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In This Week in Animation News, I’ll take a look at the previous week in the world of animation in order to get you caught up on everything you might have missed. It’s your one-stop shop for news regarding cartoons, anime, and animated web series. We’re talking movies, TV shows, digital shorts, and everything in between! A relatively quiet week in entertainment news, even on the animation front. However, this is a good opportunity to spotlight some worthwhile projects that might otherwise go unnoticed. For example, the Emmy-nominated 2008 feature Justice League: The New Frontier …...

Burbank, CA, (August 11, 2017) – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment returns to the roots of DC’s greatest Super Heroes – and their unifying moment – with the celebratory release of Justice League: The New Frontier – Commemorative Edition on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray™ Steelbook, and DVD on October 3, 2017.

For the new Commemorative Edition of the popular 2008 PG-13 animated film, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has produced an all-new featurette spotlighting the late Darwyn Cooke. The comic book author and artist’s seminal work, DC: The New Frontier, received an Eisner, Harvey and Shuster Award, and that six-issue comic book limited series served as the key source material from which the film was adapted. Justice League: The New Frontier – Commemorative Edition also features box art from Cooke’s canon of dazzling New Frontier imagery.

Justice League: The New Frontier – Commemorative Edition is the epic tale of the founding of the Justice League. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation,...

This morning, Warner Bros. announced a new blu-ray version of the animated Justice League movie originally release back in 2008; complete with a collectible steelbook version and a new featurette. Come inside for all the details!

If you missed out on Justice League: The New Frontier back when it released in 2008, or simply want a chance to revisit the great animated adventure, you'll get your chance early in October. WB is bringing a swanky new commemorative edition of the movie to blu-ray on October 3rd. While the basics remain the same, they are including a brand new featurette about the iconic storyline's creator.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment returns to the roots of DC’s greatest Super Heroes – and their unifying moment – with the celebratory release of Justice League: The New Frontier – Commemorative Edition on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Blu-ray™ Steelbook, and DVD on October 3, 2017.

For the new Commemorative Edition of the popular 2008 PG-13 animated film,...

Sneak Peek new footage, plus images from the upcoming dramatic TV series "Ten Days in the Valley", starring Kyra Sedgwick (Justice League: The New Frontier") , premiering October 1, 2017 on ABC:

"...'Jane Sadler', a television producer, sees her life get complicated after her young daughter disappears in the middle of the night...

"...and the two worlds she tries to navigate violently collide..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "10 Days In The Valley"...

Burbank, CA (June 28, 2017) – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC Entertainment celebrate a decade of heroic animation with the release of the DC Universe Original Movies: 10th Anniversary Collection, a comprehensive box set of all 30 films, 5 animated shorts, new special features and exclusive collectible items coming November 7, 2017 to Blu-ray™. The entire 30-film set will also be available on Digital starting August 15, 2017.

Launched in 2007 with the landmark release of Superman Doomsday, the DC Universe Original Movies are based on or inspired by storylines and/or characters from within the ever-expanding DC library. Produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the stories range from films based upon iconic DC Super Hero stories (Superman Doomsday, Justice League: The New Frontier, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: The Killing Joke) to films inspired by themes from within DC history (Batman vs. Robin was inspired by “The Court of Owls,” Superman vs. The Elite was...

Warner Bros. is putting together one monumental box set in honor of the 10th Anniversary of the DC Animated Universe! Find out what all is included!

While Wonder Woman may be putting the DC Entertainment Universe back on track, there is DC content that Warner Bros. and DC have never had a problem with, the animated DC Original Movies. In fact, their movies have been touted as being better than Marvel's, which is no small feat.

As a way of honoring the success of the DC Animated films turning 10, this year, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has created a box set the likes we never could've fathomed.

On November 7, 2017, WB will release the DC Universe Original Movies: 10th Anniversary Collection on Blu-Ray. The collection includes all 30 Animated movies, 5 shorts, new special features, and exclusive collectible items. The Digital version will release much earlier on August 15, 2017.

Unfortunately, a price point has not been issued yet,...

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC Entertainment celebrate a decade of heroic animation with the release of the DC Universe Original Movies: 10th Anniversary Collection, a comprehensive box set of all 30 films, 5 animated shorts, new special features and exclusive collectible items coming November 7, 2017 to Blu-ray. The entire 30-film set will also be available on Digital starting August 15, 2017. The studio has also released the box artwork for this immersive DC Universe Original Movies set, which you can see below.

Launched in 2007 with the landmark release of Superman Doomsday, the DC Universe Original Movies are based on or inspired by storylines and/or characters from within the ever-expanding DC library. Produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation and released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, the stories range from films based upon iconic DC Super Hero stories (Superman Doomsday, Justice League: The New Frontier, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: The Killing Joke...

She’s easily the most famous female superhero of all time, and she’s doing it on her own. She’s Wonder Woman, and she’s been a solo superhero since her first DC Comics appearance in 1941. Though Gal Gadot is taking her to the big screen in Wonder Woman, out Friday, until now, the best-known depiction of Wonder Woman has to be the Lynda Carter version, which first premiered on Nov. 7, 1975.

That theme song! It’s enough to make you want to spin around and see if maybe this time you’ll magically change into her very same star-spangled costume.

A version of this article originally appeared on EW.com.

NCIS: Los Angeles star Miguel Ferrer died of cancer on Thursday at the age of 61. His acting career, which spanned more than four decades, included film roles in everything from RoboCop to Traffic, with a wide array of television guest appearances in addition to his series regular roles on the NCIS spin-off and Crossing Jordan.

Here are some facts to know about the beloved character actor.

1. He comes from a famous family.

Ferrer was born in 1955 to Puerto Rican actor Jose Ferrer and singer Rosemary Clooney, making George Clooney his cousin.

Burbank, CA – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has accepted the MPAA’s “R” rating for its upcoming animated film, Batman: The Killing Joke, choosing to remain true to the landmark DC Comics graphic novel’s violent, controversial story, and making the film the first non-pg/PG-13 rated movie in the nine-year history of the DC Universe Original Movie franchise.

Batman: The Killing Joke, one of the best-selling graphic novels in history, tells the tale of The Joker’s origin story – from his humble beginnings as a struggling comic, to his fateful encounter with Batman that changes both of their lives forever. Actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill reprise their Batman: The Animated Series roles as Batman and The Joker, respectively.

Since its inception in 2007, the DC Universe Original Movie franchise has brought classic and current DC Comics stories and characters to animated life through a series of primarily PG-13 rated films.

She's easily the most famous female superhero of all time, and most important, she's doing it on her own. She's Wonder Woman, and she's been a solo superhero since her first DC Comics appearance in 1941. But the best-known depiction of Wonder Woman has to be the Lynda Carter version, which first premiered 40 years ago this week: on Nov. 7, 1975.

That theme song! It's enough to make you want to spin around and see if maybe this time you'll magically change into her very same star-spangled costume. Carter's performance as Wonder Woman was everything a '70s superhero should be, and years...

Wonder Woman: The Complete Collection (DVD) $39.99 [65% off, save $74.83] The Flash: The Complete Series (DVD) $22.39 [63% off, save $37.59] Arrow: The Complete First Season [Blu-ray] $37.99 [46% off, save $31.98] The Dark Knight Trilogy (Batman Begins / The Dark Knight / The Dark Knight Rises) [Blu-ray] $24.99 [53% off, save $28.00] Justice League: The New Frontier Special Edition [Blu-ray] $11.53 [62% off, save $18.46] Click Here For More Amazon Deals Justice League: The New Frontier is inspired by the best-selling graphic novel by Darwyn Cooke and produced by the multiple Emmy® award winning animation legend, Bruce Timm, The New Frontier is the epic tale of the founding of the Justice League. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are all here of course, and so are Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Flash - whose incredible origins will be told for the very first time. Strangers at first, these very different heroes must overcome fear and suspicion...

The fine folks over at The World's Finest have just learned that Bruce Timm and Darwyn Cooke are set to reunite and bring Batman Beyond back to the small screen. Unfortunately, it won't be returning as a series, but as a DC Nation short. There's no word yet if it's just a single episode or several, but you can expect it to air sometime in 2014 to coincide with Batman's 75th anniversary. Darwyn Cooke is taking the design and story board lead for the short. If his name sounds familiar to you, it's because he is the man who designed the memorable introduction for the TV series. His comic book DC: The New Frontier was also adapted for the incredible animated film Justice League: The New Frontier. Bruce Timm has recently stated that if he could revisit any of his old material in an animated film, he would choose Batman Beyond.

I’m probably one of the last guys you’ll ever see actually reading any comic under the Marvel umbrella. To be completely honest it’s just personal preference. I was introduced to DC Characters first with Batman: the Animated Series and Lois and Clark on the television; while being introduced to Richard Donner’s take on Superman and Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher’s helm at the world of Gotham City later on. I cherished those films and television shows.

Even when I got into comics my first graphic novel to complete was the much celebrated Watchmen. That’s not to say I hated Marvel. On the contrary, I grew up spending my Saturday mornings watching the animated series of Spider-Man, X- Men, and the Incredible Hulk. Even my mom can tell you I did an impression of the Incredible Hulk as a child. When X-Men first came out...

With Man of Steel opening in less than a month, Henry Cavill has been making the press rounds lately, and the actor recently spoke about how he would like to see a Superman/Batman crossover movie.

"I think it would be really interesting with the age-old Batman/Superman conflict, because they are two different sides of the same coin and their methods are entirely different. And I think it would actually make for an interesting story as to why, first of all, they were going head to head and how. I think that would make a great story."

When asked if this movie is actually in the works, Henry Cavill offered this response.

"Who knows, I'm sure there's all sorts of ideas being thrown around at Warner Bros right now."

While we have not seen a live-action team-up between the Man of Steel and The Dark Knight, the heroes have...

The Wrap have learned exclusively that due to the current downturn of the home entertainment industry, Warner Bros. has shut down its direct-to-video label Warner Premiere this summer. "Given the continuing decline in the direct-to-video film market and shifting business models in the production of digital series, the decision was made to close Warner Premiere," the studio said in a statement to TheWrap. The site goes on to report that the division will finish production on its remaining film and digital series slate this Fall. Since 2007, Warner Premiere has released Superman: Doomsday, Justice League: The New Frontier, Batman: Gotham Knight, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern: First Flight, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, Batman: Under the Red Hood, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse and most recently Superman vs. The Elite. This announcement won't effect The Dark Knight Returns: Part 1 but your guess is as good as mine on whether...

After a surprisingly decent ‘Men in Black 3’, director Barry Sonnenfeld aims to jump into another comic book property. This time, he’s going for DC Comics’ obscure characters from the 60’s, The Metal Men.

In comic book lore, the Metal Men are a group of cyborgs designed out of five individual chemical elements (gold, lead, tin, mercury, iron, and platinum) by Prof. William Magnus to fight on the side of good. While their popularity isn’t as vast as other characters like Aquaman, Wonder Woman and the Flash, the Metal Men have made several on-screen appearances in the popular ‘Batman: The Brave and the Bold’ television series as well as cameos in the DC animated movie ‘Justice League: The New Frontier’.

Speaking of characters from DC, finding out that a Metal Men movie could be happening soon while hearing nothing about, say, an Aquaman or Flash adaptation is simply baffling.

James Aquilone Rob Leane May 7, 2017

We look at the nine actors who’ve graced Batman's cowl on the big screen, including Mr Ben Affleck…

Holy revolving door, Batman! The Caped Crusader has been portrayed by more actors than any other superhero in movie history – nine to be exact. Most have lasted for just one film, but with the release of The Dark Knight Rises, Christian Bale became the first man to have played Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego more than twice on the silver screen.

He didn’t have much competition – Michael Keaton was the only prior actor to reprise the role. Will Arnett's voice joined the club with Lego Batman Movie earlier this year, though. Ben Affleck could well throw all these records out, of course, given the sprawling DC Extended Universe plans now afoot and his vital involvement in them.

Here's the nine actor who've played Gotham's Dark Knight.

Chicago – The DC Universe brand of straight-to-dvd PG-13 films have had a remarkable array of quality. Some are absolutely brilliant, must-see films (“Justice League: The New Frontier,” “Batman: Under the Red Hood”) while others are kind of a mess (“Wonder Woman.” “Green Lantern: Emerald Knights”). In other words, you never know what you’re going to get when you pop in a new entry in the hit franchise. The 13th film, “Justice League: Doom.” is not a lucky one.

Rating: 2.5/5.0

Loosely based on “Jla: Tower of Babel” by Marc Waid, a multi-episode arc that was released in 2000, “Doom” is easily the most disjointed and inconsistent DC Universe film yet. The voice talent is spectacular, featuring a number of all-time favorites when it comes to DC animation (Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Nathan Fillion, Michael Rosenbaum), but that’s where the praise ends. The story doesn’t resonate and the visuals are mediocre.

DC may have two of the superhero genre’s heaviest hitters in Superman and Batman, but without Wonder Woman—whose projects have had a hard time taking off as of late—the publisher’s film presence remains one gal short of The Big Three, the foundation of all Justice League dreams.

As it turns out, though, in this climate of seemingly endless superhero marketability, such circumstances may not stand in the way of DC and production counterpart Warner Bros shopping around a certain winged character who's spent time on the ever-changing Justice League roster.

Rumor has it a “Hawkman” movie is being shepherded by producers Adrian Askarieh, Gregory Novack and production executive Will Hackner. The info comes courtesy of It’sOnTheGrid (via The Playlist), a members-only site for tracking Hollywood project seedlings.

You can read the prospective log-line for the potential film below, and it's interesting, to say the least:...

Once Warner Bros get Green Lantern out of the way in a couple of weeks time and baring a financial disaster, I had expected attention to swiftly turn to a movie based on The Flash (or Wonder Woman, but she’s got a small screen debut forthcoming) but there’s another superhero character, this one definitely a B-list guy, which could beat the fastest man alive into cinema’s.

It’s On The Grid (via Badass Digest) say a movie version of Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville’s DC superhero Hawkman is being developed, carrying the following plot line;

Part Indiana Jones/Da Vinci Code, part Ghost tentpole about the fictional superhero that appears in D.C. Comic books. He used archaic weaponry and large, artificial wings attached to a harness made of the Nth metal that allows flight. Most incarnations of Hawkman work closely with a partner/romantic...

Back when I was a wee lad, Batman: The Animated Series meant everything to me (heck, even Superman's companion show worked it's magic on me day in and day out). I wasn't a big comic fan -- that is, until masterminds Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and casting director Andrea Romano opened the flood gates to much of the nerd ass shit I know and love today. Since Batman: Tas debuted in 1992, DC Animated has spun off an epic Justice League series, eclectic Batman incarnations and, in the last five years, some fantastic animated films.

They're the best at what they do and they are not slowing down -- the animation studio is next setting their sights on one of the most famous comics of all time: Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns.

The idea behind the DC Animated features has always been to realize specific arcs or stories...

Back when I was a wee lad, Batman: The Animated Series meant everything to me (heck, even Superman's companion show worked it's magic on me day in and day out). I wasn't a big comic fan -- that is, until masterminds Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and casting director Andrea Romano opened the flood gates to much of the nerd ass shit I know and love today. Since Batman: Tas debuted in 1992, DC Animated has spun off an epic Justice League series, eclectic Batman incarnations and, in the last five years, some fantastic animated films.

They're the best at what they do and they are not slowing down -- the animation studio is next setting their sights on one of the most famous comics of all time: Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns.

The idea behind the DC Animated features has always been to realize specific arcs or stories...

The complete schedule for the WonderCon 2011 has been released, which will take place over three days from Friday, April 1 through Sunday, April 3. The event will be held in San Francisco at Moscone Center South. Take a look at all the movie and TV events at WonderCon below.

Friday, April 1

1:30-2:30 Behind the Music with CW3PR: Composing for Sci-Fi, Horror and Fantasy Film

Award-winning composers Jim Dooley (Pushing Daisies), Nathan Barr (True Blood), Scott Starrett (The Event), Marco Beltrami (V, Scream 4), Michael Suby (The Vampire Diaries) and Sean Callery (24) have all composed WonderCon and Comic-Con fans' favorite movies and TV series, and are here to share a behind-the-scenes perspective on creating exhilarating musical moments for television and film. Together with moderator Bryan Fuller (creator, Pushing Daisies; producer, Heroes), the panelists will discuss their respective projects, the pivotal director/composer relationship, and how they got their big break into the music composing industry.

Hey gang! WonderCon 2011 invading San Francisco on Friday, April 1st through Sunday, April 3rd and the three-day schedule has been unleashed! Unfortunately we won't be able to make it up there this year, but if you are going, it looks like there's a ton of stuff for you to check out! I wish to hell I was going!

The convention will feature presentations and screenings for Falling Skies, Green Lantern, Super, Cowboys & Aliens, The Three Musketeers, Hanna, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Iron Man Anime, Priest, Immortals, Doctor Who, Terra Nova, Thundercats, and more.

Check out the full schedule below and start planning you WonderCon adventure!

Friday, April 1

12:30-1:30 Nerds! The Secret Origins of Game Designers— Comics. Movies. Games. Did you know that a life of fandom might be perfect training for a career as a video game designer? Learn the secret origins of industry veterans Haden Blackman...

The first trailer for the live action Green Lantern film divided fans. Those who were less than impressed either can’t get past the costume, while others (this writer included) were hoped Ryan Reynolds would have left his usual shtick at the door just this one time. No matter how good or bad the Green Lantern film may be, there’s always hope that DC/Warner Animated will do right, which is why they chose Nathan Fillion (Castle, Serenity) last week to play the voice of Hal Jordan in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, the latest original animated movie based on DC Comics.

Emerald Knights is an anthology of Green Lantern Corps tales fashioned similarly like Batman: Gotham Knight. Fillion was one of the names that were batted around when the live action movie was being cast but the potential box office numbers that Reynolds can draw opening weekend made him the more attractive choice,...

With Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark fully revealed to the public (and struggling to evolve into a show worth paying more attention to) it's time to get more detail on the next superhero stage spectacular. That would be Batman Live, which is planned to premiere in Manchester this July, and which will then embark upon a tour of arenas in the UK and Europe before moving to Us arenas in summer 2012. Producer Nick Grace (Walking With Dinosaurs, Mamma Mia!) promises [1] a huge scale and went with arenas because they can accommodate "pyrotechnics and large video screens and lots of action." Now you can see some set designs for the show, which certainly seem to use the potential for a large scale. If the sets come together like that, they'll be visually impressive, for certain. Lots of room for movement and action, and the circus set promises good stuff for the telling of Robin's origin.

Hey folks! It’s that time of year again, you may have endured the living hell that was Black Friday at your local retail stores but, that’s all over with. Now, it’s Cyber Monday and you get to shop from the comfort of home (or work, we won’t tell) and pick up some cool stuff at some sweet discounts.

If you haven’t made the switch to a flat screen HDTV, the time is definitely now. Amazon has a 32″ HDTV for less than $300, a 47″ for less than $600 and a Blu-ray player for less than $70 and of course, you get Free shipping. That’s not the Sci-Fi stuff (obviously) but, those were so cheap I had to include them for your benefit. So, check those out, along with some killer deals on DVD and Blu-ray movies, entire seasons of some of your favorite sci-fi shows, and some cool animated fare,...

It's become abundantly clear that the cast and crew of Smallville have taken on an even greater sense of fun and hopefulness in their final season, and never was this more evident than their 200th episode celebration "Homecoming." 

Callbacks to previous seasons, both flashbacks and the more subtle abound, plenty of familiar presences felt and enough to tease Superman fanboys with images we've longed to see. Smallville has earned the right to jump ahead into its own future a bit, even breaking its own "no flights" rule yet again.  It's Clark Kent's party damn it, and he'll fly if he wants to.

In coming all this way after ten years "Homecoming offers longtime viewers like myself plenty of perspective, naturally setting the action back at Smallville High for Clark's reunion.  Not that Smallville's always gone for the darkest, most mature storytelling and villainy in its recent years, but it's...

Chicago – Superman and Batman return to follow-up on the success of September 2009’s “Superman/Batman: Public Enemies,” one of the most popular DC Universe Animated Movies, with this year’s “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.” Where does the ninth film in the franchise fall compared to other DC Universe flicks and does it say anything about the future of this hit-and-miss series of releases?

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

In the middle and I hope not. “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse” features a fantastic voice cast but the script is a bit subpar, resulting in a story that doesn’t hook the viewer in quite the same way as the best of the DC Universe films, including this past summer’s “Batman: Under the Red Hood.” For hardcore fans of the three central characters or the actors behind the animation, “Apocalypse” delivers but it’s a modest slice of entertainment that doesn’t quite...

If I had to make a list of the best comics of the past decade and the best Superman stories ever published, there would be one title that overlaps both list, and that would be All-Star Superman, the 12-issue mini-series by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely. So to hear that Bruce Timm and his DC Animated team are making an adaptation of it as the next in their DC animated movies line is both exciting and worrisome. How do you condense such brilliantly conceived twelve issues into a mere 70-some-minute movie? Surely there had to have been a lot of unsatisfying compromise?

At the Nycc panel for the movie, Timm admitted that he shared much of the same worries. All-Star Superman is a favorite of his, too, and when he was describing the comic to those in the audience who hadn't read it, he seemed to understand exactly...

While we wait for filmmaker Christopher Nolan (Inception, The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Batman Begins, Insomnia, Memento) to return to the Batman franchise (the third film isn't expected until the summer of 2012), Warner Bros. keeps interest in the DC Universe high through direct-to-video animated films under producer Bruce Timm (Justice League, Batman: The Animated Series). Warner Bros.' direct-to-dvd division, Warner Premiere, has released seven titles in four years: Superman/Doomsday in 2007, Justice League: The New Frontier and Batman: Gotham Knight in 2008, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern: First Flight, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies in 2009, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths this past February. The eighth entry in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies collection, Batman: Under the Red Hood, hits virtual and real video shelves July 27th.

From the description available online, the trailer, and a newly released clip, Batman: Under the Red Hood leaves the Red Hood's identity as...

Yesterday, we reported on some comic creators' reactions to the recent fan campaign to cast "Community" actor Donald Glover as Spider-Man.

Initiated by a post on io9 titled "The last thing Spider-Man should be is another white guy," the campaign kicked into high gear when a reader dropped the name of Glover, a 27-year-old black actor, in the comment section. The actor subsequently echoed the suggestion on Twitter and encouraged fans to make it a reality. Glover even created a Photoshopped image of himself as Spidey and started a Twitter hashtag for the campaign: #donald4spiderman.

The rest, as they say, is online history. The hashtag became a top trend on Twitter and the resulting Facebook group has attracted more than 8000 members at last count.

The public debate, however, has crossed the entire love-hate spectrum, with various arguments for and against the actor in the role, including much buzz about...

Move over Spider-Man, there’s a new caped crusader looking to take over the stage! Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment are looking into developing a live Batman stage show to tour across the country. While the idea was ultimately a flop for Marvel and “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark”, DC and WB think that the idea will flourish, as it’s not a musical or broadway-style production.

This would be an arena production made for kids, like Disney on Ice or Cirque De SoLe, just less trippy and erotic. Also unlike the failed Spidey musical, there will be some veteran comic talent behind this production. From Heat Vision:

Alan Burnett and Stan Berkowitz, longtime animation veterans whose credits include Batman and Superman television shows as well as such animated movies as “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” and “Justice League: The New Frontier,” are writing the story and script. The...

Los Angeles - A Batman stage show soon might be swooping to a town near you.Warner Bros. and DC Comics are in the early stages of developing a Caped Crusader tour, tentatively titled "Batman Live."The show is neither a musical nor a Broadway-bound theatrical production but rather an elaborate arena production aimed at kids and families.Alan Burnett and Stan Berkowitz, longtime animation veterans whose credits include Batman and Superman television shows as well as such animated movies as "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" and "Justice League: The New Frontier," are writing the story and script. The logline is being kept under wraps, but it's known that the show will feature numerous villains.No timeline for the "Batman" show is set, though one scenario involves aiming to come out after Christopher Nolan's third "Batman" movie in 2012. Another scenario has it opening in 2011.Mounting any type of stage...

Warner Bros., DC Comics are developing a 'Batman Live' stage show, they are in the early stages of developing a tour, tentatively titled "Batman Live" and starring the Caped Crusader, working with Nick Grace Management and Water Lane Prods., companies behind the popular "Walking With Dinosaurs" and "Mamma Mia!" touring shows.

Alan Burnett (Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Green Lantern: First Flight) and Stan Berkowitz (Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Justice League: The New Frontier) are crafting the script, which will reportedly feature multiple villains.

No timeline for the "Batman" show is set, though one scenario involves aiming to come out after Christopher Nolan's third "Batman" movie in 2012. Another scenario has it opening in 2011.

Batman The Musical...

Chicago – Comic book fiction has a long history of parallel world and alternate universe stories and it only seemed a matter of time before the popular DC Universe series of straight-to-dvd animated films got around to making one. After the so-so “Wonder Woman,” the less-than-good “Green Lantern,” and the slight improvement of “Superman Batman: Public Enemies,” the series has returned to what they do best - team heroics - with the entertaining “Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths”.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

Compared to most of the recent DC Universe original animated films, “Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths” is a definite step up purely in the entertainment department but it’s not as well-developed, written, or executed as the fantastic “Justice League” series of the ’00s or the best DC Universe PG-13 film to date, “Justice League: The New Frontier”.

I still feel like the most recent DC Universe films,...

Blake Lively says Xoxo to Ryan Reynolds -- as his love interest in "Green Lantern."

According to Variety, Lively has been cast opposite Ryan Reynolds. Production starts in March for the movie. Lively's character Carol Ferris is a pilot and the girlfriend to Hal Jordan (aka the Green Lantern).

In the DC Comics universe, Ferris is also sometimes the adversary of Jordan when the Zamarons crown her Star Sapphire and send her to do battle with the Green Lantern. We hope that aspect of the character is a part of the movie -- it would make Lively's character so much more interesting than just the girlfriend role.

The role of Carol Ferris has only before been animated, voiced by Olivia d'Abo in "Green Lantern: First Flight" and Brooke Shields in "Justice League: The New Frontier."

"Green Lantern" is scheduled for a 2011 release.

Follow Zap2it on Twitter and Facebook for the latest movies,...

Chicago – Batman and Superman have more in common than you might think and it’s not just that they both wear capes and try to stop evil from triumphing over good. The Dark Knight and The Man of Steel are both forced to hide their true selves and deal with significant personal demons. Superman has the power to destroy the world, something he has to rein in every day, and Batman struggles with his moral code, one that keeps him from getting the true revenge he needs for the death of his parents.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

The comic book writers of Batman and Superman recognized that these two popular heroes could make an interesting duo years ago and started teaming them up in printed form, including a popular Jeph Loeb/Ed McGuinness comic series/graphic novel that inspired the latest DC Universe Animated Original Movie “Superman Batman: Public Enemies”. The...

Chicago – All of you fans of “The Dark Knight” and the amazing new game “Batman: Arkham Asylum” should mark your calendar for the next promising release in the legacy of Bruce Wayne, DC Universe’s latest straight-to-dvd release, the highly anticipated “Superman/Batman: Public Enemies,” landing in stores on September 29th, 2009. We’ll have a review for you later this month, but for now we have a new clip to make sure you mark your calendars.

Official synopsis: “Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation are set to release the all-new film in a Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def edition, a special edition 2-disc DVD, and a single disc DVD. Warner Home Video will distribute the action-packed movie, which will also be available OnDemand and Pay-Per-View as well as available for download that same day.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is based on the popular Jeph Loeb/Ed McGuinness comic series/graphic novel.

On the surface, The Flash may seem too simple of a project to make into a decent movie, but it’s that simplicity of the character that has always intrigued me. As a superhero, The Flash is not complicated. Regardless of which of the four incarnations you reference, The Flash embodies superhuman speed, agility, quick-thinking and intelligence and even the ability to defy certain law of physics, such as being able to vibrate so fast he can walk through walls or leap to alternate dimensions.

For the sake of argument, and popularity, we’ll focus on the most popular incarnation of The Flash. The story of Barry Allen began back in 1956, when DC Comics made the successful decision to modernize it’s most popular characters. In this re-imagining of The Flash, scientist Barry Allen is exposed to some powerful chemical agents when lightning strikes his lab, resulting in an exponentially-enhanced metabolism and physical ability.

On September 29 Warner Home Video will release the animated superhero adventure Superman/Batman: Public Enemies onto DVD and Blu-ray. The classic DC Comics graphic novel was adapted for the screen by Stan Berkowitz, whose other credits include Superman: The Animated Series, Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League, The Batman, Legion of Super Heroes, Batman Beyond and T.J. Hooker.

The plot of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies centres on United States President Lex Luthor's plan to frame Superman and Batman using a Kryptonite asteroid. The two heroes must unite to avoid capture by other pursuing superheroes and villains, stop the asteroid and uncover wider Luthor’s plan.

Berkowitz recently sat down to discuss his screenwriting career in general and his script for Superman/Batman: Public Enemies in particular...

Question: Why was this story right for you?

Stan Berkowitz: I love the political aspect of it. In the comic book that Jeph Loeb wrote,...

"Superman/Batman: Public Enemies," the latest animated feature to fly out of the pages of DC Comics, brings Dcu faces from Metallo to Black Lighting onto the screen to star alongside its two title heroes. The story also centers around one of the publisher's most infamous villains—and his rise to the White House.

Veteran animation writer Stan Berkowitz relished the chance to tackle that material—particularly when it came to crafting its political environment, where he predicted U.S. President Barack Obama's Democratic victory, even if he failed to envision the current financial crisis.

"I didn't quite predict the catastrophe we'd be seeing in 2008," said Berkowitz. "But I figured that something bad would happen, and then Democrats would be elected in 2008, they wouldn’t be able to solve the problem and, in 2012, a tough, Ross Perot-style third party bid would be the one who'd be elected."

With...

Chicago – The DC Universe brand of straight-to-dvd titles has worked its way through Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League and settled on Green Lantern, never a favorite character of this old school superhero fan and the first real misfire in the DC Universe line.

DVD Rating: 2.5/5.0 In 2007, Warner Brothers and DC started releasing a series of PG-13 animated, full-length feature films with a surprisingly artistically successful franchise of films. “Superman: Doomsday” started the line, followed by the excellent “Justice League: The New Frontier” (easily the best of the franchise to date) and very good “Batman: Gotham Knight” in 2008. This year has given us the so-so “Wonder Woman” and now the very disappointing “Green Lantern: First Flight,” a release that not only falls below the franchise standard in film quality but DVD presentation as well.

Green Lantern: First Flight was released on DVD on July 28th, 2009.

Photo credit: Warner Bros.

DVD Review

Green Latern: First Flight

Directed by: Lauren Montgomery

Cast: (voices) Christopher Meloni, Victor Garber, Tricia Helfer, Michael Madsen

Running Time: 1 hr. 20 mins.

Rating: PG-13

Due Out: July 28, 2009

Plot: Hal Jordan (Meloni) accepts a mysterious, powerful ring from a dying alien and it transforms him into the Green Lantern. He has the power, and now the Guardians of the Universe come a calling. Green Lantern Sinestro (Garber) trains him, but there is an evil lurking that could be the end for all of the Green Lanterns.

Who’s It For? Comic book fans who can’t wait for Ryan Reynolds to don the green ring will be entertained enough by this straight-to-dvd animated superhero movie.

Movie: The title says Green Lantern: First Flight, but that’s not really what it feels like. They really make a misstep right off the back. This is the first flight and Hal has...

DC and Marvel need to do more direct-to-dvd animated movies – these things are pure popcorn munching, comic book nostalgia fun. While Marvel’s have sputtered and died as of late, with decent Iron Man and Dr. Strange films taking back seat to two Avengers flicks, the DC movies just keep steady on a plateau of enjoyable entertainment. Justice League: The New Frontier took the heroic team back into the 1950s while Wonder Woman gave the spotlight over to one of the most underappreciated heroes in DC’s coffers. Green Lantern: First Flight continues the tradition of highlighting the supporting cast of the Justice League with outstanding animation treatment of Earth’s first representative to the Green Lantern Corps of Oa.

Green Lantern fans may debate between which incarnation of the Green Lantern deserved to be the center of this animated film, but I think we can all agree Golden Age...

Canadian actor Ryan "Deadpool" Reynolds has been cast as 'Green Lantern', the starring role in Warner Bros.' upcoming live-action feature based on the DC Comics super-hero, for director Martin "Casino Royale" Campbell. Production is expected to start January 2010. Screenplay is by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Michael Green for producer Donald DeLine. Created for DC Comics in the 1940's, the 'Green Lantern' character derives super-abilities from the use of a ring that can transmute green energy into physical matter. The first 'Green Lantern', 'Alan Wellington Scott', debuted in "All-American Comics" #16 (July 1940), riding in a train when a sabotaged bridge causes a derailment. Scott saves himself by hanging onto a green metal lantern that 'speaks' to him, revealing it was once a 'Starheart' meteor that crashed into China, then forged into a lantern. The lantern 'orders' Scott to fashion a ring from its metal, then to touch the ring to the lantern.

Green Lantern: First Flight is a direct-to-video animated film adaptation of DC Comics 'Green Lantern' character, focusing on the first mission of 'Hal Jordan' (Christopher Meloni), an earthman inducted into the 'Green Lantern Corps'. The film was written by DC Comics animation collaborator Alan Burnett, produced by Bruce Timm and directed by Lauren Montgomery. Voice talents include Canadian actors Tricia "Battlestar Galactica" Helfer and Victor "Alias" Garber. Green Lantern: First Flight is the fifth in a series of DC Universe Original Animated Movies released by Warner Premiere and Warner Bros. Animation. First Flight follows test pilot Jordan, recruited to join the intergalactic 'Green Lantern Corps' after the death of his alien predecessor 'Abin Sur'. Jordan is assigned to 'Sector 2814' under the supervision of 'Sinestro', soon discovering his mentor is the central figure in a conspiracy that threatens the philosophies, traditions and hierarchy of the entire Green Lantern Corps. According to director Montgomery,...

The explosion in comic book-related films in the last few years isn't confined to the big screen, or to live action. Both of the "big two" comic book publishers, DC Comics and Marvel Comics, have released a number of high-quality direct-to-dvd animated features based upon their characters.

While Marvel Comics may be the king of the comic book rack, DC Comics is the champion in comic book-related animated DVD sales, according to The-Numbers.com:

1. Superman: Doomsday - 9.4 million

2. Batman: Gotham Knight - 8.0 million

3. Ultimate Avengers 2 - 7.8 million

4. Ultimate Avengers - 6.7 million

5. Hulk Vs. - 5.4 million

6. Invincible Iron Man - 5.2 million

7. Justice League: The New Frontier - 5.2 million

8. Dr. Strange - 3.9 million

9. Wonder Woman - 3.4 million

10. Next Avengers - 2.9 million

Marvel's next animated release is Thor, designed to raise interest in the character slated for a live-action feature film in 2010. DC is releasing the animated origin story Green Lantern: First Flight in July.

The director on the film opens up about the latest direct-to-dvd DC Universe animated original film

There seems to be no rest for the wicked in the world of Warner Brother's DC Universe animated original movies, and especially for director Lauren Montgomery. Montgomery, who, fresh off her solo directorial debut with Wonder Woman, threw herself into Green Lantern: First Flight - the first solo film for DC Comics' cosmic superhero.

Montgomery isn't resting on her laurels either, as she is already hard at work on the next DC Universe animated film. But between recording sessions and storyboard meetings for that film, she spent the time to answer some questions about Green Lantern: First Flight, and what it was like working with Bruce Timm again, how she felt about Alan Burnett's script and Jose Lopez's designs, and the tricks involved in picking out a color palette when your main...