JLA Movie to Face Off Against Avengers 2?

Now that Warner Bros. has won a decisive court battle involving the rights to Superman, the studio can speed up development on its Justice League movie.

Warner Bros. Wins Big in Superman Copyright Battle

The Man of Steel is, of course, a key member of that superhero team, along with players in spandex like Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and others. According to The LA Times, the studio is expected to "accelerate" development on the JLA project, which will include finding a director and cast. The hope is to shoot next year for a summer, 2015, release. That would put the film squarely against The Avengers 2, don't cha know?

Watch the above video to see Dark Knight co-writer David Goyer discuss bringing Superman's origin story to Man of Steel.

Had Warners lost its legal battle against the family of Superman co-creator Joe Shuster, the use of the character in Justice League or elsewhere would've been restricted after 2013. (And in fact, aspects of that court struggle continue to rage on, though it would seem yesterday's verdict was the start of the litigation saga's endgame.)

"That uncertainty made it difficult for Warner[s] to move ahead with Justice League, which the studio's motion pictures group president, Jeff Robinov, has long wanted to make as a pillar of its big-screen superhero strategy," says The Times. Additionally, the decision reached yesterday allows Warner Bros. to make sequels to Man of Steel (though it remains unclear if that version of Superman will be the one we see in Justice League or not).

So the plan now is to spin-off other heroes into their own movies after Justice League, in a sort of reverse-Marvel methodology. Hey, that works for me.

Talk to Movies Editor Scott Collura on Twitter at @ScottIGN, on IGN at scottcollura and on Facebook.

Source : ign[dot]com

New Young Justice, Green Lantern Episodes Abruptly Pushed to 2013

Fans looking for new episodes of Young Justice and Green Lantern: The Animated Series on Cartoon Network's DC Nation block this past Saturday were sorely disappointed when they tuned in to find nothing of the kind (instead episodes of Dragons: Riders of Berk aired in their stead).

What at first seemed like a mix-up on the network's part soon became much more bizarre when it was revealed that CN had abruptly pulled the entire DC Nation block of programming (which also includes those great little Superhero Shorts) from their schedule until January, 2013. This move comes only three weeks after Young Justice and Green Lantern had returned from an almost four-month-long hiatus. So this means only two new episodes of each show will have aired in more than six months by the time we get to the new year. Huh?

Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. have been mum on the situation, offering no explanation for the sudden move aside from this strangely cheery tweet from CN: "Hey #DCNation fans! Have you heard?? DC Nation will return in January with all new episodes!" No, we had certainly not heard that… (The DC Comics Facebook page offered a similarly brief message about a January return, and when we reached out to our sources all we got were similarly one-sentenced responses.)

Some have speculated that Cartoon Network wants to hold the new episodes for the station's 20th anniversary or perhaps for the launch of the upcoming Beware The Batman. As IGN TV's Executive Editor Eric Goldman points out, the huge success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Nick has sucked viewers away from CN -- though TMNT airs at 11, which is when DC Nation ends, so are kids just suddenly watching Nick all morning? Seems unlikely.

It must be said that Cartoon Network, DC and Warner Bros. are all corporate siblings, so it doesn't make sense to think that CN would not care about or have a reason to be dismissive of Young Justice and Green Lantern. The abruptness of the movie is just very strange, and it certainly doesn't help the programs themselves -- especially Young Justice which is very arc-heavy and dense with scores of characters to follow. When the show takes these long hiatuses (which it unfortunately has done on several occasions now), it becomes that much more difficult for fans to jump back in.

Interestingly, a teaser for the remainder of Young Justice Season 2 could be spotted at the DC booth at New York Comic-Con this weekend. That video has now found its way online and can be seen right here:

But wait! For now, anyway, you can (legally) download via iTunes what should've been this week's episode of Young Justice ("Before the Dawn"). The Green Lantern: TAS episode ("Steam Lantern") is harder to find, though one of the show's producers, Giancarlo Volpe, has provided some details via his Twitter (@giancarlo_volpe) on how to locate it. Why these episodes were made available this way is unclear, unless Cartoon Network's pulling them from airing was so abrupt that they simply slipped through the cracks.

Also, a petition has shown up here that seeks to get the episodes on the air before January.

So expect IGN's reviews on those iTunes episodes soon, but beyond that… well, I guess we all know what we're doing in 2013.

IGN Movies Editor Scott Collura made a Kid-Flash costume for his son last year. Follow him on Twitter at @ScottIGN, on IGN at scottcollura and on Facebook.

Source : ign[dot]com

DC and Kia Team Up for JLA Car Fleet

DC Entertainment and Kia Motors America have now joined forces to create a fleet of Justice League-inspired vehicles combining automotive style with comic book art. The partnership, which will deliver eight individually customized vehicles, harnesses the talents of famed DC artist and co-publisher Jim Lee, who has collaborated on the design of each car.

Each core member of the Justice League of America -- Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg -- has been matched up with a Kia vehicle. The Batman-themed Optima will be the first unveiled during New York Comic-Con on October 10. Other one-of-a-kind vehicles will be subsequently revealed over the next ten months at various events, including SEMA Show in Las Vegas, North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Wonder-Con and San Diego Comic-Con. Additional model bases include the Soul, Sorento, Sportage, Rio and Forte.

The partnership between DC and KMA was originally conceived to benefit "We Can Be Heroes," a giving campaign, dedicated to helping fight hunger in the Horn of Africa and inspired by the heroism of the iconic Justice League characters.

"DC Entertainment is pleased to be partnering with Kia on this program to help raise awareness and funds for the devastating hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa,” said Amit Desai, DC Entertainment's SVP of franchise management.  "Each of the iconic members of the Justice League is a superhero in his or her own right, but when they band together as the Justice League, they become an unstoppable force for good and right."

Source : ign[dot]com

NYCC: Meet the Justice League's Mister Fix-It

It's kind of an obvious question, really, but who takes care of the Hall of Justice? I mean, Batman and Superman are busy saving the universe, so who's changing light bulbs and fixing leaky faucets? DC Comics is debuting a new free comic in a partnership with Craftsman at New York Comic-Con that aims to answer those questions.

Written by Joshua Williamson (Voodoo, Uncharted, Masks and Mobsters), this giveaway comic will feature a new character called the Technician, who is more or less the Justice League's Mr. Fix-It. We talked with Williamson about the development of this new character. If you're swinging by NYCC, be sure to stop by the Craftsman booth (#2046) on Saturday, October 13 at 11 AM to snag a signed copy from Williamson himself.

IGN Comics: First, I love the idea of a mister-fix-it guy that hangs around the Hall of Justice. Honestly, when hearing about a “Craftsman crossover” I scoffed a bit, but this is actually incredibly amusing. What’s the story behind that character?

Joshua Williamson: The Technician is a character that we created just for this story. From the very beginning when Craftsman contacted DC about this project, I knew that I wanted to tell a story about a guy who worked at the Hall of Justice. The place is huge and yet has never really had a caretaker. Sure, there was Snapper Carr but he got into more trouble than took care of things. The Justice Society had Ma Hunkel helping out for a bit… why doesn’t the Justice League have anyone?

But also, I always love those stories where a supporting character gets into their own crazy side adventure that the rest of the cast doesn’t know about. There was the amazing Booster Gold episode of Justice League Unlimited, or the classic Xander episode of Buffy where he saves the school from getting blown up while the rest of the cast saved the world. So we started thinking of having a guy who is proud to be working at the Hall of Justice as a respected partner, knowing that he is the best in his field (he’d have to be to get Batman’s approval!) that gets into a bit of trouble and has to save the day.

The Technician started out as an everyday man who knew his stuff and then transformed into a full-fledged hero. Because you know that that feeling you get when you finish a do-it-yourself project? It can make you feel like a superhero, and Craftsman wanted to bring that to life in a way that was fun and creative.

IGN: You also did the Subway comics that appeared a while back – are there any greater or different challenges in working in a sponsored story like this as opposed to a regular DCU tale?

Williamson: Yes and no. In some ways you get to cut loose and just tell a short story using the amazing DC characters. Something we rarely get to do or see now. But at the same time you have to keep in mind the whole reason the comic exists, which is to help promote product. In this case, it is to introduce the Craftsman brand and their new product, the Bolt On tool, to a new generation of tool user. You have to find that balance.. For me I try to always use a character that I love that I haven’t been able to write in the main DCU yet. So for this story it was Cyborg and The Key.

Honestly the biggest challenge with these things is trying to not take them too seriously and to just have fun with them. Working with Craftsman was great because they had an awesome sense of humor and wanted to have a good time with it. For Craftsman, they wanted to show that tools can be fun. It was all about showing the creative comic book reading community that tools can used to create amazing works.

IGN: As for the Justice League, who’s on the team here? Is this the New 52 incarnation?

Williamson: Yup, New 52 all the way. Couldn’t imagine doing it with any other version. It’s Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash and Cyborg for this short story. Mostly Cyborg takes the main stage. Cyborg because he’s the tech guy and Batman well, y’know… Batman’s the best there is, the best there was, the best there ever will be. It’s always fun getting to write the Justice League and the rest of the new DCU.

IGN: Where can we get our hands on this book?

Williamson: Fans can pick up a complimentary copy of the comic book inside the Craftsman booth at New York Comic-Con. For those not attending the show, it can be downloaded as free digital download on the DC Comics app store or available at www.craftsmancomic.com.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He loves superhero pets so hard.

Source : ign[dot]com

IGN Assemble! #55 - Reality Punches and Stuff

Zero month trucks on, and this week we talk up some of the great successes -- like Justice League, Batwoman, and Wonder Woman -- and the not-so-successful like Red Hood and the Outlaws and, god help us, Catwoman.

We also talk about a surprising dark turn for Daredevil, the conclusions of Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison and Spider-Men, and the big news of the week courtesy of Ultimate Comics: Ultimates, Captain America becoming president.

There's also depressing talk about the Swamps of Sadness.

There are spoilers within for everything we talk about, so beware.

In the interest of self-promotion:

Check out the IGN Assemble! Facebook Group!

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If you've got a question, comment, or art, feel free to drop us a line at ignassemble@ign.com.

IGN Assemble! Podcast: Episode #55
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Enjoy!

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He will love Star Wars until the end of his days.

Source : ign[dot]com

Check Out Jim Lee's New Justice League #12 Cover

Since the budding romance of Superman and Wonder Woman is selling like hotcakes, Jim Lee has already crafted a cover for the upcoming second printing of Justice League #12. It's the same general idea, but you'll notice that Wonder Woman seems to be taking the initiative this time around, plus it's more lovey-dovey than the original cover. BuzzFeed debuted the cover earlier today. Take a look:

Check out our review of Justice League #12!

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He loves superhero pets so hard.

Source : ign[dot]com

Rebooted Batman to Debut in Justice League Movie?

Rumor has it that the live-action Justice League of America movie will also ostensibly serve as the reboot of Batman on the big screen.

Batman-on-Film reports that a "solid as they come" source tells them the Batman "reboot will come after the JL film, not before. Therefore, the new cinematic Batman will be introduced in the JL film as opposed to a solo film. This would ... assure the new Batman film series will be part of a 'DC Cinematic Universe.'"

The site cautions, however, that while their source is legit, they still advise readers to take the rumor "with a grain of salt" for now.

Next summer's Man of Steel is expected to be the final DC Comics movie until at least 2015, when scuttlebutt suggests the JLA film will be released.

JLA is being scripted by Will Beall. No director is currently involved, although recent reports claims the Wachowskis are high up on Warner Bros.' wish list to helm it.

Source : ign[dot]com

Wachowskis Rumored as Justice League Director Contenders

Warner Bros. is actively looking for a director to finally bring their live-action Justice League of America movie to life. Ben Affleck recently shot down reports that he might do the film, and now there's a rumor that the studio is looking at not one but two filmmakers to direct JLA: Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski.

According to Moviehole, the sibling directors behind the Matrix trilogy, Speed Racer and the upcoming sci-fi epic Cloud Atlas are on the studio's list of possible contenders to helm JLA, which was scripted by Gangster Squad's Will Beall. The site claims the studio is "apparently jazzed with Cloud Atlas, and love that it’s as much a spectacle as it is a showcase for the immense ensemble involved, so it makes sense the W’s are under consideration. Justice League needs to be as big on character, as it does bells & whistles, and the Wachowski’s could probably offer that."

Moviehole cautions, however, that  the Wachowskis "definitely like to work at their own speed, and definitely like to do their ‘own’ thing as opposed to being merely one ‘cog’ in a venture, so I can’t see them jumping through hoops to pull the strings on a ‘we want it done now’ large corporate statement like this. Still, exciting possibility nonetheless."

The Wachowskis are no strangers to adapting DC Comics for the big screen. They produced the feature film version of V for Vendetta and once tried to turn Plastic Man into a movie, but to no avail.

Mad Max's George Miller came closest to making JLA a few years ago, casting Armie Hammer as Batman, Common as Green Lantern, and Adam Brody as Flash.

Source : ign[dot]com

Ben Affleck Denies Justice League Reports

Actor-director Ben Affleck has shot down recent reports that he's up for helming Warner Bros.' Justice League of America movie.

In a chat with 24 Hours Vancouver, the Oscar winner said, "I'm not working on the Justice League. One of the problems with entertainment web sites is that they need to fill pages, and that's how rumours get started."

Affleck added, "Justice League sounds really exciting, but it's not something I'm working on."

Source : ign[dot]com

Justice League Dark #11 Review

Let’s start this off right: in my opinion, Justice League Dark is – right alongside I, Vampire – one of the most consistently beautiful books at DC. To my memory, neither series has had a lapse in artist and yet has remained pristine issue after issue. Mikel Janin delivers yet again in JLD #11, perhaps even topping himself with stunning layouts and pristine lines that formulate one of the trippiest – yet cleanest – looking issues yet. There is seriously so much detail packed into his characters that it’s astonishing to see this book arrive on time month in and month out. The editorial team at DC should take a bow for assigning Janin to this book, and issue #11 is precisely the reason.

Writer Jeff Lemire is certainly no slouch either, constructing what structurally amounts to “that issue where the good guys and the bad guys fight each other,” but is able to give it significant weight by keeping everything character centric. Only Black Orchid really gets the shaft here while Lemire carefully balances the rest of the team and their ulterior motives (in particular Constantine) for joining up with this squad in the first place. The only place the book trips up a bit is in the building Madam Xanadu plot thread, which forces Lemire to cut away from the action and create a new mystery that is left hanging for a future installment. In the end though, this issue leaves the reader with plenty of other things to ponder – namely just what kind of mess the JLD just got themselves into, and what the betrayal of one of their own means for their future.

Justice League Dark is the full-out exploration of the DCU’s magical side that I hoped it would be when it was announced, and I couldn’t be happier. All it needs now is some Ragman action.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He will love Star Wars until the end of his days.

Source : ign[dot]com