DC Universe Animated Original Movies

Features, Shorts, Live-Action and Direct-To-Video
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Post by eddievalient » March 19th, 2009, 12:46 am

Randall wrote:I loved his Superman For All Seasons, but his other stuff I've read has been mediocre to awful.
What about The Long Halloween? That one was excellent, as was Daredevil Yellow.
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Post by GeorgeC » March 19th, 2009, 4:26 am

Yeah,

The best Loeb series are his collaborations with Tim Sale. Really, their best work is Batman: Long Halloween, Batman: Dark Victory, and Superman: For All Seasons which for my money is their most sentimental work. I didn't like their Marvel stuff as much and only own Spider-Man: Blue.

(What IS IT with the Marvel "Color" titles? Remove the superhero names from the titles and they almost sound like a French porno series!)

I really would like to see a film done with The Flash(es) next. Frankly, I think the best storyline to do would be an animated film of the original version of "The Flash of Two Worlds." That would preserve the ability to use the Golden Age//Earth-Two versions of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman in animation. There are times I just don't like the DC UNIVERSE that much and prefer the MULTIVERSE it used to be.

I like The New Frontier but it's really a post-Crisis story and as such is a distillation of the convoluted mess DC has become since early 1986. Crisis on Infinite Earths, in many ways, created far more problems than it solved.

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Post by eddievalient » March 19th, 2009, 8:34 am

So many problems that they reintroduced the multiverse just to not have to deal with it anymore. I think it was kinda cool when Kevin Smith brought Green Arrow back as his pre-crisis self. For all we know that may have set the thing in motion.
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Green Lantern: First Flight

Post by Christian » April 15th, 2009, 12:59 am

Looks good but I'm wondering why in the world they felt like they had to change the shape of Abin Sur's head and Sinestro's skin color.

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Post by GeorgeC » April 15th, 2009, 6:21 pm

Maybe you can ask Bruce Timm that question next time you see him.

Me, it really doesn't concern. Details of alien characters change all the time in comics.

Sinestro has been drawn as a thinly veiled red-skinned version of David Niven with ears that alternate from human ovals to Vulcan points and even his costume has changed. Sinestro was drawn somewhat huskier/bulkier in Superman: TAS and the Justice League series. Some artists have even given him an earring on occasion. I see they're using the yellow Sinestro Corps costume in the animated film instead of his traditional black and blue costume. Makes sense given what's happening in the comics now.

As for Abin Sur, maybe they felt inclined to change his look because they've animated him three times already. (Don't know about anybody else, but I'm getting sick of seeing origin stories done for the fourth and fifth times already in animation!) Each version of Abin Sur I've seen in animation before has always had slight differences. The Abin Sur in the Superfriends show looked like the original version. Abin Sur in Superman: TAS had reptilian eyes and pointed ears. Abin Sur in Justice League: The New Frontier had coal-black eyes. Think about it -- does it REALLY make sense that every alien a GL runs across looks like an off-color human being or deeply-tanned Native American...?

This is really the start of a good year for Green Lantern. The character and its mythos have the potential to become DC's second biggest franchise by next year if the planned live-action film does well. In the meantime, the animated film releases this summer in the midst of one of the big comic book storylines ("Darkest Night") featuring Hal Jordan as a primary character and that leads into next year which is the 70th Anniversary of the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott (debut All-American Comics #16), and the debut of the live-action film featuring Hal Jordan. Hal, by the way, turned 50 this year... His first appearance was back in Showcase Comics #22 in 1959.

I only wish that the Green Lantern film could have been made earlier and that Martin Nodell lived to see it. I hope they interview his son, Spencer, for a segment on one of the upcoming DVD/Blu-ray releases. It would be nice to see someone other than Bob Kane, William Moulton Marston, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko or Siegel and Shuster acknowledged for a change. DC doesn't even usually acknowledge that Martin Nodell created the original Green Lantern which was the basis for the later character. Heck, even the Corps concept wasn't original. The GL Corps is a thinly veiled comic book version of the Lensman Corps which predated it by years. The original GL comic book editor was even friendly with the author who created the Lensmen!

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Post by Randall » April 15th, 2009, 11:58 pm

I'll see Bruce Timm next week, actually. Maybe I'll ask him. (And no, I'm not being facetious. ;) Bruce is coming to western Canada next weekend! Woo-hoo! I did see him at Comic-Con, but didn't get to talk to him. When he's in Calgary next week, I think he'll be meeting with fans more.)

Here's the trailer, for those that haven't seen it:
http://www.newsarama.com/common/media/v ... ?aid=27144

Looks to me like Sinestro has the right skin color, doesn't he? Abin's face is defitnitely different, though. I kinda wish they hadn't changed GL's own costume. Gil Kane's design is already classic. (The First Flight version does borrow from the current comics, but they took away the white gloves.) Regardless, I'm excited about the movie.

GeorgeC

Post by GeorgeC » April 16th, 2009, 3:34 pm

That'd be great, Rand!

Report back to us if and when you get a chance to talk to Timm, PLEASE! (I'm doing my best "little girl please" impression...)

I've met three of the production members of the old Batman/Superman:TAS series -- Paul Dini, Glen Murakami, and Alan Burnett. They signed a COA for a Supergirl animated cel (1997 version) that I bought from the old WB Studio Stores way back in 1999 when the Chicago area stores hosted them during Wizard World Chicago 1999.

As for the GL costume Hal is wearing, it's a modified version of the one Timm originally designed for John Stewart when plans for a JL cameo appearance in Superman: TAS were being crystalized.... It was that or somebody at WB Animation wanted to do a JL series but Timm & crew convinced them "it wasn't time yet." The original Timm designs for John Stewart, Supergirl, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Dr. Fate, and a few other non-iconic JL members were published in an issue of Wizard Magazine years ago.

The Stewart design was picked up and modified for Hal Rayner --- er, Kyle Jordan -- er, Kyle Rayner when the GL episode was written for Superman: TAS. Yes, they wanted to use Hal Jordan because he had the iconic GL origin that works best. No, DC wouldn't let the Animated Crew use Hal because of their stupid editorial "Kyle's GL now and nobody else" rule that lasted for 10 years until 2004 when they finally relented and brought back Hal Jordan and the GL Corps.

(Alan Scott fans can be glad that DC editorial at least didn't kill him off and let him remain as an active superhero under that stupid name, Sentinel. They'd killed off enough original JSA members and fans were still steamed about that at the time. DC Editorial basically only let Wildcat, Jay Garrick, and Alan Scott survive the JSA purging during Zero Hour. It was years before they let Alan Scott become GL again in the pages of JSA when he reformed his ring.

(Homer Simpson voice: "Stupid Editorial!")

The GL in that Superman: TAS episode was intended to be Hal Jordan. I'll be blunt and say that anybody that tells you otherwise is honestly drunk or lying for whatever political reasons. (Sometimes they can't tell fans the truth and DC's screwy at times with the characters they'll let WB Animation use. I think the policy stinks and they should be allowed to use whatever characters they want since DC and WB Animation function under the same conglomerate. Regardless, DC Editorial basically has the right to refuse the use of any character it sees fit for arbitrary or licensing reasons.) A compromise had to be made and I don't think that many people were happy about it. I've got the GL Maquette for Superman: TAS that DC Direct released a few years back and every time I look at it I know it's Hal Jordan in spite of DC's attempt to brainwash me...


P.S. -- To be honestly truthful, the John Stewart costume design that Timm created/adapted in the mid-1990s actually dates back to 1986 in the GL Corps comic. (GL Corps was the renamed volume 2 of Green Lantern that ran from issues 201 to 224 (1988), the end of the GL Volume 2 comic.) As of GL Corps # 201, it was decided to let the Earth-based GL Corps members have individual costumes. Hal kept his uniform but most of the other members individualized their costumes. John Stewart and his wife, Katma Tui (now deceased), adopted identical signature looks. Guy Gardner, on the other hand, has always had his current GL look since he was reactivated as a GL in an issue of Crisis on Infinite Earths (issue number forgotten -- I'd have to look it up).

Personally, I like Guy's look second best after Hal's as a GL. I've grown to like Guy over the past 5 years in spite of the fact that he acts like a butthead at times. He's still a hero in my book and probably the second most competent GL after Hal... and one of the toughest, period! He's definitely an interesting character to watch in animation and his appearances on "The Brave & The Bold" have been fun to watch and actually respectful to his character.

GeorgeC

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies release on Sept 29th

Post by GeorgeC » June 29th, 2009, 12:13 pm

http://www.newsarama.com/tv/060929-PublicEnemies.html

This is the next direct-to-video DC animated movie due on DVD/BD/2-disc DVD. (The BD has all the features of the two-disc DVD set.) It's scheduled for release on September 29th.

Based on the first story arc of the Superman/Batman comic book by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuiness, Superman and Batman must team up to foil the schemes of newly-elected US President Alexander (Lex) Luthor!

This film reunites the classic trio of Tim Daly/Superman, Kevin Conroy/Batman, and Clancy Brown/Luthor for the first time in over 10 years!

These men are truly the modern iconic/ideal voices for these characters and it should be a treat to hear them reprise these roles...

Here's hoping another classic storyline gets adapted -- I'd vote for Superman: Red Son, Flash of Two Worlds, or even Kingdom Come if it were possible to do that one within 90 minutes.
Last edited by GeorgeC on June 29th, 2009, 5:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Dacey » June 29th, 2009, 5:06 pm

Can't wait! I'll definately get this. :D
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Post by eddievalient » June 29th, 2009, 8:52 pm

Kevin Conroy as Batman? I'm there!
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Post by Randall » June 29th, 2009, 9:38 pm

Awesome cast, of course. There are many other stories I'd rather see first, but seeing the trailer has me a bit excited. They kept LOTS of the guest charcaters from the comic:

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/ ... ws/?a=7613

I second the vote for Flash of Two Worlds!

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Post by Ben » July 9th, 2009, 6:54 am

Kingdom Come was a big fan favorite at Comic-Con last year. I think I recall them saying they kept coming back to that one in an attempt to make it work for the DTV format.

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Post by eddievalient » July 9th, 2009, 9:58 am

Well, I think the biggest stumbling block is that Kingdom Come would require at least a two hour run time and they may not be willing to do that in a DTV. Too bad, cause that really is one of the best graphic novels I've read.
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Post by GeorgeC » July 28th, 2009, 5:16 pm

Another confirmed voice actor --

http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/ ... /index.htm


Allison Mack is performing as the voice of Power Girl!

This'll be the first real on-screen appearance of the character. Power Girl is the alternate dimension counterpart of Supergirl. In current DC Lore, she is the last surviving Kryptonian from the alternate Earth-2 Universe (Pre-Crisis). Her cousin was the original Golden Age/World War II Superman (with gray temples and slightly different costume insignia). Power Girl is significantly younger than he was mainly because her tiny starship arrived on Earth-2 decades after his did. All the while on the trip to Earth-2 she was in stasis and slowly aged while being educated by the ship's computer. When she arrived on Earth-2, she was a teenager. The character is currently portrayed as a woman in her late 20's.

A similarly designed-character, Galatea, was introduced during the run of Justice League Unlimited as the clone of Supergirl. Nicole Tom did the voice of Galatea in addition to Supergirl.

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Post by Randall » August 10th, 2009, 10:27 pm

http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/ ... /index.htm

Scroll down to the "Briefly" section and see this:
<i>* Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths will be the next DC Universe animated movie.</i>

No source or context is given for this scoop, but if it's true, we may have the DC Animated movie we've been waiting for! :)

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