[image via reddit]

• SGS2 vs. Galaxy Nexus: Camera comparison
• Can the iPhone 4S replace a “real” digital camera? Ars investigates
• When Whales Walked in Egypt
• What happens when you crack an egg 100 feet underwater?
• ‘Adventure Time’ Comic Series Coming From Boom! in February

[image via reddit]

• Neuroscience Cases: The Man Who Put His Head in a Particle Accelerator
• Dressing up a pug like a Hoth Wampa is pretty darn adorable
• Harvey Pekar statue campaign on Kickstarter gets Alan Moore’s help
• Marvel cancels Punisher MAX and X-23
• TARDIS Refrigerator will keep your fish sticks and custard fresh
• Spider-Bot Battles Giant Robo-Snake as Pentagon Drools
• Biosensor can monitor your heartbeat from a distance – I guess this is what Batman has in his cowl?
• If you want to get rich, stop being a fucking joker

Okay, so I don’t have a copy yet. My best friend was ringing up my phone while I slept – I suspect it has something to do with Arkham City and gloating. This Friday! This weekend! Most definitely. Here’s the launch trailer until then:

The end of Flashpoint reboots the whole DC Universe. It marries the DC-main, Vertigo and WildStorm universes into one coherent universe.

“The New 52″ are the 52 #1 titles that DC will be launching over the following weeks.

I’ve been following comicbooks on-and-off over the last few years. I’m a little jaded when companies announce their annual crossover that promises to “change everything.” These changes are often short-term — what’s worse is that future events may undo those changes.

With that, I’m a little disappointed at DC. I’ve always preferred them over anyone else (they have Batman on their side!) and most of the time, they tell the better stories. So this new reboot throws out everything I have followed over the last few years. (as if the normal events in the comics don’t already do that.)

The idea with “The New 52″ is that this will be a younger DC Universe, with a clearer definition of universe-wide paths to be taken in the future. So how did the first one of that rate? Here are some of my personal notes on the issue:

• It starts with Batman. Everything must always start with Batman.
• The Justice League have yet to meet each other.
• It reads FAST. There’s not much story here, really, just a setup of things to come. I wish it had more pages, it is their first #1 after all.
• Batman’s cape. Define it. It seems like it’s always in motion. Tattered and whole at the same time.
• Hal Jordan’s projections are fantastic!
• The new Superman. The first and greatest hero in all of comicbook-dom — how is he? He appears in only one page. (spoilers!)
• Vic’s setup is fantastic. It’s nice to see ‘ol Cyborg making it into the big leagues.
• Darkseid is back!
• Is Batman and Superman still the “World’s Finest” this universe around? We’ve yet to find out.
• It seems like a blockbuster effort. Totally readable for new readers.
• “Legacy” characters don’t really seem like legacy characters when every reboot (and fan protest) reverts them back to the original identities.

So there. At least there’s DC’s own Retroactive if you’re looking for the previous generation’s league.

What I’m most curious about is the Bat-family. They say it remains untouched, but Dick being demoted (and they stress this was his own choice) back to Nightwing seems like a waste to me. The character’s been through enough.

[EDIT: Sorta-related. I found this piece of fanart at some image board. I wish I knew who drew it, so I could give credit:]

More Batman-related things — here’s the Dark Knight Rises poster:

Nolan’s really stuck with the crumbling-buildings-as-posters theme in the last few years, hasn’t he? Not that I mind at all. It’s always like this with Nolan movies anyway, ambiguous teasers a year away.

***

Arkham City Riddler trailer:

October!

***

Since I’ve been playing way too much Team Fortress 2 lately, here’s the month-old trailer for Gotham City Impostors, the class-based FPS centered around the Batman universe. (Which is still a dumb idea. Batman isn’t exactly known for his gun-carrying. Or encouraging citizens to take up arms. Except old-TDR-Batman, if you so choose to correct me on the last statement.)

The last time I tried to post a sneak peek for Batman: Year One, the video was taken down. Well, here’s the trailer:

A little over two years ago, we were teased that Ultimate Spider-Man 133 was going to be Ultimate Peter Parker’s last outing as Spidey. (Ultimatum!) This time around, with issue 160, I’ll give you a little spoiler: Peter Parker dies. No shit. He dies. Die dies. Dies in probably the most meaningful way possible, which I won’t spoil. (Unless you’ve already been reading articles online that did spoil the ending. I’m looking at you, NY Times.)

USM was the first title in the Ultimate imprint, and looking back, it is also the most significant, most consistent and most enduring of them all. While the Ultimate versions of other characters became twisted under different writer’s hands, Peter Parker’s “flaw” was that underneath all that power, he remained a 15-year old boy realistically dealing with life as a super-powered kid. That there’s no unbelievable streak of luck that exists only in stories — that sometimes, you just get by, no highs or no lows.

I discovered USM when I was 18, via this little shop in Katipunan, CCHQ. (IMY) Those days were spent looking forward to Wednesdays, when my comicbooks will arrive, and USM would usually be the first one I’ll pick up. Now I’m 25 years old, and it feels like Peter has become this friend that always constantly needed saving. In between those years, other Ultimate titles have come and gone, while Peter was still Peter, the best one of them all.

It helps that this emotionally charged issue is bookended by the same guys who started it all: Bendis and Bagley. Reading through 160 made me realize how much I missed Bagley’s work, and that this, truly was, the end for this version of Peter Parker, Bendis’ baby.

Apparently this isn’t the end though, and a new Spider-Man will be webswinging about in the Ultimate universe. Who he is remains a mystery. There’s also the upcoming cartoon, of which I have heard nothing new from.

What to do now? Time to pick up the trades. Catch up on this amazing piece of history.

Okay, so earlier, I posted the Batman: Year One sneak peek (Which didn’t turn out so great, since the video was removed. I added another video from a different source, but it seems like they’ve removed that as well. Lame!) and now here’s a look at the gameplay for Batman: Arkham City:

Two words: batglide, batglide. Here’s hoping this video doesn’t get removed.

Also, thinking ahead, here are other e3/Arkham City videos on the YouTubes:

IGN

G4

It’s a great year to be a Batfan! Well, that, minus the reboot lol

It’s a great year to be a Bat-fan! Batman Arkham City comes out later this year — and what’s this? Batman: Year One! Here’s a sneak peek:

Check out the storyboards on this one — lifted from the panels. Will this be the best Batman animated film yet?