DC Animated Original Movies Discussion

[jmc247]

To be fair, Damian was more a support character in second Teen Titans movie. And Apokolips War wasn't even Justice League Dark movie, I still don't understand why they called it like that. And Damian's big role was justified, because technically he's a protagonist of DCAMU.

The idea of evolving Damian out of what he started as was really a central point of the animated universe.

Those films you mention had good character progression and two strokes of brilliance the comics didn’t manage. Those were Trigon vs Darkseid and also how they contained Trigon as an ongoing part of the Titans and Raven’s story without limiting him to being more a concept then a character.

[Frontier]

I've re-watched New Frontier and Crisis on Two-Earths a dozen times.

To be fair, Damian was more a support character in second Teen Titans movie. And Apokolips War wasn't even Justice League Dark movie, I still don't understand why they called it like that. And Damian's big role was justified, because technically he's a protagonist of DCAMU.

Yeah, Dick did way more than Damian did in the second movie.

[superduperman]

Hasn't it been like 7 counting the two Long Halloween movies?

Was that the same universe? I thought stuff like that was stand alone.

[Frontier]

Was that the same universe? I thought stuff like that was stand alone.

Long Halloween is part of the universe, it introduced their version of Batman voiced by Jensen Ackles (who was also in Legion and Warworld).

There was even a post-credit scene of Flash and Green Arrow recruiting him into the League.

[Heeroyuy_Batman]

They really need to do one of the other Crisis. The endless return to/relitigation of COIE is exhausting

I think they will eventually adapt Infinite Crisis and perhaps Dark Crisis too. Elements of Final Crisis and Zero Hour have already been adapted.

I don't expect any in-universe reboot and wiping out the whole multiverse for no reason. It's an event they planned since the beginning of the Tomorrowverse (Crisis 3 parter was leaked in 2021) and they couldn't have planned to kill something that was barely starting back then.

A soft reboot seems possible, even likely. As far as the multiverse goes, perhaps they will go the Arrowverse Crisis route or perhaps they will include elements from Convergence and prevent the destruction of the Multiverse due to help from the future. Changing the art style would be a definite plus as would adding in some elements from the DCAMU and DCAU.

[James Cameron]

Are there any DC animated movies that are better than the comic storylines they are based on?

I think JL: Doom is far better than Tower of Babel, but I'm still not a fan of that story concept.
Under the Red Hood is better than the comic story in a lot of ways, mostly that it feels more focused with less characters.
I also think Flashpoint Paradox is better than the comic Flashpoint.

[Batgrayson]

I have seen people saying that The Death Of Superman animated movie (the one from DCAMU) it's better than the original comic storyline , and I agree.

The original storyline is more or less just a very long and big fight scene, while the movie has character development and character deiven scenes. Of course, this is also because it was the first time on that shared universe that Superman was acrually the star and could be the big hero instead of just being mind controlled again and again and agai.

[Frontier]

Are there any DC animated movies that are better than the comic storylines they are based on?

I think JL: Doom is far better than Tower of Babel, but I'm still not a fan of that story concept.
Under the Red Hood is better than the comic story in a lot of ways, mostly that it feels more focused with less characters.
I also think Flashpoint Paradox is better than the comic Flashpoint.

New Frontier didn't include everything but I think even Darwyn Cooke praised some of the changes they made (like including Batman in the fight with the Centre).

[Last Son of Krypton]

A soft reboot seems possible, even likely. As far as the multiverse goes, perhaps they will go the Arrowverse Crisis route or perhaps they will include elements from Convergence and prevent the destruction of the Multiverse due to help from the future. Changing the art style would be a definite plus as would adding in some elements from the DCAMU and DCAU.

I can see a merging of the Charlton, DC and Fawcett's Earths like in the original COIE to end Crisis part 3 with an expanded DCU with their JL side by side with heroes like Ted Kord, The Question and Captain Marvel/Shazam!

I think they'll follow the basic story, splitting 4 of the 12 issues x each animated part.

Part 1: Anti-Monitor destroys multiple earths, while Monitor recruits different heroes to fight back. Monitor is killed.

Part 2: The remaining heroes from the destroyed worlds are in a limbo universe created by Monitor before he died. Anti-Monitor attacks the limbo universe but Flash and Supergirl kick his ass.

Part 3: Final multiverse battle vs the anti-monitor, the multiverse gets restored and everyone get back where they belong. They could introduce Ted Kord, Vic Sage, Billy Batson, etc. as heroes from different earths in Part 1 and fold them into the main DC earth at the end of Part 3 to follow how they originally got there via Crisis. Heck, while at it, add too the Wildstorm heroes.

[j9ac9k]

Are there any DC animated movies that are better than the comic storylines they are based on?

Crisis on Two Earths?

[Doctor Know]

Are there any DC animated movies that are better than the comic storylines they are based on?

I think JL: Doom is far better than Tower of Babel, but I'm still not a fan of that story concept.
Under the Red Hood is better than the comic story in a lot of ways, mostly that it feels more focused with less characters.
I also think Flashpoint Paradox is better than the comic Flashpoint.

For me:

Batman Under The Red Hood: Judd Winnick wrote the comic and came back to write the animated adaptation. He improved on the core of the story and sharpened the delivery of the mystery and drama. Another benefit was it altering the return of Jason by not having to reference the "then current event" of Infinite Crisis. Punching the walls of reality... seriously?

Superman vs The Elite: Joe Kelley wrote Action Comics #775 and he wrote the animated adaptation. Like Winnick, Kelley improved the core of the story and fleshed out the antagonists of the tale. As a huge criticism of AC #775 is how the Elite are just strawmen for Superman to beat up, wag his finger at and lecture to. Vs The Elite isn't perfect but I count it better than it's source material.


Others I like over their comic source:
Superman Red Son > Comic with same name.
Superman Unbound > Superman: Braniac 2008 Geoff Johns
Justice League Flashpoint Paradox > Flashpoint
Justice League Doom > Tower of Babel
Justice League Crisis on Two Earths > JLA: Earth 2

[WonderLight789]

The 2009 WW film sold very well in the long run. Yet DC/WB treated her like trash as usual. Like they still do.

[Refrax5]

I've re-watched New Frontier and Crisis on Two-Earths a dozen times.

Yeah, Dick did way more than Damian did in the second movie.

Two of my favorites as well.

I also like Flashpoint Paradox, GL: First Flight, Justice Society: World War 2, and Dark Knight Returns if for no other reason than you get Robocop himself, Peter Weller, as Batman.

[Stanlos]

*sigh* Grayson has been around for over 70 years and we're still not sick of laughing at his suggestive nickname. Will it ever end?

I hesitate to ask for fear some genius may have him shot in the head, get better in typical movie style, and call himself Ric Grayson.

[Doctor Know]

What are some of the DC Original Animated Movies that you guys like to rewatch? I just watched Crisis on Two Earths again, and it's pretty good, but I think I would have liked it more as its original "Worlds Collide" incarnation (a follow up to the TV series, which I also just rewatched) .

I watched Superman vs the Elite again but I couldn't get behind the art style.

Year One still holds up, great adaptation, I've watched it a few times. Same with Dark Knight Returns, but I feel like the animation in that one doesn't do justice to Miller's aesthetic from the book. Peter Weller was an interesting choice for Bruce Wayne. He says certain lines very differently from how I read them when I read the comic. But I don't hate it, it's something new and interesting.

And of course, like the comic, New Frontier is one of my all time favorites.

I've watched a few of the movies in the Justice League War continuity, but I don't care to rewatch any.

I watch several of them frequently.

I even made my own watchlist from the standalone, DCAU and Tomorrowverse stories.




I put them out an order I think works best for them narratively. I watch them with my non-DC friends you see.

New Frontier is the best origin story for the JL in comic, animation and live action. So that is first. Then the string of JL movies. Crisis on 2 Earths and Doom are canon to themselves. While you can say loosely they are precursors to the standalone Flashpoint movie and the reset. From there it’s the 2 JL movies War and Atlantis. You get 6 JL movies in a row. Not a bad time.


What is a bad time is the super saturation of Batman and his family in all animated media. So, I just put them in a line together. Rather than weaving them in-between the various JL stories like their animated release schedule. Red Hood, Son of, Vs Robin, Bad Blood.


Next, I reasoned it’s better to keep like with like. So back to back showcases of non-Bats and JL movies. The 2 Suicide Squad movies, 2 Teen Titans movies and the 2 Constantine movies. I keep the Squad movies together and close to the top of the list because of the villains in Hell To Pay. Vandal Savage being a villain JL Doom (2012) and Reverse Flash being the villain in 2013’s Flashpoint. Hell To Pay came out in 2018. These releases are so far apart from one another, that you would forget that both villains played a role in a previous animated flick. Especially Savage.

Breaking up the monotony of the Batfam saturation and Damian saga. I put GL First Flight, WW Bloodlines and DoS/RoS next. Showcase that there is more going on in the DC universe outside of Gotham. First Flight is still great, DoS/RoS is still solid. Bloodlines is overstuffed and a mess, but it’s our only WW besides 2009. It’s marginally better than that one IMO.

Last call. I never rewatch Hush. It’s a bad adaptation and changes too many things. Plus, Batman didn’t need another story before the universe was reset. Ending things with Apokolips War. Where Superman (JL), Constantine (JL Dark) and Raven (Teen Titans) take the lead for this final curtain call before the Tommorwverse comes.


The Tomorrowverse can be watched in order. A lot more of these movies are hit or miss for me and others.