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DC Universe's flagship show 'Titans' renewed for third season
DC Universe's fate is less than certain, but it's clear that at least one marquee series is safe. DC and WarnerMedia have renewed Titans for a third season -- the first DC Universe original to get the nod a second time. While there aren't details of what that next season will entail, it's expected sometime in fall 2020.
Second season of DC's 'Doom Patrol' will also stream on HBO Max
Those murmurs of WarnerMedia making DC Universe's shows more widely available? They're true. DC's Doom Patrol has been renewed for a second season, and it'll be available on both DC Universe and HBO Max when it resumes in 2020. The move will also bring the superhero series' first season to HBO Max. There's no word on other shows following suit, but this could be a test case. It wouldn't be surprising if other shows followed suit if viewership soared.
DC's full comics catalog is available through DC Universe
DC Universe is acting on its promise to deliver DC's full comic book library -- more or less. As of now, subscribers to the service have access to 21,000 issues stretching over 80 years, so long as a given issue was released at least one year before a given date. You can't use this to catch up on the latest story lines, but this should help you find a beloved issue of Batman or Wonder Woman without having to buy it or subscribe to a separate comics-only offering.
DC Universe starts streaming on Xbox One this month
DC Universe hasn't been available on consoles so far, but the comic-oriented service is taking care of that omission in very short order. As of April (possibly as soon as April 15th), DC Universe will be available on Xbox One -- you could play a round of Injustice and watch a Batman movie immediately afterward. The functionality is the same as in earlier apps, complementing the videos with DC's comic book library, community features, merch and news.
DC Universe offers access to DC's full library of digital comics
You'd have thought that DC Universe would provide full access to every DC comic, but not so -- even after an expansion, you've had to sift through a "curated" selection. Your options are about to expand, thankfully. As of April, DC Universe will provide full access to DC's digital comic library in April. Any given issue will have to be at least a year old, but you'll get to read comics dating back 80 years. while the company didn't put out a full list, you'll likely have the chance to flip through early Action Comics and Detective Comics issues. The pricing won't change, DC said.
DC Universe celebrates Batman's birthday with free access March 30th
Batman is about to celebrate his 80th 'birthday' (his first appearance in Detective Comics) on March 30th, and DC Universe is using that as an opportunity to hand out more freebies. The service is providing free access to a wide swath of its Batman movies, TV shows and (of course) comics for 24 hours that day, starting at midnight ET. It doesn't include everything -- most notably, Christopher Nolan's movies still aren't an option. However, you'll still have access to quite a large chunk of the Dark Knight's catalog.
DC Universe will let you try its exclusive shows for free
Streaming services don't usually give out free episodes or allow users to access their lineup without signing up for a trial period anymore. Now, DC Universe is moving away from those practices, perhaps in an effort to give fence-sitting fans and skeptical viewers the chance to sample its offerings. It's giving everyone free access to the first episodes of Titans, Doom Patrol and Young Justice: Outsiders, starting today (March 15th) until March 29th.
The Suicide Squad comes to Lego Batman 3 in early 2015
Following Warner Bros.' recent announcement that a film based on DC Comics' Suicide Squad will debut in 2016, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has announced that Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham will soon receive Suicide Squad-themed DLC. Excuse me, that should read "The Squad." Despite taking place within Belle Reve prison and granting players control of iconic Suicide Squad fixtures like Deadshot, Captain Boomerang and Deathstroke, the DLC and its characters are only ever referred to as "The Squad." Much as comic book devotees might hate the change, this makes sense. The grim moniker isn't central to the group's appeal and Lego Batman 3 is aimed at a younger crowd. Plus, the DLC's description makes no mention of the explosive collars that earned the Suicide Squad its name, so it seems likely that the more graphic elements of the comics have been excised from the DLC or purposely shied away from. Still, any excuse to feature Amanda Waller in a video game is a good one, even if her team is less sociopathic than usual. The Squad will be available in early 2015. It will be priced at $3, but can also be purchased alongside all of the other Lego Batman 3 DLC packs in the game's $15 season pass. [Image: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment]
Doodle Jump DC Super Heroes offers a not-so-serious Batman
Doodle Jump DC Super Heroes is the Batman game iPhone deserves, but is it the one it needs right now? Who cares, it's a cute re-skin of Lima Sky's bouncy vertical platformer that swaps in batsuits, arch-nemeses like the Joker, and bat-powers that include the bat-grappling gun, bat-copter and... er, bat-trampoline. Still, nothing beats an old-fashioned bat-climb. It's free to download right now (in-app purchases are tied to crystals that you can collect by playing), and the Batman episode is one of a number of DC Comics installments coming to the game. According to Warner Bros, future updates will include Superman and Wonder Woman, along with their respective galleries of rogues. And if that's not enough mobile DC Comics tie-in for you, there's always the roster of heroes coming to Puzzle and Dragons next week. [Image: WBIE]
DC superheroes team up with Puzzle & Dragons next week
A limited-time in-game event will introduce several DC Universe characters to the world of Puzzle & Dragons next week, mobile publisher GungHo announced. Starting on November 10, Puzzle & Dragons players can access a new dungeon populated by familiar faces from DC comics. Superman, Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, and others will appear both as combatants and as recruitable characters that players can win via an in-game rare egg machine. Next week's crossover follows up on previous GungHo partnerships that introduced guest characters from Batman: Arkham Origins, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Dragon Ball Z. At long last, universes will collide and fanfiction will become reality as Superman teams up with Asuka Langley and Goku in custom player parties. This is a thing that will happen. This is a thing that must happen. Puzzle & Dragons' DC Comics dungeon will be open through November 23. [Image: GungHo]
Barely Related: Marvel's Civil War, DC movies galore
Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs. Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
DC Comics is publishing a Mortal Kombat X komic
Look, we get it. You're thinking about picking up Mortal Kombat X next year, but there's a problem. You missed the last Mortal Kombat, and you're worried that Mortal Kombat X's plot will leave you totally lost. But never fear, lapsed virtual pugilists, because DC Comics has announced that it will publish a prequel comic series. The new series "will serve as a prequel to the game and will feature many favorite characters and the next generation of Kombatants," according to DC, and will be written by Shawn Kittelsen with illustrations by Dexter Soy and cover art courtesy of Ivan Reis. The series is set to debut in January 2015, at which point we can finally learn why that Scorpion guy is so crabby.
Conan O'Brien, Daffy Duck and more join LEGO Batman 3
Late night TV host Conan O'Brien will be a playable character in the upcoming LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, according to a New York Comic-Con panel for the game. Ironically, the man who calls himself a "clueless gamer" will also act as a sort of guide for players, showing them around a game he may not really know much about himself. Warner Bros. and Traveller's Tales also introduced several other characters and alternate costumes, including Solar Suit Superman, Darkest Knight, Man-Bat and, from Batman: The Animated Series, the Condiment King. But a guy shooting ketchup and mustard at people can't compare to playable character The Green Loontern, which is what happens when Duck Dodgers (played by Daffy Duck) puts on a Green Lantern outfit. And you thought it was kinda weird when Kevin Smith showed up to help save the world. [Image: WB Interactive]
Batman: Arkham Knight leaves the cave in June 2015
Batman: Arkham Knight is due out worldwide on June 2, 2015, Warner Bros. and DC announced today. In June this year, Arkham Knight was delayed into 2015. The launch date announcement comes with descriptions of two special editions, the Limited Edition and the Batmobile Edition. Both will be available in limited quantities in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The Limited Edition comes with an art book, SteelBook case and game disc, the Arkham Knight #0 comic, an exclusive skin pack with three The New 52 skins, and a Batman memorial statue. It's $100 (€120, £90) for PS4 and Xbox One. It's available for PC in Europe, Australia and New Zealand only, for €100 or £75. The Batmobile Edition is for consoles and comes with everything in the Limited Edition, except that memorial statue. Instead, this deal comes with a transforming Batmobile statue (now the name makes sense). The Batmobile Edition runs $200 (€200, £170).
Lego Batman 3 goes Beyond Gotham on November 11
No longer content with striking fear into the hearts of superstitious criminals in the back alleys of his hometown, Batman is branching out to more exotic climes in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. According to publisher Warner Bros. Interactive, the Dark Knight's latest blocky adventure sees our hero battling Superman villain Brainiac to prevent the destruction of Earth. It seems the hyper-intelligent alien has swiped a handful of Lantern rings and is using their power to shrink worlds for his creepy collection of tiny civilizations. Batman must join forces with the "greatest super heroes and the most cunning villains" to travel through the cosmos, collecting Lantern rings and eventually using their Oan might to topple Brainiac's plot. Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham will debut on November 11. As with all DC Comics/Lego mashups, the game will appear on myriad platforms, including the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PS3, Vita, Wii U, 3DS and PC. [Image: WBIE]
Brainiac has the whole world in his hands in LEGO Batman 3
Forget Gotham, it's the world at stake in LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. Brainiac is collecting planets, and it's up to Batman and other DC heroes (and even some villains) to stop him. While stealing planets isn't cool, at least Brainiac got those pants he wanted. [Image: Warner Bros. Interactive]
DC Universe Online highlights the creation of Batman
It's been 75 years since Batman's creation, and that means everyone is talking about the Dark Knight. More than usual, even. DC Universe Online has gotten in on the action with a series of short videos exploring how Gotham's protector was brought into the game, what players can do to really feel like a part of the bat-family, and what the future holds for everyone's favorite nocturnal billionaire aside from beating up clowns. The videos feature artist Jim Lee, voice actor Kevin Conroy, and various members of the DCUO development team looking at every aspect of the character in the game. There are three different videos past the break, but each one is fairly short -- you can watch them all at once or take them in chunks, whichever you'd prefer. It's a great dose of bat-nostalgia for fans of the game.
Six retailers, six pre-order bonuses for Lego Batman 3
If you're planning to pre-order Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, you've got some homework to do. Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive is rolling out a bevy of pre-order bonuses, but all six are retailer exclusive. In nearly alphabetical order: Amazon offers players a Lego Batgirl keychain, Best Buy hopes to pull in pre-orders with the official Lego Batman 3 digital comic book, while GameStop has a Lego Plastic Man minifigure and Toys R Us is promoting its pre-orders with a Lego Joker keychain. Target and Wal-Mart are the only retailers offering Lego minisets, a Lego Batwing for Target, and a Lego Tumbler for Wal-Mart. Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is currently slated for release on nearly every platform (Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC, Wii U, 3DS) toward the end of 2014. [Image: WBIE]
Barely Related: Harry Potter in his 30s, Seth Rogen's war
Oh, yes, Friday. Oh. Yes. Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs. Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
Barely Related: Star Wars puts Harrison Ford in the hospital
So that was E3. The week was wild for everyone at Joystiq, but now it's time to take a step back and look at some news that isn't within the confines of the gaming industry. Cheers! Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday Saturday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs. Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
