DC Comics Wastes Opportunity With Nokia-Exclusive “The Dark Knight Rises” Motion Comic Alex Gerage, August 20, 2012August 20, 2012 When it was announced late last year that The Dark Knight Rises would take place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, I wrote about how such news lent itself to tremendous viral marketing and hype-generating opportunities, primarily in the form of prequel comics that could tell stories of events that took place between the films. While that never materialized the way I hoped, DC Comics just announced the launch of a new app that does indeed offer a “prologue” comic to the film. But there’s a catch. Hit the jump to find out more. The Dark Knight Rises: Prologue is a brand new app launched by DC Comics and available exclusively on select Nokia phones. That’s right, Nokia. Not Apple products or Android-powered devices. Nokia. Does anyone even own a Nokia phone? Now, I’m half joking, because I understand that a marketing partnership between the two companies existed dating back to before the film was released, and the notion of exclusive content is an understandable consequence of such a deal (we’ve covered previous examples of their partnership), but I remain dumbfounded. To offer a prologue comic to a film a month after its release, on a provider with an assumedly small market share seems, well, pointless. Then there’s the app itself, which is seemingly forgotten when considering how it is offered. Judging by the provided screenshot of the motion comic, it appears this story takes place literally minutes before the film opens, leaving me to wonder just how impactful and revelatory it can really be. But then again, I wouldn’t know. I don’t own a Nokia. Much has been said over whether or not Christopher Nolan’s Batman story would continue on film. I personally prefer to let it stand alone as one of the greatest trilogies ever. Still, I think DC Comics possesses an incredible opportunity to creatively fill in the gaps over what happened during those eight years. And now that we have all seen the film, the possibilities are genuinely intriguing. What was Bane’s arrival to Gotham like? How did James Gordon evolve after his ethics were compromised at the end of The Dark Knight? How about some stories chronicling rising police star and eventual Batman heir John Blake? I contend that there’s not only potential to expand the Nolan Batman universe in comics form, but people would eat it up. Think Before Watchmen, but without the controversy and Alan Moore loyalists. Do you own a Nokia phone and would like to offer your thoughts on The Dark Knight Rises: Prologue app, since most of us won’t be able to check it out? Post your review in the comments section below. Apps AppsBefore WatchmenDC ComicsNokiaThe Dark KnightThe Dark Knight Rises
TV & Movie Apps: Fox’s “Own the Moments”, Reading Rainbow, and Cartoon Network June 23, 2012June 23, 2012 A few movie mobile apps have been released lately, so I wanted to spotlight them all here in one post. Fox Digital Entertainment released an app called “Own the Moments”, LeVar Burton final brings the world a Reading Rainbow iPad app, and Cartoon Network will start having a live TV… Read More
Send Your Special Someone a Valentine with the “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” App! February 9, 2012February 9, 2012 When it began previews in November 2010, the Broadway hit musical, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, was the butt of jokes on SNL and it was bashed by the critics. After closing for several months last spring for a major overhaul, the show reopened and is now the weekly highest… Read More
Sherlock: The Network App Invites Fans To Help Solve Cases January 28, 2014 In conjunction with series 3 airing in the U.S. on PBS Mystery, BBC Worldwide has released a viral video to promote a new app Sherlock: The Network inspired by the world of the show that users can buy to join in on the game. With 10 cases that users can… Read More