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Holy cowl-wearing console catastrophe, comic crusaders! This week on Play Comics we’re grappling-hooking our way into the surprisingly deep shadows of 2005’s Batman Begins video game – because apparently someone at Eurocom looked at Christopher Nolan’s gritty reboot and thought, “You know what this needs? A fear meter and the ability to summon actual bats to terrify thugs into submission!”

Released across more platforms than Batman has traumatic childhood memories, this movie tie-in somehow managed to land on PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance without completely embarrassing itself in the process. While most movie games crash and burn faster than if I tried to drive the Batmobile, this stealth-action adventure actually tried to do something interesting with its “High Frequency Transponder” gadget and environmental intimidation mechanics that made enemies drop their weapons in sheer terror.

Joining us for this digital descent into Gotham’s criminal underworld is the incredibly talented Wells Thompson, creative mastermind behind indie comic sensations and the brilliant mind that helped bring us The Scorpion and the Queen (among a bunch of other Kickstarter projects) and the force over at WellsThompson.com. Wells brings his unique perspective on comic storytelling and adaptations to help us figure out whether this game captured the essence of both the Dark Knight’s origin story and Nolan’s cinematic vision, or if it belongs in Arkham Asylum alongside the rest of the movie tie-in disasters.

From the surprisingly robust stealth segments that actually rewarded patience over button-mashing, to those Batmobile sequences that had us questioning our life choices, we’ll explore how this Eurocom-developed title managed to be the last Batman movie to get a proper video game adaptation – and whether that’s a good thing or a tragedy. So grab your utility belt and join us as we investigate whether fear really is the best weapon, or if this game should have stayed in the cave where it belongs!Continue Reading

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Welcome to another episode of Play Comics, where we dive into the pixelated world of superheroes and their digital escapades! This week, we’re strapping on our capes and booting up our Game Boy Advances to tackle Justice League: Injustice for All. Based on the beloved Justice League Unlimited cartoon, this game lets you step into the boots of your favorite heroes, even if the gameplay sometimes feels like it’s stuck in the Phantom Zone.

Joining us for this heroic journey is the illustrious AJ Malacarne from Gamma Head Press. Known for their penchant for the absurd and psychedelic storytelling, AJ brings a unique perspective to our discussion. Will they find the game as thrilling as a battle with Darkseid, or as perplexing as The Riddler’s latest scheme? Tune in to find out!

So grab your Batarang, call in your sidekicks, and prepare for a supercharged episode that promises more twists and turns than a Luthor-led plot. Let’s see if Injustice for All can truly do justice to the Justice League!Continue Reading

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Holy podcast, Batman! This week on Play Comics we’re diving into the shadowy world of Gotham with a game that’s as elusive as the Riddler’s puzzles and as intense as a Batmobile chase. Get ready to explore Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu, a game that swooped onto the PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, and Game Boy Advance bringing with it a whirlwind of caped crusading action with an original story set in the legendary world of Batman: The Animated Series.

Joining us once again is the Dark Knight of comic book gaming knowledge, Blair Farrell from Comic Book Video Games. Blair’s back in the Batcave to help us unravel the mysteries of this unique title and its connections to the animated world of Gotham’s finest. Is Sin Tzu the villain we never knew we needed, or just another face in the rogues’ gallery? Tune in to find out and maybe learn a Bat-fact or two along the way!

So grab your utility belt and prepare for a night in Gotham like no other. Whether you’re a seasoned Bat-fan or just here for the gadgets and gizmos, this episode promises to be a bat-tastic adventure you won’t want to miss!Continue Reading

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Holy glitchy gameplay, Batman! In this electrifying episode of Play Comics, we’re diving deep into the murky waters of Batman: Dark Tomorrow, the Gamecube and Xbox game that had fans scratching their heads and controllers flying across the room. Based on the contemporary Batman comics of its time, this game had all the makings of a classic—dark, brooding atmosphere, a complex storyline, and our favorite caped crusader. But did it live up to the hype, or did it fall into the depths of Gotham’s sewers?

Joining us on this bat-tastic journey is none other than Robert Fitton from the Storymoders podcast. Robert brings his storytelling expertise to help us unravel the tangled web of this game’s narrative and mechanics. Get ready for a rollercoaster of laughs, insights, and maybe a few bat-signals of distress as we explore what went right and oh-so-wrong with Batman: Dark Tomorrow. Buckle up, Bat-fans—this is one episode you won’t want to miss!
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Batman is one of the most well know superheroes around despite the fact that he’s not really a superhero when you break the term down. Don’t care, still love him. And that little used fact in games where he’s a pretty good detective.

Good thing we have Matt and Thad from Making Nerds Cringe here to help unravel the mystery of Batman Vengeance. Listen in as we take a look at this Batman the Animated Series (?) inspired game and all the fun that goes with it.Continue Reading

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We’re never going to get away from Batman are we? Oh well, at least Chaos in Gotham is based on everyone’s favorite Batman animated series. And Batman might possibly have one of the best rogue galleries in comics so you’ve got to think something could be pulled off here.

Good thing we’ve got Erin from Girls Talk Comics to come help us look into the situation. So suit up, because this is a fun one.

This Episode is brought to you in part by Alex Schumacher, SLG Publishing, and Mr. Butterchips.

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Alright, so we’ve looked at a lot of Batman. Like a lot. So let’s take a look at future Batman. Except not Bruce because it’s the future and Bruce is old and tired, you know, all the other things that old people are.

Listen in as Dan and Jake McMahon from DC Supersons come on the show to talk about Batman Beyond, the future of super heroing, and fuzzy good boys.Continue Reading

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Batman and Robin is the last of the 1990s Batman movies, and maybe for good reason. The movie was not all too well received. It didn’t really fit the tone of the preview two 90s Batman movies. And yet it still had a game come out for it. A year after the movie, but it still happened.Listen in as Chris and guest Billy from CommanderCast admit that this is their favorite of the 90s Batman movies and take a look at the tie in game that came with it.Continue Reading

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Batman the Animated Series is apparently a huge part of a ton of childhoods. Except mine, because I somehow kept missing it. But from giving characters much better back stories to creating a few characters that we couldn’t imagine not having today to just being objectively awesome, it’s an important part of today’s Batman culture.So of course it had a game to go with it. You know, besides the Gameboy title that it actually shared a name with the series. Listen in as Chris Sims from War Rocket Ajax, The ISB, and writer of some Marvel things comes to talk about a wonderful pair of Batman games, and a few others that exist.Continue Reading

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In the 1990s Batman was everything. A comic movie franchise, cartoons, you name it. And then things started to fall off the rails. Tim Burton gets pushed out the door and we get this. But will the game be worth it despite the movie? Or will we get yet another example of a weak game that exists only because of a movie tie in?
Listen as Alex Whiteley from Thors-Kin joins the show to talk Batman Forever.Continue Reading