Crisis of Infinite Episodes - Just-Us League of Supertoons

Batduck proved a popular parody paving the way for a full on Justice League homage on Tiny Toons Adventures in 1992 during a segment of New Class Day titled Just-Us League of Supertoons.In the adventure, Batduck and Decoy were asked to join the League composed of Superbun,Wonder Babs, Little Dasher, Hawk Loon, Aquamutt, Pink Canary, Keen Arrow, and Scentana (extra points for the Zatanna homage). The invitation was revoked when the League realized Batduck had no powers.

Onscreen History of Count Vertigo

Aiming to make his live-action debut in an as yet rumored role in the series Arrow, Count Vertigo of Vlatava made his print debut in 1978's World's Finest Comics #251. The ofttimes villain played havoc with the Emerald Archer's equilibrium, and eventually joined the Suicide Squad.

First Look at Arrow's Deadshot

Thanks to Superhero Hype, here is the first look at Arrow's Deadshot. How does this compare to his previous onscreen appearances? One week until Arrow day!

Crisis of Infinite Episodes - Gulliver's Gigantic Goof

 This episode holds a very special place in my heart. Somehow it found its way into the rerun rotation when I was a kid, and I still remember being introduced to Green Arrow for the first time. I always hoped he would turn up again, but this was his one and only Super Friends showing. In fact, even though his sidekick Speedy had appeared in the Filmation Teen Titans series, this was Green Arrows first onscreen appearance.

Second Arrow Trailer Hits the Web

Yesterday we were treated to a clip from Green Arrows upcoming series, today we got an actual trailer. The trailer shows hobo Arrow on the island and gives a bit of context for his turning vigilante. I have to say, it actually looks like it has potential.

Arrow Has Found its Target - Now With Video

Arrow has found its time slot on Wednesday nights at 8:00 on the CW. Its been awhile since I used that channel. The show also has a brand new page on Facebook. There is footage now online, but I will embedded it here when that's possible. Lets just say Ollie hates tennis balls.

UPDATE: Video embedded below

Spotlight on Green Arrow

Not only did Superman Batman Apocalypse hit stores today, but the DVD contained an all new short featuring the Emerald Archer. Oliver Queen AKA Green Arrow first appeared in 1941's More Fun Comics #73 (despite what the cover depicts).

(UPDATED MAY 2012)

First Look at Arrow's Emerald Archer

With work underway on the CW pilot for the Green Arrow succinctly dubbed Arrow, it was only a matter of time before we got a glimpse at the hero. Thank goodness we wont have to wait until the series' final minutes to actually see the hero in his trademark costume. Speaking of Smallville, this look does remind me of Oliver Queen's duds from Smallville, though it also looks like he may be sporting the classic goatee this time around.

Arrow Lands its Black Canary

The role of Dinah "Laurel" Lance has fallen to Katie Cassidy.  Apparently she has a track record on CW shows, but not being in their prime demographic, I haven't seen her on Gossip Girl, Melrose Place, or even Supernatural. I have to say, this is a step up from the Smallville or Birds of Prey Dinah's. Mo word yet on whether or not she will bellow the canary cry this fall.

Green Arrow has Been Cast

Stephen Amell is the Emerald Archer. Who?

Black Canary Will Sing on the CW

Its official, the Green Arrow pilot simply titled Arrow is shooting forward and thanks to The TV Addict, we have some casting details including a call for Dinah Lance AKA Black Canary who made her last live action foray in the ill fated Birds of Prey series. The character is described as:

Dinah “Laurel” Lance: 28 years old, smart sexy, Laurel is a legal aid attorney determined to use her life as a one-woman war against the 1% following the death of her younger sister Sara. A sister, who as luck would have it, just so happened to have died aboard Oliver’s yacht. 

Green Arrow Joins the Long List of Heroes Hoping for a Break

I suppose it shouldn't be too surprising that a Green Arrow show is in the works for the CW. The Green Arrow character was one of the more popular additions to Smallville, and throughout the finale seasons of that show, rumors of a Green Arrow spin-off persisted. While this incarnation, titled Arrow, is not in fact a spin-off, its will likely be targeted toward Smallville fans.

Retrospective 2010 - Part 3

Super

Dwight's Crimson Bolt hit the Toronto Film Festival in September in the dark comedy Super. The movie will get a release in 2011, but time will tell if its the next Kick-Ass or the next The Rocker.

Superman Batman: Apocalypse

DC's third direct to video of the year didn't make quite the splash of the first two, but it was still a fairly decent romp. Between the army of Doomsdays, the Female Furies, and Darkseid himself, the fights compensate for a mediocre story.


Green Arrow

Accompanying the Superman Batman: Apocalypse movie was DC's third short film. Although the short was pretty good, it was a bit disappointing the Green Arrow got the spotlight when he is much closer to a household name than the Spectre or Jonah Hex. He has been on Smallville for years for crying out loud. Hopefully next year will bring more shorts focusing on some of the underdogs of the DC universe.

No Ordinary Family

The fall also brought a fantastical take on a super-powered family of four. Dad's got super strength and can "Hulk-jump," mom is the Flash, kid girl is a telepath, and kid boy is smart. I guess this is the closest thing we will get to a decent take on the Fantastic Four, though it feels an awful lot like an ABC Family show rather than a primetime ABC show.

First Look at Animated Green Arrow Short

The last couple seconds of the Superman Batman: Apocalypse trailer at imdb reveal a few seconds of Oliver Queen in action from the Green Arrow short that will be included with the movie. Bon Appetite.

Next Next DC Animated Artwork Revealed

Batman: Under the Red Hood isn't even out yet, but thanks to the SupermanHomepage, we have our first glimpse of the DVD art for Superman /Batman Apocalypse. And although we already suspected it, this verifies that the DVD will also include a Green Arrow short. The spacing of these DVDs is odd; February with a 5 month gap til July, then just a 2 month gap until September, then another 5 months until the next February. Anyways, should be fun.

Onscreen History of Speedy

Back in the day, Green Arrow was just a Batman copy cat. And along with being a Millionaire industrialist, and good Batman wannabe needed a teen sidekick / ward. Green Arrow's junior archer Roy Harper was dubbed Speedy.

Though not as well known as Robin, Speedy has had his fair share of appearances in superhero shows over the years. In fact, Speedy appeared alongside Wonder Girl, Aqualad and Kid Flash sans Robin in the 1967 DC Super Heroes Teen Titans shorts.

Speedy wouldn't appear on screen again for nearly 40 years, until he joined the supporting cast of the animated Teen Titans series. Speedy was first introduced as a Robin "clone," but went on to get a bit of development as a member of the Titans East.

Though not in continuity with Teen Titans, a very similar in design Speedy appeared alongside mentor Green Arrow (and other non-powered heroes Stargirl, S.T.R.I.P.E., Shining Knight, Crimson Avenger, and Vigilante) in the 2006 Justice League Unlimited episode Patriot Act in an homage to the classic Seven Soldiers of Victory team.

Speedy got a blink and you will miss him cameo in the Justice League: The New Frontier movie alongside other members of the Teen Titans.

In 2009's Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode Dawn of the Dead Man, Speedy appeared alongside Batman rival Green Arrow.



Finally, Speedy will appear in live action on next weeks episode of Smallville titled Crossfire. The catch, this appearance will actually be of the second sidekick dubbed Speedy, Mia Dearden. Speedy is fast becoming the world's best known sidekick (well aside from Robin and Batgirl at least).

What to Expect in 2012 and Beyond From DC

Possible Future Films From DC*

Batman 3

While the date hasn't been announced yet, its 95% certain the eagerly awaited sequel to The Dark Knight will hit in Summer 2012. After a four year wait, audiences will be salivating. Not sure who the villains will be, but going with the realistic theme Riddler and/or Catwoman have to be the front runners. Please NO Penguin.

Green Arrow

Back in 2007, development of a movie focusing on a wrongly accused Green Arrow's efforts to break out of a supervillain prison, was announced. "Super Max" had a lot of potential for supervillain cameos including-Riddler, Lex Luthor and the Joker-and also offered something different than the tired origin tale. Since the original announcement, Green Arrow has continued to enjoy increasing exposure on Smallville and in animation appearing in The Batman and Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

According to script writers, "We're in a world where instead of just trying to contain a guy who's really big, you're trying to contain a guy who can — in the case of Icicle — who can freeze things. What kind of a cell would a guy like that need in order to have his powers neutralized? So to escape from Super Max they have got to go through the most elaborate heist we've ever seen, involving superpowers. Because the prison itself kind of has superpowers!"

I am all for this movie, but no official "green" light yet.

Other possible DC movie are pure speculation with hopes that a phoenix will rise from the ashes of many recently abandoned projects:

Wonder Woman

For a while there, a Wonder Woman film was getting under way and looked likely to happen. Then in February 2007, it fell apart. Director Joss Whedon announced:

We just saw different movies, and at the price range this kind of movie hangs in, that's never gonna work. Non-sympatico. It happens all the time. I don't think any of us expected it to this time, but it did. Everybody knows how long I was taking, what a struggle that script was, and though I felt good about what I was coming up with, it was never gonna be a simple slam-dunk. I like to think it rolled around the rim a little bit, but others may have differing views.

Word is, WW is still being mulled around, but nothing firm.

Flash

The day after the Wonder Woman debacle, director David Goyer announced:

I am sad to say that my version of The Flash is dead at WB. The God's honest truth is that WB and myself simply couldn't agree on what would make for a cool Flash film. I'm quite proud of the screenplay I turned it. I threw my heart into it and I genuinely think it would've been the basis of a ground-breaking film. But as of now, the studio is heading off in a completely different direction. I expect you'll hear of some new developments on that front shortly.

...Still waiting on some new developments, but I have to assume Flash is on a short list of next in line projects.

Justice League: Mortal

In 2007, efforts were made to rush out a Justice League movie before the writers strike could kill it. A script was written, a director hired, and casting begun with a $220 million budget. Due to script concerns, the film was put on hold. At the time, Adam Brody had been cast as Barry Allen / The Flash, D. J. Cotrona as Superman, rapper Common as John Stewart / Green Lantern, supermodel Megan Gale as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman, Armie Hammer was cast as Batman. The character of Ra's Al Ghul's daughter Talia was also rumored to be in the film.

Fans hated the idea of a teen / early 20's league and hated the idea of a separate Batman from the one established in Batman Begins. The success of The Dark Knight put the final nail in this coffin though A Justice League film may eventually happen if solo DC hero projects are successful (the Marvel Avengers model).

Captain Marvel AKA Shazam!

And another one bites the dust. In January 2009 the long in production lighthearted action comedy Shazam! movie featuring Captain Marvel died. Screenwriter John August said:

In retrospect, I can point to two summer Warner Bros. movies that I believe defined the real issue at hand: Speed Racer and The Dark Knight. The first flopped; the second triumphed. Given only those two examples, one can understand why a studio might wish for their movies to be more like the latter. But to do so ignores the success of Iron Man, which spent most of its running time as a comedic origin story, and the even more pertinent example of WB's own Harry Potter series. I tried to make this case, to no avail.

The above quote is pretty insightful as to what is going on with DC properties at Warner Brothers. They have a ton of great properties to work with but want every one of them to be a huge success. Unfortunately, you don't get your Iron Man's without your Ghost Rider's too. Hopefully a hit with Green Lantern will inspire more DC heros to get off the bench and into the game.

The Doom Patrol

In 2006, word broke of a possible Doom Patrol movie. For the uninitiated, the Doom Patrol team consists of several DC outcasts and has been seen in the animated Teen Titans series. No word on this project for over a year.

Constantine 2

As recently as last week, word of a Constantine 2 continues to trickle forth. Not sure who is clamoring for that, but if he beats Flash out of the gates, I will not be happy.

Also no word yet about Aquaman, The Wonder Twins, The Atom, or the The Teen Titans. Any other DC dudes worthy of a feature film?

Up Next: The Infinite Potential for Sequels, Prequels, and Reboots

*Prequels, Sequels, and Reboots Not Included