Just when DC seemed to be embracing the bright and goofy direction Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Shazam seemed to be taking the DC’s movies, Joker blew up the box office and got nominated for Oscars. Then Snyder got his status back when HBO Max funded his vision, and suddenly there was a question: was DC course-correcting away from their colorful course-correction, and suddenly steering into the skid? (You can check out the ‘Snyder cut’ trailer here.)

The first footage of Matt Reeves’ The Batman seems to settle the issue. The trailer, which premiered tonight at DC FanDome, showcases Robert Pattinson in what may be the darkest, most disturbing big-screen version of the Bat yet.

Shortly after the studio confirmed that this Batman doesn’t take place in the same universe as Justice League’s Batman or other DCEU movies, the trailer debuted. If this is in any other movie’s universe, it’s Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. Or else maybe it’s Seven’s John Doe. (Or maybe The Crow’s.)

Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne has dark hair and the Grim Reaper’s complexion, and his Batman pulls zero punches when pummeling bad guys. This version of the vigilante superhero seems just as likely to be one of the creepy villains, several of whom are teased, particularly Paul Dano’s Riddler – in very serial-killer fashion. (There is also a brief glimpse of Geoffrey Wright’s Gordon.)

According to Reeves, the movie will see a broken Batman exploring “his shadow-side” as he experiments with being a hero. We’ll also see Oswald Cobblepot (Colin Farrel) and Selina Kyle (Kravtiz) before they adopt their supervillain personas as The Penguin and Catwoman, and “a version of The Riddler that no-one’s ever seen before.”

Also, there’s Nirvana. (Like I said: The Crow.)

I can honestly say I was not expecting this tone at all.

What do you think?

“This dad works so hard helping to support his dad’s small business that will one day be his.

Sometimes I envy his time alone in the truck when I’ve had a rough day with our three kids, and from time to time my attitude is less than joyful when he walks through the door.

Then he does this quietly without any prompting. Dear Lord in heaven, thank you for this husband and father!”

– Angela Schroeder

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If you’re looking for the best recliners, you’re in the right place. When it comes to the traditional rules of the house, few of them are as important or as cherished as the “dad’s chair” rule. If you’re a dad, you should have a chair for watching TV, relaxing, napping after meals, and whatever else you want to do in it. This chair is yours and yours alone. Kids know to stay out of it, your partner knows to stays out of it, and even the pets f***ing know to stay out of it.

When a guest to the home inadvertently sits in the dad chair, the horrified look on the faces of every family member lets you know your control of the dad chair is complete.

For many dads, the chair of choice is the best recliner. My dad had a recliner. His dad had a recliner. If my great-great-great-great-grandfather had been clever enough to invent the recliner, that would’ve been his chair of choice. Hell, some dads threaten to die happily in their recliners … and then follow through.

In fact, I may be writing this article on a laptop while leaning back in my recliner. Later on, I may use my dad chair as one of the best recliners for sleeping in front of the TV before the local news weatherperson finishes screwing up the forecast. (Who am I kidding? There’s no “may” about it.)

I’ve relaxed in a recliner or two or a dozen in my day. (I may have even tried out my dad’s recliner when I knew he was out of town, but I’ll never admit it … even under oath.) Here are the best recliners that will have you claiming them as your dad chair immediately.

The Most Comfortable Recliner

ANJ Electric Recliner Chair

When you’re seeking the best recliners for sleeping, it’s tough to beat the overstuffed pillows on the back and armrests with this ANJ model. Yet it has the support you’ll want for the back and neck when you’re spending a quality Sunday watching an NFL triple-header, only moving at halftime (out of necessity).

Rather than having to manually lean back to extend the recliner function, just press a button on the side. This actually is a handy feature for grandpa, who may have difficulty manually controlling the footrest on such a large chair.

It even has a USB charging port built into it. If only it had a fridge hidden under the footrest, you’d never have to get up again.

Buy for $500 on Amazon

The Best Recliner Chair for Style

Leonie Manual Recliner

None of us want to admit it, but there are rare occasions where we dads aren’t in complete control of purchasing furniture for the house. Once in a while, our wives have an opinion on a piece of furniture, including the best recliner that will eventually become the dad chair.

Admittedly, this Leonie recliner may not be quite as comfortable as the plush leather recliner we just discussed. But it still has a footrest and leans back just far enough to let you relax fully, making those sighs only dads can make when they finally have a chance to sit down, stretch out, and relax.

Plus, this fabric recliner looks great, which will make your partner happy. Once you sit in it and have a chance to put your feet up, you’ll be comfortable enough that you can live with giving in to your wife’s wishes this time. Next time will surely be different. (Just keep telling yourself that.)

Buy for $347 on Wayfair

The Best Classic Wingback Recliner

Waldo Tufted Wingback Best Recliner Chair

There’s just something about a wingback recliner that makes it fit into almost any type of home. It’s a classic design that has cushioning in all the right places to make it one of the best recliners for back pain.

This Waldo model has all of the accents you’d expect to find in a wingback recliner, including the tufted back secured with buttons, the decorative nail heads outlining the front and sides, and the stylish feet in the front.

This is the kind of style in a dad chair that your grandfather or great-grandfather would’ve been proud to call his own. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Hell, you may want to wear a fedora while you’re relaxing in this chair. Its style is that classic in nature. (Not that any of us need an excuse to break out the fedora.)

Buy for $394 on Amazon

The Best Recliner For Sleeping

Hemington Reclining Glider

If you have little ones at home, it’s more than okay to share the dad chair with them, gently rocking them to sleep (just make sure you don’t leave them alone — this could be dangerous). Sharing is OK, as long as they realize who ultimately owns the dad chair.

This glider recliner swivels and rocks gently. But it also has a footrest and a reclining back to give you the benefits of the best recliner chair. It’s a little smaller than some other of the best recliners on our list, meaning it can fit into a tighter space.

And if you happen to fall asleep after you rock the baby to sleep, call it a win-win.

Buy for $405 on Wayfair

Best Recliner Chair for Watching Movies

Jummico Home Theater Best Recliner Chair

One of the most exciting home improvement projects for the whole family is creating a home theater room. Kids love the idea of having a completely dark special movie room to enjoy watching the same movie for the 99th time. Mom and dad love the idea of having a completely dark theater room to sneak in a nap while the kids watch the same movie for the 99th time.

If you’re going to build a theater room, you will want to outfit it with theater recliner chairs. The extra tall backrest allows you to angle the back of the chair perfectly for the screen while your back remains fully supported.

You can adjust the angle of the backrest between 90 and 165 degrees to the seat. Nap time during a movie at home has never been more comfortable. Just try not to snore, or the kids will want to start the movie over again. After all, they don’t want you to miss the best parts … over and over and over.

Buy for $140 on Amazon

Best Lift Assist Recliner

Three Posts Lift Assist Power Reclining Chair

If you’re looking for the best recliner chair for Grandpa, who may need some help trying to stand up from highly cushioned chairs, this lift assist recliner is a great option.

The entire chair lifts upward and tilts forward when you need a bit of help rising to a standing position. Now, the kids may be tempted to try to fling their little brother halfway across the room with the lift feature, but it, fortunately, doesn’t move quite fast enough to accomplish this trick.

As an added benefit, it has a massage feature and a heating feature, so grandpa may just choose to live in this dad chair … as long as he doesn’t lose the remote control. (Yes, we know the remote is connected to the chair with a cord, but we also know how Grandpa excels at losing his electronics. It should end up being quite the battle between the two.)

Buy for $423 on Wayfair

Best Recliner Chair for Back Pain

Esright Heated and Massage Recliner for Back Pain

With such a high level of padding and comfort in this chair, you may not expect to receive the bonus features of heating and massage too, but this Esright recliner offers varying intensity levels for vibration massages and for the heating control modes. The heat function focuses on the lumbar, making this one of the best recliners for back pain.

Each chair has two cup holders, storage pockets on the sides, and a pillow cushion for your head. It swivels 360 degrees and has a gentle rocking feature. The PU leather surface is easy to clean and offers water resistance.

This chair can do it all, making it worthy of being the perfect dad chair.

Buy for $355 on Amazon

Best Recliner Loveseat

Perrysburg Wide Pillow Best Recliner Loveseat

Sometimes, you have the ability to select your own dad chair recliner. Other times, your wife decides she also would like a recliner. (A mom chair? Not quite the same ring, but it makes sense.) Unfortunately, your TV room may not be big enough for two competing recliners sitting at the optimal viewing position.

This Perrysburg reclining loveseat is the best compromise. This setup consists of two connected recliners, each of which has separate controls. So you can be fully laid back, reclining in perfect napping position, while she sits at the edge of her recliner seat, staring breathlessly at the TV to see who receives the next rose. Win-win.

This loveseat has a center console for storing drinks or other items, keeping everything well-organized in a small room. It’s not quite a full dad chair, but this half dad chair is better than nothing.

Buy for $700 on Wayfair

Best Recliner Sofa

Ullery Pillow Top Arm Best Reclining Sofa

Sometimes, the best recliners for sleeping come in a sofa configuration. You can sleep in your recliner, tilting the backrest to an almost horizontal position to rest comfortably. Or you can stretch across the entire length of this recliner sofa and use it like you would a regular sofa for a nap.

When you’re in trouble and your S.O. tells you to go sleep on the sofa, you’ll appreciate having two options instead of the typical one.

The two outer seats have separate reclining options, so you can set the backrest at the best angle for comfort independently on either end. (The middle seat does not recline.) The metal frame is sturdy, supporting up to 750 pounds in total.

And just think about how many positive “dad points” you’ll receive for sharing your dad chair with two other people at the same time. Surely those dad points will come in handy when it’s time to receive your amazing Father’s Day gifts. (Heck, maybe they’ll even remember to pick up a gift ahead of time this year, rather than running to the convenience store at 8 a.m. on Father’s Day. Not that we’re complaining about the doughnuts with sprinkles they bring back. Keep ’em coming with the real gift.)

Buy for $690 on Wayfair

Although we only recommend picks we really love, we may earn a commission on purchases made through links from our site.

While Tony Hawk fails to be recognized in public on a regular basis, at least his video games are still well known and loved.

Activision announced today that the fantastic Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2 remake that released last September on PS4, Xbox One & PC, will be making its way over to Nintendo Switch later this year.  Unfortunately, no release date has been set for the Switch version, but we do know that there will be a next-gen upgrade available on March 26th, 2021 for PS5 and Xbox Series X players that already own the game.

Get ready to drop in and take #THPS 1+2 to the next level on New Platforms 🛹 🙌 Coming to PS5™, Xbox Series X|S – March 26 and on Nintendo Switch™ – Coming 2021. AVAILABLE NOW on PS4™, Xbox One, and PC. pic.twitter.com/NUVbECnx1e

— Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 (@TonyHawkTheGame) February 23, 2021

This upgrade includes access to the secret skater Ripper (a.k.a. the infamous Powell-Peralta mascot), retro gear for Create-A-Skater mode, and retro skins for Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, and Rodney Mullen.  Performance-wise, this next-gen upgrade features the option to play in 1080p at 120 FPS or in native 4K at 60 FPS.

If you currently own the Standard Digital Edition, you’ll be able to upgrade to the Cross-Gen Deluxe bundle for an additional $10.  For those who already own the Digital Deluxe Edtion, it’ll be a free next-gen upgrade.  It’s kind of a bummer since these next-gen upgrades have typically just been completely free for most games, but it’s a small price to pay to shred as ‘The Birdman’ with some sick new visuals, and technically you’re getting some new content as well.

Developed by Vicarious Visions, this remake of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2 features everything you loved about the originals, but with some nice quality of life improvements.  Being able to manual (introduced in THPS 2) and revert (introduced in THPS 3) in both THPS1 & 2 to keep our million point combos going is a wonderful edition.  Also, the soundtrack is still as awesome as it was back in 1999.  If you’re a Nintendo Switch player and have been waiting patiently for this release, you’ve got lots to look forward to.

One of the most heartbreaking things is hearing about people who treat animals poorly. Abandoning puppies, or leaving kittens in a comically small box on the side of the road? Terrible. This is why the internet always loves a good “person rescues animal” story. A police officer in New Jersey is the latest to add to this list after he rescued a 14-week-old pit bull. And then he went the extra mile to make sure the pup was safe and adopted him.

Matthew O’Hanlon and colleagues found the puppy wandering in an industrial area in early January. He had a head wound and no identification. The policemen dropped him off at the shelter, and 20 minutes O’Hanlon called to adopt him.

Then he picked up the pooch and took him straight to the vet to have a tooth from another animal removed from his head.

He and his fiance are big Marvel fans and thought the name Thor was a perfect fit.

He said little Thor doing great with the family and that he wants to change the narrative when it comes to pit bulls.

“They’re the most loving, affectionate dogs I’ve ever had … it’s [unfortunate] to see them get bad reputations when it’s really the way they’re raised.”

The department said little Thor is healing nicely and getting plenty of treats. And O’Hanlon’s advice for others looking for a pet: Adopt, don’t shop.

Ryan Reynolds is at it again. He and his wife Blake Lively, have donated another $1 million to food banks, in an effort to help those that need it most during the pandemic.

Pandemic fatigue is a real thing, but with several entire industries still locked down or facing restrictions, there are still a lot of people hurting. The tide is beginning to turn when it comes to vaccines and fighting the virus, but there’s a lot more to be done to combat the economic damage the pandemic wreaked.

Reynolds and Lively split the donation between Feeding America and Food Banks Canada. The duo gave $500,000 to each charity at the beginning of the pandemic as well (crazy that we can write sentences like that, but hey, we’re a year into this thing, so these times are now “precedented”). They also recently donated $400,000 to New York hospitals and $500,000 to charities helping at-risk youth in Canada.

Food Banks Canada tweeted heartfelt thanks for the donation, calling Reynolds their “favorite Canadian and their favorite superhero (sorry, Hugh Jackman).”

Our heartfelt thanks to @VancityReynolds and @blakelively for pledging another $500K in support of Food Banks Canada and @FeedingAmerica‘s COVID-19 Response Funds! You continue to be not only our favourite Canadian, but also our favourite superhero 😉 (sorry, Hugh Jackman) pic.twitter.com/7DCbni7qrs

— Food Banks Canada | Banques alimentaires Canada (@foodbankscanada) February 15, 2021

Reynolds responded appropriately, saying “never apologize to Hugh Jackman.”

Never apologize to Hugh Jackman.

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) February 16, 2021

Feeding America thanked the couple for being their “hunger-fighting dream team.”

Thank you, @VancityReynolds and @blakelively
for being our hunger-fighting dream team! Your second $500k gift will make a big difference for people across the country. 🦸🦸‍♀‍ pic.twitter.com/QywDAKHXCy

— Feeding America (@FeedingAmerica) February 15, 2021

This news, revealed not by the couple but by the charities, comes just days after Reynolds (and famous pals Diddy and David Beckham) pledged $1 million to help out-of-work bartenders.

Ryan Reynolds, superhero on and off-screen, we salute you.

Twitter gets a bad rap. To be fair, most of social media gets a bad rap, what with the misinformation and the anonymous hostility and the obnoxious posturing. But there are good parts to it too.

Over the weekend, one of those good parts was on full display.

On Friday, a Twitter user named @jenrinehart5 (Jen.Hardy), with a mere 13 followers, tweeted her gratitude for those followers. She explained that she’s a high school special education teacher, and one of the lessons she teaches her students is that we should be grateful for everything we have, and for all the progress we make, even if those things are small.

I have 53 followers now. I know that in Twitterworld that is a tiny, tiny amount, but I am delighted. I work with special needs high schoolers, and we always, always celebrate even the smallest increments of progress. So, thank you – today I celebrate 13 new friendships.

— jen.hardy (@jenrinehart5) February 19, 2021

Someone saw her tweet and retweeted its wholesome message. And someone else saw that retweet and retweeted it themselves. And so on and so forth. Who knows what those retweeters intended, or if they had any idea of what might happen. Jen.Hardy sure didn’t.

What happened is that her tweet blew up.

She followed up her initial tweet with another one, expressing her astonishment at how much her account had grown.

Well, I scarcely know what to say. In the space of 24 hours I’ve gone from 40 to 21K followers. I am gobsmacked, bumfuzzled and amazed in equal measure. I thank you for your support, and will make a start at following back. My mind hasn’t been blown like this since the early 70s.

— jen.hardy (@jenrinehart5) February 20, 2021

That was on Saturday, at 21k. Now, on Monday, she’s more than doubled that.

Her tweet was retweeted 6200 times, garnering over 180,000 likes. More importantly, her follower count exploded and as of this writing, she had grown from 13 followers (that’s 13: thirteen), all the way up to 50,000. Fifty thousand. In three days.

For all the talk of Twitter and social media being cesspools, there are plenty of instances when positivity rules the day, and this is a perfect example. An unassuming woman posted a simple tweet about gratitude, and Twitter responded to it in droves, spreading her message far and wide.

I bet she’s grateful for that.

Ever wondered what the ultimate dad shoe is?

Or the ideal thermostat setting in the winter?

Which way should the toilet paper roll really be put on?

Is gas or charcoal better?

How many test clicks should you perform with your tongs?

You’re not alone.

These age-old mysteries have plagued dadkind since the invention of dads, and with your help, we’re finally getting some answers.

We’re pretty sure it’ll be the most fun you’ll have filling out a survey. But if that’s not enticing enough – we’re also giving away a ton of the prizes (below) to random participants!

The future of dadkind is in your hands. Well, not really, but, just participate, will ya?!

Fill out The Dad’s survey right here.

The wheels keep on turning as the live-action Twisted Metal TV series hires on some big talent.

As reported by Variety, the “high-octane action comedy” series will be written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who previously worked on both Deadpool movies and Zombieland.  The series will be led by executive producer Michael Jonathan Smith, who also produced and wrote for Netflix’s mega-popular Cobra Kai.

“We love Twisted Metal in all its twisted insanity,” said Glenn Adilman, executive vice president of comedy development for Sony Pictures Television. “Michael Jonathan Smith hit it out of the park with an action-packed, brilliantly funny adaptation and we are grateful for the support of Rhett, Paul, Will and our friends at PlayStation.”

While casting is currently up in the air, rumors continue to swirl around whether Will Arnett will be voicing Sweet Tooth in the series.  One thing we do know though is that it will be based on an original story in the Twisted Metal universe about “an outsider trying to better his own life. Rather than competing in a tournament where the winner gets their biggest wish granted, the protagonist instead has to deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland alongside a trigger-happy car thief. On the road, the outsider must face marauders with vehicles capable of intense destruction, along with other open road dangers and a crazy clown with a recognizable ice cream truck.”

Personally, I think this is pretty awesome news for Twisted Metal fans.  If anyone can bring the madness and carnage of Twisted Metal to life, the writers behind the voice of the “Merc with a Mouth” should be able to with ease.

As far as the games go, we haven’t seen a new Twisted Metal release since 2012 on the Playstation 3.  If the TV series builds up enough hype, maybe Sony will take notice and we’ll see the classic car combat franchise return to form on the PlaySstation 5.

The snowstorm in Texas took the entire state off guard and led to devastating power blackouts and dozens of deaths. When disaster hit, neighbors were left to look out for each other, and strangers helped strangers. Nothing demonstrates the kindness of others more than the Texas couple who ended up housing a stranded delivery driver for five days during the worst of it.

Chelsea Timmons works as a delivery driver on the weekends and had planned to do one last grocery delivery ahead of the unusual snowstorm and spend the rest of the day safely at home. The weather turned much quicker than she anticipated, though, and with roads quickly deteriorating, her car got stuck at the home of her last delivery.

Nina Richardson and Doug Condon took Timmons in their home as she tried to call a tow truck. AAA went from saying they would be there in “two hours” to saying the home was “completely inaccessible.” She tried to find an Uber or Lyft to get her to a nearby hotel, but none were available as the storm worsened.

“Options dwindled and eventually the couple offered their guest bedroom to me for the night!” she wrote in a Facebook post. “These people let a complete STRANGER stay the night! Not only that but cooked me a STEAK DINNER! definitely not how I imagined my Valentine’s Day!”

Rolling blackouts left many hotels without power, and those that did were booked for miles and miles. After the first night, the couple encouraged her to stay until it was safe to leave.

Every time she would bring up leaving, the couple would respond, saying “could you make it there safely? What would you eat? What if they lose power? Isn’t the guest room better than the Hampton Inn?”

Timmons said she shed tears of joy at their kindness, and at having a place to stay that kept power and water during the crisis. And they were fully stocked on groceries, as Timmons herself delivered them just as the weather was hitting. After day 5, she was finally able to free her car and head home.

She said she was beyond grateful to the couple for opening their home and making her feel safe and welcome.

“I can’t believe everything that has happened,” she wrote. “Beyond grateful that I have been able to find comfort with strangers during this unprecedented storm.”