There are not that many significant identifiably Jewish superheroes. Marvel has
Marc Spector, a.k.a. Moon Knight, and Ben Grimm, better known as The Thing in
the Fantastic Four. DC has Hal Jordan, one of the Green Lanterns. One might
argue Jordan is the single most prominent Jewish superhero, since Grimm gets equal
billing with his teammates. That is why it is so suspiciously alarming to watch
HBO’s Lanterns constantly tear down Jordan, turning him into a morally-compromised
and corrupt anti-hero, who has violated his oath—and apparently dies in the
future, based on brief flashforwards teasing his death.
No
other ethnic minority superheroes would get this kind of treatment from
Hollywood. Yet, Lanterns has steadily undermined Hal Jordan, turning him
into a borderline sociopath. Granted, they have not called out Jordan’s Jewish
heritage, but according to the language currently used in the comic industry,
this clearly constitutes “erasure.” At best, you could call it Jewish-washing.
At worst, it is a deliberate effort to destroy a figure of Jewish heroism.
Admittedly,
some casual fans might not know Jordan is indeed Jewish. This aspect of his
character was first revealed in January 2016 with the publication of Justice
League: Darkseid War: Green Lantern #1¸written by Tom King. However, the Lanterns
writers should surely be aware, since the series was created by Chris Mundy,
Damon Lindelof, and Tom King. Frankly, longtime Lantern Corps fans are annoyed
in general by the show’s shabby treatment of Jordan. It feels especially unhelpful
coming at a time of exploding antisemitism.
There
is a far superior streaming alternative that portrays Jordan in the kind of
heroic light fans would hope for. It happens to be animated, but that should inspire
confidence in viewers, because DC animated films have often outshined their live-action
counterparts. Green Lantern: The Animated Series was originally created
by Bruce Timm, Giancarlo Volpe, and Jim Krieg in 2011 (before the aforementioned
comic), to tie-in to publicity for the ill-fated Ryan Renyolds movie—immediately
proving the point regarding DC’s animation and live action disparity.
The
twenty-six episodes tell a largely continuous story that feels more like epic
science fiction than a conventional superhero drama. Apparently, the Guardians
of Oa had appointed Green Lanterns (like Jordan) for the furthest sectors of
the universe, but given the extreme distances, they have only just surmised
many of them have been assassinated. Unfortunately, they would rather dither
than act, so Jordan “borrows” their experimental Interceptor space craft to
investigate what he fears might be some sort of invasion.
Much to
his regret, his gruff fellow Lantern, Kilowog, accidentally joins him on the
mission. They soon find the Guardians’ evil rivals, the Red Lanterns, have targeted
Green Lanterns, as part of their mysterious long-term plans. As Jordan and Kilowog
learn to work together as a team, they successfully recruit Razer, who was manipulated
into committing genocidal crimes by the Red Lanterns, by exploiting the grief
and rage provoked by his wife’s death.
Unfortunately,
Razer still struggles with anger management issues, which makes him somewhat
unreliable as a teammate. However, the ship’s. AI system, Aya, offers Razer
friendship and understanding. In fact, they both develop deeper feelings for
each other, which leads to shocking complications later on. By the way, it is
worth noting the animated Green Lantern series pre-dates Spike Jonze’s Her
by two years.
Batman is a superhero, but he is not superpowered. The titular fan-favorite
1993-1994 multi-title, multi-issue story arc fully embraced that premise.
Considered the Bat-equivalent of the “Death of Superman,” the Knighfall continuity
previously spawned adult and YA novelizations. Now Warner Animation has
launched a three-film adaptation, the first of which, Jeff Wamester’s awkwardly
titled Batman: Knightfall—Part 1: Knightfall releases tomorrow on
BluRay.
Over
the course of the next two punishing days, Batman meets Bane for the first
time. If you know your Batman lore, you know that will be very bad news for
Batman. However, he must first fight his way through a rogue’s gallery of
Batman villains. Ominously, the worst of Gotham’s worst escaped Arkham Asylum
thanks to a freak explosion.
Of
course, it was actually by design. Bane orchestrated the mass escape to wear
down Batman. Thanks to his prison upbringing, Banee has an extremely Darwinist
perspective on life, so Batman’s do-gooding violates the savage behemoth’s
ideology. Unfortunately, he launched his evil scheme at the perfect time. Still
grieving the death of Jason Todd, a.k.a. Robin #2, Batman over-protects Tim
Drake (Robin #3), to the point of pushing him away.
The
Batcave also has a houseguest, who has his own issues to work through.
John-Paul Valley is trying to regain his memory and his sanity, after a
Templar-like cult transformed him into the super-berzeker vigilante Azrael.
Even if
they are not familiar with the comic series, most viewers probably would not
expect much closure for the first part of a promised trilogy. However, Knightfall
ends with a particularly shocking cliffhanger. Casual fans might prefer to
binge the completed trilogy, but regular Batman readers will want to see how
Wamester and screenwriter Jeremy Adams tackle this explosive narrative. They
should consider the R-rating a good sign.
Without
question, this is the most violent animated DC movie. It is unusually dark, but
action-packed. Thanks to Bane’s Arkham distraction, it also features at last
half a dozen fan favorite super-villains. Frankly, Knightfall might be
too intense for fans who prefer Lego Batman and the Adam Westverse.
Nevertheless, there is a strong psychological aspect to the drama, so it isn’t
merely a barrage of explosions.
The nickname “Caped Crusader” originated in Batman comics, but it is most closely
associated with the Adam West TV series. Ironically, the “Caped Crusader” animated
series is less cartoony than the campy 1960s live action show. This Batman
patrols a film noir-looking Gotham inspired by the 1930s and 1940s. The police,
the mayor, and the media still regard Batman as a dangerous vigilante, but Commissioner
Jim Gordon and a few honest cops are starting to trust him in creator Bruce
Timm’s 10-episode second season of Batman: Caped Crusader, which
premieres today on Prime Video.
The
good news is there is still no Robin, only Alfred Pennyworth. Also, Timm and
company hit pause on the gender-swapping. However, they take intriguing liberties
with traditional super-villains, starting with crime boss Rupert Thorne’s lieutenant,
Eddie Nygma, who does his riddling with a tommy gun.
Season
two also features some deep-cut supervillains, like Roxy Rocket, who gives episode
two, “Rocket’s Red Glare,” a somewhat Rocketeer-like vibe. Fans will
appreciate seeing Bruce Wayne adopt his Matches Malone undercover persona in “Deep
Cover,” possibly the grittiest episode of the entire series, written by Tyrone
Finch & Bryce Abood. Linton Midnite returns in the horror-flavored “The
Devil’s Due,” in which a cult worshipping a bat demon takes an unhealthy
interest in Batman. Their ritual murders are especially inconvenient, given the
media campaign against Batman orchestrated by the Hedda Hopper-esque Hattie
Tetch, hilariously voiced by Laraine Newman.
Jim
Corrigan makes an unconventional but worthy appearance in “The Spectral Hand.”
Those who recognize his alter-ego will know what to expect, but his backstory and
fate are radically different. Probably the weakest episodes are “Sudden Fear”
and “Zero Hour,” because they force Batman to act drastically out of character,
collaborating with the fugitive Haley Quinn and Carrie Kelley, a ten-year-old
who aspires to be a nocturnal crime-fighter.
“Her
Dark Reflection” adds an intriguing psychological thriller element, as well as
old fashioned eye-for-an-eye payback. Fittingly, the season concludes with the
two best episodes, focusing on a very different Joker. Instead of his manic
laughter, this Joker is tightly controlled. He is also a Nietzschean nihilist,
who speaks with what sounds like a German accent, perhaps symbolically representing
the horrors brewing in Europe.
SUPERGIRL takes such a dark turn (compared to SUPERMAN), parents might want to reconsider taking their younger children. Almost all the fun comes from Jason Momoa's Lobo, but the other alien creatures and worlds lack personality. It simply fails to build on the good vibes of SUPERMAN. CINEMA DAILY US review up here.
Batman has many nicknames: the Caped Crusader, Dark Knight, and World’s Greatest
Detective. Mystery Incorporated also has a few: the Scooby Gang and those “meddling
kids.” Frankly, Batman kind of likes the last one. They get along fairly well—maybe
because this isn’t their first meeting. The characters had crossover team-ups
in “The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair” and “The Caped Crusader Caper,” two installments
of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, which was really just another Scooby TV series,
even though it pretended its episodes were movies. Their most recent on-screen collaboration
really is a movie—that even had a theatrical premiere before releasing
direct-to-DVD. Having laid the groundwork for the Batman & Scooby-Doo
Mysteries comic book that launched in 2021 (and still regularly revives
with special issues), Jake Castorna’s Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave
and the Bold airs this coming Saturday on the Cartoon Network.
Mystery
Incorporated’s unmasking successes finally convinced Batman to recruit them for
the Mystery Analysts of Gotham City. They simply had to pass a test he arranged
with the help of Martian Manhunter and Detective Chimp. Honestly, the real
mystery is why Warner Animation hasn’t used Detective Chimp more often. (His
guest appearance in Wonder Woman #16 was a delight.) Then, they gang
also must sleuth their way to the meeting, where they also meet the Question,
Plastic Man, and Black Canary. As it happens, Fred Jones is totally gob smacked
by her, which should put to rest a lot of rumors. For the record, the ascot
does not help his cause.
Naturally,
they want to help solve Batman’s only unsolved case, which coincidentally might
be related to Gotham’s latest break-in. It seems the spectral Crimson Cloak’s
theft of radioactive isotopes might be related to the unstable teleportation
device from Batman’s notoriously open case. It turns out he saved the wrong lab
assistant. The innocent one remains missing in the ether, but the other has
been remanded to Arkham Asylum, under the name The Riddler. So off to Arkham
they go, even though bad things always happen there.
Obviously,
there are a lot of jokes in Scooby: The Brave and the Bold. It is a
Scooby-Doo movie. However, it features the voices of Diedrich Bader and horror
legend Jeffrey Combs as Batman and the Question, neither of whom get the credit
they deserve for their DC animated work. Indeed, Bader’s Batman hits the right
sardonic notes, indicating he is in on the jokes, at least to the extent he is
constitutionally capable of acknowledging humor.
Arguably,
the one character who suffers from Paul Giacoppo’s screenplay treatment is
Aquaman, who comes off looking and sounding like a clumsy, obtuse meathead. Plastic
Man is the same Plastic Man from the 1979 Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show.
On the other hand, Black Canary and the Question should have seen their fandom
stock rise from their appearances in this film.
This book is basically a gateway drug for 8- to 9-year-olds. It is a kid’s introduction
to the DC Universe, likely sowing the seeds of obsessive comic book collecting
in their later years. It is also another example of how DC has had a much
better print publishing and licensing program than their Marvel competitors in
recent years. Definitely a “cool uncle’s” late Christmas present, Benjamin
Harper’s The Dynamic DC Origin Story: The Evolution of Superman, Batman,
Wonder Woman, and the DC Universe goes on-sale today.
Frankly,
the subtitle clearly illustrates why your favorite pop culture critic has been
more drawn to DC than Marvel in recent years. When it comes to iconic
characters, nobody can compete with Superman. Batman and Wonder Woman rank a respectable
but still distant second and third. Even a DC super-villain like the Joker probably
holds more iconic status than Spiderman or anyone else in the Marvel stable. This
is not an argument regarding their merits. It is an observation of the
respective cultural shadows they cast. After all, the only comic book character
who has won Oscars for two different actors (Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix)
happens to be Batman’s nemesis.
Consequently,
Harper’s focus on the big three makes perfect sense. He also gives a thumbnail
explanation of the comic book editorial process, for the purpose of encouraging
young readers to create their own comic pages. Parents might have mixed feelings
about fostering ambitions for a career in comics, but if it keeps kids
occupied, they will probably run that risk.
The nice thing about media mergers is that it makes it so much easier to produce
franchise crossovers. For instance, a major DC super-villain appears in this Warner-produced Scooby-Doo movie—and it isn’t even a major call-out on the key art. If Paramount
bought Warners, they could team-up Nickelodeon characters with DC and
Hanna-Barbera favorites. Regardless, Mystery Incorporated manages to trap Dr.
Jonathan Crane, a.k.a. The Scarecrow, but that is only the start of their
troubles in Maxwell Atoms’ Happy Halloween, Scooby Doo!, which airs
tomorrow on the Cartoon Network.
The
Scarecrow escaped from Arkham again, which is generally very bad news. However,
once trapped, he insists he had nothing to do with the drone attack, even
though they were armed with his fear toxin. Something about the way Crane
protests his innocence unsettles Velma, but she takes the bows in front of the
media anyway. Scooby and Shaggy go off trick-or-treating to celebrate, but
nobody initially believes them when they return to warn Crystal Cove the
combination of Crane’s serum and leaked toxic waste has created an army of
mutant pumpkins.
The gang
must admit they were wrong to doubt when the pumpkins attack the Halloween
revelers on Main Street. Soon, Mystery Incorporated and the Halloween parade
grand marshal, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, flee the mutant pumpkins in
extended chase scene that nearly constitutes one third of the film.
The
Scarecrow (voiced by Dwight Shultz) and Elvira (naturally portrayed by her
real-life alter-ego, Cassandra Peterson) are welcome guest stars and
co-conspirators in this Scooby misadventure. However, the gags involving Bill
Nye the Bachelor of Science Guy fall pretty flat. Since the Mystery Machine
suffers damage from the first act drone, Nye supplies a high-tech replacement
that comes with his own annoying hologram.
Most DC fans think of the “Bat Family” as Batman, the other Bat heroes, like Batgirl,
and the current and former Robins, including Nightwing and the Red Hood.
However, this Bat-Fam consists of more literal family ties that make for a much
stranger family unit. Even the ghost of super-villain Ra’s Al Ghul now inhabits
stately Wayne Manor, watching over his bratty grandson, Damian Wayne, a.k.a. “Little
Batman.” Set in the world of Merry Little Batman, this Batman makes the
Westverse look like Matt Reeves’ The Batman. The Dark Knight isn’t so dark
anymore, but parenthood often makes him much more stressed out in showrunner
Mike Roth’s ten-episode animated series Bat-Fam, which premieres today
on Prime Video.
In many
of the comic storylines, Damian is indeed the son of Bruce Wayne and reformed
super-villainess Talia al-Ghul. In Bat-Fam, Batman gave the ghost of his
old nemesis Ra’s permission to haunt Wayne Manor, for reasons that now escape
him. Perhaps even more bizarre to longtime comic readers, former super-villain
turned anti-hero Dr. Kirk Langstrom, a.k.a. Man-Bat, also crashes with the
Waynes, basically living the life of Reilly. As the series opens, yet another “family-member”
is about to move in.
Alicia
Pennyworth, Alfred’s niece and Wayne’s childhood friend, has returned to
Gotham. The Waynes are delighted to have her company, but they are leery of her
new gig as the chief social worker for E*vil, a halfway house for reformed
supervillains. Indeed, Little Batman’s skepticism will get him into some big
trouble.
To make
matters even more complicated, Wayne is still struggling with his foster-father
arrangement with Claire Seiton. She was once the super-villainess Volcana, but
when her associates betrayed her, Batman could only save her by immersing her
in the Lazarus Pits. Awkwardly, she came out rejuvenated as a moody goth
12-year-old, with only fragmentary memories of her life of crime. Instead of
dropping her off at Gotham Academy like Olive Silverstock in the comics named for
her elite boarding school, Bruce Wayne takes Seiton in as his newest ward. He
likes having his wards, doesn’t he?
Regardless,
Bat-Fam is goofy even by the standards of the 1966 TV series. Obviously,
there is precedent for this approach, but Bat-Fam often feels more like
an animated sitcom than a proper DC series. Arguably, it is a little too
chaotic and too prone to kvetching. Yet, some of the better episodes focus on
the relationship between Damian and Claire, who really come to think of
themselves as siblings. On the other hand, Alicia Pennyworth’s woke restorative
justice lectures quickly grow nauseating.
In
contrast, Langstrom/Man-Bat is often rather amusing as the source of random
out-of-left-field humor. However, this incarnation of Ra’s al-Ghul looks and
sounds more like a Bela Lugosi-inspired vampire than the mystically-empowered near-immortal
super-villain of the comics and films.
Please forget the Blue Beetle movie from two years ago. It wasn’t simply bad. It
disrespected the original characters co-created by Steve Ditko and the beliefs
they expressed for years. Remember, in addition to many of the characters DC acquired
from Charleton Comics (including Blue Beetle), Ditko also created Marvel’s
Spider-Man and the explicitly Objectivist and very independent Mr. A. Instead
of the stridently anti-capitalist live action betrayal, watch the cheeky DC
Showcase animated short film Blue Beetle, directed by Milo Neuman, which
salutes many of Dikto’s signature characters, making it appropriate viewing today,
the birthday (11/2) of the Hall of Fame comics writer and artist.
The
characters are now part of the DC Universe[s], but their roots are in Charleton.
Yet, the animation deliberately evokes the vibe of the groovy, goofy 1970s Spider-Man
cartoons. Somehow, the Squid Gang (Blue Beetle’s frequent AIM or Hydra-like
nemesis) successfully getaway with a massive Hope-ish gemstone, despite Blue
Beetle’s best efforts.
This is the real Blue Beetle: Ted Kord, Charleton/DC’s version of a mecha-suited
Tony Stark. Screenwriters Jeremy Adams & Jennifer Keene make him
tech-smart, but dumb in most other respects. Fortunately, he teams up with The
Question—the real Question, Vic Sage (and not the current Question of the recent
All Along the Watchtower limited comic series), who quickly traces the
Squids back to mad scientist Dr. Spectro.
Alarmingly,
Dr. Spectro has applied his cutting-edge mind-control technology to Captain
Atom and Nightshade, two additional former Charleton superheroes created by
Ditko. It is particularly satisfying to see Captain Atom’s heroic resistance,
considering his struggles in the limited series Justice League: The Atom Project
(which overlaps with All Along the Watchtower).
This DC
Showcase short is devilishly sly and delightfully silly, but perhaps
the best part is its spot-on presentation of the Question’s uncompromising philosophic
honesty. Indeed, the character and his intellectually rigorous dialogue are
well served by David Kaye’s incisive voiceover performance. Clearly, Neuman and
company have affection for the character and appreciate the philosophy that makes him who he is.
The new Batman from Mexico is nothing like the 1968 Lucha Libre-inspired The
Batwoman. There is no camp this time around, nor is it an exploitation
rip-off. Instead, DC/Warner Brothers fully collaborated with the Mexican
animation studio Anima, to legally and officially tell a new, non-canonical
alternate universe Batman origin story in Juan Meza-Leon’s Aztec Batman:
Clash of Empires, which releases tomorrow on DVD.
Arguably,
the Spanish vocal track could be considered the primary edition, since that was
the version released in Latin American theaters, but the English language dub
was produced simultaneously, sort of like the 1931 Dracula productions.
However, it is weirdly ironic, when you consider Spanish was the language of
the conquering bad guys, rather than the much-abused indigenous population.
Regardless,
young Yohuali Coatl realized the Conquistadors were dangerous when Hernan
Cortes killed his father in front of his eyes. Surviving the ensuing massacre,
Coatl took refuge with Acatzin, the loyal family retainer, who helps train the
son to become a warrior like his late father.
Coatl
yearns for vengeance, but he must tread carefully, because Moctezuma gives
Cortes a full diplomatic reception on the faulty advice of his high priest,
Yoka. Wisely, Acatzin recommends a disguise for Coatl’s vigilante work,
inspired by the family’s protective bat deity, Tzinacan. Tragically, Yoka soon
drives the Aztec Empire to the brink of destruction, because he has been
deceived by the visions of a hostile demigod. The revelation will drive him mad,
creating a persona of sadistic lunacy that will be very familiar to fans.
Obviously, Coatl needs allies, so he forges a truce with Mujer Jaguar, a thief
in feline garb, who steals from the Moctezuma’s Empire to support her
indigenous tribe.
Ernie
Altbacker’s screenplay is quite clever when it shows how Cortes, Yoka, and
Mujer Jaguar evolve into Two-Face, Joker, and Catwoman analogs. Weirdly, the
development of the Aztec-era Batman lacks similarly inspired parallels. Yes,
Coatl is orphaned and raised by the help, but he lacks Bruce Wayne’s brooding
and his suave facade. Honestly, his costume is not very Bat-like either.
(However, there is a mid-credits stinger that teases the next villain, which baits
the hook quite tantalizingly.)
Warner Brothers could have cast Scott Adkins as Batman. Instead, they chose Ben
Affleck. They would probably never cast a real-deal martial arts star like Amy
Johnston as Black Canary either, but this DC story-arc shows why they should.
Much to the dismay of the Justice League, Black Canary, a.k.a. Dinah Lance agrees
to an MMA fight to abject surrender with Lady Shiva, the most skilled
super-villain martial artist in the DC multiverse. No holds are barred, but
superpowers are off limits, which is unfortunate, because Black Canary’s shriek
is a powerful equalizer. The bout gets bloody in Tom King’s Teen 15+ rated Black
Canary: Best of the Best, illustrated by Ryan Sook, releasing today in a
6-issue hardcover bind-up.
Nobody
understands why Lance agrees to the fight, except supervillain Vandal Savage. He
promises to provide the rare cure needed by her mother, the original Black
Canary. All she neds to do is take a dive
in the sixth round—assuming she can last that long. That will be a big ask.
Even Batman unhelpfully admits he never managed to beat Lady Shiva when he reluctantly
agrees to a sparring session.
Nevertheless,
Lance’s mother relentlessly oversees most of her training until her condition
craters into a coma. Lance can also count on the support of her boyfriend, Oliver
Queen, at least during the periods when he isn’t dead. Happily, that will be for
most of Best of the Best. Admittedly, they have a complicated relationship,
but they are making it work.
While Marvel gets more credit for integrating traditional monsters like Dracula and
Frankenstein into its 1970s superhero universe, DC always had its own horror
chops. After all, they had the Creature Commandos and the long-running House
of Mystery was “hosted” by Cain, who sort of has a place in the DC universe.
Periodically, the major heroes battle the supernatural, but they never like it,
not one little bit. Unfortunately, many of them must face the dark side in the
anthology DC Horror Presents…(the ellipsis makes it scarier), which goes
on-sale today.
Frankly,
it kinds of seems like cheating to contribute a story focusing on super-villains,
like Dollhouse and Dollmaker. Nevertheless, David Dastmalchian & Leah
Kilpatrick do exactly that in “Love You to Pieces.” However, they certainly capture
the spirit of vintage horror comics while artist Cat Staggs cranks up the gore well
above what EC Comics could ever hope to get away with.
The
next story is even darker, while fully embracing the challenge of placing
iconic characters in a new horror context. The Boulet Brothers rise to the
challenge, forcing venerable Wonder Woman to confront a supernatural force that
hits very close to home. This encounter will leave a permanent mark on Diana’s
psyche, in which ever universe and timeline it might take place. Butch Mapa’s
art and Kristian Rossi’s colors also really pop off the page.
LaToya
Morgan’s “Living Doll” takes an approach similar to “Love You to Pieces,” this
time focusing on Scarface. However, his presumed victims’ Batman and Wonder
Woman Halloween costumes lend it further DC-ness. In this case, artists Tom Derenick
and Walt Barna really lean into the gore, in a fan friendly way, of course.
Yet, Aarons
Sagers’ “Superstitious Lot,” stands out as the clear highlight of what was originally
issue #2. It might seem like another super-villain spotlight, but hopefully
this story serves as a backdoor pilot for Tennyson Stacks, a.k.a. Dr. Spooky,
the Carl Kolchak-looking paranormal investigator summoned by Oswald Cobblepot, loved
and feared as The Penguin, who has been haunted past reason. It seems that all
those henchmen he betrayed have come back for vengeance. In addition to the
fresh new character and the clever concept, Sagers also delivers a sly cameo
for you-know-who.
Francesco
Francavilla finally fully embraces the bat in “The Chthonian Dawn,” also delivering
the most striking art of the four-issue run. It starts as one kind of horror,
but suddenly turns into a more Twilight Zone-worthy “oh the horror, oh
the horror” tale. Plus, the guest-starring role for Abby Arcane aptly
fits the story’s themes.
Frustratingly,
Patrick Horvath’s “The Brooding Public” starts with a truly horrifying concept,
but it is poorly served by patchy storytelling. To compound the problems, the
cartoony art conflicts with the grim apocalyptic themes. However, it is nice to
see an underutilized character like Adam Strange get a feature spot. If this
story could be smoothed out and tightened up, it could make a worthy companion to
the short film, DC Showcase: Adam Strange.
Arguably,
Catwoman counts as both superhero and super-villain. Regardless, she finds
herself the victim of a sinister O. Henry-from-Hell curse in Patton Oswalt
& Jordan Blum’s “The Diamond Steals Back.” At times, the story is
surprisingly poignant, but it ends with a deliciously macabre punchline, which
probably represents Oswalt’s funniest work in years.
He can “leap tall buildings in a single bound,” because the flying business was not
yet fully established in the comic books when Fleischer Studios first animated
Superman. Some of his greatest enemies are absent for the same reason. However,
animation allowed them to depict the Man of Steel battling more powerful foes
than the early 1950s TV series could ever hope to realize. Consequently, the
Fleischer shorts (Produced by Max and directed by Dave) greatly shaped the
development of the Superman franchise in ways that remain evident today.
The Fleischer Superman shorts might even be the best Superman films screening
this week in theaters when a selection of five shorts starts playing tomorrow
at the Museum of the Moving Image and the entire restored Fleischer run screens
Sunday at the Culver Theater.
In the
Oscar-nominated Superman, we learn Clark Kent grew up in an orphanage
rather than with Jonathan and Martha, so what alternate Earth does that make
this? Regardless, the eponymously titled film quickly establishes the recurring
theme of technology running amuck when a mad scientist tries to extort Metropolis
with his electrothansia ray. Of course, Los Lane blunders into his lair first,
so Superman must rescue her while saving the city. For the time, this was
eye-popping stuff, rendered in exotic color. The art deco design continues to
influence the look of the franchise, especially Superman: The Animated
Series.
Mad
scientists continue to conduct themselves in a dangerous and anti-social manner
in The Mechanical Monsters. This time, an evil genius dispatches his
platoon of robots on a crime spree throughout Metropolis. By contemporary standards,
the 9 to 10 minutes Fleischer shorts tell relatively simple stories, but it is
hard to get much more satisfying than watching Superman smash an army of
robots.
It is fortunate
Superman is “more powerful than a locomotive,” because he must corral a runaway
train in Billion Dollar Limited. The train in question is a gold bullion shipment
to the U.S. Mint. Although Superman’s adversaries are entirely human, he must
perform feats of strength that would not be possible for George Reeves.
The
Arctic Giant is an
absolute Superman classic. It is also a kaiju movie that predates the original
Japanese Godzilla by twelve years. Through negligence and Lois lane’s
distraction, a dinosaur frozen in ice thaws out, allowing it to rampage through
Metropolis. Frankly, the dino-kaiju is kind of cute, but that is part of the
film’s charm, Regardless, even the Salkind films could not have credibly
created this kind of spectacle.
It might be the “Summer of Superman,” but Krypto has been the biggest winner from the
trailer release. If you think he is cute there, check out Krypto All In #1.
Every panel fully capitalizes on his adorableness, while still telling a
dramatic story. Hopefully, Ryan North and Mike Norton can sustain that high
quality. At this point, most viewers probably still know Krypto best from this
animated film. He is a bigger Krypto, but he probably had to be, since he is
voiced by The Rock in Jared Stern & Sam J. Levine’s DC League of Super-Pets, which has a special family screening this Tuesday at Look Cinemas.
Originally
in the comics, Krypto landed on Earth after Superman. In League of Super
Pets, he jumped into the escape-craft with Kal-El (in far and away the
cutest scene of the film). Of course, they grow up to be Superman and Krypto,
inseparable superhero buddies, protecting Metropolis from villains like Lex
Luthor. However, Krypto feels like Lois Lane is on the verge of breaking up the
band, like an animated Yoko Ono.
Ironically,
it is not Luthor who renders Superman and Krypto powerless. It will be his
literal guinea pig, Lulu, whom Krypto rescued from Luthor’s lab. However, Lulu
did not want to be rescued, because she absorbed Luthor’s villainous persona.
Consequently, she works on her evil scheme to refine Orange Kryptonite from the
animal shelter, where she is imprisoned with Ace the Boxer, Merton the turtle, PB
the potbellied pig, and Chip, the squirrel, who really shouldn’t be in a domestic
adoption shelter, but whatever. Together, they all gain superpowers as a result
of Lulu’s Kryptonite super-charge.
Krypto
got off on the wrong paw with Ace and his pals, because he is not good with
other pets. However, they all start to grow on each other. Krypto also promises
to hook them up with nice farm homes in Smallville. Unfortunately, Lulu
acclimates to super-villainy much quicker than the Super Pets adjust to
super-heroism.
League
of Super-Pets is
undeniably kid-friendly and amusing, but sometimes maybe in ways that are a
little too silly for fans of the DC Animated Universe, which this film is not a
part of. Arguably, the talking animal business drives the film rather than their
roles within the DC Universe. Obviously, Krypto has an honored place in the
Universe and Ace is also an established member of the Bat-Family. Chip and
Merton have precedent but they are very loosely based on their namesakes, while
PB and Lulu are entirely original.
The
best moments capture the human-animal bond shared by Superman and Krypto, who are
nicely voiced by John Krasinski and The Rock. Conversely, Kevin Hart is a lot
as Ace—sometimes too much. Natasha Lyonne and Vanessa Bayer are almost as much
as Merton and PB. However, there are some standout guest voices, notably
including Keanu Reeves as Batman (that one makes a lot of sense, right?),
Alfred Molina as Jor-El, and Keith David as Dog-El, Krypto’s father, whose
hologram provides some of the best jokes for hardcore DC fans.
In Batman Ninja, the time-traveling Dark Knight had to channel Toshiro Mifune
in a Chanbara adventure. This time, he must find his inner Takeshi Kitano or
Ken Takakura. Batman and the extended “Bat family” are back in their proper Bat-time,
but history has changed. Japan is now a land of Yakuza clans, much like the planet
of Chicago gangsters in Star Trek’s “A Piece of the Action” episode. Unfortunately,
the alternate Justice League has also gone full Yakuza in Junpei Mizusaki &
Shinji Takagi ‘s animated Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League, which premieres
today on HBO or Max, or whatever.
Batman
and Robin (his son, Damien) returned to the right world, but Japan no longer
exists. Instead, an alternate Japan was created in a sort of liminal zone that
only the Bat family (also including the former Robins, Nightwing, Red Hood, and
Red Robin) can see, because they traveled through the previous time vortex, or
something like that. This Japan is entirely governed by Yakuza, with the Hagane
Clan on top, thanks to their super-powered enforcers.
Sarcastically
dubbed the “Yakuza League” by Robin, they consist of Bari, Ahsa, Zeshika, and
Karaku, the evil Flash, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Superman, as you might
surmise from their Katakana-rendered names. However, Daiana Amazone is still
good and just, thanks to the power of this Japan’s analog to Paradise Island.
Even
allied with Daiana, Batman might look outmatched, considering the League’s powers
remain the same. However, he believes he holds certain advantages. For one
thing, this League has never fought anyone with remotely equivalent powers, so
they aren’t used to slugging it out in a real fight. Batman has also had
long-standing contingencies to take down his fellow JLA teammates, “just in
case” the need arose. That revelation does not completely shock his son. Not at
all, really.
The
first act plays out somewhat hectically and rushed, but Mizusaki, Takagi, and
screenwriter Kazuki Nakashima really settle down and deliver a darned good
Batman story thereafter. Arguably, they show the value of guile and “family,” which
turn out to be superior to superior to brute force. For genre fans, there are
also a lot of knowingly hip Yakuza details.
When Batman criticizes you for being a violently unstable masked vigilante, maybe you should
reconsider some of your life choices. Instead, the Phantasm keeps killing
gangsters. Ordinarily, that would not break the Dark Knight’s dark heart, but
he gets the blame thanks to their vague resemblance in Eric Radomski &
Bruce Timm’s Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, which screens tonight at the
Mahoning Drive-In.
According
to the novelization, Robin was away at college during the events of Phantasm.
Regardless, Batman is always comfortable operating as a lone wolf. That is the
Phantasm’s style as well. After it kills two mob bosses in the first act (technically
the Phantasm merely “drove” one of them to his death), the emphysemic Salvatore
“The Wheezer” Valestra reluctantly to turns to an old colleague for protection.
Of course, involving the Joker only further destabilizes the chaotic situation.
Unfortunately,
sleazy city councilman Arthur Reeves capitalizes on the spurious accusations to
turn the Gotham PD (except Commissioner Gordon) against Batman. It turns out
Reeves is also his rival for the affections of Andrea Beaumont, Bruce Wayne’s
college girlfriend, who recently returned from abroad.
Originally
conceived as a special within the world of Batman: The Animated Series, Phantasm
was scaled up for theatrical release. Despite sharing similar character designs
with the series, it proved DC comics could draw an audience for feature-length
animation, paving the way for the DC Animated Movie Universe (DCAMU), which is
definitely a thing.
In
fact, Phantasm is quite visually striking in a film noir kind of way.
There are some incredibly cinematic backdrops like the Joker’s lair amid the
abandoned installations of the Gotham World’s Fair, which were clearly modeled
on the 1939 New York Exposition.
For
many fans, Phantasm is the film that firmly established Kevin Conroy as
their favorite Batman voice. Similarly, it also represents Mark Hamill’s peak
Joker voice-over performance, arguably surpassing his work on the animated
series. Regardless, the Joker arguably represents Hamill’s greatest legacy
outside Star Wars.
He is a
superhero with considerable affinity for the horror genre. He fought Dracula
and a Lovecraftian evil that came from the Arctic. He is also known to have very
“Long Halloweens.” This time around, he faces a werewolf, but you know it is
going to get rough, because this limited series was originally published by DC’s
more mature Black Label imprint. Regardless, you cannot argue with the bat vs.
wolf concept of Rodney Barnes’ Batman: Full Moon, illustrated by Stevan
Subic, which releases today in a hardcover bind-up edition.
It is
hard dating Bruce Wayne, but Zatanna is unusually understanding, having
apparently already had the secret identity talk. That is fortunate for him,
because he will need her occult expertise when he tangles with a werewolf. Initially,
he assumes it is just another superhuman beast, like Grodd, but it is savage in
a mindless way, but also contagious.
Fittingly,
the werewolf was once Christian Talbot, an obvious, affectionate reference to
Lon Chaney, Jr.’s Larry Talbot. As a soldier, he generated the ill-karma that
attracted the werewolf who bit him, while serving on a mission in Romania. He
came to Gotham hoping Wayne Pharmaceuticals could devise a cure. The infectious
disease specialist certainly empathizes with Talbot’s plight. Formerly a
super-villain, Dr. Kirk Langstrom, a.k.a. Man-Bat, has been fully reformed, but
he remains a recovering vampire. Slightly disappointed by the lack of results,
Talbot trashed the Wayne labs in his lycanthropic form.
Frankly,
Talbot is a foe Batman cannot beat-up. Instead, he relies on the aid of Langstrom,
Zatanna, and her surly ex, John Constantine. The Hellblazer clearly isn’t over
her yet, but that is why comic geeks are crazy for her. Of course, Alfred
Pennyworth and his mordant wit are also as dependable as ever.
Barnes
serves up an unusually angsty and moody take on werewolves, but that obviously
suits the Dark Knight. He also cleverly incorporates the other familiar DC characters,
especially Langstrom, into this Elseworlds storyline. Parents should note the
13+ age guideline is apt, mostly for language, but also for some mature
references (albeit one that would hopefully be lost on younger readers, but
these days, you never know).
In the
DC Universes, nobody inspires more confidence than Superman, but magic
represents his second greatest weakness after Kryptonite. Occult detective John
Constantine is far less reliable or trustworthy, but he is still your better
bet to exorcize a demonic possession. Unfortunately, his oldest long-suffering
friend Chas Chandler must ask his help for exactly that reason in Doug Murphy’s
DCanimated feature, Constantine: City of Demons—The Movie, which would
make appropriate viewing today, even though it feels a little awkward to
celebrate Constantine’s birthday if you know the sad circumstances of his
birth.
Indeed,
Constantine endured his share of trauma, which made him the miserable sod fans
know and love. Having survived his tragic family life, Constantine embraced his
magical lineage, but his first foray into dark magic ended in disaster. As a
result, he was admitted to Ravenscar Mental Hospital, where loyal Chandler still
regularly visited him.
Eventually
Constantine’s swagger returned and his mastery of the occult arts grew. Consequently,
Chandler understands his old friend will be more help than modern medicine when
his daughter Trish falls into a supernaturally induced coma. Given their shared
history, Constantine cannot deny him. Unfortunately, that is exactly what the
responsible demon was counting on, as he explains when he lures Constantine to
Los Angeles.
City
of Demons might be
the goriest DC movie ever (and it is hard to think of anything from Marvel that
comes remotely close). Regardless, if you enjoy demonic horror, this film
delivers. At least it is a film now. City of Demons was compiled and
expanded from an original CW Seed series, but it never feels episodic.
It took
Aquaman’s reputation decades to recover from being mocked as the guy who “talks
to fish” on Saturday Night Live. However, people often forget that
Hawkman could also talk to birds (at least on some Earths he could).
Admittedly, birds have much greater surveillance and intel applications. Plus,
Hawkman flies and has greater-than-average strength. Nevertheless, he has
mostly been a supporting character in film and television. Still, he had a rare
solo spotlight on the 1979 Qube/Nickelodeon motion comic series, Video
Comics, which you can find online to celebrate his Earth 1 birthday today.
Motion
comics are pretty much what they sound like: a camera panning and scanning over
comics pages, while voice actors read the dialogue and descriptive boxes. Early
in its existence, the network that became Nickelodeon commissioned the Video
Comics motion comic series to serve as filler, licensing content from their
corporate cousin DC. Rights were probably unavailable for marquee characters.
Regardless, DC apparently saw this as a venue to promote second-tier characters
like Hawkman and Swamp Thing or fourth-tier characters like Space Ranger. The
series disappeared in the early 1980s and only two legit superhero episodes
have escaped online.
“Hawkman”
is only nine minutes, adapting a back-up story from a 1970s issue of Detective
Comics. In this case, the detective/superhero from Thanagar takes a case
that might better suit Scooby-Do and Mystery Incorporated. Someone is
regularly stealing from Bleakhill Manor, a converted museum that specializes in
military art. However, the thief only takes the replica arms that accompany the
priceless art.
Frankly,
this storyline does not pass the logic test, but it is pleasant enough on a
Scooby-Do level. It also shows Hawkman in his element, wielding hardcore
medieval weaponry. However, it it is pretty clear E. Nelson Bridwell’s story
was quickly written to fill out pages.
In
contrast, “Swamp Thing” is a full 20-minute origin story. Technically, this is
Swamp Thing #2, Alec Holland, rather Swamp Thing #1, Alex Olsen (from House
of Secrets #92), but they suffer much the same fate. Holland is the Swamp
Thing everyone knows from the Wes Craven film and subsequent series. (If DC
knew how big Swamp Thing would get, they probably would not have licensed him for
Video Comics.)
Holland
and his wife Linda are developing a Garden of Eden-like formula in their secret
lab nestled in the Louisiana bayous. The government assigned Agent Matt Cable
to protect them, but he is a bit of an idiot. However, he waxes quite poetic
over the spooky swamp country, where he grew up as a lad. Tragically, he cannot
protect Holland from the shadowy syndicate out to buy, steal, or destroy his
formula. However, his own research saves his life—but at the cost of his
humanity.
Wonder
Woman has always been a particularly military-friendly superhero, thanks to her
close relationship with Captain Steve Trevor. Sadly, Trevor was killed in the Wonder
Woman All In comic book series. Diana Prince was busy caring for their
newborn child, so the killer was brought to justice in issue #16 by Detective
Chimp, who is exactly what he sounds like. (Please, please Sam Liu and DC
Animated, give the world a Detective Chimp movie.) This is a different timeline,
but Prince and Trevor are still immediately interested in each other when he literally
drops into Themyscira in Sam Liu & Justin Copeland’s Wonder Woman:
Bloodlines, which deserves a re-watch today, the day Prince was originally
molded out of clay. (That must have been high quality clay.)
Some
kind of kaiju attack Trevor’s air squadron, but Princess Diana (the original
one, who didn’t live off UK tax revenue) saves his life. Her mother Hippolyta
intends to keep him imprisoned, because she fears “Man’s World.” Yet, ironically,
it will be a rogue’s gallery of female supervillains who eventually threaten
the hidden Amazonian civilization of Themyscira.
This is
indeed a female-dominated story, except for Trevor, but he is definitely a
manly kind of guy. Recognizing his sense of duty, Diana helps Trevor escape, so
she can help him fight the invading monsters. Presumably, they are successful,
since that subplot mysteriously vanishes.
To
prepare herself for her career as a superheroine and member of the Justice League
(who are mentioned in passing but never seen) Trevor places her with archaeologist
Julia Kapatelis, who will teach her about our world and to learn about her
civilization. Unfortunately, Kapatelis’s teen daughter feels like Diana steadily
steals her mother’s affections—to an extent that creates super-villains.
Indeed,
Dr. Poison and Dr. Cyber exploit her rage, mutating her into the Silver Swan.
Of course, the transformation process will eventually kill her, but they do not
care. They just want to use her as a pawn to find Themyscira and plunder its advanced
tech.
Adapted
from the Down to Earth comic story arc, Bloodlines works best
when it focuses on Princess Diana’s slow-building relationship with Trevor.
They really represent one of the great comic book romances. On the other hand,
it is a little off-putting to hear Trevor’s intelligence colleague Etta Candy
explicitly lusting after Amazons (this is a film kids will watch, after all). In
contrast, the old school William Marston-esque scene of a hog-tied
super-villainess come across like a knowing wink to Wonder Woman’s history.
Regardless,
Rosario Dawson and Jeffrey Donovan nicely express the personas of Wonder Woman
and Trevor. It is also cool to hear Michael Dorn as the fan-favorite character,
Ferdinand the Minotaur.
