What Is "Forever Evil"? Geoff Johns Has The Answer

Crisis on Infinite Earths: The monumental event that essentially collapsed the multiverse of DC into a singular universe.

Infinite Crisis: The sequel to the first Crisis in 1985, Alexander Luthor of Earth-3 looks to restore the multiverse, at the cost of everyone else, as Superboy of Earth-Prime looks to control the new worlds.

Final Crisis: Darkseid aims to control the universe using the long searched for Anti-Life Equation, until a noble Batman and about 30 Supermen from various universes look to spoil his plans.

Flashpoint: The Flash is inadvertently sent to an altered Earth, and in his attempts to repair time and restore things to the way he remembers he creates the “New 52”.

The New 52: A reshaping of the multiverse, starting from square one (or close to it), aspects of all DC characters’ histories are altered and expanded upon in what is now considered the normal DC Universe.

Now, the first New 52 event since, well, the New 52 has arrived (September 4^th, that is). Geoff Johns, writer of such titles as Justice League and Green Lantern (you may have heard of them) recently gave an interview, revealing details about his much anticipated crossover event, Forever Evil. “As far as the world knows, the Justice Leagues are dead. What happened to them and where they are will be revealed within the pages of Forever Evil, which is focused squarely on the greatest villains in comics,” says Johns. The events of Forever Evil will take place right after Trinity War, jumping from League-wide crossover to Universe-wide crossover.

Most of what will happen and why it will happen is a mystery, but who it will happen to was revealed. “The Crime Syndicate will be the ones leading the charge to take the world in Forever Evil.” Ultraman, Superwoman, Power Ring, Johnny Quick, Owlman and newcomer, Deathstorm (alternate version of Firestorm) will make their New 52 debut in the pages of Forever Evil, but according to Johns, fans will perceive them as both antagonists and protagonists of the story. “Evil is relative – and what I mean by that, is that our villains are as complex, as deep and as compelling as any of our heroes. Every antagonist in the DC Universe has a unique darkness, desire and drive. And the reason for being of Forever Evil is to explore that darkness,” explained Johns. “We start literally, in the first issue, when the whole world goes dark; communication and power are gone. And as our Earth is plunged into darkness, the Crime Syndicate begins their plan for conquest.”

Wallpaper Of The Week: "Injustice For All!"

Trailers have been appearing left, right and center these past couple weeks for Injustice : Gods Among Us, being released on April 16th. The games premise is set around... (spoilers, kind of)... the regime that Superman has created, one that has taken over Metropolis and probably all of America. Heroes and villains must choose sides to stand by, or challenge, the most powerful man in the universe. Recent trailers have given us first game appearances of characters like Captain Marvel and even Doomsday, prompting me to release a "Wallpaper Of The Week" dedicated to some of the best images released so far. Enjoy!

Reviews: Justice League Vol.2: The Villain's Journey

Innovatively written by Geoff Johns (Green Lantern, Flashpoint) and beautifully illustrated by Jim Lee (Batman: Hush, Uncanny X-Men).

Spoilers follow.

    While volume one detailed the conventional gathering of DC’s heroes, the second volume jumps ahead five years, giving us our first look at the Justice League of today; a team that can, relatively, work well together. More importantly, the story arc focuses on the development of a new villain named David Graves, whose powers are indefinable as it is not quite expressed what his limits are.

     No matter how powerful Graves appeared to be, following a villain like Darkseid, whose arrival and war on Earth dominated the issues of volume one, was a challenge for Graves to surpass.

    Graves’ “journey” into becoming a villain was a difficult one and I was in a bit of distaste upon reading the first couple issues, but I will admit that the villain was developed quite well over time. I understand what Johns was trying to do by focusing on the villain and his emotional, human-side and back-story, but in today’s comics it’s hard to introduce a new, major adversary and make him as successful as the classics.

    

DC Comics New 52 Volume 2 Previews

A preview of DC’s collected editions of all New 52 series being released throughout 2013. Prepare yourselves, for this year, many DC fans will go broke. Enjoy!

NOW AVAILABLE (2013-)

- Animal Man Vol.2: Animal Vs. Man

Written by Jeff Lemire, Illustrated by Steve Pugh and Timothy Green

- Batgirl Vol.2: Knightfall Descends

Written by Gail Simone, Illustrated by Ed Benes and Ardian Syaf

- Batwoman Vol.2: To Down The World

Written by JH Williams, Illustrated by Amy Reeder

- Green Arrow Vol.2: Triple Threat

Written by Ann Nocenti, Illustrated by Harvey Tolibao

- Green Lantern Vol.2: The Revenge of Black Hand

Written by Geoff Johns, Illustrated by Doug Manke and Ethan Van Sciver

- Justice League Vol.2: The Villain’s Journey

Written by Geoff Johns, Illustrated by Jim Lee and Scott Williams

- Justice League International Vol.2: Breakdown

Written by Dan Jurgens, Illustrated by Aaron Lopresti

- Stormwatch Vol.2: Enemies of Earth

Written by Peter Milligan, Illustrated by Miguel Sepulveda

- Suicide Squad Vol.2: Basilsk Rising

Written by Adam Glass, Illustrated by Fernando Dagnino

- Voodoo Vol.2: The Killer In Me

Written by Josh Williamson, Illustrated by Sami Basril

- Wonderwoman Vol.2: Guts

Written by Brian Azzarello, Illustrated by Cliff Chiang

MARCH 2013

- All-Star Western Vol.2: The War of Lords and Owls

Written by Jimmy Palmiotti, Illustrated by Moritat

- Batman Vol.2: The City of Owls

Written by Scott Snyder, Illustrated by Greg Capullo

- Catwoman Vol.2: Dollhouse

Written by Judd Winnick, Illustrated by Guillem March

- Earth-2 Vol.1: The Gathering

Written by James Robinson, Illustrated by Nicola Scott

- I, Vampire Vol.2: Rise of the Vampires

Written by Hale Fialkov, Illustrated by Andrea Sorrentino

- Red Lanterns Vol.2: The Death of the Red Lanterns

Written by Peter Milligan, Illustrated by Miguel Sepulveda

APRIL 2013

- Batman, Detective Comics Vol.2: Scare Tactics

Written by Tony Daniel, Illustrated by Ed Benes

- Batwing Vol.2: In The Shadow of the Ancients

Written by Judd Winnick, Illustrated by Marcus To

- Birds Of Prey Vol.2: Your Kiss Might Kill

Written by Duane Swerczynski, Illustrated Travel Foreman

- Blue Beetle Vol.2: Blue Diamond

Written by Tony Bedard, Illustrated by Ig Guara

- Dial H Vol.1: Into You

Written by China Mieville, Illustrated by Mateus Santolouco

- Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E Vol.2: Secrets of the Dead

Written by Matt Kindt, Illustrated by Alberto Ponticelli

- Swamp Thing Vol.2: Family Tree

Written by Scott Snyder, Illustrated by Yanick Paquette

- World’s Finest Vol.1: The Lost Daughters of Earth-2

Written by Paul Levitz, Illustrated by George Perez

Wallpaper of the Week: "There's only one Justice League!"

Upon buying my digital copy of Geoff Johns' newest Justice League title, JLA, and after reading it, I've decided to devote this WoW to its greatest image released so far. The book has much promise and looks to be another JL thriller featuring characters we are relatively unfamiliar with. How Johns plans to bring these unlikely heroes together, explore the new Secret Society and eventually have them confront the original Justice League is beyond me, but based on his track record of titles, I have high hopes for this new Justice League of America! Enjoy!

Wallpaper of The Week: The JLA of Yesteryear

Just a couple days ago, Geoff Johns and David Finch's Justice League of America hit the stands, debuting the second New 52 JL series, and the third JLA series of all time. Unfortunately, Johns was forced to end his 7 year run on Green Lantern to pursue this new series, ending arguably the greatest comic run in history, but i have no doubt that he will bring his natural storytelling elements to this title. I look back on the JLA series that was inevitably cancelled due to the launch of the New 52, and display, what is in my opinion, three of the best wallpapers from the JLA series that began in 2006, written by Brad Meltzer and illustrated by Ed Benes. Enjoy!

It All Comes Down To This: The Greatest Showdowns In DC Animation

Batman: The Animated Series (Batman vs. Joker)

After viewing this episode, I concluded that the whole thing represents one of those classic Batman versus Joker moments, but it isn’t until the final, climatic scene, where they square off. The episode, titled “The Laughing Fish” follows Joker on a long list of evil schemes, all involving his infamous “joker” toxins, with Batman and Gotham’s finest following up on all their leads. The final clue leads Batman to save the life of Harvey Bullock and pursue the Joker to the roof of Gotham’s aquarium. What makes this duel so epic is not just the build up from the cat and mouse theme of the episode, not just the action, but also the setting and the dark storm happening around them. The best moment is when Joker swings a crowbar at Batman as Batman grabs the crowbar. The battle ends with the Joker falling to his apparent death in the shark-filled waters below. Unfortunately, this was the fifth episode of the second season, and the Joker would be seen many more times after that, but a part of me realizes this would have made a great series finale.

DC Cancels Six Titles: Who Should Be Their Replacements?

Justice League of America (Vol.3) #1

   DC Comics recently announced the cancellations of six of their titles, three of them featuring fairly well known characters. The Savage Hawkman, Firestorm, Deathstroke, The Ravagers, Team 7 and Sword of Sorcery all got the boot, making way for new titles to take their place come spring/summer of this year. When I first saw the lineup of New 52 titles I was skeptical of the lesser known titles, worried that they wouldn’t be anywhere as successful as mainstream heroes like Batman or Superman, which would lead to their cancellation. This has happened to a lot of those ‘underdog’ series. The biggest problem with trying to make these series successful is that their popularity will never match the already established series, which still begs the question as to why Hawkman or Deathstroke were cancelled, but then again, maybe upper management wasn’t happy with their recent profits, or maybe the creative teams weren’t happy with where the stories were going, I’m not sure.

     What I am sure of is the replacement titles coming later this year, which include: Threshold, Constantine, Katana, JLA’s Vibe, Justice League of America, and Superman: Man of Steel. The two that strike the most intrigue would be Geoff Johns and David Finch’s JLA, which will focus on a new team of heroes, separate from the original Justice League, featuring Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow and the return of Hawkman, right after his cancellation, and Scott Snyder and Jim Lee’s new Superman series, which will again examine his outsider role in Metropolis. As excited as I am for these new series, the same old problem still remains with half of them. Will they be able to sell as much as the “regulars” or be as popular? Maybe not, which is why I’ve compiled a short list of ‘could-be’ titles that DC could use come the next cancellations.

The Future of DC Animated Films

     A total of 16 DC Animated Movies have been released, beginning in 2007 with Superman: Doomsday. Compared to some of the DC animated series currently or recently airing, I would take any one of these movies over those shows, aside from GL and Young Justice. In saying that, creating feature length animated films based on famous comic book titles was a great corporate decision. The only thing I would argue is some of the stories chosen for the films. Why Public Enemies and not Knightfall? Why Superman versus The Elite and not Batman Hush? I’d like to examine the upcoming DC movies, why their chosen stories are perfect for animated recreation and which stories DC should recreate next.

      Up until DC’s latest film release, I had two favorites from the earlier films: Superman: Doomsday and Justice League: The New Frontier. The Dark Knight Returns Part 1 surpassed the greatness of those earlier films, in both animation and story. The film’s creators stayed truest to the source material and ended up with a great result, which was again surpassed by its sequel, The Dark Knight Returns Part 2. Any fan of these movies has been wishing for an animated interpretation of Frank Millar’s original book since Doomsday’s release, and with the story being split into two parts, the writers and directors were able to fully capture all the details, and even exact frames, from the original books. Whether it was the dramatic scene of Batman, sitting next to the dying Joker, or the climatic battle between the world’s finest superheroes, the movie was truly a comic book come to life.

I Just Want a Good JLA Game!

​      I've recently discovered the iPad/iPhone app: Justice League by netmarble. A fun, interactive game that allows you playable access of the five main heroes: Superman, Batman, Wonderwoman, The Flash and Green Lantern, each equipped with three additional costumes and skill add-ons. The best part about this fun little game is the fact that you can run around in a closed off city, fighting henchmen and battling the villain at the end of each map. This may not seem so attractive to the fan who wants the complex, "thinking man's game", but it sure could act as a starting point. One game that accurately reflects the look, style and gameplay feel of the app was Justice League: Heroes, released a few years back. The premise was almost the same, but with slightly better graphics. I've enjoyed playing this app, unlocking costumes and upgrading my character's skills more then I should, which can only mean that this game got something right. 

​      The reason I'm going on about this little game is because I like the way it was made. After hearing about the release of Injustice:Gods Among Us, and after realizing the game would feel like DC vs. MC or street fighter, I was, least to say, very disappointed. It looks as though it has good graphics, could be enjoyable, but repetitive, even more so then the app. 

​      When I picture a game based around the Justice League or any other characters of the DCU, I picture an game epic, the likes of which would astound any fanboy who plays it. The creators of these games can learn from legendary superhero games like the Arkham's or even Lego Batman. The combination of level-based gameplay with open-world environments would be fun as any member of the League, and adding a good storyline (maybe even a classic from the comics like Crisis) and challenging villains would only increase it's popularity. Sure, for now I'm fine with the Street Fighter style, but I want a game that accurately captures what it's like to be a hero in the DCU. Oh, and I know of the existence of the DC Universe game for PS3 and computers, but I'm an Xbox guy myself, and I want me some new, innovative JLA action!

The New 52: Justice League

      It had to happen eventually. Over a year of released issues and I’m finally devoting an article to DC’s The New 52, and what better comic series to begin with then Justice League. Written by the legendary Geoff Johns (Green Lantern, Flashpoint) and illustrated by the equally legendary Jim Lee (Batman: Hush), Justice League kicked off the New 52 with a bang! (Minor spoilers follow).

      So basically, The New 52 is set in a universe that is made up of three separate universes, which were accidentally fused together during the Flashpoint mini-series. The New 52 has replaced all other previous series, starting all the DC comics back at #1 and changing some elements of the characters themselves. I can go on and on about the specific changes made throughout the relaunch, but ill just stick with Justice League for now. The first story arc called “Origin” takes place “five years ago”, where only heroes like Batman and Flash have been operating as “heroes” for some time. The story revolves around the meeting of these characters. Superman, Wonderwoman and Green Lantern have only just started out as crime fighters and Cyborg’s origin is revealed in this arc. After getting into disputes amongst each other, they soon have to put aside their differences to stop an alien invasion from Darkseid and his minions from Apokolpis (told you it started out with a bang).

      Each of the League’s characters have their own titles in the relaunch, except for Cyborg, where their full origins are displayed in further detail. JL kept it simple, fast-paced, and easy on the eyes thanks to terrific artwork by Mr. Lee. Lee was also responsible for the many character design changes such as Cyborg resembling “a walking tank”, or Superman no longer in red tights, to Batman and pretty much every other characters wearing more detailed costumes, almost resembling armor. I must say that I was very impressed with the look of the heroes and the series in general. After a year of publishing it is clear that JL is one of the more popular and dominant of the New 52, thanks to Lee and Johns.

      Justice League Vol.1: Origin is now available in hardcover, collecting the first six issues of the series, and JL # 13 will hit the stands on October 17th. I know you’re all just as excited as I am.

The Future of Superhero Gaming

       From the Spiderman Atari 2600 videogame released in 1982 all the way to Batman: Arkham City and beyond. Superhero games have been around almost as long as Pong itself, evolving into what is an entertainment phenomenon today. Hundreds of millions of people, of all ages, play superhero videogames everyday and the total number will only increase as these games become more dominant and engaging and more reflective of their comic book counterparts. There have been a few misfires in recent years including: Green Lantern Rise of the Manhunters, Captain America, and Thor God of Thunder. Fortunately for hardcore fans, there have been even more games that have truly captured the essence of the characters its representing, making us forget all about those bad ones.

Within the last year we’ve seen the release of Lego Batman 2, a fun, comedic take on classic heroes and villains playable and enjoyable for children and adults. The Amazing Spiderman, a nicely developed “sequel” to the film truly capturing what it means to “do whatever a spider can.” And of course, Batman Arkham City, my personal favorite and the most realistic representation of the caped crusader ever. Never before have you been able to feel this much like the real vigilante. The key to a good superhero game involves staying true to the characters and doing what works. As the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” When the design and gameplay of a game works and sells, don’t alter it for the sake of altering it. We enjoyed it before and we’ll enjoy it again. Having said that, the right change in this business comes around quite rarely. The near future of superhero videogames depends on:

The Avengers: Battle For Earth (October 30th, 2012)

       Being released for the Wii and Xbox 360, Battle For Earth will mark the first anticipated superhero game for the Kinect. I’m not too sure how this game will do in the reviews or whether it will be fun, but I do know that even acting out the powers of superheroes and having them appear on the screen in front of you could be kind of cool. The game does allow you to play as heroes and villains, not just from the Avengers’ universe, but also from the entire Marvel universe.

What to do: If you liked the Avengers and are a fan of fighting games and are interested in how they will apply the powers of the characters, then you should get this game.

Justice League: Fantasy Roster

      Speculation increases, as time draws us closer to the expected release of the Justice League film in 2015, as to what the exact lineup of heroes will be. Factoring together obvious names, heroes that could co-exist, and characters right for the times, I’ve comprised a short list of heroes who could be featured in the film:

Clark Kent/ Superman:

      The Man Of Steel movie has been announced as the last DC film until 2015. This begs the question as to whether DC will follow the route of the Avengers franchise, by featuring most characters in a solo film first, or jump right into JL in 2015. Rumors aim towards the ladder, which makes me realize that Superman may be the main character out of the team, as he should be. Much like Ironman who received two films while his fellow heroes only received one prior to Avengers, Superman may be the star of the show in JL if he is in fact the only one getting a solo film before it.  The movie may feature some recruiting making Superman the recruiter being the only hero that will “exist” at the beginning of the film.

      While Batman and the Flash have the larger rogue’s galleries, Superman’s are more built for planetary destruction, which could pose a threat to the entire team. Zod is the announced villain for the Man Of Steel leaving some choices like Brainiac, Darkseid and Apokolips or Mongul and War World. If Superman’s villains are used in the movie then he will undoubtedly be the central focus. While the idea of an attack from Apokolips or War World would be a spectacle to behold on the big screen, I think they should stay away from the “invasion” motif (to which the Avengers used) and perhaps create stories more emotional and self-involving (meaning the only alien planet mentioned should be Krypton, and maybe Oa). I’ve always envisioned a battle with Superman and the rest of the JL. Perhaps Superman (under mind control, Poison Ivy dust etc.) becomes an enemy of the JLA and is forced to battle his teammates. The Red Son?! That would be more engaging to fans then just a big alien invasion. We’ll see.

Diana Prince/ Wonderwoman:

      As much as I enjoy the fact they may be skipping the solo films to jump directly into JL, I feel that Wonderwoman’s origin is one of the many that shouldn’t be rushed. A summary should at least be made if that’s the case, but to save a lot of time I thin k she should already “exist” when the movie begins but maybe arrives in the “man’s world” for the first time. The casting for her part will need to be precise. I strong female price is needed considering she is the only female member of the League. So the guys who say, “Megan Fox would be an awesome Wonderwoman” are wrong. Seeing as she is the second strongest character of the team her role in the film’s battles will be pivotal especially if Superman does turn out to be the main adversary. But that is all speculation at this point.

Batman In a State of Flux: Modernization (Part 3 of 3)

“Oh, you. You just couldn't let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible, aren't you? You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won't kill you because you're just too much fun… I think you and I are destined to do this forever.”

-       The Joker, The Dark Knight

2003:

     Critically acclaimed writer Jeph Loeb teams up with artist-legend Jim Lee to create Batman Hush, a two-part story that takes the vigilante on a crusade through Gotham, meeting the majority of his rogue’s gallery along the way. The pace was fast. It seemed as though every page, every panel, was dealing with an entirely different predicament, which would all link up by the end of the book. The first book focused on Batman battling such foes as Poison Ivy and Killer Croc, as well as having some aid from Oracle and Huntress. The book ends with a climactic showdown between Batman and Superman; an obvious nod to Frank Millar’s The Dark Knight Returns. Hush was renowned for having many supporting heroes and villains, but more so for giving each character a specific purpose in the story. Anyone who entered the story had something of importance to contribute to it. 
        Part two is where things started to heat up, as Batman forms an alliance with Catwoman in order to stop the Joker and Harley Quinn. The side-story in the second part showed us quick flashes of Bruce’s childhood with his parents and his childhood friend. After all the excitement and thrills, Batman is left to face his newest villain, the title character, Hush. After the book’s release, fans went crazy over the detail and representation of pretty much everything in the story, but it was Jim Lee’s incredible artwork that really shined and allowed the books to reach their full potential.

2005:

      Just eight years after the end of the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher film franchise, director Christopher Nolan brings the cinematic Batman back from the grave, in good fashion too. With Christian Bale, Liam Neeson and a large lineup of renowned actors, Batman Begins introduced fans to the modern vigilante of Gotham. While still as dark as the Burton films, Begins added a bit of lightness with clever jokes and a lot of heart. We finally got to see Batman’s origins on the big screen and see just what Bruce Wayne had to go through to become Gotham’s protector. The film also stood on its own by using great special and practical effects that only 21st century technology could provide as well as utilizing new villains, not seen in previous films: Scarecrow and Ra’s Al Ghul and the League of Shadows. With a personal look at the Wayne family, an updated Batman for modern audiences and an action-filled, meaningful film, Batman was back on the big screen and would only get better as time went on.

2008:

      Batman sales in comics soared as he was featured in epic stories such as Infinite Crisis, which only increased his popularity. The large addition came in DC’s Final Crisis book, written by Grant Morrison, which saw the return of Darkseid, who has recently gained control of the Anti-Life Equation; the source that allows him to control the minds of others. Slowly he began taking control of the world’s most powerful beings. Batman and the rest of the JLA forged a plan to stop the ruler of Apokolips, which sadly ended with The Dark Knight’s death. Batman was burned to a crisp by Darkseid’s Omega beams, which became the cover image (if you haven’t seen it, it’s the website’s background, just to let you know). The death of Batman not only affected Final Crisis, but virtually all DC stories at that time. Superman stories mentioned his death, and his own stories had to cope and adjust to a world without Batman. A “sequel” to Final Crisis was released, also written by Grant Morrison, titled Batman R.I.P, which shut down any assumptions that he may still be alive. Fans weren’t sure what they would do in a world without Batman. Would this be another remake of the Death Of Superman in ‘93, or were they going to permanently kill of Bruce Wayne forever? Only time would tell, but fans quickly forgot about the troubles in the comics, as the greatest superhero movie of all time was released, The Dark Knight.

    With Christopher Nolan returning to direct the sequel to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight starred Christian Bale as Batman, in an even darker and more depressing story then the first, and Heath Ledger as the Joker, a performance that will go down as one of the most creative and visually astonishing in film history. Ledger used strange mannerisms and a certain tone, which was on par with the Joker from the comics, but original, turning the Joker into what could be viewed as a real person. Something that was hard to imagine with Nicholson’s Joker in Burton’s film. 

     It seemed as though Batman Begins established the new, modern and realistic nature of Batman and The Dark Knight perfected it. We really believed that Batman could exist in that world, and the performances from each actor only contributed to the atmosphere of the film. With unbelievable action sequences, praised performances and a storyline so original and so perfect, The Dark Knight is undeniably the best superhero film of all time, and is up there in movie ratings in general. The film grossed a total of $1,003,045,358 at the box office making it one of the best selling movies of all time (take that Avengers!)

WOW: DC's Crisis

       Some of the most critically acclaimed DC Comics stories involve the word "crisis" in the title. Crisis On Infinite Earth's, Infinite Crisis, Identity Crisis, Final Crisis and so much more. All completed with the highest level of professionalism and standards. Stories, whose art and story have become so much larger and more renown then even their creator's could have foreseen. This is DC Crisis and these are the some of the best Crisis wallpapers released so far. Enjoy!

DC's "Final Crisis" written by Grant Morrison.

DC's "Infinite Crisis" written by Geoff Johns.

DC's "Crisis On Infinite Earths" written by Marv Wolfman.

Top 5 DC Animated Films

      June 12 marks the DVD release for Super VS. The Elite, the next film in the DC Animated Movies. With the next film on the way, I’ve taken a look at the previous 12 movies (excluding Justice League: Doom due to the fact that I’m still waiting to purchase the 2-disc special edition) and I have chosen my favorite five.

5. Batman: Under The Red Hood

     The intro is based on the Death In The Family storyline with the death of Jason Todd at the hands of the Joker. The plot was incredible with a lot of different action scenes and , like every good Batman story, a mystery, which was who the Red Hood was and what his real intentions were. It had a lot of depth with villains like Joker, Ra’s Al Ghul, Black Mask and the Red Hood, all with their own intentions to either control Gotham City’s criminal underworld or destroy Batman. But the Caped Crusader would not have to fight them alone, at least for the most part. Nightwing assists in Batman’s defeat of the machine called Amazo and helps track down and chase the Red Hood until he accidentally breaks his ankle and pretty much disappears for the remainder of the film. Under The Red Hood gathered a good group of characters that worked well together, took a classic Batman story and reworked it a bit and ended up with a great animated movie.

Favorite Moment: Batman recalls the moment when he met Jason Todd in crime alley. The scene right before his rooftop battle with the Red Hood.

4. Superman: Doomsday

     Almost every single one of these DC animated movies is based on a popular DC comic series or graphic novel, and for this first film in the series, that is completely true. Superman: Doomsday takes the highlights from “The Death Of Superman” storyline from the early 1990’s. The killing machine known as Doomsday has made it’s way to Earth’s surface and battles the Man Of Steel. Superman is eventually able to defeat the monster, but only by sacrificing himself. A funeral is held in his honor and several months pass before his “return”. Unlike the comic book, which featured the arrival of four different Supermen, the movie only features one Superman clone. The Death Of Superman is the best-selling Superman comic book ever, so it was an excellent choice for the writers of the animated film to recreate that for their first movie.

Favorite Moment: Superman sacrifices his own life to put an end to Doomsday’s destruction by plummeting them both to Earth’s surface, creating a large crater with the monster at its center.

Batman's History In Animation

         

      In wake of recent news of Batman receiving yet another animated series, I thought I would pay tribute to the Caped Crusader’s history in cartoon television.

The Superfriends

         In the early 1970’s, Hanna Barbara created the widely popular superhero show, which featured many heroes from the DC Universe including the Dynamic Duo. The Superfriends had a large variety of incarnations over the years, with different names such as “Challenge Of The Superfriends”, “The Superfriends Hour”, “Galactic Guardians” and many more. The show was a huge success and attracted a lot of young audience members due to its upbeat and somewhat corny portrayal of the heroes. The Superfriends is still considered today to be a classic series in DC’s television history.

The New Adventures Of Batman

         Created several years after the Superfriends run, this series lasted only one season, but was unique for having the voice talents of Adam West and Burt Ward to play the Dynamic Duo (they also played those roles in the live-action 1966 Batman show). This series saw the introduction of Bat-Mite as a main member of the Bat-Family, confrontations with classic foes like the Joker, Penguin and Mr. Freeze and Batgirl even guest-starred in a few episodes. At the end of each episode, the Caped Crusaders would give a “Bat-Message” about respect or morals, which always related to the theme of that particular episode.

Batman: The Animated Series

         I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is the best animated series of all time. Created just after Tim Burton’s second Batman film, the show’s creators had a lot of references to choose from when they made their darker, serious, more detective skilled Batman. The series had great animation and retold a lot of the villains’ origins including Two-Face and Mr. Freeze, changing them and making their back stories more realistic. Robin (Dick Grayson), Alfred and Commissioner Gordon were three key supporting characters, each bringing a unique set of skills to aid the Dark Knight in his war on crime. By the third season characters like Batgirl, Ra’s Al Ghul and Bane were introduced and by the fourth season the creators had revamped the look of the show, matching the style with Superman: The Animated Series, which aired at the same time. In the fourth and final season Dick Grayson became Nightwing and Tim Drake took over the role as Robin and Batgirl was informed of all their secret identities. Overall, it was an iconic part of Batman’s history, not just cartoons, but everything (for more info on Batman: The Animated Series, check out my top 5 episodes of each season in earlier articles).