To celebrate the 500th episode of “The Simpsons,” which airs Feb. 19, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., in partnership with Gracie Films and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products, is making the “Simpsons” Arcade Game available for home consoles.

The game is now available for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The game will also be available on the PlayStation®Network for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system beginning Feb. 7.

“Of all The Simpsons video games, this demented classic is my favorite,” said Matt Groening, The Simpsons Creator and Executive Producer, in a news release.

In The Simpsons Arcade Game, players take on the role of a Simpsons character to chase Smithers and Mr. Burns on an epic quest to save Maggie.

The game features four-player online and offline cooperative play as well as eight Springfield locations.

As an added bonus, fans can view classic posters made for the game back in 1991.

- Matt Price
From Monday’s The Oklahoman

Electronic Arts Inc. announced a new collaboration between singer Katy Perry and The Sims Studio, the developers behind the video game “The Sims.”

The Sims Studio plans to develop multiple games within The Sims franchise featuring special Katy Perry themed in-game content and virtual goods. The relationship kicks off with a Collector’s Edition for The Sims 3 Showtime, launching in March 2012. Katy Perry will also be featured in all-new advertising and marketing campaigns for the brand.

“I always like to think of myself as a cartoon, and now I’m a Sim!” Perry said in a news release.

The Sims 3 Showtime Katy Perry Collector’s Edition is available for pre-order.

For more information, visit http://thesims.com/katyperry or http://thesims.com/showtime, or like the game on Facebook.

- Matt Price
Click past the cut for more images.

Batman: Noel

Comics fans could have a very Batty Christmas with the cool Bat-themed gifts available this year.

Inspired by Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol,” the hardcover graphic novel “Batman: Noel” ($22.99) features different interpretations of the Dark Knight from various eras. Different cast members from “Batman” take on roles from “A Christmas Carol,” including Robin, Superman, Catwoman and the Joker.

The story is written and drawn by Lee Bermejo, who drew the hit “Joker” original graphic novel in 2008.
For fans who want something more interactive, the “Arkham City” video game ($59.99 for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3; $49.99 for Windows PC; $99.99 collector’s edition) features Batman battling foes in a large slum now used to house the criminally insane. The game is written by Paul Dini, who also wrote the tie-in graphic novel ($22.99).

To fully immerse yourself in the game, check out the cool Batarang Controller for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 ($49.99).

For fans who want to dig deep into Batman lore, Mathew K. Manning’s “The Batman Files” ($100) begins with Bruce Wayne’s childhood and continues along a timeline of events, with significant scrapbook-type information included.

One of the best Batman arcs of recent years has been released in hardcover in time for holiday shopping. Scott Snyder’s entire “Detective Comics” run is collected in the “Black Mirror” hardcover ($29.99) from DC Comics.

In “The Black Mirror,” the new Batman, Dick Grayson, is put to the test as a series of brutal murders puts him up against one of Gotham City’s oldest evils.

A second story, “Hungry City,” is also collected in the hardcover, in which the corpse of a killer whale is found in an upscale Gotham City bank, sparking a deadly new mystery.

The collection, with stories from “Detective Comics” Nos. 871-881, is a candidate for best Batman tale of the current decade.

If you aren’t a Bat-fan, don’t feel like the holidays are passing you by. Here are some other suggestions for comic fans:

“Parker: The Martini Edition”: ($75) This edition collects the two Darwyn Cooke (“The New Frontier”) adaptations of Donald Westlake’s “Parker” novels, which he wrote under the name Richard Stark. The double-crossed small-time hood Parker is out to get revenge on those who did him wrong, and he does so with explosive consequences. Cooke is the perfect artist to adapt this ’60s-era hard-boiled tale. This edition features “The Hunter” and “The Outfit” in and oversized, slipcased hardcover edition with an additional 65 pages of content and a brand-new story.

“MetaMaus”: ($35) Art Spiegelman looks back at his Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel “Maus” 25 years after its publication. MetaMaus includes a bonus DVD-R with digitized reference copy of “The Complete Maus,” linked to audio interviews, notebooks and historical documents.

“Donald Duck: Lost in the Andes”: ($24.99) Some of the greatest Carl Barks Donald Duck comics are being collected in affordable hardcover editions. This collection contains “Lost in the Andes” and other Barks stories. These all-ages adventures have been fan favorites for more than 50 years.

“Return to Perdition”: ($19.99) Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty provide another chapter in the life of the O’Sullivan crime family.

“Jim Henson’s The Storyteller” ($19.99): The live-action/puppet combination TV show comes to graphic novels with all new stories from a great lineup of comic book creators, including Roger Langridge (“The Muppet Show” comic), Marjorie Liu (“Black Widow”), Ron Marz (“Artifacts”), Jeff Parker (“Thunderbolts”), Francesco Francavilla (“Detective Comics”) and more.

- by Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) announced today the upcoming launch of its second Downloadable Content (DLC) pack for DC Universe Online.  “Lightning Strikes,” set to be released worldwide later this year, will include  a new adventure with super-speedster The Flash.

The pack will launch simultaneously on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC, and will also introduce the game’s eighth power set: electricity powers.

“In this DLC pack, fans have the opportunity to immerse themselves in another great character and action-packed story from the DC Universe,” said Jens Andersen, Creative Director for DC Universe Online, in a news release. “With exciting gameplay, a new power set and new locations to share with your friends, we packed a whole new kind of fun into this DLC pack and are eager for our players to dive into another legendary adventure.”

The pack will also feature The Flash-themed characters and content with new maps and features, including, as described by SOE:

Central City – An all-new map that offers players a more open world experience that provides on-going gameplay, with solo and group missions.

The Flash Museum Duo – Players can now experience the Central City of today and tomorrow. In The Flash Museum Duo, players can travel back in time to the very moment when Barry Allen became The Flash and battle foes inside the Central City Police Station!

Electricity Powers – Players now have the opportunity to get the new Electricity Power set for current and new characters. The new Electricity Power set allows players to leverage the lightning power of electricity and use new types of attacks in combat. Electricity Powers include the Tesla Ball, which creates a floating ball of electricity that zaps nearby enemies; the Shockwave, which shoots streams of electric bolts at enemies; and Ionic Drain, which drains energy from the environment to replenish a player’s health while simultaneously damaging surrounding enemies.

New Gear – Players can earn all-new gear sets including the new Zoom-inspired gear set for villains, and the new Black Lightning-inspired gear set for heroes.

New Characters – Lightning Strikes brings players new iconic DC Universe characters including Livewire, Black Lightning, The Top, The Trickster, Static and more. New characters — such as Livewire — will be featured as new “Inspired By” options for players who can choose to create a new character inspired by some of DC Universe’s legendary characters. Additional new characters — such as Black Lighting — serve as a bounty mission that players can fight if they choose to be a villain.

The pack will be free for “Legendary” players, and available for $9.99 for free and premium players through the PlayStation Network Store, through the in-game Marketplace and on PC from the DC Universe Online website.

- Matt Price

James Bond news, Dark Knight Rises preview coming, and Lord of the Rings gets a new videogame in this week’s Planet 46 Comics Podcast

JAMES BOND – SKYFALL IS COMING
The 23rd James Bond adventure will be titled SKYFALL. The film is directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes and stars Daniel Craig, who returns for his third film as James Bond 007. In production now, the film will begin its worldwide roll-out in the UK and Ireland on October 26th 2012 and in North America on November 9th 2012.
Cast members include Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris and Bérénice Marlohe. The filmmakers also announced Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Ben Whishaw.

LORD OF THE RINGS: WAR IN THE NORTH RELEASED
War in the North follows three heroes on adventures hinted at, but never before seen in the books or films. The game features 3-player co-op and is based visually on Peter Jackson’s version of the Tolkien world. Trailer available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuzWUbOBXq0&feature=pyv

DARK KNIGHT TRAILER IN DECEMBER?
On December 16, a six minute prologue for “The Dark Knight Rises” is set to debut on some IMAX showings of “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.” Batman-on-Film and Batman-News report the first full trailer for “The Dark Knight Rises” could premiere on the same day, on Warner Bros. “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.”

REVIEW FILE: Hawk and Dove #3, Uncanny X-Men #1, Action Comics #3, New Mutants #33 and Fear Itself 7.1: Captain America.
Comics read in 2011: 1,661. Still to go: 350.

Sorry for the delay in getting this one up! Matt and Kyle discuss the Avengers trailer, DC Comics hitting No. 1 on the sales charts, and the X-Men Destiny video game.

Review File: Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #3, DuckTales #5, Shade #1.
Comics read in 2011: 1,543. Still to go: 468.

My Planet 46 Comics Podcast co-host Kyle Roberts has created this awesome music video for Norman-based band the Nghiems. Shot at Oklahoma City’s New World Comics, this mini-movie should appeal to those who love Scott Pilgrim, comics and of course classic Nintendo. Created using stop-motion animation techniques, the video took over 4 months to produce and over 8,000 individual photos. This weekend only, you can get a free download of the song at http://thenghiems.bandcamp.com/track/dum-dum-dah-dah

- Matt Price
Click past the cut for the “Making of” the video.

Kyle’s latest video has NES flair; 24-Hour Comics Day pushes artists to their limits; Brad Meltzer’s Decoded to start season 2; and it’s the largest release week of comics in more than a decade in this week’s Planet 46 Comics Podcast.

VIDEO-GAME MUSIC VIDEO!

Kyle Roberts, owner of the Oklahoma City-based film company Reckless Abandonment Pictures, directed a music video for Norman-based band ‘The Nghiems’.

The video, ‘Dum Dum Dah Dah’, features a fictional arcade game where the band members serve as the main characters.  The video is a mix of live shots at OKC-based New World Comics and stop motion animation, and will debut online Saturday, Oct. 1.

“Almost everyone remembers the magic of playing a ‘Mario’ type game where they had a journey through levels defeating bad guys to save the princess, we wanted to bring back that nostalgia in this project,” said Roberts.

24 HOUR COMICS DAY IS SATURDAY

The eighth annual 24-Hour Comics Day is Saturday, and the comic book specialty retailer group ComicsPRO is again organizing the event.

24-Hour Comics Day is an annual challenge for cartoonists to produce a 24-page comic book written, drawn and completed in 24 consecutive hours. Comic book artists, whether professional or amateur, young or old, are invited to check out a local venue or try the challenge on their own.

ComicsPRO’s Executive Director Amanda Emmert said the all-volunteer project is free to participants.  More info at www.24hourcomicsday.com.

BRAD MELTZER’S DECODED GETS SECOND SEASON

Brad Meltzer, who wrote the comic-book series “Identity Crisis” and “Green Arrow,” is also a best-selling novelist and, TV star.  The second season of his TV show “Brad Meltzer’s Decoded,” which looks at the hidden secrets behind codes and mysteries, starts season 2 next week, and for the first time, the team will be heading overseas, as well. The show airs on HISTORY.

Review file: Superman #1, Aquaman #1, Flash #1, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #2, All-Star Western #1, I, Vampire #1, New Avengers #16.1
Comics read in 2011: 1,460.  Still to go: 551

Batman Year One trailer shown in advance of Oct. 18 release; X-Men Destiny hits shelves; and DC Comics’ sexy superheroines cross the border in the Planet 46 Comics Podcast.

BATGIRL, WONDER WOMAN, CATWOMAN IN COMMERCIAL

Comics Alliance has found a commercial featuring Batgirl, Wonder Woman and Catwoman, unfortunately it’s not airing in the U.S.
The commercial is a TV spot for El Palacio de Hierro, a Mexico City clothing store. Apparently her new comic-book series isn’t the only place where Catwoman is acting sexy.
Read More: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/09/21/mexican-superhero-commercial/#ixzz1YcjZlrUH

BATMAN YEAR ONE CLIP

Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. unveiled a clip of their upcoming adaptation of Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s Batman: Year One as shown at THR.

The movie features Bryan Cranston, Ben McKenzie, Eliza Dushku and Katee Sackhoff in an adaptation of the Frank Miller four-issue story from 1987.

The movie will be released Oct. 18.

X-MEN DESTINY VIDEO GAME

X-Men: Destiny” is a third-person action/role-playing game where the gamer takes the role of one of three mutants and develops powers as the game progresses. It’s out in stores today.

REVIEW FILE: Near Death #1, Batman #1, X-Men Schism #4
Comics read in 2011: 1,453. Still to go: 558.

The battling robot Voltron will have its first franchise panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego on Thursday, July 21.

The panel presentation at Comic-Con International will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 21, in the Indigo Ballroom at the Bayfront Hilton hotel.

The panel is scheduled to feature a mix of entertainment of new and classic Voltron content, including original graphic novels, comic books, video games, Nicktoons’ Voltron Force television series and more.

Carrie Keagan, host of VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live, will moderate. Guests include:

· From THQ, Adam Affrunti, producer;

· From World Events Productions, Jeremy Corray, Voltron Force supervising producer, and Todd Garfield, Voltron Force story editor;

· From Nicktoons, Keith Dawkins, senior vice president and general manager of Nicktoons;

· From Mattel, Steed Sun, entertainment brands design director, Michael Montalvo, entertainment brands design manager, and Brandon Sopinsky, entertainment brands designer;

· From Dynamite Entertainment, Joe Rybrandt, editor, and Brandon Thomas, Voltron comic book writer;

· From VIZ Media, Traci Todd, senior editor, and Jacob Chabot, cartoonist and illustrator for VIZ Media graphic novels

“This is an epic year for Voltron fans and the Comic-Con panel is going to be a memorable event for them,” said Peter Armstrong, executive producer of THQ’s forthcoming video game, in a news release. “It’s the perfect time for us to present the first-ever Voltron panel since this legendary robot action franchise is back right now in a very big way. We can’t wait to talk about what’s next for Voltron, and to showcase some of the best and most exclusive Voltron content for the first time.”

An autograph session will follow the panel.  A giant Voltron figure will also be on-site.

Voltron: Defender of the Universe was a highly rated cartoon show in the 1980s, in which five brave explorers pilot five robotic lion ships, which combine to form Voltron, the robotic hero.

A new animated series, “Voltron Force,” recently debuted on Nicktoons.

- Matt Price

IGN shares this trailer for the new “Tomb Raider” game, set for a Fall 2012 release. What do you think of Lara Croft’s new look?

- Matt Price

Pica Pic has an assortment of handheld games simulated online, including The Terminator, shown above.   It’s amazing how such graphically limited games could be so much fun.

This apparently hit the Internet about a month ago, and I can’t imagine productivity among thirtysomethings has gone up in the slightest since then.  I figured the “Terminator” game was particularly apropos today since in Terminator lore, April 19, 2011, was the day Skynet became self-aware.

Which handheld game is your favorite?

- Matt Price

It’s 2027, and a reunified Korea has invaded the United States.

That’s the premise of “Homefront,” a new video game from THQ that explores what might happen if Americans were forced to form a resistance to an invading army.

The game’s lead level designer, Rex Dickson, said the game deals with the foreign occupation of America, and how that could come about.

“We have what we call pillars, or guiding statements, and one of those pillars was ‘familiar has become alien,’” Dickson said. “We did a lot of research into post-peak oil, what would happen after an oil crash, when gas was no longer available. What would our country look like if democracy were to fall apart, or fail, when there were no jobs left, when things began to get more and more abandoned?”

Dickson said designers looked at some modern cities, where large neighborhoods have been abandoned in the throes of the Great Recession.

“Anyone in the United States who grew up in suburbia will immediately understand these places,” he said.

The “Homefront” game is expected to spawn sequels and already has led to a novel, “Homefront: The Voice of Freedom,” by John Milius and Raymond Benson, exploring the game’s backstory.

“Homefront is set to become one of THQ’s most successful original IP launches,” said Danny Bilson, EVP Core Games, THQ, in a release. “The team at Kaos (has) spent three years building an FPS (first person shooter) that competes with the very best, offering a thrilling and original single-player experience and hundreds of hours of multiplayer.”

THQ is providing dedicated servers for console and PC versions of “Homefront.”

“Dedicated servers allow us to support 32 players on large maps with infantry, vehicles and drones, and level the playing field compared to titles that rely on user-hosted games,” said Drew Como, director of infrastructure, THQ.

In the game, the reunified Korea acts much like Japan in World War II, island-hopping until it is able to control large portions of Asia.

“They attack the United States with an electromagnetic pulse weapon, and that is a very real-world threat,” Dickson said. “It knocks out all electricity and computer devices and shuts down all communication.”

This allows the Korean army to mount an incursion into the United States.

“The Koreans don’t do a full-scale invasion of the United States; they go after pockets here and there,” trying to take over resource-heavy areas, Dickson said.

The game was written by Milius, who co-wrote the film “Apocalypse Now” and wrote and directed “Red Dawn.”

“While ‘Red Dawn’ is closest in terms of its depiction of civilian resistance, ‘Apocalypse Now’ … was much closer to what we were going for in terms of tone,” Dickson said. “This is a very dark, serious game. We wanted to get away from the … thrill-a-minute action movie.”

Milius established the arc and created a strong focus on the civilian storyline. The players take on the role of a civilian resistance force in Colorado.

“He’s been giving us feedback constantly on what would make sense for resistance fighters, and things that a civilian resistance would be capable of versus a professional soldier and squad.”

Dickson said many Americans are used to living in a resource-rich environment, and one of the questions the game wants players to ask themselves is how they might react in a dangerous, desperate situation.

“We’re trying to pull on that emotion and ask that question. … Maybe it’s very unlikely that we could ever be invaded, but what if?” Dickson said. “And you know, even just asking that question makes people very uncomfortable. But that’s exactly what the game is all about.”

- By Matthew Price
From Wednesday’s The Oklahoman

Click past the cut for more screenshots from “Homefront.”

Ghostbusters: Infestation #1

More than 25 years after they first arrived in movie theaters, the wisecracking Ghostbusters remain at the heart of a popular franchise.

Ivan Reitman plans a third “Ghostbusters” film for Sony. He recently told The Hollywood Reporter that he’s waiting on Bill Murray to read the script.

In the meantime, Murray’s character Peter Venkman — along with fellow Ghostbusters Egon Spengler, Raymond Stantz and Winston Zeddmore — continue to appear in other properties about the characters, including comic books and video games.

IDW Publishing’s Tom Waltz is involved in both of these worlds, as the editor of IDW’s “Ghostbusters” comics and as the writer of the upcoming “Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime” video game.

“Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime” will be available on Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation Network, and Windows PC Download at Atari.com, on Wednesday.

The game is a four-player, ghost-busting adventure that allows gamers to take on the role of a rookie hired by the Ghostbusters to save New York City from a paranormal disaster.

“The game itself ties in a lot more closely to the movies, as well as the last video game,” Waltz said. “I think our comics at this point (also) always tie back in to the movies.”

While the gamer will play as rookie characters, those characters interact throughout with the original Ghostbusters.

“The four main characters from the movies … are actively involved in the adventure though you’re not actively utilizing them with your joystick,” Waltz said. “The adventure hinges on decisions that the four original Ghostbusters are making.”

In the comics, those four original Ghostbusters find themselves fighting zombies in the IDW crossover event “Infestation.”

“We did a big event where we crossed over IDW properties ‘CVO,’ which is ‘Covert Vampire Operations,’ and ‘Zombies vs. Robots’ properties into our licensed books, which have included the Transformers property, G.I. Joe, Star Trek and Ghostbusters,” Waltz said.

Erik Burnham and Kyle Hotz are the creative team for “Ghostbusters: Infestation.”

“My hope is that … what we’ll see now is a continuation and possibly an ongoing series with our ‘Ghostbusters’ comics coming out of this ‘Infestation’ event.”

“Ghostbusters: Infestation” No. 1 is on sale now, and the concluding issue, No. 2, is set to ship Wednesday.

- By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

SPIDER-MAN GETS ‘AMAZING’

Sony has revealed official title of the new Spider-Man film: “The Amazing Spider-Man.”  The costume of Andrew Garfield in the Spider-Man movie reboot was also recently revealed, and you can check it out at the site: http://www.theamazingspiderman-movie.com/.

GREEN LANTERN GAME TRAILER RELEASED

Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters is an action-adventure title that is scheduled for release in conjunction with the Green Lantern movie releasing this summer.

The game will be available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and Nintendo DS.

Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters is inspired by the feature film, which stars Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan.  In the game, players will be able to wield the Green Lantern ring to restore intergalactic order.

THOR, CAP TOYS

Chris Hemsworth, who plays “Thor” in the upcoming film, and Chris Evans, who plays Captain America, recently visited Hasbro’s showroom at Toy Fair in New York.   The “Thor” line is set to debut March 1, and the Captain America toys hit the shelves on May 16.   The “Thor” movie releases May 6, and Captain America: First Avenger hits on July 22.

REVIEWS

Matt and Kyle review Amazing Spider-Man 654.1, Jennifer Blood #1, Silver Surfer #1 and more.

A screenshot from "DC Universe Online."

DC Comics has brought its superhero universe online. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and more star in “DC Universe Online,” released this month for the PC and PlayStation 3. The massively multiplayer online (MMO) game allows gamers to create their own superhero or supervillain.

DC Comics creators including Jim Lee, Geoff Johns and Marv Wolfman worked on translating the world of DC Comics to the game. Jim Lee was one of the first brought onto the game back in 2005.

“Jim is a hard-core MMO player,” said Chris Cao, game director for DC Universe Online. “He understood the medium.”

Lee brought on Johns and Wolfman to the project.

“(He) helped us out with the DC side … to make sure that the legitimacy from a comic-book standpoint was there,” Cao said. “That we didn’t just have the face of the license, we had the heart of it, too.”

In “DC Universe Online,” fans create a superhero or supervillain to interact with the world of the DC Universe, and that world’s most recognizable characters, including Superman and Batman.

DC Comics locations range from Smallville to Gotham City, and lesser known locations such as the Middle Eastern country of Kandaq and Oolong Island.

“The comic-book readers may know these names, and the casual fans will learn them, but there’s all these different stories to tell, with 75 years of history, so we’re just getting started,” Cao said.

Cao said it was important to show the differences between the DC Comics world and the real world.

“This isn’t New York; this is Metropolis,” Cao said.

DC Comics is tying in with the game with a 26-issue limited series called “DC Universe Online Legends.” With a scheduled release date of Feb. 2, the series is written by Wolfman and Tony Bedard, with art by Howard Porter (“JLA”).

In the first issue, Lex Luthor makes a deal with Brainiac. Brainiac has been the villain at the launch of the MMO.

“It’s sort of setting the frame in the larger story that almost goes beyond the game,” Cao said. “We’ve been working with them, and we’re starting to take steps with that with the comic book.”

- By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

GREEN HORNET COMES TO THEATERS

Seth Rogen tells George Lang he was allowed to reshape Britt Reid, aka the Green Hornet, in his own image.

“We kind of wanted to subvert notions that are in a lot of these comic book-type movies and that you would find in a lot of early origin stories of comic book characters,” Rogen said during a news conference on a soundstage at the Sony Pictures studio lot in Culver City, Calif.

“In order to play with those ideas, you have to be very aware of what they are in the first place and that they exist and to acknowledge them to some degree. We kind of wanted to dance on the line of being a comic book movie and commenting on a comic book movie.”

Seth Rogen, left, and Jay Chou in "The Green Hornet."

The film made $34 million in its opening weekend, according to the Associated Press.

BEST-SELLING COMICS ANNOUNCED

The hit television show “The Walking Dead” helped spur sales of the graphic novels on which it was based. According to a news release from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc., “The Walking Dead” Vol. 1 trade paperback was the No. 1-selling graphic novel for 2010.

Diamond Comic Distributors is the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop-culture merchandise.

DC UNIVERSE ONLINE RELEASED

Sony Online Entertainment LLC recently released the eagerly-awaited online action game DC Universe Online (DCUO) for the PC and the PlayStation 3.

“We’re redefining the genre and blazing a new trail in the gaming industry with the introduction of DC Universe Online,” said John Smedley, President, Sony Online Entertainment. “This is the first true action MMO utilizing twitch-based combat and physics to deliver a completely unique and immersive gameplay experience that is reflective of the creativity, action and strength of the DC Universe.”

REVIEW FILE: Matt and Kyle review Amazing Spider-Man 651, Wonder Girl 1 and John Byrne’s Next Men 2.

Concept art from "Batman: Arkham City."

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE), Rocksteady Studios and DC Entertainment have released a teaser trailer for Batman: Arkham City.  The game is set for fall 2011 release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC.

Batman: Arkham City screenshot

Here’s the description from WBIE:

Developed by Rocksteady Studios, Batman: Arkham City builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players soaring into Arkham City, the new maximum security “home” for all of Gotham City’s thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, this highly anticipated sequel introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight.

Click past the cut for the teaser trailer for “Batman: Arkham City.”

Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor, signs for a fan at Comic-Con International in San Diego. (Photo by Annette Price)

SEGA has announced via a news release that “Thor” actors Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston will star in the video game “Thor: God of Thunder.”  The pair will reprise their roles from the upcoming “Thor” film, with Hemsworth voicing Thor, the god of thunder, and Hiddleston voicing his villainous brother Loki, the god of mischief.  The likenesses of the actors will also appear in the game.

“Bringing in Chris and Tom to star in Thor: God of Thunder gives us AAA talent that will create a truly cinematic interactive experience,” said Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing at SEGA Europe and SEGA of America, in the release.  “Mighty Thor and the trickster Loki will face off with real emotion while giving fans visual and vocal continuity between the video game and film adaptations of the Marvel franchise.”

Matt Fraction, current writer of the “Thor” comic book, served as story consultant for the game.  Thor will battle through worlds of Norse mythology to save his home of Asgard.

Foes will include Ulik, Ymir and Surtur from the Marvel comics.  The game is set for release in spring 2011.

- Matt Price

Win art!

Allposters.com is giving a NewsOK Comics Podcast watcher the chance to win this framed art –just comment on the video with your favorite Marvel character, and we’ll draw a winner.

X-Men Arcade game coming to consoles

An image of "Amazing Spider-Man" #50 from allposters.com.

According to Marvel.com, Konami Digital Entertainment will release the classic “X-Men” arcade game originally released in 1992 for the very first time outside of arcades.  The game will be available on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in Fall 2010.

Spider-Man casting news

Sony has announced that Rhys Ifans (“Notting Hill”) has joined the cast of the “Spider-Man” movie reboot. He’ll play the villain in the new movie, but Sony didn’t reveal who that would be.   The Wrap reported that Ifans will play The Lizard, but that hasn’t been confirmed.

Batman and Wolverine updates

Deadline reports Tom Hardy has been selected for a lead role in “Batman 3,” and Darren Aronofsky is likely clearing his plate to take a stab at directing “Wolverine 2.”

Matt Price and Kyle Roberts review Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #5, X-Men #4, and Bruce Wayne: The Road Home one-shots — Batman and Robin, Red Robin, Batgirl and Outsiders.

Screenshot from the upcoming Captain America video game.

Captain America will return to video game consoles in an original adventure set during World War II.

The title is set for release in 2011 on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) system, Wii™ and Nintendo DS™.

“Videogame players the world over can now become Marvel’s iconic Super Hero Captain America,” said Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing at SEGA Europe and SEGA America, in a news release. “Captain America: Super Soldier puts players in the boots of the ultimate Super-Soldier, wielding Captain America’s legendary shield. Working closely with Marvel ensures we’re delivering the calibre product that gamers and comic fans deserve and it’s a partnership we’re proud of here at SEGA.”

The third-person adventure was written by Christos Gage (Avengers: The Initiative) and features Captain America versus the Red Skull and his armies, as well as the forces of Hydra.

The game will be set in the world of the upcoming film, though it looks like the costume will, at least in places, resemble the comic-book Captain America uniform.

- Matt Price

Telltale Games' "Back to the Future."

Telltale Games will release a new game series this winter celebrating the 25th anniversary of “Back to the Future.”

The games, based on the time-travel adventure film, will feature the likenesses of the original stars that portrayed Marty McFly and Doc Brown: Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd.

Lloyd will voice Doc Brown for the full game series, which will be delivered in five monthly episodes.The game series is developed through a licensing agreement with Universal Partnerships & Licensing.

“Creating cinematic adventures true to the source is a top mission for Telltale,” said Telltale CEO Dan Connors in a news release. “Securing Marty and Doc for the games, and presenting the experience that fans know and love, has been top on our list since we initiated development.”

Co-creator and writer Bob Gale is consulting with Telltale on the characterizations and storyline for the game.

“Twenty-five years ago when I wrote Doc Brown’s line about ‘seeing the future,’ little did I realize that I would be traveling with him to work on this game,” Gale said in a news release.  “Collaborating with Telltale is an amazing opportunity to continue the adventures of Doc and Marty.”

Telltale announced that the games will feature the DeLorean Time Machine.  An authentic replica of the vehicle will be on display this weekend at the 2010 Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle Washington, September 3 through 5.

- Matt Price

Sony has revealed Wonder Woman’s look in the DC Universe Online game.  Players will have the opportunity to fight alongside or against Wonder Woman as they create their own legend in the DC Universe Online.

Click past the cut for images of Wonder Woman as designed for DC Universe Online.

- Matt Price

Very cool announcement fron Activision and Marvel: Four previous Spider-Men will reprise their roles as Spidey in the game “Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.”   The game features four different Spider-Mans, each voiced by a different actor.  Neil Patrick Harris voiced the wall-crawler in “Spider-Man: The New Animated Series” in 2003; Josh Keaton was the voice of Spider-Man in “The Spectacular Spider-Man” from 2008-2009; Dan Gilvezan starred in “Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends” from 1981-1983; and Christopher Daniel Barnes voiced the iconic Super Hero in “Spider-Man,” the 1994 series.  Additionally, Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee will serve as the game’s narrator.

Click past the cut for the full release.

- Matt Price

Santa Monica, CA – July 23, 2010 – Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Marvel Entertainment (NYSE: MVL) announced today that Neil Patrick Harris will reprise his role as Spider-Man in Activision’s upcoming Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, which is currently being showcased at San Diego Comic-Con. In the game, players traverse through four unique worlds from Spider-Man lore and take on the role of four distinctly different Spider-Men – Amazing, Ultimate, Noir and 2099 – which will be brought to life by Neil Patrick Harris along with Josh Keaton, Christopher Daniel Barnes and Dan Gilvezan, respectively.

Additionally, legendary creator and comic book icon Stan Lee will guide players through the storyline of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions as the game’s narrator, and Emmy Award-winning composer Jim Dooley has created an original orchestral score for the game.

Each of the actors voicing Spider-Man in the game has portrayed the web-slinger in previous Spider-Man animated television series. Neil Patrick Harris voiced the wall-crawler in “Spider-Man: The New Animated Series” in 2003; Josh Keaton was the voice of Spider-Man in “The Spectacular Spider-Man” from 2008-2009; Dan Gilvezan starred in “Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends” from 1981-1983; and Christopher Daniel Barnes voiced the iconic Super Hero in “Spider-Man,” the 1994 series.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, which will be available September 7th, allows players to engage in nonstop heroic action as they traverse four unique worlds from Spider-Man’s lore – Amazing, Noir, 2099 and Ultimate – within one unique storyline. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions transports players to a variety of locations, from lush jungles and dusty deserts to a futuristic NYC, and allows them to use unique gameplay styles for each Spider-Man, including stealth moves in Noir, gliding maneuvers in 2099, black-suited tendril attacks in Ultimate, and innovative web combat in Amazing.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions has been rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB. Beenox is developing the game for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Wii™, and PC, and Griptonite is creating a Nintendo DS™ version. Fans can learn more about Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions by visiting www.SpiderManDimensions.com.

THQ is bringing even more super heroes to “Marvel Super Hero Squad: The Infinity Gauntlet,” the sequel to 2009′s Marvel Super Hero Squad video game.  “Infinity Gauntlet” will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Wiiä and Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DS™ systems.

The game features the Super Hero Squad seeking the six stones of the Infinity Gauntlet before Doctor Doom and his cohorts.  The game will tie into the season 2 storyline of “Super Hero Squad.”

“We are excited to announce the next game in our Marvel Super Hero Squad franchise to an eager fan base,” said Martin Good, Executive Vice President, Kids, Family, Casual Games, and Global Online Services, in a release. “The new co-op Challenge Mode, super-powered action-combat and integrated puzzles truly elevates the series and further broadens the audience.”

Sony Online Entertainment has announced that Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill will reprise their roles as  Batman and the Joker, respectively, for DC Universe Online.   Conroy and Hamill voiced the characters most famously in “Batman: The Animated Series.”

Other casting announced is Adam Baldwin as Superman; Gina Torres as Wonder Woman; James Marsters as Lex Luthor and Michelle Forbes as Circe.

- Matt Price
Click past the cut for the full release.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – July 21, 2010- Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) announced today that two of animation’s most well-known talents lead a triple-A cast of voice actors in providing their skills for the upcoming online action game, DC UniverseTM Online. Mark Hamill (Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: The Animated Series) will once again voice The Joker, while Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited, Batman: Arkham Asylum) will bring to life everyone’s favorite dark knight, Batman.

“We’re excited that not only will Mark and Kevin bring their talent back to the DC Universe as part of DC Universe Online, but we’ve hit the jackpot with a full cast that are veterans of movies, TV shows and games that our fans are crazy about,” said Sony Online Entertainment Vice President of Development, John Blakely. “Several of these actors are recognized as the definitive voices for these characters, and will help us in creating an authentic and exciting experience for fans when they get in the game.”

Besides becoming an international pop-culture icon as the protagonist in George Lucas’ original Star Wars trilogy, Broadway veteran Mark Hamill’s career has encompassed virtually all aspects of modern media available to an actor – stage, screen, television, movies and video games. Hamill received a Drama Desk Award Nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical for Michael Stewart’s Harrigan ‘n’ Hart. He has also performed in hundreds of TV cartoons: Batman: The Animated Series, The Simpsons, Ren & Stimpy, Samurai Jack, Spider-Man, Powerpuff Girls, The Hulk, Fantastic Four, Little Mermaid, Phantom 2040, Johnny Bravo, Fairly Odd Parents, The Flintstones, Jonny Quest and Scooby Doo. He’s also provided his voice for several animated feature films: Joseph, Prince of Dreams, Balto II, Wizards, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker, for which he received two “Annie” award nominations.

Kevin Conroy is best known to audiences for his role as Batman in Batman: The Animated Series. Conroy continued to voice Batman in the subsequent series The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. His tenure in the role also includes the films Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, and Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman. He also voiced Batman for the character’s guest appearances in Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock and The Zeta Project. Conroy has also voiced Batman in the DC Universe Animated original movies Batman: Gotham Knight, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, and Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. In a full tally of his performances, Conroy has portrayed the superhero longer than any other actor in either live-action or animation.

The rest of the cast will provide voices for the following iconic characters:

Adam Baldwin (Superman) -Baldwin has amassed an impressive and expansive range of film roles, from large studio projects to gritty independent films. Baldwin has worked with many of Hollywood’s most successful actors and directors, including Stanley Kubrick, Kevin Costner and Richard Donner. In the sci-fi world, audiences know Baldwin for his starring role on Firefly recurring roles on The X-Files, Angel and The Visitor, and guest starring roles on Stargate SG-1 and the new The Outer Limits. He followed up his Firefly character once again in Joss Whedon’s motion picture, Serenity. This fall, he returns as John Casey in the NBC drama Chuck.

Gina Torres (Wonder Woman) – Currently starring in the new ABC Family series Huge, Torres’ most notable television credits are her performances as assassin Anna Espinosa on Alias and Zoe Washburn, the shotgun-toting mercenary on Joss Whedon’s Firefly (and the feature film Serenity), in addition to her roles in Xena: Warrior Princess and Cleopatra 2525, which earned her an ALMA award. Her film credits include The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Reloaded, I Think I Love My Wife and Hair Show. She has also voiced the characters of Vixen in the Justice League animated series and Superwoman in the DC Universe animated feature Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths.

James Marsters (Lex Luthor) – James Marsters may best be known for the role of Spike, the cult favorite punk-goth vampire that he played for six seasons on the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then on the final season of the spin-off show Angel. He is a headlining fan favorite at conventions worldwide honoring the show and sci-fi genre. Marsters played the role of Brainiac on the series Smallville and can also be seen in his recurring role on the hit BBC America show Torchwood, playing the ruthless and sexually deviant Captain John, as well as his recurring role on Battlestar Galactica as Barnabas Greeley. On the big screen, Marsters was featured in the live action adaptation of the hit Japanese video game Dragon Ball, in which he portrays Lord Piccolo, the evil war lord set on destroying the earth. Marsters’ upcoming role will be as the recurring villain on CBS’s reboot of the classic series Hawaii Five-O.

Michelle Forbes (Circe) – One of the industry’s most prolific actors, Forbes brings an intense quality to every role she tackles. She has appeared in such independent films as Kalifornia and Swimming with Sharks. Last year she made her debut in the groundbreaking HBO series True Blood starring as Maryann, a wealthy local who has mysterious intentions. She has also appeared as Kate Weston in the critically acclaimed HBO series In Treatment. In 2005, Forbes received rave reviews when she starred as Admiral Helena Cain in the intelligent and politically charged series Battlestar Galactica.

In DC Universe Online, players will be thrust headlong into an action-packed online world based on the heroes, villains and landmarks of the DC Universe. In the game, players step into the role of the next legendary superhero or villain and are given the choice to save or conquer the universe online. Along the way, players will be fighting alongside or against iconic DC characters as well as other players for the fate of the DC Universe.

DC Universe Online is scheduled to ship November 2, 2010 for both the PC and the PLAYSTATION® 3 Computer Entertainment System, and his expected to carry a rating of “T” (for Teen) by the ESRB. For more information, check out the product website at www.dcuniverseonline.com.

The Pokemon national championships in St. Louis in 2009.

Oklahoma State student Jonathon Giles is heading to Indianapolis this weekend for the Pokemon national championships.   Nathan Poppe talked to the competitive gamer for NewsOK:

Video games have been a part of Giles’ life as long as he can remember. He began with the Italian plumber adventure Super Mario Bros. and the shooting game Duck Hunt and has stayed loyal to Nintendo since. Today, he owns a Wii and the hand-held Nintendo DS.

Giles said he remembers seeing commercials and hearing hype in 1998 for the Pokemon video games. He got Pokemon: Red Version and played nonstop.

Giles, 21, won first place in May at the south regional Pokemon video game championships in Dallas, thanks to his Pokemon monsters Kyogre, Hitmontop and Palkia. About 650 people competed in his tournament bracket.

Giles is heading to Indianapolis for a series of one-on-one rounds with about 190 contestants this weekend for nationals.

Click through for the entire article, and good luck at nationals, Jonathon!

- Matt Price

The long-awaited game now has a trailer – what do you think?

- Matt Price

“UFC Undisputed 2010″ comes to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this week, and Neven Dravinski, UFC Project Manager, answered some questions for Nerdage about the hard-hitting sequel.

Nerdage: Can you tell me about the development of moves for the UFC Undisputed game?

Neven Dravinski: The Moves in the Undisputed series of games has always been about conveying the realism of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.  Our team watches a TON of footage, we have guys training in MMA, and we work with actual MMA coaches to really help convey the realism of the sport in the game.  Marc Laimon (who also appears as the player’s Career Mode Coach) is one of the top Brazilian Jiu Jitsu coaches in the business but also a huge gamer.  We worked with Marc on the 2009 and now 2010 game and it’s really great to have someone that understands the dynamic of video games helping you convey the nuance of the sport of MMA.  Creating moves for a fighting game, especially one so complex as a fighting game that represents Mixed Martial Arts is extremely difficult and requires a lot of conversations between the Art, Animation, Programming and Design departments.  Something that may happen in the blink of an eye for a player might be the result of weeks of discussions and agreements between all parties.

For example let’s look at a simple transition animation from say Open Guard to Half Guard.  The designer indicates how many frames of animation the move should last from start to finish.  The animator creates the move to that specification and make sure it is visually pleasing.  Then there are points within the animation where the animation itself can be interrupted or branched.  Then animator, programmer and designer have to work together to make sure all the nuances and permutations of the move and the moves that can come out of that move look and feel correct.  A programmer has to take into account the physics and collision system, mapping the animation to the controller input etc. etc.   When you look at the process from a 10,000 ft. view it’s incredibly complex.

UFC Undisputed 2010 plays a lot faster than the 2009 product.  We didn’t just globally speed up all the animations but rather analyzed the game from a system level.  In the 2009 game we had a lot of animated reactions (animations that play when the player gets hit).  With a purely animated reaction control is taken away from the player receiving the damage.  Even though it may be a second it still causes a feeling of unresponsiveness.  In the 2010 game we moved a lot of those reactions to the physics system; which makes for a much smoother gameplay experience as the player is in control of their character for longer and you get great sequences of players hitting while being hit, all while running at 60 frames a second.

Nerdage:  Tell me about the concept behind the virtual submissions.

Neven Dravinski: Our concept for the submission system in UFC Undisputed 2010 was to create something a little more elegant and analog that would effectively communicate struggle.  In 2009 the game had very static states for the submissions.  There would be an initiation animation, a mid-struggle and animation and then either a success or failure.  The problem this creates is that there is no way to effectively communicate struggle.  Visually the Undisputed series doesn’t use any graphical elements on screen (with the exception of the optional Stamina/Energy bar) as we try and mimic the broadcast look and feel.

In the 2010 game we created what we feel is a more analog system for submission.  Once the submission is initiated (via clicking in on the right stick) you will see a more “educational” display of the submission.  In an Armbar for example, you will see the arm bending back into the submission position as a player inputs more and more concentric circles on the rights stick (or the “shine” as we call it).  As the other character fights against the submission you will see the arm try to curl back to safety.  We use the camera as well to zoom in when a submission is closer to happening and zoom out on failure.  This ends up being a much more descriptive way to convey struggle and really allows players to see who’s winning or losing a submission at an instant.

Nerdage:  What is it that makes the UFC have so much appeal, both as a video game and as a sport?

Neven Dravinski: I think the thing that makes the UFC the brand and UFC the video game so popular is the realism.  Fighting is something that is universal; there’s no cultural lines, it’s truly a global sport.  The UFC’s mantra has always been “As Real As It Gets” and that certainly carries over into the development of the game.  The strength of the UFC isn’t just one man but rather its arsenal of the best athletes in the world fighting against each other at the highest level of competition.  The UFC puts on fights people want to see, they don’t put on cupcake fights to pad records, or protect their champions; I think they really put on very compelling matchups to give the fans what they want.

Giving the fans what they want is something that we’re very focused on with the video game as well.  I think the success of the game is directly related to the fact that we made a very real interpretation of such a complex sport; but rather than passively watching on TV you’re actively participating in it.  The game conveys impact in a very gratifying and realistic way.  We really give you the opportunity to fight like a true Mixed Martial Artist.  Most people initially gravitate towards the standup because that is more familiar than say the ground or clinch game.  But if you want to win and win consistently, much like fighters in the real Octagon, you’re going to have to learn all aspects of the game; the clinch, the ground, the submissions as well as the striking.  The game really allows you to fight how you want to fight.  Are you a takedown, ground and pound guy?  Do you set up your submissions with effective striking?  There’s so many ways to play the game but that is the nature of a game that emulates such a dynamic sport.

Mixed Martial Arts is growing in popularity on an exponential scale around the world. Little kids don’t want to take Karate anymore, but rather Muy Thai and Jiu Jitsu.  The UFC is the number one fighting franchise in the world, and they recognize how much impact the video game itself is able to have on global scale as we’re able to promote the brand and the fighters to territories that may not even have UFC programming yet.  I certainly believe that having the UFC license is obviously related to the our success, but I’d like to believe we made and will continue to make good games as well.

Nerdage: What are some of the innovative elements in UFC Undisputed 2010?

Neven Dravinski: UFC Undisputed 2010 has a host of new improvements that make it an even better representation of the brand of the UFC and the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.  The Aforementioned submission system allows for a much more realistic educational view of submissions themselves.  This year we introduced southpaw stances, cage positions, and sways and leans.  These three things I think really dramatically improve gameplay and just add to the realism of the game.  Statistically, from 2009, we quadrupled the number of strike animations, tripled the number of ground animations and doubled the number of submissions.  As mentioned the game plays faster, it plays smoother, but that’s just the cusp of the game improvements.

In 2010 we offer a more exciting Create-A-Fighter system which allows you to literally place moves per controller input per position essentially allowing you to create the exact Mixed Martial Artist you want!  We have a Tournament mode, a Title (arcade style ladder mode) and Title Defense mode (survival mode).  We have an improved Career mode where the player will have more emotion investment in their created fighter via picking fighter voices and participating in interactive cut scenes.  A new system called “The Game Is Watching You” tracks your behavior, your fighting style and the choices you make, creating consequences down the line in your career.  Undisputed 2010 also has an event mode where players will be given the opportunity to create their own Pay Per View broadcast, and they’ll be treated to a lot more presentation and interview segments from Octagon announcers Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg.   Players will also be able to download event cards of real upcoming UFC matches which we’ll be able to track the results of.  Speaking of Online we’ve upgraded our system and in addition to the online exhibition matches we also allow players to create Fight Camps which are essentially guilds or clans and you can train with Camp Members online and fight against other camps.

While sequel titles in the sports genre tend to have a stigma associated with them of “how much can they really do” I think people will be incredibly impressed with what we’ve been able to accomplish in only a year’s time.  UFC Undisputed 2010 is a better game than its 2009 predecessor and we hope to enjoy the continued success the Undisputed franchise has achieved.

- Matt Price