DC Film Universes

Dear Wal,

If you haven't heard/don't understand what DCAU is supposed to stand for-well, simply the best collection of superhero TV shows of all time. I've watched BTAS, Batman: The New Adventures, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Batman Beyond and all the movies. I haven't seen the Superman stuff, simply because when I was watching all the shows listed above I wasn't into Superman. Or at least, I failed to see his good qualities through all the stupid ones. I haven't seen Static Shock or the Zeta Project either, but still the DCAU has to include some of my favorite shows of all time.

I'm not completely bias. I have seen the Marvel shows of that era-X-Men, Spiderman-but they just don't compare. Some of the newer Marvel material is much better-such as X-Men: Evolution and the famous and sadly cut-short The Spectacular Spiderman. Now, I liked X-Men a lot, Spiderman not so much, although it was nice to see Daredevil in animation. I've been waiting very impatiently for him to turn up on Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. I don't think he will, but one can always hope.
Anyway, to the point.

I saw Justice League: Doom today. I've read the original Tower of Babel story. I have to say I quite liked it, even though the previous movie Crisis on Two Earths was much better. Warner Bros. is building a new animated universe in this series of movies-Superman|Batman: Apocalypse, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths and Doom-and in Young Justice, possibly GL the animated series. I haven't seen that series, so I can't speak to whether or not it coincides with the movies/Young Justice. I would assume not, since the animation style is different and with the previous DCAU the animation was pretty similar throughout all the shows/movies.

I have to say I'm excited about the prospects for a future DCAU. The past few movies have taken the Justice League in a very different direction from how they were portrayed in the old show, cutting a lot of the drama of the old series and featuring them more as an efficient team. It feels very much like Grant Morrison's old JLA. I have to say though, I will miss the complex characters and the continuity of the old shows. I watched the JL & JLU mostly for Batman, but couldn't help being sucked in by all the characters. Still, it will be interesting to see how a new universe will play out. Will we see a new Batman series to put the bad dream of The Batman behind the DCAU? Will some other lesser-known characters of the DCU get a series?
I'd like to see Wonder Woman series, and even though I know this is never going to happen, a Martian Manhunter show. The Flash would also be great to see in his own series. Since we have Wally as Kid Flash and Berry as the Flash already established, the conditions are ripe for him to get his own series. Once again, I doubt it. DC has a plethora of characters whose potential hasn't bean recognized. Marvel has many great, well-known characters, but other than the JLA, Supes and Bats, DC doesn't really have any really popular characters. I think that could all be rememdied with a good animated series and a movie or two.

I don't go so much for DC live action movies, other than Nolan's Batman films. Honestly, I wouldn't know what to expect from a Flash or even a Wonder Woman live action movie. In the right hands, DC characters can really shine, but other times they just don't. Green Lantern is an example of that. The movie was alright, but not a good launching point for a live action universe. I loved the mention of Waller and Cadmus, I absolutely flipped when she strolled onto the screen, but other than that it seemed like a scrambled attempt to get something together to rival Marvel's universe  leading up to the Avengers. I have to say I'm PUMPED about that movie, even though I don't know much about the Avengers. I really don't know much about the Marvel universe at all. To me, a DC fan, it's highly disorganized and I really just don't understand it at all. Anyone know a good launching point into the Marvel universe? I tried the X-Men (really, really bad place to start) and the Avengers, and I've read a lot of Daredevil, but he doesn't get involved in the wider universe for the most part.
I'll rant about universes in comic books later...let's get back to film.

I don't know how I feel about a Justice League movie. DC heroes are even less realistic than Marvel heroes, and I don't think the JLA would work well in live action. I keep having these horrible images of spandex, or worse, leather. Eeeeeew. Naturally, this brings us around to the Smallville JL. I have to say I like Green Arrow's costume, but the rest of the characters seem too warped and out of place. I'm afraid of the influence that interpretation of the characters might have on a live action movie. Smallville is it's own universe, and it shouldn't influence anything else. I enjoy it, but I don't want it leaking out. Again, images of melodramatic Supes and leather, eeeeeeeeew.
Anyway, super excited for the animated universe, not so much for live action.

/end rant

P.S. Superhero Toonverse <--website devoted exclusively to Superheroes in animation.