Comics Review: "BATMAN: EARTH ONE Volume 2" Has "The Batman" as a Young Warrior

BATMAN: EARTH ONE VOLUME TWO

DC COMICS

STORY: Geoff Johns

PENCILS: Gary Frank

INKS: Jonathan Sibal

COLORS: Brad Anderson

LETTERS: Rob Leigh

COVER: Gary Frank with Brad Anderson

ISBN: 978-1-4012-6251-8; paperback (June 21, 2016)

144pp, Color, $14.99 U.S., $17.99 CAN

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Batman: Earth One Volume 2 is 2015 hardcover original graphic novel (OGN) published by DC Comics.  It is written by Geoff Johns; drawn by Gary Frank (pencils) and Jonathan Sibal (inks); colored by Brad Anderson; and lettered by Rob Leigh.  Set in a reality that is different from the flagship Batman titles, Earth One Vol. 2 pits Batman against The Riddler for the first time.

In 2009, DC Comics announced plans to publish new graphic novels that would retell or re-imagine the beginnings of Batman and Superman.  Each character would have his own ongoing series of original graphic novels depicting his earliest moments as a superhero and crime fighter.  Each graphic novel would be a stand-alone story set on a new Earth with an all-new continuity.  Superman: Earth One Volume One arrived in October 2010 and Batman: Earth One Volume One arrived in 2012, both released as hardcover original graphic novels.  To date (2024), there have been three releases each featuring Superman and Batman, and some releases featuring other DC Comics characters. [My review is based on the 2016 paperback edition of this graphic novel.]

Batman: Earth One Volume Two opens in the gritty, contemporary metropolis of Gotham City in the wake of the murder of Mayor Osward Cobblepot (as seen in Vol. 1).  The police and the public believe that Batman murdered the mayor, but the actual killer is Alfred Pennyworth.  The former Royal Marine and friend of Bruce Wayne's late father, Thomas Wayne, Alfred is now Bruce's head of security and partner in Bruce's war on crime and corruption as the costumed-wearing vigilante, The Batman.

Something else, however, is also troubling Gotham City.  It has been plunged into terror by an enigmatic anarchist, terrorist, and killer calling himself “The Riddler.”  He begins with a bang with the murder of five people who plunge to their deaths in an elevator.  Batman is determined to stop him, but he finds himself caught in the conflicting ideologies of Detective Jim Gordon of the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) and of Alfred.  Gordon is also dealing with the troubles of his partner, Harvey Bullock.  Once flashy and overconfident, Bullock is now traumatized by the discovery he made in a serial killer's basement (as seen in Vol. 1).

If that weren't enough melodrama, Gotham Mayor Jessica Dent wants Bruce to help her discover the identities of the five VIP Gotham residents who have taken over the late Mayor Cobblepot's criminal empire.  However, her brother, District Attorney Harvey Dent, has hated Bruce since they were children, and he has his own secret agenda.  Meanwhile, there are reports of a bizarre creature, called “Killer Croc, prowling the sewers of the city, treating human and animal as meat for the beast.

THE LOWDOWN:  I was crazy about Batman: Earth One Volume One.  It is like a “Batman Family” story because Johns writes it as if it were an ensemble crime drama.  Batman is obviously the lead, but Vol. 1 seems to treat Bruce Wayne as one of several supporting characters in the story.  I rather like that.

In Batman: Earth One Volume Two, John makes Bruce Wayne the lead, with the Batman being only one part of a complicate life of purposes.  The story seems to be about Bruce Wayne working out who he is.  Is Bruce just the Batman, or is Bruce a civilian with a mission that is just as important as Batman's mission as a costumed vigilante?  It is an interesting take, one that is more interesting than anything to do with The Riddler angle of the story.

Speaking of the Riddler:  I have not yet read Batman: Earth One Volume Three, but I believe the first two volumes had a big influence on director Matt Reeves' 2022 Batman film, The Batman, especially Vol. 2.  Reading this graphic novel, over two years after first seeing The Batman, I find that Vol. 2 seems quite familiar.  It wasn't long into reading this that I was making connections to the 2022 Batman film, which also has The Riddler as a terrorist-like villain.

British comic book artist, Gary Frank, has displayed his muscular compositions and forceful graphical storytelling to readers for the better part of four decades – three decades in the U.S.  I don't think Geoff John's edgy, retooling of Batman, which owes a lot to Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and to Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's Batman: The Killing Joke, would work quite as well without Frank's brawny storytelling and pencils.  Inker Jon Sibal captures that strength with a balance of sinewy precision and consistent and deft grace in his inking.

Colorist Brad Anderson makes the art both bright and dark – bright to reveal the emotional moments and dark to hide the danger.  Another strong contributor is Rob Leigh; his lettering is what gives the story a balance of sound and effect.

I don't know if there is going to be more Batman: Earth One.  Truthfully, Earth One should have been the direction taken by the “Rebirth” launch of the flagship Batman in 2016.  But what do I know?  I'm not a comics publisher selling comic books in a stagnate market for American comic books.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Batman comic books will want to read Batman: Earth One Volume Two.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 1st to 7th, 2024 - UPDATE #10

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From PBS:  Geoff Bennett of PBS interviews Meg James of "The Los Angeles Times" about the Disney/DirectTV carriage dispute.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  Director Tim Burton's new film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, earns 12 million dollars in Thursday preview showing.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Fox is cancelling the "9-1-1," spinoff, "9-1-1, Lone Star," at the end of this, it's fifth season, for which there will be 12 episodes.  The original, "9-1-1," moved to ABC and has been renewed for an eighth season.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Peacock has ordered a contemperoary television series adaptation of the 1989 horror-comedy, "The 'Burbs," which starred Tom Hanks and the late Carrie Fisher.  Keke Palmer will star and executive produce. Seth MacFarlane ("Family Guy") is also one of the executive producers.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Glenn Close's portrayal as the character "Alberta" in Lee Daniel's Netflix film, "Deliverance," has people talking.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 8/30 to 9/1 Labor Day weekend box office (3-day totals) is Disney/Marvel's Deadpool & Wolverine with an estimated take of 15.2 million dollars.

MOVIES - From THR:  "The Hollywood Reporter" profiles actress Naomi Ackie who is hot right now, including for her turn in Zoe Kravitz's Blink Twice.

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Star couple, Daneel and Jensen Ackles are producing a sequel/reboot of the former The WB/The CW series, "One Tree Hill" (2003-12), for Netflix.

THE APPRENTICE:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Kinematics, the film financier backed by disgraced former Washington Redskins owner, Dan Snyder, has exited the Donald Trump biopic, "The Apprentice."  James Shani, one of the film's executive producers, has bought Kinematics interest in the film via his Rich Spirit.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  The Donald Trump movie, "The Apprentice," is still headed for a Fall release.  Starring Sebastian Stan as Trump and Jeremy Strong as Trump's mentor, the late Roy Cohn, the already controversial film is slated for an October 11th release... maybe.

VENICE FILM FESTIVAL:

From THR:  Actor Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult say the both went to a "dark place" for the neo-Nazi crime thriller, "The Order" (based on a true story). The film is due Dec. 2024.

Review: "BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE" is Morbidly Wonderful and Wonderfully Morbid

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 42 of 2024 (No. 1986) by Leroy Douresseaux

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Running time:  104 minutes (1 hour, 44 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use.

DIRECTOR:  Tim Burton

WRITERS:  Alfred Gough & Miles Millar; from a story by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and Seth Grahame-Smith (based on characters created by Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson)

PRODUCERS:  Tim Burton, Dede Gardner, Tommy Harper, Jeremy Kleiner, and Marc Toberoff

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Haris Zambarloukos (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Jay Prychidny

COMPOSER:  Danny Elfman

COMEDY/FANTASY/HORROR

Starring:  Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Nick Kellington, Santiago Cabrera, Burn Gorman, Sami Slimane, Amy Nuttall, and Danny DeVito

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is that rare sequel that is as weird and as wonderful as its weird and wonderful predecessor

Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara are so good at reprising their original roles that it is hard to believe that it has been 36 years since they first played them

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is director Tim Burton's most crowd-pleasing film since 1999's “Sleepy Hollow” 

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a 2024 American dark fantasy and comic-horror film from director Tim Burton.  It is a direct sequel to Burton's 1988 film, Beetlejuice.  Beetlejuice Beetlejuice finds three generations gathering after a family tragedy only to discover that the latest generation's actions have lead to a new encounter with the Afterlife and also has drawn the attentions of a certain bio-exorcist.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice opens over three decades after the events depicted in Beetlejuice.  Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) is now a “psychic mediator” who hosts a supernaturally themed talk show, “Ghost House,” produced by her current boyfriend, Rory (Justin Theroux).  Lydia is estranged from her daughter, Astrid Deetz (Jenna Ortega), who is resentful that Lydia had a falling out with Astrid's father, Richard (Santiago Cabrera), who died during an expedition to the Amazon.

Lydia is stressed of late because she has been seeing visions of Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), the “bio-exorcist” from the Afterlife who tried to force her to marry him over thirty years ago.  Meanwhile, in the Afterlife, Betelgeuse (pronounced “Beetlejuice”) is having his own relationship problems as he has learned that his former wife, Delores (Monica Bellucci), a soul-sucking witch, has been revived and is hunting him in order to avenge the wrong she believes he did to her.

Back in the world of the living, Lydia's stepmother, Delia Deetz (Catherine O'Hara), informs her that her husband, Lydia's father, Charles Deetz, has died.  Lydia, Astrid, and Delia return to Winter River (the setting of the original film) for Charles' funeral.  The three women suddenly find their worlds turned upside down when the Afterlife intrudes and Betelgeuse plots to turn this series of unfortunate events in his favor.

Because of the decades long wait for this sequel, I wondered about the quality of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.  After seeing it, I am pleased and happy to say that I enjoyed it as much as I have any film I've seen this year (2024).  I saw Beetlejuice Beetlejuice during a Thursday night preview showing, and there were several children present.  The children were restless and acted up a bit, especially early on.  Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is not a children's film, or it is, at least, not as child-friendly as the first film.  Beetlejuice had a darkly humorous and macabre sensibility that was similar to the work of the late Charles Addams (1912-1988), the cartoonist for The New Yorker magazine who was best known for his recurring characters that became known as “The Addams Family.”

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a darker film with a morbid rather than a macabre sensibility.  The specter of death – especially sudden, violent, accidental death – hangs over this film.  Yet it all seems like ghoulish fun and games, thanks in part to director Tim Burton's creative cohorts.  The costume design, production design, film editing, cinematography, lighting, visual effects (practical and CGI), and musical score (by frequent Burton collaborator, Danny Elfman), recall the creative and intense inventiveness of the original film  They make Beetlejuice Beetlejuice more grand theater than “Grand Guignol.”  Still, I don't think elementary school age children, in general, will really enjoy this new film.

I'd call Beetlejuice Beetlejuice perfect except I do take exception with the film's writing.  Although the overall plot is very interesting, the screenplay has some extraneous threads and inessential characters.  I won't mention them just in case they end up being spoilers.

I will say that Tim Burton is fortunate to have the trio of Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara carrying the load for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.  When I first saw Beetlejuice, I didn’t care for Michael Keaton’s performance as Betelgeuse.  I thought his manic energy seemed forced and phony and that the late Robin Williams, who was really coming into his own as a movie star at the time, would have been a better choice.  Sixteen years later (2004), I watched Beetlejuice again, and that time I thought Keaton was perfect.  Go figure!  How wrong I was.  With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Keaton proves that no one can be the “ghostest with the mostest” like him.

As Lydia Deetz, Winona Ryder truly evolves the character in interesting and genuinely human ways.  Ryder could easily pull off a third film if one were to be made in the next decade (hopefully earlier).  Given chance, Catherine O'Hara always proves that she is a giant among comedic actors, and does so again.  What she offered in the original film, she offers in comedic droves here.

I had a thoroughly great time at the movies last night, and even the restless kids could not ruin the very funny “Soul Train” references.  Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is that rare sequel that matches the original film in many ways and surpasses it in others.  As a movie fan, I feel blessed to have it.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, September 6, 2024

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review "TERMINATOR: JUDGMENT DAY" is Still Landmark and Bloated

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 41 of 2024 (No. 1985) by Leroy Douresseaux

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Running time:  137 minutes (2 hours, 17 minutes)

MPAA – R

DIRECTOR:  James Cameron

WRITERS:  James Cameron and William Wisher

PRODUCER:  James Cameron

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Adam Greenberg (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Mark Goldblatt, Conrad Buff, and Richard A. Harris

COMPOSER:  Brad Fiedel

Academy Award winner

SCI-FI/FANTASY/ACTION/THRILLER

Starring:  Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, Earl Boen, Joe Morton, S. Epatha Merkerson, Castulo Guerra, Danny Cooksey, Jenette Goldstein, Xander Berkeley, De Vaughn Nixon, and Michael Edwards

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 American science fiction film and action-drama from director James Cameron.  Also known as “T2” and “T2: Judgment Day,”, it is a direct sequel to the film, The Terminator (1984), and is also the second entry in the Terminator film franchise.  Judgment Day focuses on a cyborg that travels from the twenty-first century to protect a boy from a more advanced and powerful cyborg.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day opens in the year 2029.  Earth has been ravaged by the war between the artificial intelligence, Skynet, and the human resistance.  This war started on August 29, 1997, also known as “Judgment Day,” when Skynet launched the United States' entire nuclear arsenal, which started a global war.  Afterwards, humanity emerged to find a devastated world, one filled with the machines – called “Terminators” – that were programmed to kill humans.  Resistance leader, John Connor (Michael Edwards), has lead humanity to the brink of defeating Skynet and its human-killing machines.

Using time machine technology, Skynet sends an advanced prototype Terminator – a T-1000 – back in time to the year 1997 in order to kill 12-year-old John Connor (Edward Furlong).  The T-1000 (Robert Patrick) is made of a “mimetic poly-alloy,” a liquid metal that allows the Terminator to shape-shift.  To protect his younger self, the 2029 John Connor reprograms a model 101 Terminator and sends it back to 1997 to protect young John.  The 101 looks just like the T-800 that traveled from the future to kill John's mother, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), back in the year 1984.

Can Sarah, John, and the model 101 Terminator come together to stop the T-1000, especially after they become fugitives from the law?  Or is this new Terminator simply to advanced and wily to be stopped?

As I write this review, it is Tuesday, September 3, 2024.  In Terminator mythopoeia (not “mythology” and not “lore”), August 29th is “Judgment Day”  and fans of the franchise make note of it.  This year, “Judgment Day” carries a little more relevance because of the arrival of the new Netflix animated series, “Terminator Zero.”  I am planning on watching Episode 1 soon, but I felt that I needed to watch T2 again.  It is the only Terminator film that I have not previously reviewed, and I had not watched it in its entirety in about thirty years, if my memory serves me well.

The Terminator, T2, and the 2003 film, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, form a trilogy of sorts.  In many ways, each film seems like its own thing, with the second and third films officially being sequels.  However, these sequels feel like a hybrid of sequel, remake, and re-imagining.  They contradict the original in some ways and both try to grapple with or correct the franchise's time-traveling shenanigans.

T2 is now acknowledged as being among the greatest science fiction, action, and sequel films in movie history.  It is certainly a landmark film in terms of special visual effects and in the use of CGI (computer-generated imagery).  The transformation and metamorphosis of actor Robert Patrick into the liquid metal, shape-shifting Terminator still wows, impresses, scares, and stuns me over thirty-three years after originally seeing the film.  Some of T2's action scenes and sequences, especially the 18-wheeler tractor unit plunge off the overpass and the motorcycle crash into the helicopter still stop my breath.  The film's director, James Cameron, made one of the most awesome (if not the most awesome) action films of the 1980s in The Terminator with what amounts to a micro-budget for an action and science fiction movie.  With a one-hundred million dollars at his disposal of T2, Cameron and his crew and creative cohorts unleashed the most spectacular action scenes that had been seen in American film to that point.

On the other hand, back when I first saw T2 in 1991, I found it to be bloated.  It is easily twenty minutes too long.  As a character drama trio, Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor, and Edward Furlong as John Connor seem more melodramatic than genuinely dramatic.  Much of the family unit feels contrived.  Schwarzenegger and Furlong have moments that seem poignant, but there are other moments that are made weaker but Furlong's acting inexperience.  That Hamilton had reshaped the soft body she had in the original film into a sinewy, muscular, warrior woman for T2 was and still is impressive.  Her performance in this film, however, is loud, even when it should be quieter and more subtle.

I once said that T2 was a two-and-half out of four stars film.  I don't know if it is nostalgia, but I like the film more now.  Some of it is still landmark and superb, and much of it is very well executed.  Still, I think Terminator 2: Judgment Day needed to be tamed, both in terms of it runtime and in the scope of the story.  In 1991, it was a hugely discussed and anticipated film.  Terminator 2: Judgment Day holds a special place in the filmography of its director, James Cameron.  If it were a better film, it would be at the top, where Avatar is now.

6 of 10

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, September 5, 2024

NOTES:

1992 Academy Awards, USA:  4 wins: “Best Sound” (Tom Johnson,Gary Rydstrom, Gary Summers, and Lee Orloff), “Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing” (Gary Rydstrom and Gloria S. Borders), “Best Effects, Visual Effects” (Dennis Muren, Stan Winston, Gene Warren Jr., and Robert Skotak), and “Best Makeup” (Stan Winston and Jeff Dawn); 2 nominations: “Best Cinematography” (Adam Greenberg) and “Best Film Editing” (Conrad Buff IV, Mark Goldblatt, and Richard A. Harris)

1992 BAFTA Awards;  2 wins: “Best Sound” (Lee Orloff, Tom Johnson. Gary Rydstrom, and Gary Summers) and “Best Special Visual Effects” (Stan Winston, Dennis Muren, Gene Warren Jr., and Robert Skotak); 1 nomination: “Best Production Design” (Joseph C. Nemec III)

2023 National Film Preservation Board, USA:  “National Film Registry”

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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"USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS" Concert Film Opens Sept. 12th

USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS Concert Film Coming to Global Cinemas Beginning September 12, 2024

Filmed during USHER’s 2023 eight-concert performance in Paris, USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS features chart-topping hits “Yeah!,” “My Boo,” & More

AMC Theatres Distribution and Trafalgar Releasing have partnered with Sony Music Vision to bring the highly anticipated concert film to fans in cinemas around the world between September 12 - 15

Tickets will be available for purchase beginning August 6 at UsherinParis.com

Film clip available here: https://youtu.be/6h6527rR16Q

LEAWOOD, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--USHER, the globally renowned singer, songwriter, dancer and entrepreneur, with over 80 million records sold worldwide and 8 GRAMMY® Awards, is bringing the ultimate intimate concert experience to theaters this fall. AMC Theatres® (NYSE:AMC), the largest theatrical exhibitor in the United States and the world, Trafalgar Releasing and Sony Music Vision, today announced that USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS concert film will arrive in cinemas around the world for a limited run beginning September 12, 2024.

“Paris was a special experience for me as an entertainer and for my fans”

USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS incorporates the essence of his landmark cultural phenomenon Vegas residencies into a seductive French touch confession. Captured during Paris Fashion week at La Seine Musicale, the film features chart-topping hits including “Yeah!,” “My Boo,” “Love In This Club” and more from USHER’s 30-year career, performed with never-before-seen costumes and state-of-the-art lighting and special effects. In addition to bringing the vibrant live concert experience to screen, USHER gives audiences a glimpse inside life beyond the stage – creating a global moment that moviegoers won’t want to miss.

USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS will screen in 2,000 cinemas worldwide, including approximately 1,000 cinemas in the United States. The film will play at AMC and ODEON locations, and many other locations globally. Worldwide screening details and ticketing will be available at UsherinParis.com on August 6 at 9:00 a.m. ET / 6:00 a.m. PT. Fans are encouraged to sign up for further information. Screenings will take place between September 12 – 15 and may vary by location.

The concert film will be released in the U.S. and globally by Trafalgar Releasing, in partnership with AMC Theatres Distribution. AMC and ODEON will provide core marketing support for the film in the U.S. and international markets. Sony Music Vision is the distributor of all rights excluding theatrical.

“Paris was a special experience for me as an entertainer and for my fans,” said USHER. “I hope those who weren’t able to make it in person get to experience how special it was. As for those of you who were, I hope you experience the show and see what it takes to get there through a different lens.”

“For 30 years USHER has captivated and entertained audiences through his music and concerts. Just a few months ago, he drew rave reviews for his stunning performance in front of 129 million people during the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Bringing his unparalleled concert experience to movie theatres for his fans around the world is a perfect fit for AMC Theatres Distribution,” said Adam Aron, Chairman and CEO, AMC Theatres.

Marc Allenby, CEO, Trafalgar Releasing, added, “We are excited to continue our partnership with Sony Music Vision and AMC Theatres Distribution to bring the energy of USHER to movie theater audiences around the world. He is the perfect artist to support our shared vision of creating global experiences around concert films for artists that advance the evolution of the cinema into venues for all forms of entertainment.”

USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS is a film by and directed by Anthony Mandler. It is a production of Arcovision, Kingdom Films and Laffitte Group Productions. The film is produced by Anthony Mandler, Usher Raymond and Ron Laffitte. Executive Producers for Kingdom Films are Aakomon Jones and Angelo Gopee. Executive Producer for Arcovision is Kwesi Collisson. Executive Producers for Sony Music are Tom Mackay, Richard Story and Krista Wegener.

About AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.:

AMC is the largest movie exhibition company in the United States, the largest in Europe and the largest throughout the world with approximately 900 theatres and 10,000 screens across the globe. AMC has propelled innovation in the exhibition industry by: deploying its Signature power-recliner seats; delivering enhanced food and beverage choices; generating greater guest engagement through its loyalty and subscription programs, website, and mobile apps; offering premium large format experiences and playing a wide variety of content including the latest Hollywood releases and independent programming. In 2023 AMC launched AMC Theatres Distribution with the highly successful releases of TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR and RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ. Most recently, AMC worked with recording artist Billie Eilish to host listening events for her album “Hit Me Hard and Soft” in theaters around the country. AMC Theatres Distribution expects to release more concert films and events with the world’s leading musical artists in the years ahead. For more information, visit www.amctheatres.com.

About Trafalgar Releasing:

Trafalgar Releasing, the global leader in event cinema distribution, harnesses the power of cinema to bring fans together in more than 15,000 cinemas across 132 countries. A subsidiary of Trafalgar Entertainment, Trafalgar Releasing’s operations include production, acquisition, marketing, and distribution of live or pre-recorded content to cinemas worldwide led by an international team based in the UK, US and Germany. Featuring live concerts, music documentaries, world-class opera, award-winning theatre, and more from leading names in entertainment such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, BTS, Metallica, Oasis, Coldplay, Billie Eilish, the Royal Opera House and others, Trafalgar Releasing has repeatedly shattered event cinema box office records, most recently with international distribution for TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR, the highest-grossing concert film of all time. Information about Trafalgar Releasing can be found at www.trafalgar-releasing.com.

About Sony Music Vision:

At Sony Music Vision, we bring film and television storytelling to life for our industry-leading creative talent and iconic music catalog around the world. We pair world class filmmakers with groundbreaking and legendary artists to create, finance, produce and distribute powerful content that features unique access to our archives and vast portfolio of music. A full-service content studio, we collaborate globally across the Sony entertainment companies to engage audiences with premium film and TV projects, including documentary and narrative feature films, as well as television specials and unscripted and scripted series.

About USHER:

USHER has changed music, culture, and countless lives. The multiple GRAMMY Award-winning diamond-selling international megastar, dancer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist inspires change yet again.

Beyond selling over 80 million records worldwide and collecting dozens of awards, he has simultaneously lit up the small screen on NBC’s The Voice and the big screen in blockbusters such as Hustlers. He has also tirelessly distinguished himself as a devout humanitarian, raising tens of millions of dollars for various causes and uplifting youth via his New Look Foundation. Since 1999 he has been providing opportunities for young people in underserved communities and enabling them to flourish and achieve seemingly impossible dreams. A long-time supporter and Global Citizen Ambassador, USHER has performed at events since 2015 raising awareness to defeat poverty, defend the planet, and demand equity. A true outlier, he was equally at home on the stage of his sold-out My Way Las Vegas residency as he was on a 2016 government cultural mission to Cuba as part of President Barack Obama’s Presidential Committee for Arts and Humanities. In 2024 he will be celebrating 30 years as an entertainer, headlined the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show and released his ninth studio album, COMING HOME.

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JUL240010 MINOR ARCANA #1 CVR A LEMIRE $4.99

JUL240011 MINOR ARCANA #1 CVR B LOTAY $4.99

JUL240015 MINOR ARCANA #1 CVR F FOC REVEAL VAR FRISON $4.99

JUL240017 MINOR ARCANA #1 CVR H ERICA SLAUGHTER VAR $4.99

JUN248613 MINOR ARCANA #1 CVR I FOC REVEAL VAR FRISON FOIL $5.99

JUN248462 MMPR DARKEST HOUR #1 2ND PTG DESIGN VAR (C: 1-0-0) $7.99

APR240073 ONCE & FUTURE DLX ED HC BOOK 02 (C: 0-1-2) $49.99

JUL240056 RANGER ACADEMY #10 CVR A MERCADO (C: 1-0-0) $3.99

JUL240057 RANGER ACADEMY #10 CVR B PINK BLANK SKETCH VAR (C: 1-0-0) $3.99

JUN248465 RED BEFORE BLACK #1 (OF 6) 2ND PTG ZONJIC (MR) $4.99

JUN240150 UNCANNY VALLEY #5 (OF 6) CVR A WACHTER $4.99

JUN240151 UNCANNY VALLEY #5 (OF 6) CVR B HOWELL $4.99

JUN240059 WYND SWEATSHIRT HOODIE XXL $39.99

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DC Comics Shipping from Lunar Distributors for September 4, 2024

DC COMICS:

Absolute Power #3 (Of 4)(Cover A Dan Mora), $4.99

Absolute Power #3 (Of 4)(Cover B Ivan Talavera Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Absolute Power #3 (Of 4)(Cover C Carla Cohen Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Absolute Power #3 (Of 4)(Cover D Mike Deodato Jr Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Absolute Power #3 (Of 4)(Cover E Stephen Bliss Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Absolute Power #3 (Of 4)(Cover F Marc Aspinall Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Absolute Power #3 (Of 4)(Cover G Mikel Janin Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Absolute Power #3 (Of 4)(Cover H John Timms Connecting Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Absolute Power #3 (Of 4)(Cover I Trevor Hairsine Raised UV Foil Variant), $7.99

Absolute Power #3 (Of 4)(Cover J Mark Spears Power Participation Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Amazons Attack TP, $16.99

Batman #152 (Cover A Salvador Larroca)(Absolute Power), $4.99

Batman #152 (Cover B Guillem March Card Stock Variant)(Absolute Power), $5.99

Batman #152 (Cover C Dave Johnson Card Stock Variant)(Absolute Power), $5.99

Batman #152 (Cover D Nicola Scott Artist Spotlight Card Stock Variant)(Absolute Power), $5.99

Batman #152 (Cover E Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez & Joe Prado Hispanic Heritage Month Card Stock Variant)(Absolute Power), $5.99

Batman #152 (Cover F Gabriele Dell'Otto Batman 85th Anniversary Card Stock Variant)(Absolute Power), $5.99

Batman #152 (Cover G Belen Ortega Card Stock Variant)(Absolute Power), AR

Batman #152 (Cover H Joelle Jones Card Stock Variant)(Absolute Power), AR

Batman #152 (Cover I Joe Quinones Beetlejuice Card Stock Variant)(Absolute Power), AR

Batman And Scooby-Doo Mysteries #9 (Cover A Dario Brizuela), $2.99

Batman And Robin And Howard Summer Breakdown #3 (Of 3)(Cover A Jeffrey Brown), $4.99

Batman And Robin And Howard Summer Breakdown TP, $12.99

Batman City Of Madness HC, $29.99

Batman Family Year One Box Set, $59.99

Birds Of Prey #13 (Cover A Leonardo Romero), $3.99

Birds Of Prey #13 (Cover B Ejikure Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Birds Of Prey #13 (Cover C Gavin Guidry Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Birds Of Prey #13 (Cover D Nicola Scott Artist Spotlight Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Birds Of Prey #13 (Cover E Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez & Joe Prado Hispanic Heritage Month Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Birds Of Prey #13 (Cover F Travis Mercer Card Stock Variant), AR

DCeased War Of The Undead Gods TP, $19.99

Detective Comics #400 (Facsimile Edition)(Cover A Neal Adams), $3.99

Detective Comics #400 (Facsimile Edition)(Cover B Neal Adams Foil Variant), $5.99

Detective Comics #400 (Facsimile Edition)(Cover C Blank Variant), $4.99

Elseworlds Superman Volume 1 TP (2024 Edition), $34.99

Flashpoint TP (2024 Edition), $19.99

Harley Quinn And The Gotham City Sirens TP (DC Compact Comics Edition), $9.99

Joker Killer Smile TP, $19.99

Joker TP (DC Compact Comics Edition), $9.99

Justice Society Of America #11 (Of 12)(Cover A Mikel Janin), $3.99

Justice Society Of America #11 (Of 12)(Cover B Tony Harris Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Justice Society Of America #11 (Of 12)(Cover C Travis Mercer Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Justice Society Of America #11 (Of 12)(Cover D Marco Santucci Card Stock Variant), $4.99

My Adventures With Superman #4 (Of 6)(Cover A Li Cree), $3.99

My Adventures With Superman #4 (Of 6)(Cover B Ricardo Lopez Ortiz Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Penguin #12 (Cover A Carmine Di Giandomenico), $3.99

Penguin #12 (Cover B Felipe Massafera Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Plastic Man No More #1 (Of 4)(Cover A Alex Lins), $4.99

Plastic Man No More #1 (Of 4)(Cover B Michael Allred), $4.99

Plastic Man No More #1 (Of 4)(Cover C Chris Samnee), $4.99

Plastic Man No More #1 (Of 4)(Cover D Tyler Boss), AR

Poison Ivy #25 (Cover A Jessica Fong), $5.99

Poison Ivy #25 (Cover B Noobovich Card Stock Variant), $6.99

Poison Ivy #25 (Cover C Marcio Takara Card Stock Variant), $6.99

Poison Ivy #25 (Cover D Brian Bolland Card Stock Variant), $6.99

Poison Ivy #25 (Cover E Brian Bolland Card Stock Variant), AR

Poison Ivy #25 (Cover F Jessica Fong Card Stock Variant), AR

Boy Wonder #5 (Of 5)(Cover A Juni Ba), $5.99

Boy Wonder #5 (Of 5)(Cover B Lea Murawiec), $5.99

Trinity Special World's Finest #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Daniel Sampere), $5.99

Trinity Special World's Finest #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Belen Ortega Card Stock Variant), $6.99

Trinity Special World's Finest #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Sweeney Boo Card Stock Variant), $6.99

Trinity Special World's Finest #1 (One Shot)(Cover D Chrissie Zullo Card Stock Variant), AR

Trinity Special World's Finest #1 (One Shot)(Cover E Saowee Card Stock Variant), AR

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