Good news: the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum has been officially titled Batman: Arkham City. Bad news: It won’t be out until late 2011.

Batman: Arkham Asylum was a phenomenal game, and proved that someone was actually capable of making a really good Batman video game after years of duds. When the sequel was announced at last year’s Spike TV Video Game Awards, most of us started speculating right off the bat (no pun intended) about where it would take place. The ending of Arkham Asylum seemed to hint that the whole of Gotham City might be the next setting, and as it turns out, that’s sort of correct. Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment announced today that Batman: Arkham City will be out in the fall of 2011, and will take the action out of the Asylum.

Though information besides a title and vague release window is scarce right now, DC did announce via the DCU blog that Arkham City would take place “in a sequestered section of Gotham City that has become the home for the criminally insane”. I’m sure we can expect a lot of appearances by classic Batman villains, and we already know that Mark Hamill, Kevin Conroy, and Arleen Sorkin will be reprising their roles as the Joker, Batman, and Harley Quinn, respectively. I’m a little bummed that the release is so far away–I knew it would be 2011, but fall 2011 is forever away! However, if that’s what it takes for developer Rocksteady Studios to top the first game, it will be worth the wait.

We’ve got a new trailer for the upcoming Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes cartoon, which will be airing on Disney XD later this year.

Featuring IRON MAN, THOR, CAPTAIN AMERICA and THE HULK! When the planet is threatened by Super Villains, time traveling conquerors, alien invaders, mythical monsters or mad robots bent on the total destruction of humanity, when the forces of evil are so overwhelming that no single hero has the power to save the world, when there is no hope left…the AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! All-new The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes animated series from Marvel Animation premiering on Disney XD this fall!

While I’m not entirely 100% sold on the animation style, I have enjoyed the last two Marvel animated series (Wolverine and the X-Men and Spectacular Spider-Man) immensely, and I’m willing to give the show the benefit of the doubt for now. I like the roster they’re using though. Any show that uses both Hawkeye and Thor is an instant “must watch” for me. It looks like the series may actually follow the original timeline where Captain America is discovered in ice before the Avengers actually form, and that Loki will at least be partially responsible for how the team comes together. There really isn’t much in the way of a clear narrative since the trailer is just a bunch of scenes showing off potential future villains and conflicts, but the video certainly did its job in interesting me in the show. I just hope it’s good.

Since we can’t possibly have a day without discussing some video game that’s getting a comic book adaptation, it’s time to talk about Silent Hill: Past Life, the upcoming four-issue series from the co-writer of Silent Hill 8.

After announcing the book at San Diego Comic-Con, writer Tom Waltz, who is also hard at work co-writing the next game in the Silent Hill series, spoke to Fearnet about the comic tie-in. Although at first it sounds less than promising (he states he got the idea because he “was on the forums”), I’m actually pretty interested in Past Life. Then again, I’m a sucker for a decent story set in the cursed town.

Set in the 1800s, Silent Hill: Past Life will focus on “an outlaw and cowboy” who tries to change his ways while fighting the ghosts of his past. It will tie in to the video game, which is set in modern day, but there’s no word on exactly how that will work beyond both taking place in Silent Hill. Since no one has really told a story about what this dreadful place was like in centuries past, I’m now extremely curious to see where this story goes. Also, I won’t have to worry about getting freaked out and accidentally throwing my controller because I think I just heard Pyramid Head dragging his sword.

The comic is set to launch in October, meaning that Halloween should be extra-scary this year, and Silent Hill 8 (still a working title) isn’t due out until 2011. I eagerly look forward to both, hoping that the Silent Hill series, once the pinacle of horrifying story-telling, can get back on track.

[via Joystiq]

I’ve always wanted a Green Lantern video game. There was one in development for the Super Nintendo at one point, which was going to star Kyle Rayner, but it never saw the light of day. Now that we’re finally getting the Green Lantern movie the character has deserved for years, Warner Bros. Interactive will be releasing a game to tie into it. This, of course, is a double-edged sword.

On one hand, there’s going to be a Green Lantern video game where we’ll likely be able to create constructs with the ring. On the other hand, it’s a movie tie-in game, so it’s probably going to suck, and break my heart. The game, announced via press release, will star Ryan Reynolds as the titular hero, and will, as you can surmise from the title, focus on the relationship between Green Lanterns and the Manhunters. For those of you who don’t know, the Green Lantern Corps is a universal police force created by the Guardians, mysterious overwatchers of the galaxy. The Corps were not the first police force created by the Guardians though. That distinction belongs to the Manhunters, the emotionless robot hunters were exiled after they became obsessed with their “No man escapes the Manhunters.” mantra, and rebelled against their creators.

I’m not sure just where this game will fit in with the film, but by the sounds of it, the game has to at least take place after Hal Jordan has been Green Lantern for a short while. The actual plot of the film is unknown at this point as well, so perhaps there’s a hint of what we can expect to happen in the movie in the title of the game. Though the film will deal primarily with Hal first getting the ring, and being mentored by Sinestro, that’s all we know. The Manhunters would make a pretty decent opposing force for the film, particularly if we find that Sinestro has been manipulating them all along by the end. Oops, did I just spoil that for you?

In a press conference held yesterday before San Diego Comic Con officially started, Stan Lee and BOOM! Studios announced plans to publish three new comics created by Stan Lee.

Earlier this year, BOOM! began placing ads claiming “Stan’s Back.” The ads featured the instantly recognizable signature of Stan Lee, yet there was nary a word about what it all meant. Until yesterday. Revealed during a press conference held before Preview Night began at San Diego Comic Con, BOOM! and Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment will team to bring three brand-new characters to life in the new monthly comics Soldier Zero, The Traveler, and Starborn. Though Lee has created these new characters, the books will actually be handled by some of the industry’s current top talent. Paul Cornell will take on the writing duties for Soldier Zero, the story of a handicapped teacher who finds himself accidentally bonded to an alien war suit. The Traveler, a story about a mysterious time-traveling hero on the run, will be helmed by Mark Waid, and Chris Roberson will tackle Starborn, which focuses on a man who finds he’s the heir to an intergalactic empire. All three books sound like solid concepts, and I hate to be the guy that says this, but I think they’ll be better off with Stan not writing them.

There’s no doubt that Stan’s work during the early days of Marvel helped shape an entire industry, but I think all three of the writers attached to these projects can serve these new titles better. Stan’s work on the “Just Imagine…” line was only moderately enjoyable at its best, and a complete waste of time at its worst. Waid and Cornell have stout followings, and for good reason. It’s actually because they’re both working on those books that I’m interested in checking them out. While Roberson doesn’t have as robust a back catalog of comics work as the other two writers, I’ve enjoyed his work on iZombie, and can’t wait to see what he does with a more traditional superhero adventure. The books begin shipping this fall, and we’ll to have more on these titles as their release date approaches.

You can check out the complete press release, including character and cover art, below.

During a press conference at Comic-Con International today, POW! Entertainment and BOOM! Studios revealed the characters, series and creative teams for three superhero titles to be published by Stan Lee and BOOM! Studios this fall. The three titles are:

SOLDIER ZERO, written by DOCTOR WHO and ACTION COMICS scribe Paul Cornell with art by SUPERMAN artist Javier Pina, tells the story of a wheelchair-bound astronomy teacher who finds himself in a freak accident that bonds him with an alien weapon of war.

THE TRAVELER, written by Eisner Award-nominee and BOOM! Studios Chief Creative Officer Mark Waid with art by AMAZING SPIDER-MAN artist Chad Hardin, features a mysterious new superhero with time-traveling powers battling the Split-Second Men, super-powered assassins from the future.

STARBORN, written by iZOMBIE’s Chris Roberson with art by THE X-MEN’s Khary Randolph, tells the story of a regular guy who discovers he’s the heir to an intergalactic empire, putting him the center of a war between five alien races.
At the press conference, Stan Lee revealed the character designs for all three characters and the covers for October’s SOLDIER ZERO by Trevor Hairsine and Dave Johnson.

SOLDIER ZERO #1 will also be shipping with a special cover signed by Stan Lee. Fans will need to contact their local comic book shop for more information on how to acquire this limited edition item.

The revelation this past March of Stan Lee presenting this series of three superhero titles at BOOM! followed on the heels of a viral marketing campaign announcing “Stan’s Back” that hit the internet in late February. The L.A. Times’ Hero Complex & L.A. Times’ Brand-X also got in on the action, running the “Stan’s Back” campaign in print and on their respective website. All the banner ads linked back to www.stansback.com, a site which had only the “Stan’s Back” logo and nothing else disclosing additional information.

For one week, the internet was in a frenzy, with comic fans everywhere trying to figure out what could the “Stan’s Back” teaser campaign mean. This culminated with the announcement that Stan Lee is back, this time at BOOM! Studios creating a line of three superheroes.

Today’s announcement of all three characters, series and creative teams ends the speculation that started with the “Stan’s Back” campaign.

Comic book adaptations of video games are all the rage these days, but I didn’t really expect to see a comic tie-in for Ubisoft’s upcoming Driver: San Francisco.

I’m actually really looking forward to the game, but does Tanner’s return to his roots really justify a separate story being told panel by panel? Apparently it does, because Ubisoft is teaming up with DC Comics to release a comic series that will fill in the blanks between Driv3r and Driver: San Francisco. The preview issue will be released at San Diego Comic Con this week.

I was unaware that Driv3r apparently ended with some big cliffhanger, but the comic will pick up where the last-gen game left off, setting the stage for Tanner’s return in San Francisco. Comic veterans Greg Scott and David Lapham are attached to handle artwork and writing, respectively, with renowned artist Jock doing cover art. I’m still not sure what to make of this, and I’m getting a little tired of every freaking video game franchise getting its own comic book, but hey, if it will get people into comic shops, then I support it.

We’ve got a new trailer for the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World video game, and holy shit, is it awesome.

This has been an awesome week for Scott Pilgrim and his legions of fans. After a long wait, the sixth and final book in the series, Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour, launched on Monday (check back later today for a full review!). We’re also getting closer and closer to the release of Scott’s epic-looking feature film, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and the downloadable game of the same name, which will launch on the PlayStation Network on August 10 and on XBLA two weeks later. This trailer comes courtesy of the PlayStation blog, with Sony celebrating their timed exclusivity of the anticipated game.

I really love all of the subtle (and not so subtle) references to the comic books, and based on my time with the game at E3, I’m really hopeful that this will be one of the summer’s standout downloadable titles. I absolutely love the co-op beat-em-up Simpsons Arcade Game vibe, which has been emulated many times before, but never with a bunch of Canadian twenty-somethings determined to beat the hell out of a bunch of evil ex-boyfriends. At least, I don’t think so.

Marvel has announced the line-up of the new Uncanny X-Force, who will be making their debut in X-Men Second Coming #2. More details after the jump.

Marvel is pleased to unveil the top-secret lineup of the all-new, all-deadly Uncanny X-Force, making their debut in X-Men Second Coming #2! In the jaw dropping finale of the critically acclaimed Second Coming, sacrifices have been made and now, the savior of mutantkind will rise! After the devastation from Bastion’s forces, the X-Men must band together and rebuild, but one group has other plans. When a secret society resurrects the feared villain Apocalypse, Wolverine’s brand new black-ops team is the only strong enough to take him down – by any means necessary. Be the first to get in on the non-stop, explosive action this October as red hot creators Rick Remender and Jerome Opeña bring you the all-new ongoing series, Uncanny X-Force!

X-MEN: SECOND COMING #2 (MAY100636)
Written by MATT FRACTION, CHRIS YOST, MIKE CAREY & ZEB WELLS
Penciled by TERRY DODSON, GREG LAND, ESAD RIBIC & IBRAIM ROBERSON
Cover by ADI GRANOV
Rated T+ …$3.99
ON SALE NOW!

UNCANNY X-FORCE #1
UNCANNY X-FORCE #1 BLANK VARIANT
UNCANNY X-FORCE #1 DJURDJEVIC VARIANT
UNCANNY X-FORCE #1 CRAIN VARIANT
UNCANNY X-FORCE #1 LIEFELD VARIANT
Written by RICK REMENDER
Pencils by JEROME OPEÑA
Cover by ESAD RIBIC
Blank Cover also available
Variant Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Variant Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
Variant Cover by ROB LIEFELD
Explicit Content …$3.99
On Sale This October!

The newly announced Hack/Slash Annual 2010: Murder Messiah will connect the new Image series with the former series published by Devil’s Due.

In October, Cassie Hack will face off against her biggest fan in HACK/SLASH ANNUAL 2010: MURDER MESSIAH. Written by Tim Seeley, with art by Jethro Moralles, MURDER MESSIAH connects the events of the previous Devil’s Due series with the new ongoing HACK/SLASH series that will launch from Image Comics in January 2011.

“When we started off at Image, I wanted to give everyone a fresh starting point,” says series creator Tim Seeley. “So, we did Hack/Slash: My First Maniac. But my intent was always to continue with the further adventures of Cassie and Vlad, and this annual will set up a great new status quo for the ongoing series!”

HACK/SLASH ANNUAL 2010: MURDER MESSIAH is the story that links the DDP series to the new Image Comics ongoing. Cassie’s biggest “fan” — a serial killer — is on a spree, cleaning up her loose ends. That means no foe or friend is safe. Meanwhile, 14 years in the future, in an America ruled by the Black Lamp Society, street-witch Liberty Lochs is on a desperate quest to find Six Sixx’s guitar…

HACK/SLASH ANNUAL 2010: MURDER MESSIAH, a 48-page full-color comic book for $5.99, will be available October 13, 2010. HACK/SLASH MY FIRST MANIAC #1 (of 4) Second Printing (MAY108016) and HACK/SLASH MY FIRST MANIAC #2 (of 4) (MAY100478/MAY100479), both 32-page full-color comic books for $3.50, are available now.

Superannuation has found a handful of domain names registered by Warner Bros. that point to the sequel to Arkham Asylum.

The first half look like different names for the sequel, likely in an attempt to throw off anyone that might find this list (ehem…). The second are definitely for viral purposes, littered with fake websites that the people of Gotham would likely make in an attempt to cope with the fact that their world is overrun with super villians. Well, I mean, they could be names, There’s always a chance that Blacksteady is calling their follow-up to one of the best games of 2009 Batman: Where is Bruce Wayne? I mean, it could be like Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, right?

The full list is below.

• ArkhamCity.com
• BatmanArkhamCity.com
• BatmanAshesOfGotham.com
• BatmanBrokenGround.com
• BatmanNewArkham.com
• BatmanGrandDelusion.com
• BatmanRiseOfArkham.com
• BatmanSiegeOfGotham.com
• BatmanStateOfVillainy.com
• CityOfArkham.com
• CloseArkhamCity.com
• PeopleForGotham.com
• StopMayorSharp.com
• WarInGothamCity.com
• WheresBruceWayne.com

Of the potential names, I’m personally a big fan of Batman: Ashes of Gotham. Sure, it misses out on pulling the word Arkham into the title, but that’s a sacrifice worth making. Then again, I have a feeling it’s going to be called Batman: Arkham City, mainly because there are two different listings with that name in the title. I’m not as big of a fan of that one, but I’m not going to complain. I’m so damn excited to hear more that they could call it Batman: How I Punched Jonathan H. Cooper In The Face and I’d still pre-order a dozen copies.