Stan Lee created an empire unseen in memory altogether. The Marvel universe has gone beyond comics, and sure DC Comics can also claim fame in this aspect as well, but not in the way that Marvel has.
The Avengers are not just a popular comic series, or nowadays a popular movie franchise, but it has become a way of life. Picking a favorite avenger, or opinion on the film’s franchise defines relationships and friendships, and could possibly break them. That is the level of popularity this company has established.
In terms of gaming this hasn’t been the case. As the Marvel franchise has stuffed it’s pockets in recent years, the gaming industry has felt a heavier effect from DC with the Arkham Batman video game series. That was until Marvel’s Spider-Man debuted on the Sony PS4in 2018.
The game was an incredible example of how Marvel could easily slide into the role of being a game changer within the gaming industry. A lot of the crowd that are fans of theMarvel movie franchise are also huge gamer’s, so it was very surprising it took this long for Marvel to capitalize on this. There have been Marvel games in the past, but usually they are cash grab movie tie-ins that can easily be beat in four to six hours with little enjoyment.
So that leaves the question we all want answered, how great of a game can the new Marvel Avengers be? I have tried the beta for the game, honestly I did not come away completely impressed. Although, it did have some inspiring moments. But after all, it is just a beta, so I wont judge based off of this information. With that being said this game really does make one wonder what are we in for? Is this truly the ride we have all been waiting for as long time fans?
We can not truly know until we have our physical copy on hand (digital as well if that’s your gig) but the excitement seems to be rather reserved. This could be more or less because of how COVID-19 has sucked the life out of human society as we know it, or it could just be that we are not expecting much from Marvel.
With Spider-Man, we had gotten so many trailers and game images and hype that it was almost expected it was going to be a triple AAA hit. This can not be said for the Avengers game. Trailers and game play footage has been minimal. Square Enix who is publishing the game is a big-time player in the gaming industry, even much larger than Insomniac who published Spider-Man. So why is this? The virus can not be the reason, if anything being forced to be at home should be ever more the reason for this hype train to take off.
We are all wondering if this is a cash grab or a truly great game, and to be honest we have no idea what we are getting, but like many around the world who are so starved to play a Marvel game or get back into the Marvel universe, we can not wait to go on this adventure, hopefully the price of admission is worth the ride.
The hunt for James Gunn’s Superman is heating up. Now that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has made its debut, the Director has ramped up his search for a cast to match his script. Recent reports have David Corenswet as the frontrunner to play the man of steel, as well as Nicholas Hoult being eyed for Lex Luthor. We’ve also heard that Gunn’s antagonist role in ‘SUPERMAN: LEGACY’ is reportedly labeled as “APEX” and James Gunn is looking at Black actors for the role.
“You know, listen… I don’t come to ‘Guardians 3’ and say, ‘I wanna write a movie that’s gonna make everybody cry.’ I don’t think about that. I just think I want to tell a story that treats the characters with dignity and compassion and is the best, most surprising, most moving story I can possibly tell. And if that ends up being just moving, because it’s a fun blast of a film or if it ends up being moving because you’re sobbing, or it makes you feel that rage, or whatever it makes you feel, I’m good with all of those things as long as it works.”
Gunn also believes Superman is an emotional character and should embody that human trait.
“And so, I can’t say I’m looking for any particular emotions to bring out through ‘Superman,’ but I don’t want it to be unemotional. I don’t want it to deny that we are, as human beings, emotional characters and that Superman is also that.”
Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past, but his attempt to save his family creates a world without super heroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future.
Ben Affleck, Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon
Plot Summary:
Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past, but his attempt to save his family creates a world without super heroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future.
The heroes of DC’s Justice League and Rooster Teeth Animation’s RWBY join forces in “Justice League x RWBY: Super heroes and Huntsmen Part One” an all new Anime-Action Packed adventure that sees our heroes transported to Remnant. It’s a visually vibrant story about teamwork, strength, and belonging. The all-new, feature-length DC Animated Movie finds Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Cyborg, Green Lantern and Vixen in new iterations – transformed into teenagers while in transport to RWBY’s world, and presented in Rooster Teeth’s anime-influenced animation – and partnering with the heroes of Remnant (Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang) to battle a mysterious, superpowered creature before it destroys everything they know.
“Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen Part One” is an adaptation of the seven-issue comic crossover that came out in 2021 and was written by Marguerite Bennett with artists Aneke and Mirka Andolfo. The miniseries introduced fans of manga and superheroes to Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, and Diana Prince of Remant, fighting with team RWBY. The creative team have truly got the best of both worlds with DC and RWBY, crossovers can be risky business but I’m here to say that both these worlds truly blend together seamlessly creating such a fun colourful world of adventure.
Director Kerry Shawcross and his team do justice to both sets of characters by introducing DC characters to RWBY and vice versa. The film does function more like an instalment of RWBY than a standalone so if you are not familiar with this world you’ll miss out on the easter eggs and quirks, however, for me, it served as an introduction and has made me a fan of this world. I love how they’ve incorporated fandoms whilst also visually reimagining the Justice League to suit the world of Remnant, transforming the members into teenagers was truly an act of genius from writer Meghan Fitzmartin. Taking well-established, experienced characters who are in their prime have been taken back to their youth which provides teenaged angst, goofiness, awkwardness, and a new perspective for the League. Seeing each member get their Semblance was such fun as the two worlds collided Superman’s semblance is solar-powered and comes from the sun whilst Batman’s allows him to scan his surroundings akin to x-ray or infrared vision, and now as a bat Fanus, Bruce is able to use wings to fly. Here in Remnant, his crime-fighting detective knowledge is turned into a superpower but ultimately it’s Bruce who feels at home in this world gaining an understanding of what it’s like to be Superman.
Each member goes through a change whether it’s Wonder Woman who now has the ability to conjure and summon her weapons as the RWBY Dust enables her to use the Lasso of truth, The Flash who still retains his powers of speed from his original world, Cyborg has more electricity abilities and Vixen becomes a Fanus but ultimately the film is about overcoming and imposter syndrome as Jessica Cruz aka Green Lantern since her arrival on Remnant is unable to use the powers of the Green Lantern. Jessica’s arc is so vital to the story showcasing that in this world she doesn’t feel that she can stand with her peers without the ring, throughout with the help of Juane she must learn to have confidence in herself. It’s fun to put both teams in these situations as they have to all come together and in the process learn from each other.
The voice cast throughout is in top form. Chandler Riggs voices the teenaged version of Superman managing to carry the sense of authority that comes from the Man of Steel but tempered with the awkwardness of youth. Natalie Alyn Lind, treads a similar path to Riggs with her portrayal of Wonder Woman, as indeed, does Nat Wolff as Bruce Wayne/Batman and all the JL cast members. Alongside them are Team RWBY’s long-running cast Lindsay Jones (Camp Camp) as Ruby, Kara Eberle (RWBY: Ice Queendom) as Weiss, Arryn Zech (The Detective is Already Dead) as Blake, and Barbara Dunkelman (Blood Fest) as Yang.
Also featured in the cast is Ozioma Akagha (Teen Titans Go!) as Vixen, Jen Brown (Red vs. Blue) as Pyrrha, Tiana Camacho (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure) as Glynda, Aaron Dismuke (Fullmetal Alchemist) as Oscar, Jason Douglas (The Walking Dead) as Jacques, David Errigo Jr. (Ridley Jones) as The Flash/Barry Allen and Rolf, Samantha Ireland (Red vs. Blue) as Nora, Miles Luna (Camp Camp) as Jaune, Shannon McCormick (Get Backers, Day 5) as Professor Ozpin, Neath Oum (RWBY: Chibi) as Lie Ren, Tara Platt (Aggretsuko, Naruto: Shippuden) as Kali, Jeannie Tirado (Soul, Saints Row) as Green Lantern, and Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as Cyborg.
The animation this time around was handled by Rooster Teeth which employs a different visual style than most WB DC releases. It preserves the 2D/3D hybrid world of RWBY much similar to the previous 3D CGI feature Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons Review Here. the visuals are energetic with anime influences and references. the action is enough to keep the film exciting as the Grimm are imposing creatures that feel very Kaiju inspired. One thing that truly ignited the film was its score, David Levy has created such a heavy metal operatic symphony that felt energetic and electrifying.
Final Thoughts
“Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen Part One” was a lot of fun and worked even for someone like me who was completely unfamiliar with the RWBY franchise, it serves as the perfect introduction to Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang whilst also being a great anime-inspired action adventure for the Justice League as we’ve never seen them before. It’s a visually vibrant story that focuses on teamwork, and building strength in yourself and others, whilst also showcasing a tale of belonging, self-discovery and adorable teenage angst. the appetite is well and truly ready for Part 2!
Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One is produced and directed by Kerry Shawcross (RWBY franchise) and written by screenwriter Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II). Producers are Ethan Spaulding (Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge), Jim Krieg (Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) and Kimberly S. Moreau (Legion of Super-Heroes). Laura Yates (Boyhood, RWBY, Red vs. Blue) is Supervising Producer. Executive Producer is Michael Uslan. Sam Register is Executive Producer.
Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One is now available to purchase on Blu-ray and on Digital Download.