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matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the latest episodes of Futurama, MAD, Tron: Uprising, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, Ultimate Spider-Man, and The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Upcoming reviews include Transformers Prime: Season 1, TRON: Legacy Blu-Ray, The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Volume 2: The Wars Years, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones Volume 3: The Years Of Change and Heathcliff: Season 1 - Volume 1.
Futurama "Decision 3012"
Depressing episode. I think I could probably forgive that if it were more insightful but frankly, if that were to be the case, it wasn't cynical enough. Nothing would change the birthers' minds in real life. If someone somehow managed to travel back in time to film Obama's mother giving birth to him on live television the mouthbreathers would just say it was faked like the moon landing.
And I'm sorry, but I REALLY loathe Bender. He was beyond reprehensible. I cannot believe that the writers think this obnoxious dirtbag is their "break-out character". He can't hold a CANDLE to either Homer Simpson or Stewie and the fact that the writers keep trying to shove him down our throats p*sses me off. So, Bender will responsible for humanity's destruction? And we're supposed to still like him after that revelation and still consider him "lovable ol' Bender"? No sale. I've had with him and the lengths the show has gone to to try to make me sympathize with this rotten turd. Enough.
The only thing that interested me is that Nixon's reelection hints that it's possible that the dire future foretold by Travers will somehow have to be prevented in a future episode. But if that were the case, why did the writers decide to make everyone forget Travers' warning? I'm all for an epic story arc but I'm thinking they might need to get someone out of time to warn everybody before it happens. The Nibblonians perhaps?
Sucky episode. *.
"I Am Lorax / Modern Family Circus"
Didn't much care for the Lorax parody but Modern Family Circus' take on Jeffy being the stand-in for Bill Mumy on The Twilight Zone was VERY clever. ***1/2.
TRON: Uprising "Blackout"
Decent. I think Paul Reubens is doing an excellent job as Tessler's lackey (I forget his name). He's really over-the-top and funny. Inspired casting choice.
The rest of the episode was good too. This was the first "regular" episode of the show and I enjoyed it. ****.
Iron Man: Armored Adventures "The Hammer Falls"
This version of Justin Hammer is WAAAAAAAAAYYYYY too unstable and crazy. I'm surprised he can tie his shoes, much less run a multi-national corporation. He got what was coming to him in the end.
Does Howard know? I'm guessing yes.
Good episode. ****.
Iron Man: Armored Adventures "Rage Of The Hulk"
This particular portrayal of Thunderbolt Ross was completely loathesome. I hated every second he was on-screen and was SUPER relieved and surprised he was arrested. His actions were that of a war criminal. Big time. Good on the show for punishing him for them.
Like the Gray Hulk. Not much more to say. ***1/2.
Ultimate Spider-Man "Freaky"
My second favorite episode after "Exclusive". I love Wolverine but I REALLY thought this episode was actually funny for once. The Spider-Man soap opera was a scream and the "technical difficulties" sign actually became even funnier every time it appeared. My favorite part was Spider-Man yelling ar Logan to put his costume on! Man, I can just imagine how helpless Peter felt during that situation. His entire identity was going to be compromised due to Wolvie simply not caring.
Loved Spidey trying to convince Sabertooth he wasn't Wolverine simply because, like Logan, it showed that he didn't much care what happened to the guy he switched bodies with. But once Sabertooth realized what was going on it backfired. Right tactic, wrong strategy.
Great episode. ****1/2.
Ultimate Spider-Man "Venomous"
Can Spidey BE any stupider about Osbourne? I mean, really, what does it take for him to realize he is up to no good? On the old cartoons even though Spidey respected Norman as Harry's father he ALWAYS realized what a scumwad he was and knew the dude was up to no good.
I liked the dynamic of Spider-Man trying to decide whether or not to withhold Harry's secret from the team. Frankly, I would have told Fury or Coulson before I told the others and I'm surprised they took it as well as they did. Interesting.
Good episode, but Spidey needs to wise up. ***1/2.
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes "Nightmare In Red"
SHIELD shackling up and torturing Bruce Banner was the cruelest thing I have ever seen on this cartoon and it made me hate Skrull-Cap all the more. I can't wait until he is found out. Buttmunch.
I've noted before that Ross was a buttwipe but can't they clearly see that the Red Hulk and the Green Hulk are two different people? I wish Nick Fury were still around. He wouldn't have fallen for Ross' nonsense.
Any guesses who Red Hulk is? I have no idea.
I was as angry as the Hulk by the end of this. Still, who didn't cheer when the Hulk said "Avengers Assemble!"? ***1/2.
Batman: The Brave And The Bold: Complete Season Three
The last season of the creative Batman cartoon produced by James Tucker.
This year probably delivered its craziest episodes ever. They had guest stars like Space Ghost, Ambush Bug, and umm... Abraham Lincoln. It got REALLY nuts this year and for the most part I enjoyed it.
This set also contains the "Lost" episode from season two, "The Mask of Matches Malone!" which had been previously banned from Cartoon Network. I'm glad they found a way to include it, but I MUST cry foul: it's in friggin' fullscreen! That's inexcusable in this day and age. The rest of the set is in the proper widescreen.
I really miss this show and know that the new CGI Batman cartoon, Beware The Batman, has a lot to live up to. I'm not optimistic and I think they should have just kept making new episodes of BTAB. However, this is the first DC cartoon series to actually have a proper series finale. Technically, Justice League Unlimited's "Epilogue" counts as one too but that turned out not to be the last episode. Mitefall! has Bat-Mite returning and gives us a last camera pan of all of the heroes and villains who have appeared on the show, even ones who died (B'Wana Beast, The Doom Patrol, Ted Kord). It was a nice step out of continuity for this show and very reassuring to the kids in the audience.
Speaking of continuity, the episode Night Of The Batmen! officially put Brave And The Bold and The Batman (among other things) firmly in the DC Animated Universe canon. That was probably the best thing James Tucker ever did on this show for the fans outside of the last episode.
Best episodes on the set are the topsy turvy "Joker: The Vile and the Villainous!", the aforementioned "Night of the Batmen!", the excellent Aquaman/Atom team-up (Sword of the Atom!), the "Trinity" teaming up against Lex Luthor, The Joker and Cheetah (Triumvirate of Terror!), and the series finale that actually put a lump in my throat (Mitefall!). Worst episodes are the Vampire cop-out (Shadow of the Bat!), the Green Lantern team-up (Scorn of the Star Sapphire!) and the sitcommy "Crisis: 22,300 Miles Above Earth!". That's a pretty dang good hit to miss ratio. I loved this show. Set Overall: ****1/2. Series Overall: ****1/2.
The Mask of Matches Malone!:
I SORT of see why this "lost" episode was banned. I don't think it's all THAT bad (both JLU and Young Justice have had similar levels of innuendo). The difference here is that it was a ton of double-entendre jokes, one right after another. Cartoon Network always let JLU/Young Justice have a little leeway for "adult" humor but neither of those shows ever abused the priviledge. The song is so-so but it gets better as it goes along. The Poison Ivy teaser was nice too. ***1/2.
Joker: The Vile and the Villainous!:
The reason this episode works so well is because it's actually a REALLY self-deprecating satire of the show's tropes and cliches. This may be the most "meta" DC show ever and it is not afraid to take shots at itself. Notice how the Joker here has to give confidence and assurances to the "guest villain" to inspire him, and in the end the Weeper had the evil in him all along. This tells me the writers KNOW how predictable the show has always been and have simply written it that way because it's funnier. Great episode. *****.
Shadow of the Bat!:
Most disappointing ending ever. The worst thing about "It was all a dream" endings is that they make the entire procedings seem completely pointless. The episode wasn't good or interesting enough on it's own to earn a fake-out. **1/2.
Night of the Batmen!:
This episode made Batman: The Brave And The Bold, The Batman AND Super Friends DC Animated Universe canon! Sweet! The rest of the episode is only passable but those last thirty seconds MORE than made up for it. Awesome closing shot. I also loved Vigilante's song at the beginning. It was terrific. ****1/2.
Scorn of the Star Sapphire!:
I was surprised to learn online that Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris' relationship IS this goofy in the comics. It's just a bizarre scenario to me and I can't believe anyone could take it seriously. Basically, Carol is Green Lantern's enemy Star Sapphire. But it's a split personality and she has no memory of it. So Hal has to stop her evil and protect her at the same time while trying to keep everyone else from finding out her true identity. Did I mention that he can't simply TELL Carol about this because she'd go crazy? And I thought Green Arrow's origin was convoluted. This makes his desert island romp seem as iconic as the murder of the Waynes or the destruction of Krypton. Yeesh. But, hey, Loren Lester! And hearing the Wonder Woman theme was beyond awesome. **1/2.
Time Out For Vengeance!:
This is a first: an Equinox episode that doesn't actually suck. True, it's STILL lame because it sets up an arc that the producers knew full well would never happen but it's actually watchable. But this version of The Creeper can't hold a candle to Jeff Bennet's. ***1/2.
Sword of the Atom!:
Loved it. Now I want the DC Nation Sword Of The Atom shorts on DVD too. I loved Aquaman and Ryan Choi's back and forths and I think Choi gave the BEST argument of why he never wanted to wear his superhero costume again: he likes pockets. Classic. The Aquaman sitcom teaser was bizarre but hilarious. ****1/2.
Triumvirate of Terror!:
This show is NOT afraid to go for the goofy. The baseball teaser was completely lame, and because it was completely lame on purpose, that made it cool. The Trinity story was great too and I liked the peek into Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman's fates in the future. DEFINITELY a happier ending for Bruce than either Batman Beyond or The Batman's "Artifacts". ****1/2.
Bold Beginnings!:
The main story was a snooze (too much Aquaman this season) but the Space Ghost teaser was absolutely great because they just went for it and embraced the cheese. I can imagine some kids tuning in and wondering what the heck happened to the show and the fact that CN let the producers do it right was excellent. And I found Batman and Space Ghost laughing over the villain's death both hilarious and deeply disturbing in ways those old cartoons always managed to seem to me even as a child. ***1/2.
Powerless!:
The writers REALLY do not like Captain Atom. I've always hated the character too but it was a pleasant surprise how much the writers seemed to enjoy making the audience despise him and then humiliating him repeatedly. I LOVE the fact that despite Aquaman being so arrogant he FIRMLY believes Batman is the best hero ever and even better than himself. That is just SO awesome and one of the most lovable things about the character. The teaser was a bit too crazy but since this is my second favorite Joker after Mark Hamill I'll take any remaining episodes with him I'll get. ***1/2.
Crisis: 22,300 Miles Above Earth!:
A waste of the third to last episode especially since it's the last "normal" episode we got. This was pure sitcom stuff and I kept waiting for the action to get back to Batman and Ra's Al Ghul. Plus, I hate this version of Wildcat so I didn't need to see him revisited. By the way, Jeff Ross is NO Weird Al. Lamest "Guest hero" ever. *1/2.
Four Star Spectacular!:
Adam Strange in Worlds War: This was pretty good. ****.
Flash in Double Jeopardy: I dislike this version of Mirror Master strongly. He can't hold a candle to Alexis Denisof. Still, this is the Flash's one big appearance this season. ***1/2.
'Mazing Man in Kitty Catastrophe: This was insane. I want what the writers are smoking. Now. ****1/2.
The Creature Commandos in The War That Time Forgot: This SUCKED. I hated the leader of the Commandos and how he kept calling them freaks and nobody pointed out what a buttwipe he was being. Terrible. 1/2.
Episode Overall: ****.
Mitefall!:
Probably the best series finale in DC animated history. Yeah, technically JLU's Destoyer is better but this actually FEELS like a real series finale and wasn't afraid to make me tear up at the end. How cool was it that they got Henry Winkler, the literal jumper of sharks, to voice Ambush Bug? And this was the most meta DC episode off all time. Does this mean that every single DC show connected in Night of the Batmen will suffer a "St. Elsewhere Effect" and are actually all fictional? Wild! And I agree with Ted McGinley: he gets an unfairly bad rap. Good for him for poking fun at himself like that. Speaking of shark jumps, Batman teaming up with Abe Lincoln in the teaser would have gotten MY vote as a shark jumping moment if it hadn't been the very last episode. That was insane and in very poor taste. I loved the closing shots of all of the heroes and villains on the set. Great freeze frame material (see Darkseid pouring himself some punch). My favorite part of the ep (outside of the CGI Batgirl cartoon, of course) was Batman speaking directly into the camera and letting the kids in the audience know that wherever he was he would always be fighting crime and looking out for them. I cannot THINK of a kids show EVER that has ever tried to comfort the young audience about it's own cancelation. The rest of the episode was pure fanservice for adults but that little moment for the boys and girls at home made me love it. *****.
Digital Comic: The first three pages of the story Night of the Batmen! was based on. Give us a full comic already! **1/2.
DVD Menus: Like the first four volumes but using WHV's new DVD/Blu-Ray Icons. ***1/2.
Upcoming reviews include Transformers Prime: Season 1, TRON: Legacy Blu-Ray, The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones Volume 2: The Wars Years, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones Volume 3: The Years Of Change and Heathcliff: Season 1 - Volume 1.
Futurama "Decision 3012"
Depressing episode. I think I could probably forgive that if it were more insightful but frankly, if that were to be the case, it wasn't cynical enough. Nothing would change the birthers' minds in real life. If someone somehow managed to travel back in time to film Obama's mother giving birth to him on live television the mouthbreathers would just say it was faked like the moon landing.
And I'm sorry, but I REALLY loathe Bender. He was beyond reprehensible. I cannot believe that the writers think this obnoxious dirtbag is their "break-out character". He can't hold a CANDLE to either Homer Simpson or Stewie and the fact that the writers keep trying to shove him down our throats p*sses me off. So, Bender will responsible for humanity's destruction? And we're supposed to still like him after that revelation and still consider him "lovable ol' Bender"? No sale. I've had with him and the lengths the show has gone to to try to make me sympathize with this rotten turd. Enough.
The only thing that interested me is that Nixon's reelection hints that it's possible that the dire future foretold by Travers will somehow have to be prevented in a future episode. But if that were the case, why did the writers decide to make everyone forget Travers' warning? I'm all for an epic story arc but I'm thinking they might need to get someone out of time to warn everybody before it happens. The Nibblonians perhaps?
Sucky episode. *.
"I Am Lorax / Modern Family Circus"
Didn't much care for the Lorax parody but Modern Family Circus' take on Jeffy being the stand-in for Bill Mumy on The Twilight Zone was VERY clever. ***1/2.
TRON: Uprising "Blackout"
Decent. I think Paul Reubens is doing an excellent job as Tessler's lackey (I forget his name). He's really over-the-top and funny. Inspired casting choice.
The rest of the episode was good too. This was the first "regular" episode of the show and I enjoyed it. ****.
Iron Man: Armored Adventures "The Hammer Falls"
This version of Justin Hammer is WAAAAAAAAAYYYYY too unstable and crazy. I'm surprised he can tie his shoes, much less run a multi-national corporation. He got what was coming to him in the end.
Does Howard know? I'm guessing yes.
Good episode. ****.
Iron Man: Armored Adventures "Rage Of The Hulk"
This particular portrayal of Thunderbolt Ross was completely loathesome. I hated every second he was on-screen and was SUPER relieved and surprised he was arrested. His actions were that of a war criminal. Big time. Good on the show for punishing him for them.
Like the Gray Hulk. Not much more to say. ***1/2.
Ultimate Spider-Man "Freaky"
My second favorite episode after "Exclusive". I love Wolverine but I REALLY thought this episode was actually funny for once. The Spider-Man soap opera was a scream and the "technical difficulties" sign actually became even funnier every time it appeared. My favorite part was Spider-Man yelling ar Logan to put his costume on! Man, I can just imagine how helpless Peter felt during that situation. His entire identity was going to be compromised due to Wolvie simply not caring.
Loved Spidey trying to convince Sabertooth he wasn't Wolverine simply because, like Logan, it showed that he didn't much care what happened to the guy he switched bodies with. But once Sabertooth realized what was going on it backfired. Right tactic, wrong strategy.
Great episode. ****1/2.
Ultimate Spider-Man "Venomous"
Can Spidey BE any stupider about Osbourne? I mean, really, what does it take for him to realize he is up to no good? On the old cartoons even though Spidey respected Norman as Harry's father he ALWAYS realized what a scumwad he was and knew the dude was up to no good.
I liked the dynamic of Spider-Man trying to decide whether or not to withhold Harry's secret from the team. Frankly, I would have told Fury or Coulson before I told the others and I'm surprised they took it as well as they did. Interesting.
Good episode, but Spidey needs to wise up. ***1/2.
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes "Nightmare In Red"
SHIELD shackling up and torturing Bruce Banner was the cruelest thing I have ever seen on this cartoon and it made me hate Skrull-Cap all the more. I can't wait until he is found out. Buttmunch.
I've noted before that Ross was a buttwipe but can't they clearly see that the Red Hulk and the Green Hulk are two different people? I wish Nick Fury were still around. He wouldn't have fallen for Ross' nonsense.
Any guesses who Red Hulk is? I have no idea.
I was as angry as the Hulk by the end of this. Still, who didn't cheer when the Hulk said "Avengers Assemble!"? ***1/2.
Batman: The Brave And The Bold: Complete Season Three
The last season of the creative Batman cartoon produced by James Tucker.
This year probably delivered its craziest episodes ever. They had guest stars like Space Ghost, Ambush Bug, and umm... Abraham Lincoln. It got REALLY nuts this year and for the most part I enjoyed it.
This set also contains the "Lost" episode from season two, "The Mask of Matches Malone!" which had been previously banned from Cartoon Network. I'm glad they found a way to include it, but I MUST cry foul: it's in friggin' fullscreen! That's inexcusable in this day and age. The rest of the set is in the proper widescreen.
I really miss this show and know that the new CGI Batman cartoon, Beware The Batman, has a lot to live up to. I'm not optimistic and I think they should have just kept making new episodes of BTAB. However, this is the first DC cartoon series to actually have a proper series finale. Technically, Justice League Unlimited's "Epilogue" counts as one too but that turned out not to be the last episode. Mitefall! has Bat-Mite returning and gives us a last camera pan of all of the heroes and villains who have appeared on the show, even ones who died (B'Wana Beast, The Doom Patrol, Ted Kord). It was a nice step out of continuity for this show and very reassuring to the kids in the audience.
Speaking of continuity, the episode Night Of The Batmen! officially put Brave And The Bold and The Batman (among other things) firmly in the DC Animated Universe canon. That was probably the best thing James Tucker ever did on this show for the fans outside of the last episode.
Best episodes on the set are the topsy turvy "Joker: The Vile and the Villainous!", the aforementioned "Night of the Batmen!", the excellent Aquaman/Atom team-up (Sword of the Atom!), the "Trinity" teaming up against Lex Luthor, The Joker and Cheetah (Triumvirate of Terror!), and the series finale that actually put a lump in my throat (Mitefall!). Worst episodes are the Vampire cop-out (Shadow of the Bat!), the Green Lantern team-up (Scorn of the Star Sapphire!) and the sitcommy "Crisis: 22,300 Miles Above Earth!". That's a pretty dang good hit to miss ratio. I loved this show. Set Overall: ****1/2. Series Overall: ****1/2.
The Mask of Matches Malone!:
I SORT of see why this "lost" episode was banned. I don't think it's all THAT bad (both JLU and Young Justice have had similar levels of innuendo). The difference here is that it was a ton of double-entendre jokes, one right after another. Cartoon Network always let JLU/Young Justice have a little leeway for "adult" humor but neither of those shows ever abused the priviledge. The song is so-so but it gets better as it goes along. The Poison Ivy teaser was nice too. ***1/2.
Joker: The Vile and the Villainous!:
The reason this episode works so well is because it's actually a REALLY self-deprecating satire of the show's tropes and cliches. This may be the most "meta" DC show ever and it is not afraid to take shots at itself. Notice how the Joker here has to give confidence and assurances to the "guest villain" to inspire him, and in the end the Weeper had the evil in him all along. This tells me the writers KNOW how predictable the show has always been and have simply written it that way because it's funnier. Great episode. *****.
Shadow of the Bat!:
Most disappointing ending ever. The worst thing about "It was all a dream" endings is that they make the entire procedings seem completely pointless. The episode wasn't good or interesting enough on it's own to earn a fake-out. **1/2.
Night of the Batmen!:
This episode made Batman: The Brave And The Bold, The Batman AND Super Friends DC Animated Universe canon! Sweet! The rest of the episode is only passable but those last thirty seconds MORE than made up for it. Awesome closing shot. I also loved Vigilante's song at the beginning. It was terrific. ****1/2.
Scorn of the Star Sapphire!:
I was surprised to learn online that Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris' relationship IS this goofy in the comics. It's just a bizarre scenario to me and I can't believe anyone could take it seriously. Basically, Carol is Green Lantern's enemy Star Sapphire. But it's a split personality and she has no memory of it. So Hal has to stop her evil and protect her at the same time while trying to keep everyone else from finding out her true identity. Did I mention that he can't simply TELL Carol about this because she'd go crazy? And I thought Green Arrow's origin was convoluted. This makes his desert island romp seem as iconic as the murder of the Waynes or the destruction of Krypton. Yeesh. But, hey, Loren Lester! And hearing the Wonder Woman theme was beyond awesome. **1/2.
Time Out For Vengeance!:
This is a first: an Equinox episode that doesn't actually suck. True, it's STILL lame because it sets up an arc that the producers knew full well would never happen but it's actually watchable. But this version of The Creeper can't hold a candle to Jeff Bennet's. ***1/2.
Sword of the Atom!:
Loved it. Now I want the DC Nation Sword Of The Atom shorts on DVD too. I loved Aquaman and Ryan Choi's back and forths and I think Choi gave the BEST argument of why he never wanted to wear his superhero costume again: he likes pockets. Classic. The Aquaman sitcom teaser was bizarre but hilarious. ****1/2.
Triumvirate of Terror!:
This show is NOT afraid to go for the goofy. The baseball teaser was completely lame, and because it was completely lame on purpose, that made it cool. The Trinity story was great too and I liked the peek into Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman's fates in the future. DEFINITELY a happier ending for Bruce than either Batman Beyond or The Batman's "Artifacts". ****1/2.
Bold Beginnings!:
The main story was a snooze (too much Aquaman this season) but the Space Ghost teaser was absolutely great because they just went for it and embraced the cheese. I can imagine some kids tuning in and wondering what the heck happened to the show and the fact that CN let the producers do it right was excellent. And I found Batman and Space Ghost laughing over the villain's death both hilarious and deeply disturbing in ways those old cartoons always managed to seem to me even as a child. ***1/2.
Powerless!:
The writers REALLY do not like Captain Atom. I've always hated the character too but it was a pleasant surprise how much the writers seemed to enjoy making the audience despise him and then humiliating him repeatedly. I LOVE the fact that despite Aquaman being so arrogant he FIRMLY believes Batman is the best hero ever and even better than himself. That is just SO awesome and one of the most lovable things about the character. The teaser was a bit too crazy but since this is my second favorite Joker after Mark Hamill I'll take any remaining episodes with him I'll get. ***1/2.
Crisis: 22,300 Miles Above Earth!:
A waste of the third to last episode especially since it's the last "normal" episode we got. This was pure sitcom stuff and I kept waiting for the action to get back to Batman and Ra's Al Ghul. Plus, I hate this version of Wildcat so I didn't need to see him revisited. By the way, Jeff Ross is NO Weird Al. Lamest "Guest hero" ever. *1/2.
Four Star Spectacular!:
Adam Strange in Worlds War: This was pretty good. ****.
Flash in Double Jeopardy: I dislike this version of Mirror Master strongly. He can't hold a candle to Alexis Denisof. Still, this is the Flash's one big appearance this season. ***1/2.
'Mazing Man in Kitty Catastrophe: This was insane. I want what the writers are smoking. Now. ****1/2.
The Creature Commandos in The War That Time Forgot: This SUCKED. I hated the leader of the Commandos and how he kept calling them freaks and nobody pointed out what a buttwipe he was being. Terrible. 1/2.
Episode Overall: ****.
Mitefall!:
Probably the best series finale in DC animated history. Yeah, technically JLU's Destoyer is better but this actually FEELS like a real series finale and wasn't afraid to make me tear up at the end. How cool was it that they got Henry Winkler, the literal jumper of sharks, to voice Ambush Bug? And this was the most meta DC episode off all time. Does this mean that every single DC show connected in Night of the Batmen will suffer a "St. Elsewhere Effect" and are actually all fictional? Wild! And I agree with Ted McGinley: he gets an unfairly bad rap. Good for him for poking fun at himself like that. Speaking of shark jumps, Batman teaming up with Abe Lincoln in the teaser would have gotten MY vote as a shark jumping moment if it hadn't been the very last episode. That was insane and in very poor taste. I loved the closing shots of all of the heroes and villains on the set. Great freeze frame material (see Darkseid pouring himself some punch). My favorite part of the ep (outside of the CGI Batgirl cartoon, of course) was Batman speaking directly into the camera and letting the kids in the audience know that wherever he was he would always be fighting crime and looking out for them. I cannot THINK of a kids show EVER that has ever tried to comfort the young audience about it's own cancelation. The rest of the episode was pure fanservice for adults but that little moment for the boys and girls at home made me love it. *****.
Digital Comic: The first three pages of the story Night of the Batmen! was based on. Give us a full comic already! **1/2.
DVD Menus: Like the first four volumes but using WHV's new DVD/Blu-Ray Icons. ***1/2.
