing the Joker
Mark Hamill's Joker is, for many, the definitive take on the Clown Prince of Crime. The actor began his long journey with the character in "Batman: The Animated Series," right alongside the late Kevin Conroy, who voiced the Caped Crusader for decades until his recent passing. It seems as though, without Conroy, Hamill is probably done with Joker as well, though his reasoning is tear-jerking. Speaking with Empire Magazine (via Screen Rant), Hamill said the following:
"They would call and say, 'They want you to do the Joker,' and my only question was, 'Is Kevin Batman?' If they said yes, I would say, 'I'm in.' We were like partners. We were like Laurel and Hardy. Without Kevin there, there doesn't seem to be a Batman for me."
That is nothing if not touching. Be that as it may, that might still be a tough pill for fans to swallow.
Sony previews Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Spider-Man 2
Sony recently revealed a trailer previewing its 2023 video game slate, primarily focused on the PlayStation titles coming our way. Though the trailer does focus on some VR games as well. As far as you superhero fans out there are concerned, the big ticket items are brief bits of footage from the long-awaited "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League," as well as choice bits from "Marvel's Spider-Man 2." The ladder should be getting a full-length trailer sooner rather than later but, especially since the release date was confirmed in December. For now, this will have to do.
Sounds like James Gunn might bring the Guardians cast to DC Studios
James Gunn is getting ready to say goodbye to Marvel Studios with the release of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" this summer, but he's already got a big, fancy new job as the co-head of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran. And, though he's saying goodbye to the Guardians, he's very likely going to work with those actors again — very possibly in DC projects. Speaking with Empire, Gunn said the following:
"This cast are like my family. I cannot tell you how close I am to Chris Pratt and Pom [Klementieff] and Dave [Bautista] and Zoe [Saldaña] and Karen [Gillan]. But I also know I will work again with all those people individually again. Probably at my other job [laughs].
Start fan-casting now, people of the internet.
Warner Bros. reveals trailer for Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham
Lastly, today brings a trailer for the upcoming animated DC flick "Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham." The film is based on the Elseworlds comic book of the same name that takes Bruce Wayne to a version of Gotham City in the 1920s. What does that look like? This trailer provides the answer! A synopsis for the film reads as follows:
Inspired by the comic book series by Mike Mignola, Richard Pace, and Troy Nixey, 'Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham' is a 1920s-based tale that finds explorer Bruce Wayne accidentally unleashing an ancient evil, expediting his return to Gotham City after a two-decade hiatus. The logic/science-driven Batman must battle Lovecraftian supernatural forces threatening the sheer existence of Gotham, along the way being aided and confronted by reimagined versions of his well-known allies and enemies, including Green Arrow, Ra's al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, Two-Face, James Gordon and Bruce's beloved wards. Prepare for a mystical, often terrifying Batman adventure unlike any other.
"Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham" will be available on Digital, 4K, and Blu-ray on March 28, 2023.