Announced byComic Odyssey earlier in the day, Fully Booked has officially announced via their Tumblr page that DC Comics artist David Finch will be coming to Manila, Philippines on March 17 and 18 to meet and greet fans at the bookstore's branch at Bonifacio High Street. This comes after last week's unfortunate news, where unforeseen circumstances had to force Mr. Finch to miss his scheduled tour for March 11, 12, and 13. Now the man behind Batman: The Dark Knight is really coming this time, and anyone living in Manila who's a fan of his works and comics will surely want to plan their weekends for this!
"David Finch in Manila has been rescheduled to THIS WEEKEND! :-) We are very happy to announce this and will be releasing the details as soon as we can. Kindly stay tuned and help spread the word to the rest of his fans! :-)"
Be sure to catch David Finch at Fully Booked at BHS this Saturday and Sunday! Also, resident DC Comics cosplayers Justice PH/ Gotham PH and Gotham Madness will be there to support the artist and bookstore, wearing the cape, cowl, and uniforms of the characters from the Batman universe! See you all there!
There's no question that Sci-Fi movies entertain me a great deal, and I enjoy them immensely.
Growing up as a kid, I lived to watch cartoons that took you worlds beyond our own, retaining a semblance of humanity that the viewer could relate to yet mystifying them at the same time. Filmation and Mattel'sHe-Man and The Masters of The Universe served as that childhood springboard into a realm of fantasy, technology, and magic, and much of my imagination and appreciation for popculture stemmed from shows like that. Eventually, I grew to appreciate films of similar nature, namely the 80's Flash Gordon flick and the Star Wars/ Star Trek movies. Little did I know that all these concepts I enjoyed bore fruit because of one hero before his time: John Carter of Mars. Thanks to a special screening by Disney at IMAX in 3D last week, I got the chance to see this adventure, and the hero in it responsible for starting a trend that spanned generations.
Movie: John Carter Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Mark Strong, Dominic West Release Date: March 9, 2012
Based on legendary sci-fi writer Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom series of novels, John Carter is an adaptation of the first book "A Princess Of Mars", and serves as the origin tale showing how Carter made the trip from Earth to Mars and became the hero and adventurer he was destined to be. Played by actor Taylor Kitsch (you know him also as Gambit from X-Men Origins: Wolverine), John Carter started out as a disillusioned American Civil War Confederate Army captain, who lost his family and motivation for fighting for his country. After circumstances see him transported to a mysterious world that later turns out to be Mars, Carter suddenly finds himself with enhanced abilities thanks to the planet's lesser gravity. He soon meets the inhabitants of Barsoom, namely the indigeneous aliens who live there, including the beautiful Martian princess of Helium named Dejah Thoris (played by another X-men Origins star, Lynn Collins). Thrust into the middle of a conflict and conspiracy that could determine the fate of Mars and the entire universe, the man known as John Carter must find it in himself to decide his destiny and finally be the kind of man he was born to be: A hero.
With the character's first appearance dating back to 1912, Disney's John Carter just so happens to be the centenary celebration of the character, and we owe so much to his existence for all the glorious Sc-Fi material enjoyed by millions of readers and viewers over the years. After viewing the film, I immediately compared it to another science fiction work I enjoyed in my youth, namely the Alex Raymond created comic strip "Flash Gordon" (ultimately getting the 80's live action flick of the same name I mentioned earlier). There's a lot similarities and parallels to that work and John Carter, but Burroughs' creation was first and arguably ahead of its time. The author was also responsible for creating another famous character, namely "Tarzan of the Apes", who went on to have several adventures and depictions in various forms of media and literature. "John Carter of Mars" never got that same kind of popularity, but its influence inspired people like George Lucas and James Cameron to develop Sci-Fi concepts that became blockbusters hits, namely "Star Wars" and "Avatar".
John Carter Trailer
As a movie adaptation directed by Finding Nemo and WALL-E director Andrew Stanton, Disney's John Carter serves as wonderful science fiction adventure that the family can go to see. With today's technology allowing much of the special effects to become a reality in movies, bringing the world of Baroom/ Mars is literally a cinch, and the cast only guarantee a grand stage for adventure, with known actors like Willem Dafoe, Mark Strong, and Dominic West providing excellence in their roles, both for voice only and physical roles. However, after a century of inspiring other ideas that borrowed concepts from its own premise, John Carter does feel like a "run-in-the-mill"type of movie that has stuff people may be all too familiar with, not knowing it was the progenitor of it all. It's only drawback is it's a title that doesn't scream epic, rather a character who sounds like a John Doe and not something alluding to Burroughs' prized creation. Marketing has been a little low key to depict the film as an epic, but it does try to bring exposure by offering more clips of its premise, including this 10 minute exclusive sneak peek released by Disney.
John Carter - Exclusive Ten Minute Scene
As for John Carter himself, Taylor Kitsch captures the spirit of things by delivering a heroic performance, but it's going to take more than one movie to convince others of his acting chops, and hopefully this saga will spawn more sequels. I'd love to see Lynn Collins return as Dejah Thoris, and they have chemistry together as a power couple. Oh, and the aliens were funny, especially the big dog that looks like Marvel's Lockjaw. In fact, you have Gambit (Taylor Kitsch), Silverfox (Lynn Collins) Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Sandman (Thomas Hayden Church), and Green Lantern Sinestro (Mark Strong) in this movie... it's comic book movie all star casting here!
Undoubtedly, John Carter will divide fans with the way its presented and marketed, but those willing to step up and take a ride will be presented with an adventure that promises to be fun and captivating for generations new and old alike. It may not be recognized by many as one of the grandfathers of sci-fi adventure, but give it a chance and it may entice you to revisit Burroughs' books that started it all. All it takes is a leap of faith, so disregard whatever mixed opinions there may be... and watch something that keeps the spirit of adventure and fantasy living on forever.
Much of us know him and his legend, and despite lacking powers or abilities that far exceed those of mortal men, Bruce Wayne's alter ego simply kicks ass. No matter how much you look for reasons to justify that he's just one man in a cape and costume, Batman has one superpower that has earned the respect and admiration of his peers, foes, and fans alike - his sheer will and determination. Losing his family to a petty crime and dedicating himself to fighting injustice has been the creed of this character for much of his 70 plus years in comics, and the spirit of the character not only endured with the times, but has influenced us to strive to become our own Batman, in one form or the other.
In my case, I owe it to the legend of The Batman for making me the person I am today, and I'm not just talking about the fact that I cosplay the character (more on that later). Reading his adventures and watching cartoons like "Superfriends" and "Justice League" showed that Batman is certainly not a hero to underestimated, and despite his lack of superpowers, he's not just some rich fellow flaunting that he has fancy rides, gadgets, and a bat cave. He carries himself by refusing to give up, and until every breath of his body is expelled, you won't see him hesitate until he reaches his objective and gets the job done. That display of willpower and resiliency has an impact on you, and if someone like the Batman can do it, why can't you? Simply put, Batman inspires one to take the challenge or answer the call for a cause worth fighting for. He uses intimidation, detective work, and various forms of training and martial arts to get his work done, coupled with access to the latest gadgets and technology money can buy thanks to his dual identity's wealth. You don't have to literally take your life and compare it to Bruce Wayne's, but if you see it as an analogy or parallels of your own life given some similarities, then anything goal is possible if you put your mind into it.
There have been many iterations of The Batman seen through TV and film too, and each carries themselves accordingly to a degree that gives meaning and inspiration to its audience. From Adam West's portrayal of a campy Batman to Michael Keaton's gothic take of the crime fighter, and Kevin Conroy's absolute vocal perfection of a lone dark avenger to Christian Bale's realistic take on one man making a difference as a symbol, there have been countless ways to personify the essence of The Batman in a manner that gives credence to his definition of a man dedicated to his calling, and strives to be the hero everyone deserves who is fair and just. His is the way many envision themselves as, but not everyone can be like him truly. We try each day to make ourselves a "Batman" of sorts, in what we do and how we strive to be the embodiment of a perfect man/ woman who does everything with sheer will and determination to guide them through.
In effect, I have been an avid follower and fan of The Batman since I came to know him, and as a result, I pay tribute to the character and honor his legacy by inspiring others and making fans happy by cosplaying as him during cosplay events and gatherings. I started wearing the cape and cowl with fellow friends and collectors just last year, and collectively we have come to be known as Justice PH, a group who cosplays as the DC Comics Characters who make up the Justice League. We have expanded this far and have met and befriended some fellow like-minded individuals, particularly Young Justice and Gotham Madness, and since then we have established ourselves as fans doing what we do best: paying tribute to our inspirations and heroes the best way we can.
On that note, Fully Booked has invited me and my fellow cosplayers from Gotham PH (a subsidiary of Justice PH) and Gotham Madness to participate and help promote the arrival of DC Comics superstar writer and artist David Finch to Manila this March 11, 12, and 13! As the writer/ artist of ongoing title Batman: The Dark Knight, this is a real treat for Batman fans, and those who know Finch for his works in New Avengers, Moon Knight, and Brightest Day will also be excited to attend this event! Be sure to check out more info from Fully Booked's official website, and please visit/ like our Facebook pages at Timzster, Justice PH, Gotham Madness, Young Justice PH, and Fully Booked!
With all that said, I will commend the Batman for who he is - a hero who proves to be the representation of man's indomitable will, spirit, and heroism to this day! Be sure to also catch Christopher Nolan's epic final chapter of The Dark Knight Saga, when The Dark Knight Rises arrives in conventional theaters and IMAX this July!
