The Justice League: A Super Friendly Tour (Part 14)

Justice League Unlimited

Building on the success of Justice League, the series was rebranded and expanded into Justice League Unlimited. The show continued in this format for 39 episodes which made up two epic story arcs.

Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern John Stewart, and Hawkgirl were joined by a load of new heores, a few of which were spotlighted in each episode. The newbies included guest stars from Superman and Justice League and a host of newbies including: Aquaman, The Atom, Aztek, Big Barda, Black Canary, Blue Devil, Booster Gold, B'wana Beast, Captain Atom, Captain Marvel, Crimson Avenger, Doctor Fate, Doctor Light, Dove, Elongated Man, Etrigan the Demon, Fire, Green Arrow, Hawk, Hawkman, Huntress, Long Shadow, Metamorpho, Mister Miracle, Mister Terrific, Orion, The Question, Red Tornado, Shining Knight, Stargirl, Static, Steel, and S.T.R.I.P.E., Supergirl, Vigilante, Vixen, Wildcat, and Zatanna.

Additionally, Atom Smasher, Creeper, Crimson Fox, Doctor Mid-Nite, Gypsy, Hourman, Ice, Johnny Thunder, Nemesis, Nightwing, Obsidian, Sand, Starman, Ray, Rocket Red, Thunderbolt, Vibe, and Waverider could be spotted in non-speaking roles.

To provide a challenge for the expanded League, villains likewise assembled into formidable forces highlighted by Ares, the return of AMAZO, Doomsday, and the rise of Lexiac (Luthor / Brainiac). Stories even brought heroes into conflict with one another providing knock down drag out encounters between Superman and Captains Atom and Marvel.


During the last season of the show, the Legion of Doom was featured as the villains anted up on the "Unlimited" team approach. Foes included Atomic Skull, Captain Cold, Bizarro, Sonar , Key, Captain Boomerang, Cheetah, Chronos, Copperhead, Deadshot, Doctor Polaris, Devil Ray, Goldface, Gentleman Ghost, Giganta, Killer Frost, Gorilla Grodd, The Trickster, Lex Luthor, Mirror Master, Star Sapphire, Plastique, Tala, The Shade, Silver Banshee, Sinestro, Toyman, and Volcana.


Much of the season showed a struggle for leadership between Lex Luthor and Gorilla Grodd, but in the end, it was the return of Darkseid that nearly overwhelmed the League.



All good things come to an end, and in 2006 the end of this series marked an historic end of an animation age that began with Batman: The Animated Series and spanned Superman, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and JLU. The series shared a continuity known as the DC Animated Universe (DCAU).

Availability: On DVD

Up Next: Justice League on Smallville

The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure * Super Friends * The All New Super Friends Hour * Challenge of the Super Friends * Legends of the Superheroes * The World's Greatest Super Friends * Super Friends (Shorts) * Super Friends (Lost Episodes) * Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show * The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians * Justice League of America (TV Pilot) * Justice League Unlimited on Batman Beyond * Justice League * Justice League Unlimited

Green Lantern: First Flight (2009) - Film Capsule

Heroes: Green Lantern Hal Jordan and The Green Lantern Corps

Villains: Sinestro (and Kanjar Ro)

Diabolical Scheme: Sinestro wants to wield the power of the yellow element to bring a new order to the galaxy.

Coolest Moment(s): Watching him use moons as weapons. Lets just see Batman do that. Also, a shower of rings following a mass killing of GLs established Sinestro as a real threat.

Worst Moment: The first few minutes could have used some padding. And a picnic basket construct is kinda lame.

Comic Book Logic: How did punching an exhausted green element release more power, and then, only directed at Hal?

Review in 50 Words or Less: Expectations for direct to DVDs must be checked, but GL delivered epic scope and polished animation. In fact, animation just may be the best medium for balancing creative lantern constructs with a semblance of believability. This just may be DCs best animated feature so far. Bring on GL 2!

Push (2009) - Film Capsule

Heroes: A bunch of ordinary people with extraordinary abilities.

Villains: Agents of "The Division"

Diabolical Scheme: The Division wants to enhance the abilities of the gifted to make super soldiers.

Coolest Moment(s): When the screaming "bleeders" made swimming fish explode in their tanks within a Hong Kong market.

Worst Moment: The parts I didn't understand. There were lots of them. And the part with the drunk kid.

Comic Book Logic: How come keeping plans hidden within envelopes keeps watchers from seeing the future.

Opening Weekend: $10,079,109

Total Domestic Box Office: $31,811,527

Review in 50 Words or Less: The look of the film and named types of psychics (i.e. pushers, watchers, sniffs, bleeders) establish a fresh take on a stale X-Men / Heroes premise of real-world superheroes. But although the film looked good, I (no one's dummy) had an awfully hard time following the story or lack thereof.

The Justice League: A Super Friendly Tour (Part 13)

Justice League

In 2001, the Justice League reassembled. The animated series consisted of 52 mostly multi-part episodes giving the series an epic feel absent in previous "Friends" iterations. This time, the team had a 7 member core composed of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern John Stewart, The Martian Manhunter, and Hawkgirl.

The series opened with a three-parter presenting the team's formation to battle alien invaders. Actually, the series also ended with a three-parter where the League also fended off alien invaders- though this time the invaders were from the Hawk World forcing long time Leaguer Hawkgirl to choose a side. I guess the League did spend a lot of time fighting aliens.


In between invasions, episodes featured guest heroes including Aquaman, Etrigan the Demon, Metamorpho, The Green Lantern Corps, and Dr. Fate who joined the League to fend off such threats as Darkseid, AMAZO, Dr Destiny, Gorilla Grodd, Solomon Grundy, Mongul, Morgaine le Faye, Felix Faust, and villainous teams including the Royal Flush Gang, the Justice Lords, the Injustice Gang, and the Secret Society. Oh, and they fought some other aliens too.



This incarnation of the League also starred in a crossover on the Static Shock series titled A League of Their Own, where they helped to defeat Brainiac. Static would return the favor by guest starring in the next Justice League series.

The show aired until 2004 when it was decided that 7 members just wasn't enough, and the League roster should be "Unlimited."

Availability: On DVD

Up Next: Justice League Unlimited

The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure * Super Friends * The All New Super Friends Hour * Challenge of the Super Friends * Legends of the Superheroes * The World's Greatest Super Friends * Super Friends (Shorts) * Super Friends (Lost Episodes) * Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show * The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians * Justice League of America (TV Pilot) * Justice League Unlimited on Batman Beyond * Justice League

Marvel Babies Hero Up

This show could either be kinda fun or a train wreck. It basically looks like the Marvel Babies duking it out. I will probably check it out next month on Cartoon Network, but I am not too optimistic. Then again Batman: The Brave and the Bold turned out pretty good. And at least this has a jam packed line-up (sans Spider-Man). That could be fun.

This is how the show has been described:

When the greatest heroes on the planet unite to face the world's greatest villains, you get the biggest, most family-friendly Super Hero team-up in TV history… The Super Hero Squad Show. It's no small job protecting Super Hero City from the wild, weird (& even wacky) villainy of Villainville's infamous baddies… but Iron Man, Wolverine, the Hulk, the Silver Surfer, Thor and the Falcon are always up for the job.

Shouting "Hero Up!" as they rush into battle, the Squad must keep Dr. Doom's minions from gathering pieces of the Infinity Sword. Otherwise, Doom will use the Sword to rule the universe! Luckily, the City is filled with Marvel super-hero guest-stars to help out in a pinch. These brave heroes totally deliver the action – but with plenty of humor on the side.

And here is the sneak peek, sorry for the abysmal quality:

Iron Manime and Wolveranime

Marvel is making a couple of anime series, reimagining characters for Japanese audiences. Iron Man and Wolverine are the first two series and here are some early looks. Sounds interesting, but after my disappointing reaction to Batmanime last year, I am cautiously optimistic.

FE Man



WOLVIE

Planet Hulk Trailer Smash

UPDATE: Thor: Tales of Asgard has been delayed until 2011 to milk coincide with the live action film. So Marvel has dropped their animated releases to just 1 per year. It was pretty obvious that something was up, I guess this explains it. Once again I say, "Make Mine DC."

Although there is supposedly a Thor Direct to Video movie coming out in September, Comic Con instead favored us with a look at next February's Planet Hulk animated feature - which will place the character in 5 of Marvel's 8 animated features thus far. Can you say overexposure? Although I must say his last outing in Hulk VS was probably my favorite of their crop. I am just a little confused. I mean, I get that DC puts Batman and Superman out there a lot. But I just don't think Thor (also appearing in 5 of 8 movies) or Hulk has the same appeal. And where is Spider-Man in all of this? He hasn't been in a single movie and Wolverine (Marvels other golden boy) has only been in one! Anyways, sorry for the rant, but I think Marvel's line is fizzling out.

Perhaps adapting Planet Hulk from the popular comic book story line, might be just what the franchise needs. Its the tired and formulaic origin stories of Iron Man, Doc Strange, and most likely Thor, that have sapped my excitement for theses Marvel movies. The movies seem more like long pilot episodes of nonexistent series than stand alone features., and just when things get going, the credits roll. Who knows, Planet Hulk may be good, but I can say I am anticipating Green Lantern and Superman Batman: Public Enemies both about 100 times more. I think I can wait until its in the $4.99 bargain bin (a month or two after release) before picking up Planet Hulk.