And Batman Volumes 1 and 2 are the only ones I don't have on DVD (well, Batman Beyond 2 and 3 as well, but that's because my brother took 'em, along with the uncut BB: ROTJ DVD).
Steve Presents: Reviews of Batman Animated Series and others
Moderator: Steve
Gaaaaah. "Mad as a Hatter" was on this week, but Toon Disney jumbled up their showings of Jackie Chan Adventures, Batman, Superman and a few other shows, tricking my DVR. So I didn't get it.
And Batman Volumes 1 and 2 are the only ones I don't have on DVD (well, Batman Beyond 2 and 3 as well, but that's because my brother took 'em, along with the uncut BB: ROTJ DVD).
And Batman Volumes 1 and 2 are the only ones I don't have on DVD (well, Batman Beyond 2 and 3 as well, but that's because my brother took 'em, along with the uncut BB: ROTJ DVD).
”A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air.” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt
"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia
American Conservatism is about the exercise of personal responsibility without state interference in the lives of the citizenry..... unless, of course, it involves using the bludgeon of state power to suppress things Conservatives do not like.
DONALD J. TRUMP IS A SEDITIOUS TRAITOR AND MUST BE IMPEACHED
"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia
American Conservatism is about the exercise of personal responsibility without state interference in the lives of the citizenry..... unless, of course, it involves using the bludgeon of state power to suppress things Conservatives do not like.
DONALD J. TRUMP IS A SEDITIOUS TRAITOR AND MUST BE IMPEACHED
Just a quickie review this time, don't feel like recapping it....
We fast forward almost a decade to.....
"Secret Origins", "In Blackest Night", and "Enemy Below".
"Secret Origins", is, of course, the pilot to Justice League. Superman and Batman make their comebacks, with George Newburn replacing Tim Daly as the voice of Kal-El, and Michael Rosenbaum replaces Charlie Schlatter as the Scarlet Speedster (Who ironically was recently tapped to be Flash again in the newer "The Batman" series). Michael Greco's Kyle Rayner from "In Brightest Day" is replaced by a reimagining of Hal Jordan's old backup John Stewart, who is written as a hard-nosed retired Marine and is voiced by the talented Phil LaMarr. For the first time we hear Susan Eisenburg as Diana of Themyscira, Maria Canals as the feisty Shayera Hol, and Carl Lumbly as the Martian Manhunter.
Justice League kicked off with a bang; an alien invasion, this time global as opposed to Darkseid's focus on Metropolis and the similarly-small invasion led by the brainwashed Supes, and all the characters brought together by chance or J'onn J'onnz' telepathy to combat it. The characters are introduced and their basic personalities made clear, we get some twists and turns (Such as the Dark Knight's supposed demise in battle, adding dramatic and forboding weight to the run up to the climax), and the show ends with Batman providing the base and means for Superman to unite the seven into the Justice League (complete with a fun "What, you mean like a bunch of Super Friends?" remark from Wally).
The music was good, hitting a grand heroic height in the final combat, and Timm and crew set up the season to come (Even if, of course, we get the first hints of Season 1's problem of nerfing the Man of Steel).
I give it a 4/5.
Then we get "In Blackest Night". An immediate jump into the space-faring side of the DC universe, first hinted at in Superman, with the purported destruction of a planet at John Stewart's hand. The Manhunters show up to provide us with an antagonist, aided by a weasely alien smuggler voiced excellently by Rene Auberjonis aka Odo from Deep Space Nine (I also believe Auberjonis did double duty and voiced one of the Guardians). We get a look at a number of known Green Lanterns, including everyone's favorite poozer Kilowog, who is voiced by insurance ad guy Dennis Haysbert, who more recently has entertained CBS viewers every Tuesday night as Sgt. Jonas "Snake Doctor" Blaine in "The Unit" (Haysbert had seen other bit parts in Superman and Batman, with his most prominent prior role being the police chief in Static Shock)
The climax is cool, the action well-paced, but a number of elements fall flat, such as all the Lanterns shunning John or the fact that a space-faring civilization and all those Green Lanterns failed to pick up on what Superman does from the getgo; if a planet's been blown up, why the hell is the moon acting like it's still there? I'm no astrophysicist, but one would think that even with inertia and stuff, the loss of the gravity well would lead to detectable shifts in the moon's direction if the characters are wrong and it simply wouldn't "fly off".
Due to my dislike of having the Lanterns turn their backs like that, and the fact that the space-faring civilization in question has to be completely retarded (I also dislike their legal system, but that's hardly as unrealistic; shooting the lawyer sounds like something the Soviets might've done too), I'm not going to grade this as high as the other major Green Lantern episode would get (that being "Hearts and Minds", and admittedly it wasn't as major a Lantern episode in terms of appearances).
3.8/5.
And now we're on to "Enemy Below", which was awesome. Scott Rummel replaces Miguel Ferrer as the King of Atlantis, and doing away with his classical orange scale shirt and green tights from STAS' "A Fish Story" by having him grow his hair out, add a beard and 'stache, and go shirtless.
Let's face it. People make fun of Aquaman. "His power is talking to fish!" and all. How can such a guy work with the big guns of the Justice League, one may ask? Well, this Aquaman leaves no dispute as to his worthiness. He is pure unconcentrated badass. Rummel does an excellent job with the voice, matched by the designers and artists with his appearance, to create the image of a confident, passionate, and arrogant King. Much like Susan Eisenburg gives Diana the misleading softness to her voice as a way of giving it a sense of regal grace, Rummel's voice also has that regal sense, though differently. Aquaman's voice and tone emphasizes regal power and strength. He is the King; who are you to question or interfere with him?
It's a flaw, mind you, which shows up when he mistakes Superman's invitation to negotiation as an invitation to lay out his final terms on threat of war, when he contemptuously knocks GL out to leave the hospital, and when he returns to Atlantis and has to deal with his brother's palace coup. But there is no denying the power behind the character. Again for the prior allusion, if Susan Eisenburg's Diana is enhanced by her ability to give her voice regal grace, Aquaman's is full of power, passion, and strength. And for his character, it works, and it works well.
As if that wasn't enough to cement his badass rep, the man slices off his own hand. To repeat, he cut off his own hand, freed his son, and swam back to Atlantis.
Badass.
And, of course, Batfans get a treat when Deadshot remains defiant all the way up until Batman takes him to the side and says something to him, prompting the hardened mercenary to tell all. We don't know what he said, but we know that it was bad enough that when Diana asks Clark about it, Big Blue's reply is "You don't want to know".
My only qualm? The Atlantean doomsday weapon. I'm not sure of the physics of it, but could it begin melting ice that quick? That's an awful lot of ice, and the heat clearly wasn't so high that simply being nearby didn't flashfry Aquaman, Orm, Bruce, and John.
In the end, I give the episode a 4.1/5 (since I enjoy it a wee bit more than the pilot).
And there we go.
We fast forward almost a decade to.....
"Secret Origins", "In Blackest Night", and "Enemy Below".
"Secret Origins", is, of course, the pilot to Justice League. Superman and Batman make their comebacks, with George Newburn replacing Tim Daly as the voice of Kal-El, and Michael Rosenbaum replaces Charlie Schlatter as the Scarlet Speedster (Who ironically was recently tapped to be Flash again in the newer "The Batman" series). Michael Greco's Kyle Rayner from "In Brightest Day" is replaced by a reimagining of Hal Jordan's old backup John Stewart, who is written as a hard-nosed retired Marine and is voiced by the talented Phil LaMarr. For the first time we hear Susan Eisenburg as Diana of Themyscira, Maria Canals as the feisty Shayera Hol, and Carl Lumbly as the Martian Manhunter.
Justice League kicked off with a bang; an alien invasion, this time global as opposed to Darkseid's focus on Metropolis and the similarly-small invasion led by the brainwashed Supes, and all the characters brought together by chance or J'onn J'onnz' telepathy to combat it. The characters are introduced and their basic personalities made clear, we get some twists and turns (Such as the Dark Knight's supposed demise in battle, adding dramatic and forboding weight to the run up to the climax), and the show ends with Batman providing the base and means for Superman to unite the seven into the Justice League (complete with a fun "What, you mean like a bunch of Super Friends?" remark from Wally).
The music was good, hitting a grand heroic height in the final combat, and Timm and crew set up the season to come (Even if, of course, we get the first hints of Season 1's problem of nerfing the Man of Steel).
I give it a 4/5.
Then we get "In Blackest Night". An immediate jump into the space-faring side of the DC universe, first hinted at in Superman, with the purported destruction of a planet at John Stewart's hand. The Manhunters show up to provide us with an antagonist, aided by a weasely alien smuggler voiced excellently by Rene Auberjonis aka Odo from Deep Space Nine (I also believe Auberjonis did double duty and voiced one of the Guardians). We get a look at a number of known Green Lanterns, including everyone's favorite poozer Kilowog, who is voiced by insurance ad guy Dennis Haysbert, who more recently has entertained CBS viewers every Tuesday night as Sgt. Jonas "Snake Doctor" Blaine in "The Unit" (Haysbert had seen other bit parts in Superman and Batman, with his most prominent prior role being the police chief in Static Shock)
The climax is cool, the action well-paced, but a number of elements fall flat, such as all the Lanterns shunning John or the fact that a space-faring civilization and all those Green Lanterns failed to pick up on what Superman does from the getgo; if a planet's been blown up, why the hell is the moon acting like it's still there? I'm no astrophysicist, but one would think that even with inertia and stuff, the loss of the gravity well would lead to detectable shifts in the moon's direction if the characters are wrong and it simply wouldn't "fly off".
Due to my dislike of having the Lanterns turn their backs like that, and the fact that the space-faring civilization in question has to be completely retarded (I also dislike their legal system, but that's hardly as unrealistic; shooting the lawyer sounds like something the Soviets might've done too), I'm not going to grade this as high as the other major Green Lantern episode would get (that being "Hearts and Minds", and admittedly it wasn't as major a Lantern episode in terms of appearances).
3.8/5.
And now we're on to "Enemy Below", which was awesome. Scott Rummel replaces Miguel Ferrer as the King of Atlantis, and doing away with his classical orange scale shirt and green tights from STAS' "A Fish Story" by having him grow his hair out, add a beard and 'stache, and go shirtless.
Let's face it. People make fun of Aquaman. "His power is talking to fish!" and all. How can such a guy work with the big guns of the Justice League, one may ask? Well, this Aquaman leaves no dispute as to his worthiness. He is pure unconcentrated badass. Rummel does an excellent job with the voice, matched by the designers and artists with his appearance, to create the image of a confident, passionate, and arrogant King. Much like Susan Eisenburg gives Diana the misleading softness to her voice as a way of giving it a sense of regal grace, Rummel's voice also has that regal sense, though differently. Aquaman's voice and tone emphasizes regal power and strength. He is the King; who are you to question or interfere with him?
It's a flaw, mind you, which shows up when he mistakes Superman's invitation to negotiation as an invitation to lay out his final terms on threat of war, when he contemptuously knocks GL out to leave the hospital, and when he returns to Atlantis and has to deal with his brother's palace coup. But there is no denying the power behind the character. Again for the prior allusion, if Susan Eisenburg's Diana is enhanced by her ability to give her voice regal grace, Aquaman's is full of power, passion, and strength. And for his character, it works, and it works well.
As if that wasn't enough to cement his badass rep, the man slices off his own hand. To repeat, he cut off his own hand, freed his son, and swam back to Atlantis.
Badass.
And, of course, Batfans get a treat when Deadshot remains defiant all the way up until Batman takes him to the side and says something to him, prompting the hardened mercenary to tell all. We don't know what he said, but we know that it was bad enough that when Diana asks Clark about it, Big Blue's reply is "You don't want to know".
My only qualm? The Atlantean doomsday weapon. I'm not sure of the physics of it, but could it begin melting ice that quick? That's an awful lot of ice, and the heat clearly wasn't so high that simply being nearby didn't flashfry Aquaman, Orm, Bruce, and John.
In the end, I give the episode a 4.1/5 (since I enjoy it a wee bit more than the pilot).
And there we go.
”A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air.” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt
"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia
American Conservatism is about the exercise of personal responsibility without state interference in the lives of the citizenry..... unless, of course, it involves using the bludgeon of state power to suppress things Conservatives do not like.
DONALD J. TRUMP IS A SEDITIOUS TRAITOR AND MUST BE IMPEACHED
"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia
American Conservatism is about the exercise of personal responsibility without state interference in the lives of the citizenry..... unless, of course, it involves using the bludgeon of state power to suppress things Conservatives do not like.
DONALD J. TRUMP IS A SEDITIOUS TRAITOR AND MUST BE IMPEACHED
Defintely one of my favorite moments from Season 1. It's certainly better than how he lost his hand in mainstream continuity (bit off by a school of mind-controlled pirhanas; yeesh...Steve wrote:As if that wasn't enough to cement his badass rep, the man slices off his own hand. To repeat, he cut off his own hand, freed his son, and swam back to Atlantis.
)
Wasn't it a school of non-mind-controlled piranha, that he just couldn't communicate with?JME2 wrote:Defintely one of my favorite moments from Season 1. It's certainly better than how he lost his hand in mainstream continuity (bit off by a school of mind-controlled pirhanas; yeesh...Steve wrote:As if that wasn't enough to cement his badass rep, the man slices off his own hand. To repeat, he cut off his own hand, freed his son, and swam back to Atlantis.
Ceci n'est pas une signature.
You are correct, sir; my mistake. But the animated depiction is still better IMHO.Molyneux wrote:Wasn't it a school of non-mind-controlled piranha, that he just couldn't communicate with?JME2 wrote:Defintely one of my favorite moments from Season 1. It's certainly better than how he lost his hand in mainstream continuity (bit off by a school of mind-controlled pirhanas; yeesh...Steve wrote:As if that wasn't enough to cement his badass rep, the man slices off his own hand. To repeat, he cut off his own hand, freed his son, and swam back to Atlantis.
Since I'm lazy, and since I can't jog my memory on them now since my brother borrowed the sets.....
A short review of the next disc from JL Season 1.
"Injustice for All":
It kicks off with the shocking moment of Lex Luthor apparently killing Superman in his office with a chunk of kryptonite. A dying Superman asks Lex how he managed to get weapons to terrorists. Luthor names a few names.... and turns to find Superman standing tall, talking normally and not weakly. Luthor screams, "The Kryptonite!" and holds the shining chunk closer to Superman.... who is revealed as J'onn. Green Lantern and Batman swoop in, snatch the chunk, and try to arrest Lex, who escapes with a combat craft (the same, IIRC, that was used in "Brave New Metrpolis", or some other STAS episode) and is trying to evade Superman when he grabs his chest painfully and loses control. When he wakes up, Superman and a doctor reveal to him that prolonged exposure to Kryptonite has caused him to come down with a rare, terminal blood disease (later revealed as cancer in JLU, and also tying in to "World's Finest" when Alfred's research reveals that the prior owners of the kryptonite Jade Dragon had died of illnesses while still young).
In that one fell swoop, the paradigm of Lex Luthor from STAS is altered, and won't be restored until a brief period in JLU where it mixes, excellently with the Cadmus Arc. We then get introduced to the Ultra-Humanite, one of my favorite villains from Justice League (and so woefully underused IMHO, only appearing afterward in the only half-hour episode of the first two seasons, Season 2's "Comfort and Joy"), voiced eloquently by the Scottish actor Ian Buchanan, mostly a mainstay of soap operas but also having guest spots in shows like Alias and Stargate: SG-1 (where he played the first sentient Replicator, the aptly named First). Humanite springs Luthor from prison, the two detonate a building to set up their escape (also setting up the show's B plot, that of Batman's worth as a non-powered human in a group of superpowered capes), and Luthor hires a team of superpowered crooks to help him get his revenge on the Justice League, leading to the premiere appearances of several new villains from respective characters' rogue galleries; Wonder Woman's Cheetah, Flash's Shade, Green Lantern's Star Sapphire, plus Copperhead and Solomon Grundy (I'm not sure who's villains they are, though given the Manhunter comic making Copperhead and Shadow Thief friends, I suspect Copperhead is a Hawkman foe).
The first battle comes and goes, with Copperhead nearly killing Bruce and in turn getting knocked out and captured himself. Meanwhile the depleted Injustice Gang nearly revolts on Luthor, who shows a clear fatalism when he dares Solomon Grundy to killn him. Grundy replies, "You're crazy", prompting a reply from the latest arrival; the Clown Prince of Crime himself. Joker tries to charm his way into the gang, and Luthor is clearly not accepting it, but his attempt to sic Grundy on Joker fails with a squirt of gas from Joker's trademark flower. At that point Joker reveals his usefulness: "I know how the Bat thinks!" And sitting atop Grundy, he shows off the Bat-tracer he just picked off Luthor's collar, all leading up to an end to the first part with Joker helping Luthor and his gang capture Batman.
And, well.... bleh, I said I was lazy and here I go with a detailed explaination, so let's sum up Part 2 for what makes it so damned entertaining and thus one of the premiere episodes of the series. Batman, as a prisoner of Luthor, completely derails his entire operation with mind-fuckings and manipulations. When Luthor rebuffs Joker's pleas to just kill the Bat, and all of the crooks look at Luthor quizzically for why he's not, Luthor's wide-eyed "What?!" and list of security measures make the viewers just shake their heads chuckling, as we all know Batman's just as dangerous when a prisoner as he is when he's not.
And, perhaps, he's even more dangerous.
Finally, after a bigass battle and the introduction of Luthor's powersuit, we get the grand moment that seals Batman's awesomeness in the episode; the Ultra-Humanite being led out by cops, stopping to ask Batman "You'll keep your part of the bargain?", and Batman's reply: "Yes. Double what Luthor was paying."
Ultra-Humanite grins wickedly and is led off, and from the first time I saw this to just a couple of days ago, my response is always the same; laughter. I simply love this moment.
And, of course, its topped off with Ultra-Humanite torturing an enraged Luthor in the adjacent cell, listening to Japanese opera at high volume as Luthor shouts threats, and a final moment: the program ends and we get the PBS-style remark: "Paid for with a grant from the Ultra-Humanite and viewers like you", while the Humanite sits and smiles contentedly.
And to briefly rewind as I wrap this review up.....
Wally: "Yeah, and I had that fire out before the firemen even got there."
Shayera: "That's fast."
Wally: "Fastest man alive!"
Shayera: "Which explains why you can't get a date."
Wally: "Yeah..... hey, what does that mean?!"
I always love this exchange because, let's face it, its an innocent sounding gib by Shayera at Wally's bedroom prowess. Timm and co know all too well that so much of their fanbase isn't just 11 years old but 21. A clever joke written so as to avoid the censors and soccer moms waiting for an excuse to pitch a fit.
Final score: 4.5/5. One of the best episodes of Season 1, and sets up elements for Season 2 and Season 5 as well (namely, Luthor's experience being an appropriate education to a certain other criminal mastermind who had yet to appear, but would in just a few episodes).
And now to simply summarize the next two (if anyone wants a bigger summary/review, go ahead):
"Paradise Lost"
We finally get closure to the pilot and Diana slipping out of Themyscira, and we get two excellent foes: Felix Faust and Hades, voiced by Robert Englund (the infamous Freddy Kreuger of horror-flick fame) and John Rhys-Davies (We should all know who he is, not just Gimli from LOTR but various other roles in the geek-related genre, including Sallah in Indiana Jones and James "Paladin" Taggert in the Wing Commander games, plus he also voiced the Mighty Thor in the 90s Fantastic Four animated series and MacBeth in Disney's Gargoyles). The fight with Hades was awesome, Flash provided some good humor here and there (including that side-splitting "Woooh! Give this guy a breath mint!" moment when he's evading Hades' firebreath and that hilarious moment in Faust's apartment with the energy scepter). The final scene was the kind of bittersweet drama that the team would do so well later on (most notoriously at the end of "The Terror Beyond" and "Starcrossed"), with Diana's banishment from Themyscira.
I give the episode a 4.5/5.
Now we get to "War World" and the premiere of Mongul (voiced by Eric Roberts), also featuring Hollywood veteran William Smith, the last Marlboro Man, as Draaga. Superman is forced to become a gladiator by Mongul, the egomaniacal populist dictator of War World who, in true Roman fashion, uses bread and circuses to keep his jobless and starving population happy while he rules them with an iron fist. Superman is forced to fight the reigning champion, Draaga, first, and after a vicious battle he defeats him (and this is one of the few first season episodes, IIRC, where Superman didn't get so badly nerfed) but refuses to kill Draaga as Mongul and the audience demands. This earns Superman a death sentence, but luckily J'onn is in the crowd to start chanting "Superman!" and the crowd picks up the shout, forcing Mongul to spare the defiant Man of Steel.
The other gladiators escape, and take Draaga with them at Clark's request, while Clark is forced to fight a fixed match with Mongul that is guaranteed by Mongul's threat of firing a death ray at Draaga's homeworld is he is defeated. Fortunately for Superman (And for Draaga, who shows up on the battlefield to attack Superman for dishonoring him by not slaying him), John, Shayera, and J'onn disable the Beam Cannon (which includes the weirdness of Shayera being capable of knocking a planet-damaging beam back into it's barrel.....) and Superman's hands are untied. Draaga beats him to the punch, and as the League watches and cheers him on, Draaga beats Mongul to the roars of the crowd, even Mongul's Prime Minister. Draaga spares Mongul's life, declaring him unworthy of the honor of death in battle, and asks Superman to take Mongul's crown. Superman instead returns it to Draaga, who insists he's "not worthy" of it, for he has no honor. Superman gives him the all-too-true line of, "Honor isn't in how you die, but how you live", and Green Lantern flies them all away.
This was a solid episode. Not up to the high standards of Season 2 (which IMHO is still the best Justice League season ever, by a hair over Season 4), but good enough for Season 1. So I give it a 4/5.
And that does it. That certainly went a lot longer than I'd planned.....
If you want more Season 1, it'll have to wait. My brother just borrowed a bunch of DVD sets from me. That means all I have available for viewing now, besides ToonDisney airings, are BTAS Vol. 3 and Vol. 4, the entire run of STAS, and the final three seasons.
Of course, that supposes you actually want me to write more of these reviews, complete with pendantic listings of guest VAs and what they've done.
A short review of the next disc from JL Season 1.
"Injustice for All":
It kicks off with the shocking moment of Lex Luthor apparently killing Superman in his office with a chunk of kryptonite. A dying Superman asks Lex how he managed to get weapons to terrorists. Luthor names a few names.... and turns to find Superman standing tall, talking normally and not weakly. Luthor screams, "The Kryptonite!" and holds the shining chunk closer to Superman.... who is revealed as J'onn. Green Lantern and Batman swoop in, snatch the chunk, and try to arrest Lex, who escapes with a combat craft (the same, IIRC, that was used in "Brave New Metrpolis", or some other STAS episode) and is trying to evade Superman when he grabs his chest painfully and loses control. When he wakes up, Superman and a doctor reveal to him that prolonged exposure to Kryptonite has caused him to come down with a rare, terminal blood disease (later revealed as cancer in JLU, and also tying in to "World's Finest" when Alfred's research reveals that the prior owners of the kryptonite Jade Dragon had died of illnesses while still young).
In that one fell swoop, the paradigm of Lex Luthor from STAS is altered, and won't be restored until a brief period in JLU where it mixes, excellently with the Cadmus Arc. We then get introduced to the Ultra-Humanite, one of my favorite villains from Justice League (and so woefully underused IMHO, only appearing afterward in the only half-hour episode of the first two seasons, Season 2's "Comfort and Joy"), voiced eloquently by the Scottish actor Ian Buchanan, mostly a mainstay of soap operas but also having guest spots in shows like Alias and Stargate: SG-1 (where he played the first sentient Replicator, the aptly named First). Humanite springs Luthor from prison, the two detonate a building to set up their escape (also setting up the show's B plot, that of Batman's worth as a non-powered human in a group of superpowered capes), and Luthor hires a team of superpowered crooks to help him get his revenge on the Justice League, leading to the premiere appearances of several new villains from respective characters' rogue galleries; Wonder Woman's Cheetah, Flash's Shade, Green Lantern's Star Sapphire, plus Copperhead and Solomon Grundy (I'm not sure who's villains they are, though given the Manhunter comic making Copperhead and Shadow Thief friends, I suspect Copperhead is a Hawkman foe).
The first battle comes and goes, with Copperhead nearly killing Bruce and in turn getting knocked out and captured himself. Meanwhile the depleted Injustice Gang nearly revolts on Luthor, who shows a clear fatalism when he dares Solomon Grundy to killn him. Grundy replies, "You're crazy", prompting a reply from the latest arrival; the Clown Prince of Crime himself. Joker tries to charm his way into the gang, and Luthor is clearly not accepting it, but his attempt to sic Grundy on Joker fails with a squirt of gas from Joker's trademark flower. At that point Joker reveals his usefulness: "I know how the Bat thinks!" And sitting atop Grundy, he shows off the Bat-tracer he just picked off Luthor's collar, all leading up to an end to the first part with Joker helping Luthor and his gang capture Batman.
And, well.... bleh, I said I was lazy and here I go with a detailed explaination, so let's sum up Part 2 for what makes it so damned entertaining and thus one of the premiere episodes of the series. Batman, as a prisoner of Luthor, completely derails his entire operation with mind-fuckings and manipulations. When Luthor rebuffs Joker's pleas to just kill the Bat, and all of the crooks look at Luthor quizzically for why he's not, Luthor's wide-eyed "What?!" and list of security measures make the viewers just shake their heads chuckling, as we all know Batman's just as dangerous when a prisoner as he is when he's not.
And, perhaps, he's even more dangerous.
Finally, after a bigass battle and the introduction of Luthor's powersuit, we get the grand moment that seals Batman's awesomeness in the episode; the Ultra-Humanite being led out by cops, stopping to ask Batman "You'll keep your part of the bargain?", and Batman's reply: "Yes. Double what Luthor was paying."
Ultra-Humanite grins wickedly and is led off, and from the first time I saw this to just a couple of days ago, my response is always the same; laughter. I simply love this moment.
And, of course, its topped off with Ultra-Humanite torturing an enraged Luthor in the adjacent cell, listening to Japanese opera at high volume as Luthor shouts threats, and a final moment: the program ends and we get the PBS-style remark: "Paid for with a grant from the Ultra-Humanite and viewers like you", while the Humanite sits and smiles contentedly.
And to briefly rewind as I wrap this review up.....
Wally: "Yeah, and I had that fire out before the firemen even got there."
Shayera: "That's fast."
Wally: "Fastest man alive!"
Shayera: "Which explains why you can't get a date."
Wally: "Yeah..... hey, what does that mean?!"
I always love this exchange because, let's face it, its an innocent sounding gib by Shayera at Wally's bedroom prowess. Timm and co know all too well that so much of their fanbase isn't just 11 years old but 21. A clever joke written so as to avoid the censors and soccer moms waiting for an excuse to pitch a fit.
Final score: 4.5/5. One of the best episodes of Season 1, and sets up elements for Season 2 and Season 5 as well (namely, Luthor's experience being an appropriate education to a certain other criminal mastermind who had yet to appear, but would in just a few episodes).
And now to simply summarize the next two (if anyone wants a bigger summary/review, go ahead):
"Paradise Lost"
We finally get closure to the pilot and Diana slipping out of Themyscira, and we get two excellent foes: Felix Faust and Hades, voiced by Robert Englund (the infamous Freddy Kreuger of horror-flick fame) and John Rhys-Davies (We should all know who he is, not just Gimli from LOTR but various other roles in the geek-related genre, including Sallah in Indiana Jones and James "Paladin" Taggert in the Wing Commander games, plus he also voiced the Mighty Thor in the 90s Fantastic Four animated series and MacBeth in Disney's Gargoyles). The fight with Hades was awesome, Flash provided some good humor here and there (including that side-splitting "Woooh! Give this guy a breath mint!" moment when he's evading Hades' firebreath and that hilarious moment in Faust's apartment with the energy scepter). The final scene was the kind of bittersweet drama that the team would do so well later on (most notoriously at the end of "The Terror Beyond" and "Starcrossed"), with Diana's banishment from Themyscira.
I give the episode a 4.5/5.
Now we get to "War World" and the premiere of Mongul (voiced by Eric Roberts), also featuring Hollywood veteran William Smith, the last Marlboro Man, as Draaga. Superman is forced to become a gladiator by Mongul, the egomaniacal populist dictator of War World who, in true Roman fashion, uses bread and circuses to keep his jobless and starving population happy while he rules them with an iron fist. Superman is forced to fight the reigning champion, Draaga, first, and after a vicious battle he defeats him (and this is one of the few first season episodes, IIRC, where Superman didn't get so badly nerfed) but refuses to kill Draaga as Mongul and the audience demands. This earns Superman a death sentence, but luckily J'onn is in the crowd to start chanting "Superman!" and the crowd picks up the shout, forcing Mongul to spare the defiant Man of Steel.
The other gladiators escape, and take Draaga with them at Clark's request, while Clark is forced to fight a fixed match with Mongul that is guaranteed by Mongul's threat of firing a death ray at Draaga's homeworld is he is defeated. Fortunately for Superman (And for Draaga, who shows up on the battlefield to attack Superman for dishonoring him by not slaying him), John, Shayera, and J'onn disable the Beam Cannon (which includes the weirdness of Shayera being capable of knocking a planet-damaging beam back into it's barrel.....) and Superman's hands are untied. Draaga beats him to the punch, and as the League watches and cheers him on, Draaga beats Mongul to the roars of the crowd, even Mongul's Prime Minister. Draaga spares Mongul's life, declaring him unworthy of the honor of death in battle, and asks Superman to take Mongul's crown. Superman instead returns it to Draaga, who insists he's "not worthy" of it, for he has no honor. Superman gives him the all-too-true line of, "Honor isn't in how you die, but how you live", and Green Lantern flies them all away.
This was a solid episode. Not up to the high standards of Season 2 (which IMHO is still the best Justice League season ever, by a hair over Season 4), but good enough for Season 1. So I give it a 4/5.
And that does it. That certainly went a lot longer than I'd planned.....
If you want more Season 1, it'll have to wait. My brother just borrowed a bunch of DVD sets from me. That means all I have available for viewing now, besides ToonDisney airings, are BTAS Vol. 3 and Vol. 4, the entire run of STAS, and the final three seasons.
Of course, that supposes you actually want me to write more of these reviews, complete with pendantic listings of guest VAs and what they've done.
”A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air.” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt
"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia
American Conservatism is about the exercise of personal responsibility without state interference in the lives of the citizenry..... unless, of course, it involves using the bludgeon of state power to suppress things Conservatives do not like.
DONALD J. TRUMP IS A SEDITIOUS TRAITOR AND MUST BE IMPEACHED
"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia
American Conservatism is about the exercise of personal responsibility without state interference in the lives of the citizenry..... unless, of course, it involves using the bludgeon of state power to suppress things Conservatives do not like.
DONALD J. TRUMP IS A SEDITIOUS TRAITOR AND MUST BE IMPEACHED
Solomon Grundy was, at least according to Wikipedia, originally a villain for the original Green Lantern - which makes sense, given Alan Scott's ring's weakness to wood and Grundy's Swamp-Thing-ishness.
And Steve - you missed "Injustice for All" proving that Batman is a furry (even if Catwoman hadn't), and the accidental survival of the Cheetah...who I believe is the only villain from that episode, other than the Joker and Lex themselves, who survives until the end of the series.
And Steve - you missed "Injustice for All" proving that Batman is a furry (even if Catwoman hadn't), and the accidental survival of the Cheetah...who I believe is the only villain from that episode, other than the Joker and Lex themselves, who survives until the end of the series.
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Star Sapphire and the Ultra-Humanite survive as well (the former's last apperance being the series finale and the latter's in Season 2's "Comfort and Joy").Molyneux wrote:Solomon Grundy was, at least according to Wikipedia, originally a villain for the original Green Lantern - which makes sense, given Alan Scott's ring's weakness to wood and Grundy's Swamp-Thing-ishness.
And Steve - you missed "Injustice for All" proving that Batman is a furry (even if Catwoman hadn't), and the accidental survival of the Cheetah...who I believe is the only villain from that episode, other than the Joker and Lex themselves, who survives until the end of the series.
You know you want to review "The Terrible Trio". Do it... And, when you get BTAS season 1 back, you can review that brilliant masterpiece of an episode "I've Got Batman in my Basement".Steve wrote:That means all I have available for viewing now, besides ToonDisney airings, are BTAS Vol. 3 and Vol. 4, the entire run of STAS, and the final three seasons.
Anyway, I'll give this review thing a shot with a personal favorite of mine: "POV"
I enjoy this episode, because it's probably about as close as we'd get to an animated Gotham Central. Plus it is one of the few times Renee Montoya really gets to shine (as she, rather than Batman, is clearly the star here), rather than generall showing up as a cop who happens to get a few lines here and there, and many times simply a non-speaking appearance (although her bit in "Harley and Ivy" was great). I think the only other time Montoya really gets anything like a character bit is her talking to Bullock in season 3's "A Bullet for Bullock" a bit. Although I certianly enjoyed her appearance in the aforementioned "Holiday Nights" episode, both literally (
)and for her actions.Anyway, on to a mini-summary (going on memory here, so bear with me):
The episode starts with Montoya and rookie cop Wilkes enroute to backup Bullock in a sting on some random Gotham gangsters (another high point of BTAS: we get regular crooks instead of it always being about the supervillians). However, when they arrive (with plenty of time to spare, according to Montoya) they find the building fully engulfed in flame, and Bullock beside his car, obviously hurt. Several criminals take off, and Wilkes pursues, while Montoya enters the burning warehouse on Bullock's information that more are inside. Additionally, we get an awesome shadow view of Batman against the flames.
The next act begins as an interrogation by an Internal Affairs lieutenant, demanding to know what went wrong, and how they lost the two million dollars, pretty much accusing them of being dirty cops. Commissioner Gordon, ever loyal to his people, of course doesn't believe this. At any rate, we get on to the three officer's stories:
First, Bullock. He arrives first, says that Montoya and Wilkes were late, and proceeds inside without even so much as waiting a bit (blaming this on seeing Batman enter the premesis). He attempts to sneak up on the crooks, and quite possibly would have, except he tripped on a can and lost his gun (he blames the noise that startled the crooks on Batman). When confronted by the crooks, a still gun-less Bullock nevertheless tells them that they're under arrest. The crooks, naturally, take exception to this. Cue fight scene, in which Bullock actually makes a fairly decent accounting of himself. However, a fire is started and he ends up trapped. Ultimately it his Batman who finally intervenes to save Bullock (though Bullock himself of course says that he saved Batman).
Next up the rookie, Wilkes. He tells his tale of Batman as someone obviously extremely impressed with him, implying Batman has super powers of his own, although we all know he doesn't. What's fun about this is that we see Batman take out the badguys through rather mundane means, although the description by the rookie cop makes him sound like he's the Green Lantern, just Goth.
A very good entry, and certainly demonstrates how many could well percieve the Bat to be something more than human, even though we the audience know he isn't.Finally we get Montoya, as she enters the warehouse. She confronts the badguys but they get into a tussle, and Batman comes to her rescue. We can tell she is rather impressed with the Caped Crusader, though certainly not as over-awed as Wilkes was. We also she that she is rather loyal to her fellow officers, taking Bullock's story at face-value when he described Batman as nearly dying ("He must have gotten his second wind..."). Batman ends up saving Montoya's life, though seemingly at the cost of his own, as he pushes her out of the way of falling beams and seems to have been himself crushed. The badguys, on the other side of the beams, make their escape.
Back to the IA office. The lieutenant observes that he has three officers with two stories (Bullock vs Wilkes and Montoya, about who was or wasn't late). After a brief argument with Gordon, he suspends the three officers and orders them to turn in their badges and guns.
The story continues, with Renee attempting to put together some clues about the bad guy's ultimate destination. She figures it out on the el-train and considers going back to the department with it, but changes her mind. Apparently, she's going to do it on her own. So she heads to the docks and breaks in to the bad guy's meeting point. There she sees a captured Batman hanging by some chains from the roof, and sneaks in. Batman, in his first line of the episode, asks when the boss is going to get there, and is told that it will be soon. That being all he needed to know, he reminds us why he's Batman and escapes. Another fight scene ensues, with Montoya coming to the Bat's aide and the Dark Knight retrieves his belt. Just in time for The Boss' ship to arrive!
We see a shadowy figure on the ship (The Boss, who turns out to be some random gangster) and he views the fight on the dock, and sends more of his henchmen in from the ship. A fight ensues, Batman sinks the bad guy's ship with a forklift (because he's the God damn Batman), and Montoya captures The Boss with a crane, and gets a thumbs up from Batman himself. We go to the end, when the cavalry has arrived, and Gordon congratulates Montoya on the bust, and angrily informs the IA lieutenant that this suspension business is over with. Montoya, showing again that she is above all loyal to her fellow cops, takes the badges and gives them back to Wilkes and Bullock, declaring that this bust belongs to all of them (yes, even you Bullock). Bullock grumbles his thanks to Montoya, and the credits roll.
Ok, so maybe that wasn't so "mini" a summary.
I really enjoyed this episode, as mentioned above. I liked the focus on the GCPD for once, and Montoya in particular. She got some good characterization out of this episode, which was pretty rare, as she was definately a third-stringer throughout most of the series. She got to display some smarts, the ability to take care of herself, and her unflagging loyalty to fellow officers, even defending Bullock when it was evident he was all about himself in this episode. I also really liked the music, especially what I dubbed the GCPD theme. A good little piece that I often find myself playing in my head.
Additionally, I also liked that the GCPD patches and badges got pretty well detailed this episode, rather than being the blank yellow they normally are. It gave some real life and reminded us that, yes, Gotham does have cops that do more than just clean up after Batman. And on that note, Batman himself was almost a guest star in this episode: the real star here was Renee Montoya, with Bullock and Wilkes getting the focus during their retellings of the bust gone bad. Additionally, and also relating to the GCPD patches and badges mentioned above, I rather liked the animation in this episode, particulary in the burning warehouse.
All that said, this episode wasn't perfect. I think the biggest mark against it was in how Bullock was potrayed. It was painfully clear that his entire story was little more than a lie to cover up for his own mistakes, as well as his going in without waiting for backup so he could get the bust himself (and at the same time putting the blame on Montoya and Wilkes for being late). While bits of it can hold true, such as his blaming Batman for what goes wrong, as well as the fact that he is one that would go it alone (in "A Bullet for Bullock" he definately burns some bridges with Summer Gleeson, and he also pursues the Joker alone in "The Laughing Fish") he didn't seem the type that would throw his partners under the bus, either. I dunno, maybe it all does fit in with Bullock's character that I think about it, something still kinda rubbed me off on it though. Despite the whole tripping over the can thing, he is at least potrayed as fairly competent as he defends himself, unarmed, against the thugs. *shrug* I guess I'm still undecided on this point.
Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this episode, and I especially loved the music. So I'll give it a 4.0, maybe later a 4.5 as I think about the Bullock angle some more...
This is the price of war,
We rise with noble intentions,
And we risk all that is pure..." - Angela & Jeff van Dyck, Forever (Rome: Total War)
"On and on, through the years,
The war continues on..." - Angela & Jeff van Dyck, We Are All One (Medieval 2: Total War)
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." - Ambrose Redmoon
"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight
Ah, I'd thought that Star Sapphire sided with Grodd...but come on, the Ultra-Humanite isn't really a villain. He's just...an exceedingly discerning art critic, judging from "Comfort and Joy" (which happens to be my favorite episode, bar maybe "Flash and Substance").JME2 wrote:Star Sapphire and the Ultra-Humanite survive as well (the former's last apperance being the series finale and the latter's in Season 2's "Comfort and Joy").Molyneux wrote:Solomon Grundy was, at least according to Wikipedia, originally a villain for the original Green Lantern - which makes sense, given Alan Scott's ring's weakness to wood and Grundy's Swamp-Thing-ishness.
And Steve - you missed "Injustice for All" proving that Batman is a furry (even if Catwoman hadn't), and the accidental survival of the Cheetah...who I believe is the only villain from that episode, other than the Joker and Lex themselves, who survives until the end of the series.
Ceci n'est pas une signature.
*thwaps Rogue on the head* I just said I don't own Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 of BTAS, silly. :-p
Between my brother and I, they're the only DVDs of Timmverse we don't have.
But I do appreciate the excellent review of POV.
And Moly, how does Batman having a thing for hot women in skin-tight cat-suits make him a furry?
Between my brother and I, they're the only DVDs of Timmverse we don't have.
But I do appreciate the excellent review of POV.
And Moly, how does Batman having a thing for hot women in skin-tight cat-suits make him a furry?
”A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air.” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt
"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia
American Conservatism is about the exercise of personal responsibility without state interference in the lives of the citizenry..... unless, of course, it involves using the bludgeon of state power to suppress things Conservatives do not like.
DONALD J. TRUMP IS A SEDITIOUS TRAITOR AND MUST BE IMPEACHED
"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia
American Conservatism is about the exercise of personal responsibility without state interference in the lives of the citizenry..... unless, of course, it involves using the bludgeon of state power to suppress things Conservatives do not like.
DONALD J. TRUMP IS A SEDITIOUS TRAITOR AND MUST BE IMPEACHED
-
Shroom Man 777
- FUCKING DICK-STABBER!
- Posts: 21222
- Joined: 2003-05-11 08:39am
- Location: Bleeding breasts and stabbing dicks since 2003
- Contact:
This thread makes for an awesome reminiscing. That JLU episode with Hades was in fact a rather good one.
"DO YOU WORSHIP HOMOSEXUALS?" - Curtis Saxton (source)shroom is a lovely boy and i wont hear a bad word against him - LUSY-CHAN!
Shit! Man, I didn't think of that! It took Shroom to properly interpret the screams of dying people
- PeZookShroom, I read out the stuff you write about us. You are an endless supply of morale down here. :p - an OWS street medic
Pink Sugar Heart Attack!
She is Cat-Woman...and there was that episode of B:tA where she got turned into a literal catgirl (and ran around for most of the episode starkers). He didn't exactly seem creeped out by the change.Steve wrote:*thwaps Rogue on the head* I just said I don't own Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 of BTAS, silly. :-p
Between my brother and I, they're the only DVDs of Timmverse we don't have.
But I do appreciate the excellent review of POV.
And Moly, how does Batman having a thing for hot women in skin-tight cat-suits make him a furry?
One fling with an anthropomorphic cat-girl is one thing, but two starts to point towards a pattern...
Ceci n'est pas une signature.
Ok, so you can't reiew Penguin's debut episode (which is probably for the best), but The Terrible Trio is season 3, right? *goes to check* Yes, the first episode on disc 3. I know you'll want to review it, as it is one of the greatest episodes of BTAS, nay, all of the DCAU! Right up there with Starcrossed, Twilight, Perchance to Dream, Heart of Ice, Legacy...Steve wrote:*thwaps Rogue on the head* I just said I don't own Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 of BTAS, silly. :-p
Between my brother and I, they're the only DVDs of Timmverse we don't have.
Well no, Trio is on a level even above those. I think on a plane with, say, Superman's Pal and Critters. Yeah, that's it...
This is the price of war,
We rise with noble intentions,
And we risk all that is pure..." - Angela & Jeff van Dyck, Forever (Rome: Total War)
"On and on, through the years,
The war continues on..." - Angela & Jeff van Dyck, We Are All One (Medieval 2: Total War)
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." - Ambrose Redmoon
"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight
-
Darth Hoth
- Jedi Council Member
- Posts: 2319
- Joined: 2008-02-15 09:36am
Anyone remember the first Mr. Freeze episode (don't remember its title in English)? That one was actually quite sad, especially the ending. A far cry from most cartoon action, especially at the time. One of the best. (Though all previous mentions are among them.)
"But there's no story past Episode VI, there's just no story. It's a certain story about Anakin Skywalker and once Anakin Skywalker dies, that's kind of the end of the story. There is no story about Luke Skywalker, I mean apart from the books."
-George "Evil" Lucas
-George "Evil" Lucas
"Heart of Ice". Great episode, as was the Batman Beyond episode that later closed out Freeze's career.Darth Hoth wrote:Anyone remember the first Mr. Freeze episode (don't remember its title in English)? That one was actually quite sad, especially the ending. A far cry from most cartoon action, especially at the time. One of the best. (Though all previous mentions are among them.)
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The Batman Beyond episode in question is "Meltdown".Molyneux wrote:"Heart of Ice". Great episode, as was the Batman Beyond episode that later closed out Freeze's career.Darth Hoth wrote:Anyone remember the first Mr. Freeze episode (don't remember its title in English)? That one was actually quite sad, especially the ending. A far cry from most cartoon action, especially at the time. One of the best. (Though all previous mentions are among them.)
One thing I always liked about the animated Mr. Freeze is that all of his apperances formed part of a larger story arc that spanned the beginning of the Timm-verse to its end. One of these days, I'll finally get around to watching all of his episodes/movies ("Heart of Ice", "Deep Freeze", "Sub-Zero", "Cold Comfort", and "Meltdown") in one sitting to see how it all plays out.
Well, I said months ago I wanted to do more than DCAU, and here it is.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003), aka TMNT2K3, has become one of my favorite shows. It's lightyears beyond the campy crap I remember in my youth, far more interesting in plots with a more expansive scope.
However, some time ago, there was a case of studio interference in the show's airing. Season 4 ended with the cliffhanger of "Ninja Tribunal", introducing the aforementioned band of mysterious ninja as well as four new characters, the warriors Toro, Hiragi, Adam, and Joy. But when it was time for Season 5.... we were treated to "Future Shellshock" and the catapulting of the four turtles and Splinter into 2105 to meet boy genius Cody Jones, great-grandson of April and Casey, and his robot keeper/butler Serling, as well as the Monty Python homage character of Chief Constable Biggles. TMNT: Fast Forward had begun, and would be the Sixth Season divided into two distinct parts, culminating with the Sh'konabo plot arc ending with "Day of Awakening".
But what happened after "Ninja Tribunal"?
This was not answered at first, leading to the fifth season being dubbed "The Lost Season", but we would finally get the answer in a DVD release, followed by the airing of the thirteen missing episodes starting this past February. Of course, some of us on the internet had already seen the Lost Season thanks to the internet.
I would now recommend that any who have not seen this and desire to skip the review.
The Lost Season, aka the Ninja Tribunal Season, follows a major plot-arc set up in the fourth season by various strands, most particularly the plot of "Good Genes" where the Foot Mystics trick Agent Bishop into desiring an amulet from Karai, the new Shredder, and causing him to destroy it. We are introduced to the Ninja Tribunal, mystic warriors who find not just physically but with tremendous mental and mystic powers as well. The Turtles and the Acolytes are taken to their sanctuary, the "Lap of the Gods", and shortly afterward are joined by Splinter and the Ancient One.
The Tribunal begin training the eight warriors to fight a great evil, as the Foot Mystics also rally - now freed of Karai's control - to beat the Tribunal to key pieces of their fallen master, revealed at the end of the second episode as.... the Shredder!
The next episode finally reveals the basis of the new plot. Long before the Utroms crashed on Earth, long before the warlord and criminal Ch'rell adopted the mantle of the Shredder, there was a warrior named Oroku Saki, one of five great warriors of Japan called upon to defeat a mighty Tengu. But the Tengu corrupted Saki, and with its power he strove to overcome the Earth as the Shredder before being defeated by his four compatriots, who would become the Ninja Tribunal. Ch'rell was only a pretender adopting the mantle to help spread fear, though he apparently used it to enslave the Mystics at some point (who were disgusted when they released they'd been duped).
The Turtles undergo mystic training, and all the acolytes save Leo gain mystic weaponry to replace their conventional weapons, though Leo finally gets his moment when he manifests a dragon avatar (the avatars being the representration of one's spirit, dragons being the most powerful and rarest). The purpose of their training is to recover the Shredder's gauntlet and helmet, kept apart from his body to prevent easy resurrection. But in the end the stratagems of the Mystics seem to overcome the Tribunal and their Acolytes, with the Turtles, Splinter, and the Ancient One being the only apparent survivors.
Back in New York, the episode "Membership Drive" sees the Turtles approach the newly-reformed Justice Force (first introduced as a retired group in Season 2's "Return of the Justice Force), now reunited under the leadership of Silver Sentry and staffed by figures like Amanda (the daughter of Dr. Dome, antagonist from the aforementioned episode), Nobody, Metalhead, and Raptar. Meanwhile, Baxter Stockman and Agent Bishop unknowingly revive the long-dormant nanobot collective Nano, who goes haywire from a control chip planted by Stockman. He attacks the Justice Force due to the new program (Nano's original self desiring their help), to be saved by the use of an Atom ripoff's shrinking device. The restored Nano, now more mature in personality, joins the Justice Force.
Suddenly the plot is kicked back into high gear with "New World Order", in which the Mystics and the new Shredder assault the Foot HQ, overwhelming their defenses despite attempted intervention by the Turtles, leading to the critical injury of Karai. The Shredder's targeting of the usurper of his title has an extra motive, however; any who hold the title of the Shredder can tap into the Tengu's energy.
We briefly get a flashback episode with "Fathers and Sons", showing Splinter making a pilgrimage to Japan with Hamato Yoshi's ashes and the ffour young Turtles heping to prevent an early Mystic attempt to revive their master. When it's over, "Past and Present" present a last ditch effort to stop the Shredder's power from growing. It fails, unfortunately, and New York is transformed into a hell on earth, overrun by undead and demons. The EPF, the Purple Dragons, and the Justice Force are all fighting on their own, and are summoned together by the Turtles - now mysteriously rejoined by the still-living Acolytes - to launch a massive attack on the Shredder's citadel in "Enter the Dragon". The entire season culminates with the fulfillment of Splinter's dreams throughout the year and the final showdown, which leaves the Turtles drained of mystic energy but the demon Shredder destroyeed. Bishop and Karai leave in peace, a new day dawns, and the Ninja Tribunal accepts the Ancient One as one of their number.
The season was, overall, a decent one. Entertaining, with no real "off-arc" episodes like prior years due to only having 13. "Membership Drive" was the only one to not directly involve the plot, though it's fully mentioned.
But yet, the sharp turn into hardcore fantasy after four seasons of favoritism toward sci-fi did sometimes clash with the viewer, and the principle of the spirit avatar fights seem silly at times.
All in all, I give the season, as a whole, a 4/5.
*falls asleep on keyboard*
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003), aka TMNT2K3, has become one of my favorite shows. It's lightyears beyond the campy crap I remember in my youth, far more interesting in plots with a more expansive scope.
However, some time ago, there was a case of studio interference in the show's airing. Season 4 ended with the cliffhanger of "Ninja Tribunal", introducing the aforementioned band of mysterious ninja as well as four new characters, the warriors Toro, Hiragi, Adam, and Joy. But when it was time for Season 5.... we were treated to "Future Shellshock" and the catapulting of the four turtles and Splinter into 2105 to meet boy genius Cody Jones, great-grandson of April and Casey, and his robot keeper/butler Serling, as well as the Monty Python homage character of Chief Constable Biggles. TMNT: Fast Forward had begun, and would be the Sixth Season divided into two distinct parts, culminating with the Sh'konabo plot arc ending with "Day of Awakening".
But what happened after "Ninja Tribunal"?
This was not answered at first, leading to the fifth season being dubbed "The Lost Season", but we would finally get the answer in a DVD release, followed by the airing of the thirteen missing episodes starting this past February. Of course, some of us on the internet had already seen the Lost Season thanks to the internet.
I would now recommend that any who have not seen this and desire to skip the review.
The Lost Season, aka the Ninja Tribunal Season, follows a major plot-arc set up in the fourth season by various strands, most particularly the plot of "Good Genes" where the Foot Mystics trick Agent Bishop into desiring an amulet from Karai, the new Shredder, and causing him to destroy it. We are introduced to the Ninja Tribunal, mystic warriors who find not just physically but with tremendous mental and mystic powers as well. The Turtles and the Acolytes are taken to their sanctuary, the "Lap of the Gods", and shortly afterward are joined by Splinter and the Ancient One.
The Tribunal begin training the eight warriors to fight a great evil, as the Foot Mystics also rally - now freed of Karai's control - to beat the Tribunal to key pieces of their fallen master, revealed at the end of the second episode as.... the Shredder!
The next episode finally reveals the basis of the new plot. Long before the Utroms crashed on Earth, long before the warlord and criminal Ch'rell adopted the mantle of the Shredder, there was a warrior named Oroku Saki, one of five great warriors of Japan called upon to defeat a mighty Tengu. But the Tengu corrupted Saki, and with its power he strove to overcome the Earth as the Shredder before being defeated by his four compatriots, who would become the Ninja Tribunal. Ch'rell was only a pretender adopting the mantle to help spread fear, though he apparently used it to enslave the Mystics at some point (who were disgusted when they released they'd been duped).
The Turtles undergo mystic training, and all the acolytes save Leo gain mystic weaponry to replace their conventional weapons, though Leo finally gets his moment when he manifests a dragon avatar (the avatars being the representration of one's spirit, dragons being the most powerful and rarest). The purpose of their training is to recover the Shredder's gauntlet and helmet, kept apart from his body to prevent easy resurrection. But in the end the stratagems of the Mystics seem to overcome the Tribunal and their Acolytes, with the Turtles, Splinter, and the Ancient One being the only apparent survivors.
Back in New York, the episode "Membership Drive" sees the Turtles approach the newly-reformed Justice Force (first introduced as a retired group in Season 2's "Return of the Justice Force), now reunited under the leadership of Silver Sentry and staffed by figures like Amanda (the daughter of Dr. Dome, antagonist from the aforementioned episode), Nobody, Metalhead, and Raptar. Meanwhile, Baxter Stockman and Agent Bishop unknowingly revive the long-dormant nanobot collective Nano, who goes haywire from a control chip planted by Stockman. He attacks the Justice Force due to the new program (Nano's original self desiring their help), to be saved by the use of an Atom ripoff's shrinking device. The restored Nano, now more mature in personality, joins the Justice Force.
Suddenly the plot is kicked back into high gear with "New World Order", in which the Mystics and the new Shredder assault the Foot HQ, overwhelming their defenses despite attempted intervention by the Turtles, leading to the critical injury of Karai. The Shredder's targeting of the usurper of his title has an extra motive, however; any who hold the title of the Shredder can tap into the Tengu's energy.
We briefly get a flashback episode with "Fathers and Sons", showing Splinter making a pilgrimage to Japan with Hamato Yoshi's ashes and the ffour young Turtles heping to prevent an early Mystic attempt to revive their master. When it's over, "Past and Present" present a last ditch effort to stop the Shredder's power from growing. It fails, unfortunately, and New York is transformed into a hell on earth, overrun by undead and demons. The EPF, the Purple Dragons, and the Justice Force are all fighting on their own, and are summoned together by the Turtles - now mysteriously rejoined by the still-living Acolytes - to launch a massive attack on the Shredder's citadel in "Enter the Dragon". The entire season culminates with the fulfillment of Splinter's dreams throughout the year and the final showdown, which leaves the Turtles drained of mystic energy but the demon Shredder destroyeed. Bishop and Karai leave in peace, a new day dawns, and the Ninja Tribunal accepts the Ancient One as one of their number.
The season was, overall, a decent one. Entertaining, with no real "off-arc" episodes like prior years due to only having 13. "Membership Drive" was the only one to not directly involve the plot, though it's fully mentioned.
But yet, the sharp turn into hardcore fantasy after four seasons of favoritism toward sci-fi did sometimes clash with the viewer, and the principle of the spirit avatar fights seem silly at times.
All in all, I give the season, as a whole, a 4/5.
*falls asleep on keyboard*
”A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air.” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt
"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia
American Conservatism is about the exercise of personal responsibility without state interference in the lives of the citizenry..... unless, of course, it involves using the bludgeon of state power to suppress things Conservatives do not like.
DONALD J. TRUMP IS A SEDITIOUS TRAITOR AND MUST BE IMPEACHED
"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia
American Conservatism is about the exercise of personal responsibility without state interference in the lives of the citizenry..... unless, of course, it involves using the bludgeon of state power to suppress things Conservatives do not like.
DONALD J. TRUMP IS A SEDITIOUS TRAITOR AND MUST BE IMPEACHED
For comedy relief, how about the "Girls Night Out" Batman episode
"He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself."
Thomas Paine
"For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten."
Ecclesiastes 9:5 (KJV)
Thomas Paine
"For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten."
Ecclesiastes 9:5 (KJV)
Can you see if you have 'Baby Doll' and the episode where Harley gets released from Arkham(I forget the name of the episode)?
Something about mildly sympathetic villains I guess.
Something about mildly sympathetic villains I guess.
"Siege warfare, French for spawn camp" WTYP podcast
It's so bad it wraps back around to awesome then back to bad again, then back to halfway between awesome and bad. Like if ed wood directed a godzilla movie - Duckie
It's so bad it wraps back around to awesome then back to bad again, then back to halfway between awesome and bad. Like if ed wood directed a godzilla movie - Duckie
"Harley's Holiday" Volume 3 if memory serves.phred wrote:and the episode where Harley gets released from Arkham(I forget the name of the episode)?
That was an excellent episode. If nobody else jumps on it, next time I give it a watch I'll post my thoughts (since it's been awhile and I want to do it justive via an overly long and rambling review that basically gives away the entire story
).This is the price of war,
We rise with noble intentions,
And we risk all that is pure..." - Angela & Jeff van Dyck, Forever (Rome: Total War)
"On and on, through the years,
The war continues on..." - Angela & Jeff van Dyck, We Are All One (Medieval 2: Total War)
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." - Ambrose Redmoon
"You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight
And time for another non-Timmverse show, though this one is ironically a full contemporary of the dawn of the Timmverse.
At least for the Central Florida-area, FOX 35 had two Saturday Morning comic hero shows for kids to enjoy. Batman: The Animated Series came first.... and then a year later we got treated to the airing of "Night of the Sentinels", the pilot to the Joseph Calamari-produced X-Men Animated Series (Which later had the more-successful Spider-Man Animated Series spinoff, even if the two shows remained mostly un-related until Spidey had the X-Men guest-star).
BTAS got off to an awesome start and stayed good. X-Men... wasn't quite so lucky. Early on it was a bit cheesy, the characters always referring to each other by codename, though over time the show got far better (Seasons 2 through 4 were the strongest) and while its animation never matched the Timmverse quality, the writing was awesome (and the music, if more often recycled, was decent too).
For those who've forgotten it, the show featured a trunucated X-Men team based off the designs that came into popularity in the early 90s, such as Cyke's blue with yellow belt/boots/bandoleer suit, and the weird beige and black body suit used by Jean. The team, aside from Xavier, consisted of Cyclops, the non-code named Jean Grey, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, and Beast (who remained inactive during most of the first season, captured in the pilot and incarcerated during the rest of the season). Other notable X-Men like Angel, Psylocke, Bishop, Iceman, etc. would make guest-appearances here and there, some more than others.
But one of my favorite characters in the entire run was not an X-Man, but rather, their most implacable foe. I speak of Erik Magnus Lensherr, of course, the Master of Magnetism himself. And the fun thing is that despite calling him their most implacable foe, most of Magneto's appearances ended up with him working with the X-Men, particularly in Season 2, where the season plot arc saw him and Xavier traversing the Savage Land after being trapped there in the season premiere.
Magneto had many awesome appearances, but one of the episodes where he was featured strongly was "Family Ties".
"Family Ties", which acted as the end of Season 4 to my recollection, was rather light on X-Men - having only Wolvie, Hank McCoy, and Xavier - but featured the return of Quicksilver after his appearance in "Cold Comfort" and the first full non-cameo appearance of Scarlet Witch. The episode begins with Wanda contacting her brother while he's on sentry duty with X-Factor, informing him that their father has taken a turn for the worst and wants to see them. They fly to Romania and meet him, where he reveals they are adopted and were brought to him and his wife by Bova, a human/cow hybrid from Wundergore. The duo set off to Wundergore to learn more of their natural parents.
Next is the X-Mansion. Xavier is peacefully reading in his study when Magneto enters, having slipped through security, and asks Xavier for help in determining if a trap is waiting for him in the Balkans, where he has been given a clue that his wife Magda might still be alive. Xavier agrees and Magneto leaves just before an enraged Wolverine breaks in. Despite Magnus' insistance that Xavier stay out of the matter, he sends Wolverine to keep an eye on Magnus.
The twins arrive in Wundergore next and encounter the High Evolutionary, who after demanding they prove who they are through a gene-scan, takes them to Bova. Bova tells them their mother arrived in Wundergore half-dead, having fled a village where a mutant had gone on a rampage and destroyed it. After giving birth she left her children in their care and continued fleeing, fearing he'd find her, just to perish in the winter. An enraged Pietro demands the mutant's name, and after Bova resists unsuccessfully, she reveals it was Magneto. The twins are determined to kill him and avenge their mother and the High Evolutionary generously sends help, though he gives a "I have bigger plans"-esque line after they're gone.
Magnus arrives at Magda's grave marker and a fully-robed figure appears, claiming to be Magda. A surprised, humble Magneto approaches her, lamenting being a fool, but when he pulls at her arm it's revealed to be a deception and he is immediately confronted by the twins.
Pietro:"Magneto!"
Magnus: "Who are you?! What do you have to do with this desecration?!"
Wanda: "We are ehre to get revenge for one who has fallen in your path."
Magnus: "You will need to be more specific, there have been many." (which was an awesome line)
Pietro: "It was our mother!"
The twins attack and with the help of the Wundergore troops subdue Magneto... when the Wundergore troops suddenly restrain them too. Wolverine, watching from the shadows, jumps in with "I'm probably gonna regret this" and draws an enraged "NOOOOO!" from Magneto when he knocks one into Magda's grave marker and destroys it. Magneto gets free and joins Wolverine in resistance that ends with their being subdued with gas. Xavier, overhearing the fight and Wolverine's fall, decides to go after them with Beast.
The next scene the plot gets revealed. The High Evolutionary set the entire thing up. He needed the twins' mutant powers - Wanda's control of probability and Pietro's speed - to enhance his creations.... but to make full use of their powers, he needed their father's DNA. And that, of course, was Magneto.
Using his new power he mutates Wolverine into a bestial real wolverine humanoid, and is interrupted and forced to head out by the arrival of Xavier and Beast. An excellent scene comes when Magneto explains to his children how he lost Magda. "The world I fought for frightened her..... I frightened her." He frees himself and his children, and they join the fray in time to save Xavier and Beast. The battle turned against him, the High Evolutionary teleports Wundergore away and, in the process, undoes the mutation to Wolverine. A poignant ending comes with Magneto swearing he would have come for Pietro and Wanda if he had known they existed and lamenting what he did to their mother. "I have lost her twice now," he laments after his children depart, leaving him with Xavier, Logan, and Hank. Xavier and Hank try to comfort Magneto but he flies off sadly as Xavier calls out to him, "Goodbye, my friend."
The episode is one of my favorite in the entire series, which is no surprise given how much it focuses on Magneto. The scenes between Magnus and Charles show that despite their differences the two men continue to share a bond (which is fulfilled at the end of the series with "Graduation Day"). The plot concerning the loss of his wife, whom he still loves, and his discovery that she had twins by him reveals the price Magneto has paid in the name of his preperations to go to war with Humanity to protect Mutantkind, and it is clearly a steep one that has left a grievous wound on his heart. It gives a human side to a man who is otherwise mostly depicted as having no qualms toward violence and who is willing to shed blood in the name of inevitable and genocidal war. A "kill them before they kill us" approach.
The show, indeed, reinforces what I like about this incarnation of Magneto. He is a strong passionate man, a man willing to go to great lengths in what he believes, with skills in oratory, intellect, and charisma that make him the equal to Xavier in every way save specific power. He's not the narrow-minded mutant supremacist other writers have at times made him into (including the people responsible for the X-movies; while I like Sir Ian's Magneto very much, he's not given the best material to work with at times; the X3 scene of Magneto abandoning a depowered Mystique infuriated me) but a man who believes that what he's doing is necessary to prevent the genocide of the mutant population.
The episode was only kept from being perfect in how they dropped the ball with the High Evolutionary. There is no satisfactory result from his part in the show, though I've not seen much of the Spider-Man Unlimited series where he and Wundergore make their return as the inhabitants of "Counter Earth", so I don't know if that show kept the events of "Family Ties" in continuity or not (it'd be an awesome thing if they did.)
As a result, I give the episode a 4/5.
At least for the Central Florida-area, FOX 35 had two Saturday Morning comic hero shows for kids to enjoy. Batman: The Animated Series came first.... and then a year later we got treated to the airing of "Night of the Sentinels", the pilot to the Joseph Calamari-produced X-Men Animated Series (Which later had the more-successful Spider-Man Animated Series spinoff, even if the two shows remained mostly un-related until Spidey had the X-Men guest-star).
BTAS got off to an awesome start and stayed good. X-Men... wasn't quite so lucky. Early on it was a bit cheesy, the characters always referring to each other by codename, though over time the show got far better (Seasons 2 through 4 were the strongest) and while its animation never matched the Timmverse quality, the writing was awesome (and the music, if more often recycled, was decent too).
For those who've forgotten it, the show featured a trunucated X-Men team based off the designs that came into popularity in the early 90s, such as Cyke's blue with yellow belt/boots/bandoleer suit, and the weird beige and black body suit used by Jean. The team, aside from Xavier, consisted of Cyclops, the non-code named Jean Grey, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue, Storm, Jubilee, and Beast (who remained inactive during most of the first season, captured in the pilot and incarcerated during the rest of the season). Other notable X-Men like Angel, Psylocke, Bishop, Iceman, etc. would make guest-appearances here and there, some more than others.
But one of my favorite characters in the entire run was not an X-Man, but rather, their most implacable foe. I speak of Erik Magnus Lensherr, of course, the Master of Magnetism himself. And the fun thing is that despite calling him their most implacable foe, most of Magneto's appearances ended up with him working with the X-Men, particularly in Season 2, where the season plot arc saw him and Xavier traversing the Savage Land after being trapped there in the season premiere.
Magneto had many awesome appearances, but one of the episodes where he was featured strongly was "Family Ties".
"Family Ties", which acted as the end of Season 4 to my recollection, was rather light on X-Men - having only Wolvie, Hank McCoy, and Xavier - but featured the return of Quicksilver after his appearance in "Cold Comfort" and the first full non-cameo appearance of Scarlet Witch. The episode begins with Wanda contacting her brother while he's on sentry duty with X-Factor, informing him that their father has taken a turn for the worst and wants to see them. They fly to Romania and meet him, where he reveals they are adopted and were brought to him and his wife by Bova, a human/cow hybrid from Wundergore. The duo set off to Wundergore to learn more of their natural parents.
Next is the X-Mansion. Xavier is peacefully reading in his study when Magneto enters, having slipped through security, and asks Xavier for help in determining if a trap is waiting for him in the Balkans, where he has been given a clue that his wife Magda might still be alive. Xavier agrees and Magneto leaves just before an enraged Wolverine breaks in. Despite Magnus' insistance that Xavier stay out of the matter, he sends Wolverine to keep an eye on Magnus.
The twins arrive in Wundergore next and encounter the High Evolutionary, who after demanding they prove who they are through a gene-scan, takes them to Bova. Bova tells them their mother arrived in Wundergore half-dead, having fled a village where a mutant had gone on a rampage and destroyed it. After giving birth she left her children in their care and continued fleeing, fearing he'd find her, just to perish in the winter. An enraged Pietro demands the mutant's name, and after Bova resists unsuccessfully, she reveals it was Magneto. The twins are determined to kill him and avenge their mother and the High Evolutionary generously sends help, though he gives a "I have bigger plans"-esque line after they're gone.
Magnus arrives at Magda's grave marker and a fully-robed figure appears, claiming to be Magda. A surprised, humble Magneto approaches her, lamenting being a fool, but when he pulls at her arm it's revealed to be a deception and he is immediately confronted by the twins.
Pietro:"Magneto!"
Magnus: "Who are you?! What do you have to do with this desecration?!"
Wanda: "We are ehre to get revenge for one who has fallen in your path."
Magnus: "You will need to be more specific, there have been many." (which was an awesome line)
Pietro: "It was our mother!"
The twins attack and with the help of the Wundergore troops subdue Magneto... when the Wundergore troops suddenly restrain them too. Wolverine, watching from the shadows, jumps in with "I'm probably gonna regret this" and draws an enraged "NOOOOO!" from Magneto when he knocks one into Magda's grave marker and destroys it. Magneto gets free and joins Wolverine in resistance that ends with their being subdued with gas. Xavier, overhearing the fight and Wolverine's fall, decides to go after them with Beast.
The next scene the plot gets revealed. The High Evolutionary set the entire thing up. He needed the twins' mutant powers - Wanda's control of probability and Pietro's speed - to enhance his creations.... but to make full use of their powers, he needed their father's DNA. And that, of course, was Magneto.
Using his new power he mutates Wolverine into a bestial real wolverine humanoid, and is interrupted and forced to head out by the arrival of Xavier and Beast. An excellent scene comes when Magneto explains to his children how he lost Magda. "The world I fought for frightened her..... I frightened her." He frees himself and his children, and they join the fray in time to save Xavier and Beast. The battle turned against him, the High Evolutionary teleports Wundergore away and, in the process, undoes the mutation to Wolverine. A poignant ending comes with Magneto swearing he would have come for Pietro and Wanda if he had known they existed and lamenting what he did to their mother. "I have lost her twice now," he laments after his children depart, leaving him with Xavier, Logan, and Hank. Xavier and Hank try to comfort Magneto but he flies off sadly as Xavier calls out to him, "Goodbye, my friend."
The episode is one of my favorite in the entire series, which is no surprise given how much it focuses on Magneto. The scenes between Magnus and Charles show that despite their differences the two men continue to share a bond (which is fulfilled at the end of the series with "Graduation Day"). The plot concerning the loss of his wife, whom he still loves, and his discovery that she had twins by him reveals the price Magneto has paid in the name of his preperations to go to war with Humanity to protect Mutantkind, and it is clearly a steep one that has left a grievous wound on his heart. It gives a human side to a man who is otherwise mostly depicted as having no qualms toward violence and who is willing to shed blood in the name of inevitable and genocidal war. A "kill them before they kill us" approach.
The show, indeed, reinforces what I like about this incarnation of Magneto. He is a strong passionate man, a man willing to go to great lengths in what he believes, with skills in oratory, intellect, and charisma that make him the equal to Xavier in every way save specific power. He's not the narrow-minded mutant supremacist other writers have at times made him into (including the people responsible for the X-movies; while I like Sir Ian's Magneto very much, he's not given the best material to work with at times; the X3 scene of Magneto abandoning a depowered Mystique infuriated me) but a man who believes that what he's doing is necessary to prevent the genocide of the mutant population.
The episode was only kept from being perfect in how they dropped the ball with the High Evolutionary. There is no satisfactory result from his part in the show, though I've not seen much of the Spider-Man Unlimited series where he and Wundergore make their return as the inhabitants of "Counter Earth", so I don't know if that show kept the events of "Family Ties" in continuity or not (it'd be an awesome thing if they did.)
As a result, I give the episode a 4/5.
”A Radical is a man with both feet planted firmly in the air.” – Franklin Delano Roosevelt
"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia
American Conservatism is about the exercise of personal responsibility without state interference in the lives of the citizenry..... unless, of course, it involves using the bludgeon of state power to suppress things Conservatives do not like.
DONALD J. TRUMP IS A SEDITIOUS TRAITOR AND MUST BE IMPEACHED
"No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism." - Sir Winston L. S. Churchill, Princips Britannia
American Conservatism is about the exercise of personal responsibility without state interference in the lives of the citizenry..... unless, of course, it involves using the bludgeon of state power to suppress things Conservatives do not like.
DONALD J. TRUMP IS A SEDITIOUS TRAITOR AND MUST BE IMPEACHED