Even cynics like us have to admit at least a passing curiosity with the nerd orgasm that is Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and its cross-universe roster. Earlier today we approached the game's production coordinator, Hector Sanchez, and while he would not let us in on the game's complete lineup, he admitted that the team is looking to feature between 20 to 25 characters, "split up evenly half and half, and then split up again between heroes and villains."

Additionally, while talking about possible alternate costumes or other unlockables, Sanchez told us that the team is "planning to support downloadable content," before stopping short and saying he "was going to say something" but couldn't. Downloadable characters seems the obvious source of his pursed lips, making us continue wondering what comic book icons will be further ground beneath the heel of Midway's floundering franchise.

Warner Interactive's booth features both miniature and massive-iture versions of the Lego Batman characters. We first noticed that the check-in desk for Warner Bros. Interactive features teeny tiny Lego versions of Robin, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and the Joker on display. Nifty, eh?

Well, apparently being a blogger kills your peripheral vision, so one of the fine WB show runners told us, "Turn around." Lo and behold, a gigantic version of the Lego versions of Batman and Robin, made out of... well, Lego. We wish we had the time, the skill, and the sheer amount of bricks to build things like these. Check 'em out after the jump.

Despite plenty of nerd chat about the upcoming film at the conference, E3 has been free of any news about an adaptation of the upcoming Batman Begins sequel, The Dark Knight. So, as heart-breaking as it is, it looks like the closest we're going to get to a Dark Knight game for the moment is free web game Gotham City Street Chase.

Luckily, this is the Batman game you've always dreamed of, with The World's Greatest Detective chasing down grenade-tossing vans while he tries to avoid oncoming traffic. Yeah, it's exactly as fun as it sounds.

In a brief interview with Gamespot, Midway's Ed Boon has (once again) discussed the return of fatalities in upcoming cross-brand brawler, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. The infamous finishing moves will be performed by all Mortal Kombatants and DC Comics villains, but not by any of DC's untarnished heroes. You know, the ones "who don't kill that often." Instead, nicer folks like The Flash will have "brutalities," moves which inflict pain upon the recipients without totally murdering them.

Of course, don't expect the levels of violence and depravity to be quite up there (down there?) with previous Mortal Kombat games, as Ed Boon mentions that this Unreal-powered showdown is still pushing a slightly Tamer boundary. "Certain animations, blood effects, and sound effects that we have in the game are really pushing the T-rating envelope," he said. We're sure gore hounds will find this worthy of debate, but we're more concerned about everything that happens before the fatality.

Let's hope E3 grants us the opportunity to beat the snot out of that smug Superman.

Danny Elfman's recognizable Batman score finally makes an audible appearance in the latest Lego Batman trailer featuring The Joker and his our beloved Harley Quinn (found after the break). New character trailers appear to be getting released every couple weeks, as the trailer featuring Catwoman and Riddler released a month ago, and the trailer with Two Face and Scarecrow (above) came out two weeks ago.

Remember, Lego Indiana Jones releases June 6. We're still waiting for Lego Terminator to be announced. Come on, admit it, that would be awesome!

The official website for Midway's Unreal-powered, cross-dimensional brawler, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, has posted the first shot of what appears to be Superman's 3D model. As you can see, the developers have managed to capture the Kryptonian's chiseled features, indestructible physique and patriotic pose quite well. So well, in fact, that we're left feeling a little sorry for the mere mortal kombatants.

We were a little skeptical when the first promotional poster for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe leaked out this morning, but now that GamesRadar has posted up the first trailer for the game our reaction has gone from skepticism to amazement. As in, we're amazed that this thing actually exists.

The high impact, mid-air fight between Sub-Zero and Batman (shown below the break) seems a little out of character for the Dark Knight, who's always been more about calculation and strategy than all out hand-to-hand Kombat. We're also a little worried about how the DC heroes' long-standing prohibition against killing is going to match up with the Mortal Kombat series' famously fatal, er, fatalities. But these kinds of academic nerd-concerns are hard to maintain when watching the concentrated 360- and PS3-fueled awesomeness on display in this video.

[Update: Gamespot has an interview with Project Lead Ed Boon that discusses the game's story and the balancing between the variously super-powered characters. The interview also confirm Superman's and Scorpion's somewhat obvious inclusion in the game. Gamespot's preview has more details]

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Oh, IGN, you so crazy. Yesterday, it was posting a story about Pandemic working on a Batman game and then promptly removing it. Today (well, technically last night) it's skate being ported to Wii and DS. The story apparently went up Tuesday and was soon removed.

What's interesting is that both the mysterious Batman project and skate are EA titles. So ... did IGN get some exclusive info and then let the bat out of the bag too early, deleting them moments before uncle EA could wrest his whippin' belt free from his dungarees? We're betting yes, but we'll almost certainly never know.

[Update: If you're interested, here's the cached article, thanks to tipster Robber Tom.]

Last night, eagle-eyed members of NeoGAF spotted a story on IGN about developer Pandemic working on a new Batman game, moments before the story was then pulled. We're betting it was an exclusive let slip a bit too early, but that's just a guess. If you'll remember, this partnership of Bat and studio was rumored all the way back in May.

IGN didn't have details on the game but we're inclined to agree with the assumption that it's a Dark Knight tie-in meant to drop alongside the movie in July. As for the choice of Pandemic, best known for Destroy All Humans and Mercenaries, we're amiable enough. They're at least qualified to hurdle over the bar set by previous devs, so low as to be in danger of being melted by the Earth's molten core.

As cool as Batman is, everyone knows it's his rogue's gallery that really sets him apart. Even the bad ones (we're looking at you Calendar Man) trump most of Superman's enemies (and don't even get us started on the Flash's). Given that irrefutable fact, imagine our joy when we read that Lego Batman will allow you to play as members of that pantheon of villains.

This piece from MTV Multiplayer also delivers another exciting secret about the game: The presence of Danny Elfman's Batman score. The article says that the arrangement isn't finalized, but we think we speak for everyone when we say, "Yes, please."

Holy (adjective) (noun), Batman! Our second bit of Lego related news for the evening (this time, about a real game) comes in the form of this fantastic new trailer for Lego Batman: The Video Game. We're positive that fans of The Dark Knight can find something to get excited about in this video, whether it be the inclusion of fan-favorite villainess Harley Quinn, the hint of a Catwoman romance subplot, or the chance to see some sweet Lego Joker ass. If, you know, that's your thing.

Was that super-quick teaser trailer not enough to satisfy your need for all-things LEGO Batman? Well, like the Dark Knight himself, GamesIndustry.biz has swooped in to provide a few concrete facts about the fearsome superhero's adorable LEGO-themed title.

Using the same optional cooperative gameplay system as the LEGO Star Wars games, LEGO Batman will allow players to play as either Batman or Robin, with one friend able to join in the crime-fighting mayhem -- no four-player co-op this time around, it seems.

Villains such as the Joker and Penguin will appear, as Batman and Robin explore Gotham City. Vehicle construction will also return from the LEGO Star Wars series. We're still dying for more details, but with the game's release around a year away, there's still plenty of time for new details to surface.

To the common people like you and us, the laymen, MCV's story about Traveller's Tales being close to finding a publisher for the Lego version of Batman might be a little bit dull. So why are we sharing it with you? Well, we just liked being reminded that Lego Batman is still coming out, and we thought you might too.

MCV's making some educated guesses about who the publisher of the game will be like Warner, Eidos and LucasArts. But you know what question we can't stop wondering about long enough to care who's publishing it? Will Lego Joker at some point wonder aloud "Where does he get those wonderful toys?" Because we can't promise we won't try to kiss our TVs right on the mouth if that goes down.