Thank You, Kevin Conroy

Kevin Conroy recently passed away. He died on November 10th, 2022 at the age of 66. He was an actor. You might have seen him on shows such as the Office, Another World, or Search for Tomorrow. I never saw him in any of his TV or film roles. It would probably be more apt to call Kevin Conroy a voice actor, because, well, let's be real; that's what he was most famous for. In particular, Kevin Conroy was known for his work vocing one of the most iconic ficonal characters of all time: Batman. 

Batman: The Animated Series hit TV screens in 1992 and it was the first time I'd ever heard Kevin's voice and by extension his take on Batman/Bruce Wayne. The voice he gave Bruce was light hearted, sounding almost carefree. It was the complete opposite of his voice for Batman. This was done intentionally to distinguish the two identities. Kevin's voice for Batman was gruff, raspy and every bit as dark as Batman himself. It was the first time in any media that Batman and Bruce Wayan sounded like two completely different people. And this was something that Kevin himself came up with. I'd also like to add that he did that knowing very little about the character.

One of my favorite lines that Kevin has ever spoken is "I am vengeance! I am the night! I AM BATMAN!" from the episode BTAS "Nothing to Fear". The line was also used in promos for the show, which was the first time I'd heard it. It sounded like such a sick line and hyped me up even more to see the show. After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, Kevin was doing volunteer work, cooking for firefighters and police officers and would recite this very same line to some understanably downtrodden workers, which as it turned out, were big fans of BTAS. Kevin's recital of that line was met with huge applause. Kevin has told that story numerous times and I was never tired of hearing it.

BTAS ended in 1995 but Kevin's voice work for Batman was far from finished. BTAS was just the beginning in what would go on to be known as the DC Animated Universe. A world composed of numerous shows that included BTAS, Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyong, Static Shock, Justice League and Justice League Unilimted. DCAU Batman is often cited as being one of the best, if not definitive versions of the character and while a lot of that is owed to great writing, we also have to thank Kevin for breathing so much into this version of Batman.

Voice work is something not everyone truly understands. It isn't just reading lines from a script in a certain tone. There's a lot of nuance and subtlety that goes into the line delivery. I got the impression that Kevin really understood Batman and because of that, he was able to voice the character so well.

Kevin has voiced numerous versions of Batman for nearly 30 years. It's amazing to see how much he improved the role. His voice for Batman in BTAS, The New Batman Adventures, Justice League and the Arkham games all sound so different, if only by the slightest bit in some versions. For a lot of you that read Batman comics, Kevin's voice is what pops in your head. I'm the same way. 

I never got to meet him, but from what I've seen in interviews and footage of him at cons, Kevin had this warmth to him. You couldn't help but smile whenever you saw him or heard him speak. When news reached me of his death, it stung. Still does. He was only 66. I had hoped we'd get to hear him voice Batman for years to come. I'm sure you've heard it from countless others, so you'll have to forgive me for repeating it but, for me, Kevin will always be Batman. No disrespect to anyone that has voiced the character in the past, but Kevin is THE VOICE for Batman. 

Thank you, Kevin Conroy. 

Favorite Tunes #234: Crude for You

As I've been listening to quite a bit of arcade music lately, it has crept its way into Favorite Tunes more and more. This may seem a bit unusual as I'm not someone that spent a great deal of time in the arcades growing up, which is something I regret. Thankfully, digital distribution has allowed me to discover what no doubt many others have experienced in arcades, thus getting me exposed to some really good arcade music.

New Day For Me  (Stage 2) - Zero Wing (AC)

Zero Wing is mostly known for its Engrish that spawned countless memes in the early 2000s, the Genesis version, at least. So popular are said memes that it may come as a surprise to find out that Zero Wing was originally an arcade game. Recently, I gave the arcade score a listen and was blown away. I'm a sucker for old arcade jams.

Leave Alone (Stage London) - Street Fighter III: New Generation (ARC)

In 1997, Capcom surprised everyone by doing the unthinkable: placing a III after "Street Fighter" They also upset a lot of players by 86ing just about every fighter from SFII, save Ryu and Ken. Players have since warmed to the SFIII crew. The game also introduced the parry mechanic as well as some sweet new beats. While 3rd Strike is without question the most popular and best game of the SFIII line, if you're curious about checking out the first one, you can experience it as part of the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection.

Garuda Cave - Fighting EX Layer (PS4)

Fighting EX Layer has at long last been released. Annnnnnd yeah, it is missing some modes, mainly an arcade mode. This is sure to give players a Street Fighter V launch vibe but Arika ins't exactly rolling in dough. As of now, the game is a digital only title but with enough support, hopefully more modes will be added. The music is very much in the style of the Street Fighter EX game and the original Fighting Layer (both which we developed by Arika) so if you loved the music in those games, you won't be disappointed.

Stage 1 - Batman (TG-16)

Everyone goes nuts for the Stage 1 Batman theme on NES. And why should't they? It is a banger of a tune. Well, let me introduce you to the TG-16 version of Stage 1 from Batman. Different tune, yes, but still all kinds of radical.

Crude Buster -The Lifeline of New York- - Two Crude (AC)

Known as Depending on side of the pond you reside in the world, this game is known as Crude Buster. For us in the US of A, it is known as Two Crudes or Two Crude Dudes for those that played the Genesis port, which for the longest time was the only way to play this baby until MAME came along. Now you can legally play this baby thanks to digital destribution and I'll talk a bit more about this one this coming week. For now, just dig this baller theme.

Name Entry - Demon's World (AC)

I am just showering Toaplan with all kinds of love this week (Zero Wing is a game by Toaplan, FYI). If we HAMSTER ever gets to some Toaplan games perhaps we can see titles from their catalog on the arcade archives line. In the meantime, all I can say about Demon's World is that it has one of my favorite Name Entry themes. Not quite up there with that of Altered Beast, but still pretty dang good.

Favorite Tunes Database

Licensed Games That Don't Suck Part 2

How's that for a catchy title?

Licensed video games have certainly come a long way. While it is far more common to see some TLC being put into most licensed products these days, there are still stinkers mucking up the video game scene. But we won't be talking about those crappy games here (for the most part, anyway). No, this is all bout the licensed video games that are actually good.

Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers (NES)

Solid Snake may have made using a box to hide in for cover popular but he's hardly a master at using it to defend himself. No, that honor goes to two pint sized rodents, Chip and Dale, members of the Rescue Rangers. Not only can the two titular heroes throw boxes at enemies, but they can hide in the box and approaching enemies will take damage just by touching the boxes they hide under. How does that work? Your guess is as good as mine, but the fact that it does is both cool and fun. Chip & Dale is a pretty easy game and it won't take you long to beat alone or with a friend but it does the cartoon series it is based off of justice and its a good time whole it lasts.

Batman (NES)

What? No HD Batman games are getting a mention here yet? Patience, grasshopper, we'll get there when we get there. Batman on the NES is based off of the 1989 hit Tim Burton Batman film. Like the film, the game is dark and gritty. Batman is also hard, like, really friggin' hard. He may be the world's greatest detective and packing a nifty wall jump skill, but he's gonna more than that to save Gotham from the Joker.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (SNES)

This year's Mutants in Manhattan was another Turtles disappointment, serving to remind fans that the bulk of the good Turtles games were in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was originally in the arcades, but many feel that the SNES port of Turtles in Time one up's the co-op version. Sure, the arcade version has four player support but the SNES version has the Technodrome a fully playable stage, exclusive bosses and some sweet mode 7 effects. This is arguably the best Turtles gaming experience you're gonna get.

GoldenEye 007 (N64)

OK, so GoldenEye may be a bit dated now, but the game is still far and away from being what you'd call bad. I feel the N64's odd controller design really worked in the favor of FPS on the system. Or that could just be a testament to how well designed GoldenEye is. Moving, aiming, strafing, it all felt natural in this in GoldenEye. When you weren't fulfilling mission objectives in the game's single player mode, you were killing your friends in GoldenEye's highly addictive multiplayer mode. Many a night was spent with my friends running around, shooting, nuking and blowing each other up. Online gaming may be large and in charge but local multiplayer should never be counted out.

Thoughts on Batman: The Killing Joke

Whenever the topic of the greatest Joker stories come up, you can bet the farm that The Killing Joke will be among the lot. Written by the famed Alan Moore and lusciously illustrated by Brian Bolland, The Killing Joke tells a possible origin of the Joker's past in between his scheme of proving a point that one bad day is all it takes to drive a sane person loony.

For all the hype surrounding it, The Killing Joke is a surprisingly low key tale compared to the other events in the Caped Crusader's life. Most huge comic stories span multiple issues but The Killing Joke is a one and done comic, clocking in at only 46 pages. By the standards that it was released in 1988 and even today, that's pretty darn impressive.

After DC started doing animated feature films of popular comic book stories like The Dark Knight Returns, I was hoping that they would eventually do The Killing Joke. When they finally announced that what is arguably the greatest Joker story of all time would indeed be animated, the internet erupted with thunderous applause. Kevin Conroy was returning to voice Batman, Mark Hamill would once again be the Clown Prince of Crime and the hype train was set into overdrive. Like many Batman fans, I was salivating for the Blu Ray release of this baby. And then the reviews came out. And well, they were not the rave reviews we were expecting.

It is impossible to talk about the animated adaption of The Killing Joke without  mentioning the first 30 minutes of the film and that infamous scene that has everyone in an uproar.

Batman and Batgirl's relationship is painful to watch and not
just because it gets sexual.

If the the film makers did a straight up adaptation of the comic, this would have been a forty something minute flick. Most DC animated films are over 70 minutes long. To add to the the movie's length, the film makers decided to give Batgirl a greater role. I was aware they were doing this for months and I was looking forward to what they would produce. I did not, however, know that Batgirl's involvement would take up 30 minutes of the movie. More on the lines of 10 or 15 is what I had in mind. Not only that, but it isn't really all that interesting, including her relationship with Batman. Yes, Batman and Batgirl have sex on a rooftop. They don't show the nasty being done, but it is something that happens and is this infamous scene along with the rest of the baggage that Batgirl brings that makes the animated version of The Killing Joke a deal breaker for so many people. But not for me and I'll get to why in just a bit.

In the DC Animated Universe, Bats and Batgirl also have a relationship.Not a great deal of it is played out on screen and certainly not to the extent of what was done in the movie we're talking about, but Bruce and Barbra were involved. Their relationship in the DCAU never really bothered me even after Barbra more or less told Terry how far said relationship went with a very suggestive look in Batman Beyond.

Despite the fact that Hamill isn't much of a singer, the
Joker's musical number is still in the film.

Having said all of that, The Killing Joke is not in the DCAU. I know Bruce Timm is very proud of the universe he helped create and he should be. The DCAU is among my favorite shows to watch. But there comes a time when you've got to have a disconnect from previous shows you've worked on. Batman and Batgirl's relationship in The Killing Joke feels like it's trying to hit the notes from the aforementioned series. People often bring up the age difference between Bruce and Barbra but people of their age have sexual relationships in real life all the time. Believing that all or most people only stick to their own age when it comes to relationships are in some serious denial. But being close in age or no, Batman and Batgirl's relationship in The Killing Joke is completely unnecessary and adds nothing to the movie. Seeing Batgirl act like an emotionally driven, whinny girlfriend really is hard to watch. In the end, I was just waiting to get to the second half of the moving, The Killing Joke stuff, which is the reason why all of us were here to begin with. Does it ruin the original story or rape your childhood like some overly dramatic fans say? Not at all. But I'd be lying if I said it didn't hinder the film. If the first 30 minutes had been executed better, I wouldn't have minded all that much. But as it stands, the first half is filler of the uninteresting variety.

The second half of The Killing Joke is the kind of stuff you can't take your eyes off of. It matches the comic book so closely, its like watching moving panels. How the book begins in the rain with Batman walking into Arkham to talk to the Joker about the possibility of preventing an murderous outcome between theme, all of it is here.

The scene where Batman makes a heart felt
attempt to help the Joker are some of Conroy's
best Batman lines.

What I really loved about this movie and one of the main reasons I wanted an animated version was to see my favorite scenes from the book brought to life on TV. Seeing the flashback where we get to see a possibility of what the Joker was like before he became the Joker made for one of Hamill's best performances. He makes the man who was just an ordinary, struggling comedian before his chemical bath sound like a completely different person from the Joker. He's a man trying to support his pregnant wife and you really do feel for him in these scenes. Hamill really knocked it out of the park here. While he's been my favorite voice actor to play the Joker, I've noticed age really taking a hit to his voice in the since the Arkham games. He's always handed in an admirable performance but you can tell the voice he once had voicing the Joker isn't there. Even so, the Joker he portrays in The Killing Joke is chilling. It's great to hear him deliver classic lines from the graphic novel like "Here's to crime," and "If I have to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice." And then you've got his first maniacal Joker laugh after seeing his new look.

Kevin Conroy gives us another solid Batman performance as always. Granted he doesn't have as many lines in the actual Killing Joke part of the movie as Joker, but when he does speak, he delivers the Batman voice. Just as it was with Hamill, I love hearing the lines from the comic delivered on screen. You can really feel the emotion when Batman reaches out to the Joker to help him only for the Joker to respond that its too late for that. And having Batman laugh at the Joker's joke is both cool and creepy at the same time.

The Joker does the impossible: make Batman laugh.

While the first thirty minutes of the film are filler and really bring down Batgirl as a character, the rest of the film is amazing and the first half ins't enough to make it a terrible film. If you've read the graphic novel and loved it, you owe it to yourself to pick up this animated feature.

Licensed Games That Don't Suck Vol. 1

How's that for a catchy title?

Licensed video games have certainly come a long way. While it is far more common to see some TLC being put into most licensed products these days, there are still stinkers mucking up the video game scene. But we won't be talking about those crappy games here (for the most part, anyway). No, this is all bout the licensed video games that are actually good.

DuckTales (NES)

You have no idea how hard it is to resist singing the DuckTales theme song as I type this. Even back in the NES era and even before that, there were tons of crappy licensed games. Jaws, Back to the Future, Friday the 13th, all of those were on the NES and didn't do their licenses justice at all. That's why DuckTales was such a rare breed. Developed by Capcom using a modified Mega Man engine, players controlled Scrooge McDuck, traveling across the globe to collect even more riches because 3 cubic acres of cash just isn't enough for fiction's greatest cheapskate. Possessing the most durable cane ever made, Scrooge can use what is usually a means to help old folks get around easier to bounce on enemies, travel across spikes and hit blocks.

The pogo stick gameplay mechanic is what players remember the most about DuckTales. So much so that players that used Cranky Kong in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze or played Shovel Knight immidiately flashed back to this 8-bit classic. As simple as it is, using the cane to bounce Scrooge higher or combo off of enemies is truly one of gaming's greatest pleasures. DuckTales is also loaded with hidden money and diamonds to find. The amount of money you finish the game with determines the ending you're rewarded with at the end. Can you believe that? An NES game with multiple endings. They don't differ too much, but the fact that such a game from this era had more than one ending was kind of a big deal.

Like the Mega Man titles on the NES, you can select any of the five levels in the order of your choosing. DuckTales isn't a very long adventure, but it is a great time while it lasts. Also, like the Mega Man games, the music of DuckTales is insanely good.

Batman Returns (SNES)

What, you thought one of the Arkham games was going to be listed here first? Chill, son, I'll get to those down the road. While it is true that the Arkham games are some of Batman's best outings, Batman was one of the few super heroes to have good licensed games before gaming went 3D.

Konami had shown that they knew how to craft successful beat 'em ups in the arcade and on home consoles with The Simspons and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games, so placing the Dark Knight in familiar territory was a perfect fit. Batman Returns delivers one of the most hard hitting beat downs on the SNES. The impact of every punch and kick Batman dishes out to the Penguin's circus goons feels like a million bones being broken and it is such a gloriously satisfying sound.

When you're not giving Batman's fists a good workout, you'll be driving through Gotham in the Batmobile with some killer Mode 7 effects or marveling at the game's soundtrack, which takes cues from Danny Elfman's magnificent score. There are several different versions of Batman Returns including one on the NES and Sega CD, but they don't get any better than this one.

Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 (PS2, 360, PS3)

The first Budokai was good. Budokai 2 made some additions to the original but was ultimately a disappointment. Budokai 3 is the best of the trilogy. The game avoided the missteps of the previous game while improving upon everything that made the original so good and then some. Budokai 3 has a huge cast of Dragon Ball characters, including a few from before and after the Z era like Kid Goku and Omega Shenron.

Bringing the fighting that much closer to DBZ, Budokai 3 introduces the high speed teleport counter system. If you're on the receiving end of a beating, you can quickly teleport behind your opponent to counter them. Of course, they can counter your counter. This system does an excellent job of capturing the lightning fast fights of the series.

Since the DBZ cast consists of some of the most powerful characters in anime, manga history, you can expect plenty of planet destroying moves like devastating Kamehamehas, the Big Bang Attack and so forth. These moves even come with their own cool cinematics and depending on the massive beam you fire off, you can see the coming destruction via space view.

Budokai 3 was initially released on the PS2 in 2004. The HD re-release. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai HD Collection comes with Budokai 3 and the original Budokai but since DBZ game music artist Kenji Yammamoto had copyright infringement claimed on his music, the HD Collection doesn't have the music featured in the 2004 release so if you want to hear the original themes, you'll have to track down a PS2 copy.

Astro Boy: Omega Factor (GBA)

Super fighting robot! Mega Man!  Oh, wait, wrong character. Nevertheless, Astro Boy is a robot, he does fight and he most certainly is super. You know what else is super? This sweet licensed game co-developed by Hitmaker and Treasure that is not only the best Astro Boy game, but one of the GBA's best titles.

As Osuma Tezuka's most recognized creation, you punch, kick and blast your way through hordes of enemies foolish enough to think they actually stand a chance against Mighty Atom. Released in 2004, one year after the 2003 incarnation of the Astro Boy anime, Omega Factor is largely based of off said anime series, carrying with it the overreaching conflict of humans and robots striving to co-exist.

You power up Astro Boy's system, his Omega Factor by meeting and understanding the many characters Astro encounters throughout the game. Yes, you heard right. Rather than fighting to become stronger as most games would have you do, Astro grows from socializing. Character interaction in this game is quite literally a powerful thing. With it, you can upgrade Astro's laser, his rocket boots, arm cannon and of course, those freaky, but cool butt cannons.

Being a game that was partially developed by Treasure, Omega Factor blends genres extremely well. Most stages are of the action, beat 'em up affair, but there are also shooting areas thrown into the mix. The game also looks and sounds excellent. Omega Factor is one of the most visually stunning GBA games and more than 10 years after it's release, the sprite work still holds up remarkably.

Omega Factor is not only a splendid Astro Boy game, but also serves as a sort of encyclopedia to the characters of Tezuka's works. All of the characters Astro comes across in the game are part of Tezuka's Star System. From Phoenix to Big X, the gangs all here.

Memories #20: Batman Forever

Oh, Batman. You have no super powers, yet you're still one of the greatest of heroes. Your movies are (mostly) awesome, your cartoons are among the best in animation and do I even need to mention the comics? Yup, that covers everything. Batman is great on all fronts. Wait, I missed something didn't I? Oh, yeah the Bat games. Now a days we have really good Bat titles in game form with the exception of the occasional PC debacle, but the Dark Knight has had it really well in terms of video games over the past five years. Even in the 1980s and 1990s Batman was doing quite well on the gaming front. And then Acclaim stepped in.

Unlike a lot of kids, I grew up being exposed to more good licensed games than the ones that were awful. DuckTales, Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games, The Magical Quest Staring Mickey Mouse, you know, a lot of quality titles. True, I did play a few games that did not do the license justice like Back to the Future, but that wasn't enough to make me walk in the opposite direction of a game based on a licensed property. That all changed one weekend in 1995.

After Donkey Kong Country was released, the SNES proved that it still had staying power not just in terms of gameplay, but visually as well. This was good news for Nintendo since the N64 wouldn't release until late 1996 in America and Sony and SEGA were flashing their 32-bit consoles around. It pains me to admit I went through a brief period where I thought good graphics equaled an outstanding game. Such a faulty mentality is what got me to give the horrendous Rise of the Robots (another game by Acclaim, surprise, surprise) a look. I saw ads and TV spots for Batman Forever and I was really looking forward to this game. "The real game begins" these ads proclaimed and boasted of over 80 action packed stages and then there was of course, those 32 bit graphics. I'd like to say that my previous exposure to good Batman games was a reason I really wanted to play Batman Forever but in truth, the promise of a lengthy game and mindblowing graphics is what hooked me like a fish.

During one of my family's regular trips to Blockbuster Video, I was allowed two games to rent. Out of curiosity and my growing interest in RPGs, one of the games was Lufia & The Fortress of Doom. The other was the much anticipated Batman Forever. Of the two, I was most excited to play Batman Forever and I could not wait to get home and play this game. As a teenager, you're prone to making some pretty big mistakes. Getting a girl pregnant, wrecking your parent's car, or cheating on a test. Me, I rented Batman Forever.

Back then, nothing was worse than finding out the game you rented was gutter trash. It did not take long for me to realize that Batman Forever was an abysmal attempt at a Batman game. As a Mortal Kombat player, I was quick to catch on that some brilliant mind thought that the Mortal Kombat fighting engine would work well as a beat 'em up. From the way Batman and Robin stood to the moves they executed, Batman Forever was Mortal Kombat without Scorpion and company. Batman Forever may have used the Mortal Kombat fighting engine but it didn't have any of those gamesstyle. The action not only looked dull, it felt dull. Hitting opponents wasn't at all satisfying because every move you could do lacked any sort of omph or impact. Even the standard Mortal Kombat Uppercut was a disappointment.

The biggest offender to Batman Forever had to be the controls. There were instance where I'd walk into a room and see that there were places clearly meant for me to advance a floor up or below, but using the grappling hook was so frustrating. I would fiddle around with the buttons, use it and then accidentally switch it off. The SNES controller has so many buttons to work with and yet the game has to use some ridiculously complex method just to activate one of Batman's standard tools.

I turned the game off only to try it out again later with a good friend of mine, but he quickly came to the same conclusion I had: Batman Forever was hot garbage. Thankfully, Lufia & The Fortress of Doom made up for my decision to rent Batman Forever as I enjoyed that game immensely.

Though my time with Batman Forever was brief (very brief), it was like a really bad relationship in that it left a scar. Before Batman Forever, I had no problems with licensed games. Batman Forever changed that and made me especially bitter towards super hero games. It took the 2000 Spider-man video game to wash the horrible taste of Batman Forever out of my mouth.

5 Batman Movies to Watch for Halloween

Halloween is just a few short nights away. When one thinks of this particular holiday, two figures spring to mind, Jason and Freddy, one buffed up freak in a hockey mask, the other with a thing for striped shirts, claws and fedoras. And hey, those are two fine killers to cuddle up to on this spooky night. Me, I prefer some bats in my belfry. There have been a plethora of Batman films over the past twenty plus years, both live action and animated. Here are five that get my highest recommendation.

Batman (1989)

Let's kick this sucker off with Tim Burton's version of the dark knight. Hot off the heels of the Dark Knight Returns, and the Killing Joke comic stories that greatly help revitalize the character, this Batman flick was under heavy scrutiny before it even hit the silver screen. This was largely due to the casting of the title character role of Batman/Bruce Wayne to Michael Keaton, a man more well known for his comedic roles. Keaton proved that you can be a funny man, yet still portray a dark, mysterious character and for my money, he's still the best live action Bat. That opening scene where he sends a mugger to the hospital and makes the non-believer need a change of shorts? The Bat-backhand? That stealth hi-bye he gives Jack before he becomes the Joker? Some of the best stuff Keaton has ever done.

As great a performance as Keaton handed in, you could make the argument that he gets upstaged by Jack Nicholson's Joker. The man commits horrible acts that will make you cringe, but will still manage to make you laugh out loud all the while keeping that big, creepy grin on his face. I'm open to numerous incarnations of the Joker and Nicholson gave us one of the best in Batman's 75 year history.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Based off the graphic novel of the same name, the Dark Knight Returns was written and illustrated by famed comic book writer Frank Miller. The story centers around an aged Bruce Wayne coming out of retirement to battle the corruption that Gotham City has since fallen into in his ten year absence.

One thing you'll immediately notice about Miller's Batman is that he's big. I don't just mean big in muscle mass. This Batman is one towering figure. Miller's art style helped make this grim tale truly unique and that same artistic touch has been translated quite well into animation. This Batman also on occasion uses a gun. We all know how Bats feels about firearms, but he never uses them to kill, but I can still see where this would rub some fans the wrong way. He's also far more aggressive, cutting thugs with his Baterangs as well as dishing out some truly vicious beatings.

The action is top notch and it's great to see such classic scenes from the comic really spring to live in animated form. Batman's first and second fight with the Mutant Leader is every bit as good as it was in the comic. The final confrontation between Batman and his arch nemesis the Joker makes for a fine finish for one of comic's greatest rivalries. This is the story that first painted Batman and Superman with an antagonistic friendship, which is now a big deal in comics and animation so it's no shortage of awesome to see their final showdown in animated glory.

Originally an animated feature broken up into two separate films, it was later released in a Deluxe Edition, containing both movies, which for me, is the definitive way to experience this movie. There are a few liberties taken but for the most part, this puppy sticks very close to the original comic.

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

Taking Batman into the future was quite a risk. Even riskier still was placing someone else inside the Batman costume. How could things be anymore shaken up? How about putting a teenager in those tights? And yet, the show creators of Batman Beyond managed to make it work. It helped that it was handled by the same folks Behind Batman: The Animated Series and that Beyond was a continuation of said series.

When Batman Beyond first aired tons of questions were raised. Among those inquiries, where what happened to the Bat Family and of course, what became of comic's greatest villain, the Joker. We found out that Barbra Gordon was the commissioner of Gotham and mentions of past Robins here and there. There was a gang calling themselves the Jokerz in honor of Gotham's greatest terror and his face appeared on an old wanted poster in Shriek's debut episode but other than that, there was not a trace of the clown's laughter in the entire 52 episode series run of Batman Beyond. That's where Return of the Joker comes in.

This movie tells all. How the Joker survived to throw Gotham into chaos decades after his demise, what drove the Bat Faimly apart and the last battle between Batman and the Joker, which as you can guess, was not pretty. Here, the Joker pushes Batman's buttons like he never has before in the DCAU. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone that hasn't seen it, but what the Joker does in this film is just sick, one of the worst things he's ever done in the animation, comics or any other medium. Return of the Joker is yet another reason why he has and always will be a complete monster.

As much screen time as the Joker gets, the new Batman, Terry McGinnis really comes into his own with this film. As he tells Bruce at one point in the film, he's a completely different Batman and man, does he ever prove it with how he tackles the Joker. We also learn why he chooses to carry on as Batman. This movie packs some excellent character development for Terry.

There are two versions of this movie. One edited and one uncut. The edited version is still pretty creepy, but the uncut version is the way to go.

Batman: Under the Red Hood

There have been numerous Robins throughout the years. The first Robin, Dick Grayson was relieved of duty because Batman fired him. The second Robin, Jason Todd, got his Robin rights tossed because, well, the Joker kidnapped him, beat him with a crow bar and then left him to die in an exploding warehouse. Yeah, Jason really did get the crappy end of the stick.

Five years after Jason's death, a mysterious vigilante known as the Red Hood appears with the training of Batman, but without the same moral code. This hoody has no qualms about killing criminals. Spoiler alter, yes, the Red Hood is Batman's former Robin Jason Todd and he's out to clean up the city and get revenge on the Joker for offing him. It doesn't take long to unravel the mystery in this one, but the way it's told, the tale of revenge, a ward going down the wrong path is all handled extremely well here. I haven't read the comic this film as adapted from, but I dug this one so much I watched it over and over again when it originally came out.

The voice work in all of the DC Animated films has always been stellar for the most part. The Joker is voiced by John DiMaggio (Futurama, Adventure Time) and he delivers quite the chilling Joker laugh. His voice is deep and a bit gruff, but when I saw the trailer for this film years ago, I had no problems with him voicing the clown prince of crime. Nightwing is voiced by Neil Patrick Harris, and he provides some great comedic lines to Batman's serious demeanor, who is played excellently by Bruce Greenwood.

Batman: Assault on Arkham

The only flick on this list to be released in 2014. Batman is present but this one really centers around the villains. Amanda Waller recruits Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Killer Frost, Captain Boomberang, King Shark and Black Spider to form the Suicide Squad. The reason? To break into Arkham Assylum and kill the Riddler.

It isn't easy to get people with differences to work together, and that becomes even more difficult when said people are all hardened criminals, a few of them even psychotic. Naturally the friction between the group gets the better of them now and again and instead of fighting against their mutual enemy, they end up turning on each other. Deadshot and Boomerang butt heads on more than one occasion and since Deadshot has a thing with Harley Quinn, this puts him in the Joker's cross hairs. Of course it isn't all conflict. There's some romance between Killer Frost and King Shark and Deadshot, more than anything just wants to be with his daughter.

Being a DC animated feature, the animation is superb with some stunning action scenes. Andrea Romano always pulls together a stellar voice cast and Assault on Arkham is no exception. It's great to have Kevin Conroy voice Batman once again and while Mark Hamill isn't the Joker this time, Troy Baker hands in a magnificent performance.

Latest Purchases #74

I think I'm approaching otaku status in terms of collecting Dragon Ball manga. I already have Viz's 16 volumes of Dragon Ball and the 26 volumes of Dragon Ball Z, yet hear am I, buying the whole series all over again in the form of their Dragon Ball 3-in-1 volumes. I love the spines on these and those red covers taken from the Japanese perfect editions is just soooooo awesome. I ordered the third edition Dragon Ball 3-in-1 off of Amazon in late July but it never arrived. This is actually the second time I've ordered something off of Amazon and I haven't gotten it. Worse, this was ordered from Amazon Prime, so I'll definitely think twice before ordering from them from now on. I just went ahead and picked up book 3 along with 4 and 5 from  my Barns & Nobles. If the book ever does come in the mail (doubtful since it's been over a month), I'll just give the extra copy to a friend or something.

Wrapping up the Dragon Ball purchases is the Blu-Ray of Dragon Ball Z Kai season one. I already have all nine seasons of DBZ in the form of Funimation's orange bricks and while I do intend to pick up the Blu-Ray nine season set as well, I've been meaning to start recollecting Kai for a long time. I picked up Part seven of the DVD release about two years ago and then realized that I'd be better off just nabbing this series in season form.

It's been years since I've picked up a physical copy of an imported game. When I was writing my editorial about the printed instructional manuals being phased out, I came across scans of Sonic the Hedgehog 2's Japanses manual on Sonic Retro. I was so enthralled by it that I went looking on Amazon to see how much a Japanese copy of Sonic 2 would set me back. Much to my surprise, the cost was quite low, as in only $15 or so including shipping. This thing is in very good condition and even includes the European and Chinese instructions in addition to the Japanese manual. I'm thinking I'll pick up a Japanese copy of Sonic 1 sometime down the road and perhaps Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

Batman: Assault on Arkham. There are more DC animated Batman flicks than of other DC super hero. I caught a preview of this when on the Blu-Ray of Son of Batman and I gotta say, I liked what I saw. This one looks like it's pretty bad guy-centric, which is fine with me, because Bat's rogues gallery can easily carry a comic or TV episode when written correctly. As I am in the middle of Dragon Ball season four, blogging, gaming and work, I haven't watched this thing yet.

The last water bottle I bought was in 2011 and the image of Sonic the Hedgehog has long since faded from it, sadly. Be it cartoony or serious, I'm all over Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles merch. The sandwich containers is something I'll probably use for storing small things. No way I'm going to use it for what the manufacturer intended at my age.

Well, would you look at that. Books! And neither one of them Dragon Ball related. The only Alice in Wonderland things I've see are Disney's 1957 movie and the Batman: The Animated Series episode Mad as a Hatter. I've passed by this book numerous times in Barns & Nobles and I've been wanting to see just how differently the book is from Disney's film. $6.98 for a hardcover book isn't shabby at all. There's even some artwork in here.

The hardcover edition of The Fault in Our Stars is usually somewhere around $20 or so. My local Krogers had it for $13.99. I was a bit worried there wouldn't be any copies of the hardback edition left when I got paid, but sure enough, there were three sitting on the shelf.  The first time I saw this book is when I was getting checked out at fye a few months back. The praise and summerization on the back intrigued me, so I thought I'd give this one a look. I'm backed up with a ton of other books but I plan to make room for this one.

So apparently there's this whole World of Nintendo toy line going on, ranging from figures to plushies. The plushies were $7.99 in Target and I had slim pickings between a Yoshi, Toon Link and a Red Pikmin. I went with the Red Pikmin because he was the only one left, I already have Toon Link and Yoshi plushies and the thing is just so dang adorable. I always knew Pikmin would make great plush toys and the very sight of this thing sends me in daaaaw mode. I can't wait to get the remaining Pikmin colors. The mini figures were $3.99 and they nearly had the whole set of six was there for the picking. Of Diddy Kong, Ice Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi, the Donkey Kong and Fire Mario appealed to me the most. I've always been a fan of Waluigi, so maybe I'll grab him  next time.

Latest Purchases #73: Birthday Edition

So my birthday was last month and I felt that I should treat myself with something special. At first I wasn't really sure what I should get but then I remembered my love for one of my favorite series ever. And I went on a Dragon Ball binge.

fye had all five seasons of the original Dragon Ball anime series so I snatched them all up. It's been years since I've seen OG Dragon Ball and watching it again is bringing back so many memories. When I was watching it on my days off on Toonami, I was getting home in time to catch uncut episodes on Toonami's Midnight Run. Currently, I'm on season three.

A few weeks ago while I was browsing in Barns & Nobles I saw these Dragon Ball Full Color Saiyan Arc volumes. Released last year in Japan to help hype the new Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods film, these are fully colored versions of the Saiyan Saga manga. Unlike the colored pages of the Viz Big editions, these are not only printed on bigger, higher quality paper, but the colors used in these editions are also much better and brighter. The end result is one of the best manga releases of Dragon Ball manga. Right now, only the Saiyan Arc is available in America. Japan has the entire Z portion of the manga in a total of  what I believe is 20 full color volumes. No doubt Viz will release the remaining arcs for western audiences. Barns & Nobles had a special on manga where you buy two and get the third one free. I found this out after the lady at the register rung me up and I ended up saving a cool $20.

Long before the Goku knew the origins of his otherworldly strength, the world of Dragon Ball was very lighthearted and the other cast members was on a much more even playing field. This was the early stages of Dragon Ball, stages that some fans contend is superior to the later years. Despite owning the Dragon Ball manga in it's entirety, I haven't let this stop me from picking up different versions of the manga that Viz has released. These Dragon Ball 3-in-1 volumes aren't quite like the Viz Big editions. The paper isn't of the same quality and there are no color chapters to speak of. These however, do sport the sweet redrawn covers that were used of the 2003 re-release of the Dragon Ball manga in Japan. I've got a post on Dragon Ball releases that I've been wanting to do for a while now so I'll elaborate on all this later.

Dragon Ball: The Complete Illustrations. This book originally came out in Japan in 1995 after Dragon Ball had ended. It didn't get translated and released in the west until 2008. Inside this book are tons upon tons of full color illustrations of numerous Dragon Ball imagery. Just thumbing through it, I've come across a a few pictures that I've never seen before. Again, this book came out after Dragon Ball had ended so there isn't any artwork from Akira Toiryama from the 2000s and onward. I've seen a lot of the images in this book before, but its great to have so much of it packed away in one hardcover book.

I've had my eye on this DBZ t-shirt for weeks and I've finally made it my own. You've got a good chunk of the heroes, the three big bads and of course, Goku in the center striking a mean pose. This simple looking Batman t-shirt is honestly one of my favorite Bat shirts. Sometimes less truly is more. Much as I like the gold emblem behind the Bat symbol, I think the shirt is worlds better without it. I picked this up as my way of continuing the Batman 75th anniversary celebrations. As per usual, at my fye, buy one t-shirt, get the second for half the price.

Long have I heard of how the Phantom Blot was Mickey's greatest adversary in comics. The fifth volume in Floyd Gottfredson's Mickey Mouse comic strip series, I had forgotten this book was due out back in May. I still haven't read the previous four volumes, only thumbing through them and considering this comic strip series spans 45 years, it will probably be a looooooong time before Fantagracphics Books finishes it up. So I should probably start reading what I have on my plate soon. In this volume, Mickey gets pupils! Huzzah!

This Yoshi hat is one I'd seen in fye for some time now. I didn't think it was bad but I thought $17.99 was a lot of bones at the time. Good thing for me I came in when they were slashing prices on a lot of stuff and they had it at a super discount price of $6.49. It is now one of my favorite hats to wear, which isn't saying much since I've only got two of the things. Gotta build that hat collection.

I've been going through different anime series available on Netflix. One such series was Girls Bravo. At only 24 episodes, it seemed like one I could get through rather quickly. I've heard of this anime but hadn't seen it until recently. While I don't know if I'd call it one of my all-time favorites, I liked it enough to the point of making it a part of my anime library. For the uneducated, this is definitely not an all ages anime.

Hello Kitty. Dressed up as M. Bison. Even dressed up as one of the most despicable video game bosses, that is still freaking adorable. I never thought I would any kind of Hello Kitty merch, but then, I saw this for less than $4 at fye. Bargain prices are my weakness.

Latest Purchases #71

This is one long overdue post so I'm just gonna dive right into it.

Kirby Triple Deluxe is a game I picked up while doing some Father's Day shopping. Being one of the few new first party 3DS releases that isn't priced at $40 and being a big fan of Kirby, I just had to add this to my library.

Mario Kart 8. I had to do some searching to find a copy of this game. With over 1.2 million copies sold worldwide, Mario Kart 8 is the fastest selling Wii U game.

While looking for Mario Kart 8, I managed to come across the Metroid Prime Trilogy. I had a chance to pick up this set new back in 2010, but I passed it up and have since had a hard time tracking it down. GameStop actually had several copies of this baby in, much to my surprise.

As you may or may not know, this year is the 75th anniversary of Batman and I'm doing some celebrating by adding some Batman Blu-Rays to the my collection. I already have parts 1 and 2 of The Dark Knight Returns, with part one being on DVD and part two being the Blu-Ray combo pack. Why Warner Bros. didn't just make The Dark Knight Returns into a full movie at first, I do not know. I ended up paying less for this Deluxe Edition, which was on sale, than I did for both movies when they were stand alone releases. It really does pay to wait.

I haven't read the graphic novel Son of Batman is based off of, and from what I've heard, Damian Wayne isn't a character I think I'd like, but this still sounds like it could be an interesting Batman flick all the same.

My first DBZ lanyard and a Super Saiyan Goku one, no less. I don't actually put my keys on any of the lanyards I've bought, mostly because they don't seem as durable as the sports variety I've seen in stores, but I like the designs on the ones I've picked up thus far. Maybe one day, I'll stick my keys on them, but for now, they do make some nice room ornaments.

I've never played Minecraft but I'm very much aware of the massive fan following that it has. I was in the market for some new gaming related hoodies and this puppy was on sale at fye for $15.

Yes, that is a Kame shirt and is the first orange t-shirt I've owned since I was a kid. I'm not planning on doing any cosplaying but as a huge DBZ fan, this was too good to pass up. It'll be hard to resist shouting "KA-ME-HA-ME-HA" whenever I wear this thing.