Modern comic books have been around for over 80 years, and it seems like their influence on pop culture increases with each passing decade. Characters like Superman and Spider-Man aren’t just fictional heroes anymore, but true cultural icons. It would seem that superheroes actually have the ever-advancing world of technology to thank for their increase in popularity. The internet spreads information about new storylines and upcoming film adaptations faster than ever before; technological advances (like CGI) have allowed comic book movies to create and display visually astounding sequences that no practical effect could ever hope to realistically pull off; fans can engage with their favorite comic book characters in ways never before thought possible, thanks to the power of video games. Superheroes and supervillains have become household names, more so than ever before.
There’s no denying it: comic books are officially mainstream. But not everyone is in love with this trend.
Much as been made in recent years of the concept of superhero movie fatigue, or the notion that the film industry has become so over-saturated with comic book films that the genre will soon fade out of existence. Steven Spielberg recently expressed his less-than-optimistic view on the future of superhero movies, with a predictable response coming from Batman v Superman director Zack Snyder shortly after. Whether or not comic book movies will lose their muster in the years to come, the genre and the paper-based medium that spawned it has undoubtedly gifted us some of the greatest characters in modern fiction.
And what’s a great character without a great adversary? History’s most legendary heroes are often measured by the greatness of their enemies. Perhaps if fan-favorites like Namor and Blue Beetle regularly faced off against the sort of bad guys you’ll see here, they’d have more prominent live-action appearances on their resumes. Here’s our list of the 12 Best Superhero/Supervillain Rivalries of All Time.
Batman and the Joker
Who better to kick things off than the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime? Batman has dozens of noteworthy bad guys in his rogues gallery, but these two have been squaring off in the comics for over 75 years now, and have come to epitomize the comic book archrivalry. George R.R. Martin once expressed boredom with the idea of similarly-powered showdowns between heroes and villains, but that certainly doesn’t apply here; the Joker and Batman are exact antitheses of one another.
Bruce Wayne is a billionaire playboy/world-class martial artist with a genius-level intellect who seeks to rid Gotham City of crime, while the Joker is a psychotic criminal mastermind whose lone desire is to stoke the fires of chaos and anarchy. The dissimilarities between the two are precisely what make them so great together.
Batman and the Joker have gone toe-to-toe on on many, many memorable occasions within the comic book world, but it’s the TV and film adaptations that have brought these nemeses to the forefront of popular culture. Whether you identify most with the duo of Keaton/Nicholson, Bale/Ledger, or even Conroy/Hamill, there’s little doubt that these two polar opposites have cemented their place in superhero history forever. With Ben Affleck and Jared Leto set to bring the pair to life once again—possibly even sooner than we thought—this rivalry seems to have a very bright future ahead.
Minecraftis a very popular game. Star Wars is a very popular series of movies. It was really only a matter of time, then, before the two properties were combined into one guaranteed moneymaker. With two packs of Star Wars skins having already been released for Minecraft: Console Editions, there is now a third pack in the mix that includes characters from the oft-maligned prequels.
The new pack is available on all consoles for the microtransactional price of $2.99. For that small amount of coin, buyers get a bevy of characters both popular and obscure, ranging from series stalwarts such as Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to more hilariously named characters such as Poggle the Lesser and Kit Fisto.
One notable character from the prequels seems to be absent, though: Jar Jar Binks, the embodiment of everything Star Wars fans lamented about episodes I through III. Was he left out to avoid controversy, or just because the programmers couldn’t figure out how render his floppy ears as pixelated blocks? Either way, Star Wars fans won’t have blocky Jar Jar to kick around.
The full list of characters who did make the cut is below:
Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master
Qui-Gon Jinn
Queen Amidala, Naboo Throne Room
Senator Padmé Amidala, Geonosis
Mace Windu
Darth Maul
Senator Palpatine
Count Dooku
General Grievous
Jango Fett
Watto
Boss Nass
Aayla Secura
Clone Commander Cody
Clone Trooper, Phase I
Security Battle Droid
Zam Wesell
Ki-Adi-Mundi
Lama Su
Kit Fisto
Mas Amedda
Captain Panaka
Plo Koon
Poggle the Lesser
Captain Typho
Nute Gunray
Padmé Amidala, Pilot Disguise
Queen Amidala, Battle Dress
Padmé Amidala, Peasant Disguise
Bail Organa
Adi Gallia
MagnaGuard
Clone Commander Gree
Kashyyyk Trooper
Tion Medon
Asajj Ventress
Savage Opress
Ahsoka Tano
Clone Captain Rex
Hondo Ohnaka
Cad Bane
Mother Talzin
Wat Tambor
Shaak Ti
C-3PO on Battle Droid
Battle Droid on C-3PO
Commander Battle Droid
Infantry Battle Droid
Pilot Battle Droid
Beru Whitesun Lars
Owen Lars
It’s worth noting that these skin packs are for the console versions of the game only. Players of the PC or mobile versions are out of luck, although PC players only have to do a Google search for “Minecraft Star Wars mod” to find all sorts of fun ways to bring the movies to their game of choice. Maybe some of those mods even include Jar Jar Binks, for those who might want to put him in a cage on a remote island surrounded by zombies or something like that.
Is the $2.99 a solid investment or another attempt to milk Minecraft players for all they’re worth? Maybe a little of both, depending on how much you want Pilot Battle Droids patrolling the hallways of your blocky castle, while Queen Amidala awaits you on a bed made of chickens. One’s imagination is the only limitation when it comes to the silly things one can do with licensed characters in Minecraft.
The Minecraft Star WarsPrequel Skin Pack is available now for all console versions of the game.
UPDATE: The DC & Marvel Movie Slates from 2014 – 2019 are now COMPLETE!
The fourth and final comic book movie superhero blockbuster of 2014 is finishing its run in theaters with Guardians of the Galaxy setting multiple world records for its August opening and many weekends since. Now, we can look forward to what the studios will bring in the coming years, especially after some major recent announcements from DC Entertainment/Warner Bros. and Marvel Studios/Disney.
Looking ahead has been made easier than ever thanks to the studios developing these comic book properties for film continuing to announce release dates further and further into the future (Marvel added six around Comic-Con), and Sony attempting to blow open the Spider-Man movie franchise with a slate of movies that feature other characters as the lead(s). Then of course, there’s Twentieth Century Fox who are finally going to bring their Marvel properties to the forefront with annual releases and a “serious” reboot of the Fantastic Four. They even announced an FF followup already alongside Deadpool.
Finally, there’s Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment who are using the followup to 2013’s Man of Steel to launch their own shared cinematic universe. They announced 9 additional DC movie release dates and just confirmed what they all are. Everyone wants a part of the shared universe pie and there’s a race to plant tentpoles for the future. As a result, we currently have over 40 DC and Marvel branded films scheduled to hit cinemas the next six years, with a few more still unannounced.
Sinister Six (now without a release date after Sony-Marvel deal)
Notes:
2015-16 is the calm before the storm. We go from three films to six, then from six to nine in 2017.
We’re not counting any animated features – list is comprised of live-action theatrical releases.
Sony has yet to date three of their movies.
There are 30 DC/Marvel films currently scheduled (28 officially) from 2015-2020
For all of the studios, the plan is mostly set from now until 2018 but after that we’ve yet to see or hear what’s happening from the studios with Marvel properties.
Following Fox’s current trend, there will be at least 1-2 X-Men/FF movies in both 2019 and 2020 so we can add 2-4 to their number. (Recall: There’s interest and/or scripts ready for Deadpool, Gambit, X-Force) (Update: Deadpool has been added!) (Update 3: Gambit has been added!)
Following Sony’s current trend, there will be at least one Spider-Man movie in 2019 and 2020 so we can add 2-3 to their number.
Following Marvel’s growing trend, there will be at least 2-3 features in 2019-2020 so we can add 4-6 to their number.
Conservative estimate is that there will be a minimum of 38 DC/Marvel movies over the next six years. If the genre keeps performing as it is now, there will easily be well over 40. (Update 2: There are more now…) (Update 4: Spider-Man joins MCU, changing Sony’s franchise plans)
Is your mind blown?
Is the genre about to peak?
Previously: At Comic-Con 2014 there were expectations that Disney/Marvel Studios and Warner Bros./DC Entertainment would announce a series of titles and dates for their upcoming features but both held back entirely, likely to focus attention on their immediate future. With both studios now (officially) laying out plans for their future, we can expect more and more news soon, especially since some of these must begin shooting next year (Doctor Strange for Marvel and whatever DC’s 2016 feature is).
If you haven’t picked a costume yet — or just want to know what you’ll be seeing a lot of at parties and parades this year — here are top 10 lists from two reliable sources: Google, which tracks the most-searched costumes, and the National Retail Federation, which polls consumers in early September.
First, Google lists the top 500 costume searches — you can even look specifically at your city to see what’s trending near you.
Nationally, here are the top 10 most-searched costumes of 2015:
1. Harley Quinn
What you need: Pigtails or a jester hat, and dual colors — usually red and black, although this lovely lady chose red and blue.
2. Star Wars
What you need: Just buy it already. Or, if you have a brown or black bathrobe you can pull off an Anakin Skywalker pretty easily. Still, every Jedi needs a light saber.
3. Superhero
What you need: Chiseled abs — or the foam to fake it. So many options here! Superman. Iron-Man. The Incredibles. Take your pick and find some Lycra.
4. Pirate
What you need: Embrace your inner Jack Sparrow for a swarthy-spooky-swashbuckling time.
5. Batman
What you need: The mask (duh). And a cape (he’s the Caped Crusader!). Optional: Utility belt. Optional: The abs (see “Superhero” above).
6. Minnie Mouse
What you need: Yellow heels, a polka-dot dress and a bow for your hair — er, ears.
7. Witch
What you need: Anything goes. The witch costume is a classic, in part, for its versatility. Go seamlessly from cleaning to trick-or-treating (carry that broom right out the door!). Go old-school with green face paint or a wart. Go low-maintenance by not plucking that chin hair. Pointy hat and striped socks are a plus.
8. Minions
What you need: Denim overalls. Goggles. Yellow facepaint. Boom. (But you still won’t meet Sandra Bullock, sorry.)
9. Joker
What you need: Green hair dye, white face paint and red lipstick for that creepy smile.
10. Wonder Woman
What you need: Gold sweat bands, a red tank top and a royal blue skirt. Or, in some cases, boy shorts. Buy some white star stickers (or, if you’re willing to throw out said skirt or boy shorts, just use White-Out) and you’re in business.
With more than 27 million viewers, Stampy Cat boasts the world’s third-most popular YouTube channel.
His daily videos are beamed into homes around the globe and watched mainly by children, many of whom will never even have heard of Hampshire, England, where he lives.
If you are not aware of Stampy – otherwise known as Joseph Garrett – it must be that you have not played the video game Minecraft or do not have youngsters who play.
He creates daily videos showing the adventures and landscapes he creates using Minecraft’s building block technology and has become a sensation while doing so.
He will be the headline act as the Royal Society of Edinburgh stages its biggest-ever lecture in Dundee. More than 1,800 city pupils will be invited to an afternoon show at the Caird Hall on November 30.
Stampy will create a new Minecraft adventure episode on stage in the company of Dundee tech entrepreneur Chris van der Kuyl, whose 4J Studies firm worked on console editions of the game.
He will also offer an insight into how he creates his videos and explain what it takes to be a successful YouTuber.
An evening show will be held on the same stage, with tickets available from the Dundee box office on Saturday.
The society’s Hannah Smith said: “We are really excited about our annual lecture. It will be a unique event.
“We have never before held an event on this scale but, then, we have never had a speaker like Stampy Cat before.”
Modern comic books have been around for over 80 years, and it seems like their influence on pop culture increases with each passing decade. Characters like Superman and Spider-Man aren’t just fictional heroes anymore, but true cultural icons. It would seem that superheroes actually have the ever-advancing world of technology to thank for their increase in popularity. The internet spreads information about new storylines and upcoming film adaptations faster than ever before; technological advances (like CGI) have allowed comic book movies to create and display visually astounding sequences that no practical effect could ever hope to realistically pull off; fans can engage with their favorite comic book characters in ways never before thought possible, thanks to the power of video games. Superheroes and supervillains have become household names, more so than ever before.
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