Heroes of Tomorrow are Here Today!


Today is the day that may determine the fate of the Marvel Animated Features. Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow hits all major retail outlets today.

After underwhelming sales from the Doctor Strange DVD that came out a year ago, Lionsgate is hoping to see better results with Next Avengers. Lionsgate's contract with Marvel states that they can pull out at any time if they feel that the movies are not meeting their expectations.

Basically, if this DVD sells well, we'll see more movies. 'Nuff Said.

I will play my part and pick up this film, not because I want to see Next Avengers 2, but because I want to see a bright future for Marvel animated movies!

Also out today are the Blu-ray versions of Next Avengers and Invincible Iron Man, plus a value DVD double feature that includes Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.

Labels: 2008 Next Avengers Heroes of Tomorrow, News 2008 09

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  Lego Batman: the Animated Series?!

Now here's an interesting news story: Warner Bros Animation is developing a few new Batman projects for the new year. We will already be treated to Batman: The Brave and the Bold and the word is that the Batman/Superman story Public Enemies will be made into a direct-to-dvd feature film, but now there has been word of a new animated Batman project in the works:

Lego Batman!

You heard me right! The popular toy line-turned-videogame is being made into a 20 minute animated special! It is unclear at this time whether the special will be televised, online or direct-to-dvd. This is all very early buzz and we probably won't get an actual announcement from Warner Bros until early 2009. But doesn't this sound like fun?

Also, two other tidbits to get your mojo working: A solo Batman animated feature is in early pre-production as well as an online Plastic Man series!

Labels: News 2008 08

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  Marvel Anime in 2010?


According to a NY Times article, Marvel has partnered with Japanese animation studio Madhouse to produce four new animated series specifically for Japan for 2010.

But this won't simply be anime versions of the characters we know and love as we recently saw in Batman: Gotham Knights, instead the heroes will be recreated with backstories, costumes and personalities that are relevant to the Japanese culture.

"Marvel today is so open-minded," said Jungo Maruta, the president and chief executive of Madhouse, through his interpreter, Alex Yeh, the chief operating officer of the studio, during a recent meeting in New York. "Marvel gives creators freedom to fly."

Names that have been thrown around to get this anime treatment are Spider-Man, Wolverine and Iron Man. No surprises there. Marvel has taken their three biggest properties in order to ensure good ratings. I'm sure the fourth will be the Hulk.

I personally think this is a great idea. Marvel's What If... comics are some of my favourites along with alternate storylines like Age of Apocalypse, the Ultimate Universe and 2099 series. I love seeing these characters re imagined in a different light. So the proposition of a whole new Marvel universe has me very excited.

However, Marvel has already tried the whole Japanese-versions-of-superheroes thing with the short-lived Marvel Mangaverse comic books which weren't very good. I'm hoping that this will be better.

I already know the animation will be top notch. Madhouse has been animating since the mid 70s and have produced shows like Trigun, Ninja Scroll, Death Note and the In Darkness Dwells segment of Batman: Gotham Knight, as well as American animation such as the two Hellboy animated films and Todd McFarlane's Spawn.

Details are sparse right now but I will bring you much more information as I get it!

Labels: News 2008 08

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  Doomsday to Get a 2-Disc Release


For those of you who didn't buy Superman: Doomsday when it came out, your negligence has paid off!

Warner Home Entertainment is releasing a 2-Disc special edition of the film on November 25 on DVD and Blu-ray. Here is a list of the bonus features:

All-New Featurette "When Heroes Die: The Making of Superman: Doomsday"

Audio Commentary from the Superman Doomsday creative team

All-New Featurette "The Clash of the Juggernauts"

4 Bonus Episodes of Superman: The Animated Series (hand picked favorites by animation legend Bruce Timm)

"Requiem and Rebirth: Superman Lives!"

Superman: Doomsday 'Behind The Voices' Featurette

Justice League: New Frontier Featurette

Wonder Woman Sneak Peak Featurette

Labels: 2007 Superman Doomsday, News 2008 08

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  Brazil Gets Wolverine First!


It looks like Brazil beat everyone in the Wolverine and the X-Men debut race as Jetix Brazil aired the first episode, Hindsight, Part One, yesterday.

Jetix Brazil will be airing the show from Monday to Thursday at 3:30pm which means that they will burn through the 26 episodes in a matter of months whereas we here in North America will only get one episode a week.

Oh well, at least the Canadian premiere is only a week and a half away.

In the mean time, check out this cool photo gallery made up of screencaps from the trailer.

Labels: 2009 Wolverine and the X-Men, News 2008 08

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  All You Need to Know About the Next Avengers Kids


For those of you who can't wait for two weeks until the release of Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, Marvel Animation Age has released character descriptions of each of the kids in the upcoming animated feature. The article also includes an exclusive clip from the film.

Labels: 2008 Next Avengers Heroes of Tomorrow, News 2008 08

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  Spidey vs Doc Ock Has Arrived


I forgot to mention that yesterday Spider-Man vs Doctor Octopus was released by Morningstar Entertainment to Canadian retailers.

The single disc release is actually a release of an old VHS from the 80s. Since Disney owns the rights to the 67 Spider-Man series and Morningstar only owns the rights to this particular release, Morningstar is not allowed to make any changes to the feature. This means no restoration, no extra episodes, no extra features.

In fact, this DVD is pointless for collectors to purchase as both of the episodes on this disc have already been released a couple of times in much better quality. Click here for those details.

Labels: 1967 Spider-Man, News 2008 08

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  Guy Gardener Joins Brave & the Bold Guest Stars


This article at Collider.com with producer James Tucker, story editor Michael Jelenic, and the Batman's voice Diedrich Bader revealed a few new tidbits about Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

It looks like we will be treated to the Guy Gardener Green Lantern as well as the Huntress. It has also been a big mystery about what role Star Trek's Wil Wheaton will be playing in the series. Bader reveals that Wheaton will provided the voice of the new Blue Beetle!

Labels: 2008 Batman Brave and the Bold, News 2008 08

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  Out of the Past, Part One


Season: 3
Episode Number: 27
Season Episode Number: 1
Production Number: XM-301
Airdate: July 29, 1994

Writer: Michael Edens
Director: Larry Houston

Voices: Cedric Smith (Professor X), Cal Dodd (Wolverine), Chris Potter (Gambit), Alyson Court (Jubilee), Tasha Simms (Lady Deathstrike), John Stocker (Leech), Susan Roman (Calisto).

Plot: The Morlock Leech steals a weapon from a woman with long arms and long fingers. The woman and her cyborg team, the Reavers, pursue Leech to the Morlock tunnels only to find that the Morlocks were planning to use the weapon to open a giant ship that was found in the tunnels.

Unable to open it herself due to a powerful security force field, the woman forces Leech to draw Wolverine into the tunnels by saying her name is Yuriko. Upon hearing the name, Wolverine leaves immediately.

Wolverine recalls his time with Yuriko in Japan, years before joining the X-Men. He has to leave Japan and Yuriko when boys from the Academy call him to duty. He joins other in some sort of battle when he is ambushed and captured. Wolverine later wakes in glass cylinder. He is the experiment of a couple of doctors who are trying to fuse a metal called adamantium to his skeleton. The project works but Wolverine is able to use his new skeleton, including new claws, to break free of his prison. He returns to Japan to find that Yuriko has left.

Back to the present, Wolverine is ambushed in the tunnels and finally meets his long lost love, Lady Deathstrike! It turns out that she has spent years searching for Wolverine, not to rekindle their relationship, but to exact revenge on Wolverine because he killed her father, Professor Oyama, the man who designed the adamantium bonding process that was used on Wolverine!

In the following battle, Deathstrike and the Reavers are able to immobilize Wolverine and take him to the spaceship. Wolverine resists the Reavers and begins to fight them again, but this time he has the help of Gambit and Jubilee who followed him into the Morlock tunnels.

Lady Deathstrike is thrown into the ship's force field and Wolverine, trying to save the woman he loves, cuts open the ship to release her but unleashed a very powerful energy.

Review (Warning! Spoilers!): Season three kicks off with a bang as we see a glimpse into the history of Wolverine. Fans of the comics know the history of the Weapon X project far too well, but it is an untold story in animation. With just a taste of the story and how it affected Wolverine is a prefect tease.

This episode is well written and has some really great animation, especially the fight between Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike. The movements are clean and smooth and the incredibly detailed characters are animated with clarity. This is the first episode by Philippines animation studio and it shows that they wanted to prove what they could do.

The origin of Lady Deathstrike is a bit different here than in the comics. While her father, Professor Oyama, did invent the adamantium bonding process, she did not have any ties to Wolverine prior to him getting his metal skeleton. She also hated her father because he horribly scarred her face and killed her two brothers. It seems like the writers of this show wanted to create a character similar to Mariko, Wolverine's fiancée from years ago.

One thing that dates the show is the fact that Wolverine is surprised when he pops his claws for the first time in the Weapon X project. As it was revealed in the comics after this show aired, the metal on the claws actually cover bone claws that Wolverine has had since his birth.

DVD Releases:
X-Men: The Legend of Wolverine

Back to Episode Guide

Labels: 1992 X-Men

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