Ten Deep 03.11.09: Best of the Marvel/DC Animated Superhero Films!

Posted by Lucas Huddleston on 03.11.2009

Superheroes? Cartoons? Can it get anymore awesome than that? Come on in as 411's Lucas Huddleston counts down his top animated films that have been offered up by Marvel and DC!

Hello, and welcome to Ten Deep: Week 23! Sorry, but I won't be able to get to Bruce comments this week. I will next week, however. Tonigh I went to see the Watchmen film, and I totally neglected it's running time, forgetting to take that into effect. So very little time to do much this extra stuff this week. Forgive me.

TOP MARVEL/DC ANIMATED SUPERHERO FILMS!

Of course, it should be self-explanatory, but the only rule here is that the film must be a part of either the Marvel or DC Animated Universes. Why? Because they put out more than anybody else, that's why. Oh, and because I said so.

10. Dr. Strange (2007)



As it pertains to the character of Dr. Strange and his role of existence in the realms of the comic-book medium, I know very little. Oh, I know who he is, of course, as over the years I have indeed bought quite a few comics with the character featured inside; however, those comics were of the likes of The Incredible Hulk or Fantastic Four comics that featured Strange in the role of a supporting, special-guest appearance…I've never held an actual Dr. Strange comic in my possession at any one time in my life. As such, what I know of the character is mostly in passing, of which that same passing knowledge has lent, in my mind, a certain degree of mystery and intrigue around the character, a notion which seems more than suitable when it comes to the Sorcerer Supreme. It was that same intriguing mystery that I view the character with that prompted me to check out the Marvel animated film on the character, and I went into the movie really wanting to learn more about the character of Stephen Strange more than anything else.

Of the little that I DID know about the character as he exists in the Marvel mythology, it wasn't hard to ascertain that Dr. Strange stands as being one of the most powerful beings in all of the Marvel Universe. Of course, over the years, I have at times felt the want to seek out information on the character and how it was presented back in the days of the character's inception, namely the 1960's and the 1970's (where Dr. Strange was arguably at his most popular as a stand-alone title). Though not personally having any of those old comics in my possession, either in original form or in reprint/trade form, I was indeed able to find pictures of the artwork from those old runs and read up on it, and when one does that, it's not hard to decipher that those old Strange Tales comics where Dr. Strange originated from stood as being fairly unique in the pantheon of super-hero comics of the day. Thanks in large part to the artwork of co-creator Steve Ditko, those old issues from the character's run in the ‘60's featured surrealistic and at times abstract visuals, visuals which clearly set the book apart from nearly any and all other comics that could be found during that point in time (and I'm sure Stan Lee's stories had something to do with that, as well). Due in no small part to said mystique artwork that depicted the magical elements that inhabited Strange's world, the book garnered a cult following…and, if I was to take a guess, I'm sure that members of that following probably loathe the Dr. Strange animated film.

However, for somebody like me, somebody that lacked a great deal of exploring the specifics of the character and his books, this movie serves as a fine jumping on point in learning about the character of Stephen Strange. The film essentially exists as a retelling of the character's origin story in a way, as a great portion of the film keeps Strange away from most of the frontlines of the action sequences that are sprinkled about here and there throughout the length of the picture. Instead, the film more-or-less chronicles the journey of the character, as he finds himself in a world where the impossible is made possible and his attempts to learn about it and discover a way to dwell within that world. In a lot of respects, the basic story of the movie is that of a ‘coming of age' tale, as the audience follows the titular character from his beginnings as a gifted medical surgeon and a bit of a prick, through a life-shattering car crash that not only wrecks Strange's hands but also his life as he's no physically longer able to do his job, and the character's battles through depression and lack of confidence before ending with Dr. Strange reclaiming his shattered confidence and finding a new place in the world and a new reason for living. The character-building work that's done here with the titular character is easily the best aspect of the film, as it's very well done and it allowed me to see just why Dr. Strange has had as much longevity as he's had; great characters last forever. Of course, that's not the only thing that's done well in the film: all the action sequences are quite good, and the animation, though not surreal like in the character's initial stages, is good all in all. My only real complaint about the movie is the fact that magic seems to have been relegated to being merely causing things to appear and disappear out of mid-air, for the most part, and doesn't really focus on grand magical elements…but, overall, that's a fairly small gripe, I think.

9. Wonder Woman (2009)



When it comes to DC's Trinity of icons, I have a great deal of love for all three. However, it may very well surprise you that the one out of the three that I've held the most affinity for the longest ISN'T my favorite superhero, Batman. Nope, nope, the one that I've loved for the longest would be Wonder Woman…which is almost doubly amazing considering that I've never once bought a single issue of a Wonder Woman comic (though I have indeed bought many where she appears as a group, such as the JLA). However, I DO know of one tangible thing related to Wonder Woman that I accumulated during my childhood, and I know this for a fact because…well, it's one of those stories that I can never forget despite not having a recollection of it in the first place seeing as how it occurred somewhere between the ages of two and five, as it also happens to be on of those embarrassing stories that my mother drags up every so often around other people to tell them how cute I was as a child. Apparently, there was this Wonder Woman action figure that was released as a part of a Super Friends set or something, and no store in our area carried the thing. My mother had to call around mid-Missouri before finding one in Jefferson City, all because I was throwing a fit about not having a Wonder Woman action figure. Hey, I don't recall that, so don't make fun of me. As to what could have possibly driven such a young boy as myself in the early 1980's to be completely enamored with Wonder Woman, I'm pretty sure of the reason for that as well (again, because my mama told me…subtle Forrest Gump reference), and that reason can be none other than simply…Linda Carter. It has to be, as I have no recollection of anything about the show, except for her, and how she looked in that outfit. At any rate, the point is, I've always liked Wonder Woman, even though it makes me feel weird saying that.

Now, for those that don't know, this film is a direct-to-DVD release that actually came out just last week. Prior to release, I'd heard a lot of good things about it from its various screenings at various comic conventions, good things that entailed praise such as a few statements saying that the film was the best DC Animated feature ever. I wouldn't go THAT far, but it is quite good. Perhaps one of the more defining aspects of the film that separates it from most other animated comic book films is that Wonder Woman isn't entirely ALL superhero stuff, though it does serve as an excellent origin story for the character; the film also stands as being somewhat of a Romantic-Comedy, with a lot of the comedy being geared more towards adults than children (such as Steve Trevor, voiced by awesome Nathan Fillion, remarking that Wonder Woman ‘has a nice rack', or his attempts to get her drunk and seduce her). It all makes for a pretty solid film, whos only real drawback is the short-running time, which doesn't do any real favors for the plot, as there's a lot that's crammed into the seventy minutes or so of the film, rushing everything. Still though, it's a good movie, and one that actually kind of makes me want to see a live-action Wonder Woman film…but only if they cast Linda Carter.

8. Ultimate Avengers/Ultimate Avengers 2 (2005)



[As a quick point of clarification, I have indeed ranked both Avengers films here in the same spot, as the second film is a direct continuation of the plot from the first film. Nearly all other qualities of the second movie are on par with the first, whether it be the animation, the voice-work, what-have-you, with the plot obviously being the only thing that's different between the two. As such, instead of attempting to weigh the two against one another, I felt that it would be more than justifiable to rank them as one.]

Always being a fan of the Avengers, it kind of puzzled me when I first heard of the Ultimates a few years ago. For those that don't know, the Ultimate Universe in Marvel stands as being essentially a (at the time of its inception) continuity free imprint, one that new potential comic book fans could buy into without being obligated to having to learn nearly forty to sixty years worth of continuity in order to get the most from the characters. In the Ultimate Universe, a lot of characters were essentially ‘re-booted', and some had varying degrees of their personalities, or their origins, or their powers from what they have or how they're presented in the main Marvel Universe. All in all, it was a somewhat interesting concept, undoubtedly spurred on by the overwhelming success of the first Spider-man film as Marvel awaited new readers to flock to their shelves (thus why Ultimate Spider-man was the first Ultimate book). I missed out on the Mark Millar penned The Ultimates from which this film is derived, and I still haven't even read the trade for it unfortunately. If I had indeed read it before it came out this film came out, I probably wouldn't have liked it, as even though I know nothing of the Ultimates, these films, while good and quite enjoyable, seem to be lacking…something. What that would be, I'm really not all that sure; it's just one of those things where you watch and just feel it. If I was to pinpoint it though, I'd say it lies in the characters themselves here, as a few of them are never given too much opportunity to expand. But that's a criticism with a silver lining, because what IS here makes the characters intriguing. Thor not as a god, but as a supposed lunatic who thinks he's a god…Iron Man as an uncooperative loner…Hank Pym as a hot-head. The groundwork is here for something really great, but it just can't quite attain that greatness…and so, the best thing in these movies are the fight sequences, with the battle between the fledgling Avengers and the Hulk being the clear stand out, as it's awesome. This was Marvel's first animated feature, and while it was a good, solid effort, it could have been great. All the more reason to love Marvel's approach to their live-action Avengers film, no doubt.

7. Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)



In the massive, inescapable build-up to the theatrical release of The Dark Knight, Batman fans, such as myself, no doubt found the certain amount of hype detailed around Gotham Knight to be nearly as inescapable…and no doubt, again like myself, they held a certain amount of anticipation for the direct-to-DVD release of the animated feature nearly as palpable as that for the live-action Batman summer blockbuster that, at the time, loomed heavily on the horizon. In the months prior to the release of GK, it was indeed made known that the film would be a collection of six anime-influenced short films, and also that the stories contained within would adhere to a certain amount of continuity set by Christopher Nolan with 2003's Batman Begins, essentially bridging the gap between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Now, I've made it well known in the months that I've done this column that I'm not particularly enamored with anime, and that, by-and-large, most things anime just simply don't resonate with me all that well. However, two things spurred my interest in this film, two things that elevated me above my general disinterest in anime: one, it was Batman; and two, the enticement of continuing the story that began in the excellent Batman Begins. Those two reason right there were more than enough to prompt me to buy the DVD on the very day that it was released with only my pre-conceived notions of what the plot would be to guide me. Besides, I told myself, I really enjoyed how The Animatrix padded the world of the proper Matrix films despite the anime stylings. And since this WAS Batman, surely it wouldn't fail me. Directly following my first viewing of the film, I could honestly say that I was disappointed in Gotham Knight.

Most of the disappointment that I held towards the animated film was that it didn't really deliver on the whole ‘bridging of the gap' prospects between the first and second Nolan Batman films. At the end of Batman Begins, Gotham City was clearly left in a state of chaotic disarray, even after the defeat of the city's major threat, Ra's Al Ghul; after the release of the Scarecrow's hallucinogen on a part of the city, the film closed with the notion of potentially thousands of citizens running about in a state of drug-induced, psychotic panic, which prompted those in charge of the city to shut down the part of the city called the Narrows in order to protect the rest of the city from their crazed neighbors. Even the Scarecrow, who was incapacitated at the end of the film, was clearly not dead at film's end, nor was he in the custody of police, which left the prospect of him still being out there, creating even more havoc on the already havoc-addled Narrows. THAT'S pretty much how I expected Gotham Knight to bridge the gap between the two Nolan movies…but that really didn't happen. Oh sure, the animated film deals with the Scarecrow, but it felt separate to me, separate from what logically would have occurred in a direct follow-up to the plot of the first film. Instead, GK bridges the gap between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight not through its plot, but through its mere existence…and that in and of itself is what disappointed me the most.

However, that's not to mean that I thought the film was all bad; indeed, I thought that it was good, for the most part, as the film's segments more-or-less alternate between being ‘good' and ‘bad', as one would probably suspect from a film that features a host of writers, and several different artists with different artistic interpretations. Some of the segments, such as the first tale that sees a trio of kids relating their own personal stories of an adventure of Batman's that they all witnessed, are just kind of there, not to mention somewhat weird. Other segments weren't all that memorable…and I'd give you more details about which segments that weren't, except that I can't remember much about them. However, that being said, there were also those segments that stood out as being quite good, such as the tale that relates to the Scarecrow, which wasn't what I wanted or expected, but was still nice. The Deadshot segment was another that has stuck out in my mind even long after I'd first watched the movie, and I'd probably even go so far as to say that the Deadshot story stands as being the best of the Gotham Knight anthology. And as for the animation…well, again, I'm not a big anime kind-of guy, so I have differing opinions on the different styles issued out in the different segments. Sometimes the animation looked great and I loved it, other times I merely tolerated it, and still there were other times were it came off being weird and not really my cup of tea. Yet, all in all, despite its misgivings and such, I'd say the Gotham Knight is enjoyable enough, and something that Batman fans should definitely check out.

6. Superman: Doomsday (2007)



I must admit that, when Superman: Doomsday was originally released on DVD a few years back, I found myself in fairly stiff anticipation of watching the thing. In the fairly large catalog of animated television cartoons that have been based on comic book superheroes that I've watched in my lifetime and have been forever logged in my brain (X-Men, Batman: The Animated Series, Spider-man, even WildC.A.T.S.), Bruce Timm's Superman: The Animated Series ranks around the top of that heap of my own personal favorites, and, in my opinion, remains to be somewhat under-appreciated to this day, as I never hear anyone ever talk about it. So to have Timm return to Superman in an animated film, one potentially dealing with no less than three of the character's most well-known and iconic storyline arcs in that certain character's long and storied history…well, needless to say that the potential for greatness here was off the proverbial charts. Sad to say, but that greatness wasn't completely grasped during this what I suppose you could call ‘alternate' adaptation, and, as is the case in most of these animated films, the film's greatest shortcoming is almost explicitly due to the fact of the short, time-constricted running time; in the case of S:D, it was undeniably impossible to adapt The Death of Superman, World Without a Superman, and Return of Superman arcs. With that being said, it seems that it'd be appropriate to start off here with my major criticisms of the film. For some strange reason, the creator's decided to NOT make use of the near perfect design of Supes that was created for the animated television show, instead opting to put what seems like an hundred lines on the character's face, thus seemingly aging him visibly to be around what looks to be sixty years old. That's just a small gripe, though. My biggest problem that I had with the movie was the fact that, despite the short length already clashing with the broad and epic scope of the three arcs that the plot is derived from, the movie felt as though it moved at a fairly glacial pace. Perhaps THAT'S why I personally was left feeling quite a bit under-whelmed by the movie, despite its intriguing plot taken from the source materials. Of course, knowing that I was let down by my own personal expectations, I liked the film…because it was indeed different from your regular Superman films.

If anyone still wonders how Supes would work in a darker, more mature film and plot, look no further than Superman: Doomsday. Seriously. In the comics and in Timm's own animated series, the Toyman character was kind of a goofy, gimmicky, nerd villain, who used toys (obviously…) to wreak havoc and carry out his crimes against the populace of Metropolis; in this particular film, he's still a gimmicky nerd villain…but he's about a thousand times more sinister and creepy. Here, he comes off as being kind of sleazy (at least that's how I took it), almost as though he's a psychotic pedophile, and while the term ‘pedophile' is only something that I looked on the movie version of the character and derived him to be, the fact that he's a child-murderer ISN'T anything alleged, it's a fact. A formerly goofy, B-villain intentionally murdering a child (a four-year-old girl)? That's pretty dark. However, during the course of S:D, the Toyman meets his fortunate demise at the hands of what is undoubtedly by far the most intriguing aspect of this film: Superman's clone, created by Lex Luthor. After hearing of the little girl's murder at the hands of the Toyman, the Clone Superman takes the Toyman for a little ride into the stratosphere before letting the villain plummet to his death. Again, that's pretty dark. What's that? A genetically and perfectly similar clone of the Man of Steel…out-and-out MURDERING another human being? Sure, it's in the name of justice, but it's still murder, and that particular incident spurs the Clone Superman on a quest to reign over Metropolis with a steel fist against all crimes, serving as the city's personal judge, jury, and executioner. Why would the clone do such a thing if he essentially IS Superman? Because even though he may very well be Superman right down to the exact physical, mental, and molecular detail, he's lacking that ONE all-important ingredient of the character, that one truly defining factor that makes Superman the Superman we all know and love – the Clone Superman is lacking Clark Kent, that good and honest upbringing that taught Kal-El, Last Son of Krypton, about the humanity of truth, justice, and that honor that accompanies being a good man (thought I was going to say ‘The American Way', eh?). The Clone Superman does indeed stand for justice; however, justice without a moral center isn't really justice at all. It's plain evil. As you can see, there are indeed a few intelligent, thought-provoking aspects of Superman: Doomsday that could've indeed caused it to really stand out against most of the crowd. However, due to not fully running with the deeper aspects of the plot and characterizations, the film is rendered to being merely a good film, not a great one.

5. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)



I can't really say that I was all that much of a fan of the Batman Beyond series during the television series' original airings. Not that I thought that it was ‘stupid' or anything like that for choosing to be set in the future or that the man behind the mask was no longer Bruce Wayne…just, for some reason, I guess I could never really wrap my head around it, as it wasn't what I wanted at the time. I suppose an analogy for my feelings would've been that, at the time, I viewed the thought of putting a well-known and once successful cartoon franchise in a dystopian future (like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) was pretty much the equivalent of taking a well-known and once successful Horror film franchise and putting it in space (like Friday the 13th) – a lack of an unique idea in what to do with the new entrant into the franchise, basically. As such, my associations with the show are fairly loose, though, judging by what I've read about the Batman Beyond television series since then, I'm sure that if I was visit the show at this point in my life, I'd more-than-likely get quite a bit of enjoyment out of the thing, due to the show's darker tone. Of course, even though I wasn't drawn to the show, oddly enough I was indeed drawn to the feature length animated film that it spawned, drawn by pretty much one reason in particular – the film's infamy.

Well, infamy might be stretching it a bit, as I don't think that the film is really all that notorious nowadays. However, just a few months before the film was initially set to be released, the unfortunate events at Columbine took place; as such, Batman Beyond: RotJ was released into a world where many of the masses and the public eye were casting a wary eye towards violence in games, cartoons, music, etc., scrutinizing such things under a vast microscope and condemning anything thought to be ‘unsuitable' for children. As such, and almost astoundingly enough considering that the thing is an animated Batman film, the movie was quite substantially re-edited, cutting many of the more violent scenes depicted within the film, all in order to avoid a PG-13 rating and the potential backlash of angry condemners. I personally didn't check the film out until long after the anger and confusion that the events at Columbine perpetuated had subsided, and as such, I've only seen the un-edited version of the film…which, of course, was the only version of the film that I'd ever wanted to see, with that such desire spurred exponentially by the ‘controversy' surrounding said original version. Of course, when compared to the films that I myself grew up watching (Predator, The Terminator, Robocop) the idea of Batman Beyond: RotJ being so incredibly violent and disturbing for kids is almost laughable, though I will secede that there are a few scenes that give this film a more harsh edge than the normal animated Batman films. For example, there's one scene where the Joker has taped himself and Harley Quinn essentially torturing a captive Robin, even molding the young boy into a small, twisted version of the Clown Prince of Crime himself. There's another scene where the Joker attacks the Bat-cave, leaving an elderly Bruce Wayne prone on the floor, with the words ‘HA HA' sprawled on said floor in a red substance, assumedly being written in Wayne's own blood. There were a lot more heavy edits given to the film, and while scoping those out is what initially drew me to the film, it's not what caused me to enjoy it. Overall, the film is quite a bit darker than is normal for an animated Batman feature, something that I love to accompany all things Batman, and the plot itself is nicely done, even throwing in a bit of a mystery to go along with the ‘World's Greatest Detective' tag, which is something that's always appreciated – and the end reveal of who's behind it all is intriguing to say the least, if a bit contrived. However, probably the best thing that you can say this film did for me is that it makes me wish I had checked out the television series as it aired. If it's anything like this, it was probably pretty damn good.
one.

4. Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero (1998)



Perhaps the most damning aspect of Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero (perhaps even the film's legacy, in some regards) leading up through its production and it's initial proposed release is the fact that the film was ‘guilty by association'. What I mean by that can easily be summed up in three little, nausea-inducing words: Batman & Robin, a film that many consider to be one of, if not THE, worst superhero films ever created. For you see, way back when in 1997, Sub-Zero was set for a straight-to-video release, though one that no doubt would have been somewhat high-profile, due to the fact that the film was set to be released at a time that would've coincided with the release of the big-time live-action sequel, and also high-profile due to the fact that the Dark Knight was riding something of a ‘high', what with the long-term greatness that was the animated series and the commercial AND critical success of the previous live-action Batman film, 1994's Batman Forever. However, unfortunately for the animated Sub-Zero, the live-action, ‘proper' Caped Crusader film Batman & Robin was released in theaters first…and was in turn met with stiff rejection and condemnations from both critics AND the general, movie-going public. Heck, even AS B&R was actually being played in theaters, quite a few people were already announcing that the expensive turd had swiftly and undoubtedly ushered in the death knell for the entire Batman film franchise, which, of course, we all know better than to believe that now. As such, quite a few parties involved with the B&R fiasco were left feeling more than a little embarrassed by that which they had wrought, including Warner Bros., who quickly rendered its judgment on the completely unrelated Sub-Zero. The animated film was delayed from it original release date for over a year, before quietly being released to stores in 1998. Of course, using what I deem as being ‘understandably idiotic' logic, one can understand why WB would be hesitant in releasing Sub-Zero immediately following the harsh wind of negativity that blew through their doors following the fall of B&R, seeing as how both films deal with Batman going up against Mr. Freeze; however, only an idiot would believe that the audiences wouldn't be so daft as to confuse the live-action film with the animated one, and wouldn't be so superficial as to fail to recognize the vast difference in quality between the two films as well. Since '98, many fans of the Batman films have claimed that Sub-Zero is the movie that Batman & Robin should have been, and that Sub-Zero is the true successor to Batman Forever…lofty praise indeed for an animated film that was released directly to video. In fact, speaking of lofty praise, this film stands as being the second highest critically rated movie out of all the Batman films, with Number One being The Dark Knight, of course. By most accounts, Sub-Zero should've been in the top spot on this list.

Perhaps the main reason as to why Sub-Zero automatically outclasses Batman & Robin in the eyes of fans is due to the two separate depictions of the main villain. Here, he's not a one-line spouting machine of incredibly campy cheese, as he was in the live-action film; here, he's actually character, much as how he was in the animated series – a villain not driven to commit crimes because he's evil or anything a banal as that…he does what he does out of love, out of a deep rooted feeling of failure at not being able to protect his wife. As such, the plot of Sub-Zero is much like any other plot from the animated series featuring Mr. Freeze – it features his attempts at finding a way to free his wife from her suspended animation. By now, we all well know of the greatness that is Batman's Rogue's Gallery, and, in my opinion, we can all thank the animated series for recognizing as many Batman villains as we do. While even those who weren't well versed in the comics knew full well who villains such as the Joker, the Penguin, Catwoman, and the Riddler were long before Batman: The Animated Series, then-underutilized characters such as Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, the Mad Hatter, and Clayface were allowed to come into their own on the television series, and have their eccentricities and personalities showcased in a medium that reached a lot more people. In terms of characters such as Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy (and the others, too), the cartoon series served as a revitalization of sorts for those long neglected characters. In this film, Mr. Freeze is at the forefront of things far more than even Batman, and that's fine, as this pretty much is a movie about Mr. Freeze, and a good look at an intriguing character. It's always appreciated when creators go out of their way to make you care about a villain, and that's what this film is essentially an exercise in…and it's quite good

3. Hulk Vs.



Hulk Vs. may lack any thought-provoking characterizations, or any really intriguing plots or storylines. However, sometimes a little less intrigue and a little more dumb fun is indeed a good thing, especially when it comes to the Hulk. I, for one, appreciate the whole psychological delvings that films and shows such as Ang Lee's Hulk and the old television show from the ‘70s tried to accomplish, I really do; however, there are times (more often than not) when I just want to see the Hulk go on a torrential rampage and tear the crap out of stuff. That's pretty much exactly what you get with Hulk Vs., as the film itself is essentially two short films, both being around forty minutes long: Hulk Vs. Wolverine and Hulk Vs. Thor. Both films lack any real strong narrative (though Hulk vs. Thor does attempt to showcase one more than the Wolverine short-film), yet they more than make up for it through the film's use of non-stop action. When I actually sat down and thought about it, it occurred to me just how ingenious and profitable doing films like this can be for Marvel, and here's why: everybody loves to watch the Hulk tear stuff up, as its his one aspect that has a mass appeal all across the board…and they especially love it when Hulk takes his wrath out on other superheroes. As such, I could really see the whole Hulk Vs. thing becoming a recurring franchise in and of itself for the Marvel Animated universe. And why not? This film was clearly the best animated film that Marvel has put out since they started doing these movies. Both films are beautifully animated, and both even go that extra little bit to separate themselves, as the character models and the anatomies between the two features differ varyingly. Hulk Vs. is a film that can be easily enjoyed by just about anybody, as really, who doesn't love to see the Hulk fight? It's what he was made to do.

2. Justice League: The New Frontier (2008)



There seems to have been some backlash from fans of the animated Justice League series against this movie, and I can see why. When it comes right down to it, one could be hard pressed to say that this is really a Justice League film at all, as really until the last frame of the film, there's really not a League to speak of. But that's fine, as the idea behind this story and setting is not to put forth adventures like that of the animated series, but to essentially use the characters to bring the gap between the Golden Age of comics and the Silver Age. Obviously, I didn't live through that period, nor have I spent too much time reading comics from that period, and while at times the film does indeed seem like a love in for that period of time (I wonder if the comic series by Darwyn Cooke is the same?), at the same time it does indeed feel fresh to me. The animation here is obviously taken almost directly from Cooke's own designs, which lends the film quite a different look than most other DC animated films. Also one of the many things that I loved from this film that felt new was the various characterizations of the Leaguers. Here, we get the origin stories of both the Martian Manhunter and Hal Jordan, with the Manhunter's being particularly nice as we probably wouldn't have gotten it any other way in animated feature film form. Superman here is a government tool (similar to in the Dark Knight Returns), Wonder Woman is a true Amazon, hating all men it seems like, and we get a subtle look at why Batman chose to take on Robin, and thus indirectly changing the tone of his character and his book from the early 1940's. Everything about this movie is downright superb, and when I watched it, I couldn't help but think about that old cliché: all that was old is new again.

1. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)



Way back when in Week One for this column, when I did my own personal top comic-book films, I gave Batman: Mask of the Phantasm a honorable mention, which was more than warranted in my opinion. However, what I really wanted to do was list the film in the Top Ten proper; ultimately, though, for whatever reason, I didn't allow myself to do that, and talked myself out of it so that I could rather focus on the live-action stuff. That's unfortunate, because with Mask of the Phantasm here, I truly believe that you're looking at one of the absolute best Batman films ever created…in fact, if I was to rank the Batman films, I'd maybe even place the movie as high as Number Three, though I might be alone in that regard. At any rate, in my opinion, it's always nice when an animated film can stand with ‘real' movies, even, in most respects, proving its superiority over certain other entrants in the Batman film franchise, and easily surpass those particular inferior live-action films in all measures of quality.

It may indeed come as a bit of a surprise for those that don't know, but Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was actually released in theaters back in '93, thus making it the first and only Batman animated film to have ever been released in national theaters and NOT straight-to-video. And the numbers that the film drew in from movie-goers…well, they were actually pretty dismal, to tell the truth, but not through sake of trying or quality of the work. After the massive success of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series, Warner Bros. commissioned a full-length animated film to be created and subsequently released on the direct-to-video market; however, shortly thereafter, Warner came to the decision to release the film theatrically early in the film's production. The relative short notice that the studio gave the creators left those involved in crafting the film to complete the animated motion-picture in around eight months time…and considering that the norm for most theatrically released animated features take around two years or so in order to shape things up for the big-screen, the quality of Batman: MotP is even MORE astounding, due to the relatively tight time constraints that was given to its production. Of course, the production crews pulled it through wonderfully, yet their hard work and dedication went unrewarded at first, as, due mainly to the fact that Warner Bros. hot-shot the film into theaters with a truncated and unsuccessful marketing campaign, the film was a theatrical flop and failed to recoup the six million dollar budget. However, since that original run that the film had on the big-screen, Mask of the Phantasm has gone on to be somewhat of a cult classic, and the movie easily earned the six million back following its video release…both which causes one to seriously wonder what success the film COULD have had, had WB given the film a stronger promotion than what it did.

Of course, seeing as how Mask of the Phantasm is directly derived from The Animated Series, it shares a lot of common ground with the show in many aesthetic respects: the movie shares the 1940's-styled, Fleisher-inspired sets and backdrops; many of the characters in the film that were regulars in the television series are voiced by the same actors; and the film utilizes the same animation techniques and score that the series did. However, while in most ways the quality of the film is on par with the greatness that was The Animated Series, there is one aspect where the film bests the show, and it is indeed the very same thing that separates Batman: Mask of the Phantasm from the other films appearing on this list – the plot. In fact, I'd say that the mature and intelligent plot that's featured in THIS film trounces the plots for at least five of the live-action Batman films (and that's including the Adam West film). Here, the story of the movie balances between the past and the present for Bruce Wayne and company, as in the present Bruce/Batman deals with a new vigilante ‘hero' that's on a mission to kill every mob boss there is in Gotham City, including the Joker, while the return of an old flame of Bruce's sparks old memories, not the least of which is Bruce's recollections with the origins of the Batman. The plot of the film is actually pretty complex (much more complex than those five other Batman films), and more than a little dark at times, serving as a exploration of what prompts Bruce to don the cape and cowl, digging a little deeper than merely relying on the deaths of his parents to give the answers. In fact, the main affliction that maligns much of these films on this particular list, being the short-running times that restrict the films to bloom to their fullest, doesn't play a part in Batman: MotP. It's length doesn't dictate the story, and seems perfectly suited to relay what's needed; nothing ever feels rushed here, it all flow perfectly together. To any Batman fan, this film should be considered a must-see, and if you ARE a Batman fan that hasn't seen this movie…then shame on you.

Oh, and Mark Hamill will always rule over all others when it comes to the role of the Joker. Too bad we'll never get to see if he can pull it off visually as well as he does vocally.

Again, I apologize for the somewhat truncated way of things this week. I'll be back next week, and I'll even give my thoughts on the Watchmen film...which I'm sure you'll be sick of by then. See you next week!