DC Fandome 2021 was over 2 weeks ago now...
Last year I watched it intently as it happened and wrote a large, in depth review of what worked and what didn't (here). This year however, I was busy, so made a promise that I would at least cover the biggest talking points, which is any new footage or trailers that they show. After all, that's what will be the hot talking point for a while, right?
After struggling to find the time to do this for the last couple of weeks, and as each day has passed, I began realising something...it never became a hot talking point. I haven't missed the big discussion here by a week...it just never happened. But why? There was massive reveals, wasn't there? Didn't everyone start fanboying over Battinson? Well, here I am 14 days later and what's the word on everyone's lips? SPIDER-MAN.
What is the point in having this massive event with celebrity interviews and content if it completely loses momentum and leaves people's memories as soon as it's over? Why has there been no second push? Why does it feel like DC have just lay on their back and given in on being the trending topic?
After struggling to find the time to do this for the last couple of weeks, and as each day has passed, I began realising something...it never became a hot talking point. I haven't missed the big discussion here by a week...it just never happened. But why? There was massive reveals, wasn't there? Didn't everyone start fanboying over Battinson? Well, here I am 14 days later and what's the word on everyone's lips? SPIDER-MAN.
What is the point in having this massive event with celebrity interviews and content if it completely loses momentum and leaves people's memories as soon as it's over? Why has there been no second push? Why does it feel like DC have just lay on their back and given in on being the trending topic?
What happened, DC? Your balls drop off??
True to my word I'm going to look over these trailers, but now I'm going to see if I can figure out why they didn't cause such a buzz as the webhead has done since the 30th of August!!
BLACK ADAM
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Full video presentation including introduction from The Rock
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Just the footage
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The thing with Black Adam is that it feels like we're not much further along than last year. Yes, we got to see some actors shooting scenes, Pierce Brosnan compared shooting the James Bond franchise to this movie in some weird flex as if we'd forgotten he's the face of the best game on the N64, and we got a bit of footage...but it's been a year.
"COVID", I hear some people cry...and whilst that may be a factor, how come no other films are moving slower than a parked car at showing us their trailers/teasers/previews?
The footage is good, I'm not gonna lie. It looks dark and he does come off as pretty intimidating but there's going to be a lot more to this film than The Rock and I think we needed to see that, because right now it seems like they're scared to show their hand. And wouldn't you be? This is meant to be the counterpart to SHAZAM! A fun loving, brightly coloured superhero comedy...and rather than just be in the next SHAZAM! film, he IS the next SHAZAM! film...by a whole year! SHAZAM! 2: Electric Boogaloo (probably not the title) isn't out until 2023! And a lot of the mainstream have no idea who he is, so giving him his own film seems a little premature.
As much as this has been a slow moving project for The Rock, and as much as I've just complained they're taking too long on it, I can't help but get BATMAN v SUPERMAN vibes. That we should have a second SHAZAM! film BEFORE we get a BLACK ADAM film before they meet in a third SHAZAM! film.
Interest-o-meter: 4/10
"COVID", I hear some people cry...and whilst that may be a factor, how come no other films are moving slower than a parked car at showing us their trailers/teasers/previews?
The footage is good, I'm not gonna lie. It looks dark and he does come off as pretty intimidating but there's going to be a lot more to this film than The Rock and I think we needed to see that, because right now it seems like they're scared to show their hand. And wouldn't you be? This is meant to be the counterpart to SHAZAM! A fun loving, brightly coloured superhero comedy...and rather than just be in the next SHAZAM! film, he IS the next SHAZAM! film...by a whole year! SHAZAM! 2: Electric Boogaloo (probably not the title) isn't out until 2023! And a lot of the mainstream have no idea who he is, so giving him his own film seems a little premature.
As much as this has been a slow moving project for The Rock, and as much as I've just complained they're taking too long on it, I can't help but get BATMAN v SUPERMAN vibes. That we should have a second SHAZAM! film BEFORE we get a BLACK ADAM film before they meet in a third SHAZAM! film.
Interest-o-meter: 4/10
THE GAMES
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As well as films and TV, we got glimpses of some upcoming game releases. Both had very different tones, and both had very similar approaches to what they showed...or more importantly, what they didn't.
GOTHAM KNIGHTS did show the odd snippet, but by and large both of these showed us no gameplay. It's a game, we want to know how the game looks. Not the fancy story line footage in the middle, the actual game. Otherwise you may have just made a complete CGI movie. There's many reasons they may have done this. One is simply that it isn't ready, understandable but similar to BLACK ADAM, SUICIDE SQUAD got a trailer last year...so is all we've progressed to is more FMV footage? The other possibility is that it looks shit and is buggy. If you watch the GOTHAM KNIGHTS trailer, Batgirl's cape falls unmajestically as she stands up. But what I think is a worrying possibility is that the games may be too similar.
Think about it. You can play as 1 of 4 characters in a city scape, fighting off whatever is oncoming towards you. It may be as similar as GOLDEN AXE was to STREETS OF RAGE but similarities don't look great coming from the same company pushing, what are meant to be, two different games. This was all entertaining but when the dust settled, what are gamers going to talk about if there's no gameplay to analyse or get excited about?
Interest-o-meter: 4/10
GOTHAM KNIGHTS did show the odd snippet, but by and large both of these showed us no gameplay. It's a game, we want to know how the game looks. Not the fancy story line footage in the middle, the actual game. Otherwise you may have just made a complete CGI movie. There's many reasons they may have done this. One is simply that it isn't ready, understandable but similar to BLACK ADAM, SUICIDE SQUAD got a trailer last year...so is all we've progressed to is more FMV footage? The other possibility is that it looks shit and is buggy. If you watch the GOTHAM KNIGHTS trailer, Batgirl's cape falls unmajestically as she stands up. But what I think is a worrying possibility is that the games may be too similar.
Think about it. You can play as 1 of 4 characters in a city scape, fighting off whatever is oncoming towards you. It may be as similar as GOLDEN AXE was to STREETS OF RAGE but similarities don't look great coming from the same company pushing, what are meant to be, two different games. This was all entertaining but when the dust settled, what are gamers going to talk about if there's no gameplay to analyse or get excited about?
Interest-o-meter: 4/10
PEACEMAKER
The reveal no one was asking for, for the show no one cares about.
Let it be known now that I love James Gunn's work. I especially loved this year's THE SUICIDE SQUAD (could be my nomination for this year's NERDIES) however, whilst I liked this character, I didn't find myself wanting MORE of him. [Which reminds me, note to self: Send letter to DC, WB and James Gunn asking for a WEASEL TV show, along with my audition tape]
There appears to be a lot of action but maybe only one joke seems to land, like, who's laughing at 'BUTT BABY'? And John Cena doesn't spark conversation out of people. Whether you love him, hate him or nothing him, I can't think of a single interaction I've had with someone where, if the topic of John Cena comes up, he's still the topic 2 minutes later (although he was a great meme for a while).
No one in the trailer seems to steal the show, we don't really see how the show is going to play out (episodically contained stories or one linear story throughout the season), and the best laugh comes from a CGI eagle. I'm hoping it's just a poor trailer but I think this did more harm then good.
Interest-o-meter: 3/10
Let it be known now that I love James Gunn's work. I especially loved this year's THE SUICIDE SQUAD (could be my nomination for this year's NERDIES) however, whilst I liked this character, I didn't find myself wanting MORE of him. [Which reminds me, note to self: Send letter to DC, WB and James Gunn asking for a WEASEL TV show, along with my audition tape]
There appears to be a lot of action but maybe only one joke seems to land, like, who's laughing at 'BUTT BABY'? And John Cena doesn't spark conversation out of people. Whether you love him, hate him or nothing him, I can't think of a single interaction I've had with someone where, if the topic of John Cena comes up, he's still the topic 2 minutes later (although he was a great meme for a while).
No one in the trailer seems to steal the show, we don't really see how the show is going to play out (episodically contained stories or one linear story throughout the season), and the best laugh comes from a CGI eagle. I'm hoping it's just a poor trailer but I think this did more harm then good.
Interest-o-meter: 3/10
THE BATMAN
I would like to begin first by saying:
Now with that out of the way, I'll be honest, this did trend. I saw a lot, and I mean A LOT, of people talking about this on my timeline. Even people who I didn't have down as Batman/comic fans. And that's a testament to both how important and well known Batman is in modern pop-culture, and to how well crafted this film is beginning to look. But I am sat here, two weeks later, and that buzz has become more of a mumble. A faint echo left over from DC FANDOME 2021. And simply put, it's because this should have had its own release. Instead of elevating DC FANDOME up and being the headline act, it got lost amongst the sheer amount of content that DC shared.
Think about it. If DC and WB are using all their main social media outlets to show every single trailer, new poster, or if they set up a bunch of new Twitter and Facebook accounts for these films, there's no real focus. They become their own competition, all fighting for your attention online. Instead of THE BATMAN being everywhere, it's THE BATMAN AND BLACK ADAM AND PEACEMAKER AND THIS INTERVIEW WITH THE CREATIVE TEAM WORKING ON GREE-, you get the picture.
Marvel don't do a MCU fest. Yes, there used to be a lot shown at the big comic-cons, but that was in retaliation to whatever DC would be showing (something they now save for this occasion), and they still didn't show too much, they never watered down their own product. The closest you get to something like this is STAR WARS: CELEBRATION but that's still more focused. Star Wars is for Star Wars fans, which is one large but fairly contained media franchise. DC is too general an umbrella in comparison. There's too much variety leaving the odds of you being passionate about every single thing happening, very low (DC League of Super-Pets, anyone?). Having a BATMAN FANDOME would be more focused. Show those two game trailers, upcoming comic releases, some news on upcoming Batman projects, and then finish with this trailer, BOOM!
A fantastic trailer for a fantastic looking film that, unfortunately, seems to have gotten a little lost in the frenzy that Marvel have created by releasing the SPIDER-MAN trailer on its own...not with 5 other trailers, and an interview with The Rock. Just saying.
Interest-o-meter: 10/10
Think about it. If DC and WB are using all their main social media outlets to show every single trailer, new poster, or if they set up a bunch of new Twitter and Facebook accounts for these films, there's no real focus. They become their own competition, all fighting for your attention online. Instead of THE BATMAN being everywhere, it's THE BATMAN AND BLACK ADAM AND PEACEMAKER AND THIS INTERVIEW WITH THE CREATIVE TEAM WORKING ON GREE-, you get the picture.
Marvel don't do a MCU fest. Yes, there used to be a lot shown at the big comic-cons, but that was in retaliation to whatever DC would be showing (something they now save for this occasion), and they still didn't show too much, they never watered down their own product. The closest you get to something like this is STAR WARS: CELEBRATION but that's still more focused. Star Wars is for Star Wars fans, which is one large but fairly contained media franchise. DC is too general an umbrella in comparison. There's too much variety leaving the odds of you being passionate about every single thing happening, very low (DC League of Super-Pets, anyone?). Having a BATMAN FANDOME would be more focused. Show those two game trailers, upcoming comic releases, some news on upcoming Batman projects, and then finish with this trailer, BOOM!
A fantastic trailer for a fantastic looking film that, unfortunately, seems to have gotten a little lost in the frenzy that Marvel have created by releasing the SPIDER-MAN trailer on its own...not with 5 other trailers, and an interview with The Rock. Just saying.
Interest-o-meter: 10/10
THE FLASH
Now I think it's fair to say I've played the SPIDER-MAN card a fair bit in this blog, and my main reason for doing so is because:
A. It is a relevant comparison.
B. A lot of DC Fanboys (never be a fanboy for any franchise...please), allude that the next SPIDER-MAN film, if it fulfills what the rumours hint at, will be ripping off a multiverse angle/story that THE FLASH team have had in production for much longer. To me, that's always irrelevant. I only care if the story is good, not who told it first.
So with that being said, why the fuck is no one talking about this!?
Seriously. I've had zero chats. That's Keaton. Muthafucking Keaton talking in the Batsuit, the Batmobile is definitely under that sheet, and...IT'S KEATON AS BATMAN AGAIN! I feel like Biff and the world is George:
A. It is a relevant comparison.
B. A lot of DC Fanboys (never be a fanboy for any franchise...please), allude that the next SPIDER-MAN film, if it fulfills what the rumours hint at, will be ripping off a multiverse angle/story that THE FLASH team have had in production for much longer. To me, that's always irrelevant. I only care if the story is good, not who told it first.
So with that being said, why the fuck is no one talking about this!?
Seriously. I've had zero chats. That's Keaton. Muthafucking Keaton talking in the Batsuit, the Batmobile is definitely under that sheet, and...IT'S KEATON AS BATMAN AGAIN! I feel like Biff and the world is George:
I'll tell you why. It's the lack of mystery.
See, with THE FLASH we've had everything spelled out for us by the team behind it. They've posted photos of the Batsuit. Keaton on set being interviewed, telling people he loved donning it again. Ezra Miller telling people all the ideas they have...the only mystery left over is if it's going to reset the DCEU or not, but that's another blog...
Meanwhile in camp SPIDER-MAN...nothing. You'd think the entire studio was run by Johnny Tightlips
See, with THE FLASH we've had everything spelled out for us by the team behind it. They've posted photos of the Batsuit. Keaton on set being interviewed, telling people he loved donning it again. Ezra Miller telling people all the ideas they have...the only mystery left over is if it's going to reset the DCEU or not, but that's another blog...
Meanwhile in camp SPIDER-MAN...nothing. You'd think the entire studio was run by Johnny Tightlips
So when the trailer dropped and we got something in it that hinted at all the rumours being true, the speculation mill went into overdrive. Everyone wants to discuss what they think could be in it, who could show up, how they could etc. Where is the room left for that conversation in THE FLASH? There isn't. And this is all without me even beginning to point out that no one really wanted a Flash movie anyway, so DC does what they do with any property when they're struggling to push it:
"Just add BATMAN."
Which makes me feel dirty for enjoying this trailer. I'm only invested for Batman and not The Flash. I am literally going to watch this film for Keaton and not anything to do with Ezra Miller. That's sad for the film and I don't think I'm the only one sitting on this bench.
Interest-o-meter: 7/10
Interest-o-meter: 7/10
Where I think DC have gone wrong with their FANDOME this year is, not enough new content. Simple as that. Yes, there was news, and there was content, but how much of it was worth shouting about? They diluted their own content stream and a lot just got lost along the way. Until they have more to show they should really just stick to releasing promotions separate from each other, and also leave us wanting. Don't tell us everything, where's the fun in that? You're meant to be DETECTIVE Comics, give us a mystery instead of looking like you don't have a clue.
What do you think? What worked for you and what didn't?
E-Mail: TALKNERDYUK@GMAIL.COM
What do you think? What worked for you and what didn't?
E-Mail: TALKNERDYUK@GMAIL.COM