14 December 2013

Crisis of Infinite Episodes - Riddler: Riddle Me This



Riddle Me This was a bit of a mix-up. The short contained no less than 5 riddles with a DC universe theme and animations to match the punchlines. While I can't really imagine a series of Riddler shorts, this along with the Bizarro short offer a welcome focus on some of DC's underutilized villains. Dare I hope for shorts featuring Black Manta, Larfleeze, Cheetah, Solomon Grundy, or the Shadow Thief?

13 December 2013

Crisis of Infinite Episodes - The Bride of Darkseid


This episode introduced Firestorm and his ability to transmute any inorganic material including the globe on top of the Daily Planet. You know, that thing is more trouble than its worth. It seems to fall off the building eventually in every show its in. After showing up the League a few times, they decided to attempt to recruit him. One of the problems with Firestorm was that he was pretty much invincible. He could phase through anything and turn anything into anything else. He even had some mad skills with the ladies earning a kiss from Double Dubs. So not only can he get a bit annoying for always saving the day, but for plot's sake the only time he is beaten is when he does something stupid like accidentally turning off a force field. Oops. Anyways, he has a special place in my heart because as a kid I remember him being introduced and being blown away by this new hero that I had never heard of that was even more powerful than Superman.

12 December 2013

Crisis of Infinite Episodes - Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show


After a couple of years with no  new episodes, Super Friends rebranded itself with a vengeance and returned strong in 1984 with the The Legendary Super Powers Show. There are a few things that set this season apart. For one, the team's ranks were expanded with the introduction of Firestorm. I tell you what, the dude really made an impression on me because to this day I am a sucker for the character.

11 December 2013

Super History of Superman: The Dark Knight Returns (2013)


His portrayal in The Dark Knight Returns may not have been the most flattering, nevertheless, Superman played  a key role in the story as a prime antagonist to Batman.

Crisis of Infinite Episodes - The Kid Super Power Hour with Shazam! and Hero High Recap

I have always wondered why Captain Marvel AKA Shazam wasn't a bigger hero. The dude has a whole array of powers, a mythology, and a supporting cast... but this series perhaps begins to shed some light on the characters' limited appeal. While the Cap and Mary are fine enough, Uncle Dudley, Tawky Tawny and Captain Marvel Jr. each have some strange quirks that were probably exacerbated by this low budget / effort production. And there was just a silliness to the Fawcett world that makes The Big Red Cheese more of a parody or kids' hero than a bona fide DC powerhouse.

10 December 2013

Crisis of Infinite Episodes - Girl of His Dreams


While he was relatively unaffected by Isis' visit in the last crossover, the visit of Mary Marvel really threw Rex Ruthless for a loop. All Mary did was talk about books, but Rex lost control of his gadgets which were all firing off at the wrong times. As with the other guests, Mary was pretty much wasted, she was just there to give the boys a reason to be aroused. No too flattering for a classic heroine.

09 December 2013

Crisis of Infinite Episodes - Cover Twirl

 In the second crossover, the students of Hero High were hot for teacher when Isis was recruited to substitute. Jealousy ensued and Captain California ended up lovestruck for some old bag. Oh hilarity - at least that's what they were going for. Its kinda sad that this would be Isis' last onscreen appearance for nearly 30 years until she got a brief mention on Smallville. Alas poor Isis, you had such untapped potential.