Opening June 14, "Man of Steel" stars Henry Cavill as Superman, Michael Shannon as General Zod, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Russell Crowe as Jor-El, Ayelet Zurer as Lara Lor-Van, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, Antje Traue as Faora, Harry Lennix as General Swanwick and Christopher Meloni as Col. Hardy.

• Steve Younis
• 13 May 2013
• Movie News
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Titled "DNA", this three and a half minute track has been released via RollingStone.com.

"My inspiration for the music came from trying to celebrate all that is good and kind in the people of America's heartland, without cleverness or cynicism. Just from the heart," Zimmer tells Rolling Stone. "I wanted the epic sound of the fields and farms stretching past the horizon, of the wind humming in the telephone wires." But the massive score comes less from Superman's epic battle with villain General Zod and more from his introverted personal issues. "The music is less about the icon that Superman is," Zimmer says, "and more about the outsider with extraordinary powers and his struggle to become a part of humanity."

Produced by Water Tower Music, the highly anticipated "Man of Steel" Soundtrack CD is set for release on June 11, and will be available as a Limited Edition Deluxe CD or Standard Edition CD.

• Steve Younis
• 13 May 2013
• Movie News
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• Steve Younis
• 13 May 2013
• Comic Book News
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It's unknown just how long the costume will remain on display, but their website states that it's there now.

• Steve Younis
• 13 May 2013
• Movie News
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Summer collection inspired by exclusive visit to the DC Comics archives

In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Target Corp. and Warner Bros. Consumer Products, in partnership with DC Entertainment, have teamed up to introduce an extensive summer collection of exclusive Justice League merchandise. The summer collection was inspired by "DC Comics - The New 52" comic book character designs and holds surprises for fans young and old. Featuring the full lineup of DC Comics' iconic Justice League Super Heroes - Aquaman, Batman, Cyborg, The Flash, Green Lantern, Superman and Wonder Woman - the summer collection will launch at all U.S. Target stores and on Target.com beginning May 19.

The summer collection was co-created by the Target and Warner Bros. Consumer Products design teams and features contemporary and nostalgic, vintage-inspired graphics and designs. With more than 50 summer products available exclusively at Target, guests will see the collection come to life in home, stationery, sporting goods, and lawn and garden. Some of the more unexpected items include melamine dinnerware that features a purple and pink-clad Wonder Woman; an apron that transforms the cook into Batman; sand toys that will help beach-goers create Gotham City; and children's Batman, Wonder Woman and The Flash beach towels that double as capes.

"We know Target's guests love discovering unique merchandise, and this collection delivers the unexpected with a dash of great design. Fans of all ages are sure to love these one-of-a-kind summer items," said Greg Van Bellinger, director of product design and development, Target.

"DC Comics' Justice League characters are a powerful assemblage of the most recognizable Super Heroes in the history of comic books. We are incredibly excited to offer fans of all ages a unique collection and collaboration that pairs the heroics of the Justice League characters with the product design and marketing super powers of Target," said Brad Globe, president of Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

In addition to the exclusive summer collection, Target will be part of a broader partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products that will offer more traditional Justice League licensed products. The broader partnership will span more than 20 categories including home, stationery, toys, apparel and accessories. All Justice League licensed products will range from $1 for Justice League temporary tattoos to $59.99 for a Justice League Rocker Chair. Target will also offer Justice League Halloween costumes for kids later this year.

With the release of "Justice League #1" in 2011, DC Entertainment officially kicked off "DC Comics - The New 52" as part of a re-launch of their entire comic book line of 52 new number one issues. "DC Comics - The New 52" Super Heroes are presented in a more contemporary way, including new costumes, characters and storylines.

• Steve Younis
• 13 May 2013
• Merchandise & Miscellaneous News
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Pretty Ugly, LLC. and Warner Bros. Consumer Products, on behalf of DC Entertainment, announced today that they have entered into a co-branded collaboration with DC Comics Super Heroes and UGLYDOLL characters. GUND, a division of Enesco, will produce a diverse range of colorful and collectible Super Hero plush based on the DC Comics and UGLYDOLL character universes. The initial release this fall will be a trio that includes two versions of Ice-Bat as Batman and Babo as Superman.

The plush characters will be offered at retail from $20+ and will be available through Diamond Comics and a broad range of retailers. FUNKO is also set to offer a collection of vinyl figures based on the DC Comics and UGLYDOLL plush collaboration during the holiday season this year. Additional categories of merchandise and collaborative characters will be announced in the coming months.

"We've long admired the fun and unique characters and products that Pretty Ugly designs and we are excited to partner with them so they can put their quirky twist on our iconic Super Heroes," said Karen McTier, executive vice president, domestic licensing and worldwide marketing, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. "Working with the most iconic Super Hero brands has been a dream of ours," said Alita Friedman, Chief Brand Officer of Pretty Ugly, LLC. "We were jumping up and down on both sides of the coast, as every sample that passed through our hands was simply amazing. The final versions are hilarious right down to the fun illustrations and stories on the hang tags. Our brands have the utmost respect for each other."

GUND will be previewing their new collaborative plush merchandise at the summer Gift Shows and ASTRA show in June. Diamond Comics will be exhibiting at San Diego Comic-Con in July and in their infamous Previews catalog. FUNKO and others will launch merchandise in time for the holiday season.

• Steve Younis
• 13 May 2013
• Merchandise & Miscellaneous News
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Mild Mannered Reviews - Superboy #20

Cover date: July 2013

"A Wretched H.I.V.E"

Writer: Justin Jordan
Artists: R.B. Silva, Rob Lean, Kenneth Rocafort & Chriscross
Cover: Ken Lashley with Matt Yackey

Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel

• Steve Younis
• 13 May 2013
• Comic Book News
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Mild Mannered Reviews - Smallville: Season 11 - Chapter #46

"Valkyrie" - Part 3

Writer: Bryan Q. Miller
Penciller: Cat Staggs
Inker: Carrie Strachan

Reviewed by: Michael J. Petty

• Steve Younis
• 13 May 2013
• Comic Book News
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After a long hiatus, Masters of the Universe returns! What are they doing in the DC Universe?

Keith Giffen: Basically, just getting on everybody's nerves. Culture shock lives! Actually, they've come to stop Skeletor from doing to the DCU what he's always wanted to do to Eternia.

How did Skeletor even GET to Earth?

KG: That's the great thing about magic. You can do ALL kinds of convenient things with it. By the way, what makes you think Skeletor came to the DCU voluntarily?

• Steve Younis
• 13 May 2013
• Comic Book News
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Superman, who this spring turned 75, has always been ageless as well as timeless.

In the 1930s he was just the crime fighter we needed to take on Al Capone and the robber barons. In the forties he defended the home front while brave GIs battled overseas. Early in the Cold War he stood up taller than ever for his adopted country, while in its waning days he tried singlehandedly to eliminate nuclear stockpiles. Over the decades the Man of Steel evolved more than the fruit fly, but his changes were anything but random. For each era he zeroed in on the threats that scared us most, using powers that grew or diminished depending on the need. So did his spectacles, hair style, even his job title. Each generation got the Superman it needed and deserved. Each change offered a Rorschach test of the pulse of that time and its dreams.

So what about now, when our still-teetering global economy, terrorist attacks at sacred sites like the Boston Marathon, and political vitriol leave us craving a hero as much as we ever have?

Some say what we need is an avenger, which would explain the roaring success of the last summer's Marvel Studios movie The Avengers. Others insist we need a dark knight like Batman or a fraught champion like Spider-Man, both of whom got their own big-budget movies last year. I say balderdash. Vengeance and darkness are precisely what we are trying to escape. The superhero for our age - whether it's a release we need, or inspiration - has to be a beacon of light, and none shines nearly as bright as the Last Son of Krypton.

His irresistible allure lies partly in his powers: the strength to lift boulders and planets, the speed to outrun a locomotive or a bullet, and, coolest on anyone's wish list, the gift of flight. Part of it is the seduction of the love triangle connecting Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Superman, which has a side for everyone, whether you are the boy who can't get the girl, the girl pursued by the wrong boy, or the conflicted hero. Part of it is that he is forever 29 years old, which lets us feel like we are 10 again.

So what if the upshot of his adventures is as predictable as with Sherlock Holmes: the good guy never loses. That is reassuring. So is his uniform. His tights and cape, in radiant primary colors, make Superman as instantly recognizable as Santa Claus - and as comforting. That familiarity would help his handlers keep him relevant for three-quarters of a century and counting, moving him from the printed page to the airwaves, then from the small screen to the big. No need to explain who he was. Everyone knew as soon as they saw him. A costume also could be elevating, the more so when it didn't come with a mask. Just ask Robin Hood and Elvis Presley. His endurance would make him the envy of mortal heroes like Jack Kennedy and Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, Batman and Jerry Seinfeld, all of whom were inspired by him.

But there is one more factor that explains Superman's appeal: his crystal-clear sense of right and wrong. He is an archetype of mankind at its pinnacle. Like James Bond, he sweeps in to solve our problems. No thank-you needed. Like Jesus Christ, he descended from the heavens to help us discover our humanity. And he does it all - as we are likely to be reminded in the soon-to-be-released Man of Steel film - while staying true to the ethical guideposts that have defined him since Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster dreamed him up in the 1930s: No killing, even when the victim deserves to die. No forgetting that means matter as much as ends, no matter how clunky a concept that sometimes seems. No wavering as guardian of the 99 percent, however tempting the offerings of the benighted 1 percent.

The more that flesh-and-blood role models let us down, the more we turn to fictional ones who stay true. With them, and especially with Superman, it is about the possibility - of getting the girl, saving the world (or least Lois and Jimmy), and having it our way. Our longest-lasting hero will endure as long as we need a champion, which should be until the end of time.

Larry Tye

[Larry Tye's latest book, Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Hero, will be released in paperback this month by Random House. Pre-order it from the Superman Homepage Online Store.]

• Steve Younis
• 13 May 2013
• Merchandise & Miscellaneous News
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ROBOT CHICKEN DC COMICS SPECIAL II – Faster than a speeding bullet! Well, maybe not but quality takes time. Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, in partnership with DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, will premiere a sequel to their acclaimed Annie Award-winning Robot Chicken DC Comics Special in 2014. Robot Chicken DC Comics Special II brings you the awesomeness of the DC Comics universe of characters as only Robot Chicken can, with amazing guest stars and the stop-motion sketch comedy you've come to love after six seasons of the popular Adult Swim series. Executive producers for the second Robot Chicken DC Comics Special include Stoopid Monkey's Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns, Warner Bros. Animation's Executive Vice President, Creative Affairs Sam Register, and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios' John Harvatine IV and Eric Towner.

• Steve Younis
• 13 May 2013
• Television News
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United States of America

Episodes of "Smallville" air on TNT in the U.S. each weekday morning at 6.00am. This week's episodes are "Warrior", "Persuasion", "Conspiracy", "Escape" and "Checkmate". The episode "Upgrade" will air at 4.00am on Saturday, May 18.

Episodes of "Superman: The Animated Series" series will be shown on The Hub in the U.S. On Tuesday, May 14 "Identity Crisis" is on at 8.00pm. On Wednesday, May 15 "The Late Mr. Kent" will air at 5.00pm. On Thursday, May 16 "Heavy Metal" will air at 5.00pm. On Friday, May 17 "Warrior Queen" will air at 5.00pm.

The "Justice League Unlimited" episode titled "[Unknown]" will air in the U.S. on Saturday, May 18 at 9.30am on The CW's Vortexx programming block.

"Superman: The Movie" will air on 5MAX Movies in the U.S. at 12.15pm on Tuesday, May 14.

Superman turns back time in the "Robot Chicken" episode titled "The Core, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover" which will air on Thursday, May 16 at 12.15am on Cartoon Network.

NetFlix.com also has a number of Superman and Justice League TV shows and movies available to watch online.

Australia

In Australia, the "Young Justice" episode "War" will air at 10.00am on Saturday, May 18 on GO! (99).

In Australia, "Smallville" episodes air each weekday morning at 6.10am on FOX8. This week's episodes are: Tuesday - "Persuasion". Wednesday - "Conspiracy". Thursday - "Escape". Friday - "Checkmate". (Check your local guide for Monday's episode airing next week).

In Australia, an episode of "Lois & Clark" will air at 3.30pm each weekday on 111 Hits (111). This week's episodes are: Monday - "Never Ending Battle". Tuesday - "I'm Looking Through You", Wednesday - "Requiem for a Super Hero". Thursday - "I've Got a Crush On You". Friday - "Smart Kids".

In Australia, the Animated Movie "Superman: Brainiac Attacks" will air on Tuesday, May 14 at 11.35pm on the Family Movie Channel (405); and again on Wednesday, May 15 at 5.20am.

If there's anything I've missed please don't hesitate to let me know.

• Steve Younis
• 13 May 2013
• Television News
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• Steve Younis
• 12 May 2013
• Movie News
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• 7 Comments