What was once a quirky idea, the LEGO franchise of video games continues to pump out a growing variety of licensed titles, each one successful in their own right. From Star Wars to Batman, no property is safe from being turned into a colorful building block adventure game. Last week, it was rumored that LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes was in the works, with not only Batman returning, but bringing a whole host of DC Comic veterans to the table, including Superman and Wonder Woman.

The rumor seems to have been solidified into a confirmation thanks to toy retailers displaying the new Super Hero line in stores early, even though they aren't supposed to release until 2012. An instruction manual contains advertisements for LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, pretty much letting the cat out of the bag that the game is in development.

The manual contains artwork for both Superman and Wonder Woman, both who are getting their own LEGO toy sets as well. The kits also feature a range of DC characters, from Green Lantern to villains such as Lex Luthor and The Joker. This bit of information seems to indicate that all three of these will also be featured in the game as well, though in what capacity is anyone's guess.

The advertisement in the manual indicates that the game will be available for the Xbox 360, Wii, 3DS, and unspecified PlayStation formats, presumably both the PS3 and Vita.

The LEGO games have had a banner year in 2011, with the always solid Star Wars entry LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars and an even better game, LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game. 2012 is not only bringing LEGO Batman 2 to the table, but players can also expect Warner Bros. Interactive to launch a Marvel LEGO game alongside the film release of The Avengers. It would be a nice surprise for players (and movie fans) if LEGO Batman 2 included references to both The Dark Knight Rises and/or Superman Man of Steel.

It will be interesting to see how each of the super heroes will play in the game. We've already seen Batman in action, but I have always been skeptical and wary of playing a video game that includes Superman, especially if he's limited in powers. I mean, Superman is Superman. Are all the bad guys wielding Kryptonite weapons to foil the Kryptonian warrior?

The positive side is having a lot of playable characters should enable creative storytelling on the game designer's part, either weaving a careful story that includes all the heroes together (similar to Marvel's Ultimate Alliance games), or simply telling several different stories. Most LEGO titles have managed to impress players and critics alike due to their charm and quirkiness, so players should expect more of the game with LEGO Batman 2.

Ranters, how do you like the direction of including multiple DC heroes in this game? What other heroes would you like to see?

LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes is in development for all systems with a likely release date in Q3 2012.

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Source: MCV