Every year there are more and more big blockbuster movies based on comic books. This year we got to see Spider-man return for a third time and next year we’ll see Batman return and we’ll also be introduced to Iron Man.
Meanwhile there are some other comic book adaptations that are going more unnoticed. Recently Marvel Comics started a new trend of releasing straight to video animated movies. The first movie in this trend was Ultimate Avengers, a movie loosely based on Marvel’s Avengers and Ultimates series.
Marvel Comics followed Ultimate Avengers with Ultimate Avengers 2, which in addition to the Avengers featured Black Panther. Earlier this year Marvel Comics also released an Iron Man movie.
The series of videos must be doing pretty well for Marvel Comics because they are continuing to make them. Now DC Comics has seen how successful the Marvel Comics movies have done and are jumping on the bandwagon too. Here are five upcoming straight to video animated movies coming from Marvel Comics and DC Comics.
Dr. Strange
Dr. Strange is the latest in the line of Marvel Comics straight to video animated movies. In Dr. Strange, Stephen Strange has not yet become a sorcerer when he witnesses Mordo and a group of mystics taking on a creature that can only be seen my sorcerers. The movie tells us the story of how Dr. Strange comes to embrace his mystics, but first Dr. Strange must face many trials. Dr. Strange will be available in stores on August 14th, 2007.
Avengers Reborn
Avengers Reborn was originally titled Teen Avengers. The Teen Avengers name suggested a teen version of the Avengers but it looks like the name was changed to Avengers Reborn because this group will not be the Avengers we are used to at all, but rather completely new Avengers. Not much else is known about the Avengers Reborn yet because it is still in the early stages of development. The target date for the release of Avengers Reborn is July of 2008.
Superman: Doomsday
DC Comics has decided to join in on the direct-to-video animated movies and have three of their own being released. The first of the three is Superman: Doomsday. Superman: Doomsday will be based on the story in the comic book where Superman faces Doomsday. Anybody who is familiar with the story knows that the battle with Doomsday was Superman’s death. The movie will tell the story of Superman’s death, how the world copes with the loss, and the return of Superman. It is not known whether the return will be of the actual Superman or one of the alternate four Supermans like in the comic book. Superman: Doomsday will be released on September 18th, 2007 and is starring Adam Baldwin (“Firefly”, “Angel”) as the voice of Superman and James Marsters (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, “Angel”) as the voice of Lex Luthor.
Justice League: The New Frontier
The second in the series of DC Comics’ direct to video animated movies is Justice League: The New Frontier, set for a release date of January 28th, 2008. Justice League: The New Frontier is an adaptation of DC: The New Frontier written by Darwyn Cooke and Cooke was a consultant during the writing of the movie. Justice League: The New Frontier tells a story that bridges the gap between the Golden Age and the Silver Age of DC Comics. The two main characters in Justice League: The New Frontier will be Hal Jordan (the Green Lantern) and Martian Manhunter, although Superman, Flash, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and many others will also have appearances. David Boreanaz (“Angel”, “Bones”) is the voice of Hal Jordan and Dave Wittenberg (Final Fantasy: Advent Children) is the voice of Martian Manhunter. Also lending their voice to the movie are Lucy Lawless, Jeremy Sisto, Neil Patrick Harris and Brooke Shields.
Teen Titans: Judas Contract
Teen Titans: Judas Contract is the third in the series of DC Comics straight to video animated movies and is slated for a late 2007/early 2008 release. The Teen Titans: Judas Contract movie is based on the Teen Titans storyline of the same name and should be as accurate as possible since one of the writers of the comic, Marv Wolfman, also wrote the screenplay. In the Judas Contract the Teen Titans’ long time foe, Deathstroke the Terminator, hires a super powered teenager by the name of Terra to join the Teen Titans and secretly spy on them, learn their secret identities and capture them for Deathstroke. Teen Titans: Judas Contract will not be set in the same world, nor will it look the same as the Teen Titans cartoon that came on Cartoon Network and even though the cartoon had a Judas Contract storyline this one should be much different because the Cartoon Network story was changed to make it suitable for children.
