Paperback in Action

Tom Hardy, Shane West and Robert Swenson Out of the many beatings Batman has taken over the years, few have stung as much as the Knightfall saga. Arguably the defining story arc of 90's Caped Crusader comics, it   is known best as the book in which Bane broke the Bat, cementing the muscular mastermind as one of his greatest adversaries. However, this iconic character has never quite met fans' expectations when it comes to his appearances in TV and film. This week, Gotham writer/producer Tze Chun unveiled the first image of Shane West as Bane. This attempt at the villain's costume lacks all of the iconic features besides the tubes, making him completely unrecognisable. It's not necessarily a bad costume per se, but would it have been that much harder to stay true to the source material? Bane breaks Batman's back in Knightfall Bane's first live-action appearance was in the infamous Batman & Robin , only a few years after the conclusion of Knigh...

Art by Mikel Janin In 2011, DC controversially revamped the Superman line of comics a part of its New 52 reboot, making the Man of Steel younger and less experienced than readers were used to. Five years later, it had been decided that this Superman's time was up. The Final Days of Superman, an eight-part crossover event,   brought this era of comics to an end - but is it even worth reading now that we have the old Superman back? The story begins with Clark telling us that his days are numbered, explaining how three key past stories (including The Darkseid War ) have wounded him beyond recovery. He accepts that his condition is terminal and spends the rest of the story saying farewell to his loved ones, as well as saving the day one last time. The three events that lead to this story Writer Peter J. Tomasi delivers a heartfelt story with a handful of genuinely moving scenes. The influence of Grant Morrison's All-Star Superman can be felt throughout and, much like ...

When it comes to black creators in the history of comic books, few are as celebrated as Dwayne McDuffie. Best known as the man behind the  Static Shock franchise, McDuffie's career was a quest to create greater representation of black people in comics and animation. He died seven years ago aged only 49, but this creator's influence can still be felt across the worlds of DC Comics and beyond. In 1993, McDuffie told The New York Times that he grew up with two black archetypes in comics: the "stupid angry brute" and the "he's-smart-but-he's-black". This was the year he took matters into his own hands and co-founded Milestone Media, an imprint of DC Comics for minority creators and readers. The aim of Milestone was to create a far more diverse and accurate representation of people of colour in comics, such as the super-powered alien Icon and the genius inventor Hardware. Milestone's most popular hero, Static, would later star in his own car...

Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor in battle The premise of The Darkseid War alone should be enough to convince most Justice League fans they need this story in their lives. While the title suggests it may be the DC equivalent to Avengers: Infinity War , the conflict in question is a little more complex than just heroes versus the big bad. Writer Geoff Johns, who rebooted continuity with Flashpoint and Justice League: Origin , makes readers' dreams (and heroes' nightmares) reality as he pits DC's two baddest villains against each other: Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor. Johns begins by establishing that the multiverse is still reeling from the effects of big events prior to Flashpoint , and that another crisis could damage reality beyond repair. The struggle in this saga is orchestrated by Darkseid's daughter, who was first alluded to at the start of the New 52 reboot. Born on Themyscira the same night as Wonder Woman, Grail plans to summon the Anti-Monitor to eradicate ...

What is Thanos' true motivation? There's no doubt that Avengers: Infinity War was universally acclaimed, but some fans had issues with how Thanos was brought to the silver screen. In The Infinity Gauntlet , the comic on which this year's biggest blockbuster was based, Thanos' ambition is a little different to what we see in the film. While Josh Brolin's Thanos is trying to bring balance to the universe, the comic counterpart of the character is in fact romantically motivated. Creator Jim Starlin's original take on the character still had Thanos wipe out half of all life in the universe, but he actually did this so he could gain the attention of Lady Death, embodiment of demise. This Thanos had little concern for the state of the mortal world, with The Infinity Gauntlet being more of a tale of the gods than an Avengers-centric superhero story.  Thanos promises Death half the universe Die-hard fans of the source material were irked by the absenc...