There’s a lot of attention about the big comic book movies coming out this summer. We’ve got The Avengers, The Amazing Spiderman, and The Dark Knight Rises, all hoping to be the biggest summer blockbuster the world has ever seen. I admit, I’m very excited and plan to see all of them, and I suspect many of you are as well. However, if you think that big-budget blockbusters are the only place to get your superhero movie fix, you’re wrong.

Since 2007 DC has released a dozen fantastic animated movies that blow many live action productions out of the water. Part of the reason these are so good is that they are based on stories that would never be filmed, either due to budgetary concerns or fear that they wouldn’t have a wide enough box-office appeal. Even if they were green-lighted, odds are that they would have so much studio interference (see Green Lantern) that the result would be a watered-down version of what could have been great.

The animated movies have given DC more freedom to produce great stories, and they are only getting better. This year will see the release of an adaption of Justice League:Doom and a two part adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns. I’m awaiting those movies just as much as the summer blockbusters, and I’m far less worried that those movies will disappoint.

For the uninitiated, I’d live to present the top six DC Animated movies and why you need to see them. (After that you should check out the other six because, really, they’re all good.)

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DC Comics has released a preview for this November’s Detective Comics #3. This issue continues a bloody look at the villain known as “Dollmaker”.

He makes dolls out of his victims – and he’s tired of being referred to in the media as the Gotham Strangler. His moniker is the Dollmaker, and he and his insane family are going to hunt down Gotham City’s public figures and turn them into the ultimate collectables. As the Dollmaker ups the stakes, Batman finds himself in a race against time – because one of his allies is the Dollmaker’s next target!

Written by TONY S. DANIEL; Art and cover by TONY S. DANIEL and RYAN WINN

DC Universe
32pg.
Color
$2.99 US

On Sale November 2, 2011

WB has given our friends over at Comicbookmovie.com this exclusive clip from the Green Lantern DVD extras showing what it took to make The Guardians look realistically regal.

Buy It 10/14 on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack with UltraViolet Digital Copy or Download to Own.

[comicbookmovie]

While we already have a bunch of details from the upcoming Blu-Ray of the Martin Campbell directed flick, a shot of the back cover shows the exact length of the extended scenes’ for Green Lantern. Is it enough to change opinions about the movie…

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, where a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan

Thanks to DCU Movie Page Twitter account, check out the shot of the Green Lantern‘s Blu-Ray back cover below:

Click on the image to enlarge

If you notice the writing on the bottom part of the cover clearly states that the extended cut is 123 minutes long, which means it only adds 9 more minutes to the original cut which was 114 minutes long. And this also means that the extended cut itself which was originally announced to be an extra 15 minutes is now only 9. Are you disappointed? Sound off in the usual spot below!

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Saarsgard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins, as well as the voice stars of Geoffrey Rush and Michael Clarke Duncan, Green Lantern is set to be released in Blu-Ray on October 14, later this year.

This is one of DC’s New 52 we haven’t seen too much from yet. Hawkman is not a very popular character, but can Tony Daniel and Philip Tan change all that? Check out the 4 page preview..

Carter Hall’s skill at deciphering lost languages has led him to a job with an archaeologist who specializes in alien ruins – but will the doctor’s latest discovery spread an alien plague through New York City? No matter the personal cost, Carter Hall must don his wings and become the new, savage Hawkman to survive! Witness the start of a new action series from writer Tony S. Daniel and artist Philip Tan that will take Hawkman where no hero has flown before!

Poor Hawkman gets no love. I don’t particularly dislike the character but nor have I ever felt compelled to read any of his solo comics. I’ll definitely pick this up and give it a go though. The Savage Hawkman #1 hits shelves this Wednesday.

A brief promo featuring Adrianne Palicki as Wonder Woman has found it’s way online, and while it’s literally only made up of a bit of slo-mo walking and a logo, it gives us a taste of what we’re missing…

So far, we’ve seen a few stills and reviews for the cancelled Wonder Woman TV show (as well as a single official shot of Adrianne Palicki in costume and a couple of dozen set photos) and while the pilot episode has so far not emerged online for the world to see, the following promo has! Many thanks to Bleeding Cool.

Not much I know, but does this make you wish they’d given the show a chance? Would you watch the the pilot episode if it was released online? Be sure to share your thoughts in the usual place!

[comicbookmovie]

DC have given io9 an exclusive glimpse at some of their upcoming relaunched titles including the new look Teen Titans. Check it out..

So we have Red Robin, Wondergirl, Superboy..I’m guessing that must be Starfire in the background. No idea who the chick on all fours is supposed to be? Anyway, for a look at Hawk & Dove, Legion Of Superheroes, static shock as well as an interview with Jim Lee and Dan Didio click the link below back to io9.

Tim Drake is forced to step out from behind his keyboard when an international organization seeks to capture or kill super-powered teenagers. As Red Robin, he must team up with the mysterious and belligerent powerhouse thief known as Wonder Girl and a hyperactive speedster calling himself Kid Flash in TEEN TITANS #1, by Scott Lobdell and artists Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund.

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Another cover art from an issue of the DC Comics relaunch has been released, this time featuring the new team Justice League Dark, giving us first new look on characters like Deadman and Zatanna. Hit the jump to check it out!

Thanks to Bleeding Cool for the cover of Justice League Dark below, which is being said to be the universe’s new version of Hellblazer:

Nonetheless, the creative team of this issue hasn’t been released, but like all the other the issues, it can be expected to hit the stores on September.

[comicbookmovie]

Could it be true? Will an official announcement of a ‘JusticeLeague’ movie be coming next month? Or casting announcement for ‘Man of Steel’? Check It Out!!

Fanboy.com (by way of HeroComplex) is reporting that next month at the HeroComplex Film Festival. Geoff Johns & Jim Lee will be attending & will be at the screening of Richard Donner’s ‘Superman’ & ‘Superman II’ (Donner Cut? who knows) but they will be making a ‘HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT” concerning Superman and/or the DC Universe on film.

Superstar comics creators Geoff Johns and Jim Lee say they are bringing bombshell announcements about the future of Superman and the entire DC Universe to the Hero Complex Film Festival on June 11.

Could it just be about the comic event FLASHPOINT & the rumored renumbering of all the titles after the event is over? Being as Johns & Lee are involved it’s likely..but the site also mentions this:

On the film festival website it says of the panel: “…special appearance by DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns, discussing the big-screen future of the DC Universe.”

What do you guys think? Could it be an official announcment for a ‘Justice League’ movie? Or maybe an official green light for ‘The Flash’? Or maybe…well we’ll have to wait till June (unless the news leaks) to find out what DC has up their sleeves.

[comicbookmovie]

The first trailer for the 3D video game has been released alongside three pretty cool character renders of Hal Jordan, Sinestro and Kilowog…

Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters is inspired by Warner Bros Pictures’ upcoming block-buster Green Lantern, which finally introduces the vast mythology of the ever so popular DC Comics Super Hero to the genereal audiences for the first time. You will play as Hal Jordan. In the game you will possess an entire arsenal of amazing constructs and take flight across the deepest and darkest parts of space to restore intergalactic order by wielding the ultimate weapon: the Green Lantern Power Ring.

Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters is set to be released on June 7 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS

[comicbookmovie]

Young Justice #3: Hack and You Shall Find

Sponsored by: www.comicbreak.com

Written by: Art Baltazar and Franco
Art by: Mike Norton

In issue three of Young Justice, Robin stumbles upon a plot by the League of Shadows to assassinate a local CEO.  He recruits the assistance of Kid Flash and Aqualad to attempt to foil the League’s plan.  Despite resistance from Aqualad about not including the rest of the team these three heroes set out on a stake out.  They encounter The Hook and Black Spider and despite their attempts these heroes appear to have bitten off more than they can chew on their own…

I’m not usually a fan of companion pieces to tv shows, they are usually watered down version of what’s on television or based on scripts that weren’t good enough to get produced. Young Justice on the other hand, was actually pretty decent. Based on the Cartoon Network show of the same name, Young Justice tells the story of a young group of superheros doing their best to learn the tricks of the trade and getting in a bit over their head.

I found the story interesting, the characters likeable, and the art exciting and well drawn. They have taken their visual cues from the show and stuck with what worked. That combination of things made for a quick read that actually had me excited about flipping to the next page.

What did I not like about it? I could have used a few more recognizable characters. I enjoyed the characters of Kid Flash and Aqualad but would have preferred a higher caliber superhero or two to take some of the focus off Robin. Am I really supposed to buy that he is a leader after years of being Batman’s sidekick? Other than that it was a fairly solid book and a good read for fans of the show or for younger fans looking for an interesting read.

War of the Green Lanterns: Part 1

Sponsored by: www.comicbreak.com

Written By: Geoff Johns
Artist By: Doug Mahnke

‘War of the Green Lanterns’ ignites with part 1 of the blockbuster event that’ll burn into the summer! A malevolent force has usurped control over all the power batteries, leaving the Corps powerless except for a select few members. Now it’s up to Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart and Sinestro to regain control – but can these warriors overcome their differences in time to save the universe?

“War of the Green Lanterns” is everything you’ve come to expect from a GL comic and that can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you are looking for.  If you are looking for an easy story to jump into with a simple storyline and characters that are easily discernible, than this is not the book for you. On the other hand if you are a long time fan who has invested years in learning the characters and the powers their rings posses and are capable of keeping the many characters from becoming a jumbled mess than more power to you. You might enjoy this book, I on the other hand, did not.

I’m not a simpleton by any means but the sheer amount of ring bearers compounded by the complex back story that all these characters are a part of made it near impossible for me to get into it. At times I found myself dreading turning the page because there might be another character introduced that kind of look like that other guy who looked a lot like that first guy. Keeping up with all of them left me with a headache and the strong urge to not see “The Green Lantern” when it hits theaters this summer.

The art was nice, well drawn, lots of green complemented well by the reds that really pop off the page. The environments were well defined but the locations the story took place limited my interest in what I was seeing. The cover was well drawn but ultimately it represented my major problem with this book, a jumbled mess of characters who I had a hard time telling apart. I say skip it and find something with a little more substance over style.

Johns has announced via Twitter that he intends to relaunch the decidedly fan polarizing DC Superhero with his own title in Aquaman #1. Click for the details..

Aquaman has always been a bit of a love him or loathe him type character in the DC universe. With many writers taking a stab at brining some credibility to The King Of Atlantis over the years, Geoff Johns succeeding in at least making people take notice after the events of Blackest Night, and leading into (the currently running) Brightest Day.

Now Johns looks to continue his good work by taking writing duties on Aquaman’s brand new title..

“After BRIGHTEST DAY I’ll be moving over to a new book – AQUAMAN #1 coming later this year!! ”

No confirmation on when exactly this will be with us, or if it will be a mini series or an ongoing title. Updates as we have em.

[comicbookmovie]

Over the next couple of weeks we are going to take a look at some of the talented comic writers and artists we spent time with at Staple-Austin over the past weekend. We had a great time meeting and interviewing these guys and girls and want to give you a chance to check out some of their work.

Paul is an Austin based artist and writer whose work has been featured by Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Heavy Metal, Ubisoft, Metro, Image, Criterion and Mirage Studios. You can find his work in book stores everywhere or for more info visit paulmaybury.com. You can also read his original webcomic Party Bear for free here. So make sure you check out his stuff and support artist who are out there doing good work. I’d recommend Strange Tales #2: Little Lies. Classic art style, good stories, Definitly worth checking out…

Zack Snyder named Henry Cavill his Superman. But what will Cavill’s character look like? “There are so many interpretations, so many artists,” Snyder pointed out. “I have that stamp image — him tearing open his jacket. It’s got a retro vibe to it. That’s the background on my iPad. It’s Curt Swan and the way he draws that jawline, it is like Mt. Rushmore, totally, or like The Incredibles.” But Jim Lee’s Superman (pictured) is ultimately Snyder’s fave: “My taste level goes to the bigger, more muscular Superman, the way Jim draws him. Those tend to be the artists I like in comics. So Jim’s Superman, for sure.” He warned: “That’s not to say that’s how the movie will be, [but] it’s an interesting thing to think about.” [Hero Complex/LAT]

Rumors regarding who’ll star in Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot as the lovely Lois Lane don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon, with a new claim adding TRON: Legacy‘s Olivia Wilde to the mix.

Now according to Latino Review, Tron: Legacy actress Olivia Wilde may have tried out for the love interest of Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot, the lovely Lois Lane. Sourcing their claim on a “close reliable” source, who of course they won’t mention, the site says:

“What I was told today was that Olivia Wilde (TRON: Legacy, Cowboys & Aliens) has tested for Lois Lane in “Superman.” The source knows this because they’ve been hired to work on “KIN” and the dates may be pushed back to accommodate the “Superman” schedule should she get the gig. They also mentioned to me that the Rachel McAdams story is true.

After a failed attempt in getting a comment from Warner Bros., who replied,”No Comment at this time,” when questioned of the rumor, you CAN take this with a grain of salt. However, being that ‘Lois Lane’ seems to be the “It” role in Hollywood, whose latest contenders include Dianna Agron, Jessica Biel, and Rachel McAdams, it’s most likly true. What do you think?

Anyhow, with Henry Cavill set lead as Clark Kent in Zack Snyder’s Supermanrevision, the film is set for theaters Mid-December, starting production in August.

This from GeekTyrant.com

The CW just released this new picture of Smallville’s Tom Welling wearing his new “Superman” jacket. Slowly but surely they seem to piecing his outfit together. I expect in an upcoming episode he will receive a pair of red underwear after Ma Kent leaves them in the wash with her red sock collection…

Smallville returns with on 2/4 with the episode “Collateral” on The CW.

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This Week on thenoobnews.com podcast Richard and Christian discuss the impending death of Indiana Jones, the Playstation Networks huge Tuesday demo drop, as well as a their favorite movies, games, tv shows and comics. All this and much much more on this episode of the noob news.

Here’s the rundown for this weeks episode…

intro
xmas chat
best christmas gift ever recieved

Christians Favorite gift

Richard’s Favorite Gift

This Weeks Podcast giveaway…
Be the first person to answer this weeks question and you’ll receive an autographed poster and dvd copy of the movie “The Battle”.
Listen to the Podcast for the question and answer and be the first person to email us here  info@thenoobnews.com to win!

Listen to the podcast on these sites…

http://www.mediafly.com/Podcasts/Feeds/The_Noob_News_Podcast

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id405993769?ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Quick Hits

movie news
Does Harrison Ford want to kill of Indiana Jones?

game news
Demos for 3 of the biggest games of 2011 dropped on PSN tuesday. Here’s a taste…
Little Big Planet 2

Mass Effect 2

Dead Space 2

what’s in your netflix cue
Aurthur

Restrepo

main event
2010 in review

Favorite Game
Red Dead Redemption

Favorite TV Shows

American Pickers

Dexter

Favorite Movie
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Winter’s Bone

Fantastic Stuff From The Future…
Word Lens App

Kevin Smith hates the press but apparently loves the interwebz cause that’s where he dropped an early teaser for his latest flick “RED STATE”. We’ve discussed on the podcast over the last few months our general feelings regarding this film and his approach to distribution and marketing of it and this trailer doesn’t really change any feelings I have for what he’s trying to do. Smith lists the Weinsteins in the credits (Harvey Boys) so I’m assuming he’s got distribution so we may not be treated to the public spectacle of a post screening auction like he promised but as long as it gets out there I guess that’s really all that matters. The trailer looks interesting, lots of action, creepy looking small town folk, and lots of random gun fire.  We’ll see how it all comes together in March when it is slated for release.

This week on thenoobnews.com podcast Richard, Christian, and Mario discuss John Favreau leaving Iron Man 3, The big winners from the Spike TV Video Game Awards,  and have an in depth discussion with the creators of the animated series, Scottish Ninjas. All this and much much more on this episode of thenoobnews.

Here’s the rundown for this weeks show…

intro and show news…
xmas chat, the big day’s only 10 days away, what’s on your list to santa?

Listen to the podcast on these sites…

http://www.mediafly.com/Podcasts/Feeds/The_Noob_News_Podcast

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id405993769?ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Quick hits…

television…

It’s the end of the fall tv season, what are we looking forward to seeing come January?

film…

John Favreau not returning to Iron man 3? Sounds like trouble in paradise…

Games…
Spike TV video game awards held last weekend, Here are the big winners

GAME OF THE YEAR
Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar Games / Rockstar San Diego)
BEST XBOX 360 GAME
Mass Effect 2 (Electronic Arts / BioWare)
BEST PS3 GAME
God of War III (Sony Computer Entertainment / SCE Studios Santa Monica)
BEST Wii GAME
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo / Nintendo)
BEST PC GAME
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (Blizzard Entertainment / Blizzard Entertainment)
BEST HANDHELD GAME
God of War: Ghost of Sparta (Sony Computer Entertainment / Ready At Dawn Studios)
BEST INDIVIDUAL SPORTS GAME
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 (Electronic Arts / EA Tiburon)
BEST TEAM SPORTS GAME
NBA 2K11 (2K Sports / Visual Concepts)
BEST DRIVING GAME
Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit (Electronic Arts / Criterion Games)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN MALE
Neil Patrick Harris as Peter Parker / Amazing Spider-Man (Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions / Activision)
BEST DLC
Red Dead Redemption – Undead Nightmare (Rockstar Games / Rockstar San Diego)

What’s in our Netfilx cue?
Interview With The Assasin

Die Hard 2

Cronos

The Main Event...
An interview with the creators of Scottish Ninjas

www.scottishninjas.com

fantastic stuff from the future…
Choose your own journey with the Israeli experimental film, Turbulence. More info at the link below…

http://news.cnet.com

Enjoy the show and we’ll see you next week for our “best of” edition where we’ll name our favorite games, movies, tv shows, and comics of the year…

the noob has spoken