The Blog Of EspanolBot

Started an Alternate History Tumblr

2013-07-09T11:05:00.000+01:00

It's fun, come and have a look-see.
http://museumofneverwas.tumblr.com/

New 52: Noticed Something Weird In Batman Incorporated...

2013-05-25T10:30:00.003+01:00

So I got around to reading the trade of the New 52 version of Batman Incorporated, and I noticed something a touch strange. In issue... five I think that it was, the various Batman affiliated heroes storm a hide out were some League of Assassins guys were hiding out, having been co-opted into Leviathan after Talia placed her dad under house arrest until Batman is dead/joins her.

The dreadlocked dude? That's Mad Dog, and not only was he a character introduced in Cassandra Cain's run of Batgirl, but him being "related" to her was a pretty big deal within the series finale.

Because, 1. He's one of the few surviving children from the experiments that would go on to create Cass. The others were either killed by the training itself or by David Cain (Cass' dad) because he is a wretched human being.

And 2. He's the guy that killed Cass for the second time (yes, really), mainly because he was jealous of the fact that Ra's al Ghul didn't want a feral nutcase to be his bodyguard/enforcer, and feels that Cass (as the "successful" one) stole his life.

He'd later go on to appear one other time as part of the splinter cell of the League of Assassins that Cass was running while under the control of Deathstroke and her asshole father, but that's pretty much it. It was in the Supergirl issue where Cass appeared which overall raised more questions that it answered.

This was back when Supergirl was a horrible person... who'd I'd say in a lot of ways was worse than David Cain, but that's a subject for another post.

But yeah, back to the point. I just think that it's a touch weird that although the Cass/Steph Embargo is in place for the characters themselves, characters directly related to them (albeit obscure) are allowed in anyway.

I mean, I know that Grant Morrison WANTED to use them in the DCnU, but if you're going to randomly lock out characters on the basis that someone in Editorial wants people to forget they exist, at least have some consistancy.

It's like if I retconned the Punisher out of Marvel Comics, yet still had Jigsaw pottering about on unrelated adventures in the background of Daredevil.

Pacific Rim - New Trailer!

2013-05-17T09:03:00.001+01:00

Arkham Origins Teaser Trailer

2013-05-17T08:59:00.001+01:00

Comicbook News - 11.5.13

2013-05-11T09:06:00.000+01:00

From Multiplicity, we have a bit from Thunderworld, aka the world where Billy, Mary and co. are the main super folk. Art by Cameron Stewart,

And a bit from from the also Grant Morrison penned and Yanick Maquette drawn Wonder Woman: Earth One graphic novel, featuring Hippolyta defeating Hercules. Interested to see where he goes with this, since Grant was the one who said that Diana doesn't have a story with a "Dark Knight Returns" or "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" level of fame. Maybe he's intending to write one himself? Though apparently the project was originally intended for Greg Rucka, and was allegedly transferred to him.

http://dcwomenkickingass.tumblr.com/post/50082952116/get-ready-for-morrison-and-paquettes-wonder-woman
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=45413

Wonder Woman is coming to the Smallville-verse!

Can't say that I've kept up with this series, but I've heard that it's good. :)
http://dcwomenkickingass.tumblr.com/post/50095445887/a-wonderful-addition-to-smallville-season-11

And in a final bit of Wonder Woman news, in DC's next upcoming game Infinite Crisis, which has numerous versions of DC characters from multiple realities fighting each other. So like Injustice, but less grimdark. The versions of Wonder Woman that have been announced include regular, mecha and atomic realities.

The Atomic one, who I've dubbed Fallout!Wonder Woman, looks hilarious, and her statue makes it even more so.

That said, I probably would read a series which starred the heroes of the DCU in a post-apocalyptic setting... an actual good one, as Distant Fires, Superman At World's End and its affiliated Kamandi books were awful.
http://dcwomenkickingass.tumblr.com/post/46249519375/new-dc-comics-game-infinite-crisis-announced

Musing On Nerd Culture: Resistance to Change

2013-04-30T08:47:00.001+01:00

A thing that I’ve found to be increasingly frustrating when it comes to fandoms, ANY fandoms, is the overall resistance to even the slightest change to franchises, characters etc.

Now, I’m guilty of this too. I’m not exactly a fan of the DC relaunch or some of their attitudes to the characters over the years. For instance, their bizarre hatred of Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown...
http://espanolbot.tumblr.com/post/49246364545/musing-on-nerd-culture-resistance-to-change

SF Debris: Madoka Magica - Episode 3

2013-04-25T15:32:00.000+01:00

SF Debris: Madoka Magica - episode 2

2013-04-24T14:47:00.002+01:00

SFDebris: Madoka Magica - Episode 1

2013-04-23T15:13:00.001+01:00

Wolverine manicure HQ. Hugh Jackman's comment!

2013-04-16T11:14:00.001+01:00

DWO - Doctor Who Cast & Crew '500 Miles'

2013-04-15T08:40:00.001+01:00

Astromech Spy - part 6

2013-04-13T22:22:00.000+01:00

SFDebris: Astromech Spy - Part 5

2013-04-12T22:39:00.001+01:00

Astromech Spy - Part 4

2013-04-12T22:38:00.001+01:00

Scarlet Traces - Part 1: War of the Worlds

2013-04-11T23:06:00.000+01:00

I'd like to start a more in-depth look at the Scarlet Traces series, but first really it'd be appropriate to cover Edginton and D'Israeli's War of the Worlds adaptation first. If only because Scarlet Traces One and Two are direct sequels.

Interestingly it's actually already avaliable to read for free online, so it you want to look click below to check it out.
Link here

DUN-DUN-DUN! DUN-DUN-DUN! DUN-DUN-DUUUUUUN! Yeah, the trade has a huge advert for Jeff Wayne's version of WotW at the back, what of it?

The rest that follows is pretty much a straight adaptation of the book, despite a few embellishments here or there that I can't really remember from the novel. If you're read volume two of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen you'd probably recognise the following scene.

After sending his wife away to stay with a cousin in Leatherhead, George decides to return home to try and cover the Martian's activities for their newspaper. Only to run into a Tripod. He's pulled into a ditch by an artilleryman, the last survivor of the assault on the initial landing, and the two head off across country to try and warn people of the danger.

The rest of the book is itself definitely worth a read even if you don't fancy catching the sequels, with a lot of side details being given that do pay off in the later installments. For example, the rant about building a better, more equal society hidden from the Martians that the Artilleryman later has, both reflects HG Wells' own socialist beliefs, in addition to adding a hint of irony considering the more hardline the British government adopts following the Invasion.

Check it out if you want, the link is at the start of the article.

SFDebris: Astromech Spy - Part 3

2013-04-11T10:32:00.000+01:00

Elysium - Official Trailer (HD) Matt Damon

2013-04-11T09:18:00.001+01:00

Arkham Origins - First Screencaps Released!

2013-04-10T22:17:00.002+01:00

Batman, Deathstroke, Black Mask and someone who I think is pre-glassed-in-the-face Penguin.

Arkham City Prequel Announced, Officially!

2013-04-10T10:12:00.000+01:00

It will be called Arkham Origins, and will be based prior to the previous two games, featuring Batman meeting various friends and foes for the first time. The actual plot involves Black Mask putting a bounty on Batman one Christmas Eve, which attracts eight top assassins, including Deathstroke, to Gotham to try and claim it.

The game will cover twice the area of the Arkham City city, including portions from that game prior to them becoming a prison and sinking into the ocean. In addition, another game will be released, based in Blackgate Prison, which is planned to follow the events of the game while not in Gotham itself.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-04-09-batman-arkham-origins-announced-for-pc-ps3-wii-u-and-xbox-360

SFDebris: Astromech Spy - Part 2

2013-04-10T10:03:00.001+01:00

SFDebris: Astromech Spy - Episode 1

2013-04-09T11:14:00.002+01:00

Avatar: the Search - Part 2 preview page

2013-04-09T10:41:00.005+01:00

Spoilers

From the WonderCon Avatar panel,

Err, Ursa, considering Azula's issues with you telling her to not get in the way of the child Azula thinks you prefer over her might not actuall be the smartest move...

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=44611

Legend of Korra News - 6.4.13

2013-04-06T13:58:00.001+01:00

Another screenshot has been released, and Korra seems mad at someone! Probably Mako.

http://bryankonietzko.tumblr.com/post/47227984472/korra-upset-with-someone-off-screen-yet-pleased#_=_

The Saint promo

2013-04-04T22:55:00.001+01:00

They got his nationality right (shame he isn't half-Chinese like in the book though), have a kickass Eliza Dushku AND have Roger Moore in it. Well I'm stoked. ^^

SFDebris: Battlefield Earth

2013-04-04T13:41:00.000+01:00