Countdown to Batman Day -- A Promise Kept

We're one day away from Batman Day and we think it is timely to talk about the one promise Bruce Wayne kept all this time. The promise he made on the grave of his parent. The promise that he would rid the city of the evil that took his parents' lives. And true enough, he kept the promise...

Batman is the type of person who constantly revisit the past. He never moved on from witnessing the death of his parents. Despite confronting the killer of his parents, Joe Chill, he never found that closure he desperately needs. Every night, Batman answers the call so that no one else would go through the same experience he went through. He is fighting the good fight. And through it all, he never forgot about his mission. He never forgot about the promise he made.

Batman is one of the biggest irony in comicbook history. He answers the call to be Batman so that no one else would have to carry his burden. He goes out every night to save lives hoping that one day he will be able to save Bruce Wayne and his parents. 

There were at least two instances in DCU where Batman could've prevented Joe Chill from killing his parents. Twice he has failed. And twice he has won. By stopping Chill, some kid might lose his parents. By allowing Chill to kill his parents, he could prevent a lot more.

Case in point, just check out Wrath. 

His parents were killed during a robbery they organized. He grew up wanting to take revenge for the death of his parents. Applying the Batman theory, assuming that he was able to save Wrath's parents, then that would mean one less criminal in the streets of Gotham.

In this year's celebration of Batman Day, let us remember what it means to be Batman. Remember the promise we made to ourselves or to our loved ones. Let us remember that keeping promises still matter.

Countdown to Batman Day -- 2 Possible Heirs to the Cowl

Reality says that Batman, or at least Bruce Wayne, will not last forever. Well, one can argue that Scott Snyder already introduced Bruce's cloning machine in the continuity, but thats besides the point. For discussion purposes, we're here to talk about two of the viable, but not necessarily obvious, heirs to Batman's war against crime.

To state the obvious, Damian Wayne, who is the biological son of Bruce Wayne, is a successor to all of Bruce's possession--including the Batsuit and all of Bruce's gadgets. You also have Dick Grayson who was molded by Bruce from the beginning to carry his mantle the moment he bids farewell. Tim Drake is also an obvious heir for being an adopted child. Jason... let us leave Jason alone. Just kidding! Jason is also a legitimate heir to the cowl.

Through the years, Batman has prepared his apprentices for the inevitable--his death. And in today's Countdown to Batman Day, let us look into two of the viable characters that can, one day, wear the cowl.

2. Carrie Kelley

Carrie Kelley is best known for her appearance in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. Although her brief appearance in the continuity isn't relevant, her role in the Miller-verse is quite big. Despite her slender looks, Batman saw something in her that he's never seen in the past Robins (or at least the Robins of the Miller-verse).

In the Dark Knight Strikes Again, Carrie Kelley played a bigger role. To say the very lease, she tried to locate each and every member of the Justice League and tried to rebuild the old team. Although her role in Dark Knight III: The Master Race has yet to be determined, it seems like she is being groomed for something even bigger!

Frank Miller seems to have a fascination for this character. From The Dark Knight Returns to Dark Knight III, he has given Carrie roles like they were trophies. In the DC Universe, Carrie is the only character that has worn the Robin mantle, the Catgirl suit (which is a homage to Catwoman), Batman's cowl, and finally, the Batgirl costume.

1. Cassandra Cain

Two years ago, comicbook.com wrote an article about Batman's true successor. All the evidence proves that Cassandra Cain is the re-imagining of the Dark Knight. Cass was trained by two deadly, if not two of the deadliest, assassins in the DC Universe--David Cain and Shiva. Despite her being trained to kill, she exhibits great control over her anger. 

In one instance, Cass and Batman fought all over Gotham City. When Batman couldn't keep up with her, he asked Cass where her loyalty lies. She pointed towards the batsignal and not towards Batman. That gesture goes to show that her dedication is not towards Bruce Wayne, but towards what Batman stands for--and thats to protect the oppressed.

Cass is a better martial artist compared to Batman. Batman has never defeated Shiva but Cass has already taken her down at least thrice in the DCU. More impressive than that, Cass was the one responsible for the Network that organized Gotham's heroes to fight the rising crime rate.

Countdown to Batman Day -- Three Indispensable Allies.

Batman has plenty of enemies, but help is never far away. Through the years Batman operated in Gotham City, he has built a network that helps him night in and night out. From the list of allies, there are three friends whom Batman can trust completely. These three characters make things easier for the Caped Crusader as he navigates through the crime-ridden place he calls home.

3. Leslie Thompkins

Dr. Leslie Thompins was a caring and compassionate doctor working in the Park Row section of Gotham City. Inspired by the long-ago murder of the Waynes and the orphaned boy she comforted on that day, she runs a free clinic that provides treatment for the homeless. Leslie eventually learned of Bruce's double life and counsels him against giving in to the darker side of his nature.

As Park Row fell into decline, earning the name Crime Alley, Thompkins remained in place, to continue her charity works. People learned not to prey on Thompkins, for she had the favored protection of the urban legend known as the Batman.

Quick trivia: She began a short-lived romance with Bruce.

2. Jim Gordon

You can always count on James Gordon to do the right thing and not the popular thing. This has earned him Batman's respect, but also attracted the scorn of Gotham politicians who prefer the old ways of quiet bribery. Gordon's enemies always know where to find him, making his courage perhaps even more remarkable than Batman's.

During his initial months in Gotham, the lieutenant battled corruption and gave into an affair with his fellow detective, Sarah Essen. When Batman arrived in Gotham, he was hunted by the police, including Gordon. Slowly, the two recognized that the other could be trusted. Batman and Gordon developed a strong bond, and on occasion the Caped Crusader would confer with Gordon at his home.

Quick trivia: In No Man's Land, Batman was about to unmask in front of Gordon but he decided to look away to preserve Batman's secret identity.

1. Alfred Pennyworth

Alfred has been there since the beginning. After Bruce lost his parents in a tragic mugging, the loyal butler became his surrogate father. As a young boy and now as Batman, the Dark Knight has always regarded Alfred as the only person other than Commissioner Gordon whose opinion he trusts without reservation.

Alfred was fully prepared to resign and finally pursue an acting career upon Bruce's return when he traveled the world after his parents' death. However, when Bruce returned, it was accompanied by a trail of blood. The butler felt he could not leave Bruce as he was beginning a new life. He used his own experience to help refine Bruce's knowledge of makeup and disguise, giving him tips on how to make certain the general public differentiated Bruce Wayne from Batman. Since then, Alfred has remained loyal to Bruce Wayne and watched over him during the ordeals he experienced as Batman.

Quick trivia: Alfred, together with Lucious Fox, served in World War II with the French freedom fighter Mademoiselle Marie.

Countdown to Batman Day -- 4 of a Kind

"If there's one thing I've always been sure of, it's that Batman will need a Robin, and Robin will need a Batman"

- Alfred Pennyworth (Batman and Robin: Born to Kill)

Robin has been an integral part of the Batman mythos ever since Dick Grayson appeared in Detective Comics vol.1 #38. The Boy Wonder started out as a buffer to Batman. After 10 issues, creator Bob Kane and co-creator Bill Finger realized that Batman is dull since he has no one to talk with.

The introduction of Robin made the dialogues more organic. He can talk to Robin and tell him his plans to catch the criminal. Robin is an essential addition to the development of Batman stories. Just imagine, do you think The Dark Knight Returns or Batman Year One will be great if Batman, only conversed with himself?

Last year we celebrated Robin's 75th year anniversary. The year-long celebration culminated when DC Comics published Batman and Robin Eternal which ran every week for 26 weeks. And for today's Countdown to Batman Day, let's revisit how four of the most influential Robins changed the life of the Dark Knight.

4. Tim Drake / Red Robin

Of all the Robins, Tim Drake was the only one who deduced Batman and Robin's (Jason Todd) secret identities. When Jason died, Tim was so concerned that the unhinged Dark Knight needed a new Robin that he volunteered himself to become the third Robin. The exchanges between Tim and Batman made a lot of fans realize that Batman always needs a Robin.

In Identity Crisis, Captain Boomerang murdered Jack Drake leaving Tim an orphan. Tim found a new home in Wayne Manor as Bruce's adopted son. As Robin, Tim led the Teen Titans and proved himself in combat and as a detective.

3. Jason Todd / Red Hood

Jason Todd first encountered Batman when he was caught trying to steal the Batmobile's tires--and their relationship has been a tempestuous one ever since. For a time, Jason adventured as the second Robin, but his rebelious nature made him a problematic partner for Batman. He met his brutal end when the Joker took his life in a time-bomb after a vicious beatdown with a crowbar.

Batman never forgave himself for the death of Jason. He has carried this burden until he saw Jason come back to life.

2. Dick Grayson / Nightwing

Dick Grayson proved that Batman's fight against crime didn't need to be a lonely one. Already a star acrobat as a child, Dick became an orphan the day a gangster sabotaged his parents' high-wire act--all becuse their employer, Haly's Circus, refused to pay insurance for the show.

Bruce Wayne took the boy into his home, and soon after, the two were a crime-fighting double act, with Gotham headlines heralding the sensational exploits of the Caped Crusaders. When he grew from a boy to a man, Dick found a new identity as Nightwing, but he left Batman with a firm belief in the power of a partner.

1. Damian Wayne / Robin

Damian Wayne is the legitimate heir to Bruce's legacy. Despite such fact, he didn't even know he had a son until he met Damian Wayne face-to-face. The child of Bruce and Talia al Ghūl grew up in the care of the League of Assassins and received genetic augmentation to make him the perfect fighting machine.

He was killed by his mother to gain a leverage her beloved Dark Knight. The death of Damian has torn Batman apart in a way we've never seen before. Of all the things Batman has gone through, the death of his son is the most painful thing he dealt with.

Countdown to Batman Day -- 5 Love Interests

"Being deaply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage"

- Lao Tzu

Despite the playboy persona, Bruce Wayne loved a couple of times in the comicbook multiverse. Love has made the Caped Crusader both invincible and vulnerable at the same time.

We have been accustomed to a Batman that is considered to be a god. But introducing romance in Bruce's life made Batman more in touch with his humanity. It is undeniable that romantic relationships of the Dark Knight is one of the most interesting developments to his story.

In celebration of Batman Day, we've come up with a list of the top 5 relationships that Batman has entered into.

5. Julie Madison

Julie Madison recently surfaced in Scott Snyder's Batman: Superheavy. In the story arc, Bruce was given two option; one, live a quiet life with Julie, or two, return as the rejuvenated Dark Knight to save Gotham City. He chose the latter as Julie encouraged him to do so.

Julie Madison first appeared in Detective Comics vol.1 #39. She was the very first love interest--actually she was the fiance--of the Caped Crusader. She found herself the target of Basil Karlo (a.k.a. Clayface) since she stared in a remake of his old film. She left Bruce Wayne without learning his Batman secret, and adopted the stage name of Portia Strome to pursue an acting career.

4. Wonder Woman

During Joe Kelley's JLA run in the early 2000's,Wonder Woman and Batman shared a kiss right before saving Aquaman. After all the time-travel and the weird adventures, Batman tried to put off discussing about their kiss. Irregardless, Wonder Woman used Martian Manhunter's Martian Transconsciousness Articulator to determine whether they were made for each other. Unfortunately, Wonder Woman decided to friendzone the Bat.

In Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated series, the relationship between the two is a bit more organic compared to the comicbook version. Its one of the interesting aspects of the animated series.

3. Jezebel Jet

Jezebel first appeared in Detective Comics #656, Jezebel was portrayed as a celebrity with the status equivalent to Bruce Wayne. She is a supermodel and a leader of a small African country.

Bruce realizing that he needed to share his life with the people he loves, opened up to her about everythinge, even giving her a tour of the Batcave. However, Jezebel planted doubts in Bruce's mind about his sanity, and was finally revealed to be an undercover agent of Doctor Hurt's evil Black Glove organization. A vengeful Talia al Ghūl later targeted Jezebel for elimination. Speaking of Talia...

2. Talia al Ghūl

Talia is the mother of Batman's only biological child--Damian Wayne. However, this is only true in New Earth. In a different universe, Batman has a daughter with Catwoman.

As the head of killing organization The League of Assassins, Talia is without a doubt Batman's deadliest paramour. To achieve her goal, she used Damian to gain leverage over her beloved Batman. Her ambition is to rule the world but her unresponsive lover stands in her way.

1. Catwoman 

Bruce Wayne's Batman identity is much closer to his "true" personality than the manufactured playboy exterior he wears in public. Therefore, Catwoman is the only woman who knows him best of all.

The two have shared a flirtatious attraction ever since they debuted in Detective Comics #27. Catwoman is a thief, but since her crimes seldom harm the truly needy, Batman is willing to overlook her outlaw statues from time to time.

TDKPH officially launchs BatCon

Last year, The Dark Knight Ph introduced itself to the Philippine geek community during Batman Day at DK Collectibles, The Fort Strip, BGC. It was an amazing event. We showed Batman animated movies for free, we served food and batcookies, DK was on sale, and we gave away TONS of prizes! Everyone went home a winner.

Batman Day 2015 || TDKPH group launch

If is only fitting that this year we launch our road to BatCon™. The moment we created the group, we had a vision to organize a Batman Convention. While BatCon may take some time to materialize, we're starting it right now to create noise.

Yes, a passionate Batman group is here to make something extraordinary. Earlier this year, we promised the members of TDKPH a 5-year plan comicon. And now, the road to BatCon begins (pun intended)! Time to make some noise! See you when we get there!

BatCon™

#ComingSoon

™Trademark law protects a trademark owner's exclusive right to use a trademark when use of the mark by another would be likely to cause consumer confusion as to the source of origin. Trademark infringement is a violation under Republic Act 8293 and is subject to severe civil and criminal penalties.

TDKPH villain of the month -- Deadshot

Whether you loved the film or not, Suicide Squad has taken the internet by storm. The movie is very unconventional. You have a bunch of bad guys set out to do something good.

One of the characters that really stood out was Deadshot. Will Smith was Will Smith. Its hard not to feel bad for the character. I mean, have you seen Pursuit of Happiness? He was able to melt a lot of hearts by making his character very relatable. He did the same for Deadshot. Smith broke down the character to its core and revealed Deadshot's humanity.

Despite Deadshot taking the center stage for Suicide Squad, we're not actually experts when it comes to the "I never miss" assassin of Gotham City. Floyd Lawtom (aka Deadshot) first appeared in Batman #59 (1950). Many thought that Deadshot is a one-hit wonder villain because after his stint in Batman #59, none of the writers made use of his character. Later on, Steve Englehart would revamp the elite assassin in his Detective Comics #474 "The Deadshot Richochet." From there on, the rest was history. Deadshot became a main staple in Batman's rouge gallery.

The Lawtons were a very affluent family. Their success was dependent on Floyd's parents. Once the marriage turned sour, everyone in the family started to do things their own way. Floyd found out that his mother, Genevieve, tried to convince his brother, Edward, to kill their father, George.  Floyd tried to stop Edward but accidentally kills his brother with a gun. Filled with guilt, remorse, and hatred, Floyd began a self-destructive path that he felt would not end until his eventual death. After cutting ties with his family, we went on to train with David Cain -- the famous assassin at that time.

Batman #59

As an adult, Floyd transferred to Gotham City and lived as a millionaire playboy. The life of a socialite bored him so he donned a domino costume and initially appeared as a vigilante trying to replace Batman. When Batman and Robin went on a vacation, Deadshot succeeded in replacing Batman. When the dynamic-duo returned to Gotham, they found out that Deadshot was working with Commissioner Gordon in order to distract the police from serious crimes. Batman easily defeated Deadshot and revealed his iniquitous ways.

Detective Comics #474

Deadshot was able to escape prison by snatching Penguin's laser monacle. Hardened by prison life, Deadshot blames Batman for making his life miserable. He made it his personal vendetta to kill the Batman. Renewed and rejuvenated, Floyd donned his new costume -- the one that we're accustomed to -- the classic red and gray suit with wrist magnums.

Other teams

In addition to his work with the Suicide Squad, Deadshot was also a brief member of the Killer Elite. It is a team of assassins including Deadline and Bolt (Justice League of America #105). During this time, he had begun dating Carmen Leno, a member of the mercenary team known as the Body Doubles. When the Elite and Doubles were competing for a contract, Floyd sabotaged Elite's chances.

In Suicide Squad (the movie), Deadshot was revealed to have a daughter. However, it is very different in the comicbook universe. In the comics, Floyd has a son named Edward -- same name as his brother's. He brought Edward to Gotham when he transferred there.

When DC revamped their whole universe and came up with the shtty New 52, they  also gave Deadshot an unusual loveteam in Harley Quinn. Well, kids, this is probably a "better #RelationshipGoals"

"I never miss"

TDKPH Artist of Month August 2016: Dexter Soy



Photo taken from Comic Odyssey Red Hood and the Outlaws signing event

TDKPH Artist of the month Dexter Soy (Red Hood and the Outlaws Rebirth)

Growing up with comics has certainly developed my imagination. When I was a kid, I used to write and draw my own comic books. My friends and I created these little stapled books and swapped them around criticizing each other’s work. It was a fun thing to do, but eventually we grew up.

It is a great joy for me to see artists doing amazing things in comic books today and Filipino artists are no exception. Dexter Soy has already made a name for himself illustrating Marvel and DC characters from Spiderman to Batman. With the recent launch of Red Hood and the Outlaws we have another Filipino artist helming the DC Comics Rebirth.

August last year we launched our very first artist of the month with Trese’s Kajo Baldisimo this year TDKPH is fortunate to have an exclusive interview with Filipino International Artist Dexter Soy to share his experiences and thoughts.

Here we go.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you start as an artist? There are some people who have a goal in mind and others who started with a passion and let their career grow organically. Which one are you? 

I’m the guy who is always drawing in class during my elementary and high school days with some of my classmates. I became more interested (specifically comic art) during my college days when I first purchased an international comic issue titled uncanny x-men by Scott Lobdell and Joe Madureira.

It looks like I'm the type that lets his career grow on its own. I'm not fond of setting goals. It's not that I'm afraid of disappointments, but it is easier to accept things at times. Why give in to pressure when I can just chip my way into improving my work, and if things go wrong it's still a good way to learn a lesson. I maybe wrong, but anybody can land a job as a professional artist nowadays--there's a tremendous amount of talent out there.  

2. I saw your feature on GMA about your big break that started with a Marvel Thor sketch that was retweeted by Trese’s Budjette Tan that ended with a message by C B Cebulski, Marvel SVP of Creative and Creator Development. What was your initial reaction when your received that message? How did it feel?

It was surprising of course. It felt surreal and I was actually nervous since I only had few experiences doing comic pages. So I started to study comic pages seriously again before I started with my first job from Marvel.

3. We see a lot of Filipinos making it in the comic industry. What do you think is the edge of Filipino artist compared to international artists?  What is your advice to new Filipino artists who wants to enter this industry successfully?

I thought we have an incredible amount of talent here in our country. Not just in comic art form but as well as other industries like game productions, having a good amount of artists working on big publishers is enough of an edge that we can be proud of, knowing it's not easy to break in from the amount of talent out there from the other countries. 

My advice is for them to do their thing out of passion, enjoy it and do it for fun. Making money out of it while doing what you love is the bonus. But this may not work for everyone but you can still least find something that can work for you.

4. You drew a lot of characters already. My personal favorite was your run on Batman Beyond. What particular character or project that you haven't drawn yet do you wish to be a part of? If given a chance would you do a project other than the big two? A creator owned Image, Dark Horse or even Valiant?

Anything that has Daredevil or Batman in it I guess. Yes, I'd like to work on something that's out of the mainstream titles--from Image or Dark Horse-- that would be exciting. 

5. We are The Dark Knight PH group and we want a Filipino to helm a Batman book in the near future! If given a chance to draw and also write a story about Batman, can you give us a brief glimpse of how you would do it?

I don't know, but If you see the titles I worked on like Arkham Knight Genesis and this Red Hood Rebirth-- I think it's already a tease of what I'd like to do visually if ever I would be given a Batman title.



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.