The Action Cartoons Thread

[Playa Shunna Ver 3.0]

Also, anyone keeping up with Beware the Batman?  Adult Swim picked started airing it back in the spring.  They re-aired the eps already shown on Cartoon Network then hit the unaired material about 5 weeks ago.  Having not watched it for most of a year, I find the computer animation jarring.  Not really liking the character models and the fight scenes seem a bit stiff.  Writing has been solid, though.  The Ra's Al Ghul 3-parter was great fun (aside from the last five minutes, which didn't do it for me), and the Magpie ep was good.  They're starting to set up an overarching storyline that will carry through the last 10 eps involving Harvey Dent.

 

I guess, if the show had been picked up, the show would have transitioned to Batman and the Outsiders?  Not sure how interested I would have stayed in that.

I tried watching the new episodes, but I just don't like the show.  Maybe I will keep trying though.

[Spritenaut 32]

 

Also, anyone keeping up with Beware the Batman?  Adult Swim picked started airing it back in the spring.  They re-aired the eps already shown on Cartoon Network then hit the unaired material about 5 weeks ago.  Having not watched it for most of a year, I find the computer animation jarring.  Not really liking the character models and the fight scenes seem a bit stiff.  Writing has been solid, though.  The Ra's Al Ghul 3-parter was great fun (aside from the last five minutes, which didn't do it for me), and the Magpie ep was good.  They're starting to set up an overarching storyline that will carry through the last 10 eps involving Harvey Dent.

 

I guess, if the show had been picked up, the show would have transitioned to Batman and the Outsiders?  Not sure how interested I would have stayed in that.

I tried watching the new episodes, but I just don't like the show.  Maybe I will keep trying though.

 

 

I had lost most of my interest by the time Cartoon Network pulled it off the schedule, but the AS first-run episodes have been mostly solid so far.  I like that they mostly focus on 2nd tier villains (Magpie, Anarky, etc.) and mostly stay away from the bigger names in Batman's rogues gallery.

 

I do think they would have been better off staying with traditional animation.  Not really a big fan of computer animation, particularly on a series budget.  A lot of the fight scenes look stiff to me.

[Playa Shunna Ver 3.0]

Cool.  They are piling up on the DVR, so maybe I will have a look.  I hate the animation.  It didn't bother me on the Green Lantern show, but on Beware it just seems so stiff and clunky.  I also loved BATB, so this series had no way to live up to that one.  

[odessasteps]

Prob not the best place gor this but ...

cartoonatics.blogspot.com/2014/09/freak-con-2015-20th-anniversary-of.html?m=1

[Cliff Hanger]

There had better be an Earthworm Jim con immediately afterward, because those two shows are so permanently connected in my brain that I can't dig out the DVDs of one without watching some of the other.

[TheVileOne]

Prob not the best place gor this but ...

cartoonatics.blogspot.com/2014/09/freak-con-2015-20th-anniversary-of.html?m=1

 

Yes!

[odessasteps]

BBC’s Danger Mouse revival: Alexander Armstrong to replace David Jason

https://gu.com/p/4xk8f

[TheVileOne]

For fans of Bruce Timm and DC cartoons, Timm and Alan Burnett are producing a new digital Justice League web series for Machinima, Justice League Gods and Monsters Chronicles which will lead into a new animated movie Justice League: Gods and Monster in 2015, also produced by Timm and Burnett.  

[KidNatural]

1) I KNOW THAT VOICE is now on Amazon Prime streaming. For the unfamiliar, it's a documentary about voiceover actors and has basically everyone save Welker you could want to hear from (including previously-unreleased archival footage of Mel Blanc, IIRC.)

 

2) Avengers Assemble is on Netflix now, but I think I can resist watching it based on its reputation among grown-up fans.

 

With Avengers Assemble, they had good episodes and horrifically bad ones...

[Johnny Sorrow]

I KNOW THAT VOICE is outstanding.

[Bustronaut]

For fans of Bruce Timm and DC cartoons, Timm and Alan Burnett are producing a new digital Justice League web series for Machinima, Justice League Gods and Monsters Chronicles which will lead into a new animated movie Justice League: Gods and Monster in 2015, also produced by Timm and Burnett.  

“a newly conceived reality in the DC universe where Justice League members Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are much darker versions of the superheroes that people know,”

 

Of course it is, OF COURSE IT IS

[Cliff Hanger]

Rewatching JLU for the first time in a few years. I had forgotten how insanely brutal the Superman/Captain Marvel fight is, since both of them are "invincible."

[Burgundy LaRue]

One of these days, I'll get around to writing my thoughts on the Green Lantern animated series.  Short story:  I really liked it, and wished it had been picked up for another 26 episodes, because a lot of good story was left on the table.

[Eivion]

So does anyone here watch the current TMNT series? The last few episodes have been pretty good, including an awesome little homage to Big Trouble in Little China.

[Cliff Hanger]

I watched most of the first season, but fell behind and never caught up. I still think the 4kids show is the best incarnation of TMNT in any medium.

[Eivion]

I probably don't disagree with that, but the current series has somehow managed to be pretty good overall. The last episode in particular was great with everything going to hell.

[Spritenaut 32]

Anyone know what the deal with "Beware the Batman" and "Sym-Bionic Titan" is?   Toonami/Adult Swim put out a press release at the beginning of the week saying the legal department had decided to "write off" Beware and Titan and they'd never be part of Adult Swim/Toonami block again.  They burned off Beware the Batman with a seven episode marathon last night (beginning at 2:30 AM) and the show is gone from their website and On Demand this morning.  

 

I get the general idea that the network lost/relinquished the rights to the show, but I'm assuming there was a contract stipulating how long the network had the rights to broadcast.   As recently as a month ago, Adult Swim's schedule had Beware the Batman airing weekly into November.  What sort of tax "write off" would require you to cease airing the show with less than a week's notice?  That's the part I don't get.  Only thing I can figure is that the existing contract was set to roll over/renew at the end of the month and the accounting department decided it would be cheaper to opt out/break the contract (probably paying a penalty) instead of let it roll over for another year. 

 

The other odd part is that, irrc, Cartoon Network owned Sym-Bionic Titan.  Characters were created for the show so there probably weren't any licensing issues.

 

I kinda wish they had thrown the unaired eps of Beware the Batman up On Demand for at least a week. 

[Ramsey]

Justice League Unlimited is still my personal high water mark for superhero cartoons.

[APO]

One of these days, I'll get around to writing my thoughts on the Green Lantern animated series. Short story: I really liked it, and wished it had been picked up for another 26 episodes, because a lot of good story was left on the table.

It did the impossible and got me to actually like Hal Jordan for once. It really did deserve another season.

[TheVileOne]

Anyone watch the Rebels premiere yet?  It's streaming online now at Disney XD.com.  

 

So far, I like the premise a lot more than Clone Wars.  I never really liked the Star Wars prequels, and while I thought Clone Wars was decent, I feel like the story went off the rails in terms of the time period since the time between Clones and Sith was not that long.  Plus the show often contradicted what was established and depicted in the prequels anyway.  

 

Rebels just looks more like traditional Star Wars.  It's set in a time where there is so many more areas to explore instead of trying to cram years worth of stories in like a two year period.  

 

Some of the dialogue was a bit stilted, but the spirit feels more like old school Star Wars to me.  

[John Austin]

I'm rewatching Hereafter and that moment where Toyman's blast hits Superman and the music and everyone just stops, man really punched me in the gut, then it got brought back when Wonder Woman's rage is shown. And Flash has to stop her from killing Toyman, reminding her that's not what Superman would do. I know the rest of the story, but damn that was a moment in the original JL.

[tigertooth]

Recently watched Batman: Assault on Arkham.  It was fun, though not in the top tier of DC's animated movies.  It was mostly a Suicide Squad movie with a little Batman in it, which was a nice change of pace.  It's worth watching.

 

I also finally got around to watching the Spectre short.  That was a lot of fun.  I knew nearly nothing about the Spectre, and with the time constraints, they didn't really do much to explain where he came from or what he can do or why he does it.  But even so, it was still excellent.  Strong recommendation.  (and thanks to those who recommended to me in this thread)

 

Something that just occurred to me: with all these superhero TV shows popping up, do you think they could ever do an animated superhero show on a major network in primetime?  Might be tough, since animated shows are traditionally 30 min while dramas are generally 60.  I guess they could dip their toe in the water with a comedic animated superhero show.

[odessasteps]

If memory serves, they might have ran an episode of BTAS in early primetime when the show started, like Sunday 7:00or 7:30.

[Spritenaut 32]

If memory serves, they might have ran an episode of BTAS in early primetime when the show started, like Sunday 7:00or 7:30.

 

Fox ran episodes regularly in the 7 PM Sunday time slot for about three months (late Dec. 1992-early March 1993).  A couple of the episodes were even first-run.

[TheVileOne]

Recently watched Batman: Assault on Arkham.  It was fun, though not in the top tier of DC's animated movies.  It was mostly a Suicide Squad movie with a little Batman in it, which was a nice change of pace.  It's worth watching.

 

I also finally got around to watching the Spectre short.  That was a lot of fun.  I knew nearly nothing about the Spectre, and with the time constraints, they didn't really do much to explain where he came from or what he can do or why he does it.  But even so, it was still excellent.  Strong recommendation.  (and thanks to those who recommended to me in this thread)

 

Something that just occurred to me: with all these superhero TV shows popping up, do you think they could ever do an animated superhero show on a major network in primetime?  Might be tough, since animated shows are traditionally 30 min while dramas are generally 60.  I guess they could dip their toe in the water with a comedic animated superhero show.

 

I love the idea, but I don't think it will ever happen.  The reason being is that the action superhero animated shows are too expensive to produce, and the ratings support is not there for such shows, so they need merchandise components to support the shows.  Plus, I still think many TV-viewing adults have an antiquated view of animation as being for kids.  

 

I remember totally digging Invasion America when it was on the WB in primetime in 1998.  Incredibly short-lived though.  

 

For fans of the 1990s animated Spider-Man series, the show's producer John Semper did a podcast with the audio of the showcase panel for the show at the 1994 San Diego Comic-Con, featuring moderation by Stan Lee.