Developed by London-based illustrator Mr. Peruca, this collection of “Notorious Baldies” illustrations offers up one of the best collections of famous pop culture characters that also happen to be bald or going bald. Characters within the collection have been pulled from comic books, movies and television shows that include Star Wars, Breaking Bad, The Avengers, Batman, Superman, Lord of the Rings, The Karate Kid, Family Guy and The Goonies.

In addition to this collection, Peruca has also created a number of illustrations that uses isometric art to create popular figures such as Iron Man and Carl Sagan as well as a series on animals camouflaged in a specific color. If you have any interest in purchasing the Baldies series of images, you can find Peruca’s online shop here at Art&Toys. But first, be sure to check out the entire collection below:

Bane

Darth Maul

Dr. Manhattan

Charlie Brown

Gollum

Mikhail Gorbachev

Hellboy

Homer Simpson

Lex Luther

Mr. Myiagi

Nick Fury

Pennywise

Pinhead

Professor X

Sloth

Stewie Griffin

Walter White

Yoda

18 of Pop Culture’s Most Famous Baldies of All Time

Paying homage to the collection of 1920s vintage mugshots of Australian criminals posted on Laughing Squid last year, Canadian graphic artist Jason Mark has applied the same type of look to a handful of classic Batman villains. Giving off a Gangster Squad vibe, Mark’s “The Usual Suspects” set includes his take on the Joker (John Doe), the Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot), Two-Face (Harvey Dent) and Mr. Freeze (Victor Fries).

The first three are dated in the early 1940s while Mr. Freeze’s mug shot is dated in the late 1950s. My guess is that the artist is working under the assumption that the technology keeping the good doctor alive didn’t exist until the late ’50s.

Mark’s other work includes a variety of DC and Marvel superhero-inspired art including Batman, Green Lantern and Wolverine. Check out “The Usual Suspects” below:

Vintage Batman Villains

Batman Villains Envisioned in Vintage Mugshots

Decking out your room with your favorite movie, TV show or comic book hero doesn’t have to end when you “grow up.” Here are some amazingly character-inspired cool rooms and living spaces, along with easy ways to add some similar, nerdy flair to your current home decor.

Batman Hotel Room

This Batman-themed hotel room, located in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, costs $50 per three hours of use. Judging by the pictures, that’s a total bargain.

Do it yourself: You can buy a Batmobile bed frame on Etsy ($750) or, for a lot less, a pretty cool batmobile graphic for the wall ($90).

Superman Bedroom

This Superman bedroom has it all — a giant globe, the iconic telephone booth, and even Superman himself.

Do it yourself: Add a Phone booth sticker/poster to your door ($60), purchase a  life-size Superman cardboard cutout ($58), or just go all-out with a life-size fiberglass statue (only $4,999.99).

Star Wars AT-AT Bedroom

There are about a million awesome Star Wars rooms out there, but this AT-AT bed might literally be the coolest thing I have ever laid eyes on in my entire 27 years of life.

Do it yourself: Here’s a step-by-step tutorial for making your own AT-AT bed (and securing your place in the “best parent ever” club). Or just get this cute AT-AT quilted bedding (and score yourself a spot in the “pretty great parent” club).

James Bond Home Bar

This 007-inspired luxury home has a study with a secret rotating panel that turns into a bar.

Do it yourself: Being James Bond came up with this list of 12 James Bond home bar essentials. You can also get some official 007 martini glasses ($13 apiece) to class up your bar area.

Doctor Who Tardis Room

This guy created a replica Doctor Who TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space — basically, a time machine) at his parents’ house. It cost about $1,500, and according to him, involved lots of “drawings and math and many long nights involving mad laughter” to complete.

Do it yourself: Unfortunately, we aren’t all talented enough to build an actual TARDIS. Thankfully, there are many other TARDIS-themed items available to help you spice up nerd up any room (including a trashcan, lamp, tent, and cookie jar, just to name a few).

Comic Book Bathroom

Because bathroom walls covered in comic book pages not only look cool, but give you something to read while you’re in there.

Do it yourself: eBay sells pre-made comic book wall murals ($200+) or, follow these instructions to make your own wallpaper out of old comic books.

Star Trek Living Room

Sadly, the guy who spent 10 years turning his 500-square-foot apartment into a Star Trek fanboy’s dream home recently had to dismantle it after getting a divorce last year.

Do it yourself: If you want to follow in his footsteps*, installing this Star Trek Electronic Door Chime ($30) is a good place to start.

*You should probably make sure your wife is cool with the home makeover before you begin.

Balloon Bag End

Well, this Lord of the Rings-inspired room was constructed entirely out of balloons.

Do it yourself: Buy yourself some balloons and go all out I guess.

Avengers Playroom

This Avengers-themed playroom was featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. More pictures of the awesomeness can be found here.

Do it yourself: The comic book-inspired talk bubble whiteboard is a really fun touch. You can get four of them for around $50.

Batcave Home Theater

Remember when I said the AT-AT bed was the coolest thing I had ever laid eyes on? Well, scratch that. This might just top it.

Do it yourself: Gothic lighting is a must for any batcave-inspired room. Here’s a bunch of options (prices vary).

X-Men Hotel Room

Why do all the coolest hotels have to be so far away? This one is located at Hotel Victoria in the Philippines.

Do it yourself: Unfortunately, there’s a serious lack of X-Men decor available for purchase online. However, here’s a tutorial for making your own X-Men bed.

Star Wars House

This Star Wars-inspired house is located in Hawaii, and it’s beyond awesome — just check out the home theater room, complete with a three dimensional fiber optic starscape and acoustic wall panels that look like starship doors.

Do it yourself: If you don’t have a few million dollars lying around, you can pretty easily and cheaply spruce up your entertainment area with some cool Star Wars film posters ($9 to $20). This Wampa rug might make a since addition as well ($116).

Cool Rooms: Nerdiest Geektastic Rooms Ever

Created by comic book author and illustrator Marko Manev, this collection of superhero illustrations are dripping in the film noir style seen in classic Hollywood crime dramas like Bogart’s The Maltese Falcon. Pulling from both DC and Marvel comics, superheroes included within the series of illustrations are Superman, Batman, Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain America, Dr. Manhattan, Thor, Spider-Man, Wolverine and the Silver Surfer.

These stunning illustrations capture the moments that each superhero is specifically known for. In addition to this film noir-inspired collection, Manev’s portfolio also includes work related to Star Wars, The Dark Knight, Flight of the Navigator, Chronicle, World War Z and 2001: A Space Odyssey. He’s also created a collection of minimalist posters related to Marvel characters as well as all the Watchmen. You can take a look at those designs as well as his work on his own comics here.

But first, check out his collection of film noir superhero posters below:

10 Fantastic Film Noir Superhero Posters

As a firm believer that the first actions taken in the new year set a tone for what’s to come for the rest of the year, it’s nice to see Microsoft offer some interesting, quality, if perhaps lower-key freebies for their Xbox Games with Gold program in January. A pair of major franchises are represented, though in nontraditional formats. On the other side of the coin, a sequel to a semi-popular, semi-intriguing stealth arcade game emerges from the shadows, as well as an entry from a legacy franchise with a lot of longevity. There’s action and dialogue, brightness and darkness, magical powers and just regular old non-magic ingenuity … and thus, more importantly, a nice variety.  Let’s take a peek.

Click Here to Grab a 12-Month Xbox Live Gold Subscription at Amazon

Xbox One

Styx: Shards of Darkness (January 1-31)

French studio Cyanide Studios rustled up a novel stealth game in Styx: Masters of Shadows, a prequel to their Of Orcs and Men property, which appeared early in the current gen’s lifecycle during an emptier period of stealth games. Sneaking around a grim medieval atmosphere as a lethal goblin – or a clone of a lethal goblin — provided what folks wanted from the game, though critics dinged it for having cumbersome combat that discouraged actual fights. The sequel, Shards of Darkness, doesn’t veer off the path from the original despite the negative commentary, delivering much of the same maneuvering, trap-setting, and clone-making of the original in a refined package. Critics celebrate how this Styx sequel doesn’t succumb to crowd pressure in improving the head-on battle, instead tuning the stealth experience for a deliberately – some might say a little too – frustrating experience.

Batman: The Telltale Series (January 16-February 15)

With the success of their interactive narrative in The Walking Dead, the recently closed-down studio (and resurrected brand name) Telltale Games found out what makes its potential audience tick on both gameplay and story levels. So much so, in fact, that they branched out to numerous other properties and adapted them in their signature episodic fashion — The Wolf Among, Game of Thrones, Borderlands, even Minecraft – and one could even see them spreading themselves too thin with it all.  One of the latest projects that they tackled was Batman: The Telltale Series, in which they draw from the same moral complexity and mortality of the company’s line of other narratives and bring it to Gotham City. What forms is an amalgamation of aspects popularized in different Batman interpretations – little bits of Burton and the Nolanverse, the Arkham games, the Gotham TV series, etc – in Telltale’s flawed but absorbing choice-and-consequence design, focused more on Bruce Wayne than the Caped Crusader.

Xbox 360

Tekken 6 (January 1-15)

Right around the middle period of last-gen’s consoles, the fighting game culture began its slump, to a point where titles that weren’t highly popular in the ‘90s or weren’t named “Smash Bros” had to fight even harder than they already did for attention.  That’s nothing new for Tekken, which has always battled with street fighters in mortal combat for its piece of the pie, but the emergence of substantive more substantive 3D games on all platforms made the standard 2D fighting style more difficult to engage.  Tekken 6 really gives it a shot, offering longtime fans familiar combat styles with their favorite combatants and new mechanics that encourage “juggle” combo strategies, increasing the speed and complexity of the fight style to compete with other smashy contemporaries. Critics don’t think it does enough to take it to the same levels as the upper-tier fighters – Street Fighter IV still bested it in the same year – Tekken 6 brawls hard enough to provide a challenge and an alternative.

Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (January 16-31)

Why not The Complete Saga? Honestly, that’s the only thing that’ll probably come to mind when seeing LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy on this list.  The inaugural game is a testament to exactly why the LEGO concept works as well as it does: despite not being everyone’s, uh, favorite Star Wars movies, the first one’s adaptation and lampooning of the Prequel Trilogy makes it enjoyable for just about everyone. Indeed, the selection of Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy by itself is a testament to variety and avoiding duplicate titles, as Xbox already offered The Complete Saga as a free download in May of 2017. Despite that, LEGO Star Wars II is the first one that’s built specifically for new-gen consoles instead of being a remastered port, and it does feature everyone’s favorite Star Wars movies … so, really, it covers the necessary bases.

Xbox Games With Gold Freebies for January Sneak Into New Year Strong

The Lego Movie was a popular movie for adults and children alike a few years ago. And although there were plenty of great characters, Batman stole the show. Any doubts about that were laid to rest when Warner Animation Group announced the Caped Crusader Lego character would be the headliner in his own show, The Lego Batman Movie, set to open Feb. 10.

If you’re going to create a movie starring toys, you’d better have some cool companion toys ready to go with the movie’s release. And when you’re combining an iconic super hero character in Batman with an iconic toy brand in Lego, the options for movie related toys have a ton of potential. Here are the best Lego Batman Movie toys available.

Arkham Asylum

If you’re looking for the most comprehensive Lego Batman Movie toy, Arkham Asylum is a great option. It ships with a police car, the asylum building, and a dozen figurines. And you’ll receive a collection of five classic Batman villain figurines in their orange Arkham jumpsuits, including Joker, Riddler, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Two-Face. There’s plenty of great detail in this Lego kit!

Check Price on Amazon

Batman

The figurine for Batman’s sidekick, Robin, is included in the Batmobile Lego toy kit. The Batmobile has a monster truck mode and a removable cockpit roof, which allows the Dynamic Duo to join the fight in a hurry.

Check Price on Amazon

However, the Batcave Break-In Lego toy is probably our favorite. Not only do you receive some of the cool tech featured in the Batcave, but you have access to multiple Bat suits and you can transform Bruce Wayne into Batman. The Penguin and his Duckmobile is included as well. Best of all, you’ll receive an Alfred figurine here. (Who doesn’t love Alfred?)

Check Price on Amazon

You also can purchase The Scuttler Lego kit, which is a Batman vehicle with a net shooter and hidden jet pack for Batman. Figurines included are Batman, Joker, Poison Ivy, the Gordons, and Dick Grayson.

Check Price on Amazon

Additionally, Batman figurines are offered in nearly every Lego set related to the movie available, including the villain Lego sets. After all, each villain needs a super hero to battle against.

Catwoman

Just to be clear, we’re not here to debate the best Catwoman portrayal of all time. (That’s because it’s Michelle Pfeifer, no debate required.)

But in The Batman Lego Movie, we’ll entertain a debate about whether Catwoman has the best ride among the villains with her Catcycle. The fat tire motorcycle toy includes figurines of Catwoman, Robin, and Batgirl, but it’s one of the few kits without a Batman figurine.

Check Price on Amazon

Clayface

If ever there was a villain for whom Lego is the perfect medium, it’s Clayface, who’s supposed to have a blocky kind of a look. You can swap out Clayface’s hands with a rapid shooter or a hammer with the Clayface Splat Attack Lego kit. Mayor McCaskill and Batman figurines are included with this kit.

Check Price on Amazon

Joker

It’s no surprise the coolest villain in the Batman series has the coolest set of Lego toys for The Lego Batman Movie. The Joker’s Notorious Low Rider is a purple vehicle with a bouncing suspension and shooters in the trunk.

Check Price on Amazon

And the Joker has a balloon backpack as another separate Lego set that allows him to use it like a jet pack. No other villain has two toy sets.

Check Price on Amazon

Killer Croc

Killer Croc rides in the back of its Tail-Gator vehicle, although there is room for a figurine in the cabin. In addition to the large Killer Croc figurine (who, thankfully, is wearing pants), you’ll receive Batman, Zebra-Man, and Tarantula figurines.

Check Price on Amazon

Mr. Freeze

The Mr. Freeze Ice Attack Lego kit includes a freeze gun and a power plant. The biggest disappointment? The Mr. Freeze figurine looks nothing like Arnold Schwarzenegger. (However, don’t let that hold you back: You can still say ultra clever lines like, “You are not sending me to the cooler!” or “Let’s kick some ice!” while playing with the Ice Attack set.)

Check Price on Amazon

Penguin

The Penguin has always been all about style, and his Lego vehicle, the Arctic Roller, fits him perfectly. The Arctic Roller includes spring loaded missiles as well as a mini-escape pod in the trunk.

Check Price on Amazon

Additionally, the Penguin’s Duckmobile — yes, it looks like a rubber ducky — is included as part of the Batcave Break-in Lego set mentioned earlier.

Riddler

I freely admit the Riddler has never been my favorite Batman character. (I blame the creepy Frank Gorshin portrayal in the Batman TV series from the 1960s; scared the bejesus out of me as a kid.)

I won’t hold that against the Riddle Racer vehicle Lego toy, though. The green car includes spring loaded shooters that flip up from the car as well as plenty of dynamite to launch.

Check Price on Amazon

Scarecrow

One of the oddest options among the best Lego Batman Movie toys is the Scarecrow Special Delivery Lego kit, which features the Scarecrow villain figurine driving a pizza delivery bike and cart. But instead of a large combo pizza with extra mushrooms to fill Batman’s craving for the munchies, Scarecrow is trying to deliver a fear gas canister. The Batman figurine included in this kit has two Batarangs.

Check Price on Amazon

Mini Figurines

If you want a large number of figurines from The Lego Batman Movie in one box, the toy maker is offering a set of mini figurines that has numerous limited edition characters, including multiple iterations of Batman.

Check Price on Amazon

Polybags

If you’re looking for a slightly less expensive toy option — or if you just have to have every Lego toy associated with The Batman Lego Movie — don’t forget about the Lego polybags. These scaled-down kits may work better for younger children, as they have fewer pieces, and they cost less than $15 … sometimes less than $10.

Check Prices on Amazon

30-Second Movie Synopsis

The Lego Batman Movie will be a 3D animation, similar to The Lego Movie. Will Arnett voices Batman and Bruce Wayne, while Zach Galifianakis will voice Joker. Rosario Dawson is Batgirl, and Michael Cera voices Robin. Arnett also voiced Batman in The Lego Movie.

In The Lego Batman Movie, directed by Chris McKay, Batman must attempt to save Gotham from the Joker’s takeover attempts. But he quickly discovers that attempting to do it all by himself as a vigilante doesn’t work as well as working with others. (After all, what good is a movie aimed at kids without a clear moral to the story?) It’s rated PG and runs 1 hour, 46 minutes.

Wait ‘Til They Get a Load of These! The Best LEGO Batman Movie Sets

Just wow: while many might say that the heyday of lunchboxes was some decades ago, there’s no doubt that the choices kids (and parents) have today tops all previous times.  The likely reason for this smorgasbord?  The Internet plus pop culture plus a willingness to buy the coolest darn thing that we can find.

So without further ado—and in no particular order—here are the choice lunchboxes for kids heading back-to-school this year:

The Avant Garde

Right off the bat, we have one of the classiest lunchboxes that helps to totally offset some more superhero-y selections.  The owner of this lunch box need never stop using it, and to compliment this lunch conveyance just grab a few cucumber sandwiches along with a copy of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s Lunchbox at Amazon

A Lunchbox Not that Far Away

Several excellent examples of how much better lunchboxes are now than they were then.  You know what’s better than vintage Star Wars? Feast your eyes on these:

Star Wars R2-D2 Tin Tote Lunchbox at Amazon

Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back Lunchbox at Amazon

Star Wars Episode IV Lunchbox at Amazon

Star Wars Boba Fett Lunch Helmet at Amazon

The Caped Cuisine

I will just say it now, forget Affleck.  If there is one absolute, it that Batman’s inherent coolness is enduring.  It survived the ’60s, the Cold War, the Schumacher—it will survive the Affleck.

Classic Batman Dual Compartment Lunch Kit at Amazon

Batman Dual Compartment Lunch Kit at Amazon

Large Tin Batman Lunchbox at Amazon

Hello Lunchy

Nothing sows harmony like the tranquil effects of Hello Kitty, and these designs take it to the next level.  If the U.N. used lunchboxes like these, the world would be a better place.

The Studious Chalkboard Hello Kitty Nerd Lunchbox at Amazon

Fade to Black Hello Kitty Children’s Lunchbox at Amazon

Lunch with My Friend Bill

In contrast to some of the more serene and inviting lunchboxes on this list, here is one with some edge.  Everyone needs heroes, but some of us need antiheroes with our ham sandwich.

Kill Bill Lunchbox at Amazon

The Sweet Sound of Lunch

Some are blessed with gift of music, but for those with talent and inclination, this how you turn up their lunches to 11.

Aquarius Fender Amp Lunchbox at Amazon

The Building Blocks of Tomorrow, Today

Seriously, it’s a giant LEGO lunchbox.  Of course, there may be some trade-off in practicality, but again: it’s a giant LEGO lunchbox.

The LEGO Lunch Box at Amazon

A College of Monsters

Kids love Disney and kids love Pixar, so let the dream-invading, Billy Crystal-powered Monster’s University Mike shepherd the child on their way.

Monsters University Mike Wazowski Metal Tin Box  at Amazon

Lunch in a Half Shell

This lunchbox is so ridiculously cool, as in taught-to-me-by-a-giant-rat-sensei cool, if I had had this one… I might still be in elementary school protecting its sheer unadulterated awesome from the other children.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Lunchbox at Amazon

15 Killer Lunchboxes for Kids Heading Back to School

In 1988, one of the greatest comic book writers of all time penned the origin story of one of the most popular villains of all time in a graphic novel vignette from one of the most popular comic titles of all time.

Winner of the 1989 Eisner Award for “Best Graphic Album,” The Killing Joke was a seminal Batman graphic novel that put forth the origin of the world’s favorite villain the Joker, set as the flashback in one of the most haunting and disturbing stories in comic’s history. And the whole thing was written by Alan Moore, the genius writer of Watchmen responsible for bringing the sophistication and maturity of fine literature to “picture books.”

After decades of being lauded as one of the must-read comics of all time, The Killing Joke is now being made into an animated movie… R-rated and faithful to the book.

The straight-to-DVD animated movie brings together many of the voice actors from the Emmy-award winning Batman: the Animated Series, which earned its place on every official “best cartoons of all time” list. Among the returning actors are Kevin Convoy as Batman and the cult favorite Joker, Star Wars‘s Mark Hamill.

I finally caught my favorite villain! Bats nabs Joker pic.twitter.com/CSL4o6JaHi

— Kevin Conroy (@RealKevinConroy) January 10, 2016

The script was written by comic veteran and Eisner-award winner Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets, Batman: Gotham Knight), and directed by Emmy-award-winner and go-to man for animated comic series Sam Liu (Batman: Year One, The Batman). At the helm is the kingpin of the DC animated universe, producer Bruce Timm, co-creator of Batman: the Animated Series.

Warner Home Video already confirmed that it will be the first animated DC film to receive an R rating, and the second Batman movie to be R-rated after the special Batman v Superman extended cut. The adult rating will come as no surprise to those that have read the novel; they already know its grisly content pushes the borders and makes even the most steadfast readers squirm.

“From the start of production, we encouraged producer Bruce Timm and our team at Warner Bros. Animation to remain faithful to the original story — regardless of the eventual MPAA rating,” says Warner Bros. Animation president Sam Register. “We felt it was our responsibility to present our core audience — the comics-loving community — with an animated film that authentically represented the tale they know all too well.”

“Faithful to the origin story.” Could there be any sweeter description for the film adaptation of such a beloved comic? Timm has stated earlier that his team needed to “add a lot more story” to turn the 48-page comic into a full-length film, but considering the level of talent on the project, that’s hardly a bad thing.

The Killing Joke movie will make its world debut to the lucky souls at San Diego Comic Con in late July 2016. A digital copy (Digital HD) will be available to buy on July 23, but collectors will have to wait until August 2 to order the DVD or Blu-Ray.

Extra features on the Blu-Ray include:

• Batman: The Killing Joke – Madness Set To Music featurette, a documentary with behind-the-scenes footage that explains the making of the film’s most powerful (and sadistic) scene.
• Many Shades of Joker: The Tale of The Killing Joke featurette, exploring the distinctive artistic style of The Killing Joke.
• Two separate standalone animated Batman episodes: “Old Wounds” from The New Batman Adventures, and “Christmas with The Joker” from Batman: the Animated Series.
• A limited edition Joker figurine (Deluxe Edition only).

The Killing Joke is available now for pre-order in DVD, Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital HD Combo Pack, and the Deluxe Edition Combo Pack. It’s the perfect cure the next time you’re having a bad day…

Preorder Batman: The Killing Joke Now

Finally, The Killing Joke Movie We Deserve AND Need

For decades, perhaps even centuries, comic-book fans have gathered around dimly-lit basements to discuss the unanswerable questions. For them, the standard ones like “What is the sound of one-hand clapping,” or “If a tree falls in the forest…” are too easy. They seek only the questions that really matter, the ones that poke at the deep shadowy crevices of the human experience. Questions like the one posed in the new Ben Affleck movie…

Who would win in a fight between Batman and Superman?

(Although the bigger question is, what happened to the S in “vs.”?)

Luckily, this question does have an answer. It’s Batman. Batman would win. Batman has won. They’ve fought each other about a dozen times in the comics, and Batman usually wins. Brains over braun, kids. Hell, even Batman’s feeble, elderly butler Alfred has kicked Superman’s sorry ass.

If you disagree, we can take this to the comments section.

Still, even I’ll admit, there’s enough ambiguity in the question to support an entire movie and possibly birth to a new franchise or two. Hence this year’s big Spring blockbuster, Batman v Superman.

With a release date of March 20*, Batman v Superman is generating a lot of buzz, though not enough to get DC executives to stop biting their nails. Still, in the dry season between Deadpool and Captain America: Civil War, we have to watch something.

So, we present your primer for the 4th-most-anticipated comic book movie of the first half of 2016. Here’s everything you need to know:

Superman

Did you see how many people Superman killed at the end of his last movie, Man of Steel? Yeah, me neither, but according to DC fans, it was a lot. Enough, even, to spark a Man of Steel controversy that fuels the beginning of Batman v Superman.

Man of Steel‘s final epic battle between Superman and General Zod took place in downtown Metropolis. What happened was exactly what you’d expect would happen when two near-omnipotent aliens battle unrestrained in a crowded, collateral-filled metropolis.

So here’s the important thing you gotta understand about Superman in general, but particularly before the new movie: The man of steel has a heart of gold. Superman’s defining characteristic isn’t so much his great powers, it’s his great compassion. Like a boy scout with an AK-47, Superman just wants to help people and uses everything in his power to do so.

This is relevant because, as fan theories suggest, the reason Batman v Superman isn’t a one-punch, 15-second movie is because Superman pulls his punches with Batman. He doesn’t want to hurt him.

So, going into Batman v Superman, we have to consider both the ending of Man of Steel, and Superman’s superhuman power of the feels. We’ll probably see a lot of guilt, and maybe some internal conflict over whether or not to literally punch Batman’s nuts off.

Batman

You don’t know who Batman is?

…

Get out.

Wonder Woman

Even if you haven’t been following the last ten years of DC vs. Marvel movie wars, the subtitle “Dawn of Justice” is condescendingly blunt enough — this movie sets up the Justice League.

The Justice League is DC’s version of Marvel’s Avengers. In the comics, the Justice League came first, and Avengers was Marvel blatantly and shamelessly copying someone else’s idea to make a few extra bucks off stupid children. Ironically, today’s stupid children will grow up thinking the opposite, thanks to the movies.

You can’t have a Justice League with just Superman and Batman, and no one wants Green Lantern to return. So, DC is bringing in their other A-team member, who they wisely waited to pull out until the D-point in the game.

Wonder Woman is a respectable feminist icon, no less a equal to great men like Batman and Superman, but with a vagina. In Wonder Woman comics, the hapless man gets himself into trouble and she bursts in to save the day (or, if it’s a hapless woman, she empowers them to save themselves).

Wonder Woman is an Amazon, which is a race of women warriors the Greek goddesses created from the souls of all women ever murdered by men… so yeah.

Aside from superhuman strength and tactical prowess, Wonder Woman’s also got some super-cute accessories! Her Aegis of Athena (bulletproof bracelets) can shield her from most blows, while her Lasso of Truth forces those ensnared to tell the truth.

It’ll be interesting to see how Batman v Superman introduces her into the DC universe. But it’ll be even more interesting to see whether or not DC turns its back on 50 years of female empowerment to turn her into a one-dimensional “hot, bad-ass chick.”

Aquaman

Aquaman’s in this movie! If you haven’t seen the film pictures, take a moment to laugh at that.

The thing you to understand about Aquaman is that he’s a huge joke. At least to fans. Again, if you disagree, let’s take it up in the comments.

So, here’s a guy who’s superpower is telepathically talking to fish, and he’s hanging out with Greek goddesses, aliens that shoot lasers from their eyes, and the world’s greatest detective who dresses in all black. Let’s put it this way: when divvying up chores at the Hall of Justice, Aquaman somehow always gets “clean the bathroom.”

But… and this is a big but… in Batman v Superman, Aquaman looks f-ing badass! I never thought I’d say that. Played by Khal Drago, the character has finally been given the makeover he’s needed his entire life. My younger self would be ashamed to know that Aquaman the part I’m looking forward to most.

Lex Luthor

Smart. Rich. Evil. He’s often referred to as the smartest human in the DC universe. There’s not much about Lex Luthor that a lifetime of cop dramas hasn’t already taught you. Rich businessmen like to kill for money, but they need to be smart about it. Multiply that by 1000, understand that “killing” means destroying entire cities, and you have Lex Luthor.

As for his involvement in Batman v Superman, you know as much as I do from the previews. He’s probably behind pitting Batman and Superman against each other for his own selfish, money-related motives.

Doomsday

If you don’t know who Doomsday is, it means I’m old. In the 90s, Doomsday was a big deal when he first appeared because he killed Superman!! Everyone was like, “You can’t kill Superman. No one can.” But then this alien with his weird piercings came and was like, “Oh yeah? I bet I could probably kill him.”

In the comics, Doomsday is a Kryptonian monster who was killed, reborn, and killed again over and over for thousands of years, each time becoming stronger. When you were a little kid and you imagined the worst, scariest monster of all time, that monster you imagined would have pooped their pants at the sight of Doomsday.

And he freaking killed Superman. Let that sink in.

The Normals Involved in Batman v Superman

Director – Zack Snyder.  Snyder made one really successful comic book movie, 300, that undermined the critically-acclaimed comic at every turn, and was homoerotic enough to attract the girlfriends of guys who like to punch things. Snyder continued riding that horse for years, and successfully managed to destroy even more critically-acclaimed comics like Watchmen. But, his movies keep the money flowing in, so Warner Bros. hires him every time they need to ruin a critically-acclaimed comic.

Co-writer – David S. Goyer. Goyer astonished comic fans with his artful scripts for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, but then pissed us all off by making sexist comments about She-Hulk and calling comic fans all virgins. Way to bite the hand the feeds, Goyer.

Co-writer – Chris Terrio. Not much is known about Terrio, but his resume includes Argo and an adaptation Shakespeare’s Richard II, so there’s hope.

* March 20 to commemorate the 1,343rd anniversary of the day Emperor Tenmu assumed the Chrysanthemum Throne in Japan, obviously.

Everything You Need to Know about Batman v Superman

Created by digital artist Andy Fairhurst, this collection of silhouette illustrations captures how imaginative kids can be with the help of a few household items and the great outdoors. Dressing up as their favorite superheroes (and villains), these illustrated tikes take on the mantel of the Bat, the rage of the Hulk, the insanity of the Joker and the patriotism of Captain America.

Besides depicting the creativity of children pretending to be superheroes, Fairhurst has extended the series to include pop culture icons such as Doctor Who, Marty McFly, Master Chief, Gandalf the Grey, Elliot from E.T. and Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas). Beyond the silhouette series, you will also find illustrations related to Star Wars, Tron, Bioshock and Prince of Persia in addition to a variety of character portraits of Marvel and DC comic book heroes.

You can take a look at Fairhurst’s other work on his DeviantArt profile here. However, be sure to check out the superhero kids series below.

Batman

Captain America

The Flash

Ghost Rider

Green Lantern

Hawkeye

Hulk

Iron Man

The Punisher

Robin

Spider-man

Storm

Superman

Thor

Wolverine

Wonder Woman

Super-Villain Kids:

Bane

Catwoman

Doc Ock

Harley

The Joker

Loki

Magneto

Poison Ivy

The Riddler

Superhero Kids: The Power of a Little Imagination