James Harvey

When you do a cartoon series based on some of the biggest characters in the Marvel Universe, you want to do it right. The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, to put it very simply, gets it right. Remember that terrible The Avengers: United They Stand cartoon, where the only good thing was the fact that it ended after thirteen episodes (though there was the awesome spin-off comic handled by Ty Templeton, but that’s for another time)? Well, this latest adventure series from Marvel Animation makes up for it in spades. Full of great writing, solid animation and exciting action, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes puts Marvel’s big guns out there and does them justice. Suffice it to say, this is the cartoon that countless Marvel fans have been waiting for!

It’s safe to say that this is the cartoon Marvel fans have been waiting for. The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes brings it all out there, so much of what makes the Marvel Universe such a unique place, and pretty much lays it all out on the table. And, for those having flashbacks of the old The Avengers: United They Stand Fox Kids cartoon, fear not, they hit it out of the park. Yeah, there are just a handful of teensy-tiny issues but, overall, this is a very strong showing for some of Marvel’s best heroes, and simply a great new series from Marvel Animation.

Two heroes duking it out with one another, usually over a misunderstanding of some type, is pretty standard comic fare. Fans have long since wished to see some of the most heroic clashes brought to life and, in 2009, Marvel Animation did just that with Hulk Versus, pitting the Jade Giant against two of Marvel’s biggest characters, Wolverine and Thor. These two short movies, which together compromised Hulk Versus, were well-received across the board. Each were their own beast, both presenting standalone stories of the Hulk tackling renowned Marvel characters. Now, with the live-action Thor around the corner, Lionsgate Home Entertainment is releasing one of them, Hulk Versus Thor, as its own single-disc DVD release.

If you didn’t enjoy the previous thirteen episodes of Batman: The Brave and The Bold, then I doubt this latest collection will change any minds. However, there’s just so much here to love that it’s impossible for me not to implore readers, even those who have never given this show a chance, to give it a spin. Yes, it’s different than any Batman cartoon that has come along in recent times, but there’s just so much going for it – it’s so fun, so inventive and completely unique – that it’s hard not to be won over by the charm it exudes in droves. And thankfully, Warner Home Video has given us thirteen more episodes to chew on in this new home video DVD release.

It’s impossible to keep a good franchise down, and the Scooby-Doo franchise is a pretty solid example of that. Countless television shows, a couple live-action movies, piles of animated movies, and countless piles of merchandise. Earlier this year, Cartoon Network introduced the latest installment of the Scooby-Doo franchise, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, a series that pays heavy homage to the original cartoon while giving a bit of a modern twist to it all. As to what should be no surprise, what we end up with here is a pretty fun romp that Scooby-Doo fans should find pretty impossible to pass up.

Before I get going, I just want to make my stance clear on whether or not Black Panther is an animated series or a motion comic. Personally, I don’t feel right calling this a “motion comic.” It doesn’t feel like it. Sure, some of the limitations of the format are there, but this feels far more “animated” than some cartoons on today. And, well, since it’s from Marvel Animation and originally announced as an animated series when it was set to air on BET (before being annexed due to the network’s demographic target changes), I think I’ll hereto label it a such. There’s just no way it can be flatly called a motion comic. That really does a disservice to Black Panther.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is one of those movies that is in…well…it is in a bit of a rare situation. The Twilight franchise is loved by teenage girls the world over, but reviled by boys. Many are begrudgingly dragged to see each of these films, sitting through what feels like an eternity of ab shots and absurdly stylish hair. The rare few dragged in see the films for what they are, fantasy escapism on par with those old romance novels, but for the younger set. At least that is what you could easily classify the first two films in the franchise as. To my complete and utter shock, this third movie – Eclipse – is something a little different. It has a bit of an edge to it, something we can thank director David Slade for, which actually nicely elevates it over previous franchise installments.