BATMAN: HUSH

BATMAN: HUSH (2019). Director: Justin Copeland. 

Batman/Bruce Wayne (Jason O'Mara) finds himself with an unknown and deadly adversary in the form of "Hush," who not only tries to kill him but attacks his associates, killing a very dear friend of Bruce Wayne's, Thomas Elliot (Maury Sterling). Batman wonders if any of a number of villains -- Joker, Harley Quinn, Two-Face, Scarecrow, Riddler, Bane -- could be the face behind the mask of Hush. Lady Shiva is an early casualty. Others in the cast include Amanda Waller of Suicide Squad, young Damian Wayne, Nightwing, Batgirl, Catwoman (Jennifer Morrison), and Poison Ivy (Peyton List), who hypnotizes Superman by kissing him with her special lipstick and orders him to attack the Bat and the Cat, leading to some perilous moments. 

In the original comic book stories this film is based on (which were probably better) there was some initial suggestion that Jason Todd, the Robin who was murdered by the Joker, had come back to life, a notion that years later proved to be true. Damian Wayne did not appear in the original stories because he didn't exist. In addition, the ending of the story and the ultimate identity of Hush has been changed. In the movie Batman reveals his true identity to Selina Kyle/Catwoman. There are some colorful and exciting sequences, especially when Superman takes after the Caped Crusader.

Verdict: Entertaining if not outstanding animated feature. **1/2.  

COMIC BOOK ANIMATED MOVIES

Green Arrow, Bats, Nightwing, Flash, Red Robin

JLA ADVENTURES: TRAPPED IN TIME (2014). Director: Giancarlo Volpe. During a battle between the Justice League and his Legion of Doom, Lex Luthor is frozen in ice and doesn't thaw out for hundreds of years. Karate Kid, who wants to join the futuristic Legion of Super-Heroes along with fellow applicant Dawnstar, accidentally frees Luthor from the ice. Using the Time Trapper for his own ends, Luthor goes back in time and conspires to make certain the Justice League won't exist (although taking Superman out of the equation wouldn't necessarily accomplish that). Now that the JLA is no more, Karate Kid and Dawnstar work to set things right. Solomon Grundy, Bizarro, and especially Toyman are ridiculous characters in this. Still, the movie is colorful and entertaining, and the JLA's battle with the Time Trapper is exciting enough. **3/4.

BATMAN UNLIMITED: ANIMAL INSTINCTS (2015), Director: Butch Lukic. Batman and his allies Nighwing, Red Robin, Flash and Green Arrow go up against an "animalitia" that is run by the Penguin, employs deadly animal androids, and has such members as Cheetah, Killer Croc, Man-Bat, and the ape, Silverback. Penguin's ultimate plan is to draw an asteroid to Gotham, where the citizenry that mocked him will be killed, and he can get at the gold inside the asteroid's core. In this full-length animated feature's strange continuity, the Penguin seems not to have operated before and Bruce Wayne has never met Kirk Langstrom (Man-Bat). The animation is generally fluid, and there are some fine voice characterizations, especially by Laura Bailey as Cheetah, and Dana Snyder as the Penguin. Nightwing's initially obnoxious attitude towards Flash is never explained. The movie has exciting moments, but never quite becomes a contender. One ridiculous sequence has Flash, who has apparently not been in action all that long, taking forever to get himself out of a rope trap -- not very likely. **1/2. 

SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC ATTACKS (2006). Director: Curt Geda. In a full-length spin-off from the Superman cartoon show, the Man of Steel (Tim Daly) wants to tell Lois Lane (Dana Delaney) his big secret but also has to contend with two major villains. After Superman seemingly defeats the techno-biological creature Brainiac (Lance Henriksen), Lex Luthor (Powers Boothe) finds an important piece of him and rebuilds him under his control -- or so he thinks. Now Brainiac is more dangerous than ever. Meanwhile Jimmy Olsen has his hands full with Luthor's curvaceous and dangerous assistant, Mercy. Fluid animation and good direction makes this a good bet for younger viewers. Basically well-done if minor-league. **3/4. 

BATMAN: THE DOOM THAT CAME TO GOTHAM (2023). Directors: Christopher Berkeley; Sam Liu. 

In this animated movie based on an "Elseworlds" (stories told out of DC Universe continuity) graphic novel, Batman and concepts created by H. P. Lovecraft prove not to be a good fit, as logical Batman has never worked that well with the supernatural. The story, which has Bruce Wayne/Batman returning to Gotham after twenty years, begins in an Antarctic cavern and employs such characters as demonologist Jason Blood, Oliver Queen, Ra's Al Ghul and his daughter Talia (of the "Cult of Ghul"), Harvey Dent, Dick Grayson and the Penguin, among others, The only voice actor whose name I recognized was Jeffrey Combs as Kirk Langstrom, who in other stories is better-known as Man-Bat. The actors do a good job with the various characters, but ultimately this is not one of the more memorable DC animated movies. **. 

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES (2023). Director: Jeff Wamester. Superman's older cousin Kara/Supergirl (Meg Donnelly) is also a survivor of Krypton but she arrives on earth years after Superman (Darren Criss) does and now appears younger. Not adjusting to life on 21st century Earth very well, Superman takes her to the 30th century, where she applies to the academy of the mostly teenage Legion of Super-Heroes. Things get off to a bad start when she mistakes Brainaic-5 (Harry Shum, Jr.), a descendant of the original Brainiac, for the real deal and attacks him, but it isn't too long before the couple are billing and cooing. Meanwhile most of the other Legion members are missing in action, and an ancient and sinister group called the Dark Circle is behind this -- and one of Superman's arch foes is behind them. Kara's colleagues in the academy include Triplicate Girl, Bouncing Boy, Mon-El, and the weird Arms-Fall-Off Boy, one of whom turns out to be a traitor. An interesting aspect has the original Brainiac showing up with the bodies of his other descendants grossly incorporated into his own physical structure. Legion of Super-Heroes is a fun and exciting animated movie. Flash Batman, and Solomon Grundy have cameos. ***. 

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK: APOKOLIPS WAR

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK: APOKOLIPS WAR (2020). Directors: Matt Peters; Christina Sotta.

In this animated feature Superman decides that instead of waiting for major villain, Darkseid, ruler of Apokolips, to attack, the Justice League should take the battle to him. Unfortunately, Darkseid is prepared, and two years later we see the results: a decimated Earth where a handful of heroes and others are all that stand between Darkseid and his ultimate conquest. The main character in this movie seems to be second banana John Constantine, who has mystical powers and has been drinking heavily since he ran off and left Zatanna to die (although his alleged act of cowardice is later explained). Batman has become one of Darkseid's acolytes, but his son Damian Wayne (Stuart Allan) fights the good fight, along with the Demon, Lois Lane, Lex Luther, Harley Quinn (why must this awful character appear in so many comics and movies?), Swamp Thing, the Titans and the Suicide Squad. (In a ridiculous moment it is revealed that bisexual Constantine is the ex not of Harley, as some suspected, but King Shark, which would sort of make Constantine a bestialist!)

Damian Wayne and resistance members

Raven of the Titans, turned into a teenager in this film so that she can bond with Damian Wayne, has been suppressing the essence of her evil father, Trigon, but he escapes to take over the body of Superman, leading into a battle between Trigon and Darkseid, which is perhaps not as exciting as expected. There are evil versions of other heroes, manipulated by Darkseid, and Apokolips War emerges as a kind of sequel to Flashpoint. The whole thing is fairly colorful but these things tend to work better on the comic page. Fun for devotees, however.

Verdict: Fairly exciting super-hero animated feature. **3/4. 

BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN PARTS ONE AND TWO

BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN Parts One and Two (2021). Director: Chris Palmer. 

A killer named "Holiday" is committing murders of gangsters, each crime occurring on a holiday. District attorney Harvey Dent (Josh Duhamel) is determined to bring mob boss Carmine Falcone to justice, leaving his lonely wife Gilda to fend for herself, while Bruce Wayne (Jensen Ackles) is embarrassed by the man's former connection to Wayne's late father. As Batman and Commissioner Gordon (Billy Burke of Along Came a Spider) try to determine the identity of Holiday and prevent more killings, Batman and Catwoman (Naya Rivera) pursue a relationship. Catwoman saves Bruce from the sinister manipulations of Poison Ivy while the Joker is up to his usual tricks and the Scarecrow breaks out of Arkham Asylum. Batman zeroes in on Vincent Falcone's mistreated son, Alberto, as Holiday but the truth may be much more complicated. 

Based on a graphic novel, Batman: The Long Halloween is a pretty classy animated feature, boasting excellent drawings and superior direction. True, the stuff with the mobsters is full of the usual cliches (and phony sentimentality), but the story is suspenseful and quite entertaining despite it being nearly three hours long. This is another cartoon that is better than a lot of theatrical movies.  

Verdict: One of the better DC animated pictures. ***. 

INJUSTICE

Superman kills the Joker

INJUSTICE (2021). Director: Matt Peters.

Superman (Justin Hartley) discovers that his wife Lois (Laura Bailey) is pregnant on the same day that she -- along with Jimmy Olsen and millions of others in Metropolis -- is murdered by the Joker. Understandably furious at the Joker, to put it mildly, as well as angry that Batman has never arrived at a final solution for the Joker, Superman punches his fist through the villain's chest and ends his menace forever. This completely understandable act of revenge -- or justice -- on the part of Superman, while perhaps out of character, leads into a conflict between him and other members of the Justice League.

The Man of Steel on the offensive

Superman decides that the super-heroes of the world should use their abilities to shut down oppressive governments and terrorists without mercy. Wonder Woman agrees with him, as does 13-year-old Damian Wayne (Zach Callison), Batman's edgy son. But even Wonder Woman is appalled when the Man of Steel literally murders some teenage geeks who think the Joker is "cool." Batman, Green Arrow, and other heroes then stand against Superman and the battle is on. 

Wonder Woman and the Justice League

Injustice is based on a DC graphic novel but many of its ideas are taken from the excellent Marvel Comics mini-series Squadron Supreme (whose characters were actually variations of the DC heroes), which dealt with similar issues of responsibility and the corruption of power. Other characters in the movie include Dick Grayson (who is killed and becomes "Deadwing)," Cyborg, Green Lantern, Flash, and the villains Ra's Al Ghul, Mirror Master, Amazo, and Harley Quinn, an idiotic character who nearly ruins the movie. The Atom and Green Arrow are also killed. While there are some exciting sequences in the movie, you might get the feeling that you've seen it all before, although much of it is fun.

Verdict: A lack of originality doesn't help but it's great to see the Joker finally get his! **3/4.

SUICIDE SQUAD: HELL TO PAY

The members of the Suicide Squad

SUICIDE SQUAD: HELL TO PAY (2018 animated feature). Director: Sam Liu. 

Task Force X is a division of the Suicide Squad, a group of super-powered convicts who agree to work for one Amanda Waller in exchange for considerations. To keep the members from simply running off, Waller has bombs implanted in the members' necks that will literally blow their heads off if they try anything un-kosher. The normally obese Waller, now skinny due to cancer, wants the team to get a certain mystical object that will give the possessor a sort of "get out of Hell" free card, supposedly affecting their after-lives. But there are others who want this object, including the immortal Vandal Savage (who was once a caveman), the Banshee, and Professor Zoom, AKA the Reverse-Flash.

Once a caveman: Vandal Savage

The members of the Task Force include the psychotic Harlequin (who has for inexplicable reasons become prominent in the DC Comics universe), Killer Frost, the lovable Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Copperhead, and the less-malevolent-than-the-others Ben Turner, AKA the Bronze Tiger. Other characters include Vandal's daughter Scandal Savage, and her female lover, Knockout, not to mention a male stripper who turns out to have once been the magical Dr. Fate. 

male stripper attempts to channel Dr. Fate

Just as many comic books today are definitely not for children, the same goes for comic book movies. Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay is full of often gruesome and sadistic violence, especially during the prologue when Waller sets the fifth-string villains Punch and Jewelee against gang leader Tobias Whale on a speeding train. Then there is the sexual content, although none of it could be described as pornographic. What really makes the movie cook is the fluid animation, many exciting sequences, and the suspense over which group or person will wind up winning the prize -- or losing their lives. The actors who do the voices for this feature include Christian Slater (Deadshot), Vanessa Williams (Amanda Waller), and C. Thomas Howell (Zoom).

Verdict: Not your grandpop's super-villains. ***.