Weekend Round-Up

Here is a list of new superhero cartoons debuting this weekend:

Friday, January 30, 2009
Cartoon Network, 8:00pm
Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Journey to the Center of the Bat!

This week Batman's life hangs in the balance when he is poisoned by Chemo, who is under the control of the evil Brain. The Atom races to the rescue with Aquaman by shrinking down and entering Batman's bloodstream. While Aquaman and the Atom battle the infection deep inside Batman's body, Batman struggles to end Chemo's rampage and defeat the Brain! This week's teaser features Elongated Man and Plastic Man teaming up to derail a bank heist and capture the criminal Baby Face.

Saturday, January 31, 2009
YTV (Canada), 11:30am
Wolverine and the X-Men - Badlands

In the future, Professor Xavier and his new X-Men fight the Sentinels and come across Polaris, who lives alone and traumatized. Charles learns that Genosha was destroyed and Polaris was the only survivor.

Please note:

There will not be a new episode of Spectacular Spider-Man on Teletoon on Sunday due to a Wolverine and the X-Men marathon. The show will return next week.

There is a rumour going around that new episodes of Spectacular Spider-Man will be airing on NickToons UK on Saturday and Sunday. I can't seem to find a listing for the show on their website, so if you have any information on this please let me know!

Labels: 2008 Batman Brave and the Bold, 2008 Spectacular Spider-Man, 2009 Wolverine and the X-Men, News 2009 01

  ¶ 8:49 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Wolverine = Gold for Nicktoons

E! Online reports that 512,500 viewers tuned in to watch the hour-long Wolverine and the X-Men series premiere on Nicktoons on Friday night while another 2 million viewers watched the two-hour premiere on Nickelodeon on Sunday!

ICV2.com and B&C reports that Wolverine received the highest ratings of an original series premiere ever among kids from 6-11 for the Nicktoons Network.

The Nicktoons premiere did well with the 'tween market (ages 9-14). The first half-hour brought in an estimated 70,000, 60,000 of which were boys, while the second episode was watched by an estimated 134,000 tweens, with boys accounting for 89,000 of the total. The article goes into a few more details which I will let you read for yourself.

I have to say that I am extremely happy to hear about these stats. I was afraid that the fact that the show aired in Canada, Latin America and the UK before the US, and the fact that Nicktoons is not a basic cable channel, would seriously hurt the ratings.

But it looks like Wolverine is clawing his way to the top as usual, proving that quality programming and smart advertising wins every time! Wolverine and the X-Men has already aired 15 episodes up here where I am in Canada and it is a quality show. I hope that it gets renewed for a second and third season if they can keep up the quality.

Labels: 2009 Wolverine and the X-Men, News 2009 01

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  More X-Men DVD News - This Time With More Wolverine

Releasing a week earlier than Disney's two X-Men DVDs, Lionsgate will be collecting the first three episodes of the newly premiered Wolverine and the X-Men and a single disc package called Wolverine and the X-Men - Volume 1: Heroes Return Trilogy.

This first volume, which is scheduled for April 21, will include the episodes Hindsight, Parts 1-3 and will be presented in widescreen. Special features include creator commentary, a 'making of' featurette, and some of the promo clips that have been released online over the past few months.

Labels: 2009 Wolverine and the X-Men, News 2009 01

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  The Hulk Rampages Through Retail Outlets Today!

The wait is over! After months of hype, preview clips, interviews and hi-res pictures, the soon-to-be-classic Hulk Vs. hits retail outlets all over North America on DVD and Blu-ray today!

In case you've been living under a rock, this DVD is the fifth feature film from Marvel Animation and Lions Gate Films and features the Hulk as he battles Wolverine and Thor in two separate, but equally epic, stories by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost.

And don't forget that in the shadow of the Hulk is The All-New Super Friends Hour - Season One, Volume Two which is also being released today.

This two-disc package features eight hour-long episodes and completes the 15 episode run of the All-New Super Friends Hour on DVD.

Now please, excuse me, there are a lot of cartoons I need to watch.

Labels: 1977 All-New Super Friends Hour, 2009 Hulk Vs, News 2009 01

  ¶ 8:24 AM 1 Comments Links to this post

  Disney to Release X-Men DVDs!

In a move that everyone was beginning to think was never, ever going to happen, Disney has just announced that they will be releasing two 2-Disc DVD sets of the 90s X-Men series on April 28, 2009!

TV Shows on DVD brings us the report but the details are sparse. In fact, we really only have a release date, suggested retail price of $23.99, and some early cover art.



For those of you who don't know, Disney holds the rights to all Marvel animation from before 2000. The rights were sold to them when Marvel was declaring bankruptcy in the late 90s. So far, the only thing Disney has released is Spider-Man - the '67 Collection and Fantastic Four - the '94 Collection and a bunch of single disc compilations, and that was years ago.

Season sets of X-Men are something that fans have been asking for for years and now it looks like we might be on the right track. There is no word on the contents of the discs, but I'm hoping they are in production order and not theme based like their previous X-Men release, The Legend of Wolverine.

Labels: 1992 X-Men, News 2009 01

  ¶ 12:39 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Wil Wheaton on Brave and the Bold

The internet is buzzing with news about the special guest star in this Friday's episode. I'm talking about both the superhero guest star and the person who is providing the voice.

This Friday's episode is called Fall of the Blue Beetle and it includes a series of flashbacks telling the history of the previous Blue Beetle: Ted Kord!

But even more exciting than that is that Star Trek's Wil Wheaton will be playing Ted Kord! Wheaton has provided voices on Teen Titans and Legion of Super Heroes and is a huge fan of Batman and the Blue Beetle so it is like a dream come true for him.

Watch the video below, read the interview at World's Finest and tune in this Friday for the episode!

Labels: 2008 Batman Brave and the Bold, News 2009 01

  ¶ 8:42 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Hulk Vs. Concept Art

Check out Marvel.com for some exclusive concept art from the upcoming Hulk Vs. DVD.

Seven more days!

Labels: 2009 Hulk Vs, News 2009 01

  ¶ 8:24 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  11 Hulk vs Clips??

The January 27th release date for Hulk Vs. is quickly approaching, but I just stumbled across this webpage that has gathered all the clips that Marvel and Lionsgate has released to promote this movie.

I feel like this is getting to the point of overhype. The collected amount of footage in these clips is about 12 minutes, that is a good chunk of the 74 minute film. Every comic-based blog and forum is buzzing about this DVD and I can't help but wonder if the hype and expectations will be detrimental to this film.

Labels: 2009 Hulk Vs, News 2009 01

  ¶ 1:07 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  Weekend Round-Up

Here is a breakdown of new toons this weekend:

Friday, January 9, 2009
Cartoon Network, 8:00pm
Batman: The Brave and the Bold - Enter the Outsiders!

In this week's episode Batman and his mentor Wildcat face off against a group of teens--the Outsiders--whose violent pranks turn to criminal activity under the control of the evil Slug. Batman and B'Wana Beast team up to take down Black Manta in teaser.

Enter the Outsiders is chock-full of superheroes, including Wildcat (R. Lee Ermey), B'wana Beast (Andy Miller), Kitana (Vyvan Pham), Black Lightning (Bumper Robinson), Slug (Alex Polinsky), Metamorpho (Scott Menville), and Black Manta (Kevin Michael Richards). Brave and the Bold makes its Teletoon debut on Sunday at 9am.

Saturday, January 10, 2009
YTV, 11:30am
Wolverine and the X-Men - Battle Lines

Magneto sends his Acolytes to break several mutants out of prison. Meanwhile, the X-Men fight the Brotherhood and find Tildie Soames (a young mutant whose nightmares can manifest into monsters) is attacking the city while still in a coma-like state. Rogue questions her place in the Brotherhood and has to make a decision about her place in this war.

Please note that Wolverine is not on Friday night. The new episode will be aired on Saturday instead. Season one begins airing on Teletoon on Sunday at 10am.

Sunday, January 11, 2009
Teletoon, 10:30am
Spectacular Spider-Man - Blueprints

It's early December, and the first snow is falling. Peter Parker has a long "To Do" list – leading off with talking to Gwen Stacy about their surprise first kiss. But before he gets the chance, Spider-Man has a run in with the sorcerer Mysterio.

This is it! The beginning of season two featuring Mysterio (Xander Berkeley) and the Tinkerer (Thom Adcox)! Be sure to be a part of this show if you haven't seen any of it yet!

Labels: 2008 Batman Brave and the Bold, 2008 Spectacular Spider-Man, 2009 Wolverine and the X-Men, News 2009 01

  ¶ 7:59 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

  More Spider-Man DVDs On the Way

The second volume of Spectacular Spider-Man, Rise of the Super-Villains, featuring episodes 4-6 and the third volume, The Goblin Strikes, will be released on March 17th.

Just like volume one, these single disc released will combine three episodes, with some extra footage, to create a seamless 90-minute movie. Most fans want a full season set, and word is it's on the way, but fans of the show will have to settle with this for now.

Below is early cover art for volume two. I'll post final art as well as volume three art work as it becomes available.



Morningstar Entertainment also continues their release of VHS on DVD in Canada with Spider-Man vs. the Vulture on February 17th.

The single disc features The Vulture Has Landed from the 1981 Spider-Man series and The Vulture's Prey/The Dark Terrors from the 1967 Spider-Man series.

Labels: 1967 Spider-Man, 1981 Spider-Man, 2008 Spectacular Spider-Man, News 2009 01

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