Kotaku recently posted a ton of new screenshots from the upcoming game, BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY. So far, the game looks amazing (even if I do question why they’ve brought Harley Quinn even further away from her comic book costume) and these screenshots are probably going to make the wait even harder. Here’s a look at Catwoman and Two-Face–the rest of the pics can be found here).
And, of course, as this is an action figure blog, if you’re looking for Arkham Asylum figures, we’ve definitely got a bunch of those. Available for pre-order and shipping in January and February of 2011, look for Batman, Joker, Harley, Scarecrow and more!
If you’re a fan of Batman: The Brave and the Bold and have been looking forward to the upcoming video game, the new trailer should make the wait just a little bit easier…or is it harder? You be the judge!
And fans might also be interested in checking out our collection of extremely awesome Batman: The Brave and the Bold figures from Mattel! They’re a 5- to 6-inch collection of toys and vehicles, featuring a variety of Batman toys (Bladewhip, Bataraxe, Crusher Cuffs), Solomon Grundy, Plastic Man and many more! They really capture the dynamic look of the series, which is itself a unique and more light-hearted take on the dark knight, sometwhere between Superfriends and the Batman animated series that made the 90′s so much cooler.
Take a look at the whole collection of B:B&B figures by clicking the pic below!
This collection includes two Robins (one a variant), Knightfall Batman, Jonah Hex, Mercury, Riddler (in the classic jumpsuit!) and The Creeper. Each one is 6 inches tall, looks absolutely brilliant and faithful to the character and, best of all, comes with a piece of the Series 16 Build-a-Figure, the Batman villain (last seen in the Secret Six) BANE.
This Mattel figure collection doesn’t have an official release date yet, but you can be sure that the moment we know, we’ll update. And don’t worry: you can still pre-order and no matter when these guys arrive, we’ll ship ‘em right out!
Platform Nation has a great article telling video game companies what they should take away from the success and general awesomeness of Batman: Arkham Asylum.
Last year, one game took everyone by surprise. Rocksteady Studios came out of nowhere (literally; it was their second game they ever made) with Batman: Arkham Asylum. I would go so far as to say that they re-wrote the book on how to make a game based on a comic book. This year, another superhero looks to rise from the video game ashes after several disappointing efforts. Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions will be arriving shortly, so let’s go over pages from the Batman: Arkham Asylum manual that Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions should take from.
Throw the storyline from the movie out the window. The first thing any comic book game needs to do is come up with a completely new and original story. I hate to say this, but if I have seen the movie and know how the story goes, what is going to keep me playing all the way to the very end? Batman: AA’s story was original, compelling, was stayed in line with the Batman canon for the most part, and brought out the best in the Batman universe. All your favorite characters make an appearance in one way or another. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end, with enough plot twists scattered throughout to keep you saying “Just fifteen more minutes!”
Put me in the character’s shoes. I can’t tell you how many times bad voice acting has ruined a good story. Rocksteady Studios did exactly the right thing: they got the most beloved actors from the Batman series for the roles. Yes, that means Mark Hamill for the Joker and Kevin Conroy to voice the Batman. Just hiring these two actors alone did wonders for the story, as it brought me back to the days were I watched the cartoons on Saturday morning. All of the sudden, I was playing these cartoons. And that is a really, really good feeling. In addition, the graphics fit the game just right. The graphics were dark and gritty, which really enhanced the “creepy asylum” aurora. It was so satisfying to crunch a bad guy, and then see a bunch of tiny bats fly out of his body. All the character models look amazing, and you can see the influences from the comic books sneaking through, which is vital. The small details like Batman’s suit showing damage over the course of the game helped immerse you into the game. And the cut scenes looked and sounded fabulous and they helped move along the story at an acceptable rate.
Make the game fun to play. Everyone knows how horrible controls have ruined Spiderman and Superman games for years. Rocksteady took a “easy to learn, difficult to master” approach which was implemented beautifully. And it wasn’t just a button-masher either. Rocksteady did a fabulous job introducing various mechanics into the game that allowed you to vary the way you took out the bad guys. In addition, the game played in a stealth-like manner similar to the Tom Clancy games, which was really different and ran counter to my “superheros can do everything and beat anybody, no problem” mentality.
Spice things up. As I alluded to above, Rocksteady put many different styles of gameplay in their game. All the boss battles are different, there are some puzzle sections sprinkled about, and the whole “stealthy Batman” mindset really makes this game stand out from many of the other comic book games I have seen. Compare Batman: AA to one of the recent Iron Man games and it becomes clear the variety of gameplay really do make a difference in keeping the game fresh for 8 hours.
Give us the unlockables and extras we crave. For all the comic book fans and achievement hunters out there, Rocksteady didn’t forget you. There are a bunch of riddles set up by The Riddler for you to unlock. These often revolve around obscure comic book villians or Gotham City lore that comic book fans will crave. In addition, there are tons of audio tapes for you to unlock to take the story to another level altogether. Solving all these riddles and finding all the secrets will add on many more hours to the campaign length, because there is just SO MUCH for you to do.
Don’t deny your heritage. Whatever you do, don’t forget the comic books that you are coming from. Batman: AA gave a shout-out to these comics in the form of riddles and Easter eggs, but most importantly they did their research and they designed a game where you were Batman, not some modern evolution of such. That might have been their biggest decision of all.
Of course, I think it’s safe to say that we’re all looking forward to Arkham City and maybe a few replays of AA, but there’s one more thing you might want to check out and that’s this DC Direct series of Arkham Asylum figures. Batman, Joker, Harley Quinn, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and MORE are coming your way in 2011 as a group of brilliantly-crafted 7-inch figures. Naturally, they’re pre-orderable now!
Based on the MEGO figures that were popular in the 1960s, DC Direct has released a line of plush and plastic figures that capture the retro spirit for a new generation: Mattel’s new World’s Greatest DC Heroes. The first wave included Superman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Sinestro and Lex Luthor and, now, a whole new series of heroes and villains has arrived!
Each one stands (or is propped up!) about 8 inches tall and they match the original style of the figures right down to the old-fashioned packaging. Here’s a look at what you can pick up, both individually or as a full Series 2 set!
It’s been a weird one. Grant Morrison’s always slightly out of left field in his comics writing, but when it comes to Batman, the whole RIP/Reborn/Return saga has definitely been one of the strangest arcs ever to hit Gotham city. Which has, of course, led to the new line of toys being some of the strangest DC’s ever made under the Batman name.
Each one stands about 7 inches tall and has the smooth sculpting that seems to be DC Direct’s trademark lately, low-detail but high-definition, which gives each one a great iconic look that seems ripped from the comic pages. The first series has just arrived and you can pick it up right here!
Elise Archer is more than just a cosplayer. She’s a blogger, a revier, a burlesque performer, a clown, a writer and perhaps the biggest Harley/Joker fan out there! Many might know her only as the Harley in this very popular pic that seems to have made the internet rounds…
..but there is so much more to know, and to read, about this wonderful Australian lady who not only organised a Harley Quinn meet-up at this year’s SDCC (Harleypalooza!) but got both Paul Dini and Mark Hamill to join in the fun! Read more here.
So all I can say about this brilliant fangirl is that you should check out her tumblr and, from there, take a look at everything else she’s done. She’s beautiful, funny and, most importantly, an extremely intelligent writer whose insight on comics is incredibly refreshing!
EXCITING NEWS! KOTAKU reports that Arkham City is the title of the follow-up to Rocksteady’s incredible Arkham Asylum! And the first promo pics have been released! Augh!
Batman: Arkham City, follow-up to the bone-crushing, dark Batman: Arkham Asylum, is in development for the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 for a Fall 2011 release, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment said this morning.
The sequel, in development by Rocksteady Studios, has players taking Batman into Arkham City, the new maximum security home for all of Gotham City’s criminals. This new prison is described as a heavily fortified walled-prison in the heart of Gotham City.
The game will include story that “draws together a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight,” according to the press release.
Also coming up and something I will definitely snag as a fan are DC Direct’s Arkham Asylum figures. They’re based on the very-awesome game models and after having seen them at SDCC this year, I’m even more convinced that I need these figures–especially Harley and Scarecrow. Click the pic below to take a look at both these figures and the next series!
Shipping in February of next year, there’s a new 2-figure mini-statue on its way from DC Direct. Pre-orderable now, it features 2 of DC’s best-known heroes from one of their most popular modern adventures.
BATMAN AND ROBIN:This full color, hand-painted cold cast porcelain mini statue measures approximately 4.5″ high x 5.73″ wide x 4.5″ deep, is packaged in a 4-color box.
And if that isn’t enough for you and you’re seeking some more from the dynamic duo, then look no further than DC’s recently released animated film, Under the Red Hood, which tells a dark Batman tale that delves into the psychology of the heroes and villains and deals heavily with the legacy of those he has taken as his wards. It stars Bruce Greenwood, Neil Patrick Harris, John DiMaggio, Jason Isaacs and more! Here are the links to where you can snag this one on both Blu-Ray and DVD…
Well, I’ve just gotten back from San Diego and I’m very pleased to say that it was an absolute blast, if a little lighter on actual comic content than I’m used to. Really, though, I suppose it’s just the way of things that TV and movies seem to have officially taken precedence over the comic book stuff and at least it’s bringing people into the show where they’ll discover the stuff they might have missed out on! Plus, with movies like Red and shows like The Walking Dead, it’s further proof that there’s a symbiotic relationship between the media forms and that is definitely a good thing.
But without further ado, I’ll get to the meat of this post, THE PICTURES! Take a look at some of the cool items, set pieces and costumes from the biggest con in the world!
And if you want a little more, be sure to check out our previous post on SDCC EXCLUSIVES!
Posted by actionfigurecanada 
Full Set of 4 Figures
BATMAN
TWO-FACE
AQUAMAN
BLACK MANTA
AZRAEL
BATGIRL
JASON TODD as BATMAN
TWO-FACE as BATMAN
Set of ALL 4 Figures
BATMAN AND ROBIN:
Batman: Under the Red Hood [Blu-ray]
Batman: Under the Red Hood (Two-Disc Special Edition)
