Batman Begins trading cards

[Guest]

[sketchqueen]

TOPPS AWARDED LICENSING RIGHTS FROM WARNER BROS. CONSUMER PRODUCTS FOR BATMAN TRADING CARDS

-- Initial Series Of Cards To Be Based on Batman Begins --


The Topps Company, Inc. announced today that it has acquired a license from Warner Bros. Consumer Products on behalf of DC Comics to publish Batman trading cards in North America and Europe. The initial card series will be based on Warner Bros. Picture’s highly anticipated feature film, Batman Begins, opening on June 17, 2005.

"It is both a privilege and a thrill to be associated with one of the world’s most popular and enduring character franchises," says Ira Friedman, Topps Vice-President/Publishing & Licensing. "We couldn’t ask for a more momentous occasion than the upcoming movie event to kick off an all-new era of Batman cards," proclaims Friedman. Batman Begins cards will appear on retail shelves simultaneously with the film’s release.

Topps first produced Batman goods nearly four decades ago, when the company marketed a popular line of art cards featuring action scenes painted by prominent artists of the day.

"We are genuinely excited about this newest chapter in Batman’s trading card history, says Karen McTier, Executive Vice President of Domestic Licensing, Global Toys, Publishing and Themed Entertainment. "Topps is a proven partner, with tremendous knowledge and passion for our property.”

This partnership is sure to give fans and collectors much to look forward to. Trading cards inspired by Warner Bros. Animation’s television series, “The Batman,” are also in development.

“Working on the Batman property is an extra-special opportunity for us,” says Topps’ Friedman, “and we’ll be pulling out all the stops to truly capture the essence of this great franchise.”

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Dudes - what I want to know is how, or why, Upper Deck released this to their biggest competitor? I'm so baffled I'm almost speechless  

[DewDude]

Maybe Upper Deck is finally going to give up in the 'entertainment' market because they couldn't figure out how to successfully market a $500 a pack product?  They probably see bigger returns in sports and gaming cards.

Well, at least Upper Deck isn't producing the set.  If I had to choose between the lesser of the big 2 evil sports cards companies that happen to make non-sports cards, I would choose Topps.


Can you say: "8 billion Batman sketch cards"?  

Mark

[sketchqueen]

Oh, I can say it alright - just as long as 7.9 billion of them are MINE MINE MINE  

Now - that would be either the best thing since sliced bread, or a complete and total disaster...

[DewDude]

Now - that would be either the best thing since sliced bread, or a complete and total disaster...

Yeah, Topps has just taken us down that road.

I would suspect though that if there are sketches, Topps wouldn't have an insane amount of preorders to try and fill like for a certain other popular license that everybody and their 2 grandmas preordered way too many cases of hoping to strike it rich.  So the sketches would have a high level of quality.

Although I could be underestimating the popularity of Batman as I'm not more than a casual watcher of the movies myself.

Mark

[emmafan]

I happen to be a big batman fan and am very excited to hear that they have announced this set.  What, if any, kind of inserts do you think we can expect?  I would love to have a swatch of the batman cape.  haha

thanks for the info

[Morrisap]

I've been obsessed with Batman myself since the first movie came out.  I have all kinds of comic and the animated series stuff.  I can't wait for the new movie and of course the cards!!

[sketchqueen]

Well according to Trade Fax this morning, relic cards are almost certain and autographs are a 'possibility'.

I'm still not too keen on Topps' "piece of the material used in the production of...." But, it's better than nothing

Still, knowing that the piece of fabric touched the skin of {fill in the blank with favorite actor/actress} makes it all that more meaningful to me

[Roz]

I'm still not too keen on Topps' "piece of the material used in the production of...." But, it's better than nothing

Is that something they always do? Because I was under the impression it was because PJ owned all the LOTR props etc that none were broken down.

In that case... Topps is a bit odd - to be fair the LOTR ones worked because the fabric is so different from what we see normally in the world today and it added a whole dimention to see the colours and texture of the fabric used. But with more modern things like Batman...do you think this will work?

[sketchqueen]

Topps interchanges the words "relic" and "costume" so, as I understand it, their relic cards are what most people would call costume cards.

Afaik - that's the wording they use on everything - though, for Daredevil, they did acquire one actual costume, so that one was worded differently.

Do I think it'll work? I think people are desperate for anything trading card related to DC - I know I've been waiting for aeons for DC sketches to pair up with my Marvel sketches, so yeah, I think it'll sell I hate hate the whole hobby/retail thing which I'm sure they'll do

[kbmum]

I saw this on NSU this morning.  I'll have a hard time resisting a box or two of this!  One question, though:  If it's supposed to be $2.00 per hobby pack and 24 packs in a box, does that mean we can expect to find boxes selling for $48 or less?

There will be 7 Cards in each Pack.

There will be 24 Packs in each Hobby Display Box.

There will be 8 Display Boxes in each Hobby Case.

$2.00 SRP per Pack.

90 Regular Cards will consist of Storyline Cards, Character Cards, Behind-The-Scenes Cards, and a Checklist.

5 Hologram Cards. Will be inserted 1/12 Packs.

5 Embossed Foil Cards. Will be inserted 1/8 Packs.

"X" Number of Autograph Participants & A Limited Number Of Autograph Cards. The limited number of Autograph Cards will be exclusively inserted in the Hobby SKU. Participants and specific Rates OF Insertion TBD.

"X" Number of Memorabilia Cards. The Insertion Rates TBD, and how many Regular Cards may be replaced in a Pack by the various Memorabilia Cards being inserted in a Pack. Memorabilia Card will include BATMAN's Cape...BATMAN's Chest Piece and other Costume Pieces...plus..."Holy Rubber"...the Batmobile's tires!

[Anna]

Memorabilia Card will include BATMAN's Cape...BATMAN's Chest Piece and other Costume Pieces...plus..."Holy Rubber"...the Batmobile's tires![/i]

Can you imagine the thickness of the Chest Piece and the Tires?  The cards might even be thicker than the Monsters Book!

[kbmum]

Maybe the tire card will be the only card in the pack!

[sketchqueen]

I've seen tire cards from other racing sets and they're not that thick. It's not like they cut into the tire and put the entire tread on a card I think it's more like a cheese slicer - where you get a thin slice of tire that's mounted to the card.

[kbmum]

That makes more sense.

[Anna]

The tread feature would have been really cool though.  Think of the variants!

[kbmum]

I'd love to get a piece of the cape.  I wonder if Gary Oldman will sign for this set like he did for POA?

[Roz]

 If it's supposed to be $2.00 per hobby pack and 24 packs in a box, does that mean we can expect to find boxes selling for $48 or less?

I'd be surprised, Topps FOTR is labelled up as $1.99 a pack but that's for their retail variation which have one auto per 3 boxes....

[kbmum]

I thought that price seemed a bit low.  But, the info about the price is included in the section about the hobby boxes.

Of course, what a manufacturer suggests as the price is not necessarily what dealers will charge!  I've been looking around, but haven't yet found a dealer with any pre-order info.

[Ed... Van Halen]

I can leave costume cards tbh...look at the autograph potential of this set!!!!!

[kbmum]

Here's an auction for the advertising brochure, with pictures of prototypes of the cards.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=37893&item=6157249066