Once we're ready to put 2019 behind us, I'm confident that we'll be able to say this year was a great time for DC animation. In my view, Reign of the Supermen, Justice League vs. The Fatal Five and Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were each impressive to varying degrees, with Batman: Hush dazzling audiences most recently.
You know, the funny thing about the Jason Todd character is that he was very much reviled during his time as Robin, yet he gained an impressive cult following upon assuming the Red Hood identity after his resurrection. I'm serious when I say some people were dancing in the streets after the Joker murdered him back in the 1980's, but now it seems like we just can't get enough of him.
Aside from The Walking Dead, I'd say Hellboy is one of the comic book franchises not hatched by either DC or Marvel to have caught on with mainstream audiences most. Sure, the recent reboot may have bombed at the box office, but let's not forget how favorably the two flicks starring Ron Perlman have been viewed - not to mention the two animated movies spawned from those as well.
While some folks may allege that 2017's big screen adaptation of Stephen King's IT made them pee their pants, it seems like they sure didn't care because that flick raked in obscene amounts of money normally unheard of in the horror genre. That said, we're likewise expecting for the upcoming IT: Chapter Two to be an enormous success.
While I'm admitting that 2016's Suicide Squad wasn't exactly a crowning achievement in the art of cinema and didn't adapt certain DC characters in the way it should've (Jared Leto's Joker, for example), the film did have its moments. In fact, I really enjoyed how Batman was seen from the criminals' point of view, as he was portrayed like an unstoppable force of nature. Though each member of Task Force X was badass in their own right, none of them could compare to the Dark Knight when their respective paths crossed - and that was pretty cool.
Although I'm sure every fan has an idea in their head about how Arrow should conclude, my gut tells me we'll all be surprised come 2020. In a way, season 7's finale, "You Have Saved This City," capped off Oliver Queen's original mission, so the sky's the limit now that we're taking a science fiction turn because of "Crisis on Infinite Earths."
In addition to just being hyped in general for yet another season of Titans, I'd have to say that I'm especially looking forward to seeing what this series will do with Deathstroke. Like many of you, I dug what Manu Bennett brought to the character on The CW's Arrow, but let's see what happens once Esai Morales' Slade Wilson is let loose with a TV-MA rating. Oh yes, there will be blood.
When it was revealed just yesterday that Colton Haynes won't be returning for Arrow's eighth and final season, I'm sure that a lot of hearts sank. Suffice it to say, Roy Harper has caught on as one of the show's most popular supporting characters, as he's garnered much support over the years.
From where I'm sitting, this has been a pretty good week for those of us awaiting Titans' sophomore season. First, we got a brand new look at Minka Kelly's Dove, and then the first trailer hit the web. Of course, those of you who had the pleasure of attending San Diego Comic-Con had already viewed the latter, but the rest of the world has now had the opportunity to partake in the fun.
When it comes to the long-gestating Batgirl movie, I'm not sure what to say about it other than it probably stands a better chance of seeing the light of day than Nightwing. Even though Joss Whedon is out as director, word got out this week that the hunt is back on, so hopefully that void is filled before long.
