‘Folie Á Deux’ Portrays The Joker As Not Just A Villain But A Sinner
Musical choices throughout the film set the stage for an ultimate judgment, not just in the eyes of the ardent fans, but in the eyes of God.Musical choices throughout the film set the stage for an ultimate judgment, not just in the eyes of the ardent fans, but in the eyes of God.
Suicide Squad video game loses $200 million after Warner Bros. Discovery hires DEI consulting group
Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. announced on an earnings call that the game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League lost the company $200 million.
On the Q1 2024 earnings call, investors heard from President and CEO David Zaslav and CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels.
Zaslav broke the bad news first and stated that "unfortunately," the studio's Q1 financials were overshadowed by the tough sales in the games department "following the great performance of Hogwarts Legacy last year and the disappointing release of Suicide Squad in Q1 in our gaming group."
"On the advertising front," Zaslav continued, "total company ad sales were down 7% in the quarter."
Wiedenfels then spoke to the studio losing hundreds of millions of dollars year-over-year. He, too, explained that despite a great performance of the game Hogwarts Legacy, the studio still hemorrhaged from the Suicide Squad game.
"Starting with Studios, the $400 million plus year-over-year decline in Q1 was primarily due to the very tough comp [comparable sales] we faced in games against the success of Hogwarts Legacy last year in the first quarter, in conjunction with the disappointing Suicide Squad release this past quarter, which we impaired, leading to a $200 million impact to EBITDA [Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization] during the first quarter."
The actual figures of the losses were a reported $607 million in Q1 2023 down to just $184 million in Q1 2024; a 70% decrease.
Wiedenfels' shocking revelation accounted for the company's studio segment, which includes video games, television, and theatrical and home entertainment operations, Bounding into Comics reported.
"Game companies are starting to face the music for their poor decisions. Instead of listening to gamers, they decided to destroy beloved IPs with political messaging."
The game's budget was approximately $100 million, according to the Gamer, meaning the studio must have forked out at least the same in advertising, marketing, residuals, and other expenses.
The website also noted that Sony offered full refunds for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Getting a refund from Sony was likened to trying to get blood from a stone.
Outlets have also pointed to the minuscule amount of gamers actually playing the game still. At the time of this writing, there are just 94 people playing the title, with a 24-hour peak of 145.
"Game companies are starting to face the music for their poor decisions. Instead of listening to gamers, they decided to destroy beloved IPs with political messaging while delivering less quality gameplay, more bugs, and over monetization," game designer Mark Kern told Blaze News.
"A $200M loss cannot be ignored, and studio heads at Warner will be looking very closely at what their game developers are doing and will hopefully soon realize the mess that DEI/ESG has created," he added.
Kern pointed to fan outrage over the game's killing of Batman as one of the problem points, while characters like the purplish/red-haired child version of Poison Ivy caught the ire of gamers.
The latter is reportedly a creation of Sweet Baby Inc., a company known for providing diversity consulting and injecting DEI narratives into video games. Website DEI Detected pointed out the game is listed on Sweet Baby Inc.'s website.
Diversity-driven games have been at the center of a battleground of ideas in 2024, and this spectacular failure by Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is definitely a significant loss for the side that seeks to further include racial and gender politics in games.
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New feminist Wonder Woman comic has hero enslaved as traditional, Christian wife who must reject the Bible to escape
A new Wonder Woman comic book has the hero trapped in her mind as a traditional, Christian wife who is verbally abused by her husband.
"Wonder Woman #8," written by author Tom King, places Wonder Woman under the constraints of a villain who has bound her with the Lasso of Lies, a powerful weapon much like her own, which he uses to manipulate her mind.
Please note that this article contains many spoilers.
While tied up with the magical lasso, the reader learns that Wonder Woman is trapped in her mind, living as a Christian wife in a pseudo-1950s landscape with cell phones.
Her husband is an abusive military officer who immediately takes issue with his wife's inability to deliver dinner on time. After reminding his wife, trad Wonder Woman, that he is "going out with the boys," she insists that she is "going to be better" for him.
The comic jumps back and forth between the real world and the one created to torment her. In her traditional-hell landscape, Wonder Woman's thoughts are invaded by Bible passages that poison her mind. 1 Timothy 2:9-15 is used, which talks about women being encouraged to dress modestly and decently, learning in quiet, and not having authority over a man.
Ephesians 5:22-24 is later cited, which says, "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior."
Later in the comic, Wonder Woman's husband complains about the temperature on his steak, and when asking her why she isn't eating, she says it's because she's trying to lose weight.
"I do need to watch my figure," she states.
After becoming enraged when Wonder Woman asks him when he will be home, the tormenting husband tells her that she may not be able to cook, but at least she looks good.
"I shouldn't have asked. Have fun. I have so many chores around here to distract me. As much as anything can distract me from you," she said painfully.
"You can't cook, and you never know when to shut your mouth. But dammit, you do look all right in that outfit," the husband said while embracing the emotionally damaged woman.
Preview for Wonder Woman #8— (@)
Eventually, Wonder Woman escapes her mental prison but not before one more painfully written interaction with her husband. While sending her spouse into a spiral by burning his eggs, Wonder Woman is mentally battling more Bible passages.
Titus 2:3-5 is then quoted in the comic as "women, likewise, are to be reverent in behavior. Not slanderers or slaves to much wine."
"They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children," it goes on.
She scolds her husband in their final interaction for not listening to her.
Eventually, Wonder Woman's mother appears in her hallucination to remind her that she is a strong, powerful woman who can accomplish anything.
Inspired by her mother, Wonder Woman breaks free from her confines and, while holding the villain by his throat, yells, "I do not believe your God!"
Loving this Wonder Woman issue 8 Cover D 1:25 Joshua 'Sway' Swaby Card Stock Variant #WonderWoman #Dc— (@)
With dialogue narrating how Wonder Woman's will can never be broken — unlike even the toughest of men — the story comes to an end in both worlds.
In the trad world, Wonder Woman's husband is left with a departing note from his now-estranged wife.
"Steve. My mother came by. I'm leaving with her. I am not coming back."
"The truth is, I'm not who you think I am. I am only who I think I am."
"P.S. The house is a little messy. And you're going to need a new vacuum."
Steve is revealed as looking stunned while reading the note. A caption adds, "We pushed her as far as any man has ever been pushed."
"But from the clay from which she is made, it will not crack."
As That Park Place reported, a former DC Comics artist who worked on Suicide Squad and Justice League of America comics announced he would boycott the company over the recent tones in the Wonder Woman series.
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'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' destined to FAIL?
Five years and $200 million later, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" is falling flat.
The film stars Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and the plot features an evil master plan to increase greenhouse gas emissions in order to melt the polar ice caps.
“If you were hoping for a film that was light on the message or that was good, sadly, this is not it,” Lauren Chen explains.
The film continues with the theme of climate change, where the “bad guy” burns an ancient lost energy source not to fuel anything, but rather to accelerate global warming.
“Again, super subtle messaging here,” Chen jokes, noting that it wasn’t just the overt political messaging that’s turned her off to the film.
The film’s editing, humor, and tone, among other things, did not impress Chen.
“Overall, I think pretty objectively, this is a stupid movie,” she says.
Not only that, but in comparison to the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest" which came out in 2006, the CGI did not even come close.
“How is it that the CGI in that movie, which features a lot of underwater creatures, looks so much better than the CGI in this movie? It just doesn’t make sense to me,” Chen says.
“This is an expensive movie — $200 million — but all of the underwater critters look basically like they could be from a cut scene of a video game that came out a decade ago,” she continues.
Amber Heard’s character makes a reappearance in the film as well, which has left many Aquaman fans claiming they’ll boycott the sequel.
“I’m struggling to see a way that this film makes money,” Chen says, adding that Aquaman is also a “lame duck superhero.”
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Meaningful Superhero Movies Like ‘The Flash’ Shine Amid Hollywood’s Formulaic Film Overkill
'The Flash' balances frivolity with a thoughtful narrative that asks more of the hero than simply figuring out how to defeat the bad guy.Warner Bros. spikes 'irredeemable' 'Batgirl' movie starring Leslie Grace
Warner Bros. announced Tuesday that "Batgirl," a feature film adaptation of the DC Comics character, will not be released in theaters or on its HBO Max streaming platform. The movie was reportedly so unspeakably, irredeemably bad, that the studio decided to spike the $90 million project rather than risk damaging its brand by releasing it to the public.
"The decision to not release 'Batgirl' reflects our leadership's strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max," a Warner Bros. spokesperson said in a statement to CNN, which is owned by Warner Bros.-Discovery.
The studio also axed its film "Scoob! Holiday Haunt."
The New York Post was the first to report that the movie, starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, would be "shelved." The film also starred J.K. Simmons as Barbara's father Commissioner Jim Gordon and had Michael Keaton reprise his role as Batman, while Brendan Fraser played the villain, Firefly.
Test screenings for "Batgirl," which was in post-production, were reportedly so poorly received by moviegoers that Warner Bros. "decided to cut its losses and run for the sake of the brand's future," the Post reported.
"They think an unspeakable ‘Batgirl’ is going to be irredeemable,” an unnamed "Hollywood source" was quoted saying in the report.
Other reports contradict that claim. Variety reported that the decision to kill "Batgirl" was not related to the quality of the film, bur rather was a result of the studio's decision to release DC features on a "blockbuster scale." While "Batgirl" reportedly had a $90 million budget, the film was intended for home release on HBO Max instead of a global release in major movie theaters.
"Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance," Warner Bros. said. "We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of 'Batgirl' and 'Scoob! Holiday Haunt' and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future."
In a statement posted to Instagram, directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah said they were "saddened and shocked by the news" that their film was canceled.
“As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. Maybe one day they will insha’Allah,” they wrote.
The statement continues, "Our amazing cast and crew did a tremendous job and worked so hard to bring Batgirl to life. We are forever grateful to have been part of that team. It was a dream to work with such fantastic actors like Michael Keaton, J.K. Simmons, Brendan Fraser, Jacob Scipio, Corey Johnson, Rebecca Front and especially the great Leslie Grace, who portrayed Batgirl with so much passion, dedication and humanity.”
“In any case, as huge fans of Batman since we were little kids, it was a privilege and an honor to have been a part of the DCEU, even if it was for a brief moment,” the directors conclude. “Batgirl For Life.”
BlazeTV contributor Eric July's Rippaverse Comics puts woke Marvel and DC to shame with jaw-dropping sales
Just one day after the official launch of BlazeTV contributor Eric July's independent comic book company Rippaverse Comics, pre-order sales for its debut series, "Isom #1," have blown past expectations and put the comic book industry on notice.
With an initial pre-order campaign target of $100,000 in sales, total sales revenue for July's first comic series has already approached $1 million in just one day — and there are still 74 days left before the campaign ends.
It's an astounding success that July believes shows how many comic book fans are ready to support a "parallel economy" that will challenge the industry's "old guard."
\u201cWhat a way to start the day! THANK YOU!!! #rippaverse #isom #WeWillWin #comicbooks\u201d— Rippaverse Comics (@Rippaverse Comics) 1657630972
In recent years, legacy publishers like Marvel Comics and DC Comics have taken a leftward turn that has alienated some readers. Controversies over sudden and dramatic changes to long-standing characters — like making Batman's sidekick Robin bisexual — have divided the fan base, with some embracing the push for diversity and others lamenting that good storytelling has been undermined by "woke" industry activists.
July, a content creator, musician, and lifelong comic book fan, is among those who do not like the direction the industry has taken.
"Between changing all of these characters and you have this ridiculous kind of push for social justice, insulting the audience and all of that — and I was like, you know what? I am going to be a solution to the problem," July told TheBlaze in an interview.
Supported by hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, July told TheBlaze he founded Rippaverse Comics to tell good stories. His company is guided by a code of ethics that prioritizes respect for the customer, a streamlined canon and continuity to avoid the excesses of other convoluted comics stories, and a comprehensive timeline that will "keep reboots to a minimum" and allow readers to easily grasp and enjoy the stories from the Rippaverse.
But at the heart of this endeavor is July's desire to tell stories about heroes who can serve as role models, who understand the difference between right and wrong, and who will entertain and inspire readers by being relatable.
"The Flash was a character that was my first favorite comic book character. Why? Because he ran fast and I was a fast kid. You know, you do the Field Day thing, and people that know me, I went all the way through the collegiate level as a track and field athlete. And that's why it resonated with me," July said. "But as I got older, it was like Batman and some of the experiences that he had, basically growing up without a father being present and all those sorts of things I resonated with as I got older."
"We're not writing down to the audience," he added. "I'm not in the business of lecturing people and telling people exactly how to live their lives. But there are universal truths that I will acknowledge and I think that's what's sort of missing, because people have, unfortunately, definitely in comic books these days, put other stuff at the forefront, and telling a good story is secondary. Acknowledging those universal truths are secondary, if they are ever acknowledged at all."
Rippaverse Comics' first series, "Isom," tells the story of Avery Silman, a common Texas rancher who gains superpowers and becomes the superhero Isom. After walking away from the superhero life, Silman is called back into action to confront an old friend who has since become one of the most feared men in his city.
The story was written by July, illustrations done by artist Cliff Richards, and the coloring done by Gabe Eltaeb, a former DC Comics colorist who quit last year after expressing disgust with out-of-character changes to Superman's character.
\u201cWelcome to the Rippaverse\u201d— Rippaverse Comics (@Rippaverse Comics) 1657292401
Pre-orders for the series launched on Monday, July 11, and by Tuesday afternoon, total revenue for Isom #1 was more than $984,000 and growing, with over 10,000 total purchasers. July said that initial plans to distribute about 12,000 graphic novels have changed after massive demand "destroyed expectations." He estimates Rippaverse will sell close to 100,000 graphic novels now.
July said that customers demoralized by the "old guard's" left-wing politics are flocking to Rippaverse Comics, whose innovative sales model was responsible for the series' unexpected success.
"These people that are demoralized want to believe that the old guard that stands right now, because they stand right now, they have to always be there. They've existed for years ... and I think that they underestimate the power that we have, even just with the internet," July said.
He explained that the internet and social media give Rippaverse Comics "a direct line of sight" to connect customers with "a project that people want to buy."
\u201cWe do not need the Old Guard. That\u2019s what this pre-order campaign highlights. \n\nTheir model is archaic. We had No inorganic mega-corporate push or placement. All the promo has been from our amazing corner of the internet. \n\nParallel economy.\u201d— Eric July (@Eric July) 1657598823
Rippaverse Comics will also be a place where content creators, artists, writers, and anyone else in the comic book industry who feels alienated by big corporations can come and tell their stories without fear of censorship or judgement, July said.
"There are a lot creative people that are in our space, on our side of the line of thinking, in support of the value of liberty. No matter whether you are conservative, libertarian, or whatever, and they're just undiscovered. They're in hiding because they have to work for the old guard," he said.
"What feels good is that I get to reach out to them first or that's the pool that we have to choose from. Before I start doing external stuff, I get to point to our community. I get to point to people that are in our space and say, 'Hey,' or put that call out at — 'Hey, we're looking for this. We're looking for that' — and give these guys well-paying jobs to be able to create or be part of something that is fresh, that is new, but also that they know doesn't hate them."
Pre-orders for Isom #1 are available now from Rippaverse Comics' website. Parents should be advised the series is appropriate for teens or older readers.
Transgender woman to portray transgender best friend of Batgirl in live-action movie. 'What a stunning, brave triumph!' one observer quips.
A transgender woman has been cast to portray the transgender best friend of Batgirl in the HBO Max movie of the same name — and it will be the first time an openly transgender character makes an appearance in a live-action movie adaptation of a DC Comics title, Variety reported.
What are the details?
Ivory Aquino of “Tales of the City” and “When We Rise” will play Alysia Yeoh in the “Batgirl” movie, the magazine said.
The Yeoh character first appeared in a 2011 issue of “Batgirl” written by Gail Simone and drawn by Ardian Syaf, Variety said, adding that the movie also stars Leslie Grace as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon, J.K. Simmons as Gotham City police commissioner Jim Gordon, Michael Keaton — reprising his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne — and Brendan Fraser as the unspecified main villain.
Aquino previously starred in cisgender female roles before publicly coming out as a transgender woman during a promotional tour for "When We Rise," in which she portrayed transgender activist Cecilia Chung, according to Seventeen.
Variety noted that there have been "several strides in broadening LGBTQ+ representation in superhero adaptations over the past few years, especially on television," mentioning that the CW series “Supergirl” included the first trans superhero on TV in "Dreamer," and the superhero’s sister came out as a lesbian during Season 2. Variety added that the CW’s “Batwoman” character "has always been a lesbian" and that the animated DC series “Harley Quinn” ended its second season with Harley and Poison Ivy falling in love. In addition, the magazine said the title character in the 2021 Marvel Studios’ Disney Plus series “Loki" revealed he is pansexual, and the movie “Eternals” included the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first same-sex couple.
What was the reaction?
Not everyone commenting on Variety's story about a transgender woman portraying the transgender Yeoh character in "Batgirl" was thrilled:
- "Stunning AND brave!" one commenter replied sarcastically. "It’s going to be SO successful, and what’s even better is that when it’s not, then we can call people bigots and biased! What a stunning, brave triumph! 'It’s time we talked about trans-Batgirl!'"
- "Creepy," another commenter offered. "For this idea to even enter into a person's thought process shows a mental defect. Every single one of these woke movies bombs at the box office yet they still keep pumping them out. Very odd."
- "They ruined Supergirl with this, so why not Batgirl," another commenter stated.
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