Spend the Holidays with Li'l Gothem

We've spent some of this holiday break the kids have from school reading DC COMIC's Batman: Li'l Gothem which is set in a FUNKOish stylized world with the publisher's iconic characters illustrated with big heads and squishy bodies similar to those funky vinyl toys.  There are two things that set these comics apart from the mainstream DC universe which makes me happy to give them a plug.

FIRST, the series is scripted to be enjoyed by readers of all ages.  DC COMICS books, television shows, video games and movies have become increasingly dark and violent which is edgy entertainment for a 40 year old dad like myself to enjoy but also media that I am hesitant to let me children have access to.  I don't want my 5 year old twins seeing Superman kill his adversary or Lois Lane being killed by the Joker.  Batman: Li'l Gothem though has limited violence and no gore in it making it more like 1960's Batman the tv show with Adam West compared to the more recent Dark Knight movies with Christian Bale.  These are fun light-hearted stories and very appropriate for kids to enjoy.  

SECOND, the artwork is done in water colors with sketchy drawings giving Batman: Li'l Gotham a whimsical feel similar to the illustrated books you see for young readers at the library.  The FUNKOized characters combined with the bright tones of the coloring make the comic enticing to young eyes and a fun change of pace for adult comic book readers.  I'd encourage you to check out the Li'l Gotham comics just for the fun of seeing its visual adaptations of the DC Universe.

I've been reading BATMAN: LI'L GOTHAM VOLUME 1 with my kids at bedtime the last few nights. This is a paperwork collection of stories from DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL #11, BATMAN ANNUAL #27, and BATMAN: LI'L GOTHAM ISSUES 1 - 11.  What is nice about these stories is they also revolve around the holidays.  So this would be a nice book to pull off the shelf throughout the year to enjoy with your children during the various holidays.  Batman: Li'l Gotham Volume 1 has a stories with Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Easter, Mothers Day & Fathers Day.

For example in the Thanksgiving Day story, the Penguin attacks the Gotham parade in a bid to set all the turkeys free and save them from a fate of ending up on that evening's dinner plates throughout the City.  A cute and fun tromp through Gotham's city streets that includes parade floats and balloons in on the action.  Batman & Robin go trick or treating in the Halloween story and on accident walk in on a dinner gathering of all the City's super villains.  The Christmas story involves Dr. Freeze kidnapping some orphans who are on their way to sing carols at Gotham's tree lighting ceremony.  It has a touch ending you wouldn't expect.

The only downside to the publication is Robin is a real BRAT compared to the adaptations you may be familiar with but on the flip side of the coin that also presents some of the parenting challenges that Batman confronts and stories revolve around in the comic providing some good story lines and messages for young children.

BATMAN: LI'L GOTHAM VOLUME 1 goes on sale February 25th, 2014.  For more information, visit http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Lil-Gotham-Vol-1.

DISCLAIMER:  I received a complimentary digital pdf advance copy of Batman: Lil Gotham Volume 1 from the publisher to review.  The views and opinions in this post are my own.

Wonder if you can make a difference?

DC COMICS had decided that it’s charitable focus for the company will be through an ongoing campaign called WE CAN BE HEROES which utilizes their Super Heroes to raise money to assist with Hunger Relief efforts in the Horn of Africa.  Throughout the year, DC is holding periodic campaigns which allows fans to donate money to the campaign, receive some unique and interesting swag for their contribution, and get a tax deduction too!  Donations to WE CAN BE HEROES will be used to assist three non-profits: SAVE THE CHILDREN, MERCYCORPS, INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE.

Earlier this year DC hosted campaigns themed around BATMAN and SUPERMAN, and is currently hosting a 6-week fundraiser based upon THE JUSTICE LEAGUE.  Starting September 14, 2013  through the end of October there will be unique items revolving around the members of the Justice League that you can purchase to assist the campaign:

September 24 – Wonder Woman

October 1^st – Green Lantern & Green Arrow

October 8^th – Aquaman, Flash, Cyborg

October 15^th – Batman & Superman

October 22^nd – The Justice League

This week’s theme is Wonder Woman - check out these swag items you can pick up as part of the WE CAN BE HEROES campaign:

$10 – 5 digital comics (Wonder Woman Issues 0 – 5)

$25 – A print edition Superman/Wonder Woman comic with a special WE CAN BE HEROES variant collectable cover.

$30 – A one year print subscription to your choice of either Aquaman, Batman/Superman, Green Lantern, Justice League or Wonder Woman comics

$45 – An exclusive  Superman/Wonder Woman T-shirt

$50- The Wonder Woman Encyclopedia signed by creative talent Phil Jimenez

$150 – A signed lithograph by artist Adam Hughes. Plus you get a $66 dollar tax deduction!!!

$200 – Wonder Woman's famous wrist cuffs, plus they throw in an autographed Adam Hughes lithograph and one of the Wonder Woman/Superman t-shirts

$550 – plated gold Wonder Woman jewelry set – they also throw in the Adam Hughes autographed lithograph and one of the Wonder Woman/Superman t-shirts .  Add in a $180 dollar tax deduction too!

And for the GRAND PRIZE – Meet the original Wonder Woman for a donation of $10,000.

DC COMICS will fly you to New York to meet Linda Carter and throws in everything mentioned above. 

Remember the perks will change each week so if you see something you like don’t wait too long to purchase it and keep looking back for new collectables and interesting superhero items.

To participate in the WE CAN BE HEROES CAMPAIGN, visit:   http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dc-entertainment-we-can-be-heroes-justice-league-edition

Fun Toys Making October a Happy Time To Visit McDonalds

UPDATED (9/21/2013):  The BATMAN toys have come out in late September rather than early October.  We found the first round of toys at McDonalds on Saturday, Sept 21st, but they didn't have any Wizard of Oz toys  yet.  We picked up a batmobile and batman figurine for the kids but  they didn't have the "bat mask" which is what the kids really wanted.

McDonald's has received some bashing over the years about their Happy Meals not being healthy and marketing to kids through the promotion of toys - my response to that is grow up and be a parent.  Don't let your kids dictate to your family's meal time decisions.  McDonald's should be a "treat" and not a regular part of your kid's diet so if you are eating there enough that you are concerned that the restaurant is luring you in through toys and marketing aimed at kids you have bigger problems than just what your kids are eating.

I find it enjoyable to go to McDonald's when there is a fun toy promotion going on as something out of the ordinary to do.  We don't go all the time and my kids relate our trips there to a special treat or reward.  In fact I'm more likely to take them if there is a cool toy in the Happy Meals - and sorry McDonalds but more often than not your toys aren't that great - but my children don't expect to go to McDonalds all the time to eat or for a toy. I don't care if the food isn't that healthy because most things you eat as a "treat" aren't, like  movie popcorn or sundaes at an ice cream parlor.  I love to take my kids to grab a slurpee from 7-Eleven and that sure isn't healthy but we do it once a month or so as a fun side trip with Dad.  As parents though, my wife and I focus on making all the other meal times healthy and teaching our kids about living that promotes exercise, eating responsibly and leading a lifestyle that avoids using alcohol and drugs for enjoyment or entertainment.

Kids are being forced to go to school earlier and longer with more pressure and competition to excel than ever before.  My kids are doing two years of preschool and now the school districts require 5 day a week full day daycare.  More and more kids are forced into daycare because their parents are working full time jobs.  The violence and terrorism reported on the news most be scary for children, I know as an adult I find it horrific. If a Happy Meal with a toy can help my kids enjoy being a kid and enjoy a special moment of childhood - god bless you McDonalds!

While my wife and I have been to McDonalds frequently this year, we've only been to McDonalds four times with our kids...when they had the Despicable Me and Smurf toys out (which are kids still frequently play with so they were pretty good toys).  I have to admit those toys were a factor in making a visit to McDonalds because since we take the children there a limited amount we wanted to make the visits really count. So I guess the toy marketing does work for them ... but hey they are a business looking to make money! I'm tempted to make a stop in October with the kids too because it looks like they are going to have some fun toys that month in their Happy Meal boxes:  BATMAN & THE WIZARD OF OZ

The BATMAN toys will feature a caped crusader mask, toy motorcycle and batmobile, and some action figures.

THE WIZARD OF OZ toys will feature figurines of all the main characters from the original classic movie.  

Now don't get me wrong, childhood obesity is a horrible problem in this country, but instead of focusing on something that is providing some "fun" in life people need to address the larger issues contributing to the problem.  Parents need to set the standards and limits for their kids.  Our society also needs to establish more of a priority in respecting education, exercise, and healthy living as standards for everyone to strive to achieve.  And if McDonald's wants their food to be more than a specials "treat" for my children they need to create a healthier menu.  But in the end, my wife and I are setting the example and setting the rules, rather than allowing a restaurant to take that responsibility over for us.  I don't mind my kids enjoying a Happy Meal every once in awhile as long as they also get the understanding that isn't the way you eat a healthy every day diet...and that is where parenting comes in.

Here are some links that can provide some advice and help if obesity is a problem for your family:

HELPGUIDE: Nutrition for Children & Teens 

Academy for Nutrition & Dietetics 

Choose My Plate.Gov

Nobody wants to deal with a screaming or whining child, but sometimes the best thing you can ever do for your child is just say NO so they understand that there aren't rewards for bad behavior and you can't always get everything you want.  

SEPTEMBER IS DC COMICS - VILLAINS MONTH

Two years ago DC Comics did a major reboot of their comic book franchises stopping every story line and restarting each one from scratch.  They called this the NEW 52 and decades of past character canon was erased with all of their comic book titles starting again at ISSUE #1.  In celebration of the 2^nd anniversary of the New 52, DC is focusing the month of September on its villains with a new villain focused mini-series and each of the publisher’s normal monthly titles will be special stand alone villain focused stories.

VILLIANS MONTH kicks off on September 4^th with first full DC universe event of the New 52 era, Issue #1 of a 7 issue mini-series called Forever Evil.  It appears from what transpired in the August issue of Justice League that the super heroes are dead and the villains have inherited the Earth. Forever Evil promises to be an epic tale from the perspective of the world’s greatest super villains

Throughout the month of September, DC Comics is also releasing 52 villain-centered specials spinning out of their top tier titles.  As a result, all of the DC COMICS – THE NEW 52 titles have been renamed to spotlight different villains.  Some of the comics will be on the villain’s origins or background, while others will be a one-shot story or jumping-on point for an October storyline when the comics go back to their super hero focus.  Each of the 52 villain titles will feature a 3D cover, but unfortunately because of issues with the production process and tremendous demand for these they will be hard if not impossible to find.  There will also be traditional non-3D covers for all of these comic books. The 3D will retail at $3.99 and regular cover versions will be $2.99.  If you want the 3D version, I’d suggest you visit a comic book store on the Wednesday morning when the titles are released as soon as it opens or see if you can still preorder a copy from a retailer. Here are examples of a traditional cover vs the new 3D version:

If you want to see the DC universe from the bad guys’ perspective don’t miss out on picking up some comic books during VILLAINS MONTH. Here is a listing of the Villain comic books that will be released in relationship to the normal DC the New 52 monthly titles:

BATMAN #23.1: THE JOKER  BATMAN #23.2: THE RIDDLER
BATMAN #23.3: THE PENGUIN BATMAN #23.4:BANE

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #23.1: THE VENTRILOQUIS BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #23.2: MR. BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #23.3: CLAYFACE BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #23.4: THE JOKER’S DAUGHTER

DETECTIVE COMICS #23.1: POISON IVY DETECTIVE COMICS #23.2: HARLEY QUINNDETECTIVE COMICS #23.3: THE SCARECROW  DETECTIVE COMICS #23.4: MAN-BAT

BATMAN AND ROBIN #23.1: TWO-FACE
BATMAN AND ROBIN #23.2: THE COURT OF OWLS
BATMAN AND ROBIN #23.3: RA’S AL GHUL AND THE LEAGUE OF ASSASSINS
BATMAN AND ROBIN #23.4: KILLER CROC

ACTION COMICS #23.1: CYBORG SUPERMAN
ACTION COMICS #23.2: GENERAL ZOD
ACTION COMICS #23.3: LEX LUTHOR
ACTION COMICS #23.4: METALLO

SUPERMAN #23.1: BIZARRO SUPERMAN #23.2: BRAINIAC  SUPERMAN #23.3: H’EL            SUPERMAN #23.4: PARASITE 

JUSTICE LEAGUE #23.1: DARKSEID
JUSTICE LEAGUE #23.2: LOBO
JUSTICE LEAGUE #23.3: SECRET SOCIETY OF VILLAINS
JUSTICE LEAGUE #23.4: DIAL E

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7.1: DEADSHOT
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7.2: KILLER FROST
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7.3: SHADOW THIEF
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7.4: BLACK ADAM

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #23.1: THE CREEPER  JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #23.2: ECLIPSO

GREEN LANTERN #23.1: RELIC  GREEN LANTERN #23.2: MONGUL                                                GREEN LANTERN #23.3: BLACK HAND  GREEN LANTERN #23.4: SINESTRO

THE FLASH #23.1: GRODD
THE FLASH #23.2: REVERSE-FLASH
THE FLASH #23.3: THE ROGUES

WONDER WOMAN #23.1: THE CHEETAH
WONDER WOMAN #23.2: FIRST BORN

AQUAMAN #23.1: BLACK MANTA
AQUAMAN #23.2: OCEAN MASTER

GREEN ARROW #23.1: COUNT VERTIGO

EARTH 2 #15.1: DESAAD   EARTH 2 #15.2: SOLOMON GRUNDY

SWAMP THING #23.1: ARCANE

TEEN TITANS #23.1: TRIGON
TEEN TITANS #23.2: DEATHSTROKE

BATMAN/SUPERMAN #3.1: DOOMSDAY 

DC COMICS HAS DOUBLE SUCCESS WITH ITS VIDEO GAME & COMIC BOOK DYNAMIC DUO

My college years were filled with a lot of late evenings tackling my buddies in exhausting bouts of combat as we all strove to be the campus champion in Mortal Kombat.  This game had cutting edge graphics and features for the time and was a great way to release some of our scholarly anxieties and just have some youthful rambunctious fun.  I've wondered over the years why video game publishers have never made an exhilarating combat game that allows players to bash comic book super heroes and villains  against one another.  Well the waiting ended this year when the creators of Mortal Kombat took its game engine updated with today's graphics and processing technology to produce INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US.

INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US pits the DC Comics super heroes of "our universe" against their personalities from an alternate dimension on  Xbox and PlayStation consoles.  The game play is fun and full of special effects and feature moves that keeps the games interesting.  It's a brawling good time for fans of Superman, Batman and the like.  The weakness of the games is an odd ball plot and lacking script for the game's "story" but that is overcome by the sheer fun of the game's one-on-one battle sequences.

Don't fret though because DC has addressed the limitations of the game's script with an incredible new comic
book series with the same name as the video game but with its own stand alone in-depth story.   Often times these type of tie-in comics are just meant for marketing purposes and don't have a lot of effort put into them making them not worth a glance, but I have to say DC has embraced this effort and made this an extraordinary piece of work.  I was riveted to the pages while reading it and enthralled by the storyline of this comic book series.  The comic has decent artwork but it is the story that draws your interest and hooks you.  This was one of the best comic book reads I've had in a few years and highly recommend it whether or not you are interested in the video game.

While of course the story has super hero battles it also has a philosophical undertone exploring the balancing
act of giving up "freedom" to gain "security" that combined with good character plots and scripting makes this title a winner.  The comic book series revolves around how an injustice is done to Superman and how superheroes based upon that act as "gods" among mankind in response.  There really are some hard hitting sequences in this comic that go a lot darker than the "Smallville" type portrayal of the DC universe that many people associate with its super heroes.

The story starts with the Joker tricking Superman into killing his pregnant wife, Lois Lane as well as their unborn child, with his bare hands and in the process also causing a nuclear explosion that decimates his adopted home of Metropolis killings it entire population of 11 million people.  This pushes Superman to his breaking point.  He pledges to stop all violence in the world.  Instead of protecting humanity from threats so they have the freedom of self determination, the Man of Steel determines that he well  decide the rules by which mankind conducts itself and behaves.  This places Superman at odds with Batman who doesn't believe that super heroes should be acting like "gods among us" in determining how much freedom or control the people of Earth should have over their own behavior.

 The plot of INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US really places Superman who has been know for upholding "truth, justice, and the American way" into a grey area between good guy and bad guy which is highlighted in one scene where he tries to put down a citizen protest and is yelled down being told "you think you can come here and hover above us all with a scowl and some special powers and tell us what to do?"  This dynamic really makes the story an entertaining read that I couldn't put down.  So far I haven't figured out if the comic book story is taking place in an "alternate reality" like the video game and is explaining how the Superman Regime from the game began or is supposed to be taking place in the "main stream" DC universe.  While there are similarities between some things in the game script and the comic book story there are also lots of differences too. DC Comics does call the series a prequel to the video game though which has to make you think maybe this is the alternate reality setup.  I guess I'll have to just keep reading to find out.

Missed the monthly serial issues of the comic? Don't worry you can catch up with the first 5 issues all bundled together as a hardcover edition.  INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US - VOLUME 1 went on sale August 13, 2013.  Check it out!

Also if you are interested in the game console video game and/or the comic book there also is a great iPad game that I've downloaded and been playing quite a bit lately...it's become my favorite game beating out Angry Birds: Star Wars for my attention...and its FREE.  I just beat a number of challenges to add General Zod to my online cast of characters.  You can download the game from the iTunes store.

Kudos to DC Comics for making their INJUSTICE video game and comic book a great dynamic duo!

DISCLAIMER:  I was provided a complimentary digital advance readers edition pdf of INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US-VOLUME 1 from the publisher.  I was not compensated for this review and the thoughts and opinions in this post are my own.

Be SUPER & Donate to the We Can Be Heroes Campaign

DC COMICS has taken on the challenge of fighting hunger in Africa this year with its WE CAN BE HEROES campaign.  Throughout the year there will be special limited period campaigns themed around a specific DC COMICS super hero to raise money for charities that do relief work in the Horn of Africa.  The first campaign of the year was themed around the dark knight BATMAN.  Now through July 8, 2013 you can make a donation that will support the WE CAN BE HEROES campaign and gets you a tax deduction &  SUPERMAN themed swag in return for your contribution.

Here is a list of perks for donating to the WE CAN BE HEROES campaign:

$10 = 5 Superman digital comic downloads (Superman #22, Supergirl #22, Superboy #22, Action Comics #23 & Superman Unchained #1)

$25 = Superman Unchained #1 print edition with an exclusive We Can Be Heroes variant cover by Jim Lee

$30 = A one year print subscription to your choice of either Action Comics, Batman/Superman or Justice League

$35 = a signed DVD of the animated movie Superman Unbound by its director James Tucker

$45 = an exclusive We Can Be Heroes themed t-shirt featuring Superman

$50 = an exclusive New Era snapback Superman baseball cap

$50 = a special hardcover Superman comic signed by its artist & writer

$75 = a limited edition  24x18 Superman lithograph

And for those people with a little bit more discretionary income to spend check these perks out:

$1,000 = a DC COMICS designed Superman themed kids bedroom

$5,000 = you will be drawn as a character into the storyline of an actual issue of Action Comics – the longest ever running comic book series.

$25,000 = DC COMICS artist extraordinaire Jim Lee will come to your house, or another location of your choice in your home town, and paint a mural for you.

For more information or to contribute:  http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dc-entertainment-we-can-be-heroes-superman-edition?c=home

Proceeds from the WE CAN BE HEROES campaign are being donated to SAVE THE CHILDREN, MERCY CORPS, and THE INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE.

WE CAN BE HEROES – COMICS HELPING CHARITY

A few weeks ago DC COMICS launched a campaign to raise money for charitable relief to address the hunger problems in Africa.  Their campaign, WE CAN BE HEROES, is raising money for several reputable charities including  Save the Children, International Rescue Committee, and Mercy Corps be offering special Batman themed items and promotions to people who make donations.  WE CAN BE HEROES has been very successful exceeding its initial goal of raising $50,000 in donations to have already received more than $139,000 in contributions.  Every dollar counts and can make an impact in the services these charities can provide to those in need so check out their website www.indiegogo.com/projects/dc-entertainment-we-can-be-heroes because there are just a few days left to participate.

The campaign is wrapping up at the end of this week– donations need to be made by 11:59pm EST on Friday, May 10, 2013 – so if you’d like to find out more information or make a donation hurry over to the WE CAN BE HEROES website.  Here are few of their donation perks:

 $10 dollar donation will get you a $9 tax deduction and 5 digital copies of BATMAN comics (Batman #20, Detective Comics #20, The Dark Knight #20, Batman & Red Hood #20 & Batman/Superman #1);

$25 dollar donation will get you a print copy of Batman/Superman #1 with an exclusive WE CAN BE HEROES variant cover by the legendary artist Jim Lee along with a $14 tax deduction.

$30 dollar donation gets you a $10 tax deduction and a year’s digital subscription to your choice of either Batman/Superman, Batman, or Detective Comics.

$40 dollar donation will get you an exclusive WE CAN BE HEROES Batman/Superman t-shirt designed by Jim Lee and only available through this campaign and a $14 tax deduction.

What can the money from this fundraiser do to help people in the Horn of Africa?  If the campaign reaches these goals it can:

There are only a few days left so make sure you check out WE CAN BE HEROES before the end of the day on Friday, May 10^th.