Justice League Dark
Blu-ray | DVD
Directed by Jay Oliva
Story by J.M. DeMatteis and Ernie Altbacker
Starring Matt Ryan, Camilla Luddington, Nicholas Turturro, Ray Chase, Roger Cross, Jason O’Mara
Distributed by Warner Bros. Animation
Rated R | 75 minutes
Release Date: February 7, 2017

When someone asks if you would like to watch and review a new DC animated film, you say yes almost without exception. When it’s something as spectacular as Justice League Dark, you probably jump up and down with glee. Or maybe that’s just me. Regardless, getting to see this a week early was a treat that I’m happy to be able to discuss with you today. Read on for more details!

Around the time that the forthcoming The Dark Knight Rises went into pre-production, Warner Bros. and the newly rechristened DC Comics Premiere Movies (formerly DC Universe Animated Original Movies) announced that the next two direct-to-video animated features starring Batman would be based on two of the greatest stories of the Caped Crusader ever told. Late last year Batman: Year One made its debut and was greeted with warm praise from critics and fans who had been apprehensive about how the classic comic book miniseries would translate to animated movie form. The second of the two Batman animated projects is by far the most eagerly-anticipated of the DTV Bat-films, considering that it is an adaptation of what is routinely referred to as the greatest Batman tale of them all.

The Dark Knight Returns, the groundbreaking 1986 miniseries that took Batman in a bold and startling new direction and became one of the hallmarks of modern comic book storytelling, will provide the basis for the next animated Batman movie. The original series took place in the future where an aging Bruce Wayne, now 55 years old, emerges from retirement as Batman to rescue Gotham from the clutches of a rampaging street gang called the Mutants. Soon not only does he find himself battling crazed punks, but also the supposedly rehabilitated Harvey Dent, his oldest archenemy the Joker, and even his longtime ally Superman, now an agent for the U.S. government.

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights
Blu-ray | DVD | Video On Demand
Directed by: Chris Berkeley, Lauren Montgomery, Jay Oliva
Written by: Eddie Berganza, Alan Burnett, Todd Casey, Dave Gibbons, Michael Green, Marc Guggenheim, Geoff Johns, Peter J. Tomasi
Starring: Nathan Fillion, Jason Isaacs, Elisabeth Moss, Kelly Hu, Arnold Vosloo, Grey DeLisle, Steve Blum, Henry Rollins, Roddy Piper
DC Entertainment/Warner Bros.
Release Date: June 8, 2011

DC’s animation department has done a terrific job with all of their animated features showcasing some of the biggest names in DC’s library, and the next film in this legacy is the anthology style film, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. When I popped this into my Blu-ray player, honestly, I wasn’t sure to expect. I’ve been a fan, overall, of the DC animated films and their adaptation of All-Star Superman was almost perfect, it captured the heart and story of the comic while also making things cohesive for the animated medium. All-Star Superman is probably my favorite of the films, but I had an emotional tie to that story, and while I’ve loved the majority of these animated titles, I can’t say the same about Green Lantern: First Flight, the least favorite out of all the features.

By Graceland Geek

The Invincible Iron Man
Blu-ray
Directed by Jay Oliva, Patrick Archibald
Starring John McCook, Marc Worden
Lionsgate
Release date: September 2, 2008

So this is a movie I saw when it was originally released on DVD last year, but seeing it on Blu-ray was such a better experience.

The Invincible Iron Man tells a completely new origin of the Iron Man character taking place in China. The story follows Tony Stark along with friend, James “Rhodey” Rhodes as they attempt to raise the ruins of a long-buried Chinese kingdom, but they end up digging up far more than they expected. An age-old prophecy that foretells the resurrection of the Mandarin, the emperor of China’s darkest and most violent dynasty. To confront the force of destruction, Stark creates an armored suit infused with high-tech weaponry. In order to stop the new power he helped ignite and save the world, Stark must become the techno warrior, Iron Man! The newly born hero must travel to the corners of the earth to battle the Mandarin’s henchmen, known as the Elementals, four magical warriors who harness the power of the elements — earth, water, wind, and fire — with force and terror. Iron Man/Stark must look inside himself and discover his own legacy and fulfill the Chinese prophecy of the Iron Knight.