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Thursday, August 7, 2014

CB Top 10: Superhero Cartoons

I'm on a role!  While thinking about my favorite Marvel movies, I began to think about my favorite Marvel cartoons.  Truthfully, while Marvel is able to create really great movies, their animated series could use some work.  So tttthhheeeennnnn I began to think about my favorite animated TV series and compiled this Top 10 List.  I usually do a top 5, but I had a hard time narrowing it down and decided to include 10 this time!  Fun right?  Let's get started!

10.  Static Shock

For anyone who doesn't know about this superhero or TV show, that's OK.  It was a staple in my Saturday morning cartoon line-up while growing up, and while it was a fun show when I was a kid, the novelty of it has worn off.  Still, the material was great and it was a great show to eat cereal over!






9. Legion of Superheroes

I wasn't very familiar with this team of teen heroes from the future until the cartoon came out in 2006.  Still, they featured a young Superman and had a fun cast of characters and villains.  Thought it only ran 2 seasons, this show helped me get interested in the Legion comics. Check them out because their some of the best DC comics I've ever read!






8. Spectacular Spider-man

If there is one thing that drives me nuts about Spider-man movies, it is that they never get Spider-man right.  He's not some silent, web-slinging hero, he's a mouthy goofball who throws off his enemies by making fun of them.  The Amazing Spider-man tried to emulate the true Spider-man, but it wasn't enough.  So, enter Spectacular Spider-man!  With great writing, classic villains and joke after joke, this was a great cartoon that I actually got the chance to binge watch while I was in college!






7. Batman Beyond

I hear how people love the original Batman series, with its dark mood and complex style.  I unfortunately was only able to catch the tail end of this series when I was young, so it isn't my favorite incarnation of the Bat.  Instead, I got to enjoy Batman Beyond, a show about a young man named Terry who takes over the mantle of Batman from Bruce Wayne.  This was also a more serious and darker version of Batman, but it was still a great series that proves that crime does not stop with age.






6. X-men: Evolution

Someday I will binge watch the original X-men series, because I've only seen random episodes and clips online.  When I was growing up, it was X-men: Evolution that got me interested in this mutant team.  It had your favorite characters trying to balance their lives as high school students and superheroes (except for Wolverine, don't worry).  The art was great, the stories were clever, and it brought in all your favorite mutants, and even some other Marvel Universe staples!  It also had a good complete story, and while I would have like to have seen a great follow-up series, Wolverine and the X-men hasn't lived up to my expectations.






5. Justice League/Justice League Unlimited

While you get a taste of the Justice League in Static Shock, JL lets you enjoy Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest in all their glory.  Each member of the team stays true to their comic source materials, and we get to watch them do battle with a range of well known as well as less well known supervillains.  When JLU came along, we got to watch some less recognizable heroes kick butt and enjoy learning about everyone in the DC Universe.  Also, the writers created interesting plots involving the ideas of freedom, public safety and patriotism, to expand the DC world and make it more than just a half hour of mindless violence.






4. Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Wallpaper), Wallpaper for "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes". "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes" is an American animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman.

Before the movie and spin-off cartoon, there was this gem.  EMH followed the adventures of the original Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Ant Man and Wasp as they try to capture 75 escaped supervillains and protect the planet.  During its two seasons, there is a rotating cast of Avengers, where several members leave but later rejoin the team, and new members like Hawkeye become Avengers.  Also, the stories involve some of the biggest villains in Marvel, including Loki and the Skrulls.  While Earth's Mightiest Heroes could have been something more, it was still a fun series and one of the few modern Marvel TV shows that they got right.






3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003)

I know, I know, everyone loves the 1987 versions, but you need to know this; it started 4 years before I was born and ended when I was five.  How was I supposed to understand what heroes in a half-shell means when I'm five?  No, it was the 2003 version for me.  Though it was darker and more serious than its previous incarnations, there was no lack of action, fun and intrigue in this series.  We got to see classic villains like the Shredder along with new villains and allies like Casey Jones, who a major supporting character in this series!  It was a party, and dare I say a......pizza party!!!!!!






2. Young Justice/ Young Justice: Invasion

This is the newest show on this list, but that doesn't mean Young Justice isn't as good as any of the older classic series.  Young Justice follows the teenage sidekicks of the Justice League, who do covert missions for the League.  We get to see Robin, Aqualad, Speedy, Artemis (Green Arrow's  sidekick), Miss Martian and Superboy fight the bad guys and still have time to do their homework.  The episodes, though serious, were fun and the overarching plots and villains made you want to keep watching.  The second season, Young Justice: Invasion, takes place 5 years after the original series, with an expanded roster that includes heroes like Blue Beetle and Arsenal.  Again, we are introduced to an intriguing plot with lots of twists and turns, and huge cast of DC characters and villains to enjoy.  Honestly, Young Justice being cancelled is probably one of the greatest cartoon tragedies ever.




Now it's time for #1!!!!!! And the winner is..............





1. Teen Titans

Did you see that coming?  Maybe?  It's OK if you didn't, but I love Teen Titans!  It was a fun show that could be a laugh riot one episode and then completely serious the next.  Each of the Titans had great character development and storylines involving devious and completely undivious plots.  Moreover, the last season, which was basically a teenage venison of DC's The Brave and the Bold, was a great move by the creators and had one of the best finales to a show I've ever seen (not the "Things Change" episode, cause that was just heartbreaking).  I also enjoyed the anime style in which it was animated, because it really made the humorous episodes amazing!  I've you've never watch Teen Titans, check it out because it it totally worth it!  Plus it gave us one of the greatest written lines in TV history.....
Side note:  Though I'm glad they got the gang back together for Teen Titans Go, it's just.......not the same. I'm sorry if you enjoy that show, but I'm not a fan.

So that's my Top Ten List!  As of now, I'm planning on seeing Guardians of the Galaxy this weekend and am really excited!  If I missed your favorite cartoon or you think one should be in a different spot, comment below.  Also follow me on Twitter at CatholicBA_Blog!

Peace and Love

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