Countdown to Suicide Squad: 4 members should've been included in the movie

FOUR MORE DAYS! Suicide Squad is upon us!!! Our excitement for this movie leads us to make another countdown list! In the comicbooks, there are a lot of villains affiliated with the Suicide Squad. Although in the movie, there are already a lot of members in the SKWAD, the boys of The Dark Knight Ph came up with a list of cool characters who should've been part of the movie!

Not really complaining. We just thought it would be cool if the producers included these prominent villains in the SKWAD.

4. Bronze Tiger

Brainwashed by the League of Assassins, Ben Turner a.k.a. The Bronze Tiger, is one of the deadliest killers in the DCU. And if that wasn't enough, he was trained by the legendary O-Sensei. In Detective Comics #485, Bronze Tiger was able to defeat Batman and assisted in killing Batwoman (Kathy Kane). With a long resume, Bronze Tiger is one of the coolest anti-hero in the SKWAD. Hopefully they can bring him in the subsequent movies.

3. King Shark

King Shark, known by others as Nanaue, is a humanoid shark that grew up in Hawaii. He is the son of the King of the Sharks (Shark God). Since we'll get Aquaman in the coming years, King Shark is a good character to bring in the DCEU. His superhuman strength and stamina makes him a great adversary to the iconic characters of the DCEU.

2. Cluemaster

Cluemaster is one of those second tier villains. For most of his stint in the Batman universe, Cluemaster has been portrayed as a mediocre. But in Batman Eternal, Cluemaster was given a new beginning. Up to this point, he's the only villain who managed to destroy Batman's empire. If it wasn't for the timely interruption of The Owls, Batman would be dead by now. With his renewed spirit, this one time SKWAD member is a cool addition to future movies.

1. Power Girl

My my, what do we have here! Yes, Power Girl became a one-time member of the SKWAD. Power Girl was recruited by Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad #24 (New 52). Com'on, how can you not want PG to be in the DCEU? It would be nice to see her save the SKWAD just like what she did in the comics. hehehe.

Countdown to Suicide Squad: 5 Suicide Squad collectibles to look out for

Five days to go until the premiere of SUICIDE SQUAD! Are you excited for this blockbuster movie? So for the past few days, we've discussed 7 Suicide Squad books to read before the movie and 6 possible villains for the movie. For today's countdown, we have FIVE Suicide Squad collectibles you shouldn't miss!

Just a disclaimer tho, we don't actually expect these collectibles to appreciate. It only looks cool and awesome to include to your collection.

5. SM Department Store Suicide Squad socks

These are probably the coolest Suicide Squad gear available in the market! Rock 'em with your favorite kicks, and it will surely be a head-turner! Whether it be Captain Boomerang or El Diablo, your kicks will looks so much better with these socks! Just a little reminder, for every P300 purchase on any suicide squad merchandise, you get a free suicide squad tattoo. Isn't that great!!

4. Jada Toys Suicide Squad

When Jada Toys came up with those die-case BvS figs last summer, people immediately bought them. Expect these toys to be HEAVY! Most of the materials used for these figs are die-cast. And for a premium quality fig, the price isn't that bad. Run now to your nearest Toys 'R Us to get these bad boys!

3. Funko Pop Suicide Squad wave

Funko has been one of the coolest collectibles available to the market. Their figures are amazingly sculpted to bring out their ultimate cuteness! As most of you know, stickered/exclusive Funko Pops appreciate through time. So just a heads up, there's an exclusive Enchantress Funko Pop bundled inside the DC Legion of Collectors mystery box.

2. Hot Toys Cosbaby Suicide Squad

If you're feeling a bit extravagant, get these Suicide Squad Cosbabies. For something as cute as the Funko Pops, these figures have limited articulation points. They'll probably come up with different versions of these figs. So we highly suggest you guys to wait until they release the entire line before purchasing one.

1. Hot Toys Suicide Squad

If you want to go premium, then go for Hot Toys. Their attention to detail is superb. These figs were given amazing head sculpts and stunning apparel. Hot Toys hit the spot with these dolls. We assure you that you will not regret buying these. just. plain. amazing!

Here's a little bonus for you guys! If you want that Suicide Squad holy grail, pre-order Prime 1's 1/3 scale Harley Quinn statue. At today's market, Prime 1 is at the top of the food (collection) chain. Just check out these prototype statue they showed during Wonder Fest!

See you all at THE Suicide Squad fan screening event presented by... Yours truly. The premier Batman group in the Philippines!

Countdown to Suicide Squad: 6 possible villains in the movie

We're SIX days away from the premiere night of Suicide Squad! Are you excited for this blockbuster movie!? We sure are! Whats awesome about Suicide Squad is that these are bad guys doing good (well, technically they don't have a choice haha). Since the protagonists of the movie are "villains," who are the actual antagonist/s in the story?

The producers of the movie have been coy with his comments about who the main villain is.

Well, according to producers, who talked with ComicBook.com's Lucas Siegel during a recent set visit, they're calling the big bad The Adversary.

The news is a big vague. However, it is important to note that it was spelled with a capital "A". David Ayer has been very vocal that the movie is taken from the canon. With that said, we do not believe that The Adversary is the same as Cary Richard, Superman's villain. 

So who are the potential "Adversaries" in the film? The boys of The Dark Knight Ph came up with another list of SIX characters whom we think can be the "Adversary" in the film. Just a side note, the list is purely based on speculation. If we get them right, well hey, at least you heard it here first. 

6. Brainiac

This has been a rumor ever since WB released the first trailer for Suicide Squad. Although we cant remember if there has been any prior confrontation between Suicide Squad and Brainiac, its hard not to entertain that thought because of these screenshots from the trailer.

Producers identified these bas***ds as "The Eye of the Adversary"

And hey, Brainiac also fits in the DCEU. You cant have the multiverse without Brainiac. And we all know that the peeps from WB are entertaining the multiverse.

5. Tattoo Man

Mark Richards (Abel Tarrant and John Oakes were his predecessors) is an in-and-out member of the Suicide Squad in the comics. His powers include "body art animation." The tattoos peal off his body and he can mentally control and direct it as much as he wants to. 

Plus Common (yeah the actor) is confirmed to play the role of "Monster T". Who ever Monster T is, he fits the description of Tattoo Man.

4. The Joker

We've seen Joker attack the SKWAD in numerous times in the trailer. If the producers intended to spell "The Adversary" with a small letter "a", then probably Joker-Leto is probably the main villain in the movie.

 

Well, hold on a minute, we've also seen a couple of magic-based explosion in the trailers. So this speculation is a bit off. Joker will probably be just one of the "many" adversaries the SKWAD will encounter in the movie.

3. Enchantress

Most fans agree that The Enchantress is the main villain in the movie. There are reports that suggest her origin will play a big role in turning against the SKWAD. Well, since her powers are magic-based, the shoe fits. 

Although, recently, reports are saying that she will have a subplot but Enchantress isn't the main villain for Suicide Squad. Although, it should be taken with a grain of salt, it should provide a great plot twist to the movie.

2. Incubus

Which leads us to the next logical conclusion... Incubus. And yes, in a way this character is connected to the Enchantress. The origin of Enchantress and Incubus goes way back to Suicide Squad: Nightshade Odyssey. Enchantress is a mythical entity that needs a host. It found shelter in the body of June Moon. When Enchantress was gaining more control, she faces another powerful entity named Incubus. Incubus is trying to get back his sister, Enchantress (Succubus), so they wreck havoc on Earth.

And look, we're is Enchantress in the SKWAD!? :O

1. Amanda Waller

She's the real villain here! HAHA

She's evil! nuff said. She's a bit*h.

There you have it. 6 possible villains for the movie. Suicide Squad hits theaters on August 5th 2016 and sees David Ayer (Fury) directing a cast that includes Will Smith (Focus) as Deadshot, Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) as The Joker, Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street) as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney (Terminator Genisys) as Captain Boomerang, Joel Kinnaman (RoboCop) as Rick Flagg, Viola Davis (The Help) as Amanda Waller, Cara Delevingne (Paper Towns) as Enchantress, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Thor: The Dark World) as Killer Croc, Ray Olubowale (Resident Evil: Afterlife) as King Shark, Jay Hernandez (Hostel) as El Diablo, Adam Beach (Flags of Our Fathers) as Slipknot, Jim Parrack (Fury) as Johnny Frost, Ben Affleck (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) as Batman, newcomer Karen Fukuhara as Katana, and Common (Selma), Ike Barinholtz (The Mindy Project) and Scott Eastwood (The Longest Ride) in as-yet-unconfirmed roles.

Countdown to Suicide Squad: 7 books to read before the movie

We're a week away from the movie premiere of Suicide Squad and most of the fans are probably excited for this blockbuster movie. There are reports claiming that Suicide Squad is making more social media buzz than Star Wars: Rouge One, Star Trek Beyond, and Ghostbusters.

While most are eager to watch the film, there may be a couple of fans who would want to read on Suicide Squad comics before watching the movie. If you're one of those fans, then we've got a treat for you! The boys of The Dark Knight Philippines have come up with a list of essential Suicide Squad books to read on.

7. Batman and the Outsider (vol.1) #1-2

Batman and the Outsider is a crucial title to the formation of the current Suicide Squad team. When Batman left the Justice League, he formed a team of efficient heroes and called them The Outsiders. One of Batman's recruits was Katana. She wasn't considered a team player at first but the creative team of Mike Barr and Jim Aparo was able to give her character maternal dynamics. Because of it, she easily became one of the most interesting characters in the team. Batman and the Outsiders might not have direct connections to Suicide Squad, but it is a good introduction to Katana's origin.

6. Checkmate (vol.2): Rogue Squad

We're assuming that Amanda Waller will play a huge role in the film. With that said, Rogue Squad delves into Waller's inconspicuous dealings. Greg Rucka's Amanda Waller is the manipulative b***h that we're expecting to see in the movie. You thought Lex Luthor Jr. easily manipulated Batman? Read up and see the evil that Amanda Waller is!

5. Suicide Squad: Kicked in the Teeth (new 52)

Suicide Squad was one of the interesting titles when DC launched their New 52 reboot. It had sex, violence, and drugs (i think haha). But yes, it came with a lot of no holds barred violence which will surely entice the moodswings of teenage angst. Although insanely violent, this series serves as a good foundation for the movie. With Harley Quinn, Deadshot, El Diablo running the team, this book is a sure fire and an interesting read.

4. Suicide Squad: Nightshade Odyssey

Nightshade Odyssey put the Squad under the radar of the Justice League. Although there were ups and downs in this book, the highlight of the novel revolves around Batman taking on Amanda Waller to bring down Task Force X (known now as the Suicide Squad). This should be a good read since we're expecting Batman to appear in the movie.

3. Batman: Mad Love

Mad Love is another book that is not directly related to Suicide Squad. However, it tries to explain the relationship of Harley Quinn and The Joker. This book is one of the classics. So even though its not directly related to the movie, it is still a good read.

2. Suicide Squad (vol.1) #37-39

If we're talking about Suicide Squad, Coils of LOA is one of those essential reads. The Squad is sent on a mission to assassinate a group that plans to create an army of zombies. We're not sure if there are any reports about it, but we're pretty sure that David Ayer will get some concept from Coils of LOA.

1. Suicide Squad: Trial by Fire

Trial by Fire is up there together with the likes of Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns. If it is not THE best Suicide Squad story out there, it is probably the most recommended Suicide Squad story to movie fans. The John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell tandem did a great job. "The mix of high action and intense drama" is sure to satisfy your SKWAD craving! Check it out and be amazed!


There you have it! Seven of the most interesting books that will give you a better appreciation of the movie. See you all at THE Suicide Squad fan screening event presented by... Yours truly. The premier Batman group in the Philippines! 

Rev by Seb! The Killing Joke

Batman: The Killing Joke Review

 

Now, I’ve read this book and it really hit me. It’s one of the most well-written graphic novels in history done in a way that only Alan Moore can do it. It’s dark, it’s gritty, and it’s hopeless, but ironically paired up with really clean crisp, artwork. This book is probably the best Joker-centered Batman book ever and fans went nuts when they found out WB was planning on making an animated movie on it. Of course, the question is, does it measure up to the hype? Well, I’ll get to that.

You see, whenever WB attempt to adapt graphic novels and famous DC storylines into animated movies, they’ve always been pretty hit or miss with it with movies such as The Dark Knight Returns Parts 1 and 2 hitting it out of the park and blunders like Son of Batman being, well…blunders. But of course, DC and WB knew exactly what was at stake with this and brought in superstar writer, Brian Azzarello, to write it and I have to say, he did a pretty good job. They also gave us an all star voice cast with Tara Strong as Batgirl, Ray Wise as Commissioner Gordon, and of course, Batman and Joker as all diehards know them, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill. 

I was kind of taken aback with the first act of the movie, cause it isn’t Joker-centered. You actually don’t get to see the Joker until you’ve been through half the movie. It actually left me wondering, “Where’s the damn Joker? I thought I was watching the Killing Joke”. The first half focuses on the relationship between Batman and Batgirl. I won’t elaborate so as to not spoil, but despite the fact that I’m not too into the idea, it’s very appropriate for the movie and really helps build what happens later on. After you get through the first half of the movie however, it’s all Killing Joke as you know it. Very faithful, very scary, very depressing, and it’s beautiful. To me, this is the best one of WB Animations' best efforts.

The only thing that doesn’t quite measure up to the book though are the visuals. They’re pretty poor compared to what I would have wanted. It reminded me of the animation from Under the Red Hood and though I love the movie, it is still not at par with the caliber of visuals I would’ve wanted for this particular film and did not quite capture the feel of the Killing Joke’s comic art.

Despite all that though, I came out of all of this pretty damn happy. As a fan, of Batman and the complexity of his relationship with Joker, justice, and sanity, this one really satisfied me. But this movie is not for the faint of heart. This movie is brutal, dark, and violent and should be kept away from children.

For what it is, I give Batman: The Killing Joke a 7.5/10. It’s a great film for fans of the book and the characters. Just keep an open mind and don’t expect YOUR expectations to be met. Just take the narrative as it is and you’ll love it.

SDCC 2016: BATMAN/TMNT Adventures!

Apparently the success of James Tynion IV's Batman/TMNT mini-series was just the beginning. During SDCC, IDW Publishing and DC Entertainment have announced that the Dark Knight and the Turtles will once again team up in November 2016!

Batman/TMNT: Adventures is a collaboration between the creators of Batman: The Animated Series and Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The story will be written by Matthew K. Manning (Beware the Batman) and drawn by Jon Sommariva (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).

No announcement has been made regarding its story. We have yet to find out if it will serve as a continuation to the mini-series written by Tynion IV. In either case, we really don't mind. The team-up between Batman and the Turtles will always be interesting.

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice Ultimate Edition Review by Sebastian Soriano

Everyone who’s seen this movie already knows that it’s strong points were visual comic accuracy, phenomenal cinematography and CGI, magnificently-choreographd action sequences, and generally the best superhero movie eye candy ever. What it initially lacked though was the proper character and plot development that a MOVIE should have. I have had endless debates with many people on this, most of whom are filmmakers. The theatrical cut was very poorly done to the point that majority of the audience members left that cinema scratching their heads and shaking their fists, cursing Zack Snyder for making a “terrible film”. I never saw the film this way. In fact, I felt quite the opposite for the film. I loved it, but this version of it, solidifies how good the film really is. The internet at least, has definitely turned on it’s head lately since the release of the Ultimate Edition with people taking to Twitter and other social media platforms to apologise to Zack Snyder and the rest for bashing BVS.

Here were a few things that this cut did way better than the rest:

1. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

One key issue with the initial cut was no one could really quite understand anyone’s motivation. Here, it is explained quite well.

Superman is conflicted about his place and purpose in this world and whether he actually has one. He is also going through the issue of accountability with his actions. Knowing when and how to act or whether he should act at all along with the reason he does what he does.

The people are split between whether they actually want a “Superman” to exist or not even though, you know, he does. This movie actually quite accurately reflects how modern society sees…well…God. People don’t want an all powerful being watching over them. They rely on him when times get tough, blame him when people things go bad, and curse him when he can’t/won't fix it. Mankind in this movie seems to be using Superman as a scapegoat for their problems.

Lex Luthor was motivated by his hate for "gods". He blames the lack of a “higher being saviour” intervention from the abuse he suffered under his father’s hands. He doesn’t want anyone more powerful than man ruling the earth and that is why he’s so hell-bent on destroying Superman.

Batman however, is clearly shown here as a completely broken shell of his former self. The opening scene let’s us see him witness the deaths of hundreds, maybe thousands, in the Wayne Tower crash that happened in the Metropolis Battle. Later in the movie, you see the Robin suit. The Jason Todd Robin suit. Well all know what happens to him. He gave up on hope, his principles, people, and his morals and because of doing so, has become absolutely blood-thirsty. Batman, in a way, he was the bad guy in this one as much as Luthor was. He was a criminal. He said so himself. Alfred told him that Superman wasn’t their enemy, but he clearly did not want to hear that. A “1% chance that he is our enemy” is not exactly a plausible statistic. Batman WANTED to kill Superman out of a pure need to hunt down any potential threats whether proven to be so or not. This was not Batman the hero, Batman the detective, or Batman the Dark Knight, no. This was Batman the hunter and that’s all he wanted out of all of this was to wipe every single evil or potential evil that plagued the world.

Wonder Woman was the way she is because she, like Batman, gave up on people too. Whatever happened during WW2 must’ve broken something in her that made her feel like she wanted nothing to do with people anymore and therefore chose to just sideline herself.

Those are just a few characters. I could do this all day, but that would take too much time. Point is, you’ll understand what each character stood for and why they did what they did.

2. PLOT HOLES WERE FILLED 

From the courthouse bombing to the incident at the desert, it was all explained. The 30 minutes really filled everything out that we weren’t shown in the initial cut. So much of the narrative was clearly explained. So much of the narrative was clearly laid out and now you don’t have to speculate for yourself why plot points pan out the way they do.

 3. BETTER CGI

Subjective, but didn’t you all notice that the CGI seemed to be a little more well-refined in this one? To me, key CG parts in the movie just seemed more crisp, like Doomsday.

4. BATMAN KILLING

Batman’s allegedly “indirect killing” was not so indirect here. You could clearly see how many people he blatantly killed and you know he meant to do it and that Snyder owned up to this Batman being a killer.

5. MARTHA

You all know how this scene went if you already watched the original movie. I already understood it when I first watched the movie, but after watching the Ultimate Edition, this became more to me than just Bruce getting a wake up call. This was DC/the DCEU’s way of telling us that this was going to be the revival of hope and positivity in the DC Cinematic Universe. Goodbye dark, gloomy, and depressing ways of storytelling and hello hope and heroism again. This scene actually sums up what the movie’s really about. It signals the death of DC’s old formula for movies. It’s telling us that they have no plans to “Christopher Nolan” their films again. This was the death of old DC going back to the values of a more classic and enjoyable DC.

There really is so much I could say about BVS Ultimate Edition, but that would cease to make this a review and inadvertently turn it into a play-by-play of the movie and I do not want to do that for any of you. You need to see this version of the film yourself.

Overall, this really was a better film than the one we were initially given. Is it perfect? No, but about 95% of it’s flaws were rectified. With that being said, the flaws are very forgivable. The movie is a lot of fun, very tense, and quite the visual spectacle. Everything else will make up for it’s minor flaws. This version of the movie I believe, should be the only version of the movie people should watch from now on. Buy it. Don’t pirate this movie. It is a work of art and fine works of art deserve financial reward from it’s fans. Buy it on Blu-Ray or digital. It deserves your money. I give this movie a 4.9/5