News

50 years ago today, one of the style-defining slasher films, »Black Christmas«, had its premiere in Canadian cinemas. A few years later, the success of John Carpenter's »Halloween« kicked off the great American slasher film wave of the 80s. But four years earlier, Bob Clark had already set standards with »Black Christmas«.

Much of what became the ABC of the subgenre was already celebrated here. A group of female students are gradually decimated by a psychopathic murderer who hides in the attic of their student house, although we usually only see the killer through the subjective camera. An idea that Carpenter then took up in »Halloween«. We also encounter the concept of the final girl in »Black Christmas«.

The holiday theme, be it Christmas, Halloween or Valentine's Day, which became the title motif of many slashers, is also already established here.

The murderer's terror calls also play an important role, a topic that was frequently used later on, for example in »Scream«. The fact that the calls come from inside the house even becomes the central revelation in »When a Stranger Calls«.

The image of the first suffocated victim, who sits undiscovered in the rocking chair in the attic until the end, and which was also used for the film posters, has become an emblematic shot that represents the film (and the genre) pars pro toto. Bob Clark was inspired by cinematic role models as well though, namely the Italian Gialli. The scene of the murder of the student Barb is a homage to the Giallo in its purest form.

The film received two unnecessary remakes in 2006 and 2019.

You can currently find the film streaming (albeit with ad breaks) on ​​Amazon Freevee. We hope you enjoy rewatching or even coming into contact with this early slasher gem for the first time.

Through his iconic role as Superman, Christopher Reeve reached worldwide fame. After a riding accident in 1995, during which he sustained 2 shattered cervical vertebrae, he was paralyzed from the neck down. After that, he lobbied for research on spinal cord injury and founded organisations to help improve the lives of people with disabilities. On the October 10, 2004, he died at age 52 after a cardiac arrest. Today, on the 20th anniversary of his death, a documentary about his life's story is hitting the big screen.

»Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story« shows Reeve's story and especially how he dealt with his disability after the accident, as well as his activism. Besides a lot of archive footage of the actor, the film also contains interviews with Reeve's children and thereby grants the audience a look into his family life. On top of that, famous friends of his such as Glenn Close, Susan Sarandon and Whoopi Goldberg also share their memories of him.

The documentary has been shown at several film festivals ever since January where it already brought tears to the audience's eyes. A truly emotional and inspiring film - see the trailer:
https://youtu.be/gX-B3HMlMfY

The time has come: Transformers fans will finally get their money's worth again! »Transformers One« is currently being shown in cinemas. As always, things are getting heated on the planet Cybertron. This time, you'll see the tragic beginnings of Optimus Prime an Megatron. Even if there's plenty of action going on, you will have a lot to laugh. Check out the final trailer:
https://youtu.be/jaVcDaozGgc

Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry) haven't always been sworn enemies. Previously, they used to fight unconditionally by each other's side. A conflict with their leader Sentinel Prime tests their friendship and suddenly turns them into rivals. Now the fate of the Transformers is on the brink of disaster.

Are you curious to see how the battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron begins in »Transformers One«?

In the pre-Halloween season, we're treating you to postcards instead of candy. And this time, matching Spooktober, they're from Transsylvania 🧛🏻!

Our friend Stefan has captured the bloodsucking Count Dracula in a beautifully gloomy atmosphere. The photo of the 1/6 scale figure by Kaustic Plastik was refined with a few sprinkles of blood by Tim, which - along with the flickering flame of the candle - is accentuated with glossy varnish 🩸. The result is this wonderfully spooky card. Even Dracula seems to be proud and excited.

You can get a free copy of this postcard with every package we send to you in October 📦.

»Silent Hill 2« was originally released in 2001. 23 years later the remake by the Polish developer Bloober Team is being published. Even the original version back then aroused the minds and delighted the surival-horror-gamers who were hungry for content. In contrast to the »Resident Evil« series, »Silent Hill« took a much more subtle approach: while »Resident Evil« was something like the pockmarked freak with tentacles bursting out from under the abdominal wall, while an undefinable green and corrosive substance dripped from the corners of the mouth, »Silent Hill« revealed itself as a psychiatric patient haunted by delusions, who confronted his own shadow and tried to find out what was a dream and what was reality. 

At the center of the story is the widower James Sunderland, who is still mourning the death of his wife Mary, who died three years ago. One day, a letter from the deceased reaches him. In the letter, Mary tells him that she would be waiting for him in the town of Silent Hill. As if that weren't odd enough, James soon comes to the realization that Silent Hill is populated by strange creatures and there are some horrors lurking in the thick fog, all of which seem to be related to his biography in some way.

If you try to catch up with classics like the original version of »Silent Hill 2« nowadays, it is probably impossible to get a gaming experience that is similar to the one that players had in the early 00s. Although the survival horror games of the PS1 and PS2 era in particular have created their own unmistakable aesthetic style, which is often cited (or copied) by hobby developers in their own creations, the crude 3D models of people and creatures simply seem too alien to completely identify with them or to be sincerely afraid of them. From this perspective, a remake of the classic seems justified.

Similar to the remakes of »Resident Evil 4« or »Dead Space«, Bloober Team seems to have taken the approach of preserving the basic essence of the original and expanding the game in worthwhile places. This means that connoisseurs of the original will recognize many corners, puzzles and situations, but will also get a huge extra on top. For example, you can now enter rooms and buildings that were not accessible at the time. It goes without saying that new puzzles and obstacles were added as well. The remake of »Silent Hill 2« is expected to be about twice as long as the original with an expected playing time of 16 to 20 hours.

Starting today, Playstation 5 and PC players will once again be able to roam through the fog-shrouded Silent Hill, enduring or even enjoying grief, guilt and the abysses of human existence.

Here's the trailer:
https://youtu.be/6aFrvEu2Ku8

If you are still looking for cool collectibles for »Silent Hill« you will find them in our shop. Among others, you can still buy the Red Pyramid Thing and the Bubble Head Nurse in 1/6 Scale format by Iconiq Studios:
https://www.space-figuren.de/Games/Silent-Hill:::4684_5110.html

We're back with 🚀 ABGESPACED 🚀 - and episode 38 is all about the Toyplosion!

Sven and Eva revisit the Most Powerful Retro Toyshow, report on their experiences and impressions from the fair and also give you a little insight into the planning behind it. But that's not the only reason why this episode is worth it: We'll also show you a handful of our most exciting show offers, which are now also available in our shop 🥳.

There's been a lot going on in the last few weeks besides that, too! In our News Recap, we're talking about the Emmy Awards, a few interesting cinema releases and promising new trailers. We also have some great new postcards to show you, a first look at the iconic Bulldozer statue and a cool goodie 😁.

Don't miss this episode - now on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/-HT1dd3oFnU
 

The website for the film »Companion« (with the tagline "A new kind of love story") takes us to the fictional dating site findyourcompanion.net with a pretty logo consisting of a pair of heart-shaped handcuffs. So it's safe to assume that the film is about dating and we suspect that a lot goes awry. However, we should not expect a romcom, which is what the first few seconds of the trailer might suggest, before things really get going and the trailer escalates without giving too much away - just enough to keep us hooked.
https://youtu.be/jrEcou9sX3A

Jack Quaid (Hughie Campbell in »The Boys«) definitively proved with »Scream« that he can play evil, too. And Sophie Thatcher has been on our radar since »Yellowjackets« anyway.

This new kind of love story is coming to cinemas on January 10th. Are you in?

Dear 1/6 collectors, what the hell was going on over the last two days at the WONDER FESTIVAL in Shanghai? We have rarely seen so many ultra-exciting 1/6 scale novelties at a convention as this time. In our opinion, even SDCC 2024 and ACGHK 2024 are a joke compared to that!

At least from a distance, we had the impression that INART, BLITZWAY and of course HOT TOYS were battling it out on the show floor with a flood of great novelties - to the delight of all fans and collectors, of course. We'll summarize for you what seemed most interesting to us or caught our eye:


INART
The biggest hits in 1/6 scale at InArt definitely came from Middle Earth! They already unveiled the Ringwraith on horse in San Diego, but it was now presented in detail again in Shanghai. The villain was accompanied by the brand new 1/6 Legolas (who looks really good, in our opinion) and the 1/6 Thorin (who looks unbelievably good, in our opinion).
The next character in the »Harry Potter« series was a first prototype of Severus Snape. Of course, all the other Harry Potter figures, such as Hermione, are also real eye-catchers (especially compared to the Star Ace figures ...).
The figures for »Black Myth: Wukong« are extremely impressive - although more of a niche topic for the average collector.
And then InArt had another surprise from the DC universe up their sleeves: Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle aka Catwoman from »The Dark Knight Rises«!


BLITZWAY
We have one! A manufacturer that is bringing us a new edition of the classic »Ghostbusters« in 1/6 scale, that is: Blitzway! So if you missed the set back then, you'll soon have the chance to get your hands on Peter, Ray, Egon and Winston. And yes, we're expecting a reproduction or new edition of the Ecto-1 at some point, too.
The second highlight at the Blitzway stand was the announcement of - finally really cool - »The Boys« figures in sixth scale. So far, only Billy Butcher was revealed, but Homelander has already been confirmed and is in the pipeline!
We were completely surprised by the announcement of a 1/6 DeLorean from »Back to the Future« - yes, from Blitzway! We haven't seen it yet, but we assume that Blitzway will present the first prototype shortly. Great Scott, we're so excited!!!
And then finally came the unveiling of the first two »Star Wars« statues (albeit in 1/4 scale) from Blitzway: Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi from »Revenge of the Sith«. There will be a standard version of both characters (probably titled Superb Scale Statue). However, Blitzway is also releasing an extremely high-quality and ultra-elaborate "Black Label" statue of Anakin - after Michael Jackson - which will be hard to beat in terms of detail. Awesome!


HOT TOYS
At the very stylish Hot Toys booth, visitors were once again welcomed by life-size Deadpool and Wolverine. There was a lot to see in the 1/6 area, including some premieres:
Unexpectedly, but of course absolutely cool, the next Artisan figure was introduced: Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) from »The Suicide Squad«. Behind her was the sexy Batgirl in the limited “Purple and Gold Version”. And a new version of Scarecrow from »Batman Begins« also surprised us!
Looking over from DC to Marvel, you could see the also brand-new Tony Stark in the 70s look from »Avengers: Endgame«. The new Venom (comic-based) is of course a breaker and should also please Marvel fans. The two new figures Doctor Doom (also comic-based) and Spidy from »The Amazing Spider-Man« were of course also set up at the booth, but are now officially in the pre-order phase (and also in our shop from Monday).
Another figure, which is already in pre-order, celebrated its convention premiere: the ultra nasty Akaoni Samurai Predator, which was created by artist Takayuki Takeya and is based on »Alien vs. Predator«. Speaking of »AvP«: A new edition of the classic Predator from the first movie was shown - but this definitely will need some improvement. But the Alien from »Alien: Romulus« instead looks very cool - amazing that Hot Toys has the license here too or will produce figures for it!
From the »Star Wars« universe, the 1/6 Savage Opress, shown for the very first time, was particularly an eye-catcher. He was surrounded by characters like Chewbacca, Jar Jar Binks and General Grievous (all already shown and listed for pre-order).
To end the booth tour with a real blast, Hot Toys pays tribute to an absolute cult film: True to the motto "I'll be back" we can look forward to further 2.0 versions of »Terminator 2«. We already know and celebrate the T-800 in the battle-damaged version, but we wouldn't have expected that a normal T-800 Arnie and a really nasty and really well-hit T-1000 would be following right after. This is really fantastic news, especially for all the 1/6 collectors who got into the hobby later and may have missed out on such iconic figures. Stunning!


As always, we will list all new products in our shop as quickly as possible over the next few weeks. So it's best to keep an eye on our list of newly added products (space-figuren.de/preorders) or subscribe to our newsletter so you don't miss anything ;).

Tomorrow marks another day of some interesting new cinematic releases. We would like to present to you two of the films that will be shown on the big screen starting tomorrow.


JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX

The eagerly awaited sequel to Todd Phillips' 2019 film »Joker«, for which Joaquin Phoenix won the Oscar for best actor in 2020, is finally hitting cinemas. Phoenix will of course be taking on the titular role again in the sequel titled »Joker: Folie à Deux«. We are looking forward to Arthur Fleck, who is no longer dancing alone, but this time has Dr. Harleen Quinzel (Lady Gaga) at his side. We are also excited for the musical interludes that will run through the film.

Since we have already given our two cents on the two trailers over the last few months, all that remains to be said about the long-awaited release is: Clear the stage for »Joker: Folie à Deux«!


THE WILD ROBOT

The latest animated film from Dreamworks is sure to be a special highlight for the whole family.

In »The Wild Robot«, the shipwrecked, highly intelligent robot Rozim 7134, or Roz for short, is stranded on a deserted island. In order to survive, Roz befriends the animals that live there. When she accidentally comes across an orphaned gosling, which sees her as a mother figure, she has to go above and beyond with the help of her new friends to raise it. But then her past catches up with her ...

The film not only impresses with a top-tier voice cast (including Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O'Hara), but was also in good hands in other respects. Director and writer Chris Sanders has already shown us with his work on »Lilo & Stitch« and »How to Train Your Dragon« that he knows how to stage stories about extraordinary friendships between outsiders. And the trailers show that the animation team has also done a phenomenal job!
https://youtu.be/67vbA5ZJdKQ


Which film are you really looking forward to this week?

If you ask Nintendo's followers to list their favorite characters or franchises, then in addition to »Super Mario« and »Zelda« they usually mention »Metroid«. This should not be surprising, because the series has been around since 1986 and has been able to inspire generations of fanatical fans over the years. »Metroid« and heroine Samus Aran are something like the antithesis to the garish and cheerful plumber Mario: »Metroid« is confusing, required desire and skill in solving puzzles and exploring the world. In addition, the series was always dark and atmospheric.

Furthermore, »Metroid«, in collaboration with its vampiresque brother »Castlevania«, achieved something that seems almost impossible nowadays: the establishment of its own game genre! Every player has heard of Metroidvanias before. A genre with a huge world that can be explored extensively from the very beginning, the constant progression of the main character as well as the return to already known places, which now reveal further secrets and paths using new skills and items. And on top of that, of course, lots of shooting was also available 😉!

We want to honour this contribution to culture with our 💥 Product of the Month 💥 in October. The choice therefore fell on the Samus Varia Suit PVC Statue by First 4 Figures. Samus in her stylish Varia Suit just seems too powerful! This version by F4F explicitly refers to »Metroid Prime«, the excursion of the game series into the realms of 3D graphics. But of course, fans of the 2D and 2.5D parts will also get their money's worth with this statue.

In addition to the standard version, we can also offer you the even more impressive Collector's Edition with the ultracool LED light-up feature and an additional alternative arm - only as long as stock lasts. So join the ranks and celebrate with us not only one of the most groundbreaking game series, but also one of the most famous video game heroines of all time 🤩!
https://bit.ly/sf_pdm_oct24

Fifty years ago, a cruel low-budget film premiered, which not only caused social outrage, but shaped the horror genre in a very special way. »The Texas Chainsaw Massacre« was released in 1974 and was not accepted by film examining boards in many countries due to its disturbing violence. Years after its release, even the shortened video version was indexed in Germany and only in 2011 the uncut version was classified as FSK 18 (equivalent to NC-17) following an indictment. Despite all these obstacles, Tobe Hooper created a slasher film that marked a milestone. This cult film is celebrated by fans and horror lovers to this day.

It all began with a few young people driving to the countryside of Texas, where Sally Hardesty’s grandfather is buried, and she plans to visit his grave with her paraplegic brother. On their way to their grandparents’ abandoned home, the group picks up a hitchhiker who talks about the area’s economic situation and slaughterhouses that have gone bankrupt. After the situation escalates when he threatens Franklin with a razor, one stupid coincidence occurs after the other. The van’s tank runs out and there’s no escaping a family that turns out to be cannibals. At the forefront is Leatherface, a man masked in human skin wielding a chainsaw while chasing his victims. A new cult figure was born.

Today, Leatherface's actions are still considered just as brutal and disturbing as they were back then. Nevertheless, several remakes and sequels of »The Texas Chainsaw Massacre« have been released over the years. Nowadays, the film series is one of the best in the horror genre.

In our shop you'll find matching Collectibles, including a 1:1 Chainsaw Life-Size Replica with sound from the original cult movie. So enjoy browsing:
https://www.space-figuren.de/Filme/Texas-Chainsaw-Massacre:::4681_5197.html

Fans of the series »The Last of Us« have to be a little bit more patient, because season two won't start streaming on Sky and Max until 2025. On the other hand, you have enough time to rewatch the first one, which got great ratings. On Rotten Tomatoes the score was 96 %. The series is a real tribute to the video game. The teaser for the second season, which was dropped just a few days ago, also captivates you immediately:
https://youtu.be/t2hzCNEWoqY

Five years have passed since the dangerous journey of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey). But their peace doesn't remain undisturbed. As they face the conflicts they have with each other, the world is even more life-threatening than before.

We're looking forward to the emotional ups and downs in season two. For the fans of the video game series among you, we have a few great collectibles in our shop, which you can pre-order from us now:
https://www.space-figuren.de/Games/The-Last-of-Us:::4684_5027.html?language=en

The »John Wick« franchise continues to grow! After the fourth part of the main series, which thrilled moviegoers last year, a spin-off called »Ballerina« awaits us on the big screen in 2025.

Ana de Armas is the eponymous dancer who - just like John Wick himself - is trained by the Ruska Roma to become a contract killer. As viewers, we not only follow her tough training, but also her vendetta against her family's murderers.

The plot takes place at the same time as the events of »John Wick: Chapter 3« and we can actually look forward to an appearance by Keanu Reeves in this spin-off. But of course we are particularly excited about Ana de Armas as the contract killer Eve. Get a foretaste in the trailer for »Ballerina«, which has been dropped on YouTube recently:
https://youtu.be/0FSwsrFpkbw

For all horror fans, today it's time to sit back in your home cinema with Paramount+ and enjoy the new horror thriller »Apartment 7A«. It's a prequel to the masterpiece »Rosemary's Baby« from 1968. The producers of »A Quiet Place« have ventured to tackle this disturbing story. Julia Garner (»The Assistant«, »Ozark«) plays the protagonist and slips into the role of an ambitious dancer. Take a look at the trailer:
https://youtu.be/Kj2GqMvhbNM

Due to an injury, Terry Gionoffrio is forced to give up on dancing. But then she meets the wealthy Castevets (Dianne Wiest & Kevin McNally). They offer her one of the apartments in the Bramford Building and give her a second chance as a dancer. Blinded by her big dreams, Terry at first doesn't realize that there is something wrong with the apartment complex and that the Castevets are acting strangely. The story of the previous tenant finally sheds light on the darkness...

As always, we would like to present you with a small selection of today's cinematic releases.

NEVER LET GO

In the new film by director Alexandre Aja (»The Hills Have Eyes«), Halle Berry plays a woman (known to the audience only as "Momma") who lives in isolation in the forest with her two sons Nolan (Percy Daggs IV) and Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins). According to Momma, the three are the only survivors of an apocalypse triggered by a supernatural force that only she can see. She tells the two boys never to step outside without a rope that must connect them to the house at all times to protect them from evil. But Nolan begins to have doubts about this story ...

MEGALOPOLIS

In Francis Ford Coppola's passion project the architect Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) wants to rebuild New York, which has fallen into disrepair after a crisis, into a utopia. Mayor Frank Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), however, opposes this change and clings to the legacy of the past. In the middle of the conflict between the two men is Frank's daughter Julia (Nathalie Emmanuel), who is torn between her loyalty to her father and her love for Cesar.

If the majority of reviews are to be believed, you can probably safely skip both films or at least save them for the home screen. The story of »Never Let Go« is said to be quite thin and has nothing really surprising or new to offer. The trailer was already reminiscent of previous works such as »Bird Box« or »A Quiet Place«. Only the performances of the three main actors receive occasional praise.
»Megalopolis« was apparently notably affected by its chaotic production history. In terms of narrative, acting and visuals, the film does not live up to what the trailer promises and is a bit heavy.

Are you still drawn to the cinema for this or another of the films opening today?

The first official trailer for »Thunderbolts« was shown exclusively at SDCC in July. Everyone else had to be patient, but now the time has finally come: Marvel has dropped the trailer on YouTube!
https://youtu.be/v-94Snw-H4o

The film focuses on the eponymous Thunderbolts, an unconventional group of anti-heroes who are commissioned by CIA chief Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). During a mission, the team consisting of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) encounters Bob (Lewis Pullman). The trailer still leaves open who he is and what purpose de Fontaine is pursuing. But to the sounds of »Where Is My Mind« it gives us a promising preview of awesome action and great humor. 

»Thunderbolts« is scheduled to open in theaters next year in late April to early May, just a few weeks after »Captain America: Brave New World«, making it the last film of Phase 5 of the MCU.

What is your first impression of the Thunderbolts?

In recent years, the buzz around Tim Burton has quieted down a bit, but he returned with the Netflix series »Wednesday« and his »Beetlejuice« sequel is currently running successfully in cinemas.

Apart from that, we don't just owe him widely known films such as »Batman« and »Batman Returns«, »Edward Scissorhands« and »Sleepy Hollow«, but also »Ed Wood«, which premiered at the New York Film Festival 30 years ago today.

Ed Wood is often described as the worst film director of all time, but his trashy, often unintentionally funny films, especially »Plan 9 from Outer Space«, enjoy cult status today.

Tim Burton dedicated a biopic to him that celebrates the love of cinema. Johnny Depp embodies this passion for cinema and the love of angora underwear perfectly. Special mention goes to Martin Landau, who plays the old Bela Lugosi and won the Oscar for best supporting actor for this role.

If you haven't seen the film yet or want to refresh your memory, here is the trailer:
https://youtu.be/CawVaHxWvnA

You can currently stream the film on Disney+.

Nowadays, Netflix has a lot of animated shows to offer that revive our beloved classics and heroes. Thus, Lara Croft's going to return to our home screens with »Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft«. »Tomb Raider« is known for its tough heroine and plenty of action. As you can see in the trailer, showrunner Tasha Huo really kept this in mind during production:
https://youtu.be/Oe7CVCjgCzI

»Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft« picks up after the events of the video game series from 2013-18, which concludes with »Shadow of the Tomb Raider«. This means that the story takes place between the »Survivor Trilogy« and the original game series from the 1990s.

As a passionate archaeologist, Lara can’t just keep still and has to dive into the next adventure. It doesn't take long for her to be on the trail of a new secret. To uncover it, she heads on a chase around the world.

The series starts with eight episodes on Netflix on October 10.

The first Toyplosion was one of our absolute highlights of 2023! That's why we were really happy to be part of the »Most Powerful Retro Toyshow« again this year. We would like to thank everyone who visited us at our stand - it was nice to see you 😊!

For those who unfortunately couldn't be there, we also recorded some exciting impressions. We'll take you »On the Road« with us, guide you through the Europahalle in Castrop-Rauxel and give you a little booth tour at our stand. Not only will you get an overview of our new products and trade fair offerings, but Timo will also tell you what the »Great Wars« stuff by Axel Giménez and Leo Vega is all about 🤯!

We'll also tell you in the video how you can get your hands on the collectibles on display even after the Toyplosion. And you'll get to see an interview about the »Kings of the Snake Men« book with the three artists behind it. So be sure to check it out - now on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/l520ttzHEtU

If you are reading this text, then it's very likely that Batman was already bringing crooks in Gotham City to justice at the time of your birth. The man in the bat costume already celebrated his 85th anniversary this year. It is all the more surprising that an official Batman holiday was only launched by DC in 2014. This year's Batman Day takes place tomorrow and we'd like to celebrate this day early with you!

The Batman franchise is distinguished, most of all, by its versatility. A lot of you have probably seen the Batman TV-Series from the 60s in your childhood. Batman and Robin as a dynamic duo, equipped with snug tights and superimposed stylized sound bubbles (*PAM*, *POW*, *KAPOW*) in wonderfully stupid and highly amateurish brawls. Of course, we were not aware of the exaggeration and self-irony in childhood: Batman was serious shit!!!

As we got older and the comedic touch was no longer enough, Tim Burton's 1989 masterpiece »Batman« fortunately offered us the gothic thrill we needed. Jack Nicholson as the Joker invited us to a dance with the devil in the pale moonlight.

With the »Dark Knight« series from 2005 onwards Christopher Nolan would bring Christian Bale as the masked vigilante into a world that more or less mirrored our own. Instead of garish characters the ensemble of rogues consisted of real psychopaths, like Cillian Murphy's calculating Scarecrow, the simultaneously extremely intellectual and violent Bane, played by Tom Hardy ... and of course the Oscar-honoured Joker legacy of Heath Ledger.

This list of memorable Batman moments could probably be continued forever: for example, who still remembers the terrible fate that Barbara Gordon suffered in Alan Moore's comic »The Killing Joke« in 1988? Or the freedom that was given to us in 2009 with the video game »Batman: Arkham Asylum«? The game took 3D-action-adventures to a new level, won countless prizes and gave players around the world the feeling of being Batman. And in just a few days, the Dark Knight will receive a very special honor: he'll be the first superhero to be immortalized with a star on the Walk of Fame. But even before that, he was already made into countless collectibles. You can find a large selection of figures from the films and comics in our shop.

We would like to know from you which media products of the Batman cosmos have shaped you the most. Maybe you still have one or the other insider tip in stock ;).

But before that, we would like to give you a little tip: If you want to celebrate Batman Day accordingly, then today's streaming start of »The Penguin« offers the perfect opportunity! What started with the »Dark Knight« trilogy’s grim realism was taken to the extreme by Matt Reeves with his interpretation of »The Batman« in 2022, where he took the "Detective Comics" in DC quite literally. There are no supernatural powers, no Mr. Freeze with his ice cannon, no colorful chemical barrels, no anthropomorphic giant plants, and no oversized hammers. Instead, we get real detective work, corrupt cops, serial killers, the mafia underworld and a Penguin, who has swapped his army of penguins and red-and-white striped fireworks for designer suits and a Glock.

Before the second part with Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne hits theaters next year, the story of this very Penguin is now being continued in an HBO series. Of course, we immediately watched the first episode today after its release and we can already say: this is going to be AMAZING! The Penguin (once again portrayed by the unrecognizable Colin Farrell) is determined to fulfill his ambition of becoming the new mafia kingpin in a post-Carmine-Falcone-Gotham, using his seemingly dumb, naive, crippled, subservient, yet megalomaniacal reputation as his weapon.

We’re particularly excited about the interactions with Sofia Falcone, portrayed in a brilliantly sweet-but-menacing way by Cristin Milioti. Every time she opened her mouth in this first episode, we got chills. The bleak, modern, "post-apocalyptic" (let's remember: in »The Batman«, the Riddler had flooded the city and »The Penguin« picks up just a week after those events) Gotham, which somehow also reminds us of the Five Points from »Gangs of New York«, provides the perfect backdrop for a mafia drama in the style of »The Sopranos«. This could definitely turn out to be one of the best series of the year!

Here's the trailer in case we piqued your interest:
https://youtu.be/sfJG6IiA_s8