These new TV spots don’t really give us much more information than we already have. Still, it’s nice to see the PR machine is cranking up to full power in anticipation of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises.

Of course, if you’re like us, you don’t really need a reason to see this movie and will probably be there at midnight when it opens. That doesn’t mean it isn’t fun to see these new TV spots.

Although, and maybe I’m in the minority here, I’m still not sold on Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. Sorry folks, she just seems like the weakest link here and I can’t shake that feeling no matter how much I try. Let’s hope she doesn’t ruin the experience.

The Dark Knight Rises hits theatrs on July 20. Click through for the videos.

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The DC animated universe is fantastic. Bruce Timm has been masterminding gold standard animation for nearly two decades, and his crew is finally taking on one of the most important Batman stories ever told, Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns.

This epic two-part animated event has already been officially announced, but The Hollywood Reporter has announced the principle voice cast:

Peter Weller (Robocop) will star as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Modern Family’s middle child Ariel Winter will play Robin… Also in the cast are David Selby, the veteran actor who starred in the original Dark Shadows soap opera as well as the classic 1980s soap Falcon Crest; Wade Williams (Prison Break) as Harvey Dent/Two-Face; and Michael McKean as Dr. Wolper, the psychiatrist who releases the Joker from the insane asylum.

Fan favorite Michael Ironside played the role in a classic episode of Batman: The Animated Series that payed homage to the seminal story. While it would have been nice symmetry to have him back, Peter Weller is an amazing choice for the role.

The story is being split into two animated features, the first of which will be hitting shelves later this year, followed by the second part in early 2013.

The Dark Knight Rises looms. As The Avengers makes ungodly sums of money and other potential blockbusters come and go, the true tenor of the season wont be determined until Batman has his say.

Warner Bros. has released a new one sheet for the anticipate super hero conclusion, and it really plays up the ‘fire rises’ motif that has been a constant in the marketing. The ad campaign for the sequel has thus far been much less interesting than for The Dark Knight.

The viral aspects seem to cause less of a fervor among fans, there is nothing like those variant Joker tagged posters that popped up in theaters after a few months of the regular ones hanging on those walls. Just on the whole the marketing for this movie just seems to have less impact. Of course this could be on purpose, you don’t need much impact when everyone and their mother saw the last film.It is still interesting to see the different tactics in play.

As for the quality of this particular poster, it is rather nice. Getting a splash of color in there is a good touch, and I like the symmetry of this design and some of the earlier teasers.

Check out the full poster after the jump.

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If you were a fan of the CW show Smallville you probably already know that the show has continued on in digital comic book form with Smallville Season 11. What you may not know is that, according to DC, once three issues of the digital comic are released, they will be collected in a print version and sold in comic book stores.

That first three-issue printed version is now available. But wait, there’s more. Not only will the printed comic contain the first three issues of Smallville Season 11, it will also include new, bonus content like episode guides and more.

The first print issue is available now with the next digital chapter of Smallville Season 11 coming out on Friday, May 18. Check out the full release schedule after the break.

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The Dark Knight Rises is going to be a big film, and now we know that has more than one meaning. The blockbuster is going to be setting a new standard for how much IMAX native footage is released for a Hollywood feature film.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Christopher Nolan’s Bat-Finale will include the most actual IMAX footage of any studio film before it:

When Mr. Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises” opens July 20, it will contain the most IMAX footage ever for a Hollywood feature, more than one hour’s worth. There were 40 minutes of such footage in 2008′s “The Dark Knight”—which set box-office records in its opening weekend.

IMAX’s summer slate also includes potential blockbusters “The Avengers,” “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “Men in Black 3,” Tim Burton’s gothic comedy “Dark Shadows,” and Ridley Scott’s 3-D “Prometheus.” Mr. Nolan’s film was the only one shot using IMAX cameras; the others were converted using IMAX’s technology.

Sounds exciting. These Nolan Bat-Films are paving the way for the first truly IMAX movie. Sure the cameras and tech have been around for ages, but up till know it was used for nature docs and educational programming. We want to see what true film-making legends can do with the tech. IMAX is always going to be more immersive than traditional movies, so this can only be a big win movie goers.

Remember back before we had multi-billion dollar movies in theaters showcasing our favorite heroes doing the things we had them doing with action figures in your garage decades ago? Just me? Probably, but that doesn’t mean most of you didn’t want to do the same, and now DC and LEGO are giving you the chance to do it in style with their brand new app, LEGO Super Heroes Movie Maker.

The app is to celebrate the new marriage of LEGO and Warner Bros.’ famed DC list of characters, in the DC Super Heroes line of toys and video games. The app works pretty simply, but is also perfect for those with a good amount of time and patience. Here’s how they break it down.

Bring the LEGO DC Universe Super Heroes to life with the LEGO DC Super Heroes Movie Maker. The free app lets you bring your blocks to life using simple tools and guides that make it easy to shoot, edit, even score your movie with music. Add one of the customizable title cards and share your directorial debut online.

You can get the app now for free in the iTunes App Store, or just wait for it to hit your non-iPhone sometimes soon. In the meantime, check out their trailer for the app after the jump.

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With the release of Christoper Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises inching ever closer we can expect to see more and more information about the film start to come out. This time around we’ve got new images from the film which appeared in Entertainment Weekly and were generously scanned by the folks at Batman News.

In them we get a look at our major players including a very good opportunity to see just what Anne Hathawy’s Catwoman outfit is all about. Like we’ve heard from others around the Interwebs (and around The Flickcast’s water cooler), we’re not completely in love with the look.

That said, we’re more than willing to give Nolan the benefit of the doubt here. He’s proven time and again that he’s a guy who knows exactly what he’s doing.

Plus, Tom Hardy’s Bane looks pretty badass and so does, not surprisingly, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character. He looks pretty at home with that firearm. Wonder how he’d look in the Batsuit?

Anyway, check out some more pics after the break. Look for The Dark Knight Rises in theaters and IMAX on July 20.

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There is a new Superman movie on the way folks. It may not arrive for over a year, but the film is coming and director Zack Snyder hopes to put his visual stamp all over it.

The first of many changes that Superman will have in Man of Steel is his logo. Not a terribly huge alteration on the classic “S “shield, but a change none the less. This S has all sorts of swooshy textures going through it. As well as some hints of some type of rock. I guess the texture of steel didn’t pop as much.

We here at The Flickcast try to look past the general fan boy gripes and judge elements of movies based on the context of said movie. That said, this new logo presents some troubling portents of things to come.

One, it is dark and gritty. The one thing Superman should never be is dark and gritty. He is hope, optimism, justice and faith all wrapped up in a single package. That certainly can be corny in this day and age, but when done right Superman can be a beacon of fun in an otherwise dreary era of DC cinematic adaptations.

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Sony Pictures has just acquired the rights to Valiant Comics character, Bloodshot.

The protagonist of Bloodshot is Angelo Mortalli, a ruthless killer for the mob who is set up by the family and framed for a murder. He instead goes into Witness Protection, but is betrayed by an FBI agent guarding him, kidnapped and forcibly subjected to an experimental program in which his body is injected with microscopic computers called nanites.

They erase his brain and rebuild it and his body to be a weapon with superhuman strength and healing powers, known as Bloodshot. Bloodshot eventually escapes his makers and their control. He then seeks revenge on all who wronged him, and even though he is no longer the same person he once was, he tries to find his old identity and answers about his past.

The character of Bloodshot originated as a character for Valiant Comics in 1992 and appeared in over 70 issues, becoming the cornerstone of the Valiant Universe. Valiant was a leading comic company from 1992-1994, bringing unheard of competition for the two largest  comic companies in the world,  Marvel and DC. Unfortunately in 1994 investors pulled out of the company and it was sold to Acclaim Entertainment, who decided that the comics should no longer published, leaving the properties in limbo for almost 20 years.

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Following in the fine tradition of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and comic bok adaptations of other great shows like Battlestar Galactica and more, the CW’s television series Smallville will also live on. That’s right Smallville fans, your favorite show will live on in the form of a new comic book series from DC.

According to DC, the new comic will pick up where the TV series ended and continue the adventures of a young Clark Kent as he comes to grips with being the greatest superhero of all time: The Man of Steel.

Here’s all the scoop on Smallville Season 11 directly from DC:

Written by former Smallville show scribe Bryan Q. Miller, the new digital first series will be published digitally on April 13, 2012, with new digital chapters released weekly thereafter. Additionally, the online chapters will be offered in a print periodical, along with an episode guide to the hit television series, with the first print issue released on May 16.

The new comic book series picks-up where the show left off (with Clark officially now as Superman!) and features other fan-favorite characters including Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, Chloe Sullivan-Queen, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and General Lane. The book features an all-star creative team – in addition to Miller, SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 creators include print cover artist Gary Frank (SUPERMAN SECRET ORIGIN), digital cover artist Cat Staggs and interiors by Pere Perez (BATGIRL).

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We know a good internet video trend when we see one. Since the turn of the new year, the new one seems to be taking a satirical (and 100% accurate) look at specific things that a group of people tend to say adnauseum.

Whether it’s Girls, Broke People, Blind People, or even White Girls, the trend is absolutely at an all-time high right now. With that, where is the cracks on people like us? The NERDS?

That’s where Jawiin on YouTube comes in. Daylighting as our very own comic reviewer Jason Inman, Jaawin put together this little tribute to the “sh*t people say” trend by bringing it home for the comic book fans.

So if you’ve ever been in a comic store, convention, or even know someone who’s a dedicated comic fan, this video will certainly apply to you. Check it out after the jump.

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Smallville was a smashing success, lasting for a decade and keeping the worlds most well known super hero relevant during one of his weakest eras. The CW would love to rekindle that flame with a brand new hour long drama chronicling another DC comics super hero.

Deadline is reporting that the CW has ordered a pilot for a new series based on Green Arrow, the Robin Hood-ian hero who uses impeccable marksmanship and goofy arrows to thwart villains.

The CW is finalizing a deal for a pilot order to Arrow, an hourlong superhero drama based on DC Comics’ Green Arrow. It is written and executive produced by The Green Lantern co-writers Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim and Fringe and Vampire Diaries alum Andrew Kreisberg. I hear that David Nutter will likely direct the project, which takes the comic book character, created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, and sets him in a new world with an original story that is not based on the comics, published by DC Entertainment.

Green Arrow is no where near as well known as Superman, but timing might be just right for the archery themed hero. With The Avengers coming out this summer featuring Marvel’s main bowman, Hawkeye, people might ready to accept Green Arrow as the lead in his own show.

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