Justice League Dark hits stores February 7th, on DVD, Blu-ray and in a nifty limited-edition gift set with a mini John Constantine figure included! Hysterically, the figure appears to be smoking something that has been removed. I like to think John would appreciate the comedy. Today, we look past the current release (which is pretty damn awesome) to the next release; Teen Titans: The Judas Contract!
A little back story... Marv Wolfman and George Perez left Marvel Comics and hopped over to DC and immediately made their mark. The pair elevated the Teen Titans from being mere former sidekicks to starkly human beings with all the trauma, angst and weight that would sit on the shoulders of a young adult with tremendous power and the sense of responsibility to use that power for good. The Judas Contract was seen as the pinnacle of their work so, of course, a natural selection for an incredible animated film.
We just got word that LEGO Batman the Movie: DC Super Heroes Unite (the first LEGO Batman movie) will hit the streets May 21st and will come packed with a Clark Kent/ Superman Minifigure exclusive to this release. Wording actually mentions this will be included in the initial shipments only, suggesting later shipments will just be the DVD/ Blu-ray. Here's the story...
When Bruce Wayne receives the man of the year award, fellow billionaire Lex Luthor becomes jealous and decides to run for President. To create the atmosphere for his type of fear-based politics Lex recruits the Joker to perfect a Black LEGO Destructor Ray which wreaks havoc on Gotham. As Lex destroys Batman's tech, Batman reluctantly turns to Superman for help.
ScoobyDoo were rock stars of the cartoon world, so it comes as no surprise that people would try and replicate that chemistry with similar configurations. Speed Buggy was one, telling the tale of a little self aware car traveling from race to race with his three human friends, picking up detective work along the way. Of course, today, we know full well that Speed Buggy was less a Johnny 5 and more an early agent of Skynet, so he was destroyed in the early 90's preemptively. Odder still is the tale of the creature called Jabberjaw! This show is more like The Jetsons meet ScoobyDoo with a helping of Josie and the Pussycats tossed in to create the UBERTOON!!
"The year is 2076 and Jabberjaw is the star of the Neptunes, a teenage rock group. In his spare time, Jabberjaw, along with teens Biffy, Shelly, Bubbles and Clamhead, fight deep sea crime. But its tough down there for a shark. Jabberjaw must also contend with the robot force of “Shark Ejectors,” guards who prevent sharks from entering into underwater cities. All he wants is a little respect!" 2076 is clearly a future where the polar ice caps have melted and we are under water. GLOBAL WARMING!! YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED!! The Neptunes cram into a tiny future under-water-car and travel from gig to gig and upon arrival, get caught up in nefarious shenanigans that require them to help save the local populace. Not one member of the crew is spectacularly smart, but as a group, they manage to catch the bad guys. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a giant shark who can walk on land, breathe air and speak, even if he is cursed with the voice and ticks of Curly from the Three Stooges.
How Jabber got this way is not revealed, but we see some evidence that there MAY have been other, more violent land sharks before him, as every city is patrolled by shark ejector robots even though there are "normal" sharks swimming around outside that can't breathe air. (P.S. real sharks in the future growl like jaguars. It's a FACT!) The future is also packed with somewhat backward technology like a stenography device that takes down a customer's food order but writes it down on paper for you...with a pen. They've also got a machine that mops the floor, but you have to be the mop. Seems like things we Americans would make, and so totally believable. Maybe it's the "Idiocracy" future and they use electrolytes to power everything! It's what plants crave, you know.
Jabberjaw follows the typical format for mystery cartoons of its time, with the kids and their odd pal getting into trouble, trying to solve a crime with all the action culminating in an awkward musical number that plays while our heroes run in circles and flail their arms, ever pursued by a never ending supply of bald henchmen working for water themed ultra baddies. The story lines are simple enough for a 10 year old to follow, but little ones may be left scratching their heads at the machines used and plot lines that may be a bit too advanced for them. Those older than 10 will probably find the whole thing stale and remedial compared to the speed and random oddness of most modern cartoons. Then again, once we get into the teenage years, this cartoon may be so insane as to be cool, so there's hope! The ideal target for this set is you, the 20 to 40 yr old geek sitting among friends with tall drinks in hand. Hell, the subject matter seems created by those partaking of controlled substances, so get into the spirit and enjoy some Jabberjaw this weekend!
Catch the tidal wave of adventure, music and laughter in this 4-Disc, 16-Episode Series Collection, available at the WB Shop now!
NOTE: Some years back, Cartoon Network aired a series of music videos based on the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon lineup, one of which was a new take on Jabberjaw putting the "smart shark" in a struggling punk band with his human buddies. This idea is AMAZING and should be revived immediately for a live action movie; a cross between the ScoobyDoo and Josie and the Pussycats films. Tell me this doesn't rule...
Hot on the heels of the incredible All Star Superman comes Green Lantern: Emerald Knights; an all-new DC Universe Animated Original Movie that weaves six interlocking stories of the Green Lantern Corps’ rich mythology around preparations for an attack by an ancient enemy. As the battle approaches, Hal Jordan (voiced by Nathan Fillion, Castle) mentors new recruit Arisia (Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men) in the history of the Green Lantern Corps, telling tales of Avra (the first Green Lantern) and several of Hal’s comrades – including Abin Sur, Kilowog, Laira and Mogo. In the end, Arisia must rise to the occasion to help Hal, Sinestro and the entire Green Lantern Corps save the universe from the destructive forces of Krona. Penned by comic book luminaries Geoff Johns, Dave Gibbons, Peter J. Tomasi, Eddie Berganza, Alan Burnett, Todd Casey and Michael Green & Marc Guggenheim, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights will be distributed June 7 by Warner Home Video as part of the build up to the release of the highly anticipated live action film, Green Lantern, in theatres June 17.
Will Friedle took a futuristic Dark Knight in altogether new directions as the voice of Terry McGinnis in Warner Bros. Animation’s breakthrough 1999 series Batman Beyond.
The popular voiceover actor took time last week to speak about his days as the new Caped Crusader in preparation for the Tuesday, November 23 release of Batman Beyond: The Complete Series, a nine-disc limited edition DVD set that presents nearly 20 hours of animated action spread over 52 episodes, as well as including all-new bonus featurettes and a 24-page, 8”x 12” collectible booklet.
Batman Beyond: The Complete Series centers on Terry McGinnis, an ordinary teenager ... until his father is mysteriously murdered. Suspecting foul play at his father's company, Wayne/Powers Corporation, Terry meets Bruce Wayne and learns of a secret identity hidden for decades. Now too old to don the cape and cowl as Batman, Wayne refuses to help – so Terry does what any brash young kid would do: steal the Bat-suit and take matters into his own hands! Vowing to avenge his father's death, Terry dons the high-tech suit tricked out with jetpacks, a supersensitive microphone and even camouflage capabilities in search of his father's assassin.
The all-star production team was headed by executive producer Jean MacCurdy and producers Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Glen Murakami and Paul Dini. Writers on the series included Burnett and Dini, as well as Stan Berkowitz, Bob Goodman, Rich Fogel, Hilary Bader and John McCann.
Friedle made his mark in live-action television and film from the time he turned 10, starring in hit series like Boy Meets World and Don’t Just Sit There. He gradually shifted his attention to voiceover work, taking the lead in Batman Beyond and co-starring in Disney’s Kim Possible to name but a few. Today, he primarily stays behind the microphone, voicing such notable roles as Doyle on The Secret Saturdays and Blue Beetle on Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
Here’s a brief Q&A with Mr. Friedle …
QUESTION: When you think back on all those Batman Beyond sessions, what are your favorite memories of recording the series?
WILL FRIEDLE: This sounds like a cheesy answer, but working with Andrea (Romano) is just the greatest experience. Every week you go in and it’s amazing and fun. You just never knew who the guest cast would be. My favorite was recording Return of the Joker. Sitting between Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill for five days was pretty incredible. I learned more about being a voiceover actor in those five days than I did in the five months before that. Just watching the two of them work – how Mark got so into the character, completely losing himself in that role. And then there’s Kevin with that deep, booming voice, always sitting with his back straight and working perfectly with the microphone. It was an education.
QUESTION: Do you have a favorite Batman Beyond episode?
WILL FRIEDLE: There was an episode called “Out of the Past” where it’s Bruce Wayne’s birthday and as a birthday present Terry takes Bruce to see a new play, “Batman: The Musical.” So there’s Bruce sitting in the audience, watching these people in costume jumping on stage, singing about the Dark Knight, and Terry’s right behind him humming the songs. And Bruce just hates it. Seeing Bruce Wayne watching “Batman: The Musical” was pretty funny.
QUESTION: Were you a fan of Batman: The Animated Series before you were cast for Batman Beyond?
WILL FRIEDLE: I have been an animation fan my whole life. Love cartoons, always have. But I thought Batman: The Animated Series changed the whole ballgame. Every generation thinks they grew up with the best cartoons – I had Thundercats and Transformers, shows like that. Very bright, and the acting was very big. But then Batman came out and there was nothing cartoony about it. The acting was very real and the overall feel of the show was dark. It was like nothing you’d seen before, and I was a huge fan of the show. This was pre-Tivo, so this was one of those shows where you had to see it every day. You didn’t want to miss an episode. So when I got a call to be the voice of a new Batman, and the series was being made with the entire team that did Batman: The Animated Series, well, that was huge.
QUESTION: You spent a lot of time with Kevin Conroy over the course of the series. What was that experience like for you?
WILL FRIEDLE: First of all, Kevin is a classically trained actor. He’s very professional. I’ve had the good fortune of working with several characters like that, but I’d never done an animated series before, and I was kind of slumped in my chair saying my lines. And Kevin started giving me tips. Simple things, but things that really make a difference. For example, he had me sit up straight, and showed me how that helps open your diaphragm naturally. Little things you look for in an actor of his caliber like the right ways to play to the page, the right ways to not pop your P’s. He was nice enough to take me under his wing and teach me, and I’ll never forget him for that.
QUESTION: What set Batman Beyond apart?
WILL FRIEDLE: To me, it always goes back to the writing. Batman Beyond was so strong that you couldn’t wait to get the script for the next week. The character development was outstanding – from the new villains they’d invent to the way they brought back the old villains. And the way they treated Terry and Bruce, and their relationship. The casting was phenomenal, but even the greatest actors can’t make bad writing good – so it all comes down to what was on the page, and that’s where Batman Beyond became a great show.
QUESTION: How important are super heroes to you?
WILL FRIEDLE: I love super heroes, and Batman was always my favorite. I was never a huge Superman fan. I like the idea that Batman was just a man. He doesn’t have super powers. As you’re reading comics or watching animated series, I think you normally gravitate toward one or the other. But for me, it came down to this: Superman had to come from another planet to save us. Batman said “Look what we can do for ourselves – with our heart and mind and soul, we can save each other.”
QUESTION: Why are super heroes important to society?
WILL FRIEDLE: I love to read. I’m a voracious reader. I think the super hero genre is really our modern day Greek mythology, These are our gods; this is Homer writing the Iliad. We’ve got super heroes; they had gods. From a literary standpoint, this is the next generation of mythology. From a fan standpoint, with authors like Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson and even the Harry Potter series, a great fantasy book just takes you away. You can disappear into an entire world where you can forget what is going on in your world. For kids, I think it teaches a sense of right and wrong. For the most part, these stories are tales of good vs. evil. That’s important for kids – to see what is good and bad, and how it can be fought without violence. And just for the fun of it all, who doesn’t want to get lost in a great book or series?
QUESTION: So now you’re back in the super hero realm – and Batman’s universe – on Batman: The Brave and the Bold. How do you like your role as Blue Beetle?
WILL FRIEDLE: Blue Beetle is a ton of fun to play. I wasn’t totally familiar with the character, but I studied up for the role quickly. It’s been tricky because we wanted to make sure that we played to Jaime Reyes’ heritage – as he is the first real Latino super hero – but we didn’t want to do a cartoony Latino voice. But at the same time, you also have to make him Hispanic. So there was more riding on this role. Terry could be created in any way, shape or form. Jaime had already been established. It’s not a heavy character, but there’s more of a history. So to step into a world that’s already established was more difficult than creating a character from the beginning.
QUESTION: You’ve been solely focused on voiceover roles for several years. Are you no longer interested in on-camera acting?
WILL FRIEDLE: I retired from on-camera work at 30. Plain and simple. I started acting on camera when I was 10, so it had been 20 years. I really enjoyed it, but the on-camera side of the industry isn’t as fun anymore – it’s definitely not the same as when I started. I‘m now more established in the voiceover world, and I get to do it in a far more fun, more fulfilling way. I think I went out on a high note. I was still doing films and television series and I thought I’d rather walk away when it was my choice. I know you’re never supposed to say never, but I can pretty much say never to on-camera again.
QUESTION: What’s the best thing about playing a super hero?
WILL FRIEDLE: At the time we were doing Batman Beyond, I thought the coolest thing was telling my nephews I was Batman and not being lying to them. One time, my oldest nephew Huck came out from Brooklyn. He pulled me aside and said “Look uncle Will, I want you to know I’m six now. I think I’m old enough to see the Batcave.” He actually thought I was Batman, which is very cool. It can’t get much better for an uncle.
"Batman Beyond: The Complete Series" is available for the first time in its entirety on Tuesday, November 23. The nine-disc limited edition DVD set offers nearly 20 hours of animated action spread over 52 episodes, as well as including all-new bonus featurettes and a 24-page, 8”x 12” collectible booklet. Get Batman Beyond: The Complete Series (Limited Edition) on sale on Amazon.com for nearly 30 bucks less than retail!
on sale on Amazon.com for nearly 30 bucks less than retail!