DC Animated Movies

**Johann** · 05-02-2014, 04:55 PM

I've decided to start a thread about DC Comics' Animated Movies, which number some 22+ titles now, since debuting with Superman: Doomsday.

I won't be reviewing them in sequence, but eventually I hope to review or post my thoughts on every one. I own half of them on DVD already, and intend to get more. Some of these animated films are as good as a real feature film, and I think it's just great that DC Comics are cranking out such cool animated movies on iconic DC characters. Even though these are cartoons for all intents and purposes, you can treat them seriously and with respect. A lot of care went into making these films, and I find that they can be watched over and over. That's the true measure of a truly great movie- you can watch it again and again and never lose interest in it.

If anybody has seen these movies or wants to discuss them, feel free to respond.

**Johann** · 05-02-2014, 10:48 PM

In a related note, the sequel to Man of Steel, the Batman vs. Superman idea, has interesting facts about it coming out slowly.
For instance, that Jeremy Irons will play Alfred and Jesse Eisenberg will play Lex Luthor. So Superman will be facing off against both Batman and Lex? OK. Bring it on. I've always loved the dynamic between Lex and Superman. Lex Luthor's psychology is kinda warped.

There's also a rumour that Doomsday, the villain that killed Superman, will also make an appearance in some form.
That is really cool to me. Doomsday is one of my favorite DC villains. The fact that he is solid mass-no internal organs- a pure cloning experiment of "forced Ancient Kryptonian evolution" is awesome. He was created by comics writer Dan Jurgens, and the creature was given his name by Hero Booster Gold, which was picked up by the media. Originally he was to be called "the Ultimate", but the creative teams seemed to like "Doomsday" as a name more. Plus it fits the storyline of "The Death of Superman". I'll post my thoughts on Superman: Doomsday first. It is the first official Warner Premiere DC Universe Animated original movie, released the year after Superman Returns appeared. (2007)

**Johann** · 05-09-2014, 07:06 AM

Superman: Doomsday is the very first title/release under the "DC Universe Animated Original Movie" banner.
It runs 75 minutes and was directed by industry legend Bruce Timm, along with two partners: Lauren Montgomery and Brandon Vietti.
Warner Brothers Animation has done an awesome thing and given DC comics fans amazing animated movies, not episodes of Iconic Superheroes within the DC Universe.
This first installment has Adam Baldwin as the voice of Superman- how balls to the wall awesome is that??
ANIMAL MOTHER from Stanley Kubrick's FULL METAL JACKET is now the voice of the Man of Steel?
Who's idea was that to ask Adam? Give that person a raise. I'm giddy that Adam is the voice of superman. Who's HARD Adam?
You're hard, Sir. You can see Adam on the special features recording voice work with the other actors. It's great to see.

Superman: Doomsday is a hell of a first movie to kick off this animated series of movies.
Superman dies, for fucks sake.
I mean, it's pretty heavy, even for a cartoon. They didn't hold back on the violence. We see Superman bleed out and fucking die.
I remember the event happening. It was issue #75, and it has the most Historic and, to me anyway, the most mind-searing cover.
Because you take one look at that issue and you know it's bad. That cape of his (now as a flag) isn't just ripped- it's in shreds and tatters.
We'd never seen that shit before. It's planted atop a Grave. A fucking burial ground. I remember taking that book home and staring at the cover in shock. I was 18. The perfect age to be hit by something like that, and I think all readers of Superman over the years we're thrown a huge curveball. We never saw his death coming. This was earth shaking shit here. I mean, it's just a comic book, but Man, the Death of Superman made me emotional then, and this animated movie made me emotional now. You watch it. It's the death of an Icon. THE Icon of comic books. There is no greater Superhero character than him. Than "Kal-El" of Krypton.
He is, as Zack Snyder said: the KING DADDY.

What kind of a creature could kill Superman? Watch it and see. It's only an hour and fifteen minutes of your time, Yo.
:)

**Johann** · 05-15-2014, 07:33 PM

This animated feature was released to augment Batman Begins, and it is fantastic.
Six different episodes showcasing a different visual interpretation of Batman. It's not for kids to me. It's dark and it is a real treat to watch.

episode I: Have I Got A Story For You has fantastic animation. It's set in a skate park covered in grafitti. Some skater street kids sit on empty bleachers and each tell a story of how they witnessed Batman first-hand in the flesh. Then they all get the surprise of their lives. It's a great opening episode, which made me re-think Batman for a few minutes. It was great.

episode II: Crossfire opens with hands typing on a keyboard (like I am doing now) at a Gotham police station. Gotham City looks really cool to me in this episode. Really classic stuff to me. The approach to Arkham Asylum was well done. A very foreboding and impressive institution.
The police don't trust the Batman, some think he's a vigilante, some think he's made them proud to be a cop. Gang wars are the norm in Gotham here, and we see a good gangland shootout. Lots of bullets fly. Batman appears, and he kicks some serious arse. He walks through fire. He disarms and neutralizes a perp who's holding a woman hostage by gunpoint. The woman is part of Lt. James Gordon's squad, and Batman asks her to confirm. He tells her Gordon is "a good judge of character" and flies off with his bat grappling gun. Beautiful little Batman episode. Great animation and fidelity to the mythos.

episode III: Field Test also has excellent animation. The Batmobile is beautiful in this episode. The test-run up on jacks by Lucious Fox was sweet. (and the test of the body armour with handgun fire)."You're only as good as your Drive" is the mantra here- it's given to Bruce Wayne. Batman kicks ass on a couple luxury yachts at night. Punches, kicks, bat-toys, Feng Shui. Batman does it all.

**Johann** · 05-15-2014, 08:21 PM

episode IV: In Darkness Dwells once again, the animation is top-notch here. Beautiful darkness and style. It reminded me of Mike Mignola's work. Killer Croc and The Scarecrow are the villains. Croc and Batman tangle in the sewers of Gotham. The Scarecrow causes havoc. I really love the look of this episodes' Batman. It perfectly combines the designs we've seen in movies and enhances them to make a really bitchin' Batman- love his jawline and the outline of his cowl. Great stuff. The ending with him on a ledge spotted by a chopper was excellent mythology-maintenance.

episode V: Working Through Pain has blood in it, so be warned. Batman is seriously wounded in this episode. In a fight in the sewers he gets shot in the ribs by a perp. He contacts Alfred to tell him he's lost a lot of blood in the sewers and that he needs help. Alfred agrees to come at once (with blood supplies). It's got an Indian flavor, this episode. A character named Cassandra helps Bruce Wayne in a co-story, and he defends her honor. Alfred arrives in the Batmobile to assist Batman, but Batman is unable to give him his hand, he's hurt so much.
Once again, top-notch animation here. I love the different styles of Batman we get with Gotham Knight. Worth your time and $$$.

episode VI: Deadshot has the best animation of all of the episodes. (The best saved for last?) On a ferris wheel at a Gotham fair, complete with fireworks, assassin Deadshot is in a car, with his sniper rifle, and sucessfully kills from long range. This is the best-looking Batman to me. I love his costume, his look. I love the whole look of the episode. Lt. Gordon wants Deadshot bad. So bad he's not concerned to wear more body armour to prevent a hit on himself. Tremendous animated action sequence with trains, Batman, Deadshot and gunfire. Batman manages to break Deadshot's gauntlet guns and deliver a one-liner: Shoot your mouth off now, Deadshot!. Batman really socks it to him. Alfred proves his loyalty once again.

So what's my verdict? It kicks ass, that's my verdict. I don't know how you can be a Batman fan and hate Batman: GOTHAM KNIGHT.
The directors of episodes one to six are (in order): Shojiro Nishimi, Futoshi Higashide, Hiroshi Morioka, Yasuhiro Aoki, Toshiyuki Kubooka, and Jong-Sik Nam.

**Johann** · 05-15-2014, 09:17 PM

Top anime directors were asked to tackle Batman, to meld their tradition of animation with an iconic western hero.
Batman: Gotham Knight was the result. Huge thumbs up from me. It fits in with the universe Chris Nolan was about to unleash with Batman Begins, and I'd like to see more animated movies under this "Gotham Knight" title. This was a great concept, and it was executed pretty much flawlessly. I'd like to see many more anime or "manga" episodes involving Batman. That would be super-cool.
Batman: Gotham Knight runs 76 minutes long and includes a commentary track.

**Johann** · 05-15-2014, 11:30 PM

Directed by Sam Liu, this DC animated movie is 67 minutes long. It's based on the hugely successful graphic novel by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness and was released in 2009.

It has a very nice opening credits sequence. Lex Luthor is President. Times are tough in the USA. Lex is using the Justice League to muscle Superman into believing Luthor is doing a good job. Things are better under Lex. Power Girl tells Superman He made things boring again. And boring's good, isn't it? The economy's back to normal, crime's down, there are no wars or anything.... He replies: He's up to something. Can't anybody see that? I'll never respect him. He's a sick man.

A meteor from the planet Krypton is heading toward Earth. Lex wants to use missiles to destroy it. His assistant (Ms. Waller) suggests using the Justice League to destroy it. Lex balks. She says he wants all the credit to himself, that's why he won't use the JLA. He gives an address to the Nation requesting a meeting with Superman to resolve the meteor crisis. In the Batcave,Batman advises Superman that he can't destroy the meteor himself because it's made of kryptonite. Superman says he can fly up in a lead suit and smash it. Batman reminds him about the radiation.
Batman says he's looking into a solution with one of his contacts. Superman says he will meet with Luthor and flies off, with Batman saying "Don't look for me to help".

At an undisclosed military base Superman meets with President Luthor (and his posse). The meeting goes south immediately, and Lex flees after unleashing the villain Metallo on Superman. A nice action sequence happens here, a great battle between Supes and Metallo. Heat vision is employed, a massive explosion occurs, and Metallo emerges from the flames to kick Superman's ass. It's a wild slugfest, with Metallo growing a heavy metal hammer left hand and a heavy metal chainsaw right. Superman gets brutalized. Heat vision is employed again, but Metallo throws him like a rag doll into a cemetery full of tombstones. The great battle continues, with Superman throwing a slab of tombstone at Metallo. Due to kryptonite in Metallo's chest, Superman drops the next slab he was about to hurl. Metallo grabs him by the neck for the kill but Batman saves Superman's life. He distracts Metallo with Bat-throwing stars, short-circuiting him. But it doesn't hold him off. With a giant retractable arm, he grabs Batman by the neck and ragdolls him. He is saved by Superman, who employs his heat vision once again, slicing off Metallo's left arm. Metallo grows a gun on his right arm and aims directly at Superman: Superman! From Me to You! He fires, and a kryptonite bullet lodges in Superman's chest, knocking him into an empty grave. Batman takes action. He vaults over Metallo, planting explosives on his metal back, dropping into the grave pit where Superman fell. Metallo is damaged, but Superman tells Batman he will reconfigure. As Batman tries to extract the kryptonite bullet out of Superman's chest, Metallo buries them alive with a shovel-full of dirt.
They are able to blast themselves out of the grave by using Batman's explosives to blast them DOWN, into the sewer system, which Batman knows lies below the cemetery. They make their way to the Batcave, with Supes using his super-strength to gain access, only to have Alfred confront them with a shotgun.

Alfred washes Superman's costume. (It was a little smelly after roaming around in the sewers).
Lex gives a speech to the Nation, telling the peeps that Superman is a danger to everyone, including himself. He puts a billion dollar bounty on Superman's head. He claims Superman has a "growing irrationality" and that Metallo was merely protecting him from an out-of-control Superman.
Bats and Supes head to the morgue, where they find Metallo's corpse, which is radioactive. They fly away, and are attacked by a screaming Banshee. She is subdued, and then Solomon Grundy appears, with a freaky accent. He grabs Batman, calls him a "rat with wings", and tries to drown him. Meanwhile Supes battles Mongul. Batman defeats Grundy with surprise, and Superman knocks out Mongul.
They have no time to think before 3 new villains appear and need to be subdued: Gorilla Grodd, Nightshade and her telepath globs. All three are no trouble for Superman and Batman.

Now the ante is upped even more, as a slew of DC villains appear, including Bane and Aquaman's foes Black Manta and King Shark! Coolness!
Captain Atom drops an Atomic blast, and the villains are toast. He is joined by Power Girl, Major Force, Black Lightning and Starfire.
Superman says I never believed in the calvary. Captain Atom tells him he has a Federal warrant for his arrest.
Batman and Superman attempt to flee, and the fight is on. Good action sequence here. Watch what Superman does.
One of the villains dies.

Lex is hell bent on launching his missiles at the meteor. He thinks Superman killed Metallo.
Batman and Superman continue to fight Major Force, Captain Atom, Black Lightning and Starfire.
Batman zings Major Force by saying he doesn't know he's being used by Luthor, that he's stupid. Another death. Major Force dies, after Capt. Atom does his thing.
Lex launches his missiles. I won't tell you what happens. But Captain Marvel makes a surprise appearance. Hawkman too. So this movie Rocks.
Lex and Superman have a cataclysmic fight, and yet another character is introduced: Toyman.

This is another great DC animated movie, even though the story could be more cohesive, more fluid and fleshed-out. Lots of action here, and that's what we want.
Big Thumbs Up.

**Johann** · 05-16-2014, 02:51 AM

Brandon Vietti directed this fine fine animated movie. (He helped make DC's first original animated movie: Superman: Doomsday)

This is one of my favorite animated films. I love it even more than Gotham Knight. It combines two iconic storylines in Batman's history: the huge "A Death in the Family" story (one of my favorite parts of Batman Lore) and the "Under The Hood" story. It was released straight-to-video in 2010 and if you like Batman, then you should love this. I give it a massive thumbs up.

It opens with the Joker beating Robin (the second Robin Jason Todd) to near-death with a crowbar.
Batman on his Batcycle is speeding toward the scene but he arrives a moment too late. The Joker planted a ticking time bomb, and it goes off just as Batman arrives on the scene. He picks up Jason's limp body from the rubble. It's straight from the 4-issue Death in the Family storyline.
Very dramatic opening sequence to Under The Red Hood. I loved it from the start and always will. High-End animation here. Top-notch direction from Brandon Vietti. Outstanding opening credits.

Cut to 5 years later. Batman is engaged in a fight with Amazo, an android. Nightwing (the first Robin) appears, and assists Batman in killing him.
Batman takes off in his Batjet. (Nice chase sequence ensues). The Red Hood is encountered, and he ends up in a vat of chemicals.
Batman and Nightwing visit the Joker in Arkham. He's in a straight-jacket, in a padded cell. They leave him as he hysterically laughs, totally insane. The Black Mask is a cool villain, an intense baddie, and he's introduced next. He's fearsome looking. He's into arms deals and he's bad news. Nice action sequence next, taking place at night. Gotham looks great, Batman and Nightwing look great, and the soundtrack is great.
Bruce Wayne is in the batcave next, looking at Robin's costume in it's display case. The flashback sequence here is one of my favorite parts of the movie- with Batman and Robin in the classic costumes, side by side, fighting criminals like the Riddler.
This movie isn't for kids either. There are mature themes and lots of violence. It's got a PG-13 rating.
Another cool action sequence, and Batman appears to level the playing field. Batman accuses Red Hood of stealing territory from the Black Mask and killing anyone who gets in his way. Red Hood says he's cleaning up Gotham, and that Black Mask is just part of the plan. Batman accuses him of becoming a crime Lord. Red Hood replies You can't stop crime. That's what you never understood. I'm controlling it! You want to rule them by fear. What do you do with the ones who aren't afraid? He flees with a smoke grenade.

Ras al Ghul figures prominently here. He and Batman "confer" in Ras' study, with him recalling his deal with the Joker.
He says he walked the earth for six centuries, and that the Lazarus pit raised Robin (Jason) from the dead. With unfortunate results. He returned from the dead "damaged", and he fled his resurrection in mummy rags, with Ras fearing him dead. The Joker lights a zippo lighter and almost torches peeps alive.
Batman soars around Gotham in his Batjet and drops to the street eventually after parking. He encounters Red Hood and the fight is on. Hood manages to slice Batman's utility belt off, and cut his face with a knife. He also manages to tear his cowl off his face, revealing his identity. Red Hood says Look at you. I guess we should keep it even. and removes his mask. Batman says Jason..
They banter, then Jason tosses his mask at Bruce and it explodes. Bruce is just able to get far enough away from the blast. He puts his cowl back on and they continue fighting. More great action for the fight; culminating with Batman saying he tried to save Jason, and he's trying to save him now. Jason explodes, and demands to know why the Joker is still alive if he tried to save him. The next scene is really nice, very dramatic, with Jason demanding Batman to decide between the Joker or him. Big Bang Boom ensues.
That's all that needs to be said. This animated film is awesome. I've seen it many times and will see it many more. It's really great stuff. Worth buying. It's as good as a feature film to me, that's how much it has going for it.

**Johann** · 05-16-2014, 11:40 AM

I've seen what Ben Affleck looks like in the Batsuit, and I am impressed. Especially with his cowl. The cowl looks better than Christian Bale's!
And Batman looks pretty beefy, pretty buff. He looks right. If he looked ridiculous, I would say so. Trust me. I also had a glimpse of the new Batmobile, and I am also happy with it. It looked fine, even underneath a tarp.

This movie is gonna SLAY!!!!

**Johann** · 05-16-2014, 06:05 PM

Here's the list of DC animated movies released to date:

1. Superman: Doomsday
2. Justice League: The New Frontier
3. Batman: Gotham Knight
4. Wonder Woman
5. Green Lantern: First Flight
6. Superman Batman: Public Enemies
7. Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths
8. Batman: Under The Red Hood
9. Superman Batman: Apocalypse
10. All-Star Superman

11. Green Lantern: Emerald Knights
12. Batman: Year One
13. Justice League: Doom
14. Superman Vs. The Elite
15. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
16. Superman: Unbound
17. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
18. Justice League: War
19. Son of Batman

A link to the website: www.warnervideo.com/dcuondvd/

**Johann** · 05-17-2014, 11:55 AM

Jay Oliva's animated film adaptation of Frank Miller's Masterpiece The Dark Knight Returns lives up to it's name.
I marvelled at that graphic novel coming to life in this way. Frank should be happy.

Bruce Wayne is retired here, 10 years after the death of Jason Todd.
He is no longer the Batman, and he stares at the costume of Robin in the batcave. Alfred comes in and tells him he set off the alarm.
Bruce tells Alfred he is remembering a promise. Alfred asks which promise. Bruce steely says Never Again.

Harvey Dent is in Arkham Asylum. His face is repaired by surgeons so he looks normal again. He gets released from Arkham and immediately Harvey goes underground. A group named The Mutants are terrorizing Gotham. Crime is ridiculously off the map.
Bruce watches TV at Wayne Manor, changes the channels with his remote control. He sees a movie starting: The Mark of Zorro starring Tyrone Power. He has a flashback to when he saw that movie at a theatre with his parents. The Time Has Come.
He realizes he must become Batman again.
And he does.

Carrie Kelley is introduced. A cop car chase gives us the Iconic Frank Miller shot of Batman leaping with the lightning bolt. Fist-pumping shit!
Batman is in his 50's and as big as an Ox.
He's not as nimble as he used to be, but he's still the Goddamn Batman. This movie is excessively violent, so be warned. It is not for children.
The themes here are too complex for children, even with parental guidance. It's a horror movie. I got it for christmas on Blu-Ray & I love it.
It brings that graphic novel to life. It's marvelous. Bravo to DC comics and Warner Animation. (And thank you). Many people thought that this story was unfilmable. You've proven it can be done. The first part is 76 minutes, and the second part is the same. They were released seperately direct-to-video in 2012 and 2013. You can buy them combined into one seamless whole movie, or buy them as seperate DVD's.
Either way, I highly recommend it if you want something different. Peter Weller is the voice of Batman, and the voice work here is Grand by everyone involved.

**Johann** · 06-02-2014, 05:03 AM

This DVD collects 9 episodes from the Filmation Associates animation studio, produced in the late 60's.
I decided on buying volume 2 because it has the episodes that I'm really interested in. I'm not crazy about the first three episodes on Hawkman, they are fine I suppose. But the remaining 6 with the Justice League and Teen Titans are cool to me. The running time is 63 minutes, with a nice special feature on Lou Scheimer, the "animation Maverick" who secured the rights to DC's greatest heroes in the 60's. It was cool to learn how he got started. His daughter and others speak as well.

The animation from Filmation was crude by today's standards, but I think they're classics. The 36-episode run they did on Aquaman was perfect Saturday morning fare. I like that they put these characters in outer space and other wild settings, with freaky villains. Volume 1 has The Atom, Flash and Green Lantern episodes, which are fine, and totally worth buying if you're into vintage animation, but for me those three characters are not as strong as the other JLA members. I used to see these shows in re-runs growing up, so when I saw it for sale I had to buy it. For sheer nostalgia, you can't beat it. It's 1 hour. With no commercials. But it does include the Aquaman closing credits and theme, which I always liked.
Bud Collyer was the voice of Superman, and Ted Knight did terrific narration and voices for various characters.

**Johann** · 06-02-2014, 11:15 PM

This DC animated original movie is 9th in the series of releases, and it has continuity with the previous Superman/Batman animated film Public Enemies, in that "President Lex Luthor" is referenced early on. It runs 78 minutes long and was directed by Lauren Montgomery. She co-directed the first DC animated movie Superman: Doomsday with Brandon Vietti and Bruce Timm. Now she's helming her own movie, and it's great. It gets a thumbs up from me, she did a fine job of giving us a powerful story based on Supergirl. (Kara Zor-El)

The title is a little misleading. Yes Superman and Batman star in it, but they are merely supporting Supergirl's story here.
It should be called SUPERGIRL:Apocalypse. This animated movie is based on the Jeph Loeb/Michael Turner graphic novel, and I prefer Michael Turner's art slightly better than Ed McGuinness's, who is no slouch himself. The style and look of this one is slightly more appealing to me than Public Enemies, but I love both films. Public Enemies looked more "cartoony". Apocalypse is more like comic book art panels. Still a cartoon, though. Krypto the dog is here! Great fight scenes in my opinion. Fans of DC comics characters should welcome this one with open arms. Some fans have said Darkseid's voice (by Andre Braugher) was not right, that it was too African-American. I loved his voice. It's fine for this feature. Fans can be very petty sometimes. Unless something is screaming at me that's wrong, how bad is it? Really? Does it take away from the overall story? It's style? No. And No. This is a winner. I love how Batman uses logic throughout the whole movie and outwits Darkseid at one point, which Darkseid even acknowledges. Buy it. Watch it with the kids. Or watch it alone. Or with friends. These DC animated movies kick ass, Mang.
Check out Ed Asner as Granny Goodness! Great voice work by Summer Glau as Supergirl and Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy are back as Supes and Batman.
Fine straight-to-DVD release from 2010. Well worth having and watching for years . High quality animation for all.

**Johann** · 07-18-2014, 12:17 PM

This is a Fine DVD of animated DC shorts, and this disc also has shorts on Jonah Hex, Green Arrow and The Spectre.

Superman and Shazam! appear in the same short movie here. Jerry O'Connell is the voice of Captain Marvel.
I won't spoil anything here for you, as it's a short film and it's easy to do so. I'll just say that it's awesome, with Black Adam featuring prominently.
Good action here, with Billy Batson caught up in some crazy magikal stuff.
It's only an hour, so it's not like it will sap your time. Highly recommended.
I will be posting about 4 more DC animated movies soon, I'm just cobbling my thoughts together for each one:
Justice League: The New Frontier
Wonder Woman- a great 2-DVD set
Batman:Year One (a personal favorite and also a 2-disc set) and
All-Star Superman (yet another glorious 2-DVD set)

It was also beyond cool to see Icon Henry Rollins doing the voice of Kilowog for Green Lantern: EMERALD KNIGHTS. That one and GL: First Flight are future purchases. Stay tuned Kids...:)

**Johann** · 07-18-2014, 02:49 PM

Comics Biz Legend Bruce Timm has his picks for selected animated shows that are included on some of these DVD's, to make each release a little more fuller, than just the animated feature. Mr. Timm has great taste in his selections of episodes to be included on some of these titles. I've enjoyed every single one he picked. I'll post more soon on each of them and why they are perfect complements to the features.

And most of the special feature interviews/sneak peeks on all of these DVD's have great context provided by DC staffers and editors and artists.
If you're not a fan already, it will be ironclad by the time you're neck-deep in these great animated movies. It is Manna from Heaven for comics fans.