The DC Animated Universe has found its 14th original film in ‘Superman vs. the Elite’, which was released this past Tuesday, June 12, 2012. As reviews for the movie begin pouring in from excited fans and critics alike, it would be a good idea to take the time to look back at the films before it. Of the fourteen DC Universe Animated Originals, Toonari Post submits the Top 5 Favorites to honor the stories of heroes who have continued to surpass our expectations as they fight to keep the world safe.

5. Justice League: Doom (2012). As mentioned in our full review, ‘Justice League: Doom’ tells the tale of power hungry immortal Vandal Savage (Phil Morris) stealing encrypted files from the supercomputer of Batman that contain contingency plans for neutralizing each member of the Justice League if they ever went rogue. It is also noteworthy for being the unofficial Justice League reunion, as most of the voice actors from ‘Justice League’ (2001), including Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Susan Eisenberg, Michael Rosenbaum, and Carl Lumbly are in the film. It also included the voice talents of geek god Nathan Fillion and newcomer Bumper Robinson.

‘Doom’ is one of the most action packed films in the franchise, but it is also one of the most emotional because the heroes deal with their anger at Batman for betraying them. Over the years, the League members have become good friends and thus cannot believe that Batman would even consider having a plan to neutralize them. The voice work is simply stunning, combining all of the familiarity from ‘Justice League’ with a new, brutal storyline. ‘Doom’ proved that heroes can indeed be broken, but what does not kill them only makes them stronger.

4. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009). ‘Public Enemies’ is based on the comic book of the same name and once again employs the voice talents of Kevin Conroy as Batman and Tim Daly as Superman. The story centers around a giant meteor hurtling towards the Earth, threatening to destroy a large portion of the world’s population. Lex Luthor, currently President of the United States, finds out that the meteor is largely composed of Kryptonite and claims it is causing Superman to act irrationally. Therefore, he places a huge bounty on Superman’s head, which means all kinds of villains come out of the woodwork to claim it. Batman partners up with Superman to find a way to stop the meteor after Luthor’s attempts to stop it fail, all while fighting off both of their Rogues Gallery.

‘Public Enemies’ shows off the best of the dynamic between Batman and Superman. Both men are smart, dedicated, and heroic, but the differences in their personalities are delightful to watch. It is a heartwarming, amusing friendship that has evolved over the years to be one fans love.

3. Batman: Gotham Knight (2008). ‘Gotham Knight’ is a tie in with Christopher Nolan’s masterful ‘Batman Begins’ that includes six short vignette-style films put together by different writers and animators. However, instead of Christian Bale, Kevin Conroy reprises his role as the Dark Knight as he continues learning how to deal with the violent criminals plaguing Gotham City. The stories vary from humorous to spiritual to emotional and all of them show Bruce Wayne coming into his own as a new hero. They also include familiar faces from Batman’s Rogues’ Gallery like Killer Croc, the Scarecrow, and Deadshot, to name a few.

The unique animation styles and fast-paced plotlines tie in well with Conroy’s solid voice acting. The end result is an exhilarating experience that does justice to both the animated myths of Batman as well as the Batman that Nolan envisioned.

2. Wonder Woman (2009). ‘Wonder Woman’ is one of the most unique films in the original movie lineup because of its mythological setting as well as its perfect infusion of humor and action. It tells the story of Diana of Themyscira (Keri Russell) from birth to adulthood in the midst of a war between the gods and mankind. A handsome, lecherous pilot named Steve Trevor (Nathan Fillion) accidentally stumbles onto Themyscira, Diana’s home island where no men are allowed, and she decides to escort him back to America and research how to stop Ares (Alfred Molina), the God of War, from getting his powers back and conquering the world.

The selling point of this film is the dynamic between Diana and Steve. Steve is smitten with Diana on sight, but she refuses his advances because she has been taught that men cannot be trusted. However, as they fight together, she learns that her perceptions of men are inaccurate because he is kind, brave, and determined to help her on her quest. Furthermore, the fight sequences are breathtaking and should not be missed.

1. Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010). ‘Red Hood’ is a fantastic film based on the comic book written by Judd Winick. It recounts the story of a new criminal named the Red Hood (Jensen Ackles) taking over the criminal underbelly of Gotham. However, he is unlike any other villain Batman (Bruce Greenwood) has faced because he seems to have a disturbing knowledge of Batman’s fighting styles and methods of operation. Furthermore, Red Hood’s presence in Gotham has stirred up trouble with crime boss Black Mask (Wade Williams) and the Joker (John DiMaggio).

‘Red Hood’ can be considered the best of the DC Universe’s original animated films because of the exceptional voice work, the gorgeous animation, the compelling storyline, and the brutal emotional implications between the characters. Once the face behind the Red Hood is revealed, the stakes become so much more important than simply stopping a new threat in Gotham. It affects Batman on a level he has never encountered before and makes him question whether his actions have done more good or harm for the city and its people.

Each of these films does something stunning and worthwhile within the original animated franchise. Be sure to check them out.

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The American gay community and its supporters have had a lot of political and social spotlight in the last two weeks. First, President Obama publicly supported gay marriage. That was followed a week later with an official endorsement and support from the NAACP for gay marriage. Then a day after this, DC Comics jumped into the fray with the announcement that one of their core characters would be outed. That’s right, one of the company’s iconic characters; Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, Robin, Green Lantern, or Green Arrow, will come out of the closet and reveal to be gay.

President Obama’s approval of gay marriage is no surprise as he was for it back in 1996 and is the most liberal person to be President in decades. As an organization, the NAACP has been moving steadily down the liberal path for some time and will do a lot to support President Obama. DC’s decision, however, is more puzzling. It is one thing to add a gay super hero to their character roster. However, to decide to out one of the iconic characters in American pop culture is a more bold move, and will in my opinion backfire.

Which ever character DC has chosen to out, they will not be the first gay comic book character. Marvel comic books character, Northstar, was the first gay superhero in comicdom but Northstar never became a well-known character, nor prominent outside the Marvel comics sphere. By comparison, everyone knows Wolverine, even if you do not read comic books. In the ensuing years after Northstar, other gay characters have been introduced. Colossus of the Ultimate X-men line from Marvel, Batwoman in DC, as well as two lesbian characters in the DC title “Outsiders.”

Fanboys and girls took these changes in stride. After all, in a world where people can fly, shoot lasers out of their eyes and hands, and a regular man can beat out Superman, writers try to make it as close as possible to reality. Yes, in a world where all this is possible, there would be gay super heroes and villains. Besides, as one Orlando, Florida area comic bookstore manager said, “they are just following the current social trends.” And he is right, comics left the space of silly kid fun a long time ago. Social realism has been injected in the story lines and characters for years. Characters have been made drug addicted, alcoholics, wife beaters, in the 1970′s black characters where introduced, as were stories about racism. So what is so different now, and what is the big deal?

I have a few answers. The first, I believe it is a cardinal sin in writing to change anything about a well-known character for any reason other than storyline. If you violate that rule, you typically lose the audience. An example of this is the change in powers for Superman, following the “Death of Superman” storyline. After the mega sales caused by the death of Superman, it was revealed that he was in fact not really dead, just in a super coma. Once he returned, his powers were energy based, and his hair was long. Calling the fan reaction lukewarm would be charitable as best. Sales for the comic dropped way below expectations, given he was back from the dead. Over the years various characters have been tweaked and changed in effort to stay fresh, or increase sales. Origin stories can change a little, sometimes costumes can alter, and you can change their powers a bit, but you cannot change say, Batman into a black man. If you make too drastic a change, you will lose readers.

Can there be anything more of a blatant pander, than changing Superman into a gay alien? Will we be faced with seeing Wonder Woman, not in love with Steve Trevor, or secretly Superman, but with Supergirl? There is no original storyline which will makes sense, other than “Oh, well they were secretly gay all these decades.” And that is a problem. Millions of people have grown up with these characters, millions more still enjoy them and now they will watch as decades of story, of character meaning, go out the window just to make a point. Here is why this matters.

Wonder Woman is from an island of amazons; no men. So it is really easy to make her a lesbian. If they ever make a movie for Wonder Woman, will the movie version incorporate a possible impending revelation? What do you do with integral characters like Steve Trevor who was the main reason she wanted to leave her cozy little island in the first place. What if it is Batman? What are the implications, justified or not, of a gay Bruce Wayne, living with young boys dressed in tights? Will this affect the millions of kids who would be future audiences — which super heroes are they going to be cheering on?

To me, the issue is not about having a gay super hero. If super heroes existed, there would naturally be a few. Rather, the issue is changing an iconic character for a political or social statement. The racial unrest of the 60′s and 70′s prompted the creation of characters like the Black Panther, Falcon, and Black Lighting. They did not; however, turn Captain America into a black man from the Bronx.

What DC is doing is wrong and stupid. I love comics, but I will not be buying a comic with one of the major heroes turned into a gay character. Neither will many others. I predict many parents will stop buying those comics for their children. If a movie comes out, if they do not hold true to the original characters, I will not see that either. This will be because DC destroyed an iconic character and all its rich history. The hero, whomever it turns out to be, will not be that character of old, any longer. There is no Superman without Lois Lane. There is no Batman without the tension of Catwoman. There is no Wonder Woman without Steve Trevor. There is no Green Arrow without his doggish ways, and love of the Black Canary. I could go on and on. These are icons. You do not change them.

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The DC Universe’s animated titan ‘Justice League: Doom’, based on the comic book ‘Justice League of America: Tower of Babel’, was released today, February 28^th, 2012 to a smashing success.

‘Doom’ is the 13^th film in the DC Animated Original films by the creative team behind the magnificent shows ‘Batman: The Animated Series’, ‘Superman: The Animated Series’, ‘Batman Beyond’, ‘Justice League’, and ‘Justice League Unlimited.’ The movie also reunites nearly all of the original cast from the Justice League cartoon series, making it both an exciting new adventure and a nostalgic trip into the past.

The film tells the tale of power-hungry immortal Vandal Savage (Phil Morris) stealing encrypted files from the supercomputer of Batman, that contain contingency plans for neutralizing each member of the Justice League, if they ever go rogue. Savage employs each of the team member’s arch nemeses: Cheetah for Wonder Woman, Star Sapphire for Green Lantern, Metallo for Superman, Bane for Batman, Mirror Master for The Flash, and Ma’alefa’ak for the Martian Manhunter.

The villains execute these plans in order to eliminate the Justice League, so that Savage can put a larger plan in the works, allowing him total world domination. As expected, the voice acting is simply off the charts. Kevin Conroy, the original voice of Batman in the 1992 animated series, holds the record for most performances of the Dark Knight, as he has played Bruce Wayne at least eighteen times in his career.

He brings the perfect amount of darkness, depth, pain, and drive to the Caped Crusader, which is especially important because this movie thrives on Batman’s decision to make a plan to stop his most trusted friends. He is by far the most talented voice actor of the bunch, and shows every bit of suffering that Batman goes through, as he fights to stop villains from killing his friends and taking over the world.

Superman is played by another veteran, Tim Daly, who has voiced the Kryptonian for many years as well, starting with ‘Superman: The Animated Series’ and continuing  in several other animated films. His compassionate voice solidifies the friendship he shares with Batman and the other members of the League, and adds a layer of emotion over the film that is hard to resist.

Michael Rosenbaum, who most know as Lex Luthor from ‘Smallville’, reprises the role of The Flash, although this time he is playing Barry Allen rather than Wally West. Rosenbaum’s lighthearted voice is a welcome addition to the cast, and he slips easily back into the heartwarming role of the Scarlet Speedster.

Susan Eisenberg returns as Diana of Themyscira, aka Wonder Woman, and assumes the same strength and poise as expected of the warrior princess. She works especially well against Claudia Black, who voices Cheetah, because of the contrast between Wonder Woman’s noble tone of voice versus Cheetah’s cold accent.

Carl Lumbly also returns as J’onn J’onnz, the Martian Manhunter, and fills the role with a compelling sense of mystery. J’onn often struggles with the normalcy of pretending to be human when he is out of costume, and Lumbly emanates the feeling so completely, that it is easy to sympathize with the Martian’s struggles to overcome his archenemy, Ma’alefa’ak, whom he also voices.

Nathan Fillion, the geek god known mostly for his roles as Malcolm Reynolds in Joss Whedon’s ‘Firefly’ and Richard Castle in ABC’s Castle, steps into the tights a third time to play Hal Jordan. Fillion has had experience with the DC Animated Universe multiple times: first, as Greg Saunders, aka Vigilante, in ‘Justice League Unlimited’ and later as Hal Jordan in the animated film ‘Green Lantern: Emerald Knights.’

Hal Jordan’s scenario of defeat is perhaps the most crushing aside from Bruce Wayne’s, as he is tricked into believing he is responsible for the deaths of two people: one of which remind him of his doomed romance with Star Sapphire that led to her becoming a villain. Fillion brings a powerful performance of sorrow and guilt that is liable to make one shed a tear.

Finally, Phil Morris returns as Vandal Savage, whom he played in ‘Justice League’, and does a remarkable job of being smug, while still being an intelligent warlord orchestrating the end of the world. He holds up well against the incredibly skilled voice actors playing the Justice League, due to his long career of voice work.

Bumper Robinson plays Cyborg, who was brought into the team to help stop Savage, and is a welcome new addition to the cast, as he has a wealth of experience in acting and voice work throughout his career. Cyborg fits in well with the members and proves his valor, while still maintaining a fun, upbeat role within the team.

As always in the DC movies, the film is beautifully animated and action packed. The fight choreography is brutal and the script is tight, precise, and gut-wrenching, as the League tries to deal with their anger at Batman’s betrayal, while also trying to stop Savage from destroying the world.

The emotional damage is just as serious as the physical damage by the end of the movie. However, it manages to end on a hopeful note that reflects the years of friendship shared by the characters and by their voice actors. It is no surprise that the writing is sublime, as it was the last work of the late great Dwayne McDuffie, who passed away February 21st of 2011. It is also directed by DC animated veteran Lauren Montgomery, who has done five DC animated films prior to this one.

‘Justice League: Doom’ is definitely not a movie you want to miss. It holds up well to the other animated films before it, and will beckon fans of the cartoon series as well as those who enjoy the original animated movies. Don’t sit this one out.

Image Courtesy of    https://www.facebook.com/justiceleaguedoom

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