Looking For a Batman Christmas Gift? Try This Great Company!!

Time Again For BATMAN BIRTHDAY CAKES!!

OK, it's sort of a gimmick I do here to publish photos of Batman Birthday Cakes, they crack me up! Personally I love them & think of them as ART. Anyway, I was kind of faced with a small problem. Recently 2 very nice readers of the Bat-Blog sent in some awesome photos of their birthday cakes. OK, what I usually do is post 1 cake photo on the 1st & kinda make it a "cake for the readers who have a birthday that month". That way they're spread out & it's not "cake day" every other day here, ha ha! But, I got to thinking. It's gonna be a month before I publish one of these & then the other person is gonna have to wait 2 months so I thought, "To heck with it, I'll put 'em both on tonight"! So, here they are in all their glory. I wanna sincerely thank both Kevin & Andy for sending these in, they're great! Kevin's cake is the 1st one with the glass snowglobe on top. He said just seconds after the photo was taken it fell off. The 2nd one is Andy's & it came with the nice Batmobile & Batman figure...nice! I still wanna invite all readers to send cake photos or cool shots of their toy collections. Thanks.

New Products: Custom Batman T-Shirt Seen on eBay!

This is just a quick post to showcase a picture of a NEW cool Batman T-Shirt I saw on eBay last night. It's a simple yellow design "logo" silkscreened onto a chocolate brown colored shirt, a nice color-scheme choice. The art is kinda funny too, sort of child-like. Reminds me of a wood block print. They're being sold by some guy named VV77, so go there sometime & check it out!!

Batman Parody: DOSTOYEVSKY COMICS Crime and Punishment

One of my favorite artists, R. Sikoryak, drew a really great Batman Parody Comic Book in the art style of Golden Age artist Dick Sprang titled DOSTOYEVSKY COMICS. What he does is recreates the Classic Book CRIME AND PUNISHMENT ( Written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky ) with Batman characters. The artwork is awesome but a lot of people are really impressed with how well it sticks to the actual story of the book. The Mock Cover to this book is shown up above & then 2 of my favorite panels. Batman hitting The Joker in the head with an axe is hilarious, ha ha! You can read the entire story at a blog named AGAIN WITH THE COMICS, here's a link:
CLICK HERE - DOSTOYEVSKY COMICS!

HEROES 4 KIDS : A New Children's Charity Needs Your Help!

Since it's the holiday season I thought I would bring up a really great children's organization called HEROES FOR KIDS. This is a group of people who not only have some incredible Superhero Costumes but use those suits for good. Heroes for Kids' aim is to provide an unforgettable experience for the young and the old alike. As a team, their goal is to help raise funds for the sick and underprivileged by appearing at fund-raising events as a voluntary service. They're just now getting started but I think it's a great idea. In the photo here you can see the "Batman Guy" but there are many others including The Joker, The Amazing Spiderman, Green Goblin, Sith Lord, Superman, Supergirl, Iron Man, Elektra, Daredevil, Jedi Knight, & more. Here's a link to check them out & please try to help if you can, it's a good cause.
CLICK HERE - HEROES4KIDS!

Video: JUSTICE LEAGUE, THE NEW FRONTIER Future DC Animated Cartoon Movie

Warner Brothers Animation and DC Comics are set to release the all-new original animated movie titled JUSTICE LEAGUE, THE NEW FRONTIER on February 26, 2008. Based on the graphic novel by Darwyn Cooke, Justice League: The New Frontier is the story of the creation of the Justice League. Here's a list of the voice actors they have so far: Neil Patrick Harris, Kyra Sedgwick, David Boreanaz, Jeremy Sisto, Lucy Lawless, Brooke Shields, Kyle MacLachlan, and Miguel Ferrer! Here's an incredible mini-documentary on the making of th new film. Now, I know it's not TOTAL Batman, but he is in it! Plus I love the artwork of Darwyn Cooke. Oh yeah, Bruce Timm ( Batman: The Animated Series ) is one of the producers...so ya know it's gonna be real good! If the video gets choppy just hit the pause button for a little bit, then hit play. Also, after watching the yuTube video be sure to check out the Official Warner Brother webpage for this project. Just click on the WARNER BROS PREMIER button down below.

2 Free BATMAN DESKTOP BACKGROUND Wallpapers

Yeah! It's Wednesday again so here's 2 very cool Batman Desktop Wallpapers! The 1st one is an image from an Original Animation Cel. I have a few in my personal collection & really love them but I don't have one of Batman. I have a Superman from the Superfriends Cartoon. I bought it when I was a little kid & went to my very 1st comic book convention. Back then people didn't really get greedy like they are today & I bought it for $2.00. Ha Ha, Seriously, 2 bucks!! I'm really stupid though, I should have bought them all! The other cels I have are original Jay Ward cels of Cap'n Crunch. They're from the classic TV Commercials for that cereal. They're mostly of the Cap'n Crunch Crew, Dave & Brumhilde. The next Batman Wallpaper is part of a graphic by Jim Lee. His art is always great. I couldn't decide which way Batman should face, to look good on the desktop, so I put both variations here & I'll let you decide! As always you can also use these in a MySpace Layout...Go Crazy!

THE DARK KNIGHT NEWS: New Photo of HEATH LEDGER as The JOKER - EMPIRE MAGAZINE January 2008

In January, 2008 EMPIRE MAGAZINE will have a Special Exclusive Interview with Heath Ledger about his acting role in THE DARK KNIGHT Batman Movie & there's a NEW photo of The Joker on the cover...SWEET! ( Click on the small picture up above for a much larger, more detailed, photo! )
HELP SPREAD THE WORD!
Please put the JOKER Banner ( The Dark Knight Movie ) seen below on your MySpace Layout, Blog, or Website!! Just copy the code below & paste to your profile! Thank You! <center><a href="http://tomztoyz.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o175/tomstoyz/props85.jpg" height="144" width="160" /></a></center>

PLEASE VOTE TODAY!! We're Nominated for 4 Blogger's Choice Awards!!

The BAT-BLOG has been nominated for the 2008 Bloggers Choice Awards, in 4 categories! We're very honored! It would be great if you could take a minute to vote for us! Just follow these simple steps, it will be quick & easy! 1) Go to http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com 2) Create an account - you do have to fill in everything, except the "choose a picture", and you do have to give a real e-mail address. A message will appear telling you to check your e-mail for a confirmation message. Mine arrived in less than thirty seconds, and you click on the link in the message. 3) Staying "logged-in" at the Awards Page open another window & come to the Bat-Blog & use the 4 buttons you see below. 4) Click on each button & when the Blogger Award page opens click on the "Yellow VOTE Button" ( shown in photo here ). 5) Please vote for us in all four catagories but ONLY ONCE per catagory. In other words, you can vote in all 4 catagories but only one time each. THANKS SO MUCH...I HOPE WE WIN!

Funny Humor Photo: BATMAN WEDDING CAKE!

OK, Everyone knows I sort of collect photos of Batman Birthday Cakes & I have received a few from you readers lately that I promise to post soon. Yeah, I know the cakes are crazy but I think they're funny & it's kind of a neat project to see the wide variety. I mean, they are all different! Now, Talk about different! Here's a picture I found on Flickr last week of, get this, a Batman Wedding Cake!! Ha Ha, How cool is that!! Any woman cool enough to let her husband pick out a Batman cake has got to be grabbed as a wife, ha ha!

Golden Age Comic Book Cover: BATMAN #5

I gotta meet some friends for dinner tonight so I have to do a quick posting here. This is an amazing scan of a Golden Age 1940's Comic Book Cover sent to me by my friend Jeff. This is Batman #5, a Classic!! I love the bright colors & interesting composition. The use of the "Justice Scales" sort of reminds me of Eisner's The Spirit. Thanks Jeff!

Funny Humor BATMAN Photo By Wil Wheaton!

While surfing thru Flickr, viewing random Batman-related photos, I came across this one taken by none other than Wil Wheaton! He went to some carnival in, I think, Los Angeles & shot this funny picture. These Batman plushes were prizes at some outdoor carnival game. Wil played "Wesley Crusher" on Star Trek: The Next Generation ( love that show ). He was recently a guest actor on Numbers & played a "Comic Book Dealer Jerk", that was funny! It was on the other night, one of my favorite shows. Wil also writes a very famous blog & writes books. I'm showing one of his book covers here so you can visualize who I'm talkin' about ( The Batman picture is NOT in the book ). He doesn't know I'm writing this so I hope it's ok to use his photo, it said it was "public". I have a friend who's an autograph collector & he said he met him a few years ago. He said he was a really nice guy, very "down-to-earth", that's cool. Mainly I just thought the Batman Dolls photo was humorous.

This Year Please Donate Some Toys To TOYS FOR TOTS!

"Let's Show Everyone That Toy Collectors Are The Most Generous People You Can Meet!"
I never "Get Political" or anything like that but I want to remind everybody about an incredible charity called TOYS FOR TOTS.
I know many of you have heard of it. Every year the US Marine Corp starts a drive to help bring toys to under-privledged children everywhere. I think as toy collectors we really need to think about how we are blessed with this freedom & we need to think about others. Since 1989 this organization has helped bring joy & happiness to many children who's parents can hardly afford food! Think about being a little kid & the sheer joy a gift of a toy brings. You can help! All they ask for is a very easy thing we can all do. Either donate money ( ANY amount helps ) or donate a sealed MINT IN PACKAGE Toy to one of their drop-off locations. Their "Donation Boxes" are everywhere! I know they have them at ALL Toys-R-Us stores, that's the one I use. But, if you check out their website they can tell you all of the many spots in your own hometown. I hope everyone who reads this not only thinks about it but does it. Thank You, I appreciate you reading this far. You can find all the information you need at their official website:

Memorabilia: CATWOMAN TOYS Batman's Femme-Fatale

I've been sort of neglecting the large amount of Bat-Blog readers who are also Catwoman Fans so I thought I'd throw these cool Cat-Pictures together! Here's a nice assortment of more recent Catwoman Toys & Memorabilia. The 1st pic is an Exclusive Warner Bros Store item from a few years back, The Catwoman Figural Ceramic Cookie Jar. I think this thing is almost a beautiful piece of ART! I have a WB Catwoman Plastic Coin Bank that is almost the same exact pose & shape ( just a little smaller in scale ) but I would loooove this Cookie Jar. The next picture is a very recent Catwoman Plush Doll made by Monogram Direct. This to me seems kinda silly but it's still pretty cool. Ok, I want one, ha ha. The next photo is not really a picture of a toy but the actual "Blueprint" or "Style Pattern" used by a toy company called Play-By-Play to make their plush dolls. You've seen these, they're those small plush toys that you can win in those "Crane Machines" ( I'm really addicted to those ). The last pic is of the Limited Edition CATWOMAN Barbie that Mattel made in 2003. I actually love Barbie, as an American Icon, & think this doll is awesome. I hope some of these pix make the Catwoman Fans happy! I think later I might do a post about toys of The Joker or maybe Riddler. What would you like to see? Leave a comment or e-mail me, Thanks!

Like The Bat-Blog? Check Out My New VINTAGE TOYS Blog!

Video: The DARK KNIGHT Filming in IMAX Batman Movie Featurette

Here's a new YouTube video "TDK Featurette" showing an interview with Director Christopher Nolan & other members of The DARK KNIGHT film crew talking about their experience of filming The Dark Knight movie in the IMAX format ( No Spoilers ).

Fine Art: BATMAN AND ROBIN Pop Painting By Ron English!

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a HUGE Fan of Fine Art, or any kind of art really! One of my favorite "Modern Day" Pop Artists is a guy named Ron English. He uses a lot of Pop Culture references in his work & sometimes he's very political. He's becoming quite popular so many readers might already know about him, great stuff!! Here's one of his Pop Art paintings showing a middle-aged Batman & pre-adolescent Robin. ( Robin is smoking, ha ). Every time I see this painting it cracks me up, Ha Ha! Plus, it's a well-executed piece of ART. If you'd like to see more work by this guy be sure to check out his website:
CLICK HERE - RON ENGLISH POPAGANDA ART!

Custom Toys: BATMAN & ROBIN Models Made Out Of Paper!

Remember awhile back I posted a photo of a Batman Action Figure that someone had made out of construction paper? Well, he sent us some more cool pics to share! Here he's done a few different Batman-related characters. In the 1st one is the Dynamic Duo, BATMAN and ROBIN!! The 2nd photo shows a paper-model figure of KILLER CROCK, aaarrrgggg! The last photo shows a group of figures & if you look closely there's the JOKER and HARLEY QUINN. I don't know why but I think these are really cool. The colors are bright, that might be it, but they really really do look like the characters they're suppose to be...that's cool! If any other readers are doing any kind of "Custom Toys" then please send pics. It can be Dolls, Batman Model Kits, Batmobiles, Whatever!

Photos of Batman Collection from Canadian Toy Collector!

A new friend to the Bat-Blog, Darius, sent us these awesome photos of his Batman Collection all the way from Canada! ( Please click-on the small picture above to see a larger, more detailed, photo ). He explains that this is just a small part of it but he wanted to share some photos with our readers...cool! He said that the Batman Belt Buckle is something he's had since childhood & the Batman Watch ©1978 was a gift from his cousin ( found in a vintage store in Toronto ). He also writes about how he remembers being a little kid & his Mom took him to see the re-release of the 1966 Batman TV Movie in 1978, the same year as the watch. Wow Darius! Thanks for the wonderful photos & story. I appreciate that & I know the readers will too. I don't know why but I love to see photos of people's personal collections. It's just neat to see what they have & you, my friend, have some very cool stuff! I like the Bobble-Head Nodders of Batman & Robin. All the action figures are really nice & it's very cool to see the Kenner Superpowers Batmobile again! Thanks again for sharing these photos. If ANY other readers can send us pics of their collections then please do!

Batman's "Batmobile Lost a Wheel" Graphic T-Shirt

I got a message from a guy the other day who sells custom T-Shirts. Here's one with a Batman Christmas theme! We all know the "Batman Jingle Bells" song... "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, Robin laid an egg, the Batmobile lost it's wheel, & the Joker got away...HEY!" ( Repeat over & over ). Ha Ha, the graphic is pretty well done & it's the Classic George Barris 1966 Batmobile too! He's selling the T-Shirts at this address, check it out sometime. http://www.threadless.com/product/356/Lost_A_Wheel

Vintage Ad: Batman and Robin Sell Hostess Twinkies!

Anyone who read comic books in the 1970's or 80's will remember these great advertisements. They were done in a comic book-style to trick you into reading them, ha ha! They were full-page ads where some DC ( & Marvel too ) Superhero would fight crime using Hostess Cupcakes, Twinkies, or Fruit Pies. Apparently, if you throw a fruit pie at a bank robber the delicious snack is so irresistible that their brains just lock up!! If you want to read their adventure just click on the picture for a large photo...enjoy!

BATMAN MOVIE Cereal Box From 1989!

As a tie-in to the 1989 Batman Movie Ralston made some Batman Cereal. Yes, they're the same company that makes dog food, ha ha! One of the neatest premiums they made was a Batman Coin Bank that was shrink-wrapped to the box ( see photo ). Also, here's a very cool YouTube video of the TV commercial to enjoy.

George Barris' Design Patent for the 1966 TV Batmobile Car!

This is a very cool piece of Bat-History! Shown above is the original "Vehicle Design Patent" that George Barris filed with the United States Patent Office on Oct 18th, 1966 for his Classic 1960's Batman TV Series Batmobile custom car design! The rough graphics show the basic concept of the design in front view, side, back, etc...Sweet!! This is the greatest car ever made....ever!

Video: Vintage 60's BATMOBILE BY MARX Batman TV Toy Commercial

The other day I found an old vintage 1960's sales catalog that had a great ad for the Official Batman & Robin Batmobile Rider From Louis Marx & Co. This ride-on toy was sold in the late 60's to capitalize on the popularity of the , now classic, 1966 TV Series. The picture shows a little kid riding the toy & it has a very cool "graphic look" about it so I knew I had to post it! I was gonna do a post with a theme of "Old Batman Vintage Ads" but then I got an e-mail, from a friend named John, who sent me a picture of the original box for this toy. WOW! The art work on the box is so beautiful that I knew I had to do a post JUST about this toy!! ( Be sure to click-on that picture for a much larger, more detailed, photo! ) Now, I've done a write-up about this toy in an earlier post ( Check The ARCHIVES ) but I thought I could add some more new pictures here. Oh yeah, one last thing, Thank You John for the wonderful photo!! If ANY other readers have some Batman-related photos to share then please send them. Down below is the amazing Vintage TV Commercial for this toy, enjoy!

Ad: Cool Christmas Gift Ideas For Comic Book Fans!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING BATMAN FANS!!

( A photo from a friend named Jimmie, enjoy ).

BATMAN AUCTION RECORD? Ideal Utility Belt Sells For BIG Bucks!

Just the other night on eBay this "Mint In Box" Official Batman Utility Bat-Belt by Ideal ©1966 sold for $16,662.62. Yes, you read that right, Sixteen Thousand Six Hundred Sixty Two Dollars & some change!! I'm not exactly sure but I think that's gotta be a record auction price. Either way it's still wayyy outta my price range, ha ha! Now, the 1st picture was so beautiful that I made it a desktop wallpaper ( click on it to see the HUGE picture ). The 2nd pic shows the minty contents...sweet!

THE JOKER MUNNY and THE JOKER SNEAKERS: Custom Toy and Painted Shoes

A "friend" of mine at MySpace sent me this really cool photo showing 2 of his creations. A Joker Munny ( Custom Toy ) Action Figure & a pair of Joker Sneakers! Click on the picture above for a more detailed photo. He painted both of these & did a really great job on them, don't ya think?

BATMAN & JOKER BACKGROUNDS: Wacky Wallpapers Wednesday!

We post 2 fresh brand-new BATMAN DESKTOP BACKGROUNDS every Wednesday, hence the name"Wacky Wallpapers Wednesday"! This week we thought we would make a wallpaper out of an awesome picture sent in to us by a loyal reader. Awhile back we got a sweet graphic of a set of MahJongg Batman-Theme Game Tiles. Well, here's what it looks like as wallpaper! The 2nd photo is a really great shot of THE JOKER character, a nice close-up shot of his evil face!! We hope you enjoy these as Desktop Background & you can also use them in a MySpace Layout!

HA HA! Funny Pictures: BATMAN HUMOR PHOTOS

Here's 2 very funny Batman-related humor pictures. The 1st one shows some major copyright infringement, ha ha! It's a photo of a work truck with a name we all know. The 2nd picture is from a friend named Dave & shows a homemade Go-Kart that is shaped like the Batmobile from the 1989 Batman Movie....Sweet!

FRED HEMBECK Does Another Batman Comic Book Cover Recreation

Fred Hembeck is one of our National Treasures! Lately he's been selling his artwork on eBay ( Just search for "Hembeck" ). Here's an example of one of his Classic Comic Book Re-Creations. On the right is the original cover to Detective Comics #398. On the left is his cartoon version...Pure Art!

Ad: A GREAT GIFT IDEA FOR FINE ART FANS, Check It Out!!

PHOTOS: 2 New Custom Toys ANIMATED BATGIRL DOLL & PIXAR CARS BATMOBILE ( 1966 Version )

Just the other day I received 2 cool photos from friends who enjoy Batman Custom Toys. The 1st one is from our good friend MILOTIK who likes in Argentina. He recently found this Batgirl Custom Figure Doll that was made from a Justice League Unlimited Wonder Woman. She looks really beautiful & the attention to detail is very good, a really nice custom doll!! I mean, her face & costume look super-great!! In Argentina they call her LA BATCHICA! I love that name, ha ha. The 2nd photo is from a friend named Tony who resides in Chicago. Tony is sharing a Custom Toy of a Pixar's Cars Movie vehicle that is a 1966 Batmobile. The idea is "what-if" a '66 Batmobile was in the animated cartoon & what would he look like. This is a great looking car! It's a very clever idea & well executed, good job guys! We wanna invite ANY Custom Toy Fans to send us photos of their creations. We love it when people get creative with their love of Batman characters, that's awesome!

Batman Mods: GRAND THEFT AUTO Gotham City ( New Version )

Something I've been trying to learn a little bit about & then share here is a cool thing called Video Game MODS. Basically people have learned how to create 3D characters that they can then use to replace "people" & vehicles in video games. Here are some examples. Up above is a group of amazing looking MOD "people" who are Batman-related characters. ( Click the small picture to reveal a HUGE photo )! There's Robin, Batgirl, Penguin, The Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face, Riddler, and of course, Batman ( 4 versions )! The Batman versions include: Modern Day, Beyond, Movie, & my favorite, Adam West! Also shown are some VEHICLE MODS of the Batmobiles ( many versions ), Bat-Jet, Bat-Plane, Bat-Bikes, Bat-Boat, & Bat-Copters. My top 2 favorite vehicles here are the Retro 30's Batmobile & the 1966 TV Show Batcopter ...Sweet! Anyways, you take these mods & replace the code in your video game & then this is what appears. I've seen video where people have done this & it's crazy! It's like a whole new game & looks really really cool. Now, a friend to the Bat-Blog sent us a link that is to a MODS Message Board for the people who are really into this. If you'd like more information I suggest going there. Anybody else who's into this please send me more info to share, thanks. Here's The Link: http://gta_gotham_city.moddb.com

Video: BAT-THUMB MOVIE Batman CGI Fan-Film Movie

I just discovered this video on VEOH & had to share it right away! This is one of those CGI movies where they put human eyes & mouths on real thumbs to make characters. It's sort of a parody of the 1989 Batman Movie ( The love interest is "Vicky Nail", ha ha ) but there's a lot of references to the 1966 TV Show. My favorite "1966 TV part" is when they are scaling the wall with a rope, classic! Oh yeah, because the video is so HUGE it kind of bogs up a bit so just hit the pause button & wait awhile, then hit play. It's great quality!!

ALEX TOTH 1970's Challenge of The Superfriends CARTOON MODEL SHEETS

Shown up above, for your viewing pleasure, are these 2 RARE Cartoon Model Sheets from the "Challenge of The Superfriends" TV Cartoon Show. They were done in ©1973 by Alex Toth, lead designer for the series. These were made to give animators a guide to go by & to keep the character/vehicles consistent. Besides this job Alex Toth had been a pionner in the Golden Age era of comics. As a very young teen I met Alex Toth at a comic book convention here in my hometown of Oklahoma City. He was extremely nice to me. It was kind of funny. He seemed really tired & sort of annoyed by the whole "convention thing". I don't think he felt very well. Anyway, I walked up to him & started to gush about his Golden Age comic book work & he was really impressed so he started to liven-up a bit. We talked for a really long time. He told me that absolutely NOBODY asked him about this old work & he was grateful for that. I think being a part of early comic book history was what he felt most proud about even though he had a very long period of success. It was a really nice moment. But, in hindsight I think I screwed up though because I never asked for an autograph or sketch, ha ha! He died a few years back & comics will never be the same. A lot of people are really HUGE FANS of his work today because he was so extremely talented but I just remember a really nice guy.

Paper Model Art Craft People Embrace Batman & Comic Book Heroes

While writing this blog for way over a year ( see the Archives ) I have discovered that there are many Subcultures that have completely embraced Batman. Some examples are the "Cosplay People". They make props & costumes that are wayyy better than anything Hollywood makes, ha ha. There's the "Custom Toy People". Their hobby is to take discarded dolls & action figures and customize them to look like comic book characters that major toy companies have NEVER made a figure of. I could go on & on but every one of these people are quite creative & it's really cool! A new group of people I have come across lately are the "Paper Model Crafters". These people are sort of like the Custom Toy people except they make their art totally out of construction paper. Up above is a small example. Here's an extremely cool Batman "Action Figure" made from paper. The attention to details are nice & when you see figure after figure after figure they sort of start to really have a lot of appeal. I mean, they're quite clever & are a new interesting art form. I'll be doing other posts about this in the future. The guy who did this one said he's working on a Robin, The Boy Wonder figure. I think he's done a Joker but I couldn't get a clear picture of it. If there are ANY readers who are crafters & would like to have their ART showcased then please send us some photos & information, Thanks.

Reference Photos: VINTAGE 1970's BATMAN TOYS and MEMORABILIA

From the very beginning the Bat-Blog has been all about the joys of collecting Batman with a special focus on the cool Vintage Toys. Here are a few examples: The 1st picture is a RARE Set of 1970's Official Batman & Robin Sky Diving Parachutist Figures, Mint on original card. I seriously love the retro graphics on these from 1973. They're just basic hard-plastic figures with a flimsy-plastic parachute but I had one of these as a kid & it brings back a lot of fond memories. The one I had was Superman though & I used to wonder, "Why did Superman need a parachute??", ha ha! The next photo is the cutest. It's a super-cute little Batman Batcopter & it's so adorable, yes it is, who's the cutest little Batcopter!? This was also a toy from the 70's. The next photo is actually a picture from a Vintage Aldens Store Sales Catalog. It's the REMCO "Flying Bat-Copter" Playset that was sort of like those Verti-Bird playsets. Remember those? I used to have one with a Police Helicopter theme & used to play with it for hours! Hey, wait a second. I just realized this post has a total "Seventies Theme", ha ha!

ART: Batman 1/2 Scale Art Bust Statue By Colby Jukes

Early next year DC DIRECT will be premiering a collectible line of lifelike 1:2 Scale Art Bust Statues & Batman is gonna be the 1st one in the series! DC Comics has set a release date of April 23rd, 2008. Sculpted by artist Colby Jukes. The BATMAN 1:2 SCALE BUST features lifelike facial details, as well as a finely tailored fabric costume fitting the cold-cast porcelain body. Each bust in the series has a consistent base design and a unique logo plaque. This BATMAN 1:2 Scale Bust measures approximately 13" Tall x 10" Wide x 7" Deep, includes a four-color Certificate of Authenticity, and is packaged in a four-color box. Looking for a good price? The Bat-Blog has teamed up with a quality sales company to bring this to you at 20% off the regular retail price. I've bought a ton of stuff off of them & their service is insane, a great company! Here's a link to check it out.

VIDEO: MICHAEL CAINE Talks About HEATH LEDGER as The JOKER From The Dark Knight Batman Movie

HELP SPREAD THE WORD!
Please put the JOKER Banner ( The Dark Knight Movie ) seen below on your MySpace Layout, Blog, or Website!! Just copy the code below & paste to your profile! Thank You! <center><a href="http://tomztoyz.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o175/tomstoyz/props85.jpg" height="144" width="160" /></a></center>

PHOTO: BATMAN COCA-COLA COKE VENDING MACHINE Pop Art Style

I wanna thank Anne for sending us this very cool photo, Thank You! This is a Coca-Cola Vending Machine she saw while in California. Thank god she had her digital camera with her, ha ha! This is an awesome pop art-style graphic with Batman & I like the Classic Coke Bottle too! Thanks again Anne! If any other Bat-Blog Readers have cool Batman Photos to share then please send them today!

New DC SUPERHEROES Postage Stamp BATMAN Products at USPS

If you visit the USPS website they're offering a few new collectibles for both stamp collectors & Batman Fans alike. One item is a set of Postcards depicting the artwork used for their series of DC SUPERHEROES Postage Stamps that they did. Two of them have the Batman Stamps. One is a classic Golden Age Comic Book Cover to Batman #1. The 2nd card is the close-up shot of Batman that used Jim Lee art ( shown in photo ). They are also offering a Set of Uncut Sheets of the actual Postage Stamps. The uncut sheet has 6 sets of them & they look pretty cool in repetition. sort of like an Andy Warhol painting...these would be cool to frame for the wall. Visit: http://www.usps.com/shop

NEAL ADAMS COVER ART: All Star Batman & Robin # 8

Here's the Neal Adams cover art for ALL STAR BATMAN & ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER # 8! It's so exciting to see Neal doing Batman again!! When you 1st look at it you see a stressed out Joker but if you look close enough you can find a hidden picture of Batman, sort of an optical illusion...cool huh?! This will be a special variant cover for ALL-STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER # 8, Due in stores on November 28th, 2007. Don't miss out, order your copy today!!

VIDEO: Batman The Dark Knight Returns ( Frank Miller Graphic Novel ) Trailer

Based on the popular Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Graphic Novel. Original comic book story art was by Frank Miller but this is an homage with new art that was animated by Jared Kowis. I guess you gotta be familiar with this graphic novel but I think it's pretty cool. But, let us know what you feel about it. Hit the comment button below & tell us what you think!

VIDEO: Amazing 1st Teaser Trailer of BATMAN LEGO: The Videogame

Because of the popularity of the Batman Lego Toy franchise later next year Warner Brothers Interactive will release BATMAN LEGO: The Videogame. Here's the 1st look at what I know will be a very popular game. It's a very short teaser trailer movie but it will give you an idea what it will look like. I mean, the Batman Lego Toys so far have been incredible!!

AL BIGLEY, BATMAN ILLUSTRATOR: Be Sure To Check Out The New Bat-Blog Interview!

The Commercial Artist / Illustrator Al Bigley has worked for a lot of major companies but we really love his work on Batman: The Animated Series. He has done a ton of artwork that is all related to the Batman characters in some way: Golden Books, Skybox Trading Cards, McDonald's Happy Meal Boxes, & even the Batman: The Animated Series Action Figures produced by Kenner! We were really lucky to get an "Exclusive Interview" with him for our Bat-Blog Interviews page ( an extension of the main Bat-Blog ). Be sure to check it out because he's a great guy & an awesome artist!

2 FREE BATMAN WALLPAPERS: For a MySpace Layout or Desktop Background

Whoops... Sorry Everybody! Yesterday was Wednesday, the day we always post 2 FREE Batman Wallpapers, & I was so excited about some new posts I did about some really cool Batman-related websites that I totally forgot to post some Desktop Backgrounds, ha ha! Here they are to enjoy! ( Better late than never ).

The Bat-Blog Reccommends BULLY SAYS, a Cool Comic Book Fan Site.

BULLY SAYS: COMICS OUGHTA BE FUN! is a really nice blog that's ALL about the joy of reading comic books. It's spokeperson is a BULL ( stuffed animal ) named "Bully" who seems to have an unheathly obsession with Jane Wiedlin ( Guitar, Vocals of the 1980's GO-GO's rock group ). My favorite part of the site is a series of articles called SEPARATED AT BIRTH. He shows examples of how comic books do "Homage" covers meaning they do a modern day version of an old classic comic book's cover. A few examples are shown above. Be sure to check out Bully's page sometime but please remember to bookmark the Bat-Blog before ya leave!

Humor: THE DARK KNIGHT Funny Comic Strip at ARGYLE ACADEMY

Late last night I discovered a really cool web page with a very funny Batman Parody comic strip. The art work is wonderful and the humor is quirky, sort of silly. The site is called the ARGYLE ACADEMY and was founded by Mike Lowery as an outlet for his handmade cards, T-Shirts, & books with Lionel the Vampire Cat & his friends. Recently he ran a series of comic strips depicting the life of Batman. ( I really love this one panel because it reminds me of doing the Bat-Blog, ha ha ).

AD: A Great Place To Buy Toys and Action Figures!

1966 Batman TV Show WAYNE MANOR 360 Aerial Veiw

A friend of the Bat-Blog, named Mark, found this incredible website called "Microsoft Virtual Earth" where you can type in an address & get aerial photos of any place on earth! So, what he did was type in the address of the original mansion used in the 1966 Batman TV Show, the Wayne Manor! If you go there it gives you a "Live" 360 degree view of the property...pretty cool! Here's a link to check it out! WAYNE MANOR

BIG APPLE NYC Comic Book, Art ,Toy, & Sci-Fi Expo: THIS WEEKEND!

Crap! I'm stuck in Oklahoma City but this weekend ( November 16th, 17th, & 18th ) is the BIG APPLE Comic Book, Art,Toy, and Sci-Fi Expo in New York City!! A lot of famous Batman comic book artists will be attending like Carmine Infantino, Neal Adams, Norm Breyfogle, Darwyn Cooke, Adam Hughes, Tim Sale, & many more! If you're in that area you should check it out. Admission is about $20. Here's a link to the list of artists that will be attending & if you check out their "Special Guests" page there will be many famous TV actors & movies stars to meet! http://www.bigapplecon.com/art.htm

VIDEO: HEATH LEDGER TALKS ABOUT PLAYING THE JOKER on TV Interview

HELP SPREAD THE WORD!
Please put the JOKER Banner ( The Dark Knight Movie ) seen below on your MySpace Layout, Blog, or Website!! Just copy the code below & paste to your profile! Thank You! <center><a href="http://tomztoyz.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o175/tomstoyz/props85.jpg" height="144" width="160" /></a></center>

The DARK KNIGHT Batman 2 Movie: New Photos of Filming in Hong Kong

Here's some news photos from the current stint of filming in Hong Kong. Apparrently the Hong Kong people went totally crazy when they saw Christain Bale as Batman. I heard a report that one day over 500 people went to a set to watch the film being made. Personally I think the 2nd movie, The Dark Knight, is gonna be a HUGE hit, way bigger than Batman Begins was...I can't wait!

VIDEO: Batman THE DARK KNIGHT Press Conference in Hong Kong

Here's the official Hong Kong News Press Conference for THE DARK KNIGHT ( Batman 2 ) movie. Warner Bros is currently filming in Hong Kong. The Dark Knight film stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman. It will be in theaters on July 18, 2008.

REMEMBER TO CHECK THE ARCHIVES ( Lower Left-Side )

VINTAGE TOY PHOTO : Rare BAT-BIKE VEHICLE From Argentina!

This photo should make Vintage Batman Toy Collectors drool for days!! This is a Super-RARE "Don Carmelo Bat-Bike" motorcycle with sidecar in the original box. This is a RARE foreign toy made in Argentina. The coloring ( solid red ) is not totally accurate but the over-all design is beautiful! It's supposed to be like the Bat-Bike from the 1966 Batman TV Show with Adam West & Burt Ward...Sweet! Be sure to click on the picture above for a very large, more detailed, photo. Also, if you have ANY Batman pictures you would like to share then please send them in!

Vintage Silver Age BATMAN COMIC BOOK Cover # 222

I have a friend who is a HUGE Beatles Fan & I mean, who isn't! Great band, classic music. The funny thing is everybody teases him & calls him Mr. McCartney because his actual name is Paul & he's so goo-goo for The Beatles. Anyway, he sent me this photo of a vintage Silver-Age comic book he has in his personal collection. It's BATMAN issue #222 that features a mock "Beatles" cover.The story is all about a "rock band" who looks exactly like the Beatles & one of the members is dead. Just like the propaganda the real band used to have with the famous ABBEY ROAD album cover where there were supposedly a lot of clues saying, "Paul Was Dead" ( One clue was Paul was the only one bare-footed ). Thanks for sending in the photo "Mr. McCartney", it's a beauty!

Video: THE ADVENTURES OF BATMAN AND ROBIN TV Cartoon Featurette PART 1 & 2

The ADVENTURES OF BATMAN AND ROBIN by Filmation has recently been released as a DVD.
If you're interested in buying this TV Show be sure to check out TFAW.
Here's a link:

NEW JOKER & POISON IVY DC STARS DOLLS By Tonner Doll Company

Presented here for your viewing pleasure are these 2 brand-new Batman Villain Character Dolls. Here are The Joker & Poison Ivy made by the Tonner Doll Company as a part of their DC STARS Collection. Both dolls are 16" tall & have about 13-14 points of articulation. The clothing is very detailed & very accurate to each comic book character. The doll's designer, Robert Tonner, has done a pretty good job! These dolls have started to become very collectible ever since people have noticed the company's dedication to the superheroes they make. But I gotta warn ya. They are sort of expensive & not for the average collector. The Joker is about $169.99 & Poison Ivy is about $134.99. With Christmas coming up this would make a great gift idea for me. e-mail me for a mailing address, thanks. ( Ha Ha! )

Prototype Photos: NEAL ADAMS BLACK and WHITE BATMAN STATUE New 2008 Sculpture By Spyda Creations

The photos up above show the preliminary stages for the creation of the NEAL ADAMS BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE STATUE due out next year in 2008. The exact date from DC has not been released yet but we can't wait to see the final product!! Just looking at these "Prototype Photos" makes me totally drool, ha ha. The last set of photos show what the piece is gonna "sort-of" look like. I talked to the Sculptor Jason Spyda Adams about his new Batman sculpture & he said, "This is a picture of the painted version before painted revisions are made. The revisions will include a dark gray instead of a black color to better represent the dark blue color in my father's Batman stories ( Neal Adams is Jason's dad, how cool is that! ). Also the Batman chest symbol will be larger and higher on the chest." Well, this is an amazing piece of art. The extremely dramatic pose really represents the classic artwork of Neal Adams, especially the large flowing cape! The Bat-Blog wishes to thank Jason for allowing us the use of these awesome photos. I'm sure every reader here will be buying one of these as soon as it's released!

Superman Doomsday DVD On Sale Today!

BATMAN and 1966 BATMOBILE Graphic Cartoon Illustration

Our friend Eric was kind enough to supply us with another one of his wonderful graphic illustrations! This funny cartoon features Batman diving into his classic Batmobile, the one George Barris designed for the 1966 TV Show ...sweet!

Video: CHRISTOPHER NOLAN & CHRISTIAN BALE TV INTERVEW By Charlie Rose.

I know everyone wants more news about THE DARK KNIGHT but nothing BIG is happening right now so I though I would present this RARE older TV interview with Christopher Nolan ( Movie Director ) and Christian Bale about BATMAN BEGINS. This is pretty interesting, both people give a really great in-depth look at the character of Batman. Bale seems very enamored with all the graphic novels like Arkham Asylum, Batman Year One, & The Long Halloween. Charlie Rose has always been one of my most favorite reporters & I have a lot of respect for both him & his TV show. Now, Mr. Rose is on the internet! Welcome. ( Charlie Rose Fans will get my dumb joke about using the word, "Welcome", to finish my sentence, ha ha ).

Humorous Funny Batman Photo By Jaimie Warren

While surfing the net the other day, checking out photography art sites, I came across this hilarious photo by Jaimie Warren. Ha Ha Ha, You can see more of his work at DONTYOUFEELBETTER.COM.

BATMAN ARTIST Neal Adams

Neal Adams doesn't need ANY introductions. This famous comic book artist is a living legend, an icon! His work in silver age comics is considered to be classic. His heyday was in the 1970's when he drew Batman, Deadman, Green Lantern, & Green Arrow. Back then he even created the character R'as AlGhul who later became a main villain in the Batman Begins movie. His portrait is shown in this vintage pinback button by Denis Kitchen. I also thought I would show a more recent photo. Here he is sketching at a comic book convention. Now the whole reason for this post was that I had an advance copy of Adams' artwork for All Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder #8 ( Due out Nov 28th ) which I had posted right here for a few days. Well, at his son's request I took it down because he was a little freaked out, he said & I quote, " I do have a favor to ask. Neal is my father and he just finished a new Batman cover for DC. Somehow you got a copy of that art on your site. The Joker head with Batman's head over it. The thing is, we promised DC that we wouldn't post any images of the cover, and I have no idea how you got a copy of the scan of it. My worry is that DC might think we've been releasing the image. They did, however, give us permission to show it at the National convention on the 16th. I was hoping you wouldn't mind taking that image down until the 16th?". Well, this is no problem at all. I'm kinda bummed out that my "scoop" is getting burned but out of respect for Mr.Adams I'm taking it down until the 16th. Hey DC, I did not get this scan thru Mr. Adams or any of his staff. Be sure to return to the Bat-Blog on the 16th to see this amazing artwork. ( Neal Adams is drawing Batman again!! ).

Video: TIM BURTON Digital Portrait Speed Painting

For my 850th post here at the Bat-Blog I thought I would celebrate with this amazing YouTube Video of an extremely talented artist using Adobe Photoshop to paint a digital portrait of Tim Burton, the director for the 1989 Batman film. His other incredible movies include The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetle Juice, Mars Attacks, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, Edward Scissorhands, & The Corpse Bride.

NEW BATMAN TOYS: DC UNIVERSE CLASSICS, Wave 1 Action Figures

Later Mattel will be releasing a line of action figures called DC UNIVERSE: CLASSICS, Wave 1 will include two Batman-related figures, Crime Stopper Batman & The Penguin. Here's those 2 figures with a preview of the really cool packaging. They're also gonna include: Orion of The New Gods, Red Tornado, & The Demon, with a Bonus Figure of Metamorpho. Keep an eye out for these because they're extremely well-sculpted.

VIDEO: Batman "The Dark Knight" Movie Set Filming in Chicago

This is a pretty interesting video with some RARE footage. It has a mixture of still photos & moving video...nice! Seeing the "Gotham City Bank" is kind of neat.

FREE BATMAN DESKTOP WALLPAPERS: Three Batmobiles & 1966 TV Show History

Remember, we post 2 NEW Batman Wallpapers every Wednesday! For today I thought I would go with a "Vintage Black & White Photo" Theme. Here are 2 really great graphics! The 1st one features 3 original Batmobile Cars: The 1966 Batmobile customized by George Barris for the 1960's TV Series, The 1980's Batmobile from the 1989 Batman Movie, & the 1990's Batmobile from that crappy movie ( Ha Ha! ). Seeing all three cars together is a real treat! Then, in the 2nd Batman Wallpaper is a RARE vintage 60's photograph showing the original Batman creator Bob Kane with Adam West & Frank Gorshin in a special "Behind the Scenes" moment during the 1966 Batman TV Show. We hope you like one, or both, of these & be sure to check the Bat-Blog ARCHIVES for a ton more! Also, please feel free to use them as a background in a Live Journal or MySpace Layout. I guess they could also liven up your PC's desktop, ha ha.

ORIGIN OF THE JOKER ( The Dark Knight Movie ) 7 Minute Film

A seven-minute short which reveals the origin of the Joker character from the new Batman film, The Dark Knight, is gonna be screened at Imax cinemas. The Joker film will be screened in advance of the vampire flick I AM LEGEND, starring Will Smith, on January 4. The movie opens on December 14th but they will not show it till later, is this smart? Let us know what you think about it. Please COMMENT below.

Sneak Peek: JIM LEE's Original Comic Art For ALL STAR BATMAN and ROBIN # 9

Got this from a friend, an advance photo of the cover to ALL STAR BATMAN & ROBIN # 9! This, of course, is the original comic book artwork pencils of Jim Lee. It's sort of an homage to the Golden Age cover to Batman #9 by Jack Burnley, Ssssweet!!

THE DEATH OF BRUCE WAYNE??

In a recent news story at ComicBookResources.com reporter Rich Johnson, who writes a column called LYING IN THE GUTTERS, had this to say. And we quote, "In June/July, DC are killing off Batman. Or rather, Bruce Wayne. Robin will inherit the Batman cowl. One of the Robins anyway. Tim Drake. Jason Todd. Or possibly Red Hood. Hey, maybe Jean-Paul Valley, it has been ten years since Azrael. Either way, the book will relaunch with a nice shiny #1". What the hell!? DC Comics is gonna kill off Bruce Wayne? This is an outrage. I mea, it kind of pisses me off! Ok, Bruce Wayne is an ICON for Christ's sake! I've read at other sites where they speculate that Warner Bros is doing this to create media hype for the upcoming THE DARK KNIGHT Batman Movie. What are your thoughts on this, please COMMENT below.

Video: BATGIRL THEME SONG 1966 Batman TV Show

I found this on YouTube recently & had to post it for the 1960's Batman Fans. It's the special 1966 TV Show theme song for Batgirl ( Yvonne Craig ) when she entered the series... Crank Up Your Speakers & Rock Out!

Funny Humor Photo: GRAND THEFT AUTO Gotham City Edition!

This picture cracks me up! This is a fake cover for a Playstation 2 Video Game that we ALL wish they would make, ha ha! It's GRAND THEFT AUTO: GOTHAM CITY Edition. It uses graphics from Batman, The Animated Series. The artist who made it did a really great job because it's a perfect parody of the graphic-style Rockstar Games uses for their actual video game packaging...sweet!

Photo: Body Builder in Batman Costume Cowl and Cape

What the hell! I opened my e-mail this morning & was really shocked with this photo. This "Muscle Man Batman" guy is a super-serious body builder & all his muscles look like they're gonna POP! I think the cowl is like the one used by Micheal Keaton in the 1989 Batman movie....that's cool! I used to work at a gym a really long time ago & these guys do some serious working out to get THAT big.

Video: BATMAN HUMOR By TV's Jon Stewart THE DAILY SHOW at Comedy Central

This video of "Super Dads of Fathers for Justice" is pretty funny! They stage a protest at Buckingham Palace led by a man dressed as Batman.

SEXY CATWOMAN STATUE By KOTOBUKIYA Batman Villain Wallpaper

I know we post Free Batman Desktop Backgrounds every Wednesday but this one was so special I had to put it on today! Oh yeah, This is a very sharp hi-res color photo sent in by Gary from Chicago. It's the Modern-Day Catwoman Statue from KOTOBUKIYA ( Japanese Toy Company ) that's gonna be on everybody's Christmas Wish List this year! Thank you Gary for the great picture!! As usual you can use this in a MySpace Layout or maybe make your desktop all pretty, enjoy!!

RARE VIDEO: BATMAN DIET COKE TV COMMERCIAL Batman Returns Movie

Online Videos by Veoh.com

JOHN DOLMAYAN Comic Book Artwork CUSTOM DRUM SET

These photos will make any original comic book art fans drool for days, ha ha!! This is the drum set for John Dolmayan, drummer for SYSTEM OF A DOWN. ( You know their hit song, Toxicitity. "Toxicitiy...of the City!" ). He had it custom made by contacting many different famous comic book artists & sending them each a "Starclassic Maple" drum piece to paint. The list of artists include Art Adams, Ale Garza, Lee Bermejo, Carlos D'Anda, Michael Kaluta, Charles Vess, Jim Lee ( Top Photo ), Tone Rodriguez, Mark Montano, Arturo Philip, Tim Bradstreet, Dan Brereton, Bernie Wrightson, Tim Vigil, Vatche Maulian, Justin Reyes, Bill Sienkiewicz, Simon Bisley, Kevin Eastman ( TMNT ), & the Master Neal Adams!! John Dolmayan has also opened an amazing comic book store called TORPEDO COMICS & it's on the web. If you go there you'll find some good deals on comics or if you visit the "Gallery" you can see many more detailed photos of this amazing Custom Drum Set!

VIDEO: Sexy Catwoman as 3D Animation Character

Here are 2 really cool SEXY CATWOMAN videos done by different 3D Animators using different CGI software programs. The 1st one is kind of scary & be sure to crank up your speakers to hear Batman's back crack, ha ha. It's a very different version of Catwoman, a sort-of "What If" story, where she is super-human. Warning: It might creep you out a little bit, Aaaahh! The 2nd video is the one I like the best, visually. It's an extremely sort clip but looks very cool. An artist named Ernesto Paganoni did it using XSI 3d Animation software. It looks really great! This would be cool to see as a complete animated feature. It sort of reminds me of the art in the Appleseed Anime movie.

Funny Humor Photo: BATMAN BIRTHDAY CAKE

It's that time again...Batman BIRTHDAY CAKE photo time!! This picture goes out to everybody who has a birthday in November, ha ha, Happy Birthday!

Joker Update: RORYSDEATHKISS.COM Photo

Just a quick update on the Joker website WHYSOSERIOUS.COM for The Dark Knight Batman Movie. If you click near the x-acto knife it bursts into flames to reveal new Joker ( Heath Ledger ) photo. OK, we've all seen that ( See previous Bat-Blog posts ). Well, a new function is you click on Joker's face & it goes to the RORYSDEATHKISS.COM page. I posted a photo of what that page looks like. Basically it's the "Joker's Notebook" with pictures submitted by people in Joker make-up from all over the world....pretty cool!

THE BATMAN Interview: ALAN BURNETT Supervising Producer / Story Editor

SEXY PIN-UP GIRLIE: Julie Newmar, Catwoman From The 1966 Batman TV Show

For your viewing pleasure is this ever-so-delightful Black and White Pin-Up Photo of Julie Newmar!! Be sure to click the photo for a larger picture...it's sweet! Of course all Batman Fans know her as Catwoman from the 1960's TV series. As a MySpace member I was recently surprised to receive an invitation to join her Official MySpace page. OK, it was probably her publicist, but I was still deeply honored! She is one of the few Bat-Actors I have never met in person but my friends who have say she is the sweetest person in the world, that's awesome.

BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE 20th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION

Later next year (March 19th) DC Comics will be releasing a special-edition hardback book celebrating the 20th Anniversary of BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE. The classic Batman tale by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland returns in an all-new special edition! This edition - celebrating the 20th anniversary of the landmark work - features all-new coloring by Bolland, and includes the story "An Innocent Guy," previously featured in BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE! It will be 64 pages & $16.99 retail. Then, on June 4th, DC Direct will release a BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE Action Figure Collector Set! This collector set features newly sculpted versions of legendary foes Batman and The Joker as they appear in this classic story! It's everything "Killing Joke Fans" could want! It will be packaged in a 4-color window box. BATMAN and THE JOKER will both be 6 3/4" tall. Includes 48-page prestige format comic book ( NOT the hardback book )! The figures w/ special comic book will be $34.99.