A Look Back at 2008

2008 has come and gone, but what a great year it was for fans of superhero animation! New shows, great movies, and lots of DVDs! Let's take a look back on the past year.

January 8: To start the year off on a good foot, WHV releases the first volume of the All-New Super Friends Hour on DVD. This is one of my favourite versions of the show due to its variety of stories and guest stars as well as the safety tips, magic tricks, de-coders and crafts!

Looking ahead: 2009 begins the same way with The All-New Super Friends Hour Volume Two being released on January 27th.

February 26: The second installment in Warner Bros. Animation's DC Universe Original Animated Movies is Justice League: New Frontier, an adaptation of the super popular graphic novel by Darwyn Cooke. Featuring the voices of David Boreanaz, Kyle MacLachlan, Lucy Lawless, Neil Patrick Harris and Jeremy Sisto, this feature length movie focuses on superhero life in the 50s, the Golden Age of comics, as they prepare for the dawning of a new age of superheroes.

This film is well-received by fans and even receives a Emmy nomination for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming One Hour Or More).

March 8: Fans say goodbye to The Batman as it ends its five year run on Kids'WB. Although the show had mixed reviews, especially from fans of Batman: TAS, most agree that this final season really improved the show with the inclusion of many of Batman's Justice League pals.

Throughout its run, The Batman won an Annie Award for Best New Animated Television Show 2004 and two Daytime Emmy Awards, one for Outstanding Achievement In Sound Editing and another for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program.

March 8: Sony Pictures Television and Culver Animation team up with Greg Weisman, the man behind the Gargoyles animated series, to bring us Spectacular Spider-Man! The show takes Peter Parker back to his high school days and early days of being Spider-Man and delivers great stories and solid animation. The first thirteen episodes air on what is now known as CW4Kids.

Looking ahead: The much anticipated second season of Spectacular Spider-Man will debut on January 11, 2009 on Canada's Teletoon network. The second season comes to the US in March on Disney XD.

April 5: Fans say goodbye to another DC Animated series this year. Legion of Super Heroes finishes up their second and final season on Kids'WB. The series was thought to have a third season but the plans fell through when Kids'WB was taken over by CW4Kids who didn't want the show in their programming block.

Looking ahead: While no season set have been released, fans of the show are hoping that 2009 will bring a complete series box set.

May 6: Canadian distributor Morningstar Entertainment begins to release DVD versions of old Marvel cartoons. While the rights to shows like The Marvel Super Heroes, the 1982 Incredible Hulk, and Spider-Man: the Animated Series belong to Disney, the distribution rights to previously released VHS were bought by Morningstar.

Beginning with Spider-Man: the Mutant Agenda, Morningstar releases nine DVDs that contain only two episodes over 2009, most of which are the only DVD releases for shows like Spider-Woman, the 1981 Spider-Man series and the New Fantastic Four.

Looking ahead: Morningstar will continue with their releases starting with Spider-Man vs. the Vulture on February 7th.

June 10: While not everyone's favourite show, Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes gets a complete series DVD box set, which is always a welcome gift for any tv series.

July 8: Bridging the gap between Nolan's Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, Batman: Gotham Knight features six vingettes, each produced by a different Japanese animation company. Kevin Conroy returns as the voice of the Caped Crusader.

Many love the film, many didn't like the concept or art direction. But it is a unique milestone in the history of superhero animation as it brings together two of the biggest mediums in modern television, superheroes and anime.

Looking ahead: Next up in the line of DC Universe Original Animated Movies is Wonder Woman, starring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion. The DVD will be released on March 3rd.

July 8: The Batman Season Five is released on DVD. This season is the favourite for many fans of the show and completes the DVD collection. Teen Titans Season Five is also released on DVD.

August 12: Warner Home Video releases an extra special 2-disc DVD: DC Super Heroes: the Filmation Adventures collects the rotating guest star segments of the Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure that feature Green Lantern, The Flash, Hawkman, The Atom, Justice League of America and Teen Titans. The cartoons are the first animated appearance for many DC superheroes and is a very important part of superhero animation.

Looking ahead: There are many more upcoming DVD releases from WHV, including the Fleischer's Superman films, The Zeta Project Season One, and the Plastic Man Comedy Adventure Show.

September 2: Marvel Animation and Lionsgate Entertainment release their fifth Marvel Animated Feature on DVD, Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow. This future tale tells the story of Tony Stark raising the children of the fallen Avengers when all of a sudden, they have to face the greatest threat to humanity - the return of Ultron!

The film was very well received despite the uncertainty of the fans due to the PG rating and the story focusing on kid versions of the Avengers before the film was released.

Looking ahead: To make up for this kid-friendly DVD, Marvel and Lionsgate will release Hulk Vs., two all-out brawls between the Hulk and Wolverine and Thor. It will be released on January 27th.

September 6: The second new animated series of 2008 for Marvel airs in Canada and proves to be a hit! Wolverine and the X-Men focuses on Wolverine as he tries to rebuild the team after a year of not speaking to each other. There is great writing, great animation, and great action!

US and UK fans get a few feathers ruffled when Wolverine and the X-Men airs on Latin American networks in August and Canadian networks in September and word is the US and the UK won't get the series until 2009.

Looking ahead: Canadian network YTV will continue to air new episodes starting January 3rd; Another Canadian network, Teletoon, will begin airing season one starting January 11th; Wolverine and the X-Men will finally come to the US network, Nicktoons, starting January 23rd.

November 4: Just in time for Christmas shopping, fans of Batman: the Animated Series were overjoyed with the release of Batman: the Complete Animated Series on DVD. This major box set includes an extra disc full of new bonus features, a full-colour booklet, and really sweet packaging!

November 14: Warner Bros. and DC Comics release their brand new Batman series based on the old comic book of the same name, Batman: the Brave and the Bold. The series features Batman teaming up with many different heroes and takes a much lighter tone than previous Batman cartoons. Fans had mixed opinions about the show and after four episode, there is still a variety of different opinions.

Looking ahead: Cartoon Network will continue to air new episodes from season one starting January 2nd. Brave and the Bold will come to Canada's Teletoon on January 11th.

November 21: A special sneak peek at Marvel next animated series, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, is shown on Canada's Teletoon. The series stars a young Tony Stark who has to create his armour to stop Obadiah Stane from taking over his late father's company.

The jury isn't out yet as to whether this series will be any good. Many fans already don't like it due to the 100% CGI style and the vast departure from story and character.

Looking ahead: The show joins Wolverine on Nicktoons in April and two Canadian networks, Teletoon and YTV, will air Iron Man in 2009.

December 2: To end the year, fans are treated to an extra special Christmas gift, a two-disc soundtrack to Batman: the Animated Series from La La Land Records. The soundtrack feature the scores from six episodes, plus bonus tracks and great liner notes.

Looking ahead: La La Land Records will be releasing more volumes of Batman: the Animated Series music if the response to this one is good. So buy your copy today!

That is 2008 in a nutshell! It has been a great year and it looks like 2009 will be just as good, if not better! There are a few things coming up in 2009 that I didn't mention above: Black Panther is set to air sometime in 2009 on the BET network; Two new animated DVDs, Thor: Tales from Asgard and Green Lantern should be headed our way in the latter half of the year; And we should get more news on new projects like Marvel Anime, Lego Batman, Thor, and Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes!

See you in 2009!

Labels: News 2008 12, Year in Review

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  Clips From This Friday's Batman: B&B

It has been a few weeks since we have seen new episodes of Batman: the Brave and the Bold, but just recently I have found these two clips from the upcoming episode, Day of the Dark Knight, which is scheduled for Friday, January 2.

In these clips you will see Batman and Green Arrow in the Medieval Times teaming up with Merlin to stop Morgan Le Fey and the Demon Etrigan from turning everyone in Camelot into stone.

You will also see Batman in really cool Bat-Armour that is probably included in this episode in order to sell a toy.

Check out Marvel Animation Age for some hi-res photos from the episode.

Labels: 2008 Batman Brave and the Bold, News 2008 12

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  Four New Hulk Vs. Clips

Just in time for Christmas, Marvel.com has released four new clips from the upcoming Hulk Vs. DVD. Just over a month away, Hulk Vs. hits the stores on January 27!

The first is probably my favourite as it shows just how intense this movie is going to be. It is one minute of the Hulk beating the snot out of Wolverine.



The second clip is an interview with Nolan North, the voice of Deadpool (and Cyclops on Wolverine and the X-Men). It's a great clip and you get to see a bit more of Deadpool and Omega Red.



Clip number three shows Thor as he prepares for battle while Odin is in his Odinsleep.



This last clip shows a little bit more of the plot. Brothers must unite for the common good as they travel to what I am assuming is Niffleheim, the realm of the dishonoured dead. It could also be Hel which is for the dead that are neither honoured or dishonoured. Also in this clip is Ymir, the Ice Giant. UPDATE: Further research revealed to me that it is Hel in this clip because Niffleheim is an ice realm.

Labels: 2009 Hulk Vs, News 2008 12

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  Fully Restored Fleischer's Superman Coming to DVD!

I have just received an eflyer for a new DVD set of Max Fleischer's Superman series from 1941 (click the image on the right to see the ad). While most of you fans probably have all of these cartoons on DVD through cheapo $1 DVDs you can find at Wal-Mart, this one should be of special interest to you since it is a legit release by the company that owns the original masters.

Warner Bros., who owns DC Comics and the rights to Superman will be releasing a two-disc set collecting all nine Fleischer Superman cartoons and all eight Famous Studios Superman cartoons from 1941-1943 on April 7, 2009. All seventeen cartoons will be fully restored and given the same special treatment as seen with other classic cartoon properties such as Popeye the Sailor and Looney Tunes.

I should note that Warner Bros. has already released these restored cartoons as bonus features on the re-release DVDs of Superman: the Movie and Superman II from two years ago. But this is the first time they will all be collected together.

I thought it would be fun to look at the quality of these cartoons. Below I have posted a still from the restored version of Billion Dollar Limited.


Compare this to the next image, taken from what fans have considered the best print before the restoration, The Complete Superman Collection - Diamond Anniversary Edition DVD from Bosko Video.


However, since all of these Superman cartoons are in the public domain, any cheap DVD company can release these cartoons. But since none of them have access to the original prints, this is what they look like.



Even though I have these cartoons in about four different sets, I will definitely be purchasing this set and I encourage all of you to do so as well.

Labels: 1941 Superman, News 2008 12

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  Major Spectacular Season Two Spoilers!

Hop on over to Marvel Animation Age for an exclusive list of Spectacular Spider-Man's season two episode titles and descriptions for all thirteen episodes!

But be warned! MAJOR SPOILERS!

Labels: 2008 Spectacular Spider-Man, News 2008 12

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  Specatular Spidey heading to Disney and Canada!

It looks like Spectacular Spider-Man has found a new home, Disney XD. The network currently known as Toon Disney will relauch itself as Disney XD in an attempt to market itself to young boys. I can't think of a better show to help that process than Spectacular Spider-Man. Disney XD will premiere in March with the first episode of season two.

And speaking of season two, it looks like Canada will be getting new Spidey first! Teletoon has set Sunday, January 11, 2009 at 10:30am as the season premiere date for Spectacular Spider-Man season two. The season kicks off with Blueprints featuring Mysterio and the Master Planner. The second episode, Destructive Testing, will feature Kraven the Hunter.

Labels: 2008 Spectacular Spider-Man, News 2008 12

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  DC Direct Animated Universe Statues

A nice piece of merchandise to tie in with the Wonder Woman DVD will be coming your way March 2009. It is sculpted by James Shoop.


This other figure, based on Bruce Timm's Batman from Batman: the Animated Series will be released as part of the Batman: Black and White line of statues from DC Direct on May 31, 2009. The statue is designed by Bruce Timm and sculpted by James Shoop.

Labels: 1992 Batman the Animated Series, 2009 Wonder Woman, News 2008 12

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  Zeta Project DVD Information
Warner Home Video has released this e-announcement about the DVD release for the Batman Beyond spin-off series, The Zeta Project!

Unlike previous reports of this being a complete series collection, WHV will release all 12 season one episodes, plus the two Zeta appearances from Batman Beyond on two discs. The set is scheduled to hit the store on March 17!

A trailer for the DVD set has also been released. Watch it here.

Labels: 2001 Zeta Project, News 2008 12

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  New, Full-Length Hulk vs. Trailer

Marvel.com has released a new Hulk vs. trailer! This time, it's a full-length, two point five minute trailer that features more of the Weapon X team, including Deadpool, Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike and Omega Red!

I don't know about you but I'm getting tired of waiting! January 27 won't get here soon enough!

Labels: 2009 Wolverine and the X-Men, News 2008 12

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  Wonder Woman at the NYCC!

Wonder Woman will make its world premiere at the New York Comic Con on February 6, 2009 at 8:30pm in the IGN Theater. People on the East Coast will be able to take in the movie and then participate in a panel discussion featuring Bruce Timm along with other members of the cast and crew.

Man, I wish I was on the East Coast. I guess I'll have to wait until the DVD is released on March 3rd like everyone else.

News about the upcoming Green Lantern animated feature will probably be released at the Con.

Labels: 2009 Wonder Woman, News 2008 12

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  Wolverine Takes a Holiday

As some of you may have noticed, Wolverine and the X-Men did not air on YTV this past Saturday.

YTV has begun their annual tradition of using the Saturdays and Sundays in December as their vehicle for Christmas specials. Wolverine and the X-Men will return in January 2009 with episode 13, Battle Lines.

In the meantime, you can check out IGN.com who is putting up special videos, highlighting the X-Men as a build up to the January 23rd US premiere date.

Labels: 2009 Wolverine and the X-Men, News 2008 12

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  Wonder Woman 2-Disc Cover Art

Here is the cover art for the 2-disc release of Wonder Woman which will hit the store on March 3. Early reports said that there would be collectible packaging for the 2-disc version, so I'd expect that the cover will have some sort of foil based on this image. The Blu-ray release is similar.

Labels: 2009 Wonder Woman, News 2008 12

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  Wonder Woman Trade Ad Reveals Art for 2-Disc Package


I've already posted the cover art for the 1-Disc Wonder Woman DVD this morning, but something else has just come my way.

I'll post a better version of the 2-Disc DVD and Blu-ray cover art when I get it, but for now you'll have to be satisfied with this ad. Click on the above image to see the full advertisement.

Labels: 2009 Wonder Woman, News 2008 12

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  Toonz Entertainment Signs On for Wolverine S2!

India PRwire reports that the Singapore-based Toonz Entertainment has signed on to continue providing the animation for Marvel's Wolverine and the X-Men through its second season.

"This second season will bring fans even more fresh and exciting stories and take us even deeper into the X-Men universe," says P. Jayakumar, Toonz Chief Executive.

I don't know about you, but I'm quite happy to hear that the plans for Wolverine season two are getting underway. Since all of the same team will be involved in season two, you can bet there will be the same quality programming as we are getting for season one.

Labels: 2009 Wolverine and the X-Men, News 2008 12

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  Wonder Woman DVD Cover Art

Warner Bros. has released the cover art to the single disc version of the upcoming Wonder Woman DVD. The film comes out March 3, 2009.

Labels: 2009 Wonder Woman, News 2008 12

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  Superheroes at the Annies

The International Animated Film Society has released its list of nominations for the 2008 Annie Awards, a ceremony honouring the animation industry. There are a few nominations that are worth mentioning as they relate to our favourite subject - Superheroes! I have included the categories that include Superhero nominations as well as the competitors.

Best Animated Home Entertainment Production

Batman: Gotham Knight – Warner Bros. Animation

Christmas Is Here Again – Easy To Dream Entertainment

Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs – The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Justice League: The New Frontier – Warner Bros. Animation

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning – DisneyToon Studios

Character Design in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

Bryan Arnett – Mighty B! "Bat Mitzah Crashers" – Nickelodeon

Ben Balistreri - Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends "Mondo Coco" – Cartoon Network Studios

Sean Galloway The Spectacular Spider-Man – Sony Pictures Television

Jorge Gutierrez – El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera "The Good, The Bad, The Tigre" – Nickelodeon

Nico Marlet Secrets of the Furious Five – DreamWorks Animation

Music in an Animated Feature Production

Kevin Manthei – Batman: Gotham Knight – Warner Bros. Animation

John Powell – Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who – Blue Sky Studios

Max Richter – Waltz With Bashir – Sony Pictures Classics/Bridgit Folman, Les Films D’ici, Razor Films

William Ross – The Tale Of Despereaux – Universal Pictures

Hans Zimmer & John Powell – Kung Fu Panda – DreamWorks Animation

The 2008 Annie Awards will be held on Friday, January 30th, 2009. I will bring you the results when they are announced!

Labels: 2008 Batman Gotham Knight, 2008 Justice League new Frontier, 2008 Spectacular Spider-Man, News 2008 12

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