The DC Universe original animated movies, over the nine years the line has run, have often featured violent scenes (and the occasional bad word or sexual implication) that firmly put them in PG-13 territory. Just because these are cartoons doesn’t mean they’re for kids. However, this is a new milestone, one of questionable significance. Batman: The Killing Joke will be released as part of the DCUOA line later this year, and the MPAA has given it an R rating. Warner […]

Batman: Bad Blood opens with action, as Batwoman (voiced by Yvonne Strahovski) is battling a gang that includes Firefly and Killer Moth. Unlike Batman (Jason O’Mara), she uses guns, which to the Dark Knight’s eyes makes her just like the villains they battle, so he wants her out of his city. Conveniently, she’s immediately captured by the bad guys. He rescues her but is presumed deceased in a following explosion. This isn’t a spoiler. This is the first five minutes […]

The next original DC Universe animated movie has been announced as Justice League vs. Teen Titans, which “welcomes the Teen Titans to the ever-expanding canon of classic DC Comics characters”. As expected from a Titans project, the big bad is Trigon, who’s possessed the Justice League, causing them to fight the younger heroes. Here’s the official plot description: When Damian’s over-aggressive tendencies almost destroy a Justice League mission, he is sent to learn teamwork by training alongside the Teen Titans. […]

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced that the next DCU original animated movie will be Batman: Bad Blood. It’s coming out on Blu-ray and DVD on February 2, 2016, with the digital HD version available a month earlier, on January 19. This was the film previewed on Justice League: Gods & Monsters this past summer. The story involves Batman going missing, so it will require “the entire Bat ‘family’ — including new additions Batwoman and Batwing — to keep the […]

Justice League: Gods & Monsters is the best of the DC original animated movies in a long while. That’s because it’s fresh. It’s based on an original story by Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett, two creators who know what they’re doing, and the result is that you don’t know every plot beat before it happens. That kept me interested, even if the film was more violent than I usually like my cartoon superheroes. I liked the revamped takes on the […]

Justice League: Gods & Monsters, based on the sneak peek, sounds like a refreshing take on the DCU original animated movies in that it’s a new concept by Bruce Timm. Unfortunately, it’s also promised to be incredibly violent, and it has a vampire Batman, so it could be a mixed bag. Still, new (instead of adapting an existing comic) will be appreciated. Here’s the trailer for the movie, coming out July 28: It’s described as follows: Witness a divergent reality […]

Batman vs. Robin is a sequel of sorts to Son of Batman, in that Damian is struggling with what it means to be Batman’s son. Only there’s also the Court of Owls interfering, as Talon offers Robin a chance to be his heir as part of a devious scheme, as described in the movie plot description. Damian is torn between his training by Ra’s al Ghul to be ruthless and his sometimes harsh treatment by his father for his own […]

The latest original animated DC Universe direct-to-video movie is much like the others: mediocre animation, lots of fighting, and little to interest anyone looking for more than yet another superhero battle. I found it so tedious I couldn’t get all the way through it. But then, I’ve never been much of an Aquaman fan, due to the flavor of fantasy ruler he carries. Justice League: Throne of Atlantis tells the origin of Aquaman (voiced by Matt Lanter). Before he realizes […]