Mr. Mxyzptlk

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Posts posted by Mr. Mxyzptlk

  1. Pre-Episode Banter

    -That's too bad Mike. I would have been really freaked out.

    E-Mails

    -Krypto was really kiddy; the only reason I liked it was the references.

    -My personal least favorite S:TAS episode is 'Superman's Pal'.

    -My favorite is Jordan, because he's the classic GL.

    -I love these complaints against Metallo in 'Heavy Metal'.

    -About 'Starcrossed', it's clear that the two cities are within a train ride of each other.

    -Jeremy Sisto was great in 'The New Frontier'. I can't stand rabid Conroy fanboys.

    -I definitely agree about 'Growing Pains'.

    -I really can't for JL(U) either.

    -Good for Dimitri, S:TAS needs more love.

    Episodes

    Littler Girl Lost- It's okay. I would have preferred more focus on Supergirl, her fitting in and her relationship with Clark. I don't like that it was combined with the Darkseid plot.

    -So yeah, I agree with Mike so far, it is pretty boring.

    -Yeah, I actually agree about the animation. Actually I think part one looked excellent at the very beginning, but part two had great stuff with the fights with the Female Furies.

    -Even if you choose to believe that 'Teen Titans' is in the DCAU, there's no possible way to prove it. At all.

    -Yeah, Darkseid doesn't even do anything in this episode.

    Love is a Croc- What a horrible episode. Baby Doll is horribly annoying, the animation is bad, and the new Croc is terrible.

    -It's funny that you actually made the summary make sense, while both of you seem to dislike this one.

    -I love your gripes with this episode.

    -I never noticed the camera shots.

    -Yeah, Croc really is really inconsistent.

    -I'm pretty sure there was another reference to Bruce Timm's stance on DVDs in 'Joker's Millions' at the very beginning.

    -Ahh, I hate the Mad Hatter redesign.

    -You'd also have to say that the Penguin somehow transformed his hands into flippers.

    -Mike, you're hilarious the way you're going on about Croc's transformation.

    Where There's Smoke- I actually like this one. Not only does it tie into Cadmus, but Volcana is probably the best female Superman villain in the entire series. I also enjoy the animation a lot in this one.

    -I have to agree with James on this one actually.

    -Yeah, I agree that it's kind of filler, but not in this case, because she ties into Cadmus.

    Torch Song- I don't like this one. I think they did a good job of making the guy a genuine creep, and I love the ending. I also think that Firefly has a great design, but everything else is just not good at all.

    -Odd that we get two fire episodes in a row, especially given that Volcana and Firefly are paired up in JL in 'Only a Dream'.

    -Wow, 'Married With Children', I don't believe it.

    -Actually, the ice thing is supposedly impressive. Even though it can be easily melted, I read that it's actually scientifically impossible to burn through it.

    -Ha, I never noticed that about Batgirl's injury.

    -I actually know the Alex Ross painting you're talking about. Great great stuff.

    Knight Time- Great stuff. Best one y'all are covering. Really funny and a great way to reunite Bats and Supes.

    -Odd that we haven't gotten to Roxy Rocket in TNBA yet, but we're already covering 'Knight Time'.

    -I think we needed some more Riddler appearances, so I liked it.

    -I think his plan was simply to escape the planet.

    -Yeah, TNBA Bruce Wayne rarely smiles, but your idea is a lot better.

    Scores

    Little Girl Lost- You: 4 and 6 / Me: 5

    Love is a Croc- You: 3 and 4 / Me: 3

    Where There's Smoke- You: 5 and 7 / Me: 8

    Torch Song- You: 3 and 4 / Me: 4

    Knight Time- You: 6 and 8 / Me: 8.5

    Next episode is going to be great.

  2. I have decided to create a blog compiling my written reviews of the DCAU, after realizing that I had a handful of reviews lying around and thinking it'd be pretty cool to write one of every episode and put everything into a blog. Since I've had a pretty uneventful summer, I've had a lot of time on my hands for the past couple of days, giving me a lot of writing time. I didn't think that it'd be appropriate to post this on the WFP page, so I think here is fine.

    http://cstusnews.blogspot.com/

  3. Guys, I've been waiting a long time for this pod cast, even more so than others, because this episode has one of the best batches of episodes yet. I hope it lives up to my expectations.

    Pre-Episode Banter

    I see even you guys are excited about this one. I'm so very happy.

    Episodes

    Never Fear- Excellent episode. The new Scarecrow design, the TMS animation, and a very interesting story. Interesting approach tying fear to morality and especially as it pertains to Batman. I love the spotlight Robin gets and how absolutely brutal Batman gets. Such great stuff.

    I still can't believe they got away with the alligator blood.

    Oh yeah, I forgot about Combs. I always love of how the DCAU brings back voice actors for surprising roles. Who would have thought that the same guy who plays the Scarecrow could voice Question? But each works perfectly.

    No, there is no more Crane.

    Yeah, I never had an issue with Guru; I thought he made for a good plot device. And I sort of liked the fat guy on the one rope. But now that you mention Bruce's disguise, I'll have to agree.

    I don't know, I thought the episode did a good job of showing that Bruce's morals are determined by his fear of the consequences. I think that the plane-flying is both recklessness and fearlessness. A result of not being fearful is that you will do more reckless things, because you don't do things like that out of fear.

    James, that's actually a pretty neat suggestion about Batman defying a portrait of his parents.

    I forgot about him taking the bullet right in the chest; I really don't have a way to defend it. But I did think the alligator murder was nice and brutal. I thought it built nicely into his killing humans.

    Yeah, the animation in this episode is incredible. This is one of TNBA's top five animated episodes ever as far as I'm concerned.

    Well, wasn't the antidote the ransom for the money? Even though he knows that he wouldn't be afraid of Batman, he does know that it's dangerous and can cause him to be reckless. That, combined with the fact that he or one of his goons are very exposed to the gas, I find the antidote pretty reasonable.

    Warrior Queen- Such a boring episode. I only recall a small handful of good moments, but they definitely include Lobo at the end. I always hate episodes like this where there's always some monarchy/diplomatic nonsense going on on an alien world. Why does this get used all the time? I have no idea, but it definitely comes up again in 'Absolute Power', 'War World', and 'Hearts and Minds' and it's never very fun at all.

    Wow, I'm surprised you guys are disagreeing about this one. I have to agree with James, but I really see where Mike is coming from. I'm actually kind of surprised that there's an episode you love that I'm not crazy about for once.

    Mike, you're love of sexual innuendo never fails to result in comedic moments.

    That's got to be a tough predicament: no sex until you find someone who can beat you down brutally.

    Electrical discharge as sexual frustration, you never fail to please Mike.

    I never noticed the biker guy. Great find. Stuff like this is the reason I watch the show.

    Joker's Millions- Hilarious. I know it may not fit in with the Joker's characterization throughout the show, but it works very nicely as an adaptation of an original comic. Still, it's hard to deny that a whole lot of the jokes are funny in their own right. It's not perfect by any means, it's just a nice enjoyable Joker episode.

    I'm sad that y'all disagree, but I understand it.

    As for the Penguin, I love his new designs and I LOVE the Iceberg Lounge. I love it so much. It just looks like such an awesome place.

    At least you guys did enjoy a lot of the jokes.

    I never knew who that guy was supposed to be based on and had no idea it was such a contemporary reference at the time. It definitely doesn't detract for me, but I can understand if it may detract for you or for other people.

    That's a great point about Batgirl and Nightwing. The costumes really don't do much at all to conceal their identities.

    Apokalips...Now!- Part two of this episode is without a doubt my favorite episode of S:TAS, and the whole episode for me is definitely a 10/10, no question. Can't wait for this review.

    That ending always gets me teary-eyed at the end. So well-done.

    But it was definitely not the best animation the series had ever seen, no doubt. There's a huge difference between animation and the actual drawings that the episode consists of. 'The Late Mr. Kent' is far better animated in my opinion.

    Arrgh, gripes! I suppose with such a huge episode you were bound to have some issues with it. Oh well, I'm still hoping for a high score.

    No, the Furies first appear in 'Little Girl Lost'.

    I really don't like that complaint about other heroes. You have to assume that the invasion is taking place all over the world and all over Metropolis, so it's easy to assume that they're being taken down elsewhere, and there's so much work that the story-boarders have to put into adding so many characters to the mix, not to mention re-hiring voice actors. Who's to say they weren't fighting elsewhere?

    Growing Pains- Two 10s in a row. Such an unbelievably good episode. The animation, maturity level, everything is top-notch.

    I'm really surprised that you take issue with the beginning. It was wrong, but it does a great job showing how horrible her situation is and it does make you feel sympathy for her.

    Maybe the people figured Tim was just some kid in a costume. I wouldn't be surprised if the new Robin hasn't been seen much, given how early this is in his time as the Boy Wonder.

    Well, the first part of 'Feat of Clay' looked horrible, but Clay-Face never really appeared.

    No, he doesn't come back for 'Beyond'; only Ras Al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, and Bane make appearances in 'Beyond'.

    Scores

    Never Fear- You: 6 and 7: 9

    Warrior Queen- You: 5 and 7 / Me: 5

    Joker's Millions- You: 3 and 5 / Me: 7

    Apokalips...Now!- You: 10 / Me: 10

    Growing Pains- You: 9 / Me: 10

    Thank you so so much for that final sound clip. That music really makes me want to start tearing up.

  4. Finally the latest WFP.

    Pre-Episode Banter

    Mike, you have to pick up Smash. It's the best game on Wii now.

    E-Mails

    I agree about the Flash. JL had a tough time nailing the powers very well, but Flash improved a lot during the end of JL and all throughout JLU. I don't think they showed that Flash was a forensic scientist in 'Eclipsed', but they did show him to be pretty intelligent there. The episodes I think that they nailed him in are 'Only A Dream', 'A Better World', 'Flash and Substance', and 'Divided We Fall'. I like that he's comic relief, but sometimes I felt that he came across as just lame.

    That was an excellent point about Superman's identity right there. Excellent. As for the rest, it made no sense to me, but I found it very interesting. Everything about 'Cold Comfort' was great too. I agree with all of what he said about creepy moments too.

    Awesome for the guy who got introduced to the entire DCAU by WFP.

    Episodes

    Prototype- I don't like it at all. The final fight is pretty good for a Dong Yang animated episode and I like the Steel foreshadowing, but the episode as a whole was not very good at all. It was a tired and predictable story that brought nothing new to the table and the animation is very choppy.

    Wow, you guys really hate this one. I believe I'll thoroughly enjoy this.

    James, that was the best impression of a generic villain that I've ever heard.

    Excellent description for Mills, Venom and Iron Man.

    But actually guys, there's an even worse episode to come later in the series: 'Superman's Pal'. The animation is worse and the story follows suit. Don't be surprised if you have to change your rankings around.

    Double Talk- I rather enjoy this episode. It's one of the few TNBA episodes to focus on psychology and isn't very action-oriented. I really love the visual sequences and the change of music is refreshing. The ending is oddly uplifting. Very solid episode.

    Oh yeah, Mike. Lucius in this episode is a different voice. His voice was originally done by Brock Peters, but in TNBA it was done by Mel Winkler.

    I would disagree in regard to Freeze needing a conclusion and Two-Face not needing one. Two-Face really deserved some closure.

    And yeah, I'm glad y'all picked up on the Lois and Clark appearance.

    The Late Mr. Kent- Easily one of the greatest episodes of the entire DCAU. Few can top it. It's truly a landmark of S:TAS. For me, it's only behind 'Apokalips...Now!' pt 2. But honestly, sharp story-telling, one of the few real character-driven episodes, solid TMS animation. It's not a simple good guy vs bad guy episode; it's compelling and not straightforward. And of course the ending is one of the most shocking and most perfect endings in the entirety of all animated television shows. This episode is simply incredible. An easy 10 for me.

    Your gripe is a valid one and I never thought of that before. I hope that it doesn't hurt the episode's review though. I do like Mike's explanation though. I agree with Mike though that her phone conversation is great. I do disagree, however, that the chopper fight was too much. It was exciting and it built suspense as we're waiting for Superman to nail Bowman and, as James said, the animation is stunning.

    But all is well now that you are gushing all over the episode. Agreed about absolutely everything from this point on.

    The 'Fans Nix New Duds' catch is excellent. Out of all the many times I have seen this episode, I have never noticed that before.

    You Scratch My Back- I really like it. It's our first real introduction to Nightwing. The story, while not deep or anything, is fun and fast-paced. And I love the animation. I'm so glad that Dong Yang was able to reach TMS quality animation with this episode. And I actually like the new Catwoman design. I know.

    Mike, you've already got me laughing. I hope you keep it up.

    Okay, my two cents on the Catwoman design. First of all, yes, the new Selina design is a million times better. The old design was abysmal. As for the Catwoman design, the white doesn't detract from it at all. It makes her more cat-like without any flesh color, and it's much more sleek than the original, which was far too detailed.

    No! That episode was 'House and Garden', not 'Batgirl Returns'.

    I definitely agree about the Nightwing theme. It's even better given that the fight scene accompanying the music is perfect.

    James, you make an excellent point about Dick's and Barbara's argument. Great point.

    Heavy Metal- I don't like it. The writing is horrible and the fight scenes just dragged and dragged and dragged. I love Steel and the design, but why did he have to appear in such a bad episode. And Metallo's resurrection killed what was concluded in 'Action Figures'. Why did he come back with the skin perfectly grafted on like it was before? Ugh.

    Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm in agreement with you guys here.

    Mike, you're absolutely right about his skin. There is no reason that his skin should be repaired in exactly the same way that he ripped it off.

    Scores

    Prototype: You- 1 and 2 / Me- 4

    Double Talk: You- 8 / Me- 8.5

    The Late Mr. Kent: You- 9 and 10 / Me- 10

    You Scratch My Back: You- 6.5 and 7 / Me- 7

    Heavy Metal: You- 5 and 6 / Me- 4

    WFP in two weeks is going to be LEGENDARY. 'Never Fear', 'Apokalips...Now!', and 'Growing Pains', all on the same episode? I can't wait.

  5. Pre-Episode Banter

    I would love to do a podcast about other cartoons! Animation is my specialty (I'm actually planning on being a storyboard artist). I've watched just about everything.

    Ugh, X-Men was a horrible show. Same with any show made in the '80s. Sorry guys. Personally, I never saw a well-animated episode of X-Men.

    I love Steven Blum, but I would hate it if it was a continuation of the '90s cartoon.

    I think that both seasons of 'The Boondocks' are pretty good, actually.

    E-Mails

    'Superman: Doomsday' was pretty cool, but I can't understand why people hate the title. 'Doomsday' is obviously a reference to Doomsday the creature, but the fact that he was never explicitly named in the film and the fact that the movie had to market to non-fans basically means that 'Doomsday' simply refers to Superman's death. Most people don't know that Doomsday is the name of the monster.

    Oh yeah, Anne Heche was horrible.

    Episodes

    Holiday Knights- Very enjoyable episode. While the animation is pretty average, there is a whole lot of great direction that creates such a good dark Christmas atmosphere. All three segments are loads of fun, and I really love the New Year's Eve ending.

    The episode isn't meant to begin the series' continuity, but rather to offer a taste of what it would be like. That's why, for example, we see Clayface, even though it wasn't until 'Mudslide' that it is explained what happened to him.

    I agree that the other two are boring, but I really enjoy this one.

    I don't think that just because this episode is the pilot that it has to explain every continuity issue. Those get explained later. Not every episode is in chronological order. Mike is right, they are out of order.

    I don't think we need any explanation for the Joker. He survives all the time, we just have to accept it. The fact that we get no explanation just adds to what a creepy character he is. I'd rather be left in the dark and have Joker come across as a creepy sadistic lunatic who laughs in the face of death and who always gets out of it than to get an explanation for his escapes and not have the same reverence for him.

    Mike, only you would have pointed that out about the bed.

    I love the second vignette. The animation on Clayface is excellent and I really enjoy the humor and the background designs and the very simple plot. Great stuff.

    Yeah, I love the sensitive Bullock. Great subtle characterization.

    Mike, you make a great point about Bullock and Montoya being at the dept. store, but I never noticed it and I'm sure most people don't either, so I'm fine with it.

    Mike, it's definitely the same actors.

    I disagree with your assessment of the tone of this episode not being indicative of the rest of the series. This series, despite more freedom as far as language and violence is concerned, was very much a more cartoony version of B:TAS, and episodes like 'Love is a Croc', 'Critters', and many others show this to be true. This episode does adequately show that the series is meant to be less visually dark and less realistic as a whole.

    That's a great catch James about 'Return of the Joker'.

    The Hand of Fate- I actually really enjoy this one. I like the Kirby elements a lot and the moral quandary is well-done given that this is a cartoon. And seeing Dr. Fate in animation is really really awesome.

    I have no problem with the dialogue really. Yeah, it's cliche, but in the spirit of action-packed superhero fun, I thought it was fine.

    Excellent point about the fact that Superman wasn't possessed.

    Sins of the Father- I don't like it at all. Bad animation, the bat-family feels very inhuman, Batman has virtually no characterization other than being a mean and cold jerk, and again, Two-Face is just a generic mob boss. Overall I find it boring, plain and simple.

    Mike, James is right, it was Steve.

    Mike, I actually think you're going too easy on this one. It was a bad episode and I think it's easily the worst episode being reviewed today.

    Yeah, I agree that it's not much of a surprise for Dick to make an epic reappearance in only the second episode of the series in which he's not part of the Bat Family. Definitely not good writing as far as developing a new series is concerned.

    Actually, 'My God' was used occasionally on B:TAS (like in 'Heart of Ice').

    NOOOO, that makes no sense what you said about 'Teen Titans'. First of all, the costumes are hardly similar and given that Robin has never had a wide costume variety, I can hardly comprehend how the black and red, with no green pants and metal shoes costume bears any possible resemblance to the 'Teen Titans' one. When the TT creators were making 'Teen Titans', they more than likely drew on the most common Robin costume in existence; there's nothing that suggests they so much at glanced at the TNBA Robin costume. Maybe whatever resemblances there are come from the fact that Murakami, who created 'Teen Titans' designed the TNBA Robin. Whatever the case, your theory does not work.

    Bizarro's World- Good episode, easily the best one today. Finally some great animation, good funny Bizarro stuff, Krypto allusion, compelling story, no awful dialogue, and cool Kryptonian elements.

    Ha, 'Me need soup!'

    Cold Comfort- I don't like it at all. It ruined 'Mr. Freeze' and 'Sub-Zero''s happy ending. The head thing was just a gimmick done for shock value that added nothing to the character. No more compelling tragic elements. Everything about the episode is depressing: Batman's attitude, the ruination of all of the other characters, and the degradation of Mr. Freeze. Even if the episode did excel in the area of a great Mr. Freeze story, there is no hope or optimism, and watching the episode is just not very fun at all. I also did not like the animation either.

    In fact, the ONE thing I like about this episode is the 'Twilight in Gotham' painting, which actually looked really really awesome.

    Okay, so I definitely disagree with James.

    Here's the thing, I don't really care how sad Freeze is, because he's no longer worthy of my sympathy. He's a horrible human being now. He has no redeeming qualities. So why should I care how sad he looks? He doesn't deserve me or anyone else feeling sorry for him.

    I will give it that funny Bruce/Tim exchange, but that won't change my grade for this one.

    Are you kidding, there are tons of creepier moments throughout the DCAU. 'Return of the Joker''s torture scene, the plant babies in 'House and Garden', 'Earth Mover' from 'Batman Beyond'. There's creepier stuff all across the map!

    Yeah, Batman pretty much did kill him, but when he comes back in 'Meltdown', one of the greatest episodes of the DCAU ever.

    I'm really agreeing with Mike about Freeze's motivations. They just aren't any good!

    Scores

    Holiday Knights- You: 3 / Me: 8

    Hand of Fate- You: 4 and 5 / Me: 7.5

    Sins of the Father- You: 5 and 6.5 / Me: 3

    Bizarro's World- You: 6 and 7 / Me: 8.5

    Cold Comfort- You: 6 and 8 / Me: 4

  6. 'World's Finest', I've been waiting so long for this. Hope the podcast lives up to the actual episode.

    Pre-Episode Banter

    You're a Hawks fan eh? Yeah, I live in Atlanta and I know this one guy who's obsessed with them to the point of insanity.

    I might check out some of those threads; they sound pretty interesting.

    E-Mails

    I really really like that idea about a kryptonite arc.

    Yeah, you guys definitely had a lot of problems with older B:TAS episodes.

    World's Finest

    Excellent sound clip.

    Yeah, obviously I love this movie, as should everyone. I've only met one person who dislikes it too. It's fun and exciting and beautifully animated. The character moments are unbelievably compelling and everything is so well paced.

    And I love this Joker too. Not sure if I like him without lips, but the performance is just incredible.

    Wow, you guys are just gushing all over this.

    I'm surprised y'all didn't take much of an issue with Superman killing the terrorist. I still think he could have saved the guy by adjusting his speed as he caught the guy so he would come to a gradual stop or something like that. And if his death was an inevitability, did it really have to be by punching the guy square in the face?

    I think that part one is easily the best of the three if only for the ending. I also really enjoy the way that Batman isn't more of a badass than Superman 100% of the time and Supes gets in a fair amount of jabs against Bats.

    That's an awesome find about the movie cords at that one scene, Mike. I just re-watched it and I'm pretty sure you're right.

    I never paid attention to that 'last laugh' line. It's probably going to bug me on subsequent viewings.

    Turnip...heh

    I've never noticed how badly beat up Mercy gets in this episode. At least she gets to laugh at the end of it all.

    The Batman/Luthor scene is so so cool. Man, you really dig really deep into little things like the fact that Luthor doesn't move.

    I really don't have that many comments for this one. I'm just enjoying reliving the episode with y'all.

    Scores

    You: 10 / Me: 10

  7. Pre-Episode Banter

    That was short

    E-Mails

    I also can't wait for 'Return of the Joker'.

    I find it really really weird that you guys have never met face-to-face. Really weird.

    Episodes

    Brave New Metropolis- Great episode. Some rough animation and some mediocre dialogue, but overall it's really well-written.

    Yeah, I agree about the animation. I really don't get where Timm and Co. are coming from.

    I think he went to Luthor because Luthor, unlike anyone else, has control over Metropolis.

    Those additions to his eyes were excellent in the way that they are such a small change but make a big impact.

    Yeah, I also like that the Justice Lords Superman has its roots in this episode.

    Okay, I had never thought of the idea that Superman and Luthor had taken over the country, but your points make a whole lot of sense.

    This is a really long review guys.

    Monkey Fun- Bad. That’s all I’ll say.

    Bah, ‘The Prometheon’ is much better, given that it had good animation, not as many bad jokes, and it’s not the same thing over and over again. And there was some nice conflict in the first one about the distrust of the military, while there was absolutely nothing in ‘Monkey Fun’.

    Ghost in the Machine- Flawless. It’s one of my top five episodes of the series. Characterization, foreshadowing, and animation are all excellent. There’s not one dumbed down bit of dialogue either. Just perfect.

    Yeah, I pretty much agree with everything that y’all are saying.

    Father’s Day- Worst of the Darkseid arc by FAR. It’s just a really long fight scene with absolutely no substance. Darkseid’s closing appearance was the one redeeming moment.

    Yeah, Lois is retarded, the Kents are retarded, and why does the rubble only happen to fall right after Superman saves Pa, even though he was fighting for a good five minutes.

    Scores

    Brave New Metropolis- You: 6 and 6.5 / Me: 8

    Monkey Fun- You: 5 and 7 / Me: 5

    Ghost in the Machine- You: 9 (come on Mike!) and 10 / Me: 10

    Father’s Day- You: 7 / Me: 6

  8. So wouldn't that mean that 'Hereafter' should be counted off for not maintaining 'Solar Power''s continuity instead of the other way around?

    No, because "Solar Power" was drizzling shit, while "Hereafter" was phenomenal. :smile:

    Fair enough.

  9. Pre-Episode Banter

    Hooray on the 25th episode guys!

    Right there with you on Brawl James. Only have fifteen or so more challenges to do.

    Mike, I love your excitement on your perfect game of Wii Bowling.

    I keep missing the new Spidey show, because I sleep in all the time, but I really need to see it. From the Youtube clips I've seen, the animation is awesome.

    And the Fox show was pretty bad. The 'hear what the character is thinking at every given moment' just doesn't work, and it was just way too complicated, and even with the TMS animation, the designs and boarding wasn't very good at all.

    E-Mails

    Man, y'all's fan-base just seems to grow all the time.

    Sorry if that was pretty harsh, James. And yeah, it's not perfect by any means, but I was just in an argumentative mood at the time.

    I would love to play their little music game.

    'The Nail' reminds me of 'Red Sun', with screwing with the Kents finding 'Kal-El'. I'd really love to read it.

    In 'Justice League', instead of Lori Petti (sp?), it was Maria Canals who played Livewire.

    And Jeremy Sisto was amazing. I wonder if this guy was mad that they didn't keep Clive Revill (sp?) for Alfred.

    Episodes

    Target- The epitome of an average S:TAS episode. Some really good suspense matched with some stiff animation and a predictable mystery story, so yeah, I'm pretty indifferent to it.

    Oh yeah, we meet Bowman, who plays a MAJOR part in 'The Late Mr. Kent'.

    Ha, forget about that sling moment. Great stuff.

    Mike, you're starting to make me appreciate the mystery better.

    Mxyzpixilated- Great episode, really funny, even has a few cool in-jokes. I don't think it's the best episode by any means, but it is really great stuff. Hey, see my username. And the reason he's always appealed to me is because I've always had a talent for saying words backwards.

    'Downhill racing is so very existential' is definitely an homage to 'Calvin and Hobbes'. In the strip, Calvin and Hobbes would always go sledding, while Calvin would ponder philosophy; this line is a joke on that. Paul Dini (as Calvin) jumping out for Hobbes (or whoever) to die is the really funny part.

    Gah, the more y'all talk about it, the more I love it. This episode may be the best showcasing for Tim Daly's voice acting, actually.

    Action Figures- I really really like this one. It's definitely not incredible, but the Metallo development was awesome, and the fight scene was one of the best, if not the best, in the entire series. I like that it's really story-based and there's a lot of cliche-breaking that happens, the darkest moment being Metallo threatening to kill like it's nothing in front of the children. And the android Metallo design is awesome. And the animation is spectacular.

    This is actually one of the best explanations you've ever given for why an episode is flawed, actually. Even though I LOVE the fighting, I do dislike the fact that the kids' story never really gets resolved.

    Yeah, that punch is my favorite animated punch of all time, pretty much. It's just incredible.

    Double Dose- Incredibly generic, but the innuendo and animation really make up for it. Really a whole lot of fun, as much as I hate Livewire.

    But I really like your criticism of it, because Livewire really is my least favorite part.

    Bruce Timm actually commented on Superman's body condom over at Toonzone.

    Yes, James! The animation is incredible in this episode. Totally agreed.

    Yeah, you're dead right about Parasite. By the time 'Justice League' rolls around he's just a generic bad guy. I will say that I feel that Parasite's being part of a duo doesn't contradict the whole 'being his own man' thing, because he was planning to backstab her the whole time.

    Solar Power- Only the animation salvages this, in addition to some minor characterization moments, some cool bits with the rain and all that, and the introduction of the red solar wave stuff, but even then it's one of TMSs' weaker episodes. So yeah, pretty meh.

    Double dipping? That's hilarious.

    But yeah, really good points about this one. Really like the comparison between Jor-El and red-sun Superman.

    Scores

    Target: You- 4 and 5 / Me- 5

    Mxyzpixilated: You- 9 / Me- 9

    Action Figures: You- 6 / Me- 9

    Double Dose: You- 2 and 3 / Me- 6

    Solar Power: You- 3 and 2 / Me- 5

    Great job, can't wait till next podcast!

  10. Not to mention during 'Secret Origins', it is hinted at that The JL Flash had already met Superman at one point, a definite callback to 'Speed Demons'. That, in combination with the Flash's attitude means that it's definitely Wally.

  11. Pre-Episode Banter

    Bizarro talk! Gah…

    Oh yeah!!!! Super Smash Bros Brawl!!!! Got it on opening day and it’s easily the best game ever made. Single player mode is a lot better in Brawl, and online play means that even if you don’t have anyone with you, you can play with people online.

    I’m playing with the Wii-mote too, because I also don’t have a Gamecube controller, but to be honest I think that the Wii-mote is better now that I’ve gotten so used to it.

    Yeah, I really want to hear your review for ‘The New Frontier’. I’ve already gotten and seen the movie and I thought it was pretty good.

    I’m glad you guys are really pumped for ‘World’s Finest’. It’s definitely one of my favorites.

    E-Mails

    Yeah, I really hope that it really is ‘The Brave and the Bold’ that’s coming up. That could lead to so many cool possibilities.

    I keep forgetting that I constantly e-mail you guys about the Teen Titans thing.

    Know I want y’all to review ‘Teen Titans’ regardless of continuity or not. Don’t think that just because I don’t think that it’s in continuity doesn’t mean I don’t want it reviewed.

    Ha, Bruce Timm on the toonzone message boards once referred to Superman’s plastic suit in ‘Double Dose’ a giant condom.

    Episodes

    Blasts From the Past- I don’t like this one. It’s really just a lot of fighting and predictable plot twists and it’s just pretty bland the whole way through. I do like that it introduces the Phantom Zone projector and all that, but still, that doesn’t save the lame writing. I also can’t stand that they get brought back later in the series.

    Ha, you’re just tearing this one apart. Awesome.

    Weren’t Jax-Ur and Mala incredibly minor characters in the comics?

    Oh yeah, forgot about the Wonder Woman blunder. That makes me really mad.

    The Prometheon- Okay, now I know that a lot of people hate this one, but I think it’s awesome. It’s just a nice simple giant monster battle with incredible TMS animation and is overall just a whole lot of fun. It also establishes General Hardcastle’s role in S:TAS, which as we all know plays a huge part in JLU.

    I love your General Hardcastle voice.

    I don’t really care to know what happened to it. I definitely prefer that open-ended silent ending than having to wonder about the never-ending implications of the things existence and what would happen to it.

    I know just what you’re talking about Mike; that was such an awesome facial expression. Good point about Superman being a solar battery also.

    Livewire- I don’t like this one to be honest. Actually, I’ll say it’s average. It’s just there, like you said about ‘The Prometheon’. I like the animation in the first act and I like the basic character concept in the beginning, but the rest of the episode is just tedious fight scenes.

    I’m pretty much agreeing with y’all’s assessment of the episode so far.

    Speed Demons- This episode is awesome, just completely awesome. It’s a classic Silver Age comic book adaptation, with a nice simplistic story. Flash is awesome and stays really consistent into JL. The animation is great, and the Flash/Superman dynamic is really nicely handled. It’s always been a childhood favorite of mine.

    I can’t believe you guys don’t like it. I figured you’d enjoy just for it’s cool factor, kind of like ‘World’s Finest’. You know, overlooking the plot holes simply because it’s Superman and the FLASH!!! Seeing as how you guys are older I guess you don’t know how giddy this episode made me as a kid. Having only seen an animated Flash on Superfriends, I was just ecstatic to see him make a guest appearance in S:TAS, and simply for that childhood moment I’ll always cherish this one as an S:TAS classic.

    I think the cornball super-villainy was cool here. Come on, it’s the Weather Wizard! I love it.

    And as bad as Flash’s jokes were here, he was about a million times as bad in JL.

    And thank you Mike for bringing up the Silver Age aspect. That’s exactly why I like this one and I think it was done very well.

    Yeah, ‘Legends’ still tops both this episode and ‘The New Frontier’.

    Are you kidding? The animation was excellent. It was animated by Tokyo Movie Shinsha, the highest budget Japanese studio of the time! It animated every single mind-blowing B:TAS episode (‘Feat of Clay’ pt 2, ‘Read My Lips’, ‘The Demon’s Quest’), not to mention ‘Return of the Joker’. There was nothing wrong with the animation in this one. The speed looked convincing, unlike the lame repetitive blur effect they used in JL, the way the gust and the rubble moves and the way Superman’s cape blows, it’s great stuff. The electricity was also really dazzling and vibrant. There’s a lot more energy in this episode than in Koko/DY episodes, which are dull and stick to the most bland design restrictions. My only possible complaint would be the mini tornado thing that Flash makes when fixing up the ocean liner, but that’s it. Seriously, what was wrong with it?

    Identity Crisis- I really enjoy this one. The animation is serviceable, but the writing is where it’s at. It’s kind of cliché I guess, but I thought it was pretty touching.

    Luthor pretty much the best line he’s had yet in this one. ‘You am toast’ rocks so hard.

    There’s another one besides the one with Mxy, it’s the one where Bizarro touches the Krypton orb and tries to turn Earth into Krypton; it’s called ‘Bizarro’s World’.

    Scores

    Blasts From the Past- You: 4 and 3 / Me: 4

    The Prometheon- You: 4 and 5/ Me: 7

    Livewire- You: 5 / Me: 5

    Speed Demons- You: 5.5 and 6 / Me: 9

    Identity Crisis- You: 9 and 8 / Me: 9

  12. E-Mails

    I think the blood sample thing was a pretty good point, actually. Interesting knowing people are still so early in the podcast.

    My E-Mail, forgot all about it. Yeah, but the pod-cast did say that the pop-up said that it began with S:TAS. I’ll address the rest in the E-mail itself.

    That’s some really cool info about Officer Henderson.

    And yeah, Smallville Lana is horrendous. Seriously, it seems like they went with Kristin Kreuk for sex appeal. Same with Tom Welling I suppose, but Tom Welling can actually act. Seriously, Kreuk acts every single scene the EXACT SAME WAY. It’s horrible.

    Whoa, the mp3 is really cool. Glad that someone was able to make you guys feel better about the Jack Napier thing.

    Episodes

    The Main Man- Already! Yes, this one is pretty great. Great music, great voice acting, and, for Koko/DY, great animation. Yeah, this one is good stuff. I don’t know if you’ll go into this, but I also like that it sets up some major continuity in ‘Batman Beyond’.

    I really love your review for this one.

    Yeah, the Clark Kent thing is hilarious. It shows just how awesome this version of Clark Kent is.

    Yeah, now you’re talking about Starro. I hope you remember that he comes back in ‘Batman Beyond’. Yes, you did.

    My Girl- I LOOVVEE this episode. It has beautiful TMS animation, gorgeous backgrounds, awesome character progression and it’s just all around excellent stuff.

    Great note about the sound effects too.

    Tools of the Trade- Good episode. Nothing incredible, but it does introduce Turpin, who’s awesome, and it does have some good direction and the awesome Darkseid reveal at the end.

    I understand Mike’s issue with it being forgettable and just sort of average.

    I think that Darkseid was just toying with Manheim. He knew it wasn’t going to succeed and I feel that he knew that Manheim was a loser; I feel he was just simply trying to observe Superman, plain and simple.

    Was Turpin in the comics? I don’t think so. But yeah, I LOVE Turpin, simply because what happens to him in ‘Apokalips…Now!’ is the greatest thing in the entire DCAU.

    Yeah, the Superman shadow shot is so awesome.

    Good for you Mike, S:TAS is awesome.

    Two’s A Crowd- Best Parasite episode by far. Best animation, direction, and it’s quite psychological. Just all around good stuff.

    Bah, all the things that James is complaining about are awesome comic book elements that aren’t supposed to make logical sense, but that are just plain cool. I mean, random chemicals don’t turn people into parasitic monsters, so I don’t see why over-the-top weaponry should be criticized and not things like, you know, people with metallic skin and things like that.

    But I do agree about the animation in this episode. That’s TMS for you.

    Scores

    The Main Man- You: 10 / Me: 8

    My Girl- You: 8 / Me: 9.5

    Tools of the Trade- You: 7 and 6 / Me: 7.5

    Two’s A Crowd- You: 6 / Me: 8.5

  13. Yeah, I mean, I agree with some level of logic, as in character consistencies and not relying on plot devices and all that, but honestly: Bruce Timm was working on this show with strict deadlines with the full knowledge that it was a Superman cartoon intended mostly for children; there is no way he had the time to account for things like the villains' income and all that. I mean, I don't recall 'Heart of Ice' getting flack because it was never revealed how Mr. Freeze assembled his crew or his array of freezing weapons.

  14. Pre-Episode Banter

    Whoa, that Best Buy thing is pretty bad. That girl really needs to teach Best Buy a lesson for that one.

    Oh yeah, I know all about Pit and Brawl. Personally, I think that Meta Knight is the most unbalanced based on what I've seen. But this is really my most anticipated game ever. I don't think I'll need to buy another game for a good while after this one.

    Yeah, Anne Heche was not a good choice.

    E-Mails

    I really like that 'Wild Cards' explanation.

    Totally agreed with him about those three really good S:TAS episodes, even though, as good as 'Mr. Kent' is, nothing in the entire DCAU beats the end of 'Apokalips...Now!'.

    I actually agree with the Avatar guy (except for the stuff about it being a Lazarus pit), but I already more civilly argued with you about the whole homage deal and you guys are definitely justified in your belief that B:TAS shouldn't be so flexible as to encompass really cheesy homages or things like that.

    But yeah, he is pretty vicious, even though, it is sort of refreshing to hear some negativity. You guys can't have a perfect track record forever.

    Ah, 'Memoria' is probably the best Smallville episode ever made. But yeah, Smallville's Lana is AWFUL.

    That is the most perfect way to review TNBA. It will feel so awesome to have WFP's with both Batman and Superman.

    Episodes

    Fun and Games- YES. I just love this episode. Creepy, beautifully animated, and one of the most psychologically involved episodes of the series. Great stuff. Yeah, exactly, he's just like a Bat-villain.

    Aww, come on. Don't count the supplies he has for making toys against it. It's a Superman cartoon! You have to take that all in stride.

    I think that Superman is able to put restraints on his strength. Great reference to 'Destroyer' there. And as to whether he's thinking straight, I think it's because it's his first real adventure outside of the origin episode and so he's going to screw up a little bit.

    I LOVE the pop-up book. He still wants to be understood, so he probably made that just in case while, you know, assembling his giant toy factory. And still, it's a Superman cartoon, you really can't count it that harshly.

    I'm really glad that you guys like this one though, because I really really adore it.

    A Little Piece of Home- Also great stuff. Love the origin of kryptonite, love the animation, love the jazzy music, love the settings, and love seeing more Luthor.

    Bah, I like the dinosaur. I think that Luthor had it replaced with a robot at the last minute (given he replaced the meteor rocks as well), because he knew they'd be there.

    And yep, Luthor is amazing. Love that you're giving the Clancy Brown version the respect it deserves.

    Dead-on about the jazz music, James. Reminds me of 'Cowboy Bebop'.

    No, the argument is not over. It said that S:TAS established a NEW DC animated universe from B:TAS, which means that the pop-up is clearly wrong, given that B:TAS is indeed part of the same universe, if by universe it means continuity, which you clearly believe it to. Therefore, it's saying that 'Teen Titans' is part of the universe can't be regarded as valid either if it actually claims that the DC animated universe started with S:TAS. It's just so impossible to justify the technological advances and supernatural craziness that is clearly present in 'Teen Titans' when in B:TAS, they are apparently just now discovering how to alter DNA ('On Leather Wings') and how to program basic robots, which are proven to be imperfect anyway ('Heart of Steel' and 'His Silicon Soul'), while all this stuff happens on such enormous scales in 'Teen Titans'. And come on, can you seriously imagine any of the things that happen in 'Teen Titans', all the zanines and nonsensical logic coexisting with the very very realistic B:TAS? It's impossible I tells ya!

    Feeding Time- Bleh, the only episode in the batch I don’t like because it’s just so average. There is nothing interesting at all, it’s just Superman vs the villain of the week. And the animation is not so good.

    Whoa, Mike and James having a soft spot for one of my least favorite S:TAS episodes. Whoooaaaaah.

    I agree with every one of your gripes though.

    Ha, I love your little thing about Rudy undressing Clark. It just got funnier as it went on.

    And about the animation, yeah it wasn’t bad or anything, but when you compare it to the first two episodes done by TMS, it looks so bland in comparison. The fight between Superman and Parasite especially looks really clunky.

    The Way of All Flesh- Awesome episode. More psychological villain treatment, AMAZING animation and fight scenes. More Luthor cunning, and just all around incredible.

    Hooray for James liking this episode.

    Agreed with Mike about the level of maturity in the series. Because B:TAS is so dark and such a ground-breaking series, people will say that it’s automatically more mature than S:TAS, because it’s Superman and Superman is happy and all that BS. But come on, if B:TAS ever tried anything like the ending of ‘Apokalips…Now!’, they just wouldn’t have been able to pull it off.

    James, was that the first time one of you have said Supes so far?

    Didn’t notice that background dialogue. Hilarious!

    And yeah, great ending.

    Stolen Memories- Yet another good one. I’m sort of disappointed that the episode didn’t get TMS treatment, and it is one of Koko’s weaker episodes animation-wise, but other than that, the episode is more great stuff. Love the continuity and love how it really builds up the scope of the series.

    Yeah, originally I agreed about the dream, but after a while I did figure out what Superman was saying. I think he says it to Luthor, when he goes back to the base to warn Luthor about Brainiac’s danger.

    I think that Luthor was the lesser of new evils, especially given that this was an alien with infinite capabilities. Yeah, I can see Superman talking to Luthor.

    Yeah, agreed about the animation with James. I think in the commentary they mention that they had to do a lot of re-takes. My problems are in the fight scene with the robots (which is super clunky), and Luthor looked really off-model a lot of the time. Yeah, there were probably some Fleischer references in there.

    I still that this is early Luthor, and given that he still has a long way to go until ‘Justice League’, I can buy that he would mess up here, especially given he had some backup.

    But come on, at least we got that awesome ‘you have two weeks’ line.

    Oh yeah! Forgot about the Fortress. Boy, just about every episode really shows progression, which I absolutely LOVE.

    I think that the robot thing isn’t so noticeable, given that they’re all really different. And I’m pretty sure they’re going to start disappearing.

    Scores

    Fun and Games: You- 7 / Me: 9

    A Little Piece of Home: You- 6 and 7 / Me- 8.5

    Feeding Time: You- 7 / Me- 5

    The Way of All Flesh: You- 8.5 and 7 / Me- 9

    Stolen Memories: You- 7 / Me- 7.5

    Great job again. And more solid episodes to come next time too.