Blog Archives

The New DC TV and Movie Universe is Here and It Looks Great!

Today was the big day for DC Comics, Warner Bros and the new co-CEOs, James Gunn and Peter Safran. There has been so much swirling around since the pair were announced for a new, slate-clearing take on the DC Universe, all leading up to today: the announcement of the first 10 projects in the new cinematic universe.

Well those projects are here and they look great! I am fully on board with everything announced and look forward to watching all of it in the years ahead! You can check out the official DC on their website, and read my rundown of the projects below. Apparently, all of these movies and shows will have the chance to intermingle actors and characters, which is neat, obviously. They’re also going to be separate from existing projects, like Joker 2, The Batman 2, the Harley Quinn cartoon and those various Teen Titans cartoons.

More power to James Gunn, Peter Safran, DC, Warner Bros. and all of them!


Superman: Legacy – Movie


This is the big ticket item that everything is going to depend on, I bet. The next big Superman movie, focused squarely on Superman. That’s the right way to go, in my opinion. Gunn has indicated that he’s using All-Star Superman as inspiration, and that’s a great idea. That’s the greatest Superman story of all time, in my opinion, and it gets Superman exactly right. So that is the right way to go.

Superman: Legacy will focus on “Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned.”

Gunn is writing the script, will hopefully direct, and it’s already scheduled to come out on July 11, 2025.


Creature Commandos – Show


I’m in. This one looks weird and special, and I am totally in. A cartoon series on HBO Max about a bunch of funky creatures going on military operations? Like Frankenstein and Bridge of Frankenstein and Weasel from Gunn’s Suicide Squad? Count me in without a moment’s hesitation!

Creature Commandos is already fully written by Gunn — awesome — and is already in production for seven episodes.


Waller – Show


Viola Davis is going to return as Amanda Waller to do her own series in between seasons of Peacemaker. So obviously Peacemaker, and perhaps even Gunn’s Suicide Squad, will be part of the new DCU. That’s fine by me. I loved both of those projects and would hate to lose them in this shakeup. And if Gunn needs time to come back for Peacemaker season 2, having the characters spin-off into an HBO Max show about Amanda Waller sounds fine by me.


Lanterns – Show


A big, live action Green Lantern show has been in the works for years with very little to show for it. So Gunn and co. probably took the reins on that and have turned it into Lanterns, a True Detective-style mystery procedural starring Hal Jordan and John Stewart as space cops.

I love the world of the Green Lanterns, and I would love a gritty, live action TV show about them doing cop stuff. So bring it on!


The Authority – Movie


This one should be really interesting. I’ve never read any of the original Authority comics, so I have no real connection to the characters or the team. But they’re a pretty bold choice for another big DC movie in this era. Will audiences be able to just get on board? Will it be too much too soon? Obviously I’m confident they’ll pull this off, but i think this one is their biggest swing in this slate.


Paradise Lost – Show


This is the one I’m least sure about. They’re promising a Game of Thrones-esque show about the birth of Themyscira and the world before Wonder Woman. What were their politics like? How was the society of Amazons formed? These are interesting ideas, but I’m not entirely sure they’ll be able to pull it off. It’s just such a nebulous concept without any real established story behind it.

Remember when DC did the show Krypton? About the politics of Krypton during the time of Superman’s grandfather? Yeah, I don’t either. No word on whether or not Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman is still part of this new slate of projects.


The Brave and the Bold – Movie


I love Robin, you all know that. But I dislike Damian Wayne as Robin, even if he’s apparently James Gunn’s favorite Robin. So this is a mixed bag for me. Obviously, I’ll take any live acton Robin I can get, especially if this is the start of a really Bat-family heavy movie Batman continuity. We’re still going to get The Batman – Part II starring Robert Pattinson; that’s going to be in its own continuity. But The Brave and the Bold will be Batman’s big debut in the new DCU, with a focus on Damian Wayne. Does this mean we’ll get a Dick Grayson as Nightwing cameo? Maybe, who knows.

But yeah, I’m on board. I will gladly watch a movie focused on Damian if it also means we’re getting a movie focused on Robin.


Booster Gold – Show


Yeah, baby! This is one to get really excited about! Booster Gold is going to get a live action TV show on HBO Max and that’s brilliant. It’s going to focus on a “superhero’s imposter syndrome” and that’s a great focus for a show. Booster Gold is such a fun and easy concept to understand. He’s a hapless schmuck from the 30th century who steals a bunch of future tech and travels back in time to the 20th century, where he can use that tech to seem like he has super-powers. Booster Gold should have gotten his own project a long time ago, but in the hands of James Gunn, it should be better than ever possibly anticipated.


Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow – Movie


Jumping right into a live action Supergirl movie is an interesting choice, though I suppose it’s not that big of a deal, considering we’re jumping right into a Superman movie. They should work well together, especially in establishing shared continuity. Give the new Superman actor an immediate place to show up again before his sequel.

This is going to be based on the recent comic by writer Tom King. I read and enjoyed the first few issues, and then picked up the whole thing in graphic novel form. It’s next on my list for bedtime reading, so I best get to that right away.


Swamp Thing – Movie


Last, but not least, is a new Swamp Thing movie. I don’t have any real connection to the character, so I’m not particularly interested or concerned. There has been a ton of great Swamp Thing content over the years — so I’ve heard — so I’m sure they can come up with a really great story.


Whew! And that is the whole list of shows and movies. They all look pretty great, they all look very diverse is style and superheroes. I’m definitely excited. It’s going to be called “Gods and Monsters,” which is a pretty simplistic title, if you ask me. And it’s also subject to change, if need be.

Whatever happens, I’m on board for all of it!

——————

6 Thoughts on the Second Season of Harley Quinn

Harley Quinn is the best DC animated series since Justice League Unlimited. That’s not hyperbole. I know people enjoy the deep bench of Young Justice, and I’m sure those non-BTAS cartoons have their fans, but none of them are the complete masterpiece that is Harley Quinn.

TV Rating: 10/10 – Fantastic!

I have loved this show from the first minutes of the first episode. Harley Quinn burst to life with sharp humor, hilarious violence and a chef’s kiss perfect use of raunch. I loved Season 1, and Season 2 is just as good, if not better. Even though the two seasons were written and produced back-to-back, Season 2 shows a clear confidence that raises this cartoon to new heights. This is a show unafraid to mess with the status quo, while also displaying a deep and loving adoration for all of DC canon.

It’s also a show that knows exactly the story it wants to tell and uses its time, its pacing and its writing to tell that story masterfully. Join me after the jump for my thoughts on the second season of Harley Quinn! Expect FULL SPOILERS for the entire show.

Read the rest of this entry

Season 2 of Harley Quinn Looks Dope!

The second season of the Harley Quinn cartoon starts on April 3 and I’m excited! Turns out, WB and DC ordered a full 26 episodes and then decided to split them into 13-episode seasons. That works fine for me!

Because check out this sweet as heck trailer!

I love this show! It’s hilarious, it’s raunchy, it’s emotional, it’s well-written and well-developed. It’s perfect all the way around. And the new season is going to feature Catwoman, Batgirl and the ever-evolving relationship between Harley and Poison Ivy!

This show is great and I highly recommend it to all of you! It comes out weekly, though, so you can’t binge it in the virus apocalypse.

————————

6 Thoughts on the First Season of Harley Quinn

Good golly, Miss Molly! The Harley Quinn cartoon show was an absolute delight! I had high hopes for the series after seeing the first few trailers. Then the show captured me from the very first scene of the very first episode! A sharp, visceral cartoon that wasn’t afraid to be vicious, while also telling a very good, character-focused story.

Harley Show List 01

TV Rating: 10/10 – Fantastic!

The Harley Quinn cartoon ran for 13 episodes on the DC Universe streaming service, with the final episode airing this past Friday. The next season is right around the corner in April, and I am thrilled! Harley Quinn is a hard R-rated show that doesn’t skimp on the violence and language, while making sure to use all of that to be funny and smart. It’s a triumph of well-written humor, voice acting, storytelling and more! Not every episode was a masterpiece, and there were some poor choices here and there, but overall, this first season was phenomenal television!

Join me after the jump for my thoughts and full review on the first season of Harley Quinn! Expect FULL SPOILERS for the season!

Read the rest of this entry

Live Action Robin Looks Hella Cool!

DC and Warner Bros. held some sort of press conference on their DC Universe streaming service this morning, and I was not invited. I’m never invited to any of these things. I don’t mind, though, because I’m nobody special.

You can read all of the details here. Basically, it’s gonna be a streaming service with some new DC shows, like Titans and a Harley Quinn cartoon, which should be awesome. I’ll find ways to watch all of it. Plus the service will have all the classic DC cartoons and movies.

What I really wanted to draw everyone’s attention to was the awesome Robin shots that came along with the press conference. Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson looks hella damn cool!

Robin Cool As Hell 01

I’m pretty sure I’ve been waiting my whole life for this image

That is a gorram viable live action Robin costume and you all know it! So don’t let Hollywood feed you any nonsense that Robin can’t work in a live action, serious Batman movie. This costume proves it, and I’m sure the show will too.

Robin is awesome, end of story.

———————