The DC animation wagon of quality just keeps on trucking with the latest offering Batman: Year One, adapted from Frank Miller's seminal comic of the same name. Not long to wait now as it'll be released in the US 18th October.

Continue past the jump for the clip...

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Here at Sidekick Central we're big fans of Frank Miller's essential Batman: Year One so you can imagine how much will power it took not to mess in our pants when we saw this trailer...just watch it and you'll know what we mean.

Link: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/batman-year-one-lines-up-179942

Earlier in the year at Wondercon DC animation god, Bruce Timm, announced that the next animated Batman project they were working on was Frank Miller's Batman: Year One. Yesterday, The Hollywood Reporter not only unveiled these two shots from the production but also announced who would be voicing the various characters; Bryan Cranston as Jim Gordon, Ben McKenzie as a youngish Bruce Wayne/Proto-Batman, Eliza Dushku as Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Katee Sackhoff as Detective Sarah Essen.

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Link: http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-2544-Batman--Arkham-Asylum---Meet-Harley-Quinn.html

Thanks to X-Centric Ned we've got another Batman: Arkham Asylum trailer for your perusal and although I'm still really looking forward to the game (relesed date to be confirmed in the UK but hit's US June 2009) I'm going to have to take umbrage with the treatment of miss Harley Quinn. Watch the video to see for yourselves then read on for full on rant.

See what I mean? No?! Did you not watch the video of Super-Skank versus Batman? Well just in case you couldn't be bothered to watch the video I'll spell it out for you with this picture:

Why bother going to the trouble of hiring the most excellent Arleen Sorkin, original voice of Harley Quinn in Batman: The Animated Series, and then completely change the look of the character? I'll tell you why, Sex. That's right beleive it or not sex sells, especially in video games or at least that must be what games designers think. Harley Quinn was a character so popular that even though she was created solely for an animated version of Batman she eventually made it into the comics and is now an important charater in her own right. She has gone way beyond just being the Joker's girlfriend, fronting many comics all on her lonesome and forming relationships and partners much further affield that Gotham city. Her influence reaches so far that Kevin Smith of Clerks, Chasing Amy, Jay & Silent Bob, Zak & Miri Make a Porno, etc fame, named his first born daughter after her...his first born!

My point is fans like her the way she is, the way she was drawn. She isn't a sex symbol at least not in the conventional sense, she's a psychotic insecure little girl with a delusional love for the man she likes to call 'Mr J' A.K.A The Joker. I don't hate the re-design, it makes me feel kinda funny in the pants department which in it's sefl is a little worrying but it's quite a good look. I guess I'm just a fan of the original Harley and saw no point in sexifying her up. I'm also pretty surprised that Paul Dini and Bruce Timm her original creators and collaborators on this self same game saw fit to change her, were they not happy with the original design? Is this the way they always wanted to go but were restricted by the constraints of saturday morning cartoons? If anyone knows the answers I'd be more than willing to hear them, until then enjoy the original and always classy Harley Quinn.