It’s a new week, but a short week due to Thanksgiving! I’m counting the days down until turkey!

Around the Tubes

Bleeding Cool – Batman Live! Cancels All Oklahoma And San Antonio Shows, And More – I still kind of want to see this.

Around the Tubes Reviews

Bleeding Cool – The Strain Volume 1

Bleeding Cool – Venziana Issue 1

Bleeding Cool – Where is Jake Ellis? #1

While folks were paying attention to Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, there was another stage show hitting arenas (and whatever), but based off of Batman.  Batman Live has been touring Latin America, Europe and the United Kingdom and is finally making it’s way to the United States.  Unlike Spider-Man, this isn’t a musical and is more of a live performance of a Batman story.

Sadly the show isn’t coming anywhere near me, so I’ll have to see what folks have to say online.  Check out the touring dates below.

Anaheim, CA – 5 – 9 Sept., 2012
St. Paul, MN – 13 – 16 Sept., 2012
San Jose, CA – 20 – 23 Sept., 2012
Los Angeles, CA – 27 – 30 Sept., 2012
Las Vegas, NV – 3 – 7 Oct., 2012
Oklahoma City, OK – 10 – 14 Oct., 2012
Rio Rancho, NM – 17 – 21 Oct., 2012
Colorado Springs, CO – 23 – 24 Oct., 2012
Loveland, CO – 26 – 28 Oct., 2012

I still can’t figure out if this will be more or less of a disaster than Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.  But, just like that train wreck, I really want to see this.

Designed by Professor Gordon Murray, the new car is pretty slick looking for the Batman Live stage show.

Well, it looks like Spider-Man might have righted it’s wrongs, and we’ll be waiting to see how the next comic book based theatrical event, Batman Live fares.

Seriously have folks not learned from Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark?  Is it just the point you need to go all in?  Below you can get a sneak peek  of the live show.  There’s some cool stuff here (the use of the screen, video and map are impressive), but I really don’t see how Batman Live isn’t a similar disaster to it’s webbed cousin.

The week has actually been pretty quiet so far.  It’s almost like the quiet before the storm that is summer major events and conventions.  Here’s the news you might have missed over the last 24 hours.

Around the Blogs:

Bleeding Cool – Redundancies At Dark Horse Comics – Always sad to see staff layoffs.

Comicvine – Behold These Pics of the Batman Live Theater Show – Did Joel Schumacher design these costumes?

Comic Book Resources – Sales Estimates for March, 2011 – CBR takes on March sales.

The Beat – DC Month-to-Month Sales: February 2011 – DC doesn’t do well in numbers but takes a lot of the top spots.

The Beat – March sales: Comics blah, GNs more blah – The Beat has their take on sales.

Con Coverage:

Comic Book Resources – CBR’s Con Wrap: Kapow! Or Splat?

Comic Book Resources – WC11: The Stars of “Human Target”

Comic Book Resources – When Words Collide: MoCCA 2011

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund – CBLDF Has a Wonderful Time at WonderCon 2011

The Beat – MoCCA 2011: The Photo parade

Around the Tubes Reviews:

Blogcritics – Aaron & Ahmed

Geekweek – Aaron & Ahmed

Geeks of Doom – Moon Lake Volume 1

Primary Ignition – Nemesis

The tubes were blogging with comic fans, writers, artists, fanboys and girls, your mom, thoughts about Tuesday’s The Daily Show (and Charlie Sheen).  We linked to our version of the video, go check it out, you know you want to.  Ok, other than that, it’s new comic book day.  Did you go?  We haven’t yet, maybe today, if work doesn’t get in the way (stupid work).  Well, below is all the articles we found interesting that we’ll never get to covering.  Enjoy!

Around the Blogs:

Comics Beat – Spider-Man: Turn off your brain – The Beat caught Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and gives their review.  We hope to check it out before it eventually shuts down.

Monsters and Critics – First comic book superhero celebrates his 75th birthday – The Phantom is turning 75 this year and he totally doesn’t look a day over 30.  What’s the secret Phantom?

Comics Alliance - ‘Batman Live’ Writers to Include Allan Heinberg, Stan Berkowitz and Alan Burnett – So, DC is turning Batman into a musical.  I’m sure that’s prompted from the success of Spider-Man (see above).

Comics Alliance – Behind the Scenes at ‘The Daily Show’: My Day at the Fake News Headquarters – Chris Sims talks about his experience on The Daily Show.

Comic Book Movie - Diane Lane Signed On For Superman Reboot! – Who knew Superman’s mom was hot!?

TBN Weekly – Gulport Library seeks donations – Do some good and donate those extra comic books you have laying around collecting dust.

Mother Jones – Would Superman Pass the Birther Test? – Mother Jones interviews the guys behind the Law and the Multiverse blog.

AsiaOne News – Indians mourn loss of father of comic books – The title says it all to this article.

Around the Tweets:

By the by Seattle fans, the fastest way to get to our hearts at Top Cow is by bringing some Top Pot donuts to our booth (710). #ECCC—
Top Cow Productions (@TopCow) March 03, 2011

It's Wednesday, and that means it's time to initiate another #whiletheylive Wednesday testimonial. For those who missed it last week..—
Tom Brevoort (@TomBrevoort) March 02, 2011

…the idea of #whiletheylive is to commemorate people within the comics industry before they pass away, while they can still enjoy it.—
Tom Brevoort (@TomBrevoort) March 02, 2011

So this week, at the suggestion of a follower, I'd like to make the #whiletheylive subject Neal Adams. So bring out your best Neal stories!—
Tom Brevoort (@TomBrevoort) March 02, 2011

As last week, I'll say a few things about Neal later in the day. I won't have all that much, as I've rarely worked with him. #whiletheylive—
Tom Brevoort (@TomBrevoort) March 02, 2011

Wow, surprisingly little chatter on Neal Adams for #whiletheylive Wednesday. It's clear why we don't do this more often–apathy!—
Tom Brevoort (@TomBrevoort) March 03, 2011

Unfortunately, having never really worked with Neal, I don't have any personal stories to share. #whiletheylive—
Tom Brevoort (@TomBrevoort) March 03, 2011

But historically, Neal Adams was the first of a generation of artists, who came into the business loving comics. #whiletheylive—
Tom Brevoort (@TomBrevoort) March 03, 2011

Putting aside all of his graphic innovations, he did a lot to make the business better. #whiletheylive—
Tom Brevoort (@TomBrevoort) March 03, 2011

He came in w/ a printing background that let him expand what comics could be. He got DC a third more colors in their palate #whiletheylive—
Tom Brevoort (@TomBrevoort) March 03, 2011

Neal was a champion of new creators, and was often their advocate when their long-haired ways scared straight-laced bosses. #whiletheylive—
Tom Brevoort (@TomBrevoort) March 03, 2011

And of course, he was instrumental in getting Siegel & Shuster their settlement with DC and their byline restored. #whiletheylive—
Tom Brevoort (@TomBrevoort) March 03, 2011

Neal was also the first creator to openly work for Marvel and DC at the same time, breaking that institutionalized taboo. #whiletheylive—
Tom Brevoort (@TomBrevoort) March 03, 2011

And he changed what comics looked like–both in terms of page composition and photo-illustrative realism. #whiletheylive—
Tom Brevoort (@TomBrevoort) March 03, 2011

RT @axelalonsomarv: @TomBrevoort All I know is that when I was a kid, Jack Kirby & Neal Adams were The Future. #whiletheylive—
Tom Brevoort (@TomBrevoort) March 03, 2011

With the disaster in the making that is Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, it’s amazing Batman: Live is still being planned.  The Telegraph has some concept images for the stage show that will be running in the UK from July 20 to October 8 before heading to the US.