BATMAN: THE BLACK WIDOW STRIKES AGAIN

Tallulah Bankhead faces down Batman

 THE BLACK WIDOW STRIKES AGAIN on Batman. ABC TV. 1967.

"You may be caped and you may be dynamic, but I find you a crashing bore!" -- Black Widow

When the campy Batman TV series hit the airwaves in the late sixties, a number of well-known actors were signed to play guest villains. Definitely the most memorable was talented stage [and screen] actress Tallulah Bankhead, with her trademark gravelly voice and withering, highly amusing delivery. Bankhead had already shown how good she could be in TV comedy when she guest-starred on what was probably the best Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour episode. On this two-part second season episode of Batman, she plays the comically sinister Black Widow, who apparently rode roughshod over Gotham City in the past (but never appeared previously on the show) and now is robbing banks with the aid of several confederates and a machine that saps men's wills. Therefore she sort of hypnotizes the bank officers into simply handing her oodles of cash. The cliffhanger has Bankhead unleashing cat-sized black widow spiders on Batman and Robin ("Batman! They're getting closer!"/ "I know, Robin!"). Arguably the funniest sequence has the Widow dressing up as Robin and growling at police officers, with her voice coming out of Burt Ward's body as the actor does a funny parody of Bankhead. Bolstering the proceedings -- along with Adam West as Batman and Ward as Robin, both excellent as usual (not to mention wonderful Neil Hamilton and Stafford Repp as the police and Alan Napier as Alfred) -- are the appearances of Grady Sutton (The Bank Dick) as a nervous bank teller and Len Felber as the bank manager. The campy approach to Batman is now passe, but I must say this was a very, very funny and clever episode of the often dopey series. Bankhead's most famous movie is Hitchcock's Lifeboat; she starred in Die, Die My Darling two years before doing Batman.

Verdict: Bankhead and Batman are an unbeatable combination. ***.

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS Part One/Part Two

Senior Batman vs eternally young Superman

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS Part One/Part Two (/Video/2012 - 2013). Director: Jay Oliva.

Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns, this two-part animated feature looks at the dark side and older years of Batman/Bruce Wayne. Batman has not appeared in Gotham city for a decade, but the threat of a homicidal gang that calls itself the Mutants, and whose activities are becoming more and more violent, bring him out of retirement. Eventually this brings him into conflict with the Gotham police department, which gets a new female commissioner in part two, and then with Superman in the final sequences. Taking care of the Mutants with blunt brutality, something the police were not able to do, makes the now-senior Batman a hero in the eyes of some Gothamites, and a fascist in others, such as the Joker's nutty psychiatrist, who thinks Batman is the real sociopath and is responsible for villains like the Joker. This is all played out before a backdrop of social and political commentary. A new, very young female Robin named Carrie at first seems like a frivolous character, as she comes out of nowhere and seems to have had absolutely no training, but she grows on you after awhile. There's more than one suggestion that the Joker in this might be gay -- his final confrontation with Batman is in a Tunnel of Love! -- as well as other sexually ambiguous characters, but whether this is to give them added color or is mere LGBT exploitation is debatable. [One villainess has a butch haircut and swastikas painted on her naked, substantial breasts!] Peter Weller makes a fine Batman, with David Selby also notable as Commissioner Gordon, and other voice roles are well cast.The animation is fluid and Oliva's direction is fast-paced and cinematic. This is not your father's Batman.

Verdict: Sometimes thought-provoking, sometimes childish, but it holds the attention. ***.

AVENGERS: ENDGAME

Avengers Assemble!

AVENGERS: ENDGAME  (2019). Directors: Anthony and Joe Russo. 

Following the events of Avengers: Infinity War, the nihilistic villain Thanos (Josh Brolin) has destroyed half of earth's inhabitants, including many heroes. Five years afterward Thor (Chris Hemsworth), after the destruction of Asgard, has turned into a bloated drunk, and Hawkeye (Jeremy Rennner), whose children disappeared, has turned into a bloodthirsty vigilante. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) has retired with his wife, Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow), and adorable daughter, where they only want to live in peace. Scott Lang, the Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), turns out to be alive and hits on the idea of somehow manipulating time to bring back all of the vanished millions. Since Thanos used the Infinity gems to destroy those people. perhaps the heroes could go back in time to before Thanos acquired the gems and use them to restore the lost souls? But will the scheme work? 

Josh Brolin as Thanos with a generous helping of CGI

Divided into teams, the heroes go back to various locations -- New York, Asgard, and other planets -- to get the gems, although there are complications, such as Captain America (Chris Evans) having to battle a younger version of himself, which also happens with Thanos' daughter, Nebula (Karen Gillan). Thanos' past self gets wise to the heroes' plan and rushes to the future. Just as the Avengers think they've won, Thanos reappears and wages all-out war on all of the heroes. 

Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans

Avengers: Endgame is better than Infinity War. The lengthy film is never boring, the actors give committed performances, and the battle sequences are generally well-done and exciting. At the climax there is an eye-popping sequence when all of the heroes with their colorful outfits and accoutrements (such as a winged horse) advance en masse on one side of a battlefield while Thanos and his forces, including weird creatures, soldiers, living serpentine spaceships and so on, approach from the other side. With literally thousands of elements in this sequence, it is truly an example of movie magic par excellance. The stirring music by Alan Silvestri adds to the whole stunning effect. 

Other good scenes include one with Hawkeye and the Black Widow (Scarlett Johanssen), one of whom makes the ultimate sacrifice to spare the other. There's an interesting moment when Tony Stark encounters his own father in the past. I liked that in an early scene at a support group one of the members is a gay man, a rare instance of an LGBT person appearing in a Marvel movie, however peripheral (the part is well-played by co-director Joe Russo. Thanos creator Jim Starlin is also in this scene). With the death of a couple of major characters, and the aging of another, I imagine that if there are more Avengers movies they will feature a cast of different and younger actors and completely reboot the series. 

Rocky Raccoon

Other characters in the movie include the alien "raccoon," Rocky (voiced by Bradley Cooper), whose presence shouldn't work but does; the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), whose human brain is now in control of his brutish body; the Ancient One (an effective Tilda Swinton), sorceress supreme; War Machine (Don Cheadle), an associate of Tony Stark's; with cameos by Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, Captain Marvel, the Scarlet Witch, the Black Panther, and others. One thing the movie doesn't go into is all the things that might happen when millions of people suddenly pop back into existence after five years (for instance, surely some people might have, say, gotten remarried during that time). A bigger unanswered question occurs after Captain America returns all of the gems to the different times and places where he and his colleagues acquired them. Since Thanos still exists in the past, what's to prevent him from simply getting all of the gems again as he did once before and starting the whole clambake all over again? 

Verdict: If you're not a comic book or super-hero freak don't even bother, but for everyone else this is certainly imperfect but not too shabby. ***. 

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS GODZILLA VS KONG

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS GODZILLA VS KONG. Written by Brian Buccellato. Art by Christian Duce and Tom Derenik. DC Comics/Legendary Comics. 2024. Originally published over seven issues. 

In a story that is apparently outside of normal DCU continuity, Superman is planning to propose to Lois Lane when trouble erupts in the shape of old foe and King Kong variation Titano. But that's only the beginning. Lex Luthor and his Injustice Society manage to invade Superman's Fortress of Solitude, and somehow wind up bringing Godzilla and other monstrosities -- a gargantuan spider, a winged Bat-creature, a mammoth-type beast with enormous tusks -- into the DCU via a "Dreamstone" manipulated by Toyman. Superman has little problem with Titano, but Godzilla is another matter, and a blast of his nuclear breath puts Superman in a kind of coma where his fellow Leaguers aren't even certain if he's still alive. Green Arrow winds up on Skull Island where he not only encounters King Kong (much, much larger than in the original movie) but the League of Assassins, who are up to no good. Under the seas another huge creature -- and Godzilla -- threatens Atlantis, so Aquaman unleases a many-tentacled Kraken to beat them off. Gorilla Grodd uses his mind-control powers to turn both Kong and Supergirl against our heroes temporarily, and also snuffs Green Lantern Guy Gardner. Luthor puts his mind inside a gigantic robot, MechaGodzilla, while Batman counters with his own gargantuan Bat-robot! Superman eventually recovers and joins the fray, he and his colleagues taking after monsters, Luthor, and assorted super-villains alike. 

Now if this isn't the ultimate fan boy's collection -- not only super-heroes but giant monsters, plus Lex Luthor and his huge collection of super-villains -- I don't know what is. The story is well-told, juggling all of these different characters and pop culture references together in swift and exciting fashion, while the art is at least serviceable and often quite striking. There was a sequel which will soon be out in a hardcover collection as well.  

Verdict: The ultimate pop culture experience. ***1/2. 

 

SUPERMAN (2025)

Superman (David Corenswet) goes into action

SUPERMAN (2025). Director: James Gunn.

David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman and Nicholas Hoult (of The Menu) as Lex Luthor give fine performances in this new Superman movie that trades on some nostalgic references while trying to stay somewhat contemporary in its approach. Kyrpto, the super-dog, more an artifact of silver age comics, shows up, and we've got Steve Lombard and Cat Grant -- both of whom work for the Daily Planet -- from the seventies. Superman's robots occupy the Fortress of Solitude. Instead of a phantom zone there is a prison that exists in a pocket universe and in which Superman is temporarily imprisoned. 

Hoult as Lex Luthor

In addition to bad guy Luthor, there is a clone called Ultra-Man, and a mammoth, if silly-looking monster that attacks Metropolis. As well there are appearances from members of the "Justice Gang," including Metamorpho, Green Lantern/Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Mr. Terrific, and Hawkgirl. Oddly, Ma and Pa Kent are pretty much portrayed as hillbillies! Superman is entertaining enough, Conrenswet makes a swell, good-looking Man of Steel, but while this by no means a bad movie, it's still lacking something. 

Verdict: Okay only. **3/4. 

DARK PHOENIX

Sophie Turner as Jean Grey

DARK PHOENIX (2019). Written and directed by Simon Kinberg. 

Professor Xavier (James McAvoy) sends a team of X-Men out into space on a rescue mission, and telepathic Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) is irradiated by what everyone thinks is a solar flare but is actually a powerful energy source. While this energy affects Jean's mind, some hostile shape-shifting aliens led by one Vuk (Jessica Chastain) come to earth to take this power away from Jean and use it for their own evil purposes. Angered that Prof X has kept secrets from her -- she thinks both of her parents were killed in a car accident but her father, who blames her, is still alive --  Jean lashes out and accidentally kills one of her colleagues, leading Magneto (Michael Fassbender) to declare war on her. But the aliens may prove a bigger threat and the mutants may find themselves in an alliance ...

James McAvoy as Professor X

Dark Phoenix was apparently excoriated by fans and critics alike, even though it is by no means a terrible movie. Unlike other recent X-sagas, Dark Phoenix at least has some well-choreographed battle scenes, and there's an eye-popping sequence on a train that is vivid and exciting. McAvoy and Fassbender offer the most memorable performances, and Turner is professional enough. Nicholas Hoult also makes an impression as the hairy Hank McCoy (better known as the Beast). Jessica Chastain really only has to show up and affect an attitude but she's still a striking presence in the movie. 

Jean Grey turning into "dark phoenix" was one of the best and most beloved storylines in the X-Men comic books, and this is the second time it has been sort of adapted -- and very much changed -- as a movie. (The first was in X-Men: The Last Stand.) In the original stories, Jean is manipulated by a bunch of evil characters called the Hellfire Club. She becomes so drunk with power that she wipes out an entire solar system of living beings, and then is taken to task by extraterrestrials and dies during battle via suicide. (It later developed that the Phoenix was a separate being from Jean, and she returned intact, more or less, in the comic books.) Many X-fans wondered why Fox bothered to do another version of this story if they weren't going to use more elements from the original tales?  

Michael Fassbender as Magneto

Dark Phoenix also creates some continuity problems if you are to take the X-films as being part of the same series of stories, which they obviously can't be. The events in this movie reignite anti-mutant feelings in society, bringing us full circle to the very first X-Men movie, but Jean Grey is very much alive in that film whereas in this she sort of goes off into the ether at the end. In any case, I found Dark Phoenix to be entertaining and better than the last couple of X-Movies, if not as good as the best films in the series. 

Verdict: Colorful X-fun if not all it could have been. ***. 

THUNDERBOLTS

Thunderbolts prepare for action

THUNDERBOLTS (2025). Director: Jake Schreier. 

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) runs black ops for the government -- her group is called Oxe -- but is coming under scrutiny from Congress. She decides to eliminate several of her operatives by unknowingly pitting them against one another in a warehouse where each has been told to "take out' whoever is there. These include Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh); John Walker or U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), who briefly filled in for Captain America; Yelena's father, formerly the Russian hero the Red Guardian (David Harbour); Bucky Barnes or the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Captain America's one-time partner; Ava Starr, a woman who can dematerialize and is also known as the Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen); and Robert Reynolds, an "experiment" in creating super-heroes that resulted in both Sentry and his evil alter ego, the Void (Lewis Pullman). Instead of destroying one another, these six second stringers decide to team up as the Thunderbolts to take down Valentina. But it won't be easy when the Void takes over Robert and has him apparently vaporizing most of Manhattan ... 

Louis-Dreyfus and Wendell Pierce

Most of the above characters originally appeared in Marvel comic books decades ago and their cinematic counterparts are alternate versions of them. Thunderbolts was also a comic about a group of villains pretending to be heroes for their own gain, but eventually metamorphosing into genuine good guys. Sentry was a member of the Avengers for a time as well. Valentina was not a ruthless villainess (pretending to be a good guy) in the comics as she is in this and other Marvel movies, but she is very well played by Louis-Dreyfus. The other cast members, including Wendell Pierce as Congressman Gary, are also notable. People who are completely unfamiliar with the comics will wonder who the hell some of these people are -- I certainly did!

Sentry (Lewis Pullman) goes after Val

Thunderbolts only really gets going late in the movie when Sentry, under the influence of Valentina, goes on the rampage, with some effective action and FX work. Unfortunately, this sequence is much too brief, and dissipates into some tiresome dream-type sequences with the members of the Tbolts encountering images from their pasts. Thunderbolts is also much too long, considering how little of the film is really memorable. At the end of the film Val pulls a fast one and rechristens the team the New Avengers, but it is highly debatable if this team will have any staying power. Florence Pugh also appeared in Don't Worry Darling, and is so different (and versatile) that you will hardly recognize her. 

Verdict: Fair to middling Marvel movie will probably disappoint most fans. **1/2. 

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD

Captain America takes flight

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD (2025). Director: Julius Onah.

Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), formerly known as the Falcon, has become the new Captain America but kept his wings. He has a difficult relationship with the U.S. President, Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (Harrison Ford), who apparently made a deal with the devil, a sick character named Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), who is manipulating everyone behind the scenes. (Sterns is a variation of the Leader from Hulk comic books.) While Wilson and his partner Joaquin (Danny Ramirez) investigate when old friend Isiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) seems to try to assassinate Ross, they uncover Stern's secret laboratory and eventually join forces with security adviser Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas) to take him down. But before that can happen Sam has to try to stay alive as Ross, transformed into the powerful and humongous Red Hulk, tries to do what the Hulk does best -- smash! 

The Red Hulk about to rampage through Washington D.C.

Captain America: Brave New World may have gotten lukewarm reviews, but I found it quite entertaining and suspenseful, and the Cap-Hulk battle is a decided highlight. Instead of the Serpent Society featured in Captain America comic books, there is a sinister (essentially unseen) group called SERPENT, of which the deadly Sidewinder (a zesty Giancarlo Esposito) is a member, along with Copperhead (who has less to do). Then there's a place called Celestial Island where there is a huge amount of adamantium, which Ross wants the U.S. to get his hands on, briefly bringing him into conflict with the Japanese. Mackie makes an excellent alternate Captain America, the large supporting cast is game, and Harrison Ford simply gives one of the all-time best performances of his long career. 

Verdict: There's still quite a bit of life in those Marvel Movies. ***. 

BATMAN AND ROBIN

The dynamic duo!

BATMAN AND ROBIN (15 chapter Columbia serial/1949). Director: Spencer Gordon Bennet. Colorized. 

Commissioner Gordon (Lyle Talbot) calls in Batman and Robin to help him with a sinister foe called the Wizard who uses a remote control device and can even turn himself invisible at times. Also investigating is reporter Vicki Vale (Jane Adams), who hangs out at the estate of always-tired Bruce Wayne (Robert Lowery) and his ward Dick (Johnny Duncan), and whose brother Jimmy (George Offerman Jr.) is a member of the Wizard's gang. Suspects as to the true identity of the Wizard include dyspeptic Professor Hammil (William Fawcett); radio announcer Barry Brown (Rick Vallin); private eye Dunne (Michael Whalen); and Hammil's valet, Carter (Leonard Penn). 

WHO is The Wizard? 

Batman and Robin is one of the best of Columbia's chapterplays, building up real suspense in the final chapters, and featuring exciting fight scenes, chases, and cliffhangers. Lowery and Duncan make a good pair of stalwart heroes, Adams is plucky and pretty, and even Lyle Talbot scores as the commissioner, with Offerman also effective as the ill-fated Jimmy. The Wizard is voiced quite well by Gerald Mohr (of Angry Red Planet). 

Verdict: Despite its obvious absurdities, this chapterplay really plays. ***1/4. 

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM

Jason Momoa as Aquaman

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM (2023). Director: James Wan. 

In this sequel to Aquaman, Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) has to team up with his brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson), getting him out of a horrible prison, when the threat of Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) again rears its head. Manta -- who blames Aquaman for his father's death and basically wants to hold everyone responsible -- finds an ancient trident and enters into an unholy alliance with a demonic figure, Cartex, from a lost kingdom called Necrus. Manta has also discovered an ancient fuel which long-ago Atlanteans realized was too dangerous, and now it is threatening the entire world, creating mutations such as giant bugs and man-eating plants, due to radiation. With the help of a nerdy scientist, Dr. Shin (Randall Park), the two brothers attempt to stop Manta before he can destroy Earth, both the surface world and the world beneath the waves.  

Black Manta

Atlantis has not yet revealed itself to the surface world at the beginning of the film, and most of the Atlantean council want to eradicate it, just as Orm does. Aquaman, of course, mightily objects to this. He does have other allies, however, including his mother, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), wife Mera (Amber Heard), and his father Tom (Temuera Morrison), as well as some strange undersea creatures, many of which hang out in a sunken citadel full of odd talking fish-people. Then there's Topo, the cephalopod, a genetically-engineered octopus or squid who showed up now and then in the old Aquaman comics stories. There's also an adorable little baby boy, child of Arthur and Mera, who is kidnapped by Black Manta (who actually killed him in the comics, but not in the film). 

Brothers bond: Wilson and Momoa

One problem with the film -- for me at least -- is that in this Aquaman follows in the footsteps of Marvel's Thor and has been turned into a dopey comic figure. While the FX and photography are all first-rate, and the film is undeniably colorful, others have noted that it seems like a hodge podge of old ideas and different movies, turning into a mere empty spectacle that is good to look at, modestly entertaining, and ultimately forgettable. Hopefully I'm not giving too much away when I reveal that the two brothers are reunited and Atlantis reveals itself to the world at large in the finale. One hopes this doesn't mean there will be a third Aquaman movie.

Verdict: Okay if you're in a silly mood. **1/4. 

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA

Jonathan Majors as Kang

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA (2023). Director: Peyton Reed. 

Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), his mentor Henry Pym (Michael Douglas), Pym's wife Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer), their daughter Hope/the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) and Lang's daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) are pulled into the weird microscopic quantum zone that Janet escaped from (in Ant-Man and the Wasp) when Cassie uses a device to explore that world without actually entering it. Unfortunately, a dictator named Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) is alerted to this signal because he ultimately wants to escape from the zone, which he has taken over. Lang's adversary from the first Ant-Man, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) has been turned into the killing machine MODOK, which is basically an enormous head in a flying chair with weaponry. Will the combined efforts of the ant team be enough to stop someone as deadly and powerful as Kang?

Corey Stoll as big-headed MODOK

Quantumania is certainly colorful and there are, as usual, some wonderful effects, but the whole thing is a strange combination of the grim and the campy, a combination that generally doesn't work that well. Ant-Man himself seems almost lost in the miasma with not only the other characters to contend with but all of the weird figures of the Quantum Zone as well, one of which is very well-played by Bill Murray. Although Kang at first does not come off like the character in Marvel comics -- and not just because of the racial switch -- eventually Jonathan Majors is quite impressive as an alternate Kang -- he is a wonderful actor who gives the most notable performance in the film. He wisely underplays through most of the movie, saving his fiery outbursts for the climax. 

Lilly, Rudd, Newton

There is some inventive stuff in the Quantum Zone, such as living buildings that walk around on giant legs, and an aircraft whose controls are also alive, exuding funnels which engulf Pym's arms so he can fly the plane. The performances are all good, although the character of Cassie is irritating and unnecessary. The score is full of those majestic, triumphant tones that ring hollow in a film that is rather silly all told. Still, older children may find it entertaining. 

Verdict: A far cry from those charming old Ant-Man stories in Tales to Astonish. **1/4. 

SUPER-ACTION: THE COPPER AGE OF DC COMICS

SUPER-ACTION: THE COPPER AGE OF DC COMICS. William Schoell. BearManor Media; 2024. 

Here is my latest installment in the history of super-hero comic books, this one focusing on DC Comics in the 80's and 90's, the so-called "copper" age. You can read about the rise of the maxi-series, such as Crisis on Infinite Earths, in which DC streamlined its universe and eliminated all of its parallel worlds (for a time at least). Then there's writer-artist John Byrne's big reboot of Superman (which did not last as long as intended, at least not with Byrne at the helm). George Perez' new take on Wonder Woman, in which the lady was turned from a joke into the star of a must-read series. In other developments Batman's partner Dick Grayson grew up, changed his name to Nightwing, and became leader of The New Teen Titans, a series so popular it rivaled Marvel's X-Men for a time. Batman got two new boy partners, Jason Todd and Tim Drake, one of whom is murdered by the Joker in the excellent (if wildly-contrived) "A Death in the Family." Flash. Green Lantern. Suicide Squad. Power of the Atom. More maxi-series than you can shake a stick at: Cosmic Odyssey, Legends, Armageddon 2001, Millennium. Read how DC Comics faced the challenge of Marvel and held its own!

Available on Amazon!

ALL OF THE MARVELS

ALL OF THE MARVELS: A Journey to the Ends of the Biggest Story Ever Told. Douglas Wolk. Penguin; 2021. 

With it looking to some people like the characters of Marvel Comics are taking over the cinematic universe, author Wolk attempts to put everything in perspective and give fans or wannabee fans directions in what to read and in what order. He does this by highlighting specific issues grouped together somewhat thematically in various chapters. The idea is intriguing, but I'm not certain that it's been especially well executed. For this long-time comics fan the most interesting sections have to do with more recent issues that I have missed, as the book does concentrate more on the past twenty years than the earlier days of Marvel. There are some interesting observations in the book to be sure, but you'll also have to suffer through tedious write-ups on stuff like The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. (Wolk wants to make certain the world knows that Marvel's comics aren't just about, created by, or exclusively popular with the "old white guys" who basically invented the industry and kept it going for many decades.)  All of the Marvels -- I love the title -- comes off less as a labor of love than as a cynical "sure-fire" book project, although I'm not certain what its intended audience was supposed to be. Won't most people interested in Marvel comics already be reading them? 

Verdict: Some good things in this, but it's not really a fun read, and it should have been. **1/4.   

SLUGFEST

SLUGFEST: Inside the Epic 50-Year Battle Between Marvel and DC. Reed Tucker. Da Capo Press; 2017.

DC Comics, which came out with such iconic characters as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, found itself with real competition from upstart publisher Marvel, whose comics were considered crude in comparison. (In the early days of comics there were many other publishers but most of them eventually fell by the wayside.) But Stan Lee, who was the face of Marvel for decades, took "perfect" super-heroes and made them more flawed and human, igniting the interest of older readers in super-hero comic books and leading to such books as Fantastic Four, Amazing Spider-Man, and Uncanny X-Men. Marvel eventually overtook DC in sales, and this interesting, well-written tome looks at the two major comics publishers over the decades and the various ways the companies and their staff battled it out for ascendency, both on the printed page and now in the movie theater. Although many writers and artists have worked for both companies and even jump back and forth between them -- and DC eventually adopted the Marvel style of storytelling --  there are some comics fans who insist on only reading the work from one company, which I've always thought was ridiculous. While Tucker does on occasion overstate things, the book does a good job of showing all the changes in these two companies and indeed in the industry itself. Although the quote doesn't appear in this book, Stan Lee once claimed, accurately, that the main difference between both firms was the age of its readers, although that would change. 

Verdict: A surprisingly good read that actually builds up some suspense. ***. 

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 SOCIETY WORLD WAR II

JUSTICE SOCIETY WORLD WAR II (2021). Director: Jeff Wamester. 

The Flash/Barry Allen (Matt Bomer) inadvertently jumps back in time to WW2 and discovers he is on a different earth where the Justice Society (as opposed to the Justice League) are fighting with the Allies against the Nazis. Barry meets the original Flash, Jay Garrick, as well as Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Hourman, Dr. Fate and Hawkman, who is killed. Reporter Clark Kent exists on this earth but at first he selfishly tries to stay out of the conflict. 

The Justice Society

The Justice Society tries to enlist the aid of Aquaman (Liam Mcintyre), King of the Seven Seas, but his mind has been taken over by a sinister Advisor (Geoffrey Arend) and he is now allied with the Axis. Meanwhile military man Steve Trevor keeps asking Wonder Woman to marry him at inappropriate moments (sort of what happened in the original WW comic books). This colorful animated feature gets better as it goes along and is especially exciting when the members of the JSA have to battle some slithering and absolutely humongous sea creatures summoned by Aquaman. The voice characterizations are all well-done, with particularly notable work from Geoffrey Arend. 

Verdict: Fun DCU cartoon feature for kids of all ages. ***.

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.