Doomsday & Beyond Returns!

We’re back. With a new logo, a new design, and some big news: the Superman/Batman movie is happening. Set to release in 2015, it’s a dream come true.

     Saturday at the San Diego Comic-Con, at the end of the Warner Bros. exhibit, surprise guest sat Zach Snyder took to the stage and revealed the release of another Superman film. He then called out friend and actor in Man of Steel Harry Lennix who read a passage from The Dark Knight Returns: “I want you to remember Clark, in all the years to come and in your most private moments, I want you to remember the one man who beat you”. The lights faded and an image of the Man of Steel movie logo appeared on screen, followed by a Batman symbol, resembling The Dark Knight Returns logo, appeared behind it. Its official.

     Of course, this is the greatest thing to happen in recent memory, probably since the announcement of the Man of Steel movie. Finally after 74 years of these two iconic characters, appearing in comics and cartoons, side-by-side, we get to see them together on the big screen. Unfortunately, this poses many new questions, and many new complications. The biggest being: who will play the Dark Knight? Another is who will be the villain worthy of challenging the World’s Finest? Another: what is the potential of this film? If done correctly, it has the makings to be the greatest superhero film of all time.

        General Zod posed a big threat to Superman, and along with his Kryptonian minions, the world too. A villain capable of battling both Superman and Batman has to pose just as big a threat, but perhaps someone of Zod’s power is too threatening. Darkseid is better left for the entire Justice League, Braniac, for another Superman film down the road, and any Batman villain is out of the question as this is still a Superman film first. The front-runner, of course, is Lex Luthor. He has all the motivation, after the destruction caused in the first one, to start his campaign against the Man of Steel, and he has the money and the resources to still make a good villain. He is also on par with the characteristics of Bruce Wayne to be an adversary to both heroes. And based on the amount of LexCorp teases in Man of Steel, he appears to be the obvious choice. There’s one question pretty much answered.

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

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.

The Challenge 2013's Superhero Films Will Face

      2012 featured some of the greatest superhero films of all time. The Amazing Spiderman displayed Peter Parker and the rest of the Spidey universe in a unique, darker way, as well as being more realistic. The Avengers gave us our very first superhero team-up, blockbuster film earning over 1.5 billion dollars. Then there was The Dark Knight Rises, being the best of last year and the most epic, providing a fitting end to the ultimate superhero trilogy. The three films released last year are all praised in their own ways, that it will become increasingly difficult to measure up to their standards, and the films of 2013 are the first to step up to the challenge. This is an analysis of The Wolverine, Thor: The Dark World, Iron Man 3 and The Man Of Steel, next in line of the new generation of superhero movies. Are they up to the challenge?

The Wolverine (July 26th)

“Logan travels to Japan where he engages a mysterious figure from his past in a fight that will have lasting consequences.”

Yet another film centered on the solo adventures of Wolverine, which surprisingly takes place far after the events of X-Men 3. Its good to see Hugh Jackman back at the helm of the character he’s spent over a decade building in 5 different films. Wolverine marks the sixth time he’ll portray the character.

By now he should have it down pat, but he has to be on the top of his game to make up for the critically reviled incarnations featured in X3 and X-Men Origins, especially due to the fact that reports say the film will feature very little guest appearances from other X-Men characters. I personally like this approach because it gives Wolverine a chance to establish himself without any side stories of the other heroes.

While I’m not expecting it to be anything we haven’t seen before, I am hoping the film will be more on par with the first two X-films and First Class. With the script adapted from Wolverine’s original stories, written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Frank Millar, I have faith that it won’t disappoint.

Thor: The Dark World (November 8th)

“A primeval race led by Malekith, who is out for revenge, intends to descend the universe into darkness as Thor fights to save all nine realms from a mysterious enemy older than the universe itself.”

Little is known about the Thor sequel, but some fans, including myself, are already beginning to question its very existence (as well as the upcoming Captain America sequel). Was the first Thor film really good enough to deserve a sequel? Is there so many layers to the character that we need another film to explore them all? Or is this simply a way to promote the success of the character after The Avengers? I vote the latter.

Thor is very much like the Hulk in terms of their roles in movies. Both these characters work fantastically in a group movie like The Avengers, but ultimately fail, or at least do average at best, on their own. While I loved the fight sequences and special effects in the first film, I question whether Thor is well rounded enough and not just a one-dimensional hero. He’s not as relatable to the general audience, he doesn’t have a mild-mannered alter-ego (at least not in this film franchise) and he seems a little head strong; qualities that ultimately doomed any of the Hulk movies. Its thoughts and speculations like these that I hope get put to rest upon the sequel’s release, but until then, I continue to speculate.

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!

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: The Dark Knight Is Born (Part 2 of 3)

  

“This should be agony. I should be a mass of aching muscle — broken, spent, unable to move. And, were I an older man, I surely would... But I'm a man of 30 — of 20 again. The rain on my chest is a baptism. I'm born again.”

-       Batman, The Dark Knight Returns

1986:

      The Dark Knight Returns, written by Frank Millar was released in a series of issues in 1986, and became one of the best-selling comics of all time. Known for his innovative perspectives of stories and tendency to go beyond the proverbial “norm” of society, Millar had used all of his creative talents and then some to create what is said to be the greatest Batman story ever. The Dark Knight Returns focuses on a 55 year-old Bruce Wayne, forced to come out of retirement to protect Gotham once again, this time from a group of visually altered humans called mutants. Equipped with a new, tank-like Batmobile, a new female Robin and a brand new arsenal of weapons, Batman returns to prove that Gotham will survive as long as he lives.

       Millar’s writing for the piece gave us a view of both Bruce and Batman as old, depressed individuals living with incredible amounts of guilt, unable to move on. While the writing helped fans realize the dark story and serious dialogue, the original penciling, again done by Millar, introduced us to a new looking city and a Batman unlike we’ve ever seen before. The great inking by Klaus Janson and coloring by Lynn Varley helped convey the overall tone. With heavy black ink featured in every page and faded colors it indicated this was no fun place to be.

      As well as battling an army of mutant followers, Batman evaded the police force as well as Superman, both hunting down The Dark Knight for his arrest. Batman also confronted his oldest nemesis the Joker, which added a nice, needed flare to the story that only the Clown Prince of Crime could provide. Comic fans around the world owe Frank Millar a debt of gratitude for providing us with superhero content that ultimately changed the way fans viewed the character of Batman. He wasn’t seen as Batman, the Caped Crusader anymore, he was now known as Batman, The Dark Knight.

1987-88:

       After the success of Frank Millar’s initial take on Batman, people requested more from the writer, so he gave it to them. In the following year Millar wrote Batman: Year One, which dived into the characters origins, adding some subplots and updating the story, as well as providing young fans with a detailed look at his origins who may not have read the original story in Detective Comics. The book was very successful, being written by the biggest writer in comics at that point, it was hard for fans to resist the temptation to read more of Frank Millar’s Batman. The book is most famous for centering on James Gordon, rather then the conventional superhero origin story. Batman’s tale was still used quite well, but most of the situations in the book came from the point of view of Gordon, something that was quite unique in superhero stories.

       Millar’s success with his two books sparked other writers to create a “dark” Batman story of their own. The first, and probably most shocking of the long list of innovations following Millar was The Killing Joke, written by Alan Moore, another successful new writer in that year. Released in 1988, The Killing Joke saw the Joker commit a series of unspeakable, evil deeds, all directed at Commissioner Gordon and his family. The story ultimately ended with the torturing of Gordon and the crippling of Barbara after a gunshot to the stomach. This story inadvertently created a new character for the future DC universe, Oracle: Barbara Gordon, retired from her role of Batgirl and aiding the Dark Knight via com-link.

       By the end of 1988, it was Jim Starlin’s turn to write the next, shocking Batman story. By this point, the role of Robin was assumed by Jason Todd, an older, and more lethal and rebellious teenager who didn’t sit well with some fans. Dennis O’Neil, now an editor at DC realized this about the character and gave the fate of Jason’s future to the fans. They were given the chance to vote as to whether Jason would live or die, and as we all know, A Death In The Family was created and Robin was dead. While it was a triumphant release, some fans were a little heartbroken over the loss of Robin, which would be short lived. Just a year after Jason’s death, Tim Drake was introduced into the Bat-Universe, solved the identity of Batman single-handedly, putting all previous villains to shame, and quickly became the new Robin. On the plus side, Tim was much more well liked then Jason, but just because the guy was a little short-tempered, didn’t mean we had to kill him off, right?

Batman In a State of Flux: Inconsistency (Part 1 of 3)

"Without warning, it comes... crashing through the window of your study, and mine... I have seen it before... somewhere. It frightened me as a boy... frightened me. Yes, father. I shall become a bat."

-       Bruce Wayne, Batman: Year One

1939:

National Allied Publications has had great success with their newly created Superman character in Action Comics that they turn to their writers in Detective Comics to create a new superhero. They wanted him to be similar to Superman, yet different. In May of that year Detective Comics #27 hit the stands, with a familiar character on the cover; swinging through the air with an assumed criminal under his arm as two others watch helplessly from a rooftop nearby. The image instantly struck a nerve in any young reader viewing it. They knew that this would be something special.

        Orphaned at a young age, Bruce Wayne watched his parents get gunned down in Crime Alley right before his eyes. One would wonder what kind of impression this would have on an eight year-old. Using his parents’ large amount of funds, Bruce Wayne traveled the world “seeking the means to fight injustice, and turn fear on those who prey on the fearful” and learning all the skills necessary for his future war on crime. It was only after his all-to-familiar encounter with a bat did he adopt a symbol to ensure his status as Gotham’s protector, as the Batman.

1940’s:

        It became increasing evident that Batman needed a companion of sorts. Yes, there was Alfred, but some felt he should have someone to communicate to in the field, so to speak. A partner. Detective Comics #38, released in April of 1940 saw the emergence of Robin the Boy Wonder, creating a new “dynamic” to Batman’s character, and ultimately creating a new wave of superhero sidekicks in the many years to come. Many would say the addition of the teenage hero was unnecessary, and I would agree, along with hundreds, if not thousands, of disappointed fans in the 40’s seeing how the Robin add-on made Batman’s universe just a little too happy then it ought to be. Nevertheless, the character survived, grew in the hearts of fans and is still relevant and a much needed addition to the Bat-universe.

      The Caped Crusader also received his very own solo title, much like Superman before him. Now he was in two monthly comics. The first issue of “Batman” will be remembered fondly, not just because it was the first, but more so because of its launch of the Joker and Catwoman, two pivotal characters in Batman’s history.

The writer’s at “DC” were sipping on champagne, relaxing back in their lawn chairs, laughing at the wildly unexpected success at their two franchise characters. It was only when they apparently sobered up that they realized putting these two heroes in one story would create an unstoppable force. In fall of 1940, Superman and Batman were now featured in a monthly story together in World’s Finest Comics, forming a partnership and friendship that still exists in comics today. Batman and Robin were now seen as respectable citizens in the eyes of comic book readers and the citizens within the stories. Having now teamed up with Superman on a monthly basis, people just came to except that Batman was just as friendly and trustworthy as the Man of Steel, but that’s not who Batman is, right? Well, it’s who he was then.

Superhero: More Than Just A Word

       The definition of superhero is defined as an extraordinary being with powers or abilities far beyond those of mortal humans, but superheroes represent more then just an apt description reminding us of how insignificant we are. Superheroes inspire us, motivate us and ultimately give us access into another universe full of characters supernatural and/or out of this world (literally). It starts at an early age, or birth if you have parents that dressed you up in a Superman costume at the hospital (do they even make costumes that small) and the appeal lasts a lifetime. What begins mostly as a harmless hobby or overwhelming obsession grows into a "career" of collectables, collections and objects deemed worthless to others, but priceless to its owner. These are comic book fans. Whether one was in the store when the first issue of Action Comics was released, or whether a young child just picked up the latest issue yesterday, comic fans are comic fans and they will never change. 

      It all started with the creation of a character born in the deep reaches of space, the last son of Krypton we've come to know as Superman. The tone darkens a year later when Batman is created. The first two superheroes opened a gateway into another reality, which would soon be inhabited by hundreds of thousands of heroes, villains, supporting cast, cities, galaxies, and tales so suspenseful they make us want more. At the root of it all one would look at a comic book fan and just assume that it's an interest, something to pass the time when we've finished our homework and have no date to the movies, but every fan knows that somewhere down the line we come to think of comics as more then just a piece of fiction, media created just for a few moments of enjoyment, but something real, another world we wish was our own with powers and lives we wish we had, characters we relate to and characters that we come to refer to as people, that we care for and cheer for. 

Superman, Where Have You Gone?

     I do realize that Superman is coming out with a new movie only a year from now, and it appears to be doing all of the things necessary to make a good Superman film, which we have not seen since around the time AC/DC released ‘Back In Black’ (that’s a long time folks), but hopefully The Man Of Steel delivers in 2013. Personally, I think The Last Son Of Krypton has to take another approach if he wants to win back the hearts of beloved DC fans. I’m talking about a new animated series, focused purely on life of Clark Kent and Superman.

     Whenever I hear the word Superman the majority of my brain thinks back to the classic animated series of the 90’s. Why? Because its one of the best superhero cartoons ever (up there with it’s Batman counterpart) and it got everything about Superman’s universe right. His supporting cast, his villains, Metropolis, his origins and Superman himself were all perfect representations of the characters and I would like to see something like that again. I find that cartoons about superheroes are trying to “spice things up” nowadays; Batman teams up with a new superhero in every episode, Spiderman joining a team of other teenage heroes under the watch of SHIELD. Some of those ideas work to a point, but when it comes down to it fans eventually want to see the personal experiences of those characters, something we haven’t seen from Superman in cartoons for a long time.

Inspiration To Heroes: Supporting Cast In Comics

      As we watch or read about our favorite superheroes we tend to overlook key contributions to their character. We tend to ignore the importance of supporting characters. I’m not saying we all do it, but they sometimes don’t get as much credit as they should. It is these characters that can help a hero in a difficult situation, guide them to overcome their greatest challenges or even contribute to the start of their superhero career. They can be the foundation and backbone of a superhero’s entire persona and they should never, ever be taken for granted. To effectively examine contributing casts of characters I have chosen to look at the supporters of arguably the three most recognizable heroes in comics: Superman, Batman and Spiderman.

Superman

        The last son of Krypton and the most powerful being in the DC Universe. Superman is the “All-American”, perfect superhero; he’s friendly to the people, well mannered and does not see failure as an option. Hell, he’s even risked his own life to save villains who wouldn’t have returned the favor, but he wouldn’t be this way if it weren’t for his supporting cast of family and friends. There have been several “What If” stories involving the Man of Steel, mostly revolving around where his spaceship could have landed on the planet. This is a great theory because if you change where he grew up then you change his entire personality, but more importantly, if he didn’t grow up under the loving parenting of Ma and Pa Kent then he wouldn’t be the “perfect” superhero he is today.

Lois Lane, on the other hand, has nothing to do with his evolution into super-heroism, but acts as his inspiration to continue it. It seems that every battle, dangerous risk or world-saving act has always come back to the overall safety of Lois, proving that without her presence in his life, Superman’s constant need to save humanity may not have been as strong.

Batman

         If not for the large supporting cast of the Caped Crusader, Batman would have become a murdering madman, unable to tell the difference between vengeance and justice. Luckily, his fellow crime fighters, assumed father figure and long-time friend have all been able to keep him from crossing the line that “once you cross there’s no going back”. After the death of Bruce’s parents, Alfred was thrust into the role of his father. He gave Bruce the confidence and the positive influence, surrounding that great tragedy, to become a masked hero to fight for justice, not revenge. But Alfred cant always be there for Batman, especially when out on patrol, which is why Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl and even Commissioner Gordon are able to comfort and assist him out on the streets and help take some of the weight of Gotham’s future off his shoulders.

Friends and family can only do so much though, sometimes it is a hero’s greatest enemy that can unknowingly support the hero and help him realize why he puts on a mask every night. The Joker, the greatest villain in the Dark Knight’s roster, has murdered innocent victims time and time again, but has also helped Batman see his parent’s death more clearly, fueling his desire to avenge them and bring murderous villains like the Joker to justice. Thanks Joker…?

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.

Superman Returns... Again!

       

        As many of you should know by now, Superman has another movie set to release sometime next year, don’t worry though, it is going to have no affiliation with Superman Returns from 2006. So I ask you, is it a good thing to take another crack at a Man Of Steel movie after the worldwide disappointment the last one received? I say, it will be fantastic if done correctly. But there is quite a long list of do’s and don’ts that the creators of the “Man Of Steel” must consider, and even one slip up could give a bad impression on the entire film.

         Superman is arguably the most powerful character in all of comics and I don’t need to tell you why. The creators need to realize this, they are not just dealing with a “pretty strong” guy, they are dealing with the strongest person in the entire DC Universe (Boom!). By that logic, he should be given an incredibly challenging task to overcome. I’m not talking about reversing the rotation of the Earth in order to save two missiles; I’m not talking about lifting a krypto-island into outer space. A 21st century Superman needs a physical opponent, powerful enough to pose a deadly threat to him and the entire universe. This could mean Darkseid, General Zod, Doomsday; hell even Brainiac could make a great villain. But the creators gotta realize that Lex Luthor just wont cut it with today’s Superman and I must admit, I’m getting a little tired of kryptonite, at least green anyway.

Doomsday: A History Of A Monster

     This character has always been one of the more “interesting” of the DC Universe. It’s origins and attributes have been altered throughout its history in comics and television. But whether it is a failed experiment of Cadmus Labs, an intellectual serial killer in space or the ultimate weapon/ killing machine from Krypton, there is nothing that can be as powerful, menacing or dangerous as Doomsday.

     Yes, you can obviously make the argument that Doomsday is not the most powerful. The first person that comes to mind would be Superman, of course, but as I distinctly remember, he died at the spike-knuckled hands of this creature.

     Many comic readers may just remember Doomsday as that mindless monster who killed Superman that one time (although it was a pretty great accomplishment, not many people can put that on their resume when applying for a job as a super villain), but Doomsday has a very rich history in comics, a history that began long before The Death Of Superman.

     Doomsday was once a character known as “The Ultimate”, who was born on Krypton during prehistoric times. Through a very hard to understand storyline, this baby would one day grow up into that monster we all love to hate. The Ultimate was able to escape Krypton by hitching a ride on a transport ship. And after years of killing on several planets, The Ultimate almost had a meeting with the infamous Darkseid. Unfortunately, toxic fumes from the planet’s chemicals made for a nasty battle arena, so Darkseid had to leave.

     I don’t want to get into more detail then I have to, but after killing a few dozen Green Lanterns, the inhabitants of the planet Calaton combined their powers to capture The Ultimate in a metallic casket, which was shot into space and eventually landed on a planet where the impact of the crash buried it miles underground. This planet was Earth.

     And thus began one of the best Superman stories ever. After years of new writers and new ideas, Doomsday’s story will change and hopefully improve. But with a character with so much history and potential, I think Doomsday writers will have more then enough ideas to possibly recreate another story as amazing as The Death Of Superman. Doomsday has become a household name (for comic fans), a comic book legend for years to come, one of Superman’s greatest adversaries of all time, and the one that defeated him.

Smallville: Less Is More

        

       

       I remember it like it was yesterday, the premiere of Smallville. The show that chronicles Clark Kent’s journey from teenager to “super” man. It was a dream come true, to finally see Superman as a kid, roughly my own age. It was unlike anything on television at that time (2001), the meteor shower alone was spectacular. It was safe to say that Smallville showed promise. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, but some series are smart enough to throw in the towel while they’re still on top, not Smallville. They figured, “let’s just see how long we can go with this”. A decision, most of the fans, would regret they made.

         The idea was flawless, perfect, and original enough to gain great reviews. Superman was now just Clark Kent in the minds of many young viewers watching the show, a kid that could never talk to his high school crush or was bullied at school, a kid who many of us could relate to; more then we could with Superman. First season gave us a great look at the origins of Clark and his parents, his friends and even Lex Luthor and newly created character, Lionel Luthor. We also saw a strange but unique friendship grow between Clark and Lex. The series added a new twist by including the fact that the meteor rocks could give certain residents of Smallville extraordinary powers, giving Clark and his friends a new threat in every episode.

         Season two and three expanded on Clark’s kryptonian heritage, by introducing Jor-el and the cave. Honorable mentions include a look at Lex’s twisted past with his father and even Clark’s first meeting with Perry White. Season four, in my opinion, was the big one. Clark is finally introduced into football, while simultaneously being sent on a mission by his father to collect the kryptonian stones, which eventually form a crystal used to create the fortress of solitude. At this point in the series, I expected Smallville to have one good season left in them. We just witnessed Clark graduate from high school, become friends with Lois Lane, and “embrace his destiny”, sort of.