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.
The biggest
winner of the multiversal idiosyncrasies of Earth-38 (a.k.a. Earth-CBS) had to
be Jimmy Olsen, who is now Pulitzer Prize winner James Olsen, who is also cuts
quite a figure judging mild-mannered executive assistant Kara Danvers’ reaction
when he transfers from the Daily Planet to her faltering paper. Danvers was
set to Earth to protect her infant cousin, Kal-El, but Krypton’s explosion sent
her pod careening into the Phantom Zone. By the time it came out, her little cousin
was all grown-up and saving the world.
Danvers
never really used her powers, preferring to grow up normal. Of course, her sister
Alex and parent Eliza and Dr. Jeremiah Danvers (played by Helen Slater of the
original Supergirl movie and Dean Cain from Lois and Clark) know
she is different, but respect her choices. However, when Danvers hears her sister’s
flight in crisis, she leaps into action to save it. Unfortunately, that also announces her
presence to a cabal of Zod-like Kryptonian criminals planning their own escape
from the Phantom Zone.
It
turns out flying is like riding a bike, but a lot of the other superheroing
stuff can be difficult when you’re out of practice. Danvers is no Ralph Hinkley
(The Greatest American Hero), but she looks credibly tentative during
the pilot. However, the best parts involve the many clever Superman references
and the way Kal-El offers support through his pal Jimmy Olsen, without overshadowing
her turn in the solo spotlight. Obviously, his eventual appearance will be a
big deal, which did not happen until Tyler Hoechlin guest-starred in season two—and
later spun-off into Superman & Lois.
Based
on reports in the media, Warners made the right choice cancelling the partially
completed Batgirl movie. Bringing back Michael Keaton as many fans’ preferred
Batman, only to immediately kill him off would have produced enormous ill will
for the DC brand. It is pretty clear Keaton and Adam West remain sentimental
favorites, considering DC Comics have given them both similar treatment to the
Christopher Reeves-esque Superman ’78 limited series. The first story-arc
set in the world of Tim Burton’s Batman movies, Sam Hamm’s Batman ’89,
illustrated by Joe Quinones, releases again today in a new tradepaper edition.
In this
Gothic-styled, vaguely late-1980s-feeling Gotham, District Attorney, Harvey
Dent, looks a lot like Billy Dee Williams (who played the pre-Two Face DA in
burton’s Film), rather than Tommy Lee Jones in Joel Schumacher’s Batman
Forever monstrosity. He is still a handsome devil at the beginning of the
story arc, but he is also a slippery one. He clearly wants to be governor, so
he crusades against Batman’s vigilantism, the only thing keeping Gotham safe,
to score points in the media. That means Commissioner Gordon is often in the
line of his fire, which is awkward since Dent is engaged to Gordon’s daughter
Barbara.
Bruce
Wayne is most definitely not engaged to Selina Kyle, but he has been
cat-sitting for her, during her mysterious disappearance, to Alfred Pennyworth’s
sheer delight. Recently, various gangs have adopted both Batman masks and Joker
makeup while committing mayhem, often under the guise of pursuing “street
justice.” Consequently, they give Dent more fodder to attack Batman and Gordon.
However,
the opportunistic politician seems to have a change of heart after visiting his
old neighborhood—in terms of politics, not with regards to Batman. Tragically,
his newfound idealism will be cut short by a serious accident that both
disfigures and deranges Dent into the super-villain we all know and love:
Two-Face.
It is
very cool to essentially see a Billy Dee Williams version of Two-Face. In fact,
the way Hamm and Quinones depict his split personality is the best thing about Batman
‘89. It is also warmly nostalgic to see a Michael Gough-like Pennyworth. However,
Batman and Cat Woman do not resemble Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer as closely as
the characters in the Superman ’78 series looked like the cast of the
Donner films.
Beyond
outward appearances, Hamm’s storyline also clashes with the ostensive 1989 setting,
in a bad way. Obsessed with themes of “two Gothams” and rich white liberal guilt,
it feels like it written in 2021, which it was. As a result, it also feels embarrassingly
dated in 2025.
In the recent first issue of DC’s “All In” Aquaman, the Atlantean
king is learning how to use his wife Mera’s telekinetic power over water, when
they shifted to him after the conclusion of the Absolute Power miniseries.
(Long story short, everyone lost their super-powers and then they mostly got
them back, but sometimes slightly differently). It is a bit of déjà vu, because
he had to learn his original powers from scratch back when he thought he was a
mere mortal named Arthur Curry. Aquaman’s origin story had a snappy DC animated
treatment in Ethan Spaulding’s Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, which
makes fitting viewing today (Curry’s in-world birthday) and this Friday (1/31,
Mera’s birthday).
As
the film opens, the relatively new Justice League has a lot of fancy
infrastructure, but only Cyborg really takes it seriously. Consequently, he
answers the call when a US Navy submarine is attacked by mysterious forces.
Viewers soon learn it was destroyed as part of Prince Orn’s false flag
operations to foment a war between Atlantis and the surface world.
Deep
down, Queen Atlanna recognizes the Prince’s ruthless nature, so she designates
Curry, her secret half-human love child as her heir. Slightly disappointed, Orm
responds by killing her and framing land-dwellers. Of course, Black Manta is
the Svengali pulling his strings.
Cyborg
will need the full Justice League to deal with this problem. Mera understands Atlantis
also needs Curry, so she goes rogue, revealing his birthright. He can breathe
underwater and communicate with fish, but learning how to best apply his super-powers
will take time he does not have.
Heath
Corson’s adapted screenplay roughly follows the 2013 Throne of Atlantis comic
arc, but some of the best parts focus on other JLA members. It often seems like
Cyborg gets unfairly overlooked by casual superhero fans (as a sometimes member
of both JLA and the Teen Titans), but he has a new licensed flavored coffee
that sounds delicious. Cyborg also gets some of the best scenes in Throne of
Atlantis, wherein he considers the effects of his constant robotic upgrades
on his underlying humanity, nicely expressed by Shemar Moore.
In
addition, there is a cool subplot following the burgeoning romance between
Clark Kent and Diana Prince (a.k.a. Wonder Woman). Yes, they were an item for a
while in some of the comic storylines, because fans demanded it and it made
logical sense. After all, Wonder Woman might be the only love interest who can
withstand the force of Superman’s passion, so to speak. Obviously, the film
does not go there, but its depiction of their courtship is quite appealing. Both
super-characters are well-served by the winning voice-over work of Jerry O’Connell
and Rosario Dawson.
For Gen-X, Terence Stamp was never an “angry young man.” He was an
intergalactic war criminal. Together with Sarah Douglas, and Jack O’Halloran, he
formed a trio of super-villains that still makes Superman II one of the
best superhero films ever (along with Superman: The Movie). He is one of
the most significant super-bad guys ever, so it makes sense he gets the kind of
starring villainous role enjoyed by DC stablemates like the Joker and the
Penguin in Joe Casey’s Kneel Before Zod, illustrated by Dan McDaid, which
is now on-sale in a bind-up tradepaperback.
This
is the Dru-Zod you know, but now he is officially married to Ursa, who is also otherwise
exactly like you remember her. However, silent Non is absent and unaccounted
for. They still hunger for power, but do not try to reconcile Kneel Before
Zod with the continuity of Superman II. With DC, there are so many
timelines, pre-Crisis, post-Crisis, Golden Age, Tomorrowverse, and so on, non-obsessive
fans should just accept each story on its own terms.
In
this case, Zod and Ursa have indeed escaped the Phantom Zone, but they have
temporarily made “peace” with the galactic authorities and the remnant of
Kryptonian governance. In fact, they have built an outpost on a distant planet
they christened New Kandar, with the intention of developing it as the new home
for the bottled city Kandar, which Brainiac captured and placed in stasis,
before the planet’s destruction.
Of
course, Zod has a secret agenda, involving ambitions of conquest, so he is in
no mood for his son Lor-Zod’s rebellious acting out. Conveniently, the House of
Zod has a tradition of casting out their sons to fend for themselves, so it
looks like his time has come. (In fact, Lor-Zpod gets his own limited series, teaming
up with Sinistro’s bratty brood.) Nevertheless, Zod’s hallucinations of his old
nemesis, Jor-El, cannot resist taunting him with his parental failures. Frankly,
fighting the invasion of alien mercenaries who somehow got wind of his secret
weapon, whatever that might be, offers him an opportunity to vent his anger.
Despite
all the Kryptonian references, Kneel Before Zod reads more like science
fiction-ish titles distantly set in the DC Universes, such as Adam Strange and
Jack Kirby’s Fourth World. Indeed, the later issues take a wild
space-faring turn. They are also unusually violent for DC, because of the
graphic depictions of Zod using his powers very much in the same way Homelander
does in The Boys, but with even less mercy.
KGBeast is one of DC’s most sinister villains, but his alter-ego, Anatoli
Knyazev was converted into a good-guy on Arrow, because who could believe
Russians might commit heinous crimes against humanity? So far, DC animated
productions have been much more successful incorporating its Cold War characters
and legacy, especially in Superman: Red Son. As a further case in point,
the early 2000’s animated Teen Titans series offered an interesting take
on Red Star in the episode “Snowblind,” which screens at the Paley Center as
part of its Winter Frolic programming.
In
this version of DC reality, Leonid Kovar, a.k.a. Red Star, was the lucky
subject of a Soviet “super-soldier” experiment devised by the notoriously
reliable Prof. Chang (a recurring villain in the animated series). Yet, much
like the Hulk, the super-Soviet could not control his powers. When
over-agitated, he expelled tremendous bursts of radioactive energy.
Consequently, Red Star sequestered himself in an adapted bunker outside the secret
military installation where he was formerly based.
Suspicious
radioactive readings brought the Teen Titans to Kovar’s remote Siberian
homeland. However, Red Star is not producing the energy they detected. There is
something else terrorizing the local village, but they just assume it is the same
radioactive devil they know.
Screenwriter
Rob Hoegee does his best to play down Red Star’s Communist era origins, but
they are inescapable. Indeed, Raskov, his former commander turned persecutor, bears
all the worst hallmarks of the Soviet era military. However, this version of
Red Star is an acutely tragic character, who is developed fairly thoroughly for
a half-hour episode.
Gen Z'ers could learn a lot from Det. Jim Corrigan’s work ethic. He works
his colleagues’ cases as well as his own. Plus, he is technically dead, yet he
never makes any excuses. Those evil-doers will not punish themselves, but
Corrigan will, as the human host for an ex-demon-turned-righteous-spirit-of-vengeance.
His latest case is very Hollywood, but that won’t impress Corrigan in Joaquim
Dos Santos’s DC Showcase: The Spectre. (Technically, today is Corrigan’s
in-world birthday, but he isn’t very festive anymore.)
In
most storylines, Corrigan was killed while on his way to celebrate his
engagement. Presumably, he knew Aimee Brenner sometime before that. They were
once an item, so he duly arrives at the crime scene to comfort her—and annoy
below-average Lt. Brice. As a bigtime studio producer, her father, Foster
Brenner had no shortage of enemies. However, several former collaborators whom
Brenner cut out of his latest blockbuster were particularly vocal expressing
their grievances.
Frankly,
you probably wouldn’t need to be the Spectre to solve this case, but he can do
it especially quickly. Essentially, the Spectre visits the accused, sort of
like the Ghosts of Christmas, showing them horrific visions based on their guilty
memories. The makeup artist (who maybe not coincidentally partly resembles Tom Savini)
is in for a particularly rough time, because of all the macabre models and
props in his studio.
The
coolest thing about The Spectre is its funky 1970s vibe. It could almost
pass for an animated cousin of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The
deliberately hazy look suits the murky morality of its Hollywood setting, while
the soundtrack from The Track Team, Jeremy Zuckerman & Benjamin Wynn sounds
very era-appropriate.
Shazam and Captain Marvel are weirdly like Dr. Frankenstein and his monster.
People often casually refer to the latter by their creator’s names.
Technically, Shazam was the name of the wizard who conferred the powers of
Captain Marvel on young Billy Batson. That is the DC Captain Marvel, who is not
to be confused with Marvel Comics’ Carol Danvers Captain Marvel. Frankly, for a
lot of fans, the real Marvel Captain Marvel was the legendary Mar-Vell, known
on Earth as Walter Lawson, whom Marvel killed off in 1982. Confused? Then you
can watch the better animated version of the DC Captain Marvel’s origin story,
in Joaquim Dos Santos’s Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam, in
honor of Billy Batson’s in-world birthday (12/23).
Clark
Kent is trying to do good with his pen for change, by interviewing a scrappy
young orphan named Billy Batson, who lives by his wits on the streets of
Metropolis. However, the evil Black Adam crashes their breakfast, hoping to
kill Batson, “The Chosen One,” before the wizard Shazam powers him up. That
would be the same Black Adam the Rock tried to portray as a conflicted
anti-hero in the live-action movie. However, Arnold Vosloo (of The Mummy franchise)
gives a definitive Black Adam voice-over performance that is unambiguously
sinister.
Fortunately,
Shazam whisks Batson to his secret chamber outside of time and space, where he
bestows the powers of Captain Marvel on the confused teen. By invoking the
Wizard’s name, “Shazam,” he transforms into a full-grown superhero, with powers
much like those of Superman. Inconveniently, one of Superman’s few weaknesses
is a vulnerability to magic, which is the source of Black Adam’s power. Fortunately,
Captain Marvel is only one Shazam away from joining the fray.
Indeed,
all three caped super-characters get nearly equal time slugging in out in this awkwardly
titled installment of DC Showcase. It delivers a bounty of aerial
fighting action in a mere twenty-five minutes, which still makes it one of the
longest short films in the under-appreciated series.
Of all the superheroes, the Hal Jordan Green Lantern is the most like Pete “Maverick”
Mitchell in Top Gun. Yet, Hollywood crashed and burned with the
deservedly maligned 2011 Ryan Reynolds movie. As usual, DC animation far
outshines their live-action colleague-rivals. The 2011 animated series was even
better depicting Jordan’s ability to fly by the seat of his pants, as both a
test pilot and a “maverick” member of the Lantern Corps. However, his first
adventure after succeeding Abin Sur as our sector’s Green Lantern, which happened
on this very day according to the DC calendar, gets a briskly energetic
animated treatment in Lauren Montgomery’s Green Lantern: First Flight.
Jordan
was minding his business testing experimental aircraft for his boss and Hepburn-and-Tracy-esque
girlfriend Carrol Ferris when the Green Power of Abin Sur’s ring whisked him
away to the dying Green Lantern’s fatal crash site. Soon, a Lantern honor guard
comes looking for their comrade’s body and his successor, but they are shocked
to discover he is a human earthling.
Jordan
quickly learns there is a deep-seated prejudice against humans on Oa, the home
of the Guardians of the Universe, who oversee the Lantern Corps. Perhaps the
Trisolarans of The Three-Body Problem told them about the Cultural
Revolution. Yet, there is no denying the ring chose Jordan, which theoretically
is an ironclad testimonial to his virtue.
Consequently,
the prestigious Lantern Sinestro offers to take the green Green Lantern under
his wing, as he investigates Abin Sur’s murder. Of course, fans know Sinestro
is an infamous Lantern turncoat and everyone else could probably guess as much,
since his name sounds like “sinister.” Indeed, Sinestro quickly alarms Jordan’s
“spider sense,” so to speak. However, none of the other Lanterns want to hear
his reservations, because Jordan is only human—particularly not the hulking
Kilowog, who has canine and hog-like features.
In
general, Jordan is a roguishly relatable superhero and Kilowog is one of the
most appealing characters who still largely flies under the radar of non-comics
fans. First Flight does a nice job conveying their personality strengths
and quirks, but it really excels portraying Sinestro’s devious cunning and duplicity.
There is a lot of cataclysmic cosmic wrath in the climatic battle, involving an
evil scheme to employ yellow power to nullify the Lanterns’ green, but the film
really showcases the characters and the inner dynamics of the Lantern Corps.
Technically, he is a superhero without superhuman powers. Yet, he has a whole “Verse”
half-named for him. Regardless of powers, a princess in jeopardy will be
grateful for his bow in Joaquim Dos Santos’s animated DC Showcase: Green
Arrow, which is very much worth catching up with on his reported in-world
birthday (12/9).
Oliver
Queen (a.k.a. Green Arrow) promised to pick up his girlfriend, Dinah Laurel
Lance, from the airport. If you do not already know her secret identity, you
will at the end of the animated short. Unfortunately, traffic is brutal,
because of young Princess Perdita, who is making her first official state visit
on behalf of the troubled Eastern European kingdom of Vlatava—at least was the
Princess. By the time she lands, Perdita is the Queen. Presumably, that is why
assassins target her, including Green Arrow’s old nemesis, Merlyn, a.k.a. the
Dark Archer.
Queen
immediately springs into action defending the Queen, even though he knows he will
have some explaining to do to Lance. Thus launches a very cool series of animated
action set pieces, across the tarmac and through the baggage handling system. Frankly,
this installment of DC Showcase could hang One More Shot, the
Scott Adkins beatdown set entirely within an airport—and the two would pair up
nicely.
For this Earthling, the Zeta Beam is a lot like Dr. Sam Beckett’s Quantum
Leaps. They are unpredictable, but often come at the perversely worst possible
time. It delivered the titular archaeologist to Planet Rann, where he met his
beloved wife. Yet, it also takes him away when his family needs him the most in
Butch Lukic’s DC Showcase: Adam Strange, which makes suitable viewing
for his reported in-world birthday (12/3).
Rann
is under attack and Strange’s wife and daughter are in serious peril. Suddenly,
shazam (so to speak): a Zeta beam appears, transporting Strange across the
galaxy to a mining colony, not unlike those seen in Outland and Alien: Romulus. Understandably, he yearns to return home, so spends months
obsessively trying to calculate where the Zeta beam will next appear.
However,
as the months turn into years, the increasingly bitter Strange turns into the
colony drunk. Nevertheless, when freakish space spiders attack, they need a
hero like Strange. Fortunately, he still has his retro-looking ray gun and
jet-pack.
