DC and Marvel Superhero Cartoon Report Card, Fall 2013 Edition

Last fall, I did a report card post about the DC and Marvel superhero cartoons on Cartoon Network and Disney XD. Since almost all of the cartoons from last year have been replaced with new cartoons (Ultimate Spider-Man is the only one that's still on the air), I think that now would be a good time to take a look at where things stand for animated DC and Marvel titles and how they reflect larger expansion plans to push both classic and obscure superhero characters from the comics onto multiple media platforms. Read on ...

Comic Book Company: DC

Channel: Cartoon Network

Cartoon Series: Beware the Batman, Teen Titans Go

Considering what has come before on Cartoon Network's DC Nation block, the CGI animated Beware the Batman and the revamped Teen Titans Go feel like significant steps downward in terms of quality. Of the two shows, Beware the Batman is the better cartoon and it has come a long way since its stiff first episode. Once Batman accepted the character of Katana as his partner in crime fighting, the show's narrative pace has improved; in fact, the banter between Batman and Katana keeps the show interesting even when the episodes themselves are not.

Despite its flashy look and fluid animation, the new Batman cartoon doesn't come near the same level of quality as previous cartoons such as Batman: The Animated Series and Batman: Brave and the Bold. The overarching plot thread that ties the episodes together isn't engaging, and the villains are either uninspired retreads of classic Batman villains or just simply bland in their own right. Take Lady Shiva and her League of Assassins, for example: They could be pulled from Gotham City and dropped into any Z grade kung fu movie without missing a beat, which just goes to show how much personality they lack.

I think that the current programming selection in the DC Nation block reflects Time Warner's current strategy of playing it safe with its DC properties. The previous attempt to make Green Lantern a blockbuster character through a live-action movie and a CGI animated series didn't work out the way it was planned, so it seems that Time Warner would rather stick with bankable characters (such as Batman) and previously successful cartoons (such as Teen Titans) instead of focusing time and resources on exploring and adapting other characters and stories within the vast DC universe. Furthermore, with the current buzz over the next Superman movie being devoted to who will play Batman next--not which Superman villain or supporting character will appear next or who will play them--I don't have much faith in future DC media projects.

Overall Grade: C+, for average to below average programming and heavy dependency on characters that we've seen too many times before.

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Comic Book Company: Marvel

Channel: Disney XD

Cartoon Series: Avengers Assemble, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H, Ultimate Spider-Man

In comparison to what DC is doing, Marvel has a much better and more comprehensive media plan, a plan to produce a series of movies, cartoons and live-action TV shows that can build upon each other and thus help grow the Marvel fan base. That said, it seems that the cartoons in this plan got the short end of the deal. Sure, Avengers Assemble and Ultimate Spider-Man have gotten better over time, but they still lack multi-episode story arcs, character development, and plot contributions from the original comic books; in other words, the current Marvel cartoons don't measure up to other Marvel cartoons that have come before them (i.e., The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes and Spectacular Spider-Man). The latest member of the Disney XD Marvel lineup, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H, is currently going through the same growing pains that the other two Marvel cartoons did and I also expect it to become better but not great, for the exact same reasons why the other two cartoons are above average but little more.

I grew up with superhero cartoons such as Super Friends and Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, so I understand what kind of superhero cartoons that Marvel wants to make now: the kind that provide to young viewers a basic introduction to a selection of superheroes and their universe in the hopes that these impressionable media consumers will become avid fans who compulsively buy superhero merchandise and loyally read superhero comic books. In that regard, the Disney XD Marvel cartoons are quite good at doing what they do (heck, they're much better than the superhero cartoons that I grew up with during the 70s and 80s). Unfortunately, if you're a long-time Marvel fan who is looking for faithful animated adaptations of classic characters and stories from the comic books, the current Disney XD cartoons will leave you underwhelmed.

Overall Grade: B+, for Marvel character diversity and opportunities for media growth.

A Self-Made Superhero Gets an Upgrade in Iron Man 3

Due to financial problems beyond my control last summer, I have begun to catch up on all the box office fun I missed just a few months ago. First up: Iron Man 3, the concluding chapter in the trilogy about Marvel's resident techno-genius Tony Stark and his super-powered alter ego.

Iron Man 3 opens with Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.) still reeling from the events in The Avengers movie. Overwhelmed by the many possible threats that could doom humanity, he has become obsessed with upgrading Iron Man--and himself--to counter any and all future menaces. Further complicating the picture are the appearances of the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), a terrorist mastermind who has been orchestrating a series of surprise attacks around the world, and Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), a corporate rival who threatens to topple Stark Industries through his own "think tank" called Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM). When a surprise attack by the Mandarin forces him away from home and friends, Stark has to rely on his intelligence and resourcefulness to stop the Mandarin and uncover AIM's secret agenda.

Long story short, I loved Iron Man 3 and I regret not seeing it in 3D on the big screen. It's everything a high-octane superhero film should be: witty without being campy, compelling without being ponderous, and thrilling without being shallow. It succeeds as a sequel, building upon the events in The Avengers and the previous Iron Man movies to reflect how Stark and his two closest allies Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) have changed over the course of the stories. It also has a plot that makes ample usage of many characters and ideas from the Marvel universe (e.g., AIM, Extremis, the Mandarin, etc.). If Iron Man 3 is any indication of how Marvel plans to develop more movies based on its vast universe of characters and settings, then I think that superhero movie fans are in for many more blockbuster treats in the summers to come.

As I mentioned in my review of Iron Man 2, superhero stores are at their most compelling when they act as parables of power. As such, Iron Man 3 brings Stark's personal crisis about his responsibility towards others to a complete circle. In Iron Man, Stark bowed out of the international arms race because he felt that he could do more good as a superhero; in Iron Man 3, Stark has to come to grips that he never really left the arms race at all, that by becoming Iron Man he just exchanged his participation in one arms race for another. This is an intriguing dilemma for a superhero movie to portray, and Downey's performance as Stark is up to the challenge. (In light of the film's plot, I think that putting Stark on movie's poster as a falling Icarus was a nice touch.) The fact that the film is able to tell an entertaining story by largely keeping Stark outside of his Iron Man armor--working out his problems without routinely resorting to superheroics--speaks to how well made Iron Man 3 is. I also liked the film's jab at how the modern military-industrial complex needs to create villains for the sake of maintaining profit. In fact, given his role in RoboCop, I suspect that the inclusion of Miguel Ferrer in the cast of Iron Man 3 was a deliberate wink to Paul Verhoeven's dark satire of America's militarism.

I'm sure that Hollywood's current infatuation with superheroes will eventually reach a point of diminishing returns, but Iron Man 3 indicates to me that we are far from that right now. Until DC and its corporate masters at Time Warner come up with a better series of superhero movies, I'll be happy to make mine Marvel.

Avengers Assemble Arrives on Disney XD

Last weekend saw the debut of Avengers Assemble on Disney XD, with a two-part pilot episode. This is the second Avengers cartoon to air on Disney XD, the other one being The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes that ran for two seasons. So how does the new Avengers series hold up? It's too soon to tell about Assemble's overall quality as a series, but here are some initial thoughts about the pilot episode and some speculation about where the cartoon might go in the future.

The Good: Regardless of whatever else I thought about the pilot, it's nice to see the Avengers back on TV. Other superhero teams have made repeated appearances on TV throughout the years (particularly the Justice League and the X-Men), so I'm glad that Marvel's team of A-list superheroes is getting a second chance.

The Bad: The two-part Assemble pilot is a jumbled mess. It features not just one but two attacks by the Red Skull against the Avengers: first, he kidnaps Captain America in an attempt to swap bodies with him, and then he infects the Avengers with mind-controlling nanobots for the purpose of distracting them so that he can destroy the Avengers Mansion and the rest of New York along with it. Between these attacks and the subplot of Iron Man's mission to reassemble the Avengers team of Black Widow, Captain America, Hawkeye and Hulk, the pilot episode tries to cram far too much into so little time. Yes, the pilot is supposed to establish the Avengers as a team and the Red Skull as their main adversary, but it could have done so in a much better way. (Fun Marvel cartoon trivia: The previous Red Skull's plan to swap bodies with Captain America was seen in "The Capture of Captain America", an episode of the syndicated Spider-Man cartoon from the early 80s.)

Another problem with the pilot is its emphasis that it is a continuation of sorts--that the Avengers were a team that disbanded before the pilot--but then it doesn't commit to what exactly Assemble is continuing. Given the team's lineup and settings, the new Avengers cartoon is obviously meant to capitalize on the popularity of the live-action Avengers film from last summer; however, since this series isn't the official sequel to that movie, it tries to be vague enough so that it could also be interpreted as a continuation of the previous Avengers cartoon. In short, Assemble wants to have it both ways but it can't and because of that, the reassembled team lacks chemistry. (While watching the pilot, I found myself sorely missing Black Panther and Wasp from Earth's Mightiest Heroes.) The Assemble team will hopefully find its rhythm soon, but it's hard for any cast of characters to recapture a sense of camaraderie when they can't identify what kind of camaraderie they had in the first place. That said, Falcon has been added to the team's roster, but he's given so little to do in the pilot that it's hard to tell how well he'll fit in with the rest of the characters as the series progresses.

The Intriguing: Judging from the pilot's voice cast, it appears that Marvel is lining up its animation style and voice talent for possible crossovers between Assemble and Disney XD's other Marvel cartoons, Ultimate Spider-Man and the upcoming Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. Not only are the character designs identical between Ultimate and Assemble, but the voice cast for the characters of Captain America, Hawkeye, Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Nick Fury and J. Jonah Jameson is the same for both shows. I'm hoping that Marvel and its parent company Disney is doing this with the intent of producing an epic Ultimate/Assemble/S.M.A.S.H. crossover miniseries--they'd be foolish not to--but only time will tell.

DC and Marvel Superhero Cartoon Report Card, Fall 2012 Edition

News has been circulating around the Internet this week about Cartoon Network's sudden and unexpected decision to halt the airing of new episodes of Green Lantern: The Animated Series and Young Justice until January 2013. While the exact reasons behind this decision remain unclear, I think that now is a good time for me to weigh in on how good each of the DC and Marvel superhero cartoons are doing on their respective homes of Cartoon Network and Disney XD. Read on ...

Title: The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes

Opinion: As current superhero cartoons go, Disney XD's The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes has been the most consistent. It has done a fantastic job at translating characters and story arcs from the comics into an animated format, and it has expanded the Avengers' roster to include new characters such as Ms. Marvel and Vision without ignoring the original Avenger team members. My only complaints about this show are its uneven animation and Disney XD's decision to replace it soon with Avengers Assemble, a cartoon that looks to have more in common with the recent live-action Avengers movie than the Avengers comic book.

Grade: A-

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Title: Green Lantern: The Animated Series

Opinion: Of the cartoons listed here, Green Lantern: The Animated Series has grown on me the most. It began as an average superhero cartoon about Hal Jordan and Kilowog fighting an enemy army known as the Red Lanterns, but it grew into something much more engaging with the inclusion of interesting supporting characters (such as the android Aya and the renegade Red Lantern Razer), multi-episode story arcs, and appearances of other DC universe residents such as the Star Sapphires and the Thanagarians. The new story arc about the Manhunters looks promising, so I'm looking forward to seeing what this series takes us next in Hal Jordan's corner of DC mythology. That said, I'm hoping that future episodes will take some time to develop Hal Jordan's character outside of his duties as a Green Lantern.

Grade: B+

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Title: Young Justice

Opinion: The first season episodes of Young Justice rivaled the Avengers cartoon in terms of quality, and it would often edge out its Marvel counterpart due to its superior animation. What made Young Justice work so well is that it knew how to balance the components that have become essential in producing a top-notch superhero team cartoon: a solid cast of main characters, a compelling season-long story arc, well-written stand-alone episodes and subplots, and frequent guest appearances of other DC characters that fit the situations in which they appeared.

Unfortunately, the balance that made Young Justice a success in its first season has been lost in its second season, which takes place five years later and has greatly expanded the team's member roster. Such changes have resulted in a show with plenty of characters, action and subplots, but sparse character development and uneven narrative focus; in fact, I think that a few of the subplots are much more interesting than--and independent of--the second season's main story arc. These changes are further complicated by some baffling character decisions (such as the superhero-led intervention for Red Arrow in the episode "Salvage", an intervention that was obviously five years too late) and the inexplicable time jump between the seasons, which leaves many questions unanswered and plot points unresolved.

Grade: B-

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Title: Ultimate Spider-Man

Opinion: This cartoon simply doesn't know what it wants to be. Some episodes are superhero team episodes, others are solo Spider-Man adventure episodes, and yet others still are Spider-Man team-up episodes. The only consistency within the series is its style of humor, which fits Spider-Man's wise-cracking, self-deprecating attitude but it's not enough to compensate for the show's chronic lack of focus. Until Ultimate Spider-Man decides what it wants to be as a series, Spider-Man fans will be left with a handful of good episodes amid a bunch of mediocre ones.

Grade: C+

The Avengers Movie Review: Come for the Amazing Action, Stay for the Large Cast of Super Characters

It has finally arrived. The Avengers, the ultimate live-action superhero crossover movie that Marvel has been setting up since 2008, has taken the box office by storm during its debut weekend. With its smart script, balanced direction, capable cast and breathtaking action sequences, The Avengers is the summer blockbuster to see this summer. Here are a few of my thoughts about the movie, along with some speculation about what this movie means in terms of future superhero cinema. Read on ....

The Avengers picks up where Marvel's previous stand-alone superhero movies ended. After failing to conquer Asgard, the banished Norse god Loki (Tom Hiddleston) returns to Earth to steal the Tesseract, an infinitely powerful energy source, from Col. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and SHIELD. Loki plans to use the Tesseract as part of a plan to reign over the world, which prompts Fury to assemble a group of heroes under what he called the "Avengers Initiative". The roster of Avengers Initiative heroes includes Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson).

Before I go any further, I want to say that I have seen many excuses that Hollywood has put together over the decades to dump wads of money and casts of well-known actors on the big screen. Even though the term "summer blockbuster" didn't appear before the 70s, there have always been "event" films--usually musicals, disaster movies and extravagant historical films that feature a cast of thousands--where emphasis was placed on popular actors and amazing spectacles. In contrast, pulp fantasy and sci-fi largely remained relegated to cheaply made serials and B-movies, and it wasn't until Star Wars proved in 1977 that fantasy and sci-fi could be just as popular and profitable as a Ten Commandments or a Towering Inferno. I mention this bit of cinema history because The Avengers is tailor-made for the post-Star Wars, CGI-driven era of event filmmaking.

The Avengers isn't just another superhero movie; it is a gigantic superhero movie that covers a large portion of Marvel real estate. As I sat in the theater watching this colossal crossover film, I kept thinking about how many things could have gone wrong with its production. A mediocre script, poor casting, hokey special effects, or incompetent direction could have easily turned The Avengers into an over-budgeted, overcrowded mess. That didn't happen and because it didn't, it allowed The Avengers--and in turn Marvel Studios--to set a new standard as to what can be done with superhero stories on the big screen. Other superhero movies with smaller plots and smaller casts have fallen apart before, so the success of The Avengers as a film experience is hardly modest feat.

I think that great deal of The Avengers' success is due to Joss Whedon, who co-wrote and directed the movie. Whedon is quite talented in his own right, but what makes him ideal for this particular Marvel movie is his understanding of the fantasy, horror and sci-fi genres. He knows how to balance the amazing, the absurd and the mundane in order to create a narrative that feels emotionally honest and grounded no matter how fantastic it gets. In keeping with Whedon's style, The Avengers takes itself seriously enough to keep the story compelling, and the humor that punctuates the story adds the right amount of levity without descending into camp. (Be sure to keep watching after all of the end credits roll--if the scene at the very end of the movie doesn't convince you that The Avengers is a Whedon film, nothing will.)

Essentially, each of Whedon's most ambitious TV projects--Buffy, Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse--featured ensemble casts, and those experiences prepared Whedon for a project as enormous as The Avengers. None of the cast and characters in the film feel wasted; each are given a chance to present themselves as unique personalities who are actively involved in the story, no matter how big or small their screen time is.

Of course, The Avengers wouldn't be the film it is without the support of Marvel. Marvel did a commendable job in setting up this crossover film, and its success opens up some new questions regarding the future of superhero movies. After all, Marvel doesn’t just publish a group of superhero comic books; they publish comics that feature superheroes who share the same fictitious world and share adventures from time to time. Crossovers and teams that consist of popular characters are common occurrences in superhero comics, but they were never translated to the silver screen until now. I can only imagine how Marvel will capitalize on The Avengers' success to bring more of its superheroic world to the movies, and I wonder if DC Comics will be capable of doing anything similar to this anytime in the near future.

Even if you watch The Avengers without any prior familiarity with Joss Whedon and Marvel Comics, there is still plenty to enjoy. Each cast member turn in great performances, including Mark Ruffalo, who took over the role of Bruce Banner after Edward Norton's turn in The Incredible Hulk (2008). The action scenes and special effects are thrilling and mesh nicely into the film's overarching narrative. Of particular note are SHIELD's massive Helicarrier (which serves as major setting and is a wondrous creation to behold) and the confrontation scene between Hulk and Loki (which alone justifies the ticket price). I should also mention that I saw The Avengers in 3D--RealD, not IMAX--and I was impressed with its quality. In fact, the 3D made the movie fell even larger in its scope, so I highly recommend seeing it in 3D for those who want the complete superhero experience.

Given Hollywood's tendency to pack the movie theaters with special effects-driven action movies during the summer, it's tempting for some to write off The Avengers as yet another CGI effects reel that's thinly disguised as a feature-length movie--another Transformers, another Independence Day, or another 2012. My recommendation: Don't. The Avengers is the real deal, a perfect example of how a talented cast and crew can take a larger-than-life story and make it even bigger while at the same time emphasizing the human dimensions that make a story--any story--worthwhile. Excelsior!

Avengers + Spider-Man + Tron = Must-See TV on Disney XD

Even though the latest live action film versions of the Avengers and Spider-Man won't be arriving in movie theaters until this summer, you can get your fill of both when they premiere on Disney XD this April. Furthermore, while Tron Uprising isn't scheduled to begin airing as a regular series on Disney XD until this summer, a preview "micro-series" will begin in a few weeks. Read on for a closer look at each of Disney's new offerings to superhero and sci-fi fans alike.

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes will begin its second season on April 4th. The second season will feature even more cameos from the Marvel universe, as well as new regular characters pulled from the Avengers' own comic book history. Expect to see the Fantastic Four, Dr. Doom, Ms. Marvel, The Vision, Falcon, and both the Kree and the Skrull during the new season. Check out the season 2 preview video below for more details.

Ultimate Spider-Man is scheduled to premiere on April 1st. After the abrupt cancellation of the excellent Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon, Disney appears to be sparing no expense to make Marvel's famous web-head a regular feature on its XD channel. Not only does the new Spider-Man series share the same name and some plot threads with the popular comic book series by Brian Michael Bendis, but it will also have Bendis serving as the show's producer along with superhero cartoon vet Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond). Ultimate Spider-Man will have some familiar names among its voice cast as well:

* J.K. Simmons will reprise his role as J. Jonah Jameson, the same role he played in Sam Raimi's trilogy of live-action Spider-Man movies.

* Clark Gregg will reprise his role as Agent Phil Coulson, the same role he played in the live-action Iron Man and Thor movies (as well as in the upcoming Avengers movie).

* Adrian Pasdar will be reprising his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man, the same role he voiced in the recent Iron Man anime series that aired on the G4 channel.

Here's the preview trailer, which provides a better idea of what to expect from the latest web-slinging TV show:

For those of you who are keeping score, Cartoon Network has Young Justice and Green Lantern, while Disney XD will have Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes and Ultimate Spider-Man. It appears that no matter which live-action superhero franchise makes the most money at the box office, fans of superhero cartoons will usually end up getting something worthwhile out of it.

Last but not least, Tron Uprising will make its debut TV appearance in April as a 10 episode micro-series, with each episode running at three minutes in length. Exactly when the micro-series episodes will air on Disney XD has yet to be announced, but the animation will be a mixture of traditional 2D animation and 3D CG animation. Judging from the preview clips available (such as the one below), the kind of geek-centric eye candy that Tron Uprising will provide will rival that of the CG animated Clone Wars. Game on!

Trailer Thursday: Avengers Assemble

Yes, this is the UK version of the movie coming out, but this trailer is amazing and I love how we're finally getting to see the Hulk and Hawkeye do something. I'm really looking forward to this film:




Incidentally, if you live near an AMC theater (which I unfortunately do not) you can go ahead and buy your tickets now for a Marvel Movie Marathon which includes all six Marvel films (3 of them in 3D: Thor, Captain America, and the Avengers) for $40...and you even get a set of custom 3D glasses you can keep!

Trailer Thursday: The Avengers

I know you've probably already seen this, but it's a ton of awesome. Wish there had been more of the Hulk, but I'm sure they're saving that for later.

Iron Man: Armored Adventures Season One Review

As adaptations go, cartoons that are based on popular superhero comic books are in a class of their own. Unlike superhero movies that are limited to approximately two hours per film, superhero cartoons consist of multiple episodes and can thus better emulate the serialized storytelling style found in comic books. On the other hand, both superhero cartoons and films follow the same narrative strategy of retelling the origin of the superhero in question and the origins of the most popular super villains in his rogues gallery, largely for the sake of new fans. Some retellings are mostly faithful to its source material, while other retellings take many creative liberties. Leaning towards the side of "many creative liberties" is the Iron Man: Armored Adventures series, which is will soon be airing its second season on Nicktoons.

When Armored Adventures first appeared in 2009, I didn't give it much thought because it took many of the characters and plot points from the Iron Man comics and gave it a Buffy the Vampire Slayer-like makeover (much like how the live-action Smallville TV series did the same for the Superman comics). In Armored Adventures, key Iron Man characters--Tony Stark, James Rhodes, and Patricia "Pepper" Pots--have been recast as teenagers who use Stark's technological genius to battle a menagerie of super villains from episode to episode. I couldn't bring myself to watch this reimagining of a popular Marvel superhero, especially when I've got the live action Iron Man movies and the animated Avengers series to satisfy my Marvel cravings. Yet Armored Adventures was successful enough to merit a second season, so I decided to give it a shot to see how good it is.

In a nutshell, while Armored Adventures will never be remembered as the definitive animated version of Iron Man, it's much better than I expected it to be, as well as a great introduction to Iron Man for those who know little or nothing about this intriguing Marvel character. Read on for my complete review.

Iron Man never had a good track record in the area of TV animation. His first cartoon appearance was part of a lineup that also included Captain America, Hulk, Thor, and the Submariner in the syndicated The Marvel Super Heroes series in 1966. While this series lifted stories directly from the comics, the animation quality was extremely limited (even by the standards of that decade). Iron Man got his first solo series in 1994, but it suffered from poor writing and sloppy, inconsistent animation. There was also a straight-to-DVD animated movie in 2007 entitled The Invincible Iron Man, but its story was largely forgettable and was later overshadowed by the superior live-action Iron Man film in 2008.

One of Marvel's smartest decisions in its production of Armored Adventures was to animate it in 3D CGI. Marvel previously experimented with 3D CGI in 2003 with Spider-Man: The New Animated Series, but that only lasted for 13 episodes. Given the mechanical nature of Iron Man himself, he was Marvel's logical choice for their next 3D CGI series and the end results speak for themselves. While the computer animation isn't nearly as detailed as it is in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, it is utilized well enough to provide a superhero series that's sharp, colorful and smooth in its movement. The 3D CGI also enhances the series' narrative opportunities by allowing for a wider range of locations and more elaborate fight sequences.

Complementing Armored Adventures' impressive visual style is its writing, which is what really keeps this Buffy-tization of Iron Man into becoming a cheap gimmick. Because this Tony Stark is a teenager, he neither a compulsive womanizer nor a recovering alcoholic; nevertheless, he's as brilliant and headstrong as the adult Tony Stark we all know and love. Throwing Rhodes and Pepper into the story as Stark's high school classmates seems contrived in concept, but it works just the same. Perhaps the best part about setting this story in Stark's early years, both as a person and as Iron Man, is that it is easier for newcomers to get a introductory perspective to Stark's allies and enemies and how they connect to each other in this particular corner of the Marvel universe.

I recommend Iron Man: Armored Adventures to both Marvel fans and anyone who enjoys a well-written and well-animated superhero story. Hopefully, the second season will maintain the level of quality that was established in the first.

The Avengers Have Been Assembling on Disney XD

Boy, is my face red. I'd like to think that I'm up to date on most geek-friendly entertainment, but somehow this one escaped me: Since last Fall, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes has been airing on the Disney XD channel.

In retrospect, I can see how I missed this. It seemed that during the rise of niche channels on cable TV, almost all of the cool animated shows have been going to the Cartoon Network--Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Young Justice, Venture Brothers, Symbionic Titan, and so on. So, to find out that one of Disney's cable channels has been running the latest animated version of one of Marvel Comics' premiere superhero teams really caught me off guard.

Finding Captain America, Iron Man and Thor on a Disney channel does makes sense, actually. Disney bought Marvel back in 2009, so naturally Disney would play a key role in deciding when, where and how any Marvel properties are marketed to the public. Furthermore, with Marvel laying the groundwork in its live-action movies such as Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Thor and the upcoming Captain America movie for a likewise live-action Avengers movie in 2012, it's logical that Marvel would also put an Avengers cartoon on the airwaves to build additional interest in this particular title and the Marvel universe in general.

I've been catching up on the episodes I've missed and from what I've seen so far, the show does justice (no pun intended) to its source material. The team's roster has a selection of both popular and less well-known heroes, and the show accurately portrays the personalities and prior histories of each of the main characters. Even though DC also has its own selection of popular superhero characters, Marvel has often done a better job of placing its characters in a single, consistent narrative universe. That trend continues in the current Avengers show: Characters from all over the Marvel universe appear in each episode, from episode-length guest roles to fleeting, momentary cameos. The only thing that I think this show could improve is its overall quality of animation, which looks somewhat awkward and uneven in comparison to its closest thematic counterpart, the Justice League TV series.

For more information about this series, go to the Avengers page on the Disney XD site.

So Many Masks

Several weeks ago we had a poll asking which type of mask you'd wear if you were a hero. You never really realize how many there are out there until you break them down...which we'll do right now.

Domino Mask

Worn by: Nightwing, Green Lantern, Robin, etc.

Probably the most famous type of mask, it also covers just about the least of the face. I still have a hard time believing this would fool anyone, but it apparently has for years.

The mask begs the question "What in the world is keeping it on your face?" First of all it has to be something that will stay on in the middle of a fight no matter how sweaty you get. But then it has to be removable without ripping the skin around your eyes off.

Yes, I know Green Lantern's mask is created by his ring and is therefore part of the costume, but Nightwing, Robin, Red Hood, and many others have had this little thing stuck to their faces for years without a problem or reasonable explanation.

Cowl

Worn by: Batman, Nighthawk, Red Robin, etc

The most popular choice in our poll, the cowl serves this purpose of keeping the hair covered at least. Now it's not necessarily as easy to figure out who you are under the mask as the domino mask would be.

Add to that a certain streamlined effect and you have a pretty cool look. The fact that it's attached to the flowing cape doesn't hurt either. All in all it can be a fairly intimidating appearance when it's done right.

There's a reason Batman's iconic look has stayed with pop culture for decades. It's an old faithful design that just works.

Full Face Mask

Worn by: Spider-Man, Union Jack, Deathstroke, etc

For a real mystery man look, it's hard to go wrong with this type of mask. Covered completely, heroes sporting this look have that mystery surrounding them that leads a lot of people to wonder what person is really under all that.

Truthfully though, it's hard to imagine Spider-Man without his full mask. And Deadpool just doesn't seem as funny any other way. Union Jack was able to use the look to his advantage to fool Baron Blood into thinking he was an old man when in actually he was young Joey Chapman.

There are a lot of advantages to going this route...though the cost of material goes up a little. That, and it's hard to figure out how you can breathe that well in a tough fight with cloth on your face.

Goggles

Worn by: Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Plastic Man, Vigilante, etc.

Now this one is hard to pull off right. The first time I read a Plastic Man comic in the 70's I couldn't figure out what was going on with his eyes. Which way was he supposed to be looking? Eventually I figured it all out and the craze seemed to catch on.

Now heroes like Booster Gold and the Blue Beetle have added to the mix of using a functional mask. I mean, when it's raining outside which hero can still see in a torrential downpour? Try that Spider-Man!

Seriously though, I think this could be considered cheating just a little.

Sunglasses

Worn by: Nomad, Hitman, Blade, etc.

If you're not up for goggles, there's always a cheaper way out through sunglasses. While I consider Jack Munroe's Nomad to be one of the best heroes out there and best costume for a casual hero type, I've never been one to follow how he kept the sunglasses on. Also, how are they handy in a fight indoors?

It's really hard to see a hero pull this off and not look like someone off "Jersey Shore", but it's been done. Oddly enough, this is the one look that looks best in the movie versions of the characters. It's hard to pull off a mask on a real person, but sunglasses always look tough.

I almost threw Cyclops in with this group, but I'm not really sure it would be fair. I think he'd fall more under a mixture of the goggles and sunglasses crowd.

No Mask

Worn by: Superman, The Sentry, Punisher, etc.

Of course, there are those who skip masks altogether and just say "Here I am. Look at me!" It's usually done by someone with nothing to hide because their identity is public (like the Punisher) or they look differently when in their secret identity (like DC's Captain Marvel or The Sentry). And yes, Superman hides behind glasses (even dumber than a domino mask) and still folks can't figure out who he is.

Whatever the reason, this is the easy way out. Fight as hard as you want to and never worry about someone seeing your face because your mask got shredded. I can't say I'm a fan of this though. For me, I think it's always cooler to see a hero in some form of mask. The only exception I'll give is the Punisher. I think he'd look a little weird wearing one for some reason.

Helmet

Worn by: Ant-Man, Iron Man, Doctor Fate, Forbush Man, etc.

For real protection, it's hard to go wrong with a good old-fashioned piece of metal on your head! Whether you're using it to control an entire suit of armor like Iron Man or just to hide your identity like Red Hood, you can't say anything about the functionality of one. However, hiding the costume takes a lot of creative thinking when you can't just cram it all under your tuxedo and walk in.

I've always  thought artists probably love drawing helmeted characters more than anything else. No worries about emotion on the face or anything...just a blank slate.

The only character easier to draw would have to be the Question.

Hood

Worn by: Green Arrow, The Spectre, Moon Knight, etc

While hiding identity, I have to say this one would be hard to justify as safe. Think about it: your peripheral vision is absolutely shot. True, you're ready for a rainstorm, but if someone comes at you quietly from the side you are dead.

Also, how do you keep this on your head while you're running after (or away from) a bad guy? When I have my hood on and I go running to my car in the rain, it always flies back and lets me get soaked.

Functionally, I have to say this one is at the bottom of the barrel. Yes, the "mysterious stranger" look works when stepping out of the shadows...but it's not the best choice in a fight.

Over-the-Head Mask

Worn by: Captain America, Hawk and Dove, the Atom, etc.

I'm not sure of the official name for this look, so let's just say it's a cowl without the cape kind of thing. It's been popular for years with everyone from the Flash to Vindicator wearing one.

The thing that makes this one slightly less believable is the way the heroes usually have it during "casual times". Most of the time their whole head is through the mouth part with the mask laying behind their head until the pull it up over their head and on. That sucker would be so stretched out it would blow off in a light wind.

There is a variation of this mask where the hair is seen. Marvel's version of Captain Marvel and the original Captain Britain look are two heroes who go that way with it. Again, I'm not sure what it's officially called though. You know what I mean, right?

Weird Everything-But-The-Face Mask

Worn by: Puck, Justice, The Angel, Gambit, etc.

Ok, I had no idea what you actually called this one, but I've seen it from time to time. I guess this would be considered a "face frame" more than a mask.

I suppose this one would be more for those heroes who want to wear a mask, while still wanting people to know what they looked like underneath. This might even fit into the "no mask" category.

Maybe you're proud of your hair, or maybe you just like the way you look in the mirror, either way, if this is your choice it's not very functional for anything other than keeping your ears warm in the wind.


There are a lot of characters that fit into combinations of categories that I didn't cover. For example, Magneto would fit into the helmet/face-frame mixture. Doctor Doom would fit into the helmet/hood group. Deadshot would be an entirely new combination, with full-face mask/eyescope group. The combinations are endless.

As you can tell, it would be impossible to categorize them all. Hopefully I've covered the most often used ones though.