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Name: Ethan, aka "Ethan_C"

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Superman / Batman: Public Enemies Trailer

May 20th, 2009

The latest direct-to-video DCU Trailer is up on YouTube. An adaptation of the first arc of Jeph Loeb & Ed McGuMcGuinness’ Superman/Batman monthly.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Trailer

I’m amazed at how well they’ve brought McGuinness art style to the screen. Marvel & DC have both promised in the DTV movies that they will bring us adaptations of our favorite comic book artists style to the screen. Disregarding the creative merits of that promise for a moment, this certainly seems like the closest they’ve come to delivering on that promise.

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Super-Hero Apps for the iPhone & iPod Touch:

April 9th, 2009

With the inclusion of third party applications on iTunes App Store, Apple has finally allowed iPhone and iPod Touch fanboy’s to combine their love of all things Mac and all things Super. Here’s a rundown of some games featuring our favorite 4-Color Heroes:

Iron Man: Aerial Assault

Easily the most robust super-hero game currently available for the iPhone. Fans play as the big screen incarnation of ‘ol Shell Head, on an airborne mission, using his signature armor to take out drones, missiles, and aerial bases. The graphics on this game rival any console game I have – and when you are comparing a mobile game favorably to a next gen console title, you have a good idea of how powerful these devices are.



The controls on this game took quite some time for me to master, but once I figured out how to use the iPhone’s motion and touch functions to control Iron Man, and effectively utilize his repulsor blasts, missiles and chest unibeam, I became severely addicted to this game. Each of the twelve levels introduced more planes, missiles and drones for me to combat, by the time I reached the final level the melee of opponents was almost dizzying. But that didn’t stop me from obsessively replaying this game until I had conquered all.

Iron Man: Aerial Assault from Paramount Digital Entertainment is currently on sale at the iTunes App store for $0.99 – a big discount from the $5.99 I paid for it. At that price, you’d be silly not to get it.



The Dark Knight: Batmobile Game

This game gets a lot of flack from mobile gamers, mostly for what the game isn’t: a full out driving experience. But for what the game is, I greatly enjoy it.

A rather quick play, The Dark Knight: Batmobile Game puts you behind the wheel (in a third person view) of The Tumbler – Batman’s big screen ride, as you use the motion control of your iPhone or iPod Touch to weave in and out of traffic in Gotham City. Touching the exhaust of The Tumbler, when prompted, gives you a speed boost. Touching at the wrong time stalls you out.

While people complain that you aren’t in full control of The Tumbler – the vehicle is on “auto-pilot” – you simply move left or right, and control your trajectory during jumps – that never took away from the enjoyment of this game for me. After all – it’s a mobile game, not Grand Theft Auto. Again, the graphics are mind-blowing, and this quick tour through Gotham has kept me entertained during many a train ride or long wait at the pharmacy.

The Dark Knight: Batmobile Game from Warner Bros. Entertainment is available at the iTunes App store for $0.99

LEGO Batman: Gotham City Games



A companion game for the console version of LEGO Batman – designed exclusively for the iPhone and iPod Touch. LEGO Batman: Gotham City Games has a series of classic mini-games, stylized for the LEGO Batman world, which are tied together with impressively rendered comic-book style cut scenes.



Fans expecting a port of the LEGO Batman console game might be disappointed, and the game is geared towards younger players, but I did enjoy some of the mini-games more then others – Penguin Pinball would make a perfectly good pinball game, even without the Batman theme – and I especially like LEGO Batman wallpapers that are unlocked as you complete each game.

At $4.99, it is a little pricey, but its important to keep in mind that on most cell phones, $4.99 would get you an 8-bit version of Pac Man to play.

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Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe: The Monitor Duty Review

April 6th, 2009

From the moment I got my first Atari 2600, I was all about fighting games. Countless hours were spent trying to master that jump-kick move in “World Karate Championship.” But that was last century. In the world of next-gen gaming, “Tekken” was always my game. But when Midway Games announced that they would pit their signature Mortal Kombat characters against heroes and villains from the DC Universe, well they had me at hello.

Read the rest of this entry “

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Call of Duty: World at War Review

January 6th, 2009

I’ve never been much for first-person shooters, but having played the review copy of Call of Duty: World at War, that was provided to Monitor Duty, I can see the appeal. COD:WAW focus on the Pacific and Eastern theaters of World War II. As soon as I popped in the disc, I was impressed by a visually stunning opening sequence that rival any Hollywood blockbuster. In fact, this is probably the best looking game I’ve played on my Playstation 3, and with recent eye-poppers like "Heavenly Sword" that’s saying something.


However, the opening sequence pulls no punches in immersing you in the horrors of war, featuring graphic footage of warfare, and even mass graves. The cut scenes in the game are equally captivating and grotesque. At times I wondered if a video game earned the right to exploit such footage in the name of immersive gameplay.

The single player campaign is fast paced, as you are dropped into battlegrounds, moving from checkpoint to checkpoint with speed. COD:WAW does a tremendous job of capturing the tension of war, as you’re never quite sure when the next enemy is going to spring a trap on you and your battalion. While things start off in a darkened, jungle setting, the game places you front and center in a variety of different battle situations, including massive fights with tanks, planes, and flame-throwers.

I’ve barely scratched the surface of the multiplayer sections of the game, but the overwhelming options lead me to believe that re-playability is high on this title, I’m especially looking forward to the co-op mode called Nacht der Untoten or Night of the Undead, which is basically a last stand against waves of Nazi Zombies. I love Zombie movies, and Nazi Zombies are pretty much the best target you could possibly have in a video game!

Fans of first-person shooters would do well to pick up Call of Duty: World at War. The game is rated "M" for Mature, so make sure you have a strong stomach, and a good sound system connected to your PS3, X-Box 360, Wii or PS2 and give ‘em hell!


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David Goyer Writing New Batman Film!

March 27th, 2003

Superhero Hype, among others, announced today that prolific comics-to-film screenwriter David Goyer (Blade, Dark City) will be the next writer to take a crack at a screenplay for a big-screen treatment of The Dark Knight.

Goyer, who also co-wrote several JSA arcs with Geoff Johns, is known for his ability to keep comic book characters intact, something that is almost an afterthought on the many DC properties annouced lately (Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Superman).

Let’s hope that this is one that actually does make it to the big screen.

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