1989 Topps Batman Movie Trading Cards Series 2

Topps Batman S2:  Batman took a beating in the 1989 Batman movie much like he does in today's movies.

Scenes like this really hit well.  Bruce Wayne, the only one not cowering while watching the Joker walk away after causing chaos.  Series 2 is identical to series 1 except for a yellow border.  I like the addition of color.

In this series we get some cards that show off inspiration and movie designs.  Nice photo of the batmobile coming down the alley.

Vicki Vale and Batman hanging on for dear life!

A blockbuster in its day, it delivered with plenty of great visuals and affects in an era when hero movies weren't a thing yet.

The stickers (below) were full page stickers.  Not die cut which was the norm for Topps sets during that era.  These are lots of fun and I'll have to do a rewatch sometime soon.  Or maybe in 2029.

BREAKDOWN:
10 Total Cards
1 – Sticker

1989 Topps Batman Movie Trading Cards Series I

 1989 Batman Trading Cards:  The Batman movie will always hold a special place in my heart.  It was the first great hero movie for me.  It was different from anything we'd ever seen before and while it's not what we expect in today's hero movies, it really hit the mark in 1989.  It was released on today's date that year.

Jack Nicholson's Joker was mean, fun, and a big reason the movie played so well.  His intensity served the character well.  I like the basic design of the set and the nice Batman logo.  Lots of room for the photos.  I would have liked some color on the borders.  Series 2 did give us that, but I'll share a pack of those later this week.

Michael Gough played a really good Alfred.  We didn't have the special effects we get today but they did a really good job giving us plenty of cool set designs and visuals.  The bicentennial parade led us to the climax/ending of the film.

I liked Kim Basinger as the love interest Vicki Vale.

The final fight scene (right) was good.  I don't think of Nicholson as a physical actor, but he and Michael Keaton did a great job.

Again, I really like these cards, and the movie brings back plenty of memories of a movie I still regard highly today.  Below is my sticker from the pack.  I do wish the art matched the Joker movie version.  But still cool.

BREAKDOWN:
10 – Total Cards
1 – Sticker

Batman: The Long Halloween Deluxe Edition

The Long Halloween:  I'm a fan of this Batman comic arc.  This deluxe edition is parts one and two of the animated take on the story.  Parts one and two were originally sold separately.  It is a good adaptation.  They make choices for the sake of animation like they do with any story that is done but overall it is a good job.  Splitting it into two parts was a must as there is so much to tell.  It isn't going to be the most action packed animated movie you'll watch but it is good who done it that involves a big part of the Batman Universe.  I do think I figured out who the killer was fairly early but I was never sure.  

The characters I enjoyed the most were Harvey Dent, Catwoman and Batman.  Not a huge suprise as they get the most screen time aside from Gordon but I like the characters.  Most of the villains are done well too but don't as much time to shine.  A few get more time than others and stand out including Calendar Man and Poison Ivy.  This is a must see for anyone that's a fan of Batman and DC animated movies should see this one.  DC does a good job bring stories to the screen in animated form.

SYNOPSIS:

Taking place during Batman 's early days of crime fighting, The Long Halloween tells the story of a mysterious killer named Holiday, who murders people on holidays, one each month.

Batman MetaX Game Cards

Batman MetaX:  Picked these up last year when they showed up in the wild and were basically the only things on the shelves.  I'm not into the game but as a nerd I do enjoy the characters and art.  This is very topical with The Batman doing so well in theaters right now.

Hard to find out a lot about the individual cards but it has a pretty good checklist.  I like many of the characters in the Batman universe.  Batgirl is one of my favorites.  Many of the ladies from his comics are favorites. 

Seems like they are using art previously done by comic artists which is pretty cool.  It means some of the art is familiar like Bane breaking Batman's back which is a cover from the Knightfall story arc.

Not all of the art is a hit to me but I'm good with seeing art I'm not familiar with and possibly becoming a fan.  Not sure who that is on the middle card. 

That Deathstroke is a "rare" card.  Again tracking down specifics on these are very tough so I'm not totally sure of that or what it means.  These are definitely fun.  The art and characters make them a win.  I don't think I'd pick up the entire set but I would be tempted to pick up another pack if I saw them on the shelves again.

BREAKDOWN:
36 – Total Cards (3 Packs)
1 – Rare?

The Batman (No Spoilers)

Saw The Batman last night.   Wow it is crazy good!  It's not like any Batman movie we've ever seen before but that is a good thing.  I'm not banging on the previous Batman movies but saying this was one is so good in a different way.  All the actors did really well.  The story and characters kept me invested throughout and and the three hour run time wasn't an issue.  Go see the movie.  It was so fun on the big screen.  My adult son and daughters have seen it as well and all loved it.  I want to say this one tops The Dark Knight but I'm not sure yet if it is too soon to make that call.  Again this isn't like any Batman movie you've seen before but you'll be happy it isn't.

Batman: The Killing Joke Animated Movie

 Batman: The Killing Joke (2016): The Batman graphic novel The Killing Joke is a heralded story in the great history of Batman.  Written by Alan Moore (Watchmen) it didn't shy about taking Joker's brutality to another level.  I thought the comic was a good read though I don't think of it as an all-time favorite.  I'm not surprised it got the animated treatment and it didn't shy away from the material receiving an R rating.  I finally got around to watching it and liked the movie which centers around Batman, Batgirl, Commissioner Gordon and the Joker.  It was done well and kept my interest.  If you liked the graphic novel you'll like this though there are differences in where they take Batman and Batgirl's relationship.  If you are a fan of Batman you'll want to see this.  It's just not the standard animated comic movie and remember it isn't for kids.  My daughter is a huge Batman fan and enjoyed the film which she saw in theaters.  She wasn't sure about a few things they did with the storyline but overall liked it.  I won't get into specifics because it'd be too easy to give away spoilers but wanted to throw out my thoughts for anyone interested.

2014 Christmas Swag Part I

Santa Clause left the Hot Wheels 75th Anniversary Batman collection under the tree for me Thursday.  It is a collection of eight vehicles from the various movies, video games, TV shows and cartoons.  I love that the set has such a variety of vehicles.  Included in the set are The Batman Batmobile, Batman Arkham Asylum Batmobile, Batman Batcopter, Batman Live Batmobile, Batman Movie Batmobile, Batman The Brave & The Bold Batmobile, The Dark Knight Rises The Bat, Batman Classic TV Series Batmobile. 

I don't think you could convince me to say the '66 Batmobile from the TV series isn't my favorite.  That said I do really like some of the other vehicles.  The best among the rest is the Arkham Asylum Batmobile.  It is a cool rugged looking version of Batman's wheels.  The Bat is also a nice looking car and from what I've read is a bit different from previous versions in that it has a blue hue.  I also really like the Batman Brave and the Bold and it's slick look.  Can't go wrong with any of these vehicles though. 

Now I have to decide what to do with them.  I normally open all my Hot Wheels because half the fun is being able to touch them and of course play with them as well.  These come in special packaging with artwork from the source Batman property.  I like the packaging as a whole.  I'm leaning towards leaving them in the package.  I'm very limited on where I could display them but I'm thinking it is worth figuring out.  Anyway I hope you all had a great Christmas and once again thank you to Santa Clause!