Taylor Swift's publicist is re-sharing her "unedited" statement regarding the infamous Kanye West phone call.
Over the weekend, the full version of that highly-publicized conversation between Swift and West was leaked online, four years after clips of the conversation were posted to Snapchat by the "Follow God" artist's wife, Kim Kardashian. During the conversation, West talked to Swift about a then-upcoming song he was getting ready to release called "Famous." In the song, West has a line that states, "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/Why? I made that bitch famous."
Over the years, Swift has maintained that she was never made aware of the, "I made that bitch famous lyric," while West claimed that they did discuss the lyrics.
In 2016, Swift's publicist Tree Paine released a statement, sharing, "Kanye did not call for approval, but to ask Taylor to release his single 'Famous' on her Twitter account. She declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message. Taylor was never made aware of the actual lyric, 'I made that bitch famous.'"
After the extended version of the call was released online over the weekend, social media users noted that the line in question was never discussed, leading many to side with Swift and sparking a hashtag #KanyeWestIsOverParty.
On Monday, Swift took to social media to post about "what really matters," encouraging fans to donate to help the Coronavirus relief efforts.
"Instead of answering those who are asking how I feel about the video footage that leaked," the singer wrote via Instagram Stories, "proving that I was telling the truth the whole time about *that call* (you know, the one that was illegally recoded that somebody edited, and manipulated in order to frame me and put me, my family, and fans through hell for 4 years)... SWIPE UP to see what really matters."
Swift then linked to Feeding America, adding, "The World Health Organization and Feeding America are some of the organizations I've been donating to. If you have the ability to, please join me in donating during this crisis."
After seeing Swift's response, Kardashian took to Twitter to share a series of messages.
".@taylorswift13 has chosen to reignite an old exchange - that at this point in time feels very self-serving given the suffering millions of real victims are facing right now," Kardashian wrote. "I didn't feel the need to comment a few days ago, and I'm actually really embarrassed and mortified to be doing it right now, but because she continues to speak on it, I feel I'm left without a choice but to respond because she is actually lying."
"To be clear, the only issue I ever had around the situation was that Taylor lied through her publicist who stated that 'Kanye never called to ask for permission...' They clearly spoke so I let you all see that. Nobody ever denied the word 'bitch' was used without her permission," Kardashian continued. "At the time when they spoke the song had not been fully written yet, but as everyone can see in the video, she manipulated the truth of their actual conversation in her statement when her team said she 'declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message.'"
"The lie was never about the word bitch, It was always whether there was a call or not and the tone of the conversation," the KKW Beauty founder added.
Stephane Cardinale - Kevin Mazur-Taylor Hill / GettyImages
"I never edited the footage (another lie) - I only posted a few clips on Snapchat to make my point and the full video that recently leaked doesn't change the narrative," Kardashian went on to tweet. "To add, Kanye as an artist has every right to document his musical journey and process, just like she recently did through her documentary."
"Kanye has documented the making of all of his albums for his personal archive, however has never released any of it for public consumption & the call between the two of them would have remained private or would have gone in the trash had she not lied & forced me to defend him," she noted. "This will be the last time I speak on this because honestly, nobody cares. Sorry to bore you all with this. I know you are all dealing with more serious and important matters."
I’m Taylor’s publicist and this is my UNEDITED original statement. Btw, when you take parts out, that’s editing.
“Birds of Prey” was also a breakthrough for the director Cathy Yan, who was hired on the strength of her independent 2018 feature debut, “Dead Pigs,” and who was the rare woman working in the mostly male arena of comic-book adaptations.
Despite the anticipation, the movie was a box-office disappointment, grossing just under $200 million worldwide, and some late-stage efforts to make Harley Quinn’s name more prominent in the title were not successful. (By comparison, “Suicide Squad” grossed more than $746 million worldwide in 2016.)
But now, amid the widespread closure of movie theaters during the coronavirus pandemic, it is one of several recent films that is going quickly from cinemas to on-demand video and will be available to home viewers starting Tuesday.
The director Cathy Yan narrates a sequence from her film starring Margot Robbie.CreditCredit...Claudette Barius/Warner Bros
Yan said in a recent phone interview that she hoped that “Birds of Prey” might resonate with viewers, even at this anxious time. “It’s meant to be a fun, empowering, crazy, laugh-out-loud ride,” she said. “It lets you disengage from the world for a little bit, so I hope that it can bring some light to people’s lives right now.”
Yan, 33, talked about her experience being recruited for the “Birds of Prey” team, the roller-coaster ride of its theatrical release and the film’s celebration of breakfast sandwiches. These are edited excerpts from that conversation.
How did you make the leap from “Dead Pigs” to “Birds of Prey”?
“Dead Pigs” was such a different experience. We ended up cutting the movie entirely in my living room in New York — you can imagine how furious my husband was. But it had a sort of kinship to “Birds” — the ensemble nature of it, the dark comedy. Soon after Sundance, I met with Christina Hodson, the screenwriter. She had already written “Bumblebee,” the Transformers movie, and she’s about my age and we have a similar background — she’s half-Taiwanese and grew up in London — and it was nice to see someone who was doing anything at that scale. Then I met with Margot Robbie and we also got along very well Soon after that, I went in to pitch my vision of the movie to Warner Brothers. I got the film that April, three months after Sundance.
Did you have to be persuaded in any way that “Birds of Prey” was the right next project for you?
Frankly, I did not. Really, my goal was just to make another small movie one day, and then hopefully build a long career. It was definitely a little bit of a left turn. But what I really loved about “Birds” was always the script and the attitude. It was a lot more grounded than some other movies of its ilk. I wanted to do something more visceral, and not rely too much on VFX and technology right now. It felt like something I could arguably achieve.
Often when we ask why there aren’t more female directors making tentpole movies, we’re told that these aren’t the kinds of movies they want to make. Do you hear that too?
Oh yeah. I remember, years ago, a female executive saying that — that they were trying really hard to find female directors for this bigger action movie and a lot of them didn’t want to do that. I felt that was a bit of a blanket statement, to say the least. I think a lot of us would raise our hands if we were ever given the opportunity. But what’s helping is the actual subject matter becoming different. It helped my case that this was a movie specifically about the female experience.
What did your pitch for “Birds of Prey” look like?
I put together a pitch deck that had visual references for what I thought the world should feel like and look like — a lot of New York in the '70s and ’80s. That kind of anarchy, of a place that just didn’t work but at the same time was such a hotbed for creativity. A broken system that wasn’t entirely despondent. And then I put together a sizzle reel that had everything from Kim Kardashian’s vampire facial to “Bachelor” proposals, and it was all remixed to “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.”
What did you want to do with the Harley Quinn character that we hadn’t seen her do in “Suicide Squad”?
It was an opportunity to keep exploring the layers of Harley Quinn, because in “Suicide Squad,” she really is the girlfriend and it’s about her relationship with the Joker. She became a fan favorite, and Margot brought such depth to the character. But she was one member of an ensemble. And here, the movie is Harley — it’s implanted in Harley’s brain and seen through Harley-vision, basically. She could do anything, she could say anything. She gets to be her own hero and savior. The whole movie’s about these women emancipating themselves — it doesn’t have to just be from a relationship. It could be from their own self-doubt. It could be from a system that they don’t feel really sees them. All of the Birds go through that in some way.
There’s a wonderful little moment in one of the fight sequences where, in the middle of an all-out brawl, Harley hands off a hair tie to Black Canary. Where did that come from?
Christina Hodson had gotten the idea. She and her sister were talking about, why is it that all women in every action movie can have perfectly blown-out hair, and it’s always down? I was like, you’re so right. I put my hair up just to wash my face, to brush my teeth, to do very light amounts of yoga. So we wanted to give a big middle finger to some of those expectations.
When women direct genre movies, they’re often made to stand in for their entire gender in a way that their male counterparts are not. Did you experience that with this film?
Whether a little bit of that is just in our own heads, I think there was that pressure on “Birds.” There were plenty of think-pieces about it afterward. When a male-led action movie doesn’t do well, it doesn’t necessarily negate male-led action movies for the next five or 10 years. The press isn’t writing about that. But it’s hard to not feel that way. I felt like, female directors, Asian directors, Asian female directors — my failure would somehow preclude them from the opportunities that they deserve. That’s something that we have to bear that responsibility of.
What was the experience of the film’s opening weekend like for you?
That’s when I really realized I made a different movie. I’ve never experienced the intensity but also such emotional satisfaction but also fear. You don’t need everyone to understand it — you just hope that a few people do. You hope that they saw what you’re doing. And I think that’s all any artist can really hope for.
Did you second-guess yourself after its release — “I should have included Batman or the Joker,” anything like that?
Of course you do. The movie is of such a scale — as its director, there are things that you control and things that you don’t, things that were definitely above my pay grade as well. You have to let go of certain things, unfortunately. I had gotten kind of used to it, trying to stick to your instincts whenever you can, but also understanding that it’s an extremely collaborative process to make a movie.
How did you feel about the film getting an accelerated VOD release?
I still think the best viewing experience will always be with a big crowd, the best sound and all of that. I was really inspired by what Universal did, to release theatrical movies on VOD quicker. I thought that was great. I didn’t actually speak to the studio, I just tweeted about it — I said I would not be opposed to it. And then found out that they were already thinking about it. So it just worked out. I wish I could say I had that much power.
Warner Bros. has been much less rigid than Marvel about requiring its superhero movies to tie into each other. What does the outcome for “Birds of Prey” mean for this strategy?
I can only speak for this movie and my experience. But there was very little pressure to integrate it with other movies. We were always a stand-alone film. At no point was I ever told I had to shoot in this location or tie it in with anything else. I felt very free to make the best movie that I could. And I can’t emphasize enough that it was a risk. I thank Warner Bros. because it was a risk to make it R-rated. To have a scene where Harley snorts cocaine and powers up and beats a bunch of guys with a bat. There’s some really weird, crazy stuff in the movie that we get to do.
“Birds of Prey” really fetishizes breakfast sandwiches. Why was this so important to you?
It’s such a New York thing and I’m a very proud New Yorker. We were shooting in L.A., so we had to change it a little bit. It was impossible to find that New York bun — that doughy, circular bun. I remember asking my assistant at the time, who was flying back to New York, to go to a bodega and pick up some of the paper, where one side is foil and the other side is wax paper. What’s been really fun is getting comments from people in Greece or Turkey or South Korea that are like, “What’s a breakfast sandwich? I want a breakfast sandwich.” The breakout star of “Birds of Prey” is the breakfast sandwich.
The pair are back at it in terms of a very famous phone call which has reignited the choosing of Team Tay vs. Team Kim and Kanye.
A leaked video made the rounds on social media this past weekend which claims to be the full recorded phone conversation between Swift and Kanye West regarding his controversial lines about her in his 2016 song "Famous."
On Monday Swift took to her Instagram stories to react to all the renewed interest in the beef between her and the Wests.
"Instead of answering those who are asking how I feel about video footage that was leaked, proving that I was telling the truth the whole time about *that call* (you know, the one that was illegally recorded, that somebody edited and manipulated in order to frame me and put me, my family, and fans through hell for 4 years)," the singer wrote. "Swipe up to see what really matters."
Swiping up led her followers to a donation page for the organization Feeding America.
In the next Instagram story Swift wrote that she has been donating to Feeding America and the World Health Organization during the coronavirus pandemic.
"If you have the ability to, please join me in donating during this crisis," the star wrote.
Kardashian West struck back hours later on Twitter.
". @taylorswift13 has chosen to reignite an old exchange - that at this point in time feels very self-serving given the suffering millions of real victims are facing right now," the beauty mogul tweeted.
Many Swift supporters believe the newly leaked 25 minute long video proves the singer was telling the truth about not signing off on West rapping the lyrics "To all my southside n****s that know me best/I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/Why? I made that b**** famous."
Kardashian West became an integral part of the beef between her husband and Swift when in 2016 she released a Snapchat video meant to rebut Swift's claim that she hadn't heard the song and had not given her approval.
"I don't want to do rap that makes people feel bad." West could be heard saying to Swift on the phone in his wife's Snapchat video.
"Umm, yeah I mean go with whatever line you think is better," Swift responds. "It's obviously very tongue in cheek either way. And I really appreciate you telling me about it, that's really nice."
The backlash against Swift after the Snapchat video was released gave birth to the "Taylor Swift is a snake" movement on social media and the singer has said it contributed to her withdrawing into herself and channeling her hurt into her 2017 album "Reputation."
In the 25-minute long leaked video of the phone conversation West can be heard trying to get Swift to tweet his song to her massive following once it is released.
He also explains that it contains a controversial lyric about her and Swift asks if it is "mean."
He hedges a bit before he tells her he wants to say "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex." There is no mention by him of using the word "b***h."
Swift laughs a bit.
"I'm glad it's not mean though. It doesn't feel mean, but like, oh my God, the buildup you gave it," Swift is heard saying. "I thought it was gonna be like, 'that stupid dumb b***h' but it's not."
Swift tells West she needs to "think about it" and he tells her he will send her the song, something her camp has consistently said did not happen.
Kardashian West tweeted Monday that she "didn't feel the need to comment a few days ago, and I'm actually really embarrassed and mortified to be doing it right now, but because she continues to speak on it, I feel I'm left without a choice but to respond because she is actually lying."
"To be clear, the only issue I ever had around the situation was that Taylor lied through her publicist who stated that "Kanye never called to ask for permission..."," Kardashian West tweeted. "They clearly spoke so I let you all see that. Nobody ever denied the word "b***h" was used without her permission."
"At the time when they spoke the song had not been fully written yet, but as everyone can see in the video, she manipulated the truth of their actual conversation in her statement when her team said she 'declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message," she also tweeted. "The lie was never about the word b***h, It was always whether there was a call or not and the tone of the conversation."
That caused Swift's publicist, Tree Paine, to tweet a response.
"I'm Taylor's publicist and this is my UNEDITED original statement," Paine tweeted. "Btw, when you take parts out, that's editing. P.S. who did you guys piss off to leak that video?"
In another series of tweets Kardashian West denied editing the clip she posted, defended her husband's "right to document his musical journey and process, just like [Swift] recently did through her documentary [Miss Americana]" and stated "the call between the two of them would have remained private or would have gone in the trash had she not lied & forced me to defend him."
"This will be the last time I speak on this because honestly, nobody cares," Kardashian West ended her Twitter thread. "Sorry to bore you all with this. I know you are all dealing with more serious and important matters."
A rep for Kardashian West declined to offer further comment when reached by CNN. CNN has also reached out to reps for Swift and West.
The pair are back at it in terms of a very famous phone call which has reignited the choosing of Team Tay vs. Team Kim and Kanye.
A leaked video made the rounds on social media this past weekend which claims to be the full recorded phone conversation between Swift and Kanye West regarding his controversial lines about her in his 2016 song "Famous."
On Monday Swift took to her Instagram stories to react to all the renewed interest in the beef between her and the Wests.
"Instead of answering those who are asking how I feel about video footage that was leaked, proving that I was telling the truth the whole time about *that call* (you know, the one that was illegally recorded, that somebody edited and manipulated in order to frame me and put me, my family, and fans through hell for 4 years)," the singer wrote. "Swipe up to see what really matters."
Swiping up led her followers to a donation page for the organization Feeding America.
In the next Instagram story Swift wrote that she has been donating to Feeding America and the World Health Organization during the coronavirus pandemic.
"If you have the ability to, please join me in donating during this crisis," the star wrote.
Kardashian West struck back hours later on Twitter.
". @taylorswift13 has chosen to reignite an old exchange - that at this point in time feels very self-serving given the suffering millions of real victims are facing right now," the beauty mogul tweeted.
Many Swift supporters believe the newly leaked 25 minute long video proves the singer was telling the truth about not signing off on West rapping the lyrics "To all my southside n****s that know me best/I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/Why? I made that b**** famous."
Kardashian West became an integral part of the beef between her husband and Swift when in 2016 she released a Snapchat video meant to rebut Swift's claim that she hadn't heard the song and had not given her approval.
"I don't want to do rap that makes people feel bad." West could be heard saying to Swift on the phone in his wife's Snapchat video.
"Umm, yeah I mean go with whatever line you think is better," Swift responds. "It's obviously very tongue in cheek either way. And I really appreciate you telling me about it, that's really nice."
The backlash against Swift after the Snapchat video was released gave birth to the "Taylor Swift is a snake" movement on social media and the singer has said it contributed to her withdrawing into herself and channeling her hurt into her 2017 album "Reputation."
In the 25-minute long leaked video of the phone conversation West can be heard trying to get Swift to tweet his song to her massive following once it is released.
He also explains that it contains a controversial lyric about her and Swift asks if it is "mean."
He hedges a bit before he tells her he wants to say "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex." There is no mention by him of using the word "b***h."
Swift laughs a bit.
"I'm glad it's not mean though. It doesn't feel mean, but like, oh my God, the buildup you gave it," Swift is heard saying. "I thought it was gonna be like, 'that stupid dumb b***h' but it's not."
Swift tells West she needs to "think about it" and he tells her he will send her the song, something her camp has consistently said did not happen.
Kardashian West tweeted Monday that she "didn't feel the need to comment a few days ago, and I'm actually really embarrassed and mortified to be doing it right now, but because she continues to speak on it, I feel I'm left without a choice but to respond because she is actually lying."
"To be clear, the only issue I ever had around the situation was that Taylor lied through her publicist who stated that "Kanye never called to ask for permission..."," Kardashian West tweeted. "They clearly spoke so I let you all see that. Nobody ever denied the word "b***h" was used without her permission."
"At the time when they spoke the song had not been fully written yet, but as everyone can see in the video, she manipulated the truth of their actual conversation in her statement when her team said she 'declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message," she also tweeted. "The lie was never about the word b***h, It was always whether there was a call or not and the tone of the conversation."
That caused Swift's publicist, Tree Paine, to tweet a response.
"I'm Taylor's publicist and this is my UNEDITED original statement," Paine tweeted. "Btw, when you take parts out, that's editing. P.S. who did you guys piss off to leak that video?"
In another series of tweets Kardashian West denied editing the clip she posted, defended her husband's "right to document his musical journey and process, just like [Swift] recently did through her documentary [Miss Americana]" and stated "the call between the two of them would have remained private or would have gone in the trash had she not lied & forced me to defend him."
"This will be the last time I speak on this because honestly, nobody cares," Kardashian West ended her Twitter thread. "Sorry to bore you all with this. I know you are all dealing with more serious and important matters."
A rep for Kardashian West declined to offer further comment when reached by CNN. CNN has also reached out to reps for Swift and West.
The pair are back at it in terms of a very famous phone call which has reignited the choosing of Team Tay vs. Team Kim and Kanye.
A leaked video made the rounds on social media this past weekend which claims to be the full recorded phone conversation between Swift and Kanye West regarding his controversial lines about her in his 2016 song "Famous."
On Monday Swift took to her Instagram stories to react to all the renewed interest in the beef between her and the Wests.
"Instead of answering those who are asking how I feel about video footage that was leaked, proving that I was telling the truth the whole time about *that call* (you know, the one that was illegally recorded, that somebody edited and manipulated in order to frame me and put me, my family, and fans through hell for 4 years)," the singer wrote. "Swipe up to see what really matters."
Swiping up led her followers to a donation page for the organization Feeding America.
In the next Instagram story Swift wrote that she has been donating to Feeding America and the World Health Organization during the coronavirus pandemic.
"If you have the ability to, please join me in donating during this crisis," the star wrote.
Kardashian West struck back hours later on Twitter.
". @taylorswift13 has chosen to reignite an old exchange - that at this point in time feels very self-serving given the suffering millions of real victims are facing right now," the beauty mogul tweeted.
Many Swift supporters believe the newly leaked 25 minute long video proves the singer was telling the truth about not signing off on West rapping the lyrics "To all my southside n****s that know me best/I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/Why? I made that b**** famous."
Kardashian West became an integral part of the beef between her husband and Swift when in 2016 she released a Snapchat video meant to rebut Swift's claim that she hadn't heard the song and had not given her approval.
"I don't want to do rap that makes people feel bad." West could be heard saying to Swift on the phone in his wife's Snapchat video.
"Umm, yeah I mean go with whatever line you think is better," Swift responds. "It's obviously very tongue in cheek either way. And I really appreciate you telling me about it, that's really nice."
The backlash against Swift after the Snapchat video was released gave birth to the "Taylor Swift is a snake" movement on social media and the singer has said it contributed to her withdrawing into herself and channeling her hurt into her 2017 album "Reputation."
In the 25-minute long leaked video of the phone conversation West can be heard trying to get Swift to tweet his song to her massive following once it is released.
He also explains that it contains a controversial lyric about her and Swift asks if it is "mean."
He hedges a bit before he tells her he wants to say "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex." There is no mention by him of using the word "b***h."
Swift laughs a bit.
"I'm glad it's not mean though. It doesn't feel mean, but like, oh my God, the buildup you gave it," Swift is heard saying. "I thought it was gonna be like, 'that stupid dumb b***h' but it's not."
Kardashian West tweeted Monday that she "didn't feel the need to comment a few days ago, and I'm actually really embarrassed and mortified to be doing it right now, but because she continues to speak on it, I feel I'm left without a choice but to respond because she is actually lying."
"To be clear, the only issue I ever had around the situation was that Taylor lied through her publicist who stated that "Kanye never called to ask for permission..."," Kardashian West tweeted. "They clearly spoke so I let you all see that. Nobody ever denied the word "b***h" was used without her permission."
"At the time when they spoke the song had not been fully written yet, but as everyone can see in the video, she manipulated the truth of their actual conversation in her statement when her team said she 'declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message," she also tweeted. "The lie was never about the word b***h, It was always whether there was a call or not and the tone of the conversation."
That caused Swift's publicist, Tree Paine, to tweet a response.
"I'm Taylor's publicist and this is my UNEDITED original statement," Paine tweeted. "Btw, when you take parts out, that's editing. P.S. who did you guys piss off to leak that video?"
In another series of tweets Kardashian West denied editing the clip she posted, defended her husband's "right to document his musical journey and process, just like [Swift] recently did through her documentary [Miss Americana]" and stated "the call between the two of them would have remained private or would have gone in the trash had she not lied & forced me to defend him."
"This will be the last time I speak on this because honestly, nobody cares," Kardashian West ended her Twitter thread. "Sorry to bore you all with this. I know you are all dealing with more serious and important matters."
CNN has reached out to reps for Swift, West and Kardashian West for additional comment.
The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting nearly every corner of everyday life, as people all around the world are asked to stay at home and prevent the virus from spreading further. Understandably, many are trying to fill their newfound free time with some sort of entertainment, whether it be streaming movies and television shows, playing games, or other content. If you're particularly fond of the world of DC Comics, and are looking for some reading material during this time, odds are that you've heard of the DC Universe app. At only $7.99 per month plus tax, DC Universe offers a slew of movies, television shows, videos, and original content for fans to consume -- as well as over 20,000 individual issues of comics.
With such a massive library - ranging from iconic stories to issues that are only a few months old - it might be daunting trying to figure out where to begin reading. That's where we come in. As we did last week with Marvel Unlimited, we've selected fifteen corners of DC Universe's comics worth diving into. Some span hundreds of issues and several years of storytelling, while others are just fantastic ways to get acquainted with a certain character or piece of canon.
Keep reading to see our recommendations for binge-worthy stories to read on DC Universe. If there are any others that you think deserve to be recommended, let us know in the comments below!
52
(Photo: DC Comics)
Issues:52 #1-52, 52 Aftermath: The Four Horsemen #1-6, 52 Aftermath: Crime Bible - Five Lessons of Blood #1-5, Booster Gold (2007) #1-47, Black Adam: The Dark Age #1-6, and Infinity Inc. #1-12
Many regard 52 to be one of DC's most ambitious events yet, telling a boundary-pushing new story across exactly fifty-two weeks. Spinning out of the events of Infinite Crisis, the saga follows a world without Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman operating as main heroes, leading a slew of other costumed characters to thrive in a brave new world.
The series gave prominent roles to fan-favorites like Renee Montoya, Batwoman, Elongated Man, and so many more, while also bringing quite a lot of weird elements into the canon. It's the kind of story that is the right mix of self-contained and incredibly expansive -- and definitely something worth diving into.
Batman by Grant Morrison
(Photo: DC Comics)
Issues: Batman #655-658, #663-669, #672-683, #700-702; Batman & Robin #1-16; Batman: The Return;Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1-6; and Batman Incorporated #1-8
As ComicBook.com's Jamie Lovett put it, Grant Morrison's run on Batman "seems like the perfect companion piece to [our current] slow decline into insanity." His modern-day run ultimately spanned seven years and countless titles, and signaled a major shift in Bruce Wayne's status quo. The saga saw Bruce die, come back to life, form an international council of Batman, and be properly introduced to his son Damian (although not necessarily in that order).
For a whole generation of fans, Morrison's take on the Dark Knight is as definitive as you can get, and it's easy to see why. He acknowledged and embraced even the weirdest parts of Batman's established canon, while also adding so much more to the Caped Crusader's legacy.
Birds of Prey
(Photo: DC Comics)
Issues:Birds of Prey: Manhunt #1-4, Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey #1, Birds of Prey: Revolution #1, Birds of Prey: Wolves #1, Birds of Prey: Batgirl #1, Birds of Prey: The Ravens #1, Birds of Prey (1999) #1-127, Birds of Prey (2003) #1-2, Birds of Prey (2010) #1-15, Birds of Prey (2011) #1-34, Birds of Prey: Futures End #1, Batgirl and the Birds of Prey: Rebirth #1, and Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #1-22
After the release of Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) earlier this year, now is a better time than ever to dive into the Birds' comic presence. Luckily, DC Universe has nearly every title associated with the group of heroines, stemming from their creation in the late-1990s.
Gail Simone's runs on the title are something that every comic fan should read, and Julie and Shawna Benson's recent Rebirth run has a lot to love as well. Regardless of wherever you start, the title will make you have a whole new appreciation for Oracle, Black Canary, Huntress, and DC's other heroines.
Bombshells
(Photo: DC Comics)
Issues: DC Comics Bombshells #1-101 and Bombshells United #1-38
While it isn't technically an "Elseworlds" tale, Bombshells is one of the best and most consistently-fun reimaginings of the DC Universe to arrive in recent years. Inspired by a wave of statues and pinup-themed variant covers, Bombshells follows an alternate version of World War II history, where DC's female heroes are fighting on the frontlines. Bombshells United, which was released in 2017, proceeded to chronicle the post-war efforts of the heroines back in America.
The Bombshells world is incredibly stylish, feminist, queer, and genuinely hopeful. Plus, it's an absolute delight seeing how each character translates into the World War II era, from Batwoman as a League of Their Own-style baseball vigilante, to Black Canary as a singer setting out to entertain the troops.
Catwoman by Ed Brubaker
(Photo: DC Comics)
Issues:Detective Comics #759-762 and Catwoman #1-37
Selina Kyle has been part of the DC canon for decades, but Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke's solo take on the character might be one of her most inspired portrayals yet. The pair began working on the character with the "Trail of the Catwoman" backup stories in Detective Comics, before spinning out into its own solo series. The thirty-seven issues of Catwoman that followed led the way to the Selina we know and love in the modern DC canon, as she began to do more heroic things on her own terms.
If you're left wanting more, DC Universe also hosts the first nine issues of Joelle Jones' Catwoman run, which gives you a whole new kind of stylish and high-octane Selina story.
The Doom Patrol is easily one of the weirdest and most punk-rock corners of the DC universe, boasting characters that include Negative Man, Crazy Jane, and a sentient street named Danny. With so many incarnations of the team popping up since the 1960s, it almost feels impossible to single out one specific run to read. So, why not read all of them? From Grant Morrison's incredibly-trippy run to Gerard Way's modern-day masterpiece, there's a lot of delightful weirdness for you to get lost in.
Oh, and you should watch DC Universe's incredible Doom Patrol TV show after you do. Or before.
Flashpoint
(Photo: DC Comics)
Issues:Flashpoint #1-5, Booster Gold #44-47, Batman Knight of Vengeance #1-3, Deadman and the Flying Graysons #1-3, Citizen Cold #1-3, Deathstroke & the Curse of the Ravager #1-3, The Legion of Doom #1-3, The Outsider #1-3, Abin Sur - The Green Lantern #1-3, Project: Superman #1-3, Frankenstein & the Creatures of the Unknown #1-3, Secret Seven #1-3, Emperor Aquaman #1-3, Wonder Woman and the Furies #1-3, Lois Lane and the Resistance #1-3, Kid Flash Lost #1-3, The World of Flashpoint #1-3, Hal Jordan #1-3, Grodd of War #1, Reverse-Flash #1, Green Arrow Industries #1, and The Canterbury Cricket #1
Another one of DC's most ambitious events, Flashpoint completely upended the status quo of the DC canon, leading into the New 52 reboot. The six-issue main series follows Barry Allen through a new and radically-different reality, which he soon realizes is the work of Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash. Once Barry realizes that something isn't quite right, he is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice once again -- for the good of the universe.
In addition to the main title, Flashpoint offers a lot of miniseries and one-shots, which expand on this alternate reality in beloved (Thomas and Martha Wayne's tragic saga as Batman and The Joker in Batman Knight of Vengeance) to downright bizarre (whatever the heck is going on with The Canterbury Cricket). Flashpoint is the kind of massive, creative event that deserves to be read or reread -- and will make you look at the TV and eventual film adaptations in a whole new way.
Gotham Academy
(Photo: DC Comics)
Issues:Gotham Academy #1-18 and Gotham Academy: Second Semester #1-12
There's certainly no shortage of books set in Gotham City, but Gotham Academy quickly and effortlessly established itself as something special. The series, which launched in 2014, follows a group of teenagers at the titular prep school, which happens to be down the street from Arkham Asylum. What unfolds from there is a perfect mix of Buffy and Scooby-Doo with a modern edge, and an interesting look at the periphery of the DC universe.
Both of the title's main series - Gotham Academy and Gotham Academy: Second Semester - are available in their entirety on DC Universe. If that still leaves you wanting more, the series also had a six-issue crossover with Lumberjanes, which is just as adorable as it sounds.
Hard Traveling Heroes
(Photo: DC Comics)
Issues:Green Lantern (1960) #76-82, #84-87; Green Lantern/Green Arrow #1-7
Hal Jordan and Oliver Queen have teamed up quite a lot over the past few decades -- but the "Hard Traveling Heroes" run takes you back to where it all began. Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams' initial arc on Green Lantern saw the two heroes traveling the country, solving various problems along the way.
If you need a dose of social justice and genuine hope in your comics at the moment, "Hard Traveling Heroes" might be right up your alley. Plus, the dynamic between, Oliver, Hal, and Dinah Lance is an absolute delight to explore.
Harley Quinn by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti
(Photo: DC Comics)
Issues:Harley Quinn (2014) #0-30, Harley Quinn Invades Comic-Con International: San Diego #1, Harley Quinn: Futures End #1, Harley Quinn Annual #1, Harley Quinn Holiday Special #1, Harley Quinn and Her Gang of Harleys #1-6, Harley Quinn and Power Girl #1-6, Harley Quinn (2016) #1-34
Reading an issue of Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner's Harley Quinn is the equivalent of eating a good cupcake -- it's sweet, a little overwhelming, and will leave you immediately wanting to read another one. The married couple has been working on Harley stories for over half a decade now, and their work helped the former sidekick find her own voice and agency in so many ways.
Whether Harley's fighting zombies on Coney Island or teaming up with Power Girl, these are the kinds of escapist stories that you can't help but love.
Injustice
(Photo: DC Comics)
Issues:Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year One #1-36, Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Two #1-24, Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Three #1-24, Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Four #1-24, Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Five #1-40, Injustice: Ground Zero #1-24, Injustice 2 #1-36
Odds are, you've played or at least heard of the Injustice games -- but the comic companion will make you look at the story in a whole new way. The alternate take on DC canon begins with Superman making an incredibly dark decision, which leads to the superheroes and villains of the world being thrown into chaos.
The entirety of the Injustice comic is available on DC Universe in various "years", chronicling the time leading up to the game all the way through the end of Injustice 2. In the process, you get some genuinely great moments and character interactions. Plus, what other comic is going to dedicate a whole issue to Killer Croc and Orca's wedding?
Justice League of America (Silver/Bronze Age)
(Photo: DC Comics)
Issues:Justice League of America (1960) #1-261
If you want your ensemble books to be a tad more wholesome, you can't go wrong with the original run of Justice League of America. The team book carried through essentially all of DC's Silver and Bronze Age storytelling, and weaved in quite a lot of weird and wonderful storytelling in the process.
Along the way, you can see the evolution of concepts like the multiverse and crossovers, including the first of multiple "Crisis" crossovers. The book will also show you how some of DC's earliest heroes were originally characterized, a revelation that's both incredibly quaint and incredibly fascinating.
Jack Kirby's Fourth World
(Photo: DC Comics)
Issues:Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133-150, The New Gods (1971) #1-19, Mister Miracle #1-18, The Forever People #1-11, Super Powers (1984) #1-5, Super Powers (1985) #1-6, and The New Gods (1984) #6
With the New Gods movie still in the works and DC's recent Mister Miracle maxi-series still fresh on everyone's minds, now is a better time than ever to dive deep into Jack Kirby's Fourth World. The cosmic concept made the DC Universe a lot weirder and much more delightful, while also introducing fan favorites like Big Barda, Darkseid, and Mister Miracle.
While Kirby's official conclusion of the New Gods story - the graphic novel The Hunger Dogs - does not seem to be on the app, you can still get a pretty comprehensive look at what he brought to the canon.
Swamp Thing by Alan Moore
(Photo: DC Comics)
Issues:The Saga of the Swamp Thing #20-64
If you want something spooky - and introspective - in your To Be Read pile, you can't go wrong with Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing. The 40+ titles took DC's green hero in a horrifying and incredibly emotional direction, while redefining his canon going forward.
The "Anatomy Lesson" is worth reading on its own merit, but the entire run creates a kind of tale that deserves a deep dive (and will probably make you want to watch DC Universe's live-action TV adaptation).
Issues:Shade, the Changing Girl #1-12; Shade, the Changing Girl/Wonder Woman Special #1; Shade, The Changing Woman #1-6
Another entry in DC's Young Animal imprint, Shade, The Changing Girl adapted the bizarre lore of Shade, the Changing Man, a man whose "M-Vest" has the ability to manipulate force fields and reality around him. In this new iteration, the M-Vest is donned by a young Metan named Lorna, who takes over an Earth girl's body and proceeds to change her life. The series became a sleeper hit with DC fans, spawning an incredibly emotional second series, Shade, the Changing Woman, following the events of "Milk Wars".
Did you know ComicBook.com has a podcast? That's right folks, ComicBook Nation is available every Wednesday and Friday bringing you the best breakdowns of the week's biggest news from Kofi Outlaw, Matt Aguilar, Janell Wheeler & the rest of the staff at the site. Catch the newest episode right here or subscribe on iTunes today!
Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.
The song dropped like a microphone in February of 2016, dissolving any hopes that Swift and West would ever fully recover from the VMAs fracas. Swift condemned the lyrics through a publicist, calling the song “misogynistic.”
But it was only on Friday that fans could finally hear the truth of that infamous phone call themselves, when footage of the entire 25-minute call mysteriously leaked on social media. Fans of both stars claimed victory, eagerly awaiting responses from Swift and Kardashian.
And on Monday night, those responses finally came, reigniting the long-running feud in the throes of a pandemic — a fact that both of them seemed uncomfortably aware of.
Swift went first, non-discreetly calling Kardashian “somebody” in her Instagram story: “Instead of answering those who are asking how I feel about the video footage that leaked, proving that I was telling the truth the whole time about *that call* (you know, the one that was illegally recorded, that somebody edited and manipulated in order to frame me and put me, my family and fans through hell for 4 years) …
“SWIPE UP to see what really matters.”
Those who swiped up found a donation page for Feeding America, a charity providing free meals to families in need. She also urged her fans to donate to the World Health Organization “during this crisis."
It wasn’t the most unifying fundraiser.
A few hours later, Kardashian broke her silence too — insisting that Swift made her do it.
She started off by trying to shame the megastar for roping her back into the feud as millions of people are suffering.
“@taylorswift13 has chosen to reignite an old exchange — that at this point in time feels very self-serving given the suffering millions of real victims are facing right now,” her Twitter thread began. “I didn’t feel the need to comment a few days ago, and I’m actually really embarrassed and mortified to be doing it right now, but because she continues to speak on it, I feel I’m left without a choice but to respond because she is actually lying.”
Kardashian said “the only issue I ever had around the situation was that Taylor lied through her publicist."
The publicist said at the time: “Kanye did not call for approval, but to ask Taylor to release his single ‘Famous’ on her Twitter account. She declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message. Taylor was never made aware of the actual lyric, ‘I made that b---- famous.’” (The the dashes were inserted by The Post.)
Kardashian claimed the full footage of the phone call leaked Friday “doesn’t change the narrative.” But Swift’s fans would likely disagree with her on that, finding that it supports Swift’s account.
To be clear, the only issue I ever had around the situation was that Taylor lied through her publicist who stated that “Kanye never called to ask for permission...” They clearly spoke so I let you all see that. Nobody ever denied the word “bitch” was used without her permission.
At the time when they spoke the song had not been fully written yet, but as everyone can see in the video, she manipulated the truth of their actual conversation in her statement when her team said she
The snippets that Kardashian released in 2016 of the phone call between West and Swift only represent about three minutes of the conversation, leaving out key context that the fuller version fills in. Swift’s main complaint, for example, was that West never told her he planned to call her the b-word in the song, but from Kardashian’s snippets, fans would never know whether the two discussed that on the phone.
For example, in one of the snippets Kardashian released, Swift is heard saying: “Yeah, I mean, go with whatever line you think is better. It’s obviously very tongue-in-cheek either way. And I really appreciate you telling me about it. That’s really nice.”
Kardashian lashed out at Swift in an interview with GQ, claiming that Swift was falsely trying to “play the victim” despite “approving” the lyrics in “Famous.”
“She totally knew that that was coming out. She wanted to all of a sudden act like she didn’t,” Kardashian said.
Swift, through her publicist, said West wasn’t asking for approval, but asking Swift to publicly give the song her blessing — which Swift did not want to do without hearing the full song.
The full leaked phone call now appears to back that up.
At the very beginning of the call, West says, “So my next single, I wanted you to tweet it. … So that’s why I’m calling you, that I wanted you to put the song out,” he said.
Taylor wondered: Wouldn’t people be a bit confused about why she would do that for him?
“Well, the reason why it will be happening is because it has a very controversial line at the beginning of the song about you,” West told her.
Swift sounded cautiously curious — more so after West says it’s “gonna go Eminem a little bit."
“Well, is it gonna be mean?” Swift asked.
Upon hearing the lyric — which at that time was, “I feel like Taylor Swift might owe me sex” — Swift played a good sport. She said she didn’t feel like it was mean and was relieved. “I thought it was going to be like, ‘That stupid, dumb b----.’”
In the weeks and months and years after “Famous,” the feud seemed to never end, perhaps because they’re all making money from it.
The day after the release of West’s 2016 album, “The Life of Pablo,” Swift accepted a Grammy for “1989” and seemed to allude to the controversy in her acceptance speech, saying, “I want to say to all the young women out there, there are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments, or your fame.”
But the online abuse Swift said she endured from Kardashian and her fans, who branded her a liar and called her a “snake,” would ultimately lead her to take a hiatus from social media. She said in 2018 that she “went through some really low times.”
The feuding even shaped her 2017 album “Reputation” — which she teased with images of snakes as an apparent dig directed at Kardashian.
More recently, in the documentary “Miss Americana” released on Netflix earlier this year, Swift said the whole ordeal made her want to “disappear.”
But after Monday’s exchange, Kardashian signaled at the end of her Twitter thread that she wanted the controversy over.
She said she was never going to talk about it again.
This will be the last time I speak on this because honestly, nobody cares.
Sorry to bore you all with this. I know you are all dealing with more serious and important matters.
