“The Batman Files” can be purchased on Amazon here.

Fellow Batman fans, we hope you have a spare change of pants. We have seen encyclopedias, guidebooks, philosophy books, how-to books, history books, and various other materials that have documented all things awesome about the dark knight.

Now, brace yourselves for…The Batman Files. This hardcover dossier by Matthew Manning comes packed with histories of all the major Bat-characters, letters, newspaper articles, in-depth computer files, crime scene photos, blueprints, schematics, maps of Gotham City, and even Bruce Wayne’s childhood drawings.  Every minute detail of Batman’s life is carefully and thoroughly covered in this book, which makes it a must-have for Batman fans.  Check out the photos below.

“The Batman Files” is gilded with a black matte finish and a fabric cover, while secured with a metallic silver Batman emblem.  It is now available for preorder on Amazon for $61, down from the original $100 price. We’re not sure why there is a different cover on the Amazon posting, but we’re hoping it will have the more polished, solid black finish in the end instead.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m placing my copy on my coffee table, snug in the middle of my “Arkham City: Collector’s Edition” and ”Batman: Year One” blu-ray, sitting over my pile of #1 Batman comic issues. It is a good month to be a Batman fan, indeed :)

“The Joker: A Visual History of the Clown Prince of Crime” is available for pre order on Amazon.com.

A comprehensive look at the greatest comic book villain . . . ever. Since his first appearance in 1940’s Batman #1, the Joker stands alone as the most hated, feared, and loved villain in the DC Universe. Though his true origins may be unknown, the Clown Prince of Crime’s psychotic appearances in hundreds of comic books has shaped the way we look at Batman, comic books, and ourselves. Indeed, a hero is only as good as his nemesis, so the Joker’s heinous crimes, including murdering the second Robin and paralyzing Batgirl, have elevated Batman to the highest levels of crime-fighting, and we, the readers, to the finest levels of quality pop-culture entertainment.

The Joker is the first retrospective chronicling one of the most groundbreaking and game-changing villains of all time, and contains images from his more than seventy years in comics by comic book artists and writers such as Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Jerry Robinson, Dick Sprang, Grant Morrison, Dave McKean, Neil Gaiman, Geoff Johns, Alan Moore, Brian Bolland, Brian Azzarello, Bruce Timm, and Paul Dini. Also included are images from his various film, television, animated, and video game incarnations, such as the timeless interpretations by Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, and Heath Ledger, who won his posthumous Oscar for his portrayal of the Joker in 2008’s The Dark Knight. This book is a must-have for fans and anyone who wants to die laughing.

He also shops at ThinkGeek.com.

ThinkGeek, widely known as being the internet’s pre-eminent purveyor of peculiarities to the nerdy masses, is the home of – among other things – the titanium spork. Mr. Shipp has acquired one of these magnificent pieces of curious cutlery and is offering it as an incentive to his fans.

To win the cherished spork, become a follower of Mr. Shipp’s blog. Yeah, that’s really all there is to it. Easy, right? The winner will receive not only the spork of awesome, but a Kindle or Nook copy of their choice of any of Mr. Shipp’s eBooks. A full list of eligible titles can be found in this post.

The contest will remain open until Mr. Shipp receives his 200th subscriber on the blog.

Lionsgate has released the teaser trailer for “The Hunger Games” at this Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards. Based on Suzanne Collins’ bestselling young adult fiction book trilogy, the film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, and Lenny Kravitz. For those who haven’t read the books, here’s the synopsis:

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Part twisted entertainment, part government intimidation tactic, the Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

“The Hunger Games”, which will be the first of a 4-part series, hits theaters March 23rd, 2012.

Just a small reminder to digital artists and comic book lovers!
You know that one guy…whats his name…oh yeah! ADAM HUGHES!

So ImagineFX got Adam Hughes to do their cover for the March issue and it is out now and can be delivered to the United States.

Adam Hughes takes the reader’s through his process of making the cover…although I have to point out it is NOT a “how to” article on his whole method, simply the portion he uses after scanning an Image into Adobe Photoshop.

Anyways, more treats for those who want to purchase the March issue only or if you want to subscribe to the magazine, either way its a win-win.

To get a subscription or buy the issue by itself “click here.”

Happy readings!

Terry Dodson’s “Bombshells: A Terry Dodson Sketchbook Collection” is quite literally a “bombshell.”

Now before proceeding further, I would like to mention a few things to expect from a sketchbook and some things not to expect. What you can expect from a sketchbook is that it will give an aspiring artist (such as myself) the inspiration that is needed to keep pushing forward. Any fellow artists know how difficult it is to improve on our artwork especially in the early stages…we are always over shadowed by those better than ourselves.

In any case, so we know we can expect to be inspired and awed by the sketch-works of professionals such as Terry Dodson, so what should we not expect from a sketchbook?Well we shouldn’t expect there to be any form of instruction in the sketchbook, its simply a collection of rough to finished works and almost always the process is never shown, so if you decide to buy a sketchbook (which you should if you are a serious artist or aspiring to be) remember that they don’t hold any art lessons inside but rather references to work from.

Now that the little stuff is out of the way, LET’S REVIEW “Bombshells: A Terry Dodson Sketchbook Collection.”

So Mr. Dodson’s sketchbook consists of about 48 pages and costs about $25 and its worth every penny. First of all its a hardcover book and the paper quality is superb, the pages are smooth and firm, not at all flimsy so they will not tear or crease easily. So as far as the material used to produce the book its definitely high quality.

Alright so materials out of the way…you’re probably thinking, “yeah, well what about the artwork? is it really worth paying 25$ for only 48 pages of artwork?” Well, if you want my advice then “Hell Yes!” Most of the artworks in the book range from one to three different colors and are mostly color pencil sketches…and they are super clean and just beautiful to look at. There are a few marker sketches but only about half a dozen, so maybe that’s a teeny downside.

And what about the title, “Bombshells: A Terry Dodson Sketchbook Collection” focus on the word “BOMBSHELLS,” yeah, the book is 90% full of sketches of female characters the most notable being “Emma Frost and Black Cat,” but most of the sketches are studies of models and for characters from “Songes,” a French comic book. But the sketches are total eye candy and all of the females are smooth and curvy and just down right voluptuous. So its a double treat if you’re a male artist…well maybe even if you are a female artist. Oh and as a special treat, Mr. Dodson added his process for how he created the cover for his sketchbook…yeah I know I said there aren’t any instructional components to a sketchbook but this is an exception.
So all in all, if you want some really clean sketch-works printed on high quality paper with some very voluptuous women inside (sorry guys, there is no nudity in this book) than 25$ spent on “Bombshells: A Terry Dodson Sketchbook Collection,” will serve as eye candy and as a reference book for learning to draw those dangerous curves for those comic book “Femme Fatales” we all love so much.

In the meantime, for those interested in witnessing Mr. Dodson’s artworks you can check out his site at “TERRY DODSON ART.” Also if you would like to purchase the book you can do it through Mr. Dodson’s website “here”.

LATER THIS WEEK: We look at “ICONS: THE DC COMICS AND WILDSTORM ART OF JIM LEE,” there will be a video component for that book review and some awesome images of the good stuff lurking within that treasure chest. Until then, draw until you knuckles hurt!

9.15.09 – Dan Brown’s long-awaited novel, “The Lost Symbol”, has finally been released today with a record number of 5 million copies in its first print. Curious how that was possibly accomplished? You might even be wondering how these hardbound books are produced in the first place. Enjoy the video.

Here is Good Morning America’s coverage of the release: