DC Exhibition : Dawn Of Super Heroes
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Review by Mark Holmes @Holmster79
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Warner Bros comic cinematic history comes together with the artistry that inspired it in dazzling new collection from curator Jean Jacques Launier.
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Since Christopher Reeve made us all believe that a man can fly in 1978’s landmark Superman, DC comic fans have had plenty of cinematic escapades to enjoy over the last forty years, from Tim Burton’s dark Frank Miller inspired Batman (1989) and its sequel Batman Returns (1992) to Christopher Nolan’s celebrated Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012) and the current DCU era which brought us Pattie Jenkin’s incredibly successful Wonder Woman last year.
These films and their sequels & spin off’ s are being celebrated in Jean Jacques Launier’s DC Exhibition : Dawn Of Super Heroes. For the first time in the UK, the exhibition chronicles the last forty years in DC film history with the costumes, vehicles and production art in the cinematic history of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman all on display. Cleverly the exhibition is divided by the characters era’s, with separate sections for Batman, Superman and Wonder Man with the Justice League chronicling their journeys from the page to the screen. |
DC Exhibition: Dawn of Super Heroes opens at the O2, London, 23 February and runs until 9th September 2018. For more information and tickets please visit www.DCExhibition.co.uk
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DC Exhibition: Dawn of Super Heroes opens at the O2, London, 23 February and runs until 9th September 2018. For more information and tickets please visit www.DCExhibition.co.uk
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Have you ever wanted to see Christopher Reeve’s Superman outfit? Michael Keaton, George Clooney & Christian Bale’s Bat Suits? They are all here. Perhaps you prefer villains? If so you are in luck as both Jack Nicholson & Heath Ledger’s iconic Joker costumes are on display, along with Danny DeVito’s Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman, Jim Carrey’s Riddler, Arnie’s Mr Freeze and Tom Hardy’s monstrous Bane from the Dark Knight Rises also make appearances.
Along with the outfits are the prop’s used in the films, the actual Bat Pod from the Dark Knight and scaled miniatures of sets from Superman, Batman Returns and Justice League which were used for special effects during the respective films production. Along with these are dozens of fascinating pre-production art and story boards, detailing the original costume and set designs up until their inception. There is also some pre-production art from Justice League which shows a certain someone’s black outfit which was famously removed from the final film(!). |
Aside from the films, the history of the characters and the artists and creators behind them are also celebrated, chronicling the characters creations from the 1930’s to the multitude of iterations that they have gone through during the years, from the pulp era of the 60’s, famously visually realised by Andy Warhol, to the darker and more emotional eras of the late 70’s and 80’s.
Private collectors have also leased treasured special and rare editions of comics and art from the years to be put on display for the general public, in particular panels from celebrated Batman and Superman stories such as The Killing Joke and Last Son of Krypton.
Private collectors have also leased treasured special and rare editions of comics and art from the years to be put on display for the general public, in particular panels from celebrated Batman and Superman stories such as The Killing Joke and Last Son of Krypton.
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As much as the exhibition is a celebration of the films and comics that have come before it, the exhibit is also very much a tribute to the creators and artists, from the creators of Superman, Jerry Siegel, & Joe Shuster to Batman’s Bob Kane. Artists who have made major contributions to both the characters and art of their times, such as Alex Ross, Frank Miller and Neal Adams are also chronicled & celebrated, chartering not only their talent, but also how their visions influenced popular culture over the last fifty years. This is a theme that curator Jean Jacques Launier was keen to discuss & emphasis when he kindly granted me an interview (Which you can listen to here) along with his hope that children who visit the exhibition will similarly be enthused and inspired to create art themselves for the next fifty years.
DC Exhibition : Dawn Of Super Heroes is a must for comic fans, collecting beloved items from DC’s cinematic history so far to showcasing the art and talent of multiple people both behind and in front of the camera. |
DC Exhibition: Dawn of Super Heroes opens at the O2, London, 23 February and runs until 9th September 2018. For more information and tickets please visit www.DCExhibition.co.uk
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