War Machine Declared in Iron Man 2 Trailer

Sure looks shiny.

Evolution of the Batman (and Robin) - Boo Wonder

I ain't gonna lie. This entry is pretty weak. Back in the 90's the Animaniacs show featured a character named Chicken Boo who donned various disguises (secret agent, doctor, secret agent) he would fool almost everyone, but one naysayer would argue, "what are you talking about, he's a chicken!"

In one episode, "Boo Wonder" Chicken Boo was disguised as Boo Wonder sidekick to the Caped Crusader exposed by the supervillian Punchline.

Up Next: Deck the Halls with a Very Special Batman Christmas Edition

Batman Serial * Batman and Robin Serial * Batman '66 TV * Batman '66 Movie * Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder * Batman on Scooby Doo * Batman the Super Friend * The New Adventures of Batman * Batman '89 * Batman Returns * Batman: The Animated Series * Batman: Mask of the Phantasm * Batman Forever * Batman and Robin * The New Batman Adventures * Boo Wonder

* Special Musical Edition *

Retrospective 2009 - Part 1

As the year / decade runs its course, its time for RETROSPECTIVE 2009 (part 1). The year has been fair to good for the superhero genre. Live action films were lacking, but the genre received a boost from solid animated entries.

Hulk Vs.

The year started strong with Marvel's DTV released in January. The movie was essentially two short slug fests with some plot thrown in- the first focused on Wolverine and the second Thor.



I would go as far as to say this is the best of Marvel's recent animated movies, finally delivering some PG-13 content with blood and all. The movie was well received as well, selling nearly as many copies and Ultimate Avengers and way more than the more recent Next Avengers and Doctor Strange. A sequel with Hulk Vs Thing and Hulk Vs Iron Man should be a no-brainer but with Marvel's sale to Disney, we may be more likely to get Hulk Vs Elastigirl.


Wolverine and the X-Men

Aside from Batman, the X-Men are the only superheroes to have been given three animated series in the past 20 years. The 90's X-Men adapted stories from the comics, X-Men Evolution gave teen versions of most of the main cast. Wolverine and the X-Men took the ambitious approach of crafting a 26 episode story arc that made Wolverine not only the central focus ( as he had been in previous series) but the team leader in the wake of Professor X becoming comatose. A parallel future story followed the Professor in the future and his New X-Men.

Many of the classic tales such as Weapon X and Archangel were given new twists and the Hulk Vs Wolverine story even got a sequel in the episode Wolverine vs the Hulk. The series earned a second 26 episode season which will adapt the Age of Apocalypse storyline.

Push

February's Push threw out yet another take on "ordinary people with extraordinary abilities." 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 while the film looked odd with an interesting Hong Kong setting, I (no one's dummy) had an awfully hard time following the story or lack thereof. The film only made $32 million, hurting chances for the seemingly built in sequel.

Wonder Woman

In March, DC released the first of three DTV's for the year delivering a modern take on the most recognizable female superheroine.



The movie was fairly short and sweet and makes you wonder why making a live-action Wonder Woman movie is so darned hard.



Come back next week for Part 2.

Iron Man Whip's It Good

So, as much as I liked Iron Man, I am still on the fence about IM2. The Shell-Head's main drawback, in my mind, has always been his lack of interesting villains. This poster does not convince me that Whiplash is going to be the next Joker, the next General Zod, or even the next Dock Ock. More along the lines of the next Venom. Besides, it seems like this guy could be taken down with just a well aimed B.B. to the eye. How can he stand up to Iron Man?

Evolution of the Batman (and Robin) - The New Batman Adventures

In 1997, Warner Brothers commissioned an additional 24 episodes of Batman: The Animated Series (BTAS) to be paired with episodes of Superman: The Animated Series to create the Batman Superman Hour.

The characters, including Batman were redesigned giving this season / series a sleek look. Batman would lose the blue hues and go for a simple black and gray guise. This group of episodes would be referred to as The New Batman Adventures, though the characters and stories were continuations of those begun in the BTAS. These episodes would also focus a bit less on the solo Batman and more on the "Bat family."

A new younger Robin, Tim Drake (the comic book Robin at the time), was introduced with a "redder" look.

The BTAS Robin, Dick Grayson, would continue to appear as Nightwing after having a falling out with and punching the Bat.

The villains also were redesigned (though mostly for the worse).

This set of episodes featured some surprisingly dark episodes like "Over the Edge" featuring the death of Batgirl.

Another classic episode, "Legends of the Dark Knight" featured three kids telling stories about Batman. One features a 50's style animated silly Batman and Joker complete with giant killer piano and short shorts Robin.

The same episode delivered a fairly true adaptation of a scene from The Dark Knight Returns.

In all, The New Batman Adventures was a nice way to tie up the Batman series, while retrofitting Gotham city to fit in a little better with the growing DC animated universe.

Up Next: Boo Wonder

Batman Serial * Batman and Robin Serial * Batman '66 TV * Batman '66 Movie * Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder * Batman on Scooby Doo * Batman the Super Friend * The New Adventures of Batman * Batman '89 * Batman Returns * Batman: The Animated Series * Batman: Mask of the Phantasm * Batman Forever * Batman and Robin * The New Batman Adventures

* Special Musical Edition * 

Spotlight on Vulture

The classic Spider-Villain Vulture made his debut in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man #2 in 1963.

Just a few years later, the vulture made his on screen debut in the 1967 Spider-Man animated series.


The flying menace returned in the 1981 Spider-Man animated series, looking as wussy as ever.

The 1990's Spider-Man series at least tried to make the character a little more intimidating. Like in other incarnations, the Vulture started off as an old bald dude, but was youthified and wore a costume that wouldn't be mistaken for pajamas.

This Vulture actually ended up being transformed into the Man-Spider, in a weird twist of fate.


The 1999 Spider-Man Unlimited series featured an "X-treme" Vulture from another dimension.

Finally, the 2008 Spectacular Spider-Man gave the Vulture a more traditional presentation, though giving him a new red and black color scheme after years of adorning pea green.

Although Vulture has not yet made his first live-action appearance, he is widely rumored to be one of the main foes in Spider-Man 4. My thoughts. I hope not. What a lame villain. While I admit, some aerial fights could be cool, I just have zero interest in seeing Spidey beat up on an old bald dude. I fear that the rumors are founded though as Vulture was originally going to be in Spider-Man 3 with Sandman until pressure was placed to use Venom instead. Time will tell, but there are plenty of other classic villains more deserving of their chance to tangle with Spidey.

Onscreen History of War Machine

James Rupert Rhodes AKA Rhodey is the character most associated with the War Machine armor. Rhodey filled in for Iron Man when Tony Stark was off drinking, but when Tony returned, Rhodey assumed the War Machine identity.

Rhodey and the War Machine armor first appeared on screen in the 1994 animated Iron Man series.

During the '90's War Machine made the rounds on the animated circuit also appearing in a cameo as a member of SHIELD in an episode of the X-Men animated series.

Next up, War Machine and Spidey teamed up against Venom and Carnage on the Spider-Man animated series.

Then of course, Iron Man and War Machine made a stop on the Incredible Hulk animated series.

After his 90's whistle stop tour, War Machine took a hiatus, with the armor making a quick appearance in 2006 on the Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Superheroes series.

Also in 2006, Tony Stark would don the War Machine armor when his traditional suit got busted up in the Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Panther direct to video movie.

The 2009 Iron Man Armored Adventures featured a young take on Iron Man and his friend Rhodey, and as you could expect, the story eventually led Rhodey back into the War Machine suit.

War Machine is slated to appear sometime in 2010 on the animated Super Hero Squad series.

Though War Machine did not appear in 2007's Iron Man movie, Rhodey sure did, even going as far as to say that some time he would like to try on the Iron Man suit.

Though, Rhodey was recast for 2010's Iron Man 2, it is now confirmed that he will be getting his wish.

And in 2010, War Machine will be making his big screen, live action debut.