At Least DC Animation Has Some Artistic Integrity
Marvel Comics is getting back into the animated DVD movie game. But whereas DC Comics are actually producing adaptations of classic and popular comic book stories, Marvel is just going to slap a few superhero names together and expect the lingering popularity of The Avengers to help coast them into a few bucks.
Next year, we will be treated to Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United. Because why bother coming up with a clever name when the ‘&’ symbol exists.
Look kids, it’s your two favorite Avengers!
Based on that article in Entertainment Weekly, there doesn’t appear to be any creativity whatsoever in this project. It’s as if Marvel saw that DC’s DVD movies were still selling, so they quickly pooped out the most basic story imaginable, then decided to link to into a vague resemblance of the hugely popular The Avengers movie. DC Comics made an adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns, arguably the greatest Batman story ever told. Marvel is going to just randomly stick Iron Man and the Hulk in a room together.
Remember when Hulk stole the show in The Avengers? We sure do!
And the most hilarious thing is that everyone is quick to point out that this isn’t an official, in-canon sequel to The Avengers. It’s just made to look that way, and the fans are more than welcome to think of it that way, even though it’s not.
To quote Marvel TV head honcho Jeph Loeb:
“We welcome people to interpret any way they like,” says Loeb. “In tone and character, we want to follow our best leader.”
Can you say ‘cash grab’?
The story is going to be about Iron Man and Hulk teaming up to fight the Zzzax, which is a classic Hulk villain that is basically just a living electricity monster. Loeb says that Hulk and Iron Man are going to, at first, think that each other is to blame. So it sounds even more like we’re going to get he most basic superhero story ever: heroes meet, they fight, then they team up to fight the villain.
Wow, really creative there Marvel.
He’s not Robert Downey Jr. this time, but still, Iron Man, right?
DC Comics destroyed Marvel in the animated DVD movie business years ago. Whereas DC was putting out real adaptations of their classic comics, as well as quality solo hero movies, Marvel was flailing in the wind with loose adaptations and original stories that tried desperately to appeal to kids. Like Avengers: Next. But at least that had some modicum of creativity. This new project is as basic and pathetic as you could get.
But that’s just my opinion. Don’t mind my angry rate. I just hate it when one of my favorite entertainment companies in the world revels in creative bankruptcy.
The DVD will come out April 23.
Posted on October 6, 2012, in Avengers, Cartoons, Marvel, Movies and tagged Hulk, Iron Man, Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United. Bookmark the permalink. 4 Comments.
Henchman-4-Hire 
So I suppose I will never see a Moon-Knight animated movie.
Not in your lifetime. It’s like how DC will not produce any animated movie that does not star Batman or Superman anymore. Marvel isn’t going to bother with anyone who isn’t Wolverine or an Avenger…if they even bother with Wolverine.
Well now hold up. You forget that they’re making a Guardians of the Galaxy movie. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY! And that’s pretty damn obscure. Oh and Thanos is the next big villain. Nobody knows who Thanos is. So give Marvel some credit on being brave enough to leverage some unpopular properties.
That said, of course this cartoon is an awful cash grab. But what if it is just Marvel trying to dip their toe back into the water? Animated DVD movies broke their heart before. They just want to be careful this time. Protect themselves. Then once they’ve learned how to love again, they’ll drop a sweet Daredevil flick on us. Of course they’re starting with the most popular characters. You really think their first foray back into animated DVDs would be Iron Fist?
Because DC and Marvel have one major difference: Marvel can turn any character into a franchise. And DC can’t. They can only make get Superman and Batman to work. But Marvel now has a Thor franchise! And if they can get the general populace to shut up and eat their Thor, then I could certainly see it happening to better characters who are just as unpopular.
As for Moon Knight, I wouldn’t count him out. We all know that Joe Quesada has a huge man-crush on Moon Knight. And so does Bendis obviously. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day Jeph Loeb finally gets the boot, or retires, or does something that keeps him out of my TV. Then a guy like Bendis takes his place and becomes ruler of Marvel TV. We’d get a lot more Luke Cage……but that’s not at all a bad thing.
Also think like this: it would be pretty impossible to reboot the Thor movies. Honestly, any of the Avengers related franchises probably can’t be rebooted. Disney is in charge now and they don’t really do that sort of thing anyway. So eventually Thor is going to wear thin. They all are. But ten years from now Marvel is still going to be trying to make super hero movies. They’re just going to have to rely on some unproven heroes to get the job done.
Oh and there is going to be a Cloak and Dagger TV show. So I think I’ve made my point by now. I didn’t think I’d have to defend Marvel’s integrity to you, Sean. But the evidence is all over the place. I know that now that you’re a citizen of the internet, your immediate jump to the worst possible of possibilities in all things is your civic duty. But if I have to be this blog’s balanced voice of reason, I’ll do it. You don’t even have to ask.
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