So to those of you who read my comments in the previous posting you know full well my opinions about Young Justice & The Justice League Unlimited vs. The Teen Titans and Batman The Brave and The Bold. Today I decided to have a second look on Youtube the Titans and BnB and oh man it was just painful. Just the animation alone makes want to turn away from the screen. It's just not right that the only appearance of Bronze Tiger in a DC cartoon had to be in the BnB series. It's just not right. I mean really folks just look at the difference in the clip art I provided above. It's kinda like back in the 80's the difference between the animation in the Gobots cartoon verses the Transformers.On a side note you'll notice that Speedy a.k.a Roy Harper is in most of the DC cartoons. I know he was in at least one JLU episode called Patriot Act (on Youtube) even though I didn't provide any clip art samples here for it. Although never an official member, Speedy was also in on an early mission of the Suicide Squad in which they were sent to South America to bust up a big time drug cartel. You can read up on the details in the latest Task Force X retirement files posting: http://siskoid.blogspot.com/2011/02/task-force-x-retirement-files-016-019.html
Bronze Tiger wasn't on that mission but he and Speedy (now Red Arrow) would have a brief encounter years later in JLA #18 (2008) when the League and the Squad had a skirmish over the Salvation Run operation under Waller and Rick Flag. Even though Red Arrow bitches a lot in Young Justice he seems to at least know his shit when it comes down to business. Plus, I find his over all pessimistic out look on life reassuring largely because in that way he kinda reminds me of . . . me. But this guy has had a rough life. He's lost a daughter, an arm and struggled with drug addiction and impotency of all things.
I see that Young Justice is on Sunday nights just in time for me to start following the series on TV tomorrow. Youtube only has the first 6 or so episodes I hope I didn't miss too much of the series already.
I liked Justice League Unlimited. Like Batman: The Animated Series, it is overrated, but its highs were most assuredly high.
ReplyDeleteI've only caught Batman: The Brave & the Bold in snippets, but everything I've seen and heard indicates it's a quality show that I would enjoy. JLU was at its best when it didn't take itself too seriously, and BTB&TB never seems concerned with playing straight. I've seen a bunch of clips from the Bronze Tiger episode, and thought it came off well.
I could never finish an episode of Teen Titans. It was too busy with its bad kiddie anime sugar high. Some of the designs were okay, but that's as far as that went.
Young Justice looks pretty good, but once again, overly serious. I've only seen clips, so we'll see...
well you should watch the Youtube episodes i sent you Frank. others have so far have and they are eternally grateful to me. to go from the Batman cartoon, Superman cartoon and JLU to the Teen Titans/Brave & the Bold was such a step down.
ReplyDeletei remember when i was in 3rd grade we all got these free Teen Titans one shot special about fighting drug addiction. it even had this "say no to drugs" message on the back inside cover from Nancy Reagan. Speedy was on the team in it and as irony would have it Speedy would end up being the poster boy of super hero heroine addiction. how about those wacky 80's folks!?
My kids are really pulling for Red Arrow to join up with the team. They got all worked up in the Bane episode when he walked out again. The girls were yelling at the TV and everything.
ReplyDeleteWell...we're gonna have to agree to disagree on this one. The simple, clean style of the Brave and the Bold animation suits the show in my opinion, and the series is not without its dashes of seriousness.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm just at a stage in my life where I want "fun" to be the major component of my entertainment, and "seriousness" to be a mere flavoring. I get enough seriousness out of daily life, really.
As for Red Arrow...that kind of goes along the same route for me. He was best, in my opinion, as Arsenal (the first time around), where he had "grown up" a bit, but also had a nice, well-adjusted air about him, like a real grown up, and not like a pissed off teenager trying to seem "bad-ass."
yes.
ReplyDeleteNow he is Arsenal again, but he is a pissed of adult, drug addict trying to seem a bad-ass.
If there is a character in which it isn't fair, i'll say he fits the bill.
But that's Speedy. He can never pull himself out of the gutter too many times. And they'll just keep knocking him back down. That's who he is. He's sad and brave, and he fails and he triumphs and boy do we pull for him. Like Donna we just want to hug him and make everything all better for him, even though we know we can't.
ReplyDeleteAs to the cartoons...Teen Titans also bugs me to death, probably because of the fake anime style. Not even real anime...FAKE anime. Puts my teeth on edge. I had to get over my initial gut reaction to Young Justice, because I read Young Justice and that cartoon my friends? That is not the lineup I wanted. Once...JUST ONCE can we PLEASE have Tim Drake as Robin and assume that the populace is intelligent enough to realize that Dick Grayson has grown up? grrrr. And I wanted to see Impulse. And Cassie. My reaction was so intense I didn't watch the first episode in it's entirety for the first month it was on my DVR. But I eventually calmed down. And it's not a bad show. Well written, well drawn. And my kids love it almost as much as they love all the Batman TAS and JL, and JLU cartoons. So that says something. I've come to the conclusion that I have to view it as an alternate universe. Just to reconcile THAT Robin being in Young Justice with THAT Superboy. Sorry. That's my rant on Young Justice.
I'm with BollWeevilPrime (more than he knows, since I once had an Ambush Bug-related handle myself.) I read the B:TB&TB comics on occasion, and they're a lot of fun. I won't have time to watch any YJ until mid-week, BTW.
ReplyDeleteMan, I like Speedy. I read those anti-drug comics too. Roy's had such a rotten life, but I'll never stop pulling for him. He's one of my favorite Titans, and a better character than most (certainly Ollie Queen.)
I fell in love completely with Batman the Brave and the Bold simply for their treatment of Aquaman, but I think I've said that before over on Dan's blog. I actually think they were smart not to try and make it another Batman: The Animated Series.
ReplyDeleteAquaman is a riot on that show, as is the new Blue Beetle. The show did grow on me toward the end, but it was by no means my favorite. I wasn't a huge fan of the style of animation (I liked the Teen Titans' style better, and that's not a good thing) and I wasn't thrilled with the throwback style heroes. Just not my thing I guess.
ReplyDeletei can't speak to the whole funny bone with Aquaman and Beetle but i just can't watch more then a minute or so of lame and the bald just because of the animation alone. from what little bit i have managed to suffer through on youtube i didn't see anything story wise that was special either. that show just blows in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteby the way, a good non DC or Marvel cartoon was Gargoyles. great animation and pretty good characters. i always liked how many of the voices were done by actors from Star Trek The Next Generation.
one of the best. Too bad it was off the air before my kids could really get into it.
ReplyDeleteI loved that cartoon! I need to get that one on dvd. Mission for the day! To the ebay!
ReplyDeleteStick with the first few seasons. If I remember correctly, that last one was pretty shaky.
ReplyDeleteCheck, Dave's wing-man.
ReplyDeleteGargoyles was amazing on the begining. Great story, great art and then, not so great art, not so logical continuation.
ReplyDeleteI still love the first episodes.