I am Yumi Sakugawa and I am a comic book artist and illustrator based in the Southern California. I am a regular comic / illustrator online contributor to Sadie Magazine and Wonderhowto.

Most recently, my comic zine “Mundane Fortunes for the Next Ten Billion Years and Other Stories” was selected as Notable Comics of 2012 by the Best American Comics anthology editors.

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Muy Mareado!, Indie Spotlight: Yumi Sakugawa

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Brad Bird Shows Off An Amazing Unused Incredibles Poster

Now, I understand this isn’t the most geeky thing to be highlighting, but when I’m not slaving away for the militant owner of this site, I’m slobbering and drooling over vehicles that I wish to someday own. Not to mention, some of these vehicles have graced the pages of our beloved comics in the past. As with many of the lists you’ll see me post, these are in no particular order. How do you put a level of awesomeness on these things, really?

A-Team G15 Van
1983 GMC Vandura
Van/Minibus
5.2 Liter V-8
When you think of a group of bad-asses, the A-Team should be at the top of your list. If it isn’t, please leave your man-card on the table as you escort yourself out of the building. This team, which consisted of H.M. Murdock, B.A. Baracas, Hannibal Smith and Templeton “Faceman” Peck, used this van for many things, anything from an every day vehicle to a battering ram to a  full-on assault vehicle. But no matter what, this beast made it through everything. The van was revived for Joe Carnahan’s film adaptation and fans couldn’t help but giggle a little bit when the van made its appearance.

Supernatural “Baby”
1967 Chevy Impala
Sedan
V8 427 4 Barrel
While my opinion of Supernatural  has changed over the years, one thing that remains the same is my love for this classic American car. This vehicle makes me happy in ways an inanimate object should. The sound of the metal doors creaking as they open and close, the rumble of the exhaust and the simplistic back paint, what’s not to love? At the end of season five, Chuck sums things up nicely by  calling the Impala “the most important object in the universe.” The classic rock soundtrack that is always present on the show never hurts either. This is a classic car for a pair of brothers that do what “Murica” does best: kick ass!

Starsky & Hutch Torino
1975-1976 Ford Gran Torino
Coupe
351 Windsor V-8 4 Barrel
The paint job is just as iconic as the car itself. When one sees this classic look on a car, only one show (or movie for the younger crowd) comes to mind: Starsky & Hutch. While the car may not have been the biggest and baddest muscle car ever made, you wouldn’t know by looking back at the series. Originally, a Chevy Camaro was to be the car of choice, as show creator William Blinn fondly remembered his convertible he owned. But being that the leasing program was through Ford, they opted for a Ford Gran Torino, which featured the famed 351 Windsor V8 engine and the now iconic red and white paint theme. The rest, as they say, is history. Talk about a good move!

Classic Batmobile
1955 Lincoln Futura Concept
Modified
351 V8
You didn’t think I’d make a list like this and not include this car, right? Despite it being over 50 years old, this car is still considered to be among the top Batman vehicles ever, movies, TV or comics; not to mention of any famous vehicles…ever. Hence its inclusion here. The car cost a whopping $125,000, which doesn’t sound like much for a fully custom vehicle, but if you factor in inflation, you’d be looking at a vehicle with a value of about $2 million today. Everything about this car is custom made, including the “bing bong” warning bell and the sender/receiver computer in the trunk.

Dukes of Hazzard General Lee
1969 Dodge Charger
Coupe
318, 383, & 440 CID V8 big block (Varied depending on use)
When I was a kid, nothing impressed me more than seeing Bo and Luke Duke racing to the General Lee, sliding across the hood and climbing through the window to head off on a back-country, high speed chase. I wanted to be a Duke more than anything. To this day, whenever I see an old Charger, I can’t help but smile. Fun fact: anywhere from 250 to 300 Dodge Chargers were used- and wrecked- during the taping of The Dukes of Hazzard. They often times would recycle parts to fix some of the cars up to reuse them. Even more cop cars were damaged during film. Sadly, whenever this car makes appearances now, the Confederate flag that is featured on the roof will no longer be used.

Green Hornet Black Beauty
1966 Chrysler Crown Imperial
Sedan
440-C.I. V8
You want to talk assault vehicle? The Chrysler Imperial that was used for Black Beauty not only had a drastically modified exterior, but the gizmos and weapons that were included make the Batmobile look like a Barbie Power Wheel. The car was able to launch rockets via tubes below the headlights, a concealed-when-not-in-use, drop-down knock-out gas nozzle in the center of the front grill, and the capabilities to launch a video surveillance device- or scanner- from a hidden compartment. Just to name a few things. The car featured a one-of-a-kind paint job that included 30 layers of black paint. For the 2011 remake, the car kept to the same concept, but upped the ante and was easily the highlight of the film.

Knight Rider KITT
1982 Pontiac Trans Am
Coupe
5.0L V8
Before David Hasselhoff was running around in little red shorts, he was behind the wheel of this super smart, ultra computerized Trans Am. KITT, which stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand), has literally dozens of high-tech upgrades: turbo boost, Etymotic Equalizer (he could hear), Olfactory Sensor (he could smell), Silent Mode, Oil Jets/Smoke Screen, Flame Thrower and Ultramagnesium Charges. That list could go on for some time, but I’ll hold off on the awesomeness. Take all that and drop it into one of the most iconic cars of the 80′s (it’s still quite popular among folks with a mullet and have a hankerin’ for pork rinds) and you have yourself a pretty bad-ass whip.

Magnum, PI Ferrari
1977 Ferrari 308 GTS
Targa Coupe
2.9 L FI V8
When you mention the classic series Magnum, PI, most people will remember Tom Selleck’s luscious push-broom mustache or his ridiculously short shorts. But not me. What I remember most is that bright red, targa-topped Ferrari 308, a car that some enthusiasts to be among the most beautiful cars that the Italian automaker has ever produced. I couldn’t agree more. This care was able to bring down the fastest of getaway cars and looked damn good doing it. This thing is about 14 levels of pure awesomeness.

I have to list a few honorable mentions, as they are just too cool to leave off, so I have to at least give them a bit of love:
19986 Ferrari Testarossas from Miami Vice
1976 Austin Mini from Mr. Bean
1980 GMC Pick-up from The Fall Guy
Th Munster Koach from The Munsters
The Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo

What are your favorite cars from television? I know there are some that I missed, but the important ones are here and I’d be more than happy to take anyone of these home. Now if I only had someone to buy them for me…

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Top 8 Vehicles of Television

Again, these are POSSIBLE SPOILERS and they are not confirmed yet. To be honest with you I am kind of disappointed if some of these turn out to be true… We will have to wait and see.

Ready?  Are you sure?  

Ok well, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

HIGHLIGHT TO READ

Who dies: Lucius,, Bane, henchmen, many other people, bad guys, good guys, rich guys, etc.

Who lives: Batman, Alfred, Gordon, Blake, Selina, Miranda………

Bane: bad ass, protege of Ras, friend to Talia AKA Miranda. Set this plan in action YEARS ago, and slowly built up the League again, while getting everything in place for this invasion. Known around the international intelligence community. VERY Brutal, very scary, but not seemingly crazy, in the sense that he always seems to be in control and steps ahead. Parents were killed when was a kid and he was raised and schooled by Ras who was very impressed with him, had a brief relationship with Talia, but after the accident he suffers while older he shuns her advances, due to his mask and his new found MINOR deformity. He wears the mask to conceal his pain, and because of a neurological disorder that makes it hard for him to control his body. This affects his adrenal levels as well. He is not THE leader of the league, but he’s the other half, as Talia is the other part. They disagree at times in particular when he kills ( ), he kills himself when Batman beats him, as he feels for one he has no other choice, and he feels Batman proved it was his victory, so his Ideals will win out.

1st appearance in Gotham is at the stock exchange, second is at the stadium and third is when he returns 6 months later as promised in his speech at the football stadium. That scene he kills the mayor in front of everyone, and tells them to take control of Gotham or he will do it for them. Of course Gotham sinks into hell after Gordons absences, Batmans disapearance, and everything he did to that point, so he comes back, to finish the job as promised. This part of the story takes over half the movie and there is A LOT THAT Happens.

Catwoman AKA Selina:

Thief, part of the group in Gotham that is recruited to make things happen for when the League shows up. Responsible for a string of thefts, that seems centered on the rich. She is first seen in Waynes mansion as a maid whom Bruce catches stealing from him. She gets away, and they again meet at a charity ball in gotham he attendss with Miranda. He goes to confront her and they dance, and then soon after she steals his car. Bruce is somewhat amused as he understood why she was saying she was adaptable when he said her dress was brazen for a burglar. As she didn’t need to wear anything special to pretend to be his wife and steal his car.

She switches sides for a few reasons. One she never though Bane would take it as far as he did, She was SHOCKED when she learned Batman was in fact Bruce Wayne, and 3 her friend(played by Juno Temple) is someone she cares about and she fears what will happen to her and others like her should Bane continue and finish his plan. Much of which was not explained to her and others. She joines Batman, fights Talia, good fight, and remains the regular ol’ catwoman in the end. Not good, not bad, just mischiveous and apart fo gotham lore. She does have a scene with Bruce in the end, as he and her stand in front of his parents graves talking about the future.

BATMAN: LIVES, and does in fact get broke in the first fight with Bane. Catwoman lured him to where Bane wanted him and closed the gate. But before we get there too far, let’s discuss Bruce.
Bruce has taken full time to watch over Wayne Industries with the help of Talia and Fox, they have made it bigger and more influential than ever. He’s seen as a rich snob, who is no better than any other rich snob by most in Gotham, Even though he dwells into much more research, development, and philanthropy than others.
Anyways, his cane use is what we think from TDK. We come to find out he doesn’t really need it though, and he uses it as a reason/excuse as to why he can’t be Batman anymore, one of many. But we find out just before the 1st bane fight and during his talk with Gordon in the hospital, that he’s not as hurt as he lets on, though he isn’t in the shape he as in TDK.
Batman after being implored by Gordon, decides that he must put on the mask once again. He eventually is led to Banes lair, and fights a few of his men, he then sees Seline and chases her down, to which she lures him to Bane, They fight, and Batman barely even puts up a fight at all, as he seemingly can’t even hurt Bane, if he should even land a punch. Bane breaks his back, via military press and slam over his knee. He then appears ready to snap his neck but instead rips off his mask, and pushes him down. Fight over, Bane has him taken away to imprisonment.

Batman meets up with Dr. taken in prologue, find out about banes mask and such, as well as some of the plan, and some of Banes secrets. Bruce eventually escapes through great effort, and return to gotham. Bruce heals in about 6 months time, and returns to gotham after a great escape and effort to escape the well, somewhat mirroring what happened in BB with his father, except this time he’s the one who must get out himself.
Once out he meets up with Lucius and then Alfred, as well as Selina who was hiding in the mansion after her escape from prison. They team up, and Batman meets up with Gordon on the streets in a very cool scene.

During this time or before if I remember correctly Miranda is revealed, as Talia, as Lucius discovers this and Bane kills him as he come up behind him. This angers Miranda as she liked Fox and regrets that he was killed. This REALLY angers Bruce, though, as he goes to Fox to get some weapons/equipment, and he’s even more mad when he finds out that Miranda was involved. He is not though explained as to who Miranda really is yet, as Talia doesn’t even say what her real name is til close to the end.

Batman though along with his allies, meet bane and co. in battle and push them back to their hideout eventually. Batman and talia have a heart to heart, in between this, and she explains that she is RAs daughter, via flashback, seeing both old and young Ras. You also see this when Bane explains Ras in the prison.

Anyways Batman chases Bane back down to his hideout, and they fight once again, this time, with Batman emerging victor, and Bane conceding the victory, just before removing his own mask, and letting himself die, as he apparently can’t breath properly with out the mask. Miranda has tears for him and for Bruce, as she escapes, presumbably for good.

In the end Batman decides that he will remain as Batman as long as Gotham needs him, especially now that the rebuilding period is sure to bring more hard times, and as Batman is now in the favor of the public, he must continue to do what he can, BECAUSE he can. Alfred agrees and says that BATMAN as a symbol only works because Bruce makes it work, he is perhaps the only one that can make it work.
Alfred speaks with Bruce in the cave about how well he worked with Selina, and perhaps he should find some help that he can trust won’t steal the china from our cabinets. Bruce says he’s not sure he’d have any idea where to even look for someone like that. While Alfred jokes that well it would at least be nice to get some help around the cave as taking care of the mansion and the cave is too much for an old man.

Alfred jokes that maybe bruce can take the night off and take an old man to the circus for a much needed night out. Mentioning the Flying Graysons act is supposed to be quite the show. Bruce tells him he can’t tonight but he will before the circus leaves town or something,… Movie ends with Gordon celebrating the rebuilding of Gotham precinct after Bane blew it up, and once again shines the Bat signal in honor of Batmans efforts. The city applauds and batman looks on, as you get a large view of gotham and the rebuilding efforts, you then from a distance see him swoop down as the camera follows behind him as he does his thing.

MIranda Tate/ Talia: she is in the shadows most of the movie and appears quite a bit in the beginning as Bruces girlfriend, whom they have a passionate relationship with each other. She is one of the reaons Wayne Enterprises is flourishing so well, and is invovled heavily with the company. When Bruce goes missing she assumes control of the board as Fox is busy dealing with ways to find Bruce, and others things.

Unbeknownst to him Talia in her time with the company was using Wayne Ent, to build up the league, with weapons, financing, and to help create the foothold for them once the plan was put into action. She is discovered by Lucius to be the one that helped bane get to the shattering device, as well as many other things. When she is discovered she then shows her true colors, and joines with Bane, after Bane kills Lucius. Sad.

She then reveals who she is to Bruce when they again meet up, and he is shocked that she had the will and fortitude to play it out like she did and for as long as she did. She apparently was with Wayne for awhile. He’s quite saddened and angry about this. But seems to worry more about Bane, and sees her as less of a threat.

She does battle with Selina as batman does battle with Bane. She is found to be VERY formidable as fighter and gives Selina everything she can handle. Before finally being beaten. As Bane loses she regains consciousness to witness it, and is saddened by what she consideres a tragic story in bane. As well as her regret for what she did and her knowing she can never make it right with Bruce, she leaves/escapes, with the implication she WILL NOT return.

John Blake: does not take up the mantle of batman at all. If anything he takes over for Gordon for awhile and is just a good cop that helps in the effort to quell Banes forces. He is though integral to the plan as he relays to Gordon that Batman may still be alive, and he also has a big part in helping in the final battle and getting to Banes lair in the end. It is implied that in time he may take over as Commissioner in time, He is though promoted to Lt. in the end. Good guy, he even arrests Selina in the first half though she escapes as said before.

Gordon: Typical Gordon, does this job, helps lead the way, but gets messed up early in the film in an altercation with Banes and his men, he pleas with the masked man that visit him in the hospital to return as Batman, before passing out. Then when he heals, he is somewhat powerless to do anything as everyone is afraid to engage Bane as he warned he would cause havoc should they try and come after him, ala, earthquake to city with his machine. Gordon though is happy to find that Batman has returned and then along with Blake convince the police that they have to fight back once the city is barricaded and the bridges are blown.

Tidibts: Banes mask comes off only when he takes it off. He seems to not sleep with it on, and uses a sort of respirator that isn’t so uncomfortable. The other time he takes it off is when he loses to Batman, and concedes defeat. A sort of honorable gesture on his part actually, as he agrees that he has lost and Batman has earned his right to do it his way. Both fights with Batman, actually 3, of them, are all pretty nasty and brutal. Bane is clearly Bruces equal. But his story is similiar to Bruces, and perhaps worse as he didn’t grow up with wealth like Bruce did, and lived a very hard life. He’s very scary, and it’s hard to watch him sometimes as you are sure he’s about to F someone up at anytime and quite brutally at that. Plus his plan is VERY big in scope and surefire, YES HE does have a bullet proof vest, as do certain members of his crew, making it hard to have a gun fight with them. They have about 3-4 tumblers and are quite well armed and trained, ala, league style.

Miranda seems to be the TRUE leader of the league, though Bane commands just as much respect. Bane is very loyal though, and mentions her father many tims throughout the movie to her and Batman.

Selina, is very wishy washy as loyalties go, but it’s clear she’s not a bad person. Just a bit of a deviant. She makes it clear that playing good isn’t going to be the lifetime choice she’ll make.
She has a best friend who is younger and she apparently cares for. She LOVES stealing is is very good at it, and she has a stockpile hidden in her place. She hid in Waynes mansions when she escaped from Jail to hide from the police AND Bane, only to be discovered with Bruce returns.

The movie has a more comic book feel to it then TDK did, and is more along the lines of of BB.

Well, what do you think? Share your thoughts below!

Agent Burgos, HUGE POSSIBLE SPOILERS For The Dark Knight Rises!!