Forget the Mayan calendar, here's a far better indicator that 2012 may mark the end of the world. Two words: Watchmen toaster. More (less mindboggling) stories from the past week at ComicsAlliance, after the jump.

Batman may be the hero we associate most with darkness, but these illustrations by Bunka, a.k.a. Yann Le Nevé, show that a well-placed shadow can lend any character a touch of menace. DC superfolks, Marvel characters and Ninja Turtles all feel the weight of Bunka's mighty blacks, but so do his own characters: furry creatures that are adorable at first glance, only to prove terrifying as their true qualities emerge from the shadows.

The influence of Japanese culture on classic 1980s Nintendo games isn't always overt -- especially considering how localized box art and other modifications colored consumer's earliest experiences with many titles. The fact remains, however, that the games that defined (and continue to define) generations of gamers have a unique heritage influenced by their Japanese origins. Paying homage to this truth is artist Jed Henry, who has dialed back the clock on the heroes of The Legend of Zelda, Mega Man and Metroid to display their dopeness in the style of Ukiyo-e, or Japanese woodblock art. Feast your eyes on Henry's samuraized Samus, Link and Mega Man after the cut and be sure to hit up Henry's Tumblr next week for his take on Mario Kart.

Clearly, some of the business genius of Tony Stark has rubbed off on Robert Downey Jr. after playing the character for three movies (four, if you count his Incredible Hulk cameo), with the news that the success of The Avengers will earn the actor somewhere in the region of $50 million.

Benefit Cosmetics is combining forces with Marvel Comics to launch a comic book inspired by Benefit's beauty products, entitled SpyGal. Marvel assembled the team of acclaimed writer James Asmus (Uncanny X-Men, Captain America) and masterful artist Phil Noto (Batgirl, X-23) to bring SpyGal to life in this beautiful limited edition release, which will be available on Benefit Cosmetics makeup counters everywhere this month.

Obviously we're big Phil Noto fans around here, so Marvel was kind enough to hook us up with some high resolution versions of the SpyGal promo material that was distributed last week. Check those out after the cut, as well as a fully lettered SpyGal adventure.

Hot Toys has been generous with images of its The Avengers movie figure heroes Nick Fury, Hawkeye, Captain America and Thor (with Hulk, Iron Man Mark VII and Black Widow still on the way), but now it's time for the film's villain to shine. Due out around December is a 1/6 scale Loki figure bearing the mischievously accurate likeness of actor Tom Hiddleston. The roughly $220 toy will come packed with all the trimmings befitting an evil step brother exiled from Asgard, such as two versions of his crazy magic scepter, two knives, his big ol' helmet and hands aplenty. Should Loki's plastic trickery prove too much, the figure will come with a muzzle and shackles for restraining action. If you buy the Hot Toys Nick Fury, maybe have him patronizingly offer him a 1/6 scale magazine or something while he's locked up. Check out all the Loki goodness after the cut.

The CW is clearly working on the assumption that, the more we see of new Green Arrow series Arrow, the more we'll like it. Just a day after we got to see our first glimpse at the new show from some of the people who brought you the Green Lantern movie, the network has released the show's official trailer... and it kind of looks good. Click through to see if you're convinced.

Seven years after the release of the first film based on the popular and award-winning Dark Horse graphic novel series by Frank Miller, we now have an official release date for the long-awaited sequel. Sin City: A Dame To Kill For will open on October 4, 2013, as confirmed by a new teaser poster. Co-directed once again by Miller and Robert Rodriguez, the movie will adapt not just the titular story but also, in the fashion of the first film, other disparate yet interconnected tales from the comics as well as a brand new Sin City "yarn." Auspiciously, the screenplay is co-written by William Monohan, an Academy Award winner for his work on The Departed.

Click on to see the new Sin City teaser poster.

In the world of comics, the legendary Frank Frazetta is probably most closely associated with Conan the Barbarian and the occasional Molly Hatchet album cover, but it's his incredible work in fantasy illustration that catapulted him to fame. Case in point, his illustrations for The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, originallly published as a limited (to 1,000) signed and numbered portfolio in 1975, which capture key moments of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic in Frazetta's absolutely beautiful style.

There's a Hobbit movie on the horizon, but it's not like we ever need an excuse to check out some art from Frazetta, so check them out after the cut!

There've been plenty of Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes promos released over the past few months on the lead up to the game's June 19 release date, but the latest batch are a fun surprise for fans who enjoyed Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham City. Taking a page from the decidedly grittier Batman game's preview images and box art, a new series of Lego Batman 2 CG renders desaturates the kid-friendly game's heroes and villains and hones in on each character via a sole colored icon. A few of the renders were made available around the web, but VG247 hit the mother load with their batch of images, which include Green Lantern, Superman and Lex Luthor. Despite the more serious design approach, it still looks like the game will pack the all-ages charm of its predecessor when it arrives on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS and 3DS later this summer. You can see the full-sized Lego Batman 2 renders after the cut.

Here at ComicsAlliance, we value our readership and are always open to what the masses of internet readers have to say. That's why every week, Senior Writer Chris Sims puts his comics culture knowledge to the test as he responds to your reader questions!




Q: Of the long history of DC/Marvel crossovers, which one is your favorite? -- @JohnDudebro

A: Back when I was growing up in the '90s, inter-company crossovers happened a lot, and despite the fact that you'd think it would be a no-brainer to have Batman and Wolverine hang out for a few pages debating the merits of a mask with ear-points, the vast majority of them were pretty terrible. Even when I was a kid, I remember thinking that Marvel vs. DC, the series that was billed as the book that was going to settle every schoolyard debate, was complete nonsense -- even if it did give us the surprisingly fun Amalgam comics that predated the Internet's love of mash-ups. The disappointments just completely overshadowed the few that were actually well-done.

But of the ones that were good, there are definitely a couple that are downright great.