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DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Ep 1.16 Season Finale: “Legendary”

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Season 1, Episode 16: “Legendary” Story by: Greg Berlanti & Chris Fedak Teleplay by: Phil Klemmer & Marc Guggenheim Directed by: Dermott Downs Airs Thursdays at 7pm ET on The CW DC’s Legends of Tomorrow ends its first season on a deft, compelling cliffhanger that opens a number of possibilities. The …

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Writer/Artist Darwyn Cooke Has Passed Away

Darwyn Cooke’s impact on the medium of comics will never be forgotten as he brought the heroes of Golden Age and Silver Age to the children of the Internet Age, and my thoughts and those of the rest of the Pop Optiq comics team are with his family and friends. The best way to remember him is to support, marvel at, enjoy, and, most of all, smile at the comics and films he made, and much of his work from his DC stories to his Parker graphic novels is easily available on Comixology.

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‘The Dark Knight III’ #4 is a superheroic mess with extra ISIS metaphors

Once again, the backup story outshines the main story in The Dark Knight III #4 as Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson provide some iconic imagery, especially in the scenes featuring the Atom and Superman’s execution, but Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello’s storyline jumps around and portray the characters not named Bruce Wayne, Carrie Kelly, or Ellen Yindel in an arbitrary way. Plus there is that always problematic Islamophobia, which is starting to set in as the Kryptonians call Batman an “infidel”. Last time I checked, this wasn’t Holy Terror.

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‘Batgirl’ #50 rips ‘Killing Joke’ a new one and is the happy ending Babs deserves

Stewart, Fletcher, and Tarr’s run on Batgirl won’t just be remembered for the iconic redesign of Batgirl’s costume, which has found its way into other mediums, like the DC Comics Superhero Girls toy line or the Batman Bad Blood animated film, or the cyberpunk-meets-Williamsburg aesthetic of Burnside. It will be remembered as a comic that showed that not all DC superhero books had to have art that looked like Jim Lee’s, kicked ass while still being stylish as hell, and most of all for having a diverse, multifaceted cast of characters that fans of all genders, races, sexual orientations, body types, and disability status could see themselves in.

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‘Superman’ #51 Channels Morrison’s ‘All-Star Superman’

Superman #51 Written by Peter J. Tomasi Art by Michael Janin Published by DC Comics Released April 6, 2016 The first page of this comic is an uncomfortable close-up on Superman’s distressed face, as he seemingly looks the reader right in the eyes and says “I’m dying.” Grant Morrison’s long-awaited Wonder Woman Earth One graphic novel …

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I Have A Lot of Conflicting Feelings About DC’s Rebirth Announcement

I was at DC’s big Rebirth announcement on Saturday (second row, natch!) and I’m full of mixed emotions and big prognostications. Stick with me here, but I think that one-hour presentation effectively epitomized all the weird conflicts and awkward contradictions at this particular moment in superhero comics: everything good & bad, pure & cynical, innovative …

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Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo Give Gotham Its Heroes in ‘Batman’ #50

Batman #50 Written by Scott Snyder Drawn by Greg Capullo, Danny Miki and Yanick Paquette Colored by FCO Plascencia and Nathan Fairbairn Lettered by Steve Wands Published by DC Comics WARNING: SPOILERS! The dramatic payoff to the “Superheavy” arc was the last issue when Bruce Wayne regained his memories and became himself again.  Wayne telling …

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To Better Know A Hero: Superman

Though Superman hasn’t always been the most popular superhero (these days, Batman, Spider-Man, Wolverine and heck, probably Iron Man and a few other Avengers most likely outpace him in that department), he was the first superhero, and superhero comics as they exist today wouldn’t without Superman. Even beyond the blatant knockoffs that cropped up in the wake of his immense popularity shortly after his debut (issues of his comics routinely sold in the millions throughout the forties), Superman can be pointed to as either a direct or indirect inspiration for nearly every superhero that followed. The entire field of superhero comics, the most dominant form of sequential art in American comic books, exists because of Superman.

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Cracked Video Pokes Fun at the Terrible, Terrible Idea of an R-Rated ‘Batman vs Superman’ Cut. Because it’s a Terrible Idea.

From that title you can probably already get an idea of what my stance is on the recent news that Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice will be receiving an R-rated cut for its blu-ray release. Like many vocal fans on the internet, the very idea of an R-rated movie featuring Batman and/or Superman seems ridiculous to …

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‘Batgirl’ #49 is a visually thrilling journey through Babs’ psyche

Throughout Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher, and Babs Tarr’s run, Batgirl has proven that it is the visual crown jewel of DC Comics, and issue 49 is a victory lap, especially thanks to the powerful work of Ming Doyle and James Harvey along with the sunny, suburban Stepford horror of Roger Robinson. It is also a tour de force into the beautiful and damaged psyche of Barbara Gordon and a real turning point in her arc in the New 52. Issue 50 can’t come soon enough.

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‘Midnighter Vol. 1: Out’ Gleefully Embraces Its Identity

Midnighter is a title that knows what it is and what it’s aiming for. It is a comic about a gay superhero designed for a gay and bi male readership but with plenty to offer every other reader too. The artwork is inventive and gorgeous, even as it depicts gruesome violence. It knows how to use a metaphor in clear, nuanced ways. It balances grit, hard choices, and vigilante glee.

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‘Batgirl Vol. 2: Family Business’ Balances Crime-Fighting and Relationships

While Batgirl is an effective detective and crime-fighter, and her fights with villains are a blast, that’s only half of the story. The other half is her relationships with her friends, her father, and her love interests. Although anyone could easily enjoy Batgirl, the title is acutely suited for teen girls and young women.

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‘Cyborg’ #8 pits Victor Stone versus Animals and the Government

The life of Victor Stone has hit its stride. Between recent personal reveals concerning his family, fighting crime with Shazam, and using comedy to get through even the most dangerous situations…everything is looking up for Cyborg. Of course, all that means it will come crashing down rather quickly, sooner or later.

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‘The Dark Knight III’ #3 is regressive, self-indulgent, and possibly epic

When it’s not awkwardly taking shots at texting young people, making non-statements about the media, various world leaders, striking up a Strange Fruit-esque conversation about race involving only white people , or turning Bruce Wayne into a Randian hero with Carrie Kelly as his mouthpiece and Superman as his attack dog, The Dark Knight III #3 is an intergenerational superhero epic that boasts Andy Kubert’s best artwork of his career and flaming post-apocalyptic palette from Brad Anderson.

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‘Justice League’ #48 charges toward the endgame

Justice League #48, which is part 8 of the DC Universe spanning event “Darkseid War, is winding up for a slamming finish. There’s a lot to be said for an event sized book being told mainly in one title and one-shots over the course of the run. Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok, and Brad Anderson continue to maintain a level of epic sized awesome inside this core title and not one part of this book dissapoints.

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‘DC Comics Rebirth’ Announcement Video – Reboot? Revamp?

In late January, DC Comics’ editor Dan Didio tweeted this mysterious image. Almost immediately, the internet started doing what it does best: wildly speculating. The most common interpretation was that this was the beginning of the end for DC’s current comics universe, referred to as “the New 52”. The controversial new continuity timeline began in 2011, …

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