According to Makkos, Harley Quinn will return for its fourth season this summer, and will presumably pick up after the events of season three — Poison Ivy is running the Legion of Doom, Harley Quinn has given up villainy, Bruce Wayne is in prison for tax evasion, and Batgirl is leading the Bat Family (which now includes Harley). What kind of insanity will result from all of this? You’ll have to wait until season four to find out.

Makkos also confirmed that the Kite Man spin-off is still on the way, and has a new name — Kite Man: Hell Yeah! Originally titled Noonan’s, this series will center on the HQ side character (and former fiance of Poison Ivy), Kite Man, and his time running Noonan’s bar, which is seen numerous times throughout Harley Quinn. It was revealed that the series will highlight the titular character even further as he teams up with iconic DC rogues like Bane and Lex Luthor.

Kite Man: Hell Yeah! has already received a series order for ten episodes and may possibly get set up in the upcoming fourth season of Harley Quinn.

Kite Man: Hell Yeah! does not have an official release date set yet for Max.

Source: WBD Press

The post ‘Harley Quinn’ Returns This Summer For Season 4, Kite Man Spin-off Gets A Name Change appeared first on DC Comics News.

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DCN PODCAST #165

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On the panel; Not Kidding Around: Warner Bros. Animation and the Reimagining of Iconic Characters for an Adult Audience panel at SXSW, Schumacker said:

He tries to run the bar by himself, but it doesn’t turn out so easy. We have Harley and Ivy appear in the first episode, but after that we have with different goons and villains appearing every episode like Lex Luthor and Bane.

 

It will be kind of like Cheers for supervillains.

Spoilers from season 2 of Harley Quinn ahead

Given the nature of the Harley Quinn Animated series so far, a series revolving around various villains and rogues just hanging out at a bar sounds very entertaining. With endless possibilities when it comes to combinations of DC Characters it will allow for some unique stories. It seems to be fairly safe to assume this will follow on season 2 of HQTAS and will deal with Kite Man bouncing back following the breakdown of his relationship with Poison Ivy.

The Harley Quinn animated series (voiced by Kaley Cuoco) has been extremely popular amongst fans.  We are eagerly awaiting information regarding season 3.  Additionally, it has been reported as on track for a 2022 release.  The show, which launched in 2019, was a new direction for the HBO Max/DC Brand.  It gave a fresh and comedic take on iconic characters from the DC universe. With its adult humor and extremely violent content, it has now become a staple amongst DC programming.  Its great news for fans that we get to see this universe expanded upon.

Source Article

The post ‘Harley Quinn’ Spin-off featuring Kite Man announced appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Director: Colin Heck, Cecilla Aranovich

Writer: Sabrina Jalees

Starring: Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, Alan Tudyk, Ron Funches, Tony Hale, Jason Alexander, Briana Cuoco, Jim Rash, Christopher Meloni

Reviewed By: Danny Saab

Summary

As the only source of electricity in all of New Gotham, Harley And Ivy go undercover as college students to infiltrate the Riddler’s University. While at the university, they befriend the Commissioner’s daughter, and uncover a sinister plot by the Riddler.

Positives

Riddle U was an absolute blast to watch. It was quirky. humorous, and over the top, which is what you’d expect this series to be.

Right of the bat, Harley is extremely excited about going to college, so long as she gets vaccinated for HPV. Seeing Kite-Man interacting with Harley and Ivy while flying them into the college was brief, but fun. Anytime we get to see Kite-Man is great, something I would of never of said before this series started.

This was definitely Clayface’s time to shine. Crashing Harley and Ivy’s undercover ruse with his “Stefanie” character was hysterical, and pulled it off so well.

The biggest surprise of Riddle U was the introduction of Barbara Gordon, and the origin of Batgirl. I’ve always been a fan of taking well established characters and their origin stories and putting a twist on them. It’s a good way to keep it fresh. Riddle U did just that with Batgirl. Her admiration of Batman was still their, but it took her teaming up with Harley and Ivy to take down the Riddler to give her the push over the edge she needed to become her alter ego. I for one enjoyed that slight twist, and it certainly was a fun direction to take without really changing her origin story. Also, it’s interesting to not that the voice of Barbara Gordon is actually Kaley’s sister, Briana Cuoco. She did a great job with the voiceover.

James Gordon was in rare form in Riddle U. Not only was he staying with his daughter, but seemingly has given up hope completely, turning to drinking beer in the shower and eating questionable items off his chest. But I have to admit, it works for this character. The one thing you can say about this series is that it doesn’t take itself seriously, and I absolutely appreciate that.

The fight scene at the end was great. It’ll also be interesting to see if and how keeping the Riddler alive will pane out by the end of the season.

Negatives

No negatives in “Riddle U”.

Verdict

“Riddle U” was a fun and entertaining episode, with a great introduction to Barbara Gordon. If your a fan of Batgirl like I am, you’ll love this episode.

The post Review: Harley Quinn 2×02 – “Riddle U” appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Tom King, James Tynion IV

Artists: Mikel Janin, Hugo Petrus, Guillem March

Colours :Jordie Bellaire, Tomeu Morey

Letters: Clayton Cowles

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Batman #85: The stunning conclusion to “City of Bane” is here! How will Flashpoint Batman be vanquished from our dimension? What will become of Gotham Girl now that she’s betrayed all she knows? How will the Bat team cope without Alfred? Will Catwoman stick around? Who will rebuild Gotham City? Is Batman ever going to be Batman again? The event of the summer now closes out the year, setting the stage for a whole new path for the Dark Knight Detective. You don’t dare miss the extra-sized concluding chapter to Tom King’s epic run on Batman-and it all leads to the new Batman and Catwoman series!

Positives

We have finally reached Batman #85, Tom King’s final issue on the title. King wraps up the story he started at the dawn of the Rebirth era in Batman #1. This story was designed to reflect the central idea behind DC’s Rebirth initiative.

The overarching theme of the Rebirth era has been about the struggle between hope and despair. The New 52 reboot was intended to attract new readers, but it lost touch with the optimistic core that defines the DC Universe.

King raises the question of whether Batman can be happy and still be the Batman. By proposing to Catwoman, Bruce was set to find some happiness for himself. But the idea that Bruce’s happiness would end his effectiveness as the Batman led Selina to leave him at the altar.

Then the Flashpoint Batman was added to the mix. This alternate Thomas Wayne had known nothing but sorrow from his own career as Batman and like any good father, he wanted better for his son. He was determined to make Bruce give up being the Batman by any means necessary, so that he could find some happiness.

Last issue, we saw that Thomas Wayne made a vow by his son’s bedside: “I swear by the spirit of my parents to protect your life. By spending the rest of my life warring against anything that causes you pain.”

This issue, Batman responds to Thomas with his own oath that he made by the same bedside: “I swear by the spirits of my parents to avenge their deaths. By spending the rest of my life warring on criminals.”

Positives Cont.

But Bruce goes on to explain that the vow was more than a choice made by a child still processing his parents’ death. He makes the choice to affirm that oath every day. And that he declares that he chooses to be Batman and to be happy, rejecting the false choice between the two: “I choose her. I choose happiness. I choose family. And I choose Batman.”

Way back in issue #27, King gave Kite-Man a name and background that clearly paid homage to a classic comic strip character. Batman #85 brings Chuck Brown back into the picture to show that this was meant as more than a tribute to Charles Schulz’s creation.

In a flash-forward scene, Bruce Wayne encounters Chuck Brown in a bar, and they strike up a conversation about the football game they are watching. Specifically, they discuss a particular player who “gets st up and loses the ball. Ends up on his back. Over and over and over again.” This is clearly a reference to Charlie Brown’s repeated attempts to kick the football that Lucy always pulls away at the last moment.

But Bruce denies that the player is doomed to failure. “Maybe he knows how to go down and how to go back up.” And the story ends as the player finally succeeds. King is indicating that like this player and like Charlie Brown, Batman is optimistic that he will succeed, even in the face of certain failure. This is the hope that keeps Batman going. This was a nice way to make a closing statement about Batman.

Positives Cont.

King also ties up a number of loose ends. Bane wreaks his vengeance on the ersatz Thomas Wayne, apparently removing him from the picture permanently. I feel this is a good move. This version of Thomas Wayne was well used in King’s Batman saga, but I don’t believe that having him stick around as a villain would have been a good idea.

Gotham Girl is dealt with in an interesting way. Instead of turning her over to the police for her crimes, Bruce gives her a second chance to truly realize the heroic life that her brother Gotham envisioned. Batman uses the piece of Platinum Kryptonite that King introduced in last year’s Batman Secret Files #1 to grant her superpowers equivalent to a Kryptonian.

This demonstrates that King was working towards a planned end for his story and not making it up as he goes along. He has been laying the groundwork for this stories conclusion all along.

King got a lot of fan backlash when Catwoman left Bruce at the altar in issue #50. I believe that the fault lies more with DC’s marketing. They built it up as a major event, which convinced a lot of the fans that it was actually going to happen. When it didn’t, a lot of fans directed their anger at King. This was despite King’s insistence that the story happened as planned and that the story of their romance was only at the half told at that point.

So, those fans who stuck around for the second half have been wondering whether King would have them actually get hitched before departing the title. They do decide to get quickly married, but get too involved in celebratory lovemaking to remember to actually go through with the ceremony.

Positives Cont.

Selina declares that they don’t need that they don’t need a formal, legal ceremony. She states, “It doesn’t matter… because we believe in something higher than the law. After what we’ve been through, after the years, the deaths… I don’t need a judge. Or a dress. Or an audience. To know that you… you and I.. The Bat and the Cat. We are forever.”

And we see clearly that Selina is wearing a wedding ring. They may not be legally wedded, but it’s quite clear that they essentially consider themselves to be committed to each other for life.

Will this suffice, or will they make a more formal commitment? Also, will Selina be moving into Wayne Manor? And how will this affect Catwoman’s own title? There’s still lots of questions to be answered, and hopefully King will give us some answers as he continues the story of their relationship in Batman/Catwoman.

Batman #85 also includes a three page preview from the incoming creative team. Writer James Tynion IV and artist Guillem March give us a peek at what they have in store for the title. And it seems the first thing that Tynion has in store is a Joker story.

This story has a bit of a unique angle, and oddly enough, it seems to be events in Bendis’ Superman titles that set the ball rolling. The story features a conversation between the Joker and one of his goons.

Positives Cont.

The henchmen informs the Joker that Superman has just publicly revealed his identity. He also mentions that there’s a rumour that the Joker knows who the Batman really is. But he’s saving it for something big. But if the Batman follows Superman’s example, then the Joker loses any advantage that knowledge gives him.

The Joker doesn’t take kindly to his goon’s questioning, which proves fatal for the unlucky underling. “Do you really think I’m ready for that…?! Ready for the kind of attack only one of us would survive?” the Joker berates his henchman.

Then the Joker sees the wisdom in the suggestion. “Actually… saying it out loud… that sounds like a hell of a lot of fun”. This is a chilling foreshadowing of the havoc the Joker could create using the knowledge of Bruce’s secret identity.

Negatives

One could probably find missteps or problems in the totality of King’s Batman saga. Given that it’s spanned over 85 issues, plus some Annuals and Specials, there’s bound to be things that could be improved. However, I think the story has overall hung together very well. And as a final issue, Batman #85 very neatly wrapped the story up in a satisfying manner.

The one thing that will probably be denounced as a bad move is that King killed off Alfred. However, I feel that whether this is a bad move or a necessary step in the evolution of the Batman mythos remains to be seen. It will be up to future writers to build upon this development. Plus, there is always a good chance that DC will retcon Alfred’s death away and make the question moot. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time Alfred has returned from the dead.

Verdict

King has produced an epic story that has brought Bruce to his lowest emotional point. However, the Batman has come out of this crucible as a stronger character. He has reaffirmed the inner core of hope that drives him to continue his battle against evil. Also, King has made a convincing case that the Batman can be happy without diminishing his effectiveness as a crime-fighter.

The post Review: Batman #85 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Director: Cecilia Aranovich Hamilton

Writer: Jess Dweck

Starring: Kaley Cuoco, Alan Tudyk, Lake Bell, Tony Hale

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Harley Quinn 1×03 – “So You Need A Crew?: Realising that she needs a crew to pull off legit heists that will attract the Legion of Doom’s attention, Harley attempts to recruit disgraced Wonder Woman villain, Dr. Psycho and Clayface, Gotham’s shapeshifting thespian extraordinaire.

Positives

Harley Quinn 1×03 begins with our heroine attempting to pull off a train robbery in Russia. She ends up stymied by a locked door that needs three people to unlock. Unfortunately, she is alone. The Joker, however, arrives with two henchmen, who he has throw Harley off the train before grabbing the prize for himself.

The lesson Harley learns from this is that she needs her own crew. First she tries to hire henchmen, but it turns out that henchmen would rather face certain death, or even worse, work for Kite-Man than work for a female supervillain.

Ivy explains to Harley and the audience that there is a glass ceiling for female villains, like there is in many other fields. A villainess is only allowed to be succeed up to a point. But they can’t be among the highest tier of infamy. That is reserved for the male villains like Lex Luthor and the Joker.

I like the approach the cartoon takes to the issue of workplace inequality. It finds humour in the situation without making light of the situation that many women can relate to. Instead, it mocks the attitudes that perpetuate the inequality.

Frank the Plant is as funny as ever. I loved seeing his indignation at Poison Ivy’s claims that she doesn’t need any partners or henchmen. Ivy claims she is completely self-sufficient, implying that Frank doesn’t count because he’s not human.

Harley visits the Queen of Fables, who was the last female supervillain to attempt to reach the upper echelons of villainy. She faced the Justice League and lost, but instead of being put in Arkham Asylum or prison, she found herself imprisoned in a specific book: the United States Tax Code. Now she is a sentient book running her own small Income Tax filing business.

Positives Cont.

If the story the Queen of Fables relates sounds familiar, there’s a reason for that. This is clearly referring to Mark Waid’s “The Queen of Fables” story arc in JLA #47-49 from 2001. It’s nice to see the creators of this show demonstrating their knowledge and respect for the source material their cartoon is based on.

Ivy ends up enlisting Doctor Psycho and Clayface as her crew. Doctor Psycho had recently been disgraced in a scandal where he called Wonder Woman the c-word in public. There is a hilarious scene where bystanders freeze in shock as soon as the word leaves his lips. Even nearby wildlife is affected. It’s so shocking that the very Earth stops rotating momentarily.

It’s hilarious that villains can rob, murder, and commit many other unspeakable deeds. But calling someone a c**t is a line that even the worst villains don’t dare cross.

And Clayface’s main motivation is his love for acting. He doesn’t appear to have any other motive for committing crimes than for it to give him opportunities to use his acting skills.

And Clayface has the funniest line in the whole episode – a classic put-down at Doctor Psycho’s expense:

Doctor Psycho: “I thought you were playing the role of a literal piece of shit.”

Clayface: “Not yet…” (transforms into an exact copy of Doctor Psycho)

Clayface: “…Now I’m a literal piece of shit.”

Negatives

This show has yet to make any missteps. As an over-the-top comedy exempts it from having to fit too closely to continuity. Yet it does so anyway. All the characters have so far kept to the characterizations assigned to them in this version of the DC Universe. In fact, many of the characters aren’t very far removed from their comics versions either.

Verdict

While I thought that the Harley Quinn cartoon might be good for a few laughs, I never suspected that it would become one of my favourite DC shows. Usually, I prefer my superhero TV to be dramatic adaptations that treat the source material seriously. However, Harley Quinn is proving that a comedic send-up can be even better when done right. And so far, it’s being done very right.

The post Review: Harley Quinn 1×03 – So You Need A Crew? appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Tom King

Artists: John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson

Colours: Tomeu Morey

Letters: Clayton Cowles

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Batman #80: The bad guys thought they had it made with Bane in control, but with Batman back in Gotham they’ll be reminded what justice feels like…and how it hurts when it hits you in the face. With Catwoman at his side, the Caped Crusader is looking to take down Bane’s army and reclaim his city. But what happens when old allies like Gotham Girl also stand in his way? The legendary art team of John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson join BATMAN for two action-packed issues that will rock Gotham City to its foundation.

Positives

Batman and Catwoman have returned to Gotham City and have started the process of retaking the city. They start by taking down the costumed criminals aligned with Bane. Ordinarily, it would take Batman an entire issue or even a multipart storyline on their own, but Batman ploughs through each of them as easily as if they were Kite-Man.

Batman here in his full glory as DC’s supreme badass. Bane has broken Bruce as completely as one man can be broken. As Hugo Strange tells us, “What that man experienced… he was broken. I have no doubt. No one comes back from that.” Except Batman has, and he’s even more of an unstoppable force as before.

And as much as it seems that Batman should be wreaking bloody vengeance for what Bane did to Alfred, he seems to be collected and methodical in his decimation of Bane’s allies. Is he suppressing his anger, to deal with after he has dealt with Bane?

In light of some subtle hints dropped last issue, I suspect that the rumours of Alfred’s death have been greatly exaggerated, and that Clayface or the Martian Manhunter took his place and feigned death.

Or could it be that his restored relationship with Selina has allowed him to get tighter control on his anger, giving him the clear-headedness he needs to deal with Bane and his cronies? I suspect that this is also part of the equation. If this issue is any indication, then Bruce appears to be stronger with Selina than on his own.

Positives Cont.

As a cat-person, I was quite pleased to see Catwoman preventing Mad Hatter from victimizing a cat. It’s always great to witness an animal abuser get their comeuppance.

Bruce seems to be counting on the Flashpoint Batman having a change of heart, or at least to be unable to kill his “grandson” Damian. Batman deliberately sent Damian in to be captured, and realizes that his own return to Gotham will cause Bane to order Damian’s execution.

But Bruce doesn’t seem to be worried when he tells Selina that he is unable to save Damian from Thomas Wayne, calmly stating, “So now. I suppose… Father has a decision to make.” I can’t imaging that Bruce would be so calm unless he was certain that Thomas will make the right one.

And I think he might be right. We see that the ersatz Thomas Wayne has taken an almost paternal role to Gotham Girl, tending to her in her weakened state. Also, he makes a promise to her when she asks if she’s going to die, “No. But for what he’s done to you… he will.” But who is Thomas Wayne referring to, Batman or Bane?

And the art team of John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson is stunning. Janson inked Frank Miller’s pencils on the Dark Knight Returns, and his work here evokes the mood of that classic Batman story. And John Romita Jr. is a legend in his own right. Batman #80 is worth picking up just for the artwork alone.

Negatives

With a top-notch story and superlative artwork, there is literally nothing I can find in this issue to express any disappointment in. Kudos to the creative team!

Verdict

Tom King’s run has been polarizing amongst the readership, but the last few issues should be heartening to any Batman fan. Let’s hope he can keep it up as the City of Bane storyline continues.

The post Review: Batman #80 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Tom King

Artist: Tony S. Daniel

Letters: Clayton Cowles

Colors: Tomeu Morey

Reviewed by: Carl Bryan

Summary

“He’s Batman!  I’m Kite Man!  Hell Yeah!  I’m Scared!” – Kite Man aka Charles Brown.

Batman #76: “City of Bane” continues! Bane has taken over Gotham City, and Batman is nowhere to be found. At least, not a Dark Knight anyone recognizes. Flashpoint Batman is now patrolling the city, dispensing a violent brand of justice and taking out rogue villains who haven’t yet signed on with Bane. It’s all building to a rebellion among the bad guys who don’t want to play along— and distrust in those who do! Meanwhile, a surprising ally has come to Bruce Wayne’s aid, nursing him back to health so that he can get back to his city.

Positives

Tom King continues to pen a solid Batman story that is building to a climax with an ultimate confrontation between Bruce and Bane.  That being said, how awesome is it to see a Flashpoint Batman patrolling Gotham with Gotham Girl.  Arguably she is more powerful than Superman at this point and doesn’t deserve to be “Robin” to his Batman.  However, she more than holds her own against Captain Atom and defeats him easily.   Gotham Girl is on a “silent timer” and we don’t know when those powers will evaporate and she either dies or loses them.  At any rate, she is becoming more powerful that Superman and may tip the table for a while towards the Year of the Villain.

Best thing ever….Tim Drake and Damian Wayne….both in their Robin costumes… observing Gotham from a rooftop in the rain.  Through all the years, and all the Robins, these two come together as brothers with Damian seeking advice from Tim.  “We have to do something Timothy…What do we do?”  If this doesn’t bait the hook for the next issue, what does?  I am so glad that Tom King is enriching the Batman legacy by connecting some dots with the Robins.  It would be too much to hope for to have a monthly Robin series that features everyone from a new Ric Grayson working with his “sibling” Robins!

Tim’s conversation in the hospital with Captain Atom… how Tim infiltrates into the new Gotham (City of Bane) is admirable, but the sheer rawness of that hospital bed conversation where Captain Atom is in ruins.  Great writing!  And great art work by Tony Daniel!

Positives (continued)

So a Bat/Cat reunion…that’s what we want.  An incapacitated Bruce in what appears to be a coma on her couch.  His neck is bandaged from a deep throat cut.  And she is stealing paintings in Paris to fund Bruce’s medical care.  “But if you’d just wake up Bat!”  She whispers a promise to stop stealing.  Is that a tear in her eye?  Tony Daniel draws a beautiful Catwoman!

Negatives

Kite Man (aka Charles Brown)….(who are we kidding here?)  Tom King must be a Peanuts fan.  You have all this anarchy in the City of Bane and Kite Man is pulled in to the a comic folly.  I am still wrapping my head around this embedded character in Batman as it either pokes a bit of fun at Charlie Brown and Peanuts, or it is a great campy device of the 1966 Batman series.  At any rate, it may work for some, but it detracted a bit for me.

Verdict

Again, the artwork alone is worth the price of admission for Batman #76!  That cover…remember when you first saw Batman broken by Bane… are we in the midst of another crippled Batman?  Or is he out for the count and another of his Robins will assume the mantle?  This story is like shoving an octopus into a bag.  There are so many ways it can go and you can never be sure.  Kudos to Tony Daniel’s art, but also Tom King has penned a special series!

The post Review: Batman #76 appeared first on DC Comics News.