A grouping of the most notable DC Comics news from Feb. 4th - 6th, 2013!
Official promotions begin for latest DC Universe animated DVD!
Now that the latest original animated DVD film from Warner Brothers home video and DC Entertainment, "The Dark Knight Returns: Part Two" has been released, the promotional department is wasting no time getting advertisements out for their next product. The pattern of relying on animated DVD projects titled after Batman, Superman, and/or the Justice League for most of these releases continues onward. As touted at the end of last year and teased by TV Guide in early January, the next animated DVD feature will be called "Superman: Unbound" and will be loosely based on Action Comics #866-870 (circa 2009) written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Gary Frank. Given that Johns is now DC's chief creative officer, it is no surprise that one of his stories is now being immortalized in animation - it also won't be the last. It will also be among the most recent DC comics stories to be adapted to a DVD project; even last year's "Superman vs. The Elite" was based on a story which was over a decade old.
Yesterday (Feb. 4th, 2013), the Toonzone affiliate website the World's Finest reported several press releases regarding this project. The first is the official trailer which comes with the release date of May 7th, 2013 - barely over a month before Zack Synder's "Man Of Steel" hits theaters. In it, the plot of the film is ironed out as an invasion of earth by Superman's arch nemesis, Brainiac. The character models may remind some of Disney's "Hercules" or even to a loose degree, Marvel/Lion's Gate's "Hulk vs. Thor". It features snippets of the entire voice cast; the piece stars Matt Bomer ("White Coller") as Superman, John Noble ("Fringe") as Brainiac, and "Castle" alumni Stana Katic and Molly Quinn as Lois Lane and Supergirl. This could also be the second animated DVD within a few years to give an origin rundown of Supergirl; one could argue her origin was most of the point of 2010's "Superman/Batman: Apocalypse". The World's Finest also has a sneak peak at the official box art for the feature for DVD and blu-ray release. As often the case, it bares little resemblance to the actual character models of the animation within.
Brainiac is one of Superman's oldest enemies, debuting in Action Comics #242, circa 1958 from writer Otto Binder and Al Plastino. A living computer being who usually seeks to analyze and then conquer worlds, his origins began on the planet Colu until the TV cartoon of the 90's connected him to Krypton; since then his origin usually has waxed and waned between such details. His heir, Brainiac-5, is a regular in the "Legion of Super-Heroes" franchise. This will be the villain's first appearance on an animated DVD feature since the sub-par "Superman: Brainiac Attacks" from 2006, and his first animated appearance in general since "Legion of Super-Heroes" ended on Kid's WB in 2008. This is good since, as with Lex Luthor, Brainiac has a tendency to be over used in Superman media projects.
Preview page of Justice League of America #1
Newsarama released a teaser page of the debut issue of JLA #1, which is written by Geoff Johns and drawn by David Finch, which debuts on Feb. 20th. It offers some elements of the cast of Catwoman, Green Lantern/Baz, Hawkman, Stargirl, Vibe, Martian Manhunter, and Green Arrow. Also present on the team will be Katana (soon to get her own ongoing series and co-star in this summer's "Beware The Batman" cartoon) and Steve Trevor.
Read last week's DC Comics news here!
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