Nothing makes you feel old like learning one of your favorite childhood cartoons is 25 years old.  Who knew that “She-Ra, Princess of Power”, has been around that long?  Not me.  But I learned that today, along with the fact that a 25^th Anniversary DVD was released on September 28. The episodes are also available on itunes and Hulu.

I loved “He-Man,” but when “She-Ra” aired, it was like a whole new world opened up for me.  It was probably the first time in my life I saw a woman as the main character, and a strong one at that.  “She-Ra” paved the way for the likes of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Sailor Moon” (also shows I loved dearly).  I think their secret identities add so much more depth to their characters.  It’s a formula that works.

Naturally, “She-Ra” did cater to girls.  The characters wore colorful, beautiful clothes and had names like Glimmer, Castaspella, and Flutterina.  Nothing at all like their less attractive counterparts on “He-Man.”  (Remember Moss Man, anyone?)  Additionally, the men on “She-Ra” were completely forgettable.  I know there was a guy named Bow on there, but I really only remember that he struck me more as the type to crush on Prince Adam than Princess Adora, if you know what I mean. 

Ah . . . the memories.  I had Crystal Castle and tons of the action figures, and I would brush their hair and lose their weapons.  What kid didn’t?  My brother and I had fabulous adventures merging the inhabitants of Eternia and Etheria.  I had paper dolls and Colorforms and coloring books.  And to think that it’s been 25 years! 

Happy Birthday She-Ra.  For the honor of Grayskull, you have the power!

Lucasfilm has been kind enough to once again get us an advanced clip of the next episode of Clone Wars, this week, we’re brought back to Mandalore and are being treated to a very classic Western kind of story.  Outlaws have poisioned the well and it’s up to the leaders in town to figure it out.  Except the outlaws are probably Pre Vizsla and his Mandalorian terrorists and Padme and the Duchess Satine are left to figure things out.

From the press release:

On a diplomatic mission to Mandalore, Senator Padmé Amidala uncovers a sinister plot lurking beneath the pacifist planet’s serene façade. With the help of Duchess Satine, she investigates a mysterious illness spreading among Mandalore’s children, discovering corruption that extends into the highest levels of the Mandalorian government. An all-new episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, “Corruption,” airs at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT Friday, October 8 on Cartoon Network.

“Corruption” explores a system divided. Deep in the midst of an identity crisis made even worse by the widespread turmoil of the Clone Wars, the people of Mandalore find themselves torn between their violent past and their leader’s promise of peace for the future.

“It’s a fascinating culture at a really interesting time,” says Dave Filoni, Supervising Director of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. “Mandalore has a long history of violence, and they’re trying to move away from that. But this is all taking place in the middle of a galaxy-wide civil war, so it’s difficult for Satine to make a case for peace when there’s so much violence all around. And that’s exactly why peace is so important to her.”

While Season Two’s visit to Mandalore saw the schism reflected in the explicit aggression of the Death Watch, the latest plot indicates a far more subversive threat – reaching into the highest echelons of the Mandalorian power hierarchy.

“There are bigger threats to peace than the Death Watch,” says Filoni. “We’ve seen their approach in Season Two; they used violence as their message. But political corruption can be far more damaging in the long run. The scale’s so much broader here, and the stakes are system-wide. Ultimately, Mandalore’s allegiances are key to the Clone Wars, so every little transgression can have ripple effects throughout the war. Corruption can spread, and it’s threatening to poison Satine’s best efforts.”

Without the explosive threats of the Death Watch, the story necessarily takes an altogether different tone. Teamed with Padmé for the investigation Satine sets out to uncover the threat to her power – and to Mandalore’s peaceful future. Though they come under fire as the investigation heats up, the two women face dangers with far-reaching consequences even greater than mere threats to their own personal well-being.

“Whenever we visit Satine, we’re going to see a war of ideals,” says Filoni. “She’s very steadfast in her beliefs, and that’s what makes her a good leader. She’s got a tough job, though. She is often undermined by her own people, and her core beliefs are even at odds with the beliefs of the other Clone Wars heroes – including the Jedi and the Senate. Ultimately, they all want the same thing – peace – but they have different thresholds. With an endgame that is so important to the entire galaxy, compromises can be difficult – even when it comes to the means by which peace is achieved.”

The latest episode of Clone Wars, “Sphere of Influence” is a tale of political intrigue that involves blockades, the taxation of trade routes, kidnappings, and all around fun.

The basic story revolves around the Pantorans (whom we last saw on the show on the episode “Trespass” from season 1) and the pressure the Trade Federation is exerting on them to leave the Republic and join the Separatists.  They’ve blockaded the planet and the first act revolves around a pair of bounty hunters the Separatists have hired to kidnap the Pantoran chairman’s daughters.

It’s important to note that the Pantoran chairman is Baron Papanoida, who was portrayed by George Lucas in Revenge of the Sith.  The model of the character was based on Lucas, and his children were based on his actual children.

With natural instincts of a parent kicking in, the good Baron takes matters into his own hands and launches his own investigation that puts him on Greedo’s trail and takes him Tatooine.  The natural instincts of a Jedi being what they are, Anakin and Ahsoka, take matters into their own hands and Ahsoka accompanies Senator Chu Chi to lead their own investigation aboard a Trade Federation ship blockading Pantora.

Though Ahsoka and Chu Chi’s adventure is an interesting, well-animated, and revealed all of the bits of political intrigue I love so much, the episode really shined when it was focused on the Baron’s own hunt for his daughter.  The Baron was voiced by Corey Burton, and you could feel his voice dripping in Orson Welles.  The press releases said he was channeling Welles in The Third Man, but I felt he was much more subdued than the animated and overly rationalizing Harry Lime.  But the tone was perfect once I got used to the idea that George Lucas himself wasn’t going to be voicing him.

His quest is linked up into the classic trilogy over and over again and in very great ways.  Greedo was his daughters abductor and this leads him directly to Jabba’s Palace and the Mos Eisley Cantina.  The model of Jabba they use on this show is so stylized and fun to watch that I want to see much more Jabba now that they’ve hit their stride with the models.  There’s a classic shoot out in the cantina and  everyone ends up reunited and the forces of good win.

My favorite moment in this entire episode was in the Mos Eisley Cantina, though.  Jabba got a second cameo, but in an infinitely more subtle way that got a sharp giggle out of me.  Behind the bar, if you look carefully, you’ll see that Jabba is the bartender.  But not the Jabba we all know and love.  The bartender is the Jabba from the Marvel Comics adaptation of A New Hope:

It was an excellent moment designed to give us older fans a treat that doesn’t get in the way of the episode.

As far as the technical aspects of the episode, the show animation keeps getting better and better.  There was a moment in the Senate chambers where Chu Chi is giving her speech and he facial animation was, in a word, beautiful.  Anakin’s facial modeling has gotten much better, too.  The lighting everywhere on Tatooine was superb.  You could actually see and feel the dust in the air, and the recreation of classic trilogy sets was spot on.  In fact, the lighting behind the bar in the cantina, rising up from the back, was pitch perfect.

I think this episode was a step up from last week and I can’t wait for next week when we return to Mandalore.

To catch up on season one, order that here.  You can preorder season two here.

FrankYaegerBot Returns with his review from the premiere of Superman/Batman Apocalypse. Check his interviews with those responsible from the premiere here!

The Review:

You’ll Believe A Girl Can Fly

It is simple fact that every man was once a child. Though as time passes, society dictates that we grow and put away our childish loves and desires. For some, that is the point where the spirit of the child stops growing and adulthood takes hold. The precious joys of childhood are neglected and omitted never again to be enjoyed or consumed. We are however bound to encounter an array of images, songs or objects that can remind us of those vital youthful days of amazement and adventure. But seldom are there encounters that can uproot us back to that point in our own personal histories and transform us again into enraptured, awestruck and slack jawed observers. If, like me, you have been waiting for an experience of that nature, well my friends, it has finally arrived.

On Tuesday, September 21 2010, this reporter bore witness to the world premiere screening for Superman/Batman: Apocalypse presented by Warner Brothers Home Video and UGO.com, at the Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles.

The project overseen by executive producer and creative genius Bruce Timm, is the ninth entry from Warner Brothers Animation and the sequel to 2009’s Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. After a spaceship crash lands down in Gotham City Harbor, Batman and Superman encounter a mysterious Kryptonian with powers as great as those of the Man of Steel. The Kryptonian is soon revealed to be Kara, cousin of Superman. He takes her under his wing to educate her about the ways of Earth. However, the villainous Darkseid has other plans. Seeing an opportunity to finally defeat Superman, Darkseid abducts and gains control of Kara, utilizing the powerful Kryptonian to do his bidding. It is up to Batman and Superman to save Kara, but they’ll have to take the fight to Darkseid within his hostile world where unknown, deadly threats lurk around every corner, including a brain washed Kryptonian able to match Superman blow-for-blow. As some of you may know this film is based on the Superman/Batman: Supergirl comic written by Jeph Loeb and inked by the late and great Michael Turner. Coming in with fresh eyes, this is one instance where I felt lucky in having not read the source material beforehand. I will break this review down into three categories to try and paint the picture for you as best I can.

Presentation

Within in the first fifteen minutes of this feature it is apparent that what you are watching is the most polished piece of animated work DC has put out to this date. When the film opens we are shown the shadowy Gotham cityscape and your heart begins to tremble lingering for the first glimpse of the dark knight. A meteor crash lands into Gotham Harbor, creating a tidal wave that topples ships, boats and nearby cars. Within a moments notice Batman races onto the scene with triumphant flair. Once again, director Lauren Montgomery has more than proved her merit as the breath of fresh revitalizing vision for DC’s animated universe. Staying true to the art style of Michael Turner and bringing it to life with her distinct style. The animation is crisp, fluid and beautiful. Every frame is a masterpiece. This certain adventure takes our heroes to many vistas, each with its very own well-defined feel, which only adds to the grand scope of the piece. Credit must be given to Adam Van Wyk and the rest of storyboard artists for the sensational action sequences that push this movie’s badass meter to the brink. The fight scenes in this movie are edge of your seat visceral and the action is unreservedly beyond compare. The team has gone to great lengths to give the fans more than they could have dreamed. John Paesano’s original score is an indispensable layer that helps to plunge us into each and every moment. This entire film is delivered in a commanding fashion with compelling punctuation.

Story

Of all the DC animated films, in terms of reaching every type of fanboy or fangirl, this is by leaps and bounds the most complete. By which I mean there is something for everyone skillfully tied into one concrete story. The telling of Supergirl’s origin may be directed at the female audience as most clearly depicted by the scenes of Kara Zor El adapting to life on earth. But there are more than enough elements infused into such scenes to keep from isolating any one demographic. In adapting this material, writer Tab Murphy, has done a supreme job in bringing this story cohesively to the silver screen. Following the source material and all the while, interjecting moments of humor and heart. This is one well rounded screenplay. An remarkable balance of emotion, action and adventure that keeps you engaged from start to finish. Each character is brought to life with dialogue that perfectly suits their individual persona. Upholding Jeph Loeb’s outline the story flows without pause and never slows down building to its amazing ending. From what I was told, the only departure from the original story comes in the form of the films ending, which you will have to watch to see. The word epic only begins to describe what’s in store.

Voice Directing and Voice Talent

This I feel is the most crucial part of any animated feature and this is where the film delivers in multitudes. Voice director and legend Andrea Romano has out done herself yet again in bringing the vocal merit of this project to major motion picture quality. I literally forgot I was watching animation. Every single voice in the film, whether it be from main cast or even in background is fittingly alive and serves to immerse you wholly and completely into the experience of the film. The fans will be happy to know that both of the iconic and quintessential voices of Superman and Batman have returned for this outing. Tim Daly reprises his role as Clark Kent and Superman and brings his innate vocal class of honesty and strength back to the character. Kevin Conroy reprises his role as the voice of Batman and reminds why we love him so, bringing with him that unique and stoic tone to every bit of dialogue. Summer Glau shines as Supergirl, delivering a compelling depth that makes Kara’s struggles relatable and real. Susan Eisenberg returns for the first time since her run on Justice League Unlimited to lend her voice to Wonder Woman. With Ed Asner also revisiting his role as the deviant and devilish Granny Goodness one could only assume that Michael Ironside would return to voice the evil Darkseid, but they decided to recast his role with the talented Andre Braugher. It is here that I have found my single infinitesimal qualm with the film. While Andre Braugher is a tremendously talented actor on television and film, he falls short in my opinion vocally as the ruler of Apokolips. His voice is fittingly deep but tonally not to the level of fear inflicting terror or force that Ironside brought to the character. Braugher’s lines often sound rushed and played at, though this doesn’t take away from the film as whole.

Thus concludes this reporter’s review of DC and Warner Brothers Animation’s latest masterpiece. Overall this film is built to please and please it will. Why this film wasn’t released in theatrically in theaters near you or me is beyond my comprehension but you will be more than thankful for it in any its many forms. You can get your hands on it on September 28 2010, on Dvd, Blu-ray hi-def, On Demand and for download. In conclusion to twist a quote from Macbeth, “Disdaining fortune with its brandished steel, this movie smokes with bloody execution.”

And with that, this reporter is signing off.

We’re back with FrankYaegerBot who covered the premiere of Superman/Batman Apocalypse for us. He got to talk to all the greats and review the film.  He even got to talk to Bruce Timm about the recent news about Wildstorm, and which Wildstorm property he’d like to make a movie.

Take it away FrankY:

Ever since I can remember, I have dreamed of the getting the chance to speak with the creative minds behind such acclaimed shows as Batman the animated series, Superman the animated series, Batman Beyond and Justice League. To quote Morpheus in Matrix Revolutions,” I have dreamed a dream, but now that dream is gone from me.” Gone because that dream became reality.

Once again the powers that be at Big Shiny Robot gave me the task, nay, the opportunity of a lifetime to meet some of the people who have been and continue to be my heroes and inspirations, as I am sure they are yours. On Tuesday, September 21 2010, I was invited to the world premiere screening for Superman/Batman: Apocalypse presented by Warner Brothers Home Video and UGO.com, at the Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles.

Knowing full well what possibilities lay before me, I showed up an hour and a half early to make sure that I was the first of the press to speak with these gods among men. When I arrived I made a call to my contact at Warner Home Video. The call was in regards to confirming who exactly would be there at the screening for the interviews. My contact confirmed the list of actors, writer, directors and producer. As well as the amount of questions I would be able to ask in the allotted hour. So I began reducing my list of questions to the fundamentals and some choice questions that I had been yearning to ask the creators of my chosen childhood favorite shows. Slowly my press brethren and sisters started showing up and before too long the doors were opened to us for our hour of coverage prior to the screening.

As the rest of the press and myself stood in the in wait. The influential guests began to arrive and my heart began to thump faster and quicker. I thought I was going to pass out from the excitement. Bruce Timm, the originator of everything I hold precious, nonchalantly entered the room and the cameras began to flash. It was he that I most wanted to speak with. But those in charge at the Paley Center sent him over to the video interviewer’s first. So it seemed my dream would be derailed momentarily and I would have to wait my turn. It mattered not, that I was the first to arrive. I clenched my fist and fought to maintain my professional composure. After many a deep breath, I looked up. That is when I noticed Andrea Romano, legendary voice and dialogue director, had appeared and made her way into the room. With each step she took I grew more and more anxious. Not knowing to whom they would send her first, I awaited whilst praying. For this Q&A predetermined since ancient times, was finally coming to fruition. The people in charge at the Paley Center sent her my way. With tape recorder and notepad in hand, I stood upright poised for what was to come and thus my coverage beings.

FYB: What inspired your casting choices for this project?

AR: I’m always happy whenever I can bring back someone who’s played the characters before and so whenever that is okayed by dc comics and Warner Home Video and Warner Premiere, that its okay for me to use Kevin Conroy as Batman and Tim Daly as Superman, makes me really happy. There’s a lot about those characters that these gentlemen know from having portrayed them so many times that doesn’t require me to tell them and that simply makes my job easier and that’s a lovely thing. Then there’s always that wonderful spontaneity of new actors coming roles like Darkseid or Supergirl and we have those two characters that show up in here. And you know you can be tempted to go for the deep voice, James Earl Jones type Darkseids and instead and instead we went to Andre Braugher, who really doesn’t have that massively deep a voice but is such a wonderful actor that you just tell him what’s going on and then you let him go and let him do what he has to do and you deal with the specifics of animation. I have admired Andre Braugher for a long time and I’ve been looking for something for him. So it was a pleasure to get him on this. When he came to work for us he was just going in to work a three episode arc on House.

FYB: When Kevin and Tim aren’t available for a project, how hard is it to find a replacement?

AR: It’s not always because they are not available, because we’ll try to work as hard as we can around their availability. The question is what do my bosses want. Sometimes the directive is, you need to cast a new Superman and a new Batman, we want a new celebrity in there. With the thought that might bring in different audiences. It’s always difficult. Someone told me that I’ve cast Batman ten or eleven times. In doing that you go out to fifty different people and you get on because of schedule or the money or whatever. So I’ve gone to 250 or 300 at least actors to play Batman, equally as many to play Superman. After awhile you actually start to run out of actors who can do it. We also have that issue of who can do it with just their voice, because you have great on camera actors who are great at the physical and the facial, but if they can’t translate into their voice then they are no good to me.

FYB: When would you say you have the most fun in your work?

AR: When I’m actually in the recording session. The prep for it , the casting part of it, all the preparation that goes into getting ready for the recording session is grunt work, it’s really hard, its time consuming, it’s pressured. When I get into the recording session, when I’m playing with the actors and I say playing because for me it is playing even though it is work, it’s playing. That’s the joy of my job.

FYB: What is the most difficult part of directing?

AR: Focusing everybody. Part of my job is supplying an environment that feels like a place to play. So I’ve got this sort of playground for everybody and just like the kids, when recess is over and they have to actually line up to do the work and go back inside, I have to get them all focused and say okay we’ve got to get this thing recorded before I lose you at 4:30 so lets focus and get this stuff done. So that’s hard having to be the disciplinarian. I prefer to just be the playful one.

I was so entirely thunderstruck at the occurrence that had just taken place. I looked back to see how far down the line of video interviewers Bruce Timm had progressed. He was still talking to the same reporter. But worry had yet to enter my heart because there was still plenty of time left in the hour. I turned back to see who was next and before I had a chance to blink, the next of the special guest had already made her way to me. It was the alluring voice of Wonder Woman, Susan Eisenberg.

I began by asking;

FYB: What is it like returning for the first time since Justice League?

SE: It’s thrilling. I got the job in 2000, so then in 2009 to get a phone call saying that we’d like you to do this film, it’s thrilling. Because after Justice League was over, I thought okay time for a different chapter and you have other people playing incarnation of Wonder Woman you have other women actually playing her, so I was shocked and surprised and ultimately thrilled to get that call and I was saying it’s a privilege to play her. I think anyone would say that. Since I had been playing her since 2000 and now in 2010 with the movie being out it’s extraordinary. I’m very lucky.

FYB: Was it easy getting back into character?

SE: It was. But you have Andrea; she’s there to point you in the right direction. And that Wonder Woman from Justice League was kind of my Wonder Woman, so I think that’s what they wanted. It wasn’t like I had to do something else it’s not some zany character, they basically said you know this character, just do what you do. So with Andrea and Bruce there it’s not like I have to conjure up some character. I know Wonder Woman. She’s a part of me at this point.

FYB: And its fun to get back in the studio with Kevin and Tim?

SE: Actually I didn’t get to record with Kevin and Tim. Kevin I’ve known forever because we did Justice League together. Tim, I’ve actually never met but I believe he will be here tonight so it will be exciting to meet him. I was recording with certain cast members but then others aren’t available.

FYB: Really? When you record ensemble, you record in the same room, right?

SE: Yes, but usually two are attending that session, not everyone is attending each session.

FYB: Were the demands of the character different this time around?

SE: No. A lot of action, which I am used to at this point, a few quiet moments but mostly action. So a lot of physical grunting which having done Justice League, there’s no way you don’t get good at that. It’s like Acting 104 or whatever (Laughs)

FYB: How big of a Wonder Woman fan would you say you are?

SE: I grew up with her. I grew up with Linda Carter on television. I don’t know many people who don’t adore her as a character. There aren’t too many people who’ve come to play her like I’ve been able to play her. Like I said it’s a privilege.

FYB: What do you hope people take away from your portrayal of Wonder Woman?

SE: Well I hope they love seeing her in this even though it is Superman/Batman. I hope they love her presence in the film and I hope the fans are happy I’m playing her again. I enjoy it. It’s a fun ride. It’s a fun fun high energy kickass ride. So I hope the fans love it.

I could have listened to the voice of Wonder Woman addressing me in real life forever but as the case was, she had her rounds to make and I would have to move on to the next guest. This is when the lovely Rachael Quaintance came and stood before me.

Rachael is the voice of three characters in film so I was eager to ask;

FYB: Was it challenging voicing so many characters?

RQ: The thing of it is Andrea is such a good director and you’ve got all these awesome actors sitting there. This is my first acting gig as far as voice goes for a movie and DC Comics, beyond that I’ve just done commercial voice over. So I was just like I’d better watch and learn and see what these people are doing. So it was definitely interesting. The character of Lyla is certainly very introspective and she sees the future and so she is kind of torn. Then Artemis is just, you know, a badass Amazon. And then I played one of Granny Goodness’s furies which was even more fun but we had to reign her back in a little bit because Andrea was like, “Ooo, too much animal.” (Laughs) Okay, who knew I had it in me. So it was definitely different and a little tricky but not really because it’s well written and its there and all I have to do is execute it.

FYB: So which of the three characters are you most like?

RQ: Well Lyla certainly is the very prettiest; she’s a very pretty blond. (Laughs) But it’s tough to say because they are so different. It was so much fun for me as an actor. They were all really fun, I probably have a little of all of them inside of me.

FYB: What’s the biggest thing you learned working with Andrea Romano?

RQ: She was great and allowed you to make your choices and there was the, “Uh, a little bit more of this.” And then you would have to be quick on your feet. No one has time for you to sit and do twenty takes of anything. But she allows you that freedom of, “Okay, let’s hear what you are going to do.” So I had an amazing time and I learned a lot from Susan Eisenberg. Just watching her, just technical, how she worked the microphone. Little things like she would say your popping your P’s and I would be like, “Oh no, do I have big P’s? So I really just tried to sit back and learn from these actors.

FYB: How does it feel to join the DC Animation family?

RQ: It’s awesome to have such a rabid fan base. That’s great. For them to care about something so much and to be so deeply interested in it. I think it’s awesome. I am delighted to be a part of it.

Things were now moving a long quickly and when I looked back to see where Bruce Timm was currently. He had made his way to the end of the video interviewer’s line. It was only moments now before I would finally meet the legend in the flesh. I noticed that the films director, Lauren Montgomery, had just finished speaking with the reporter next to me, so I got her attention. She walked over and I must say she looked completely different than I expected. She is young, fit and very very cute. The consummate dream girl for any comic book fan.

I hurriedly reeled my tongue back off the floor and calmly asked;

FYB: How did you become involved in the project?

LM: At Warner Brothers they have a list of projects they want to do and a few of us directors there. We don’t always get to choose the ones we do. (Laughs) It’s kind of like, “Oh, your next and here’s your project.” We get a script and we have to do it. I guess they were thinking of who was going to do this Superman/Batman and they thought there are a lot of females in the cast and Lauren always wants to work on girl movie so let’s give it to Lauren. And that’s kind of how I got the movie.

FYB: What do you think the fans will enjoy the most?

LM: I think they’ll enjoy the fight choreography really. (Laughs) That’s usually what we get. Its like, “Oh, the fights were amazing.” And there’s a lot of girl fights and I think the animation studio likes to animate girl fights because they animated them really well. So those look amazing and then on top of it there’s also a really heartwarming story to it that I appreciate. There are good character moments and good character relationships which make it stronger for me. So I think that’s a high point for the fans.

FYB: Was there anything you set out to do specifically with this project?

LB: Not really. As in all of these projects we set out to make them good. We want the fans to like them. We are trying not to mess up and make the fans say, “DC lost it!” Everything has its own challenges and this film wasn’t devoid of its challenges but we worked hard and really wanted to give the fans a great film and I think we did that with this.

FYB: You are one of the three directors on the upcoming Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, what can you tell us about the film?

LM: It’s another DVD that will hopefully be released around the same time as the movie. It’s kind of laid out in the way Batman: Gotham Knights was in that its smaller vignettes that focus on some of the Green Lantern Corps members.

FYB: I’ve read that you are adapting Batman Year One to animation in 2012, what can we expect?

LM: You can hopefully expect that if you liked the graphic novel, you’ll like the movie because it’s very similar. The comic was so well done and so beautifully drawn that we really tried to emulate that art style and even down to the specific compositions and shots which we took straight out of the book. I really tried to make it true to the comic because the story and the artwork are so iconic.

The news that Batman Year One is going to be brought to animated life under the guidance of the great Lauren Montgomery and Bruce Timm was enough to make any fan boy cry tears of joy. This is exactly what I did. And now there were only two people between myself and Bruce Timm. The first of them being the man himself, the definitive voice of Superman, Tim Daly. The episode of Superman the animated series entitled “The Late Mr. Kent” comes to mind. It is the episode that I watch at least once a month and it is a prime showcase of Tim Daly’s talent as a voice actor.

This is why when he came over to me I couldn’t help but look him in the eyes and tell him;

FYB: I consider you the quintessential voice of Superman.

TD: Thank you.

FYB: Who did you draw from to create your portrayal?

TD: I really just wanted to tell the truth. I got the job because they liked my voice not because they liked a character I was playing. So when I auditioned way back when to do the voice of Superman, I remember back actually that I started to do something and Andrea said, “No no no. Just be you, just talk. Just try to be truthful in the moments of the script.” And I did that, so I was hired to use my voice. And when I need to be tough I’m tough. And when I need to be light, I’m light. And when I need to be innocent and Clark Kentish, I’m innocent and Clark Kentish. So I think I’ve drawn myself. Not that I’m Superman, please don’t get me wrong (Laughs)

FYB: Your portrayal of Clark Kent to me IS the most honest. It’s a very strong character you’ve presented with your voice.

TD: Thank you, I really appreciate that.

FYB: What do you think fans enjoy the most about the character?

TD: I‘ve been thinking a little about this. I think that everyone will take their own specific thing away from these movies but basically Superman has captured the imagination of Americans for seventy, eighty years now and I think that a big part of it is the idea that you have these powers and to me the most crucial and vital and primal of those powers is the ability to fly. Because little kids, human kids start to dream about flying and we don’t really know why. Freud may have his theories about it but this idea that you can hover over the earth and look down on everything and get from place to place without a means of transportation, seems to be in us as human beings and I think it will continue to capture people’s imaginations. So that’s sort of the general reason I think people love this character.

FYB: What were some of your favorite aspects of this film?

TD: Superman is sort of mentoring his cousin who has similar powers and I don’t remember how much family, if any, were seen in the movies. So him dealing with family. The other thing is the ongoing development of his relationship with Batman, which I like. Superman rather than being frustrated with Batman’s negativity and cynicism has begun to accept it as part off Batman’s personality and actually get a kick out it in a certain way. That his partner and his friend is able to find the cloud in every silver lining.

FYB: If the role of Superman in the movies was offered to you, would you jump at the opportunity?

TD: Oh yeah! Except I’d have to be the old Superman or his dad Jor El. (Laughs) I think being a superhero is a young mans game. Being the voice of a superhero is probably anyone’s game. (Laughs) but yeah, I would love to. I mean, my god it would be a gas.

FYB: I’ll start the rumor mill. What do you love most about playing Superman?

TD: Well, I think that my appreciation for it has grown. And I’m a little embarrassed that when I started I didn’t realize how devoted people were to Superman, to the character and to the comic books. And I took it for granted a little bit and then when I stopped doing it and someone else did my part for awhile, I realized that people really like this and there people out there that are so turbo about it, that I really owed it the respect it was due. So I think being able to do this all is an honor. It’s really fun and being a part of the continuum of Superman, which I’m sure will go on for another 150 years until people can actually fly themselves, is an honor.

Within an hour I had met so many of the people I look to for artistic inspiration. Talking with Tim Daly is a trip because his regular speaking voice is the voice Superman. So it was like I was actually speaking to Clark Kent. And the best part the hour wasn’t over. Now one man stood between me and meeting the great creator. It was the talented Tab Murphy, the writer of the film. For those of you who don’t know his work. He wrote “Gorillas In the Mist” and for those who have no idea what that movie is he also wrote Disney’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame” and Disney’s “Atlantis: The Lost Empire.”

FYB: What drew you to the project?

TM: I had adapted Green Arrow for DC and they sent me this as a follow up. So it wasn’t that I was drawn to the project, it was that I opened up a packet and I went, “Oh my god! Oh yes!” Michael Turner, Jeph Loeb, Superman/Batman! It was awesome. It was a great feeling.

FYB: In adapting a story like this where would you say you had the most creative freedom?

TM: I don’t think this is an adaptation about creative freedom so much as it is about being very respectful to the material. My challenge in this was to be invisible. It wasn’t my job to bring a bunch of stuff to this because the story was already great. Jeph had written a solid story. My contributions were really grace notes to a lot of what was already there. So I tried to bring a little bit of humanity and humor to the relationship between Batman and Superman. I tried to solidify some of Supergirl’s dilemmas of being a young woman in search of herself and who she is. I have a thirteen year old daughter going through the same thing (Laughs) so I related to that aspect of it. Really my job was to stay out of the material and I was very respectful to it. It was a great gig.

FYB: What character stood out while you were writing?

TM: Batman and Superman are iconic and its fun to write them but I felt like I had the most freedom with Supergirl in terms of what I could bring to her and her point of view in being a young woman, lost and trying to find herself. I’ve always been attracted to writing strong female characters and that goes all the way back to writing “Gorillas In the Mist.” So I really responded to writing her character, it was a lot of fun and it played to my strengths

The hour was nearly its inevitable end. My personal God, also known by his earth name Bruce Timm, was making his way over to little ole’ me. The time had finally come.

Everything in my life had led me to this very moment and when he stood before me I couldn’t fight back the words that I had held in heart, I could barely maintain eye contact when I blurted;

FYB: You are a god among men.

BT: So I’ve heard. (Smiles)

FYB: What would you say sets this film apart from Warner Premieres previous entries?

BT: There’s nothing that really sets it apart. I mean its Superman and Batman. The cool thing about it is it’s got a bunch of chicks in it, which is great. I like to get outside of the male spandex whenever we can. It’s got Wonder Woman in it in a really strong supporting part. Of course the main story engine is the origin of Supergirl. So that’s all great. It pretty closely follows the comic as written by Jeph Loeb and definitely follows the art style of Michael Turner. Just as a technical challenge, I found it challenging but also pretty gratifying. I think we did a pretty good job of bringing Michael turners art to life.

FYB: What do you think Fans will enjoy the most?

BT: For one thing they’ll be so thrilled that it Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly playing Batman and Superman. I mean that alone is a homerun. (Laughs) Whether they like Michael Turners art or whether they didn’t like Michael Turners art, I think we did a great job at translating it into an appealing animation style. I think visually the movie looks spectacular from beginning to end. I think the story is great. The cat is really good. Besides Tim and Kevin, we’ve got Summer Glau and of course Susan Eisenberg back as Wonder Woman, that’s always a pleasure. Andre Braugher is great as Darkseid. Ed Asner is always fun. It’s kind of like the best of both worlds. It’s kind of like a combination of stuff we’ve done before in the TV series and the stuff we’re doing now in the DVDs.

FYB: With Wildstorm folding under the DC Banner, are you excited to get a hold of those characters?

BT: I wish. Well some of them. They always ask me, “What’s your dream project?” One of them would be to do “The Authority.” I would love to do maybe the first or that second story arc that Warren Ellis did. I love those stories. They would make great movies. But I think it’s a real long shot. (Laughs) But we talk about Wildstorm characters occasionally. It comes up occasionally we start thinking how to weave outside of Superman and Batman and other characters. So it could happen someday, maybe not “The Authority” but maybe Wildcats or Gen13 or something someday. It could happen but not in the immediate future.

FYB: What is the most rewarding aspect of your work?

BT: When we finish a project. (Laughs) Literally that’s what it comes down to.

Before I could ask my next question Mr. Timm was whisked away for the beginning of the premiere. The hour was over and it was time to view the movie that we were all there to talk about. The feeling of accomplishment and further completion of life filled me to overflowing. I had met, shook hands with and talked to the great makers of animation gold. I was even more excited to sit in the same theater and enjoy the film with all these wonderful people as well. I packed up my tape recorder, camera and notepad and headed into the theater. The lights began to dim and the Warner Premiere logo shone on the screen. What comes next can be read about in the films review. So I am signing off. Be sure to look for Tim Daly as Superman in the Jonah Nolan written reboot of the Superman franchise. Good night and Good Luck.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for FrankYaegerBot’s review of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse!

Superman/Batman Apocalypse is the latest entry in the DC Animated Universe and tells the story from Michael Turner and Jeph Loeb’s brief tenure on the Superman/Batman book. It serves as a reintroduction to a new Supergirl, Kara Zor-El, and is pretty faithful to the original comic.

I didn’t have very high expectations coming into this film. This is pretty much a direct sequel to the Superman/Batman Public Enemies film and I felt that was a pretty lackluster effort in the script department. It had all the right visuals, but it just didn’t work for me as well as the comic book did. The Supergirl story arc in the comics was always a bit yawn worthy for me and I didn’t like it as much as Public Enemies, but I was willing to give this a shot.

I was not expecting it to be better than Public Enemies, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The story revolves around Batman and Superman finding a crashed remnant of the planet Krypton which contains a powerful Kryptonian girl who purports to be Kal-El’s cousin. Batman distrusts her, Superman is overprotective, and Wonder Woman is interested in sharpening her battle skills like a blade.

And Darkseid wants her for his very own.

That’s pretty much the brunt of the story. It has a lot of great action sequences in it and the animation is in the style of Michael Turner. The animation is actually pretty excellent. DC is raising the bar in animated motion pictures in the Superhero genre, make no mistake.

The script for this one was much better than Public Enemies, it was much smoother, more even, and the climax was built to appropriately. The funny moments were funnier, the tense moments more tense, everything about this film was knocked up a notch from Public Enemies.

The voice talent in this is second-to-none, bringing back Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly to reprise their roles as The Caped Crusader and The Man of Steel. Ed Asner knocked Granny Goodness out of the park. Sadly, the weak link in this picture was the voice of Supergirl, by Summer Glau. She might have been passable on one of the episodes of the TV show, but she was surrounded by big leaguers who just made her look bad. She was flat and was pretty obviously Acting with a capital “A”. It was not pleasant. I loved her on Firefly, but she just didn’t fit with this voice cast. At all.

The backup feature on the Blu-ray is a short film of The Green Arrow, and I must say this was almost better than the whole feature. I love me some Green Arrow, and this story was short, sweet and to the point. It’s almost hard to imagine how great Green Arrow can be without the visuals provided by the film. His work with his bow and arrow and the combat between bowmen is fantastic. It was animated in a way you could never do with just the comics medium and it really needs to be seen to believed.

If you’d like to check this out for yourself, might I recommend Amazon, since we’re all going to pick this up anyway.

Lucasfilm has been kind enough to provide us with another advanced look at Clone Wars. This time, we see the cameo of George Lucas as Baron Papanoida in greater detail. This is a larger piece of a snippet that was shown at Celebration V and it seems like it pretty clearly takes place in the Mos Eisley Cantina.

Continuity nerds are already having a heart attack about the ret-conned nature of Greedo’s appearance. Every indication given has been that this is THE Greedo we saw both in the deleted scenes in The Phantom Menace and in A New Hope proper. This doesn’t bug me. This is a relatively minor continuity fix for the EU. I can’t wait to see what they say about other things coming up this season.

From the press release:

When Pantoran Chairman Papanoida’s family is kidnapped and held for ransom, Ahsoka Tano must team up with Senator Riyo Chuchi to aid the new chairman in recovering his family. It’s a journey deep into the dark underbelly of the Coruscant crime scene, with an unlikely – and immediately recognizable – protagonist painted into a corner and forced into action in “Sphere of Influence,” an all-new episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars – airing at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT Friday, October 1 on Cartoon Network.

Seen only briefly as a background character in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Papanoida will nonetheless appear very familiar to Star Wars fans, film buffs and pop culture aficionados. He is, of course, modeled after Star Wars creator George Lucas – who also wore blue face paint for the character’s live-action cameo debut.

“My appearance in Episode III was just for fun. Mostly, I did it for my kids,” says Lucas. “I was wrapping the series, and I’d never been on-screen in a Star Wars film, even though I’d been making them for decades. With The Clone Wars, I get the best of both worlds, because I get a starring role but don’t have to do any acting or wear any blue make-up.”

Lucas’ children – Amanda, Katie and Jett – also appeared with the director in the live-action outing, and they, too, make their Clone Wars debut in “Sphere of Influence.” None of the Lucas family provides voice-acting for the series, however; Jett’s doppelganger is voiced by Robot Chicken’s Seth Green, while Amanda and Katie’s avatars are voiced by Meredith Salenger (who also voices Barriss Offee) and Nika Futerman (Asajj Ventress), respectively. Lucas himself is voiced by Clone Wars regular Corey Burton (Count Dooku, Cad Bane) – who based the character’s distinctive sound on Orson Welles’ Harry Lime from The Third Man.

While Papanoida is featured fairly passively in his live-action incarnation, the character has an opportunity for a considerably more active role inThe Clone Wars. Taking him deep into the Coruscant underground, the Pantoran Chairman’s mission gives him the chance to demonstrate his chops in a few decidedly action-oriented sequences.

“We actually made Papanoida into kind of an action hero,” says Dave Filoni, supervising director of The Clone Wars. “The bad guys have his family, and he goes after them, blasters blazing. Shoot first, ask questions later. His character is very focused on finding and protecting his kids; it’s a desperate situation, and he steps up. It’s a fun episode with a lot of action – and it’s unique, in that our normal heroes give up the spotlight while Papanoida takes matters into his own hands. This was a surreal episode to produce, since the guy on screen was sitting right next to me while we were making it.”

The set up for “Supply Lines” is quite simple. In the first third of the show, we learn that Jedi Master Di is besieged on Ryloth and in order to fend off the attack and feed the civilians so they can continue their resistance. Unfortunately for the Republic, the staging grounds for their blockade runners for resupply are too far away, so they suggest to Bail Organa that if he can convince the King of Toydaria to allow them to stage the resupply there, the people of Ryloth will have a shot at survival. The problem is that Toydaria is a neutral planet and the Trade Federation has representatives on planet that will consider it an act of war if they aid the Republic.

To make matters worse, Bail Organa’s diplomatic wingman is Jar Jar Binks, and with him around, anything is liable to happen.

The story is split between Jedi Master Di and his clone troops on Ryloth and Organa and Jar Jar working on Toydaria.

This episode had its bright points for me, to be sure. The action sequences on Ryloth looked as good as the battle of Geonosis in Attack of the Clones, and it had a lot of great moments in there that added to it. One of my favorite moments was when Master Di, who seemed very much like Kambei from Seven Samurai actually knelt down on the ground and laid out his very elegant plan in the dirt. The animation and lighting in these sequences was second to none.

The sections of the episode that were on Toydaria were done well and added comedy and suspense to the episode in a way I was a little surprised to see. The King of Toydaria rules that because of their neutrality, they can’t help the Republic. However, he tells Bail Organa on the sly that he can supply the ships he has on him, as long as the Trade Federation doesn’t see.

Unfortunately, they all have a diplomatic dinner in a circular room with windows for walls overlooking the staging area. Organa leaves Jar Jar to distract them while he organizes the ship supplies.

It’s a very clever episode, but the scenes in the dining room didn’t work as well for me as anything else. It wasn’t Jar Jar, it was really the lighting, to be honest. It was very dark and seemed pretty disconnected from the rest of the episode.

Jar Jar is used incredibly well in this episode. He’s grown significantly as a character and I actually really, really like him on this show. In fact, I watched Bombad Jedi over again this evening before this episode, and was impressed by how great it was. In fact, I have to say I liked Bombad Jedi more than this episode, at least from a comedy standpoint. As far as animation goes, this new episode is light years ahead of Bombad Jedi. But Jar Jar works as a character because everyone around him seems to be walking on pins and needles, waiting for him to screw something up.

The thing that might have struck me the most about this episode, though, was that this was essentially a defeat for the Republic. Jedi Master Di and his troops lose. They all sacrifice themselves in order to buy the Twi-lek’s time to escape and the Separatists march over their corpses. This is actually pretty exciting. At Celebration V, Filoni mentioned that his favorite part of the classic trilogy was that the Republic was always on the run from the enemy. Every battle was a defeat, and if it wasn’t a defeat, it was a hard earned win with plenty of sacrifice. He also said we’d be seeing more of that in Season 3 and I think this episode marks the beginning of that.

I also want to put in a complaint to whatever the guilty party was for the audio on this episode. After hearing the way an episode should sound at The Presidio, my guess is that it wasn’t Lucas Animation’s fault. Comcast or Cartoon Network should be ashamed of themselves. Did anyone else feel like they were watching the episode through an echo chamber? The audio presentation was horrible, and it wasn’t user error. It was just the show, my TV was fine, the commercials were fine, the shows before and after were fine. I might redownload this episode on iTunes because the presentation on television was so bad.

Overall, this was a pretty good episode. I’m excited for next week. Greedo, Jabba, and Baron Papanoida? Sign me up.

Click on the links to catch up on Season 1 and Season 2.

Lucasfilm has been kind enough to provide us once more with an advanced look at Friday’s episode of Clone Wars. It’s called “Supply Lines.”
I have to say, the battle sequences in this clip look every bit as good as they do in Attack of the Clones on Geonosis, though these take place on Ryloth.

From their press release:

Joined by familiar faces – from the live-action Saga, previous seasons of The Clone Wars and even the expanded universe – the heroes of the Republic are leading the charge into extended storylines examining the backstory of the Star Wars galaxy. In the series’ third season, The Clone Wars expands and explores stories beyond the front lines – revealing new insights and fresh revelations about the characters, the conflict and even some of the stories we’ve seen so far. “Supply Lines” takes the narrative back before the series’ very first episode. It’s an all-new facet to a fan-favorite storyline – airing at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT Friday, September 24 on Cartoon Network.

Ryloth is under siege. Trapped on the surface, Jedi Master Di rallies the local forces with the help of rebel leader Cham Syndulla. Desperate to save them, Senator Bail Organa and Representative Jar Jar Binks are dispatched to the planet of Toydaria, where they must convince the King Katuunko to send aid to Ryloth – before it’s too late.

“This is one of the fun aspects of being this deep into the series,” says Dave Filoni, supervising director of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. “Now that we have two seasons already under our belt, we can go back and look at some different aspects of key moments from the Clone Wars; we can jump around in the timeline. We can explore different aspects and different stories. We have a neat opportunity to blow out stories that we’ve seen already, and look at them from a different perspective, a different point of view – and that’s been an important aspect of Star Wars since the original trilogy.”

Taking place before Yoda’s fateful meeting with King Katuunko on the moon of Rugosa – chronicled in the series premiere episode, “Ambush” – “Supply Lines” sheds light on some of the dramatic events that forged The Clone Wars. It also explores the origins of the Ryloth occupation and the subjugation of the Twi’lek people occupation, explored in the first season’s two-part season finale.

“This conflict is vast, to say the least,” says Filoni. “It’s a big galaxy, and there’s a lot going on at all times. Even two seasons in, we’re only seeing a fraction of the war – key moments that are really focused on the primary heroes from the films. But those moments are framed by heroism and villainy, too, just as there are important events happening concurrently with the key scenes we’ve explored.

We’ve got 22 minutes per episode and 22 episodes per season, and we’re still only scratching the surface of the Clone Wars.”

Serving to support existing stories and to build on the overall mythology of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, “Supply Lines” nonetheless promises its own action and surprises.

Featuring the return of some fan-favorite characters from the live-action films, the episode also introduces some brand new characters – such as Jedi Master Di.

“We’re going to meet Jedi Master Di,” says Filoni. “I like him a lot; he’s cool and I’d like to be able to do more with him. But you should remember that this is a prequel, and that it takes place before the episodes we’ve seen already. There may be a reason we haven’t seen him after the events of this episode. Here’s a hint: Star Wars characters have a history of suggestive names. Greedo was a greedy bounty hunter. Lobot’s a guy with a computer implanted in his brain, like a lobotomy. General Grievous and Darth Maul are both intent on causing pain and suffering. Han Solo’s a loner.

So I’m just saying that maybe Jedi Master Di should watch his back.”

One of the most well known and highly distributed publishers of magna comics, TOKYOPOP joins ComiXology today with the release of Hetalia Axis Powers, the frist volume is free to download and subsequent volumes ranging from 20 to 30 pages are only $.099. Also available today are around 70 more titles from publishers ranging from DC to Image, view the full list online here.