Avengers '67 - Set 2, Vols. 3 & 4 (1966)

Set 2 in The Avengers '67 includes more episodes of the long- running British television series at its creative peak of great writing, color filming (for the first time on the show), and flawless chemistry between actors Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg. This batch includes six episodes on two DVDs, including the unstoppable-corpse mystery "The Living Dead"; the cheeky, killer-feline story "The Hidden Tiger"; the finishing-school drama "The Correct Way to Die"; the scary "Epic"; the Agatha Christie-like "The Superlative Seven"; and "Never Never Say Die."

Batman: The Animated Series, Vol. 1 (1992)

Actors: Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill
Directors: Bruce Timm

Warner Brothers' Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995) remains a striking, stylized program that helped to revitalize the familiar comic book hero. Drawing on such diverse influences as Frank Miller's graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns, the Fleischers' Superman cartoons of the early '40s, and contemporary Japanese animation, the filmmakers stress interesting designs and cinematography. The Caped Crusader prowls a sinister, Art Deco-styled world of tall verticals, sharp angles, silhouettes, searchlights, and grid-like shadows cast by window frames. Its visual pizzazz eclipses Filmation's pallid kidvid, The Batman/Superman Hour (CBS, 1968), which ran off and on in various incarnations through 1981. Many of the same artists worked on the Batman animated features (e.g., Mask of the Phantasm (1993), Batman Beyond--The Movie (1999)), which display similar strengths and weaknesses.

Ironically, Batman: The Animated Series looks better in stills than it does in motion. The artists fail to stylize the movements of the characters to match the dramatic settings, as Genndy Tartakovsky and his crew did in Samurai Jack. Batman uses sophisticated computers to combat the well-known villains--the Joker, the Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Catwoman--as well as some less celebrated baddies: Manbat, Clayface, The Mad Hatter. The bad guys cram a lot of plotting and scheming into each 22-minute episode, but the violence is kept to a broadcast standards minimum. The Dark Knight's First Knight easily ranks as the most interesting of the extras. Producers Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski recount the genesis of the series, and show their mini-pilot, which is more violent and more fully animated. If the complete episodes had matched the pilot, the series would have been much more exciting. (Unrated, suitable for ages 8 and older: violence, mild grotesque imagery)

Also available are seasons 2 to 4

The Batman - The Complete Fifth Season

The Joining has returned and has transferred the powers of the Justice League's most powerful members into alien androids. Look for appearances by Green Lantern, Hawkman, Flash, Superman, Green Arrow, Toyman, Mirror Master and Dr. Hugo Strange.

Also available are seasons 1 to 4

Batman and Robin - The Complete 1949 Movie Serial Collection (1949)

Actors: Robert Lowery, Johnny Duncan, Jane Adams, Lyle Talbot, Ralph Graves
Directors: Spencer Gordon Bennet
Writers: Bob Kane, George H. Plympton, Joseph F. Poland, Royal K. Cole
Producers: Sam Katzman
Format: Black & White, Full Screen, Closed-captioned, NTSC

There's no Batmobile, and Robert Lowery looks a bit, ahem, well-fed as the Caped Crusader, but Columbia Pictures' 1949 black-and-white serial Batman and Robin is up to its cape and cowl in cliffhangers, crime capers, and good old-fashioned rock-em-sock-em action. Directed at a breakneck pace by serial vet Spencer Gordon Bennett, the Complete 1949 Movie Serial Collection's 15 episodes pits Lowery's Batman and Johnny Duncan as the Boy Wonder against arch-villain The Wizard, who has designs on a remote-control device that doubles as a death ray. Jane Adams's Vicki Vale is on hand to fall into peril at least once per episode, while Ed Wood regular Lyle Talbot looks on sternly as Commissioner Gordon. Viewers weaned on Tim Burton's dark, sleek interpretation of the Batman mythos will undoubtedly groan over the creaky dialogue and performances (creator Bob Kane was no fan, either), but fans with designs on absorbing every bit of Bat-trivia possible will probably get a kick out of this well-intentioned attempt at bringing the Dark Knight's adventures to screen. The episodes are divided onto two DVDs, which offer no extras.

BATMAN UNDER THE RED HOOD SPEC ED DVD (NET)

Batman faces his greatest challenge as the mysterious Red Hood takes Gotham City by storm. One part vigilante, one part criminal mastermind, the Red Hood begins cleaning up Gotham with the efficiency of Batman, but without the same ethical standard as the Dark Knight. Killing is an option - and when the Joker falls in the balance between the two, hard truths are revealed and old wounds are reopened.

Produced by Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series), with voices by Jensen Ackles (Supernatural), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek), and Jason Isaacs (the Harry Potter movies).

Green Lantern: First Flight (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2009)

Actors: Christopher Meloni, Victor Garber, Tricia Helfer, Michael Madsen, John Larroquette
Directors: Lauren Montgomery
Writers: Alan Burnett
Producers: Alan Burnett, Bobbie Page, Bruce W. Timm, Linda Steiner, Sam Register
Format: Animated, Color, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC

Green Lantern: First Flight is an animated and lively origin story about the transformation of test pilot Hal Jordan into a member of an intergalactic society watching over the universe. Flying an experimental jet one day, Jordan (voiced by Law and Order: Special Victims Unit's Christopher Meloni) encounters a dying alien who is a Green Lantern protector of Earth's sector of the cosmos. The alien's ring, a repository of enormous power granted by a council of elders called the Guardians, zips onto Jordan's finger, but neither the Guardians nor other Green Lanterns are ready to accept him as an unproven member. Complicating things for Jordan is the fact that the Green Lantern tasked with mentoring him, Sinestro (Victor Garber), is plotting the destruction of the Guardians with the acquisition of "yellow power," the only force that makes the Lanterns' green power useless.

Jordan's resilience and willingness to throw himself in harm's way for the good of everyone gain respect, but his inevitable showdown with Sinestro is an epic fight. This PG-13 feature is a bit bloody, and there are a few swear words, but most of the violence arises from that familiar, shape-shifting light emanating from Jordan's ring. Happily, there is some of the old DC Comics wit in the way his Green Lantern ring shapes its beam into such imaginative weapons as a golf club and a flyswatter. A second DVD packed with special features includes background on Sinestro, a Justice League short, a featurette on the making of Green Lantern: First Flight, and, best of all, "Duck Dodgers: The Green Lantern."

The Herculoids DVD Collection

Actors: Mike Road, Virginia Gregg, Ted Eccles, Don Messick
Series Produced by Joseph Barbera and William Hanna

The Herculoids are a group of five super-powered creatures led by King Zandor of Amzot, his wife Tara, and his son Dorno. Together, the Herculoids battle to defend their planet from menaces on Quasar and from Outer Space.

Iron Man: Armored Adventures Complete Season 1 (2008)

Actors: Adrian Petriw, Daniel Bacon, Anna Cummer, Vincent Tong, Kristie Marsden
Writers: Brandon Auman, Craig Kyle, Cyril Tysz, Don Heck, Guillaume Enard
Format: Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English

Join the adventures of teenage prodigy Tony Stark and his alter ego, Iron Man, as he uses his technological inventions to battle villains and save the world! Includes all 26 episodes from Season 1.

Jabberjaw DVD Collection

Actors: Tommy Cook, Barry Gordon, Julie McWhirter, Don Messick, Patricia Parris, Shelly LaMarine, Janet Waldo, Frank Welker
Producer: Joseph Barbera, William Hanna, Alex Lovy, Iwao Takamoto

Jabberjaw is a Great White shark living in the year 2041. He is the drummer of a band known as the Neptunes. His four band mates, Biff, Bubbles, Clamhead, and Shelly accompany Jabberjaw on his various undersea adventures. Together they battle various villains who threaten their underwater world.

Marvel Iron Man: The Complete Animated Series - 3-Disc DVD

Actors: John Reilly, Robert Hays, Jennifer Hale
Format: Animated, Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled

From Stan Lee comes Marvel's complete 1994 animated television series, IRON MAN. Experience every thrilling moment -- from the very first episode to the final climactic battle -- in this 3-disc collector's edition. Witness the action-packed adventure from the very beginning as billionaire inventor Tony Stark dons his invincible suit of iron to battle the villainous Mandarin and the power of his ten deadly rings. With fellow superheroes Nick Fury, War Machine, Scarlet Witch, Spider Woman and Hawkeye at his side, Iron Man faces off against a band of evil foes, including Whiplash... and confronts his own demons, as well. Go behind the armor and get to know the man under the powered suit. This complete IRON MAN collection is a must-have for fans of all ages!

The Mighty Heroes DVD Collection

When dastardly deeds are afoot and super villains are running afoul, then a call goes out for... THE MIGHTY HEROES! Strong Man, Rope Man, Tornado Man, Cuckoo Man, and Diaper Man are here to answer the call. These not-so-super heroes attempt to foil the evil plans of villains like: The Toy Man, The Enforcer, The Raven, and The Junker to name only a few.

Mighty Mightor DVD Collection

Tor is a teenage caveman who, after helping an old hermit, receives a magic club that transforms him into the super-powered Mightor. Along with his flying dinosaur pet Tog and his younger brother Little Rok, Mightor fights a never-ending battle against villainous stone-age baddies. 

Planet Hulk (Two Disc Special Edition) (2010)

Actors: Kevin Michael Richardson, Mark Hildreth, Rick D. Wasserman, Liam O'Brien, Marc Worden
Directors: Sam Liu
Producers: Carrie Wassenaar, Joshua Fine

Not content to only smash the Earth to a pulp, the Incredible Hulk takes his rage to the distant stars in Planet Hulk, a rock-'em, sock-'em animated feature that pits Marvel's mighty green giant against a villainous interplanetary ruler in a story line drawn from one of the title's best latter-day comics. Dispatched into space by Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and the rest of the Illuminati, the Hulk (whose human alter ego, Bruce Banner, is nowhere to be found in this film) crashes on the planet Sakaar, where he's thrown into a gladiatorial arena to fight hordes of monsters for the pleasure of the planet's cruel leader, the Red King. Naturally, captivity does not sit well with the Hulk, who teams with other prisoners to battle the King's forces. Younger Hulk fans should be forewarned that the action here is frequently bloody, and the themes a bit more complex than Marvel's Saturday-morning fare, but fans of the original Planet Hulk comics will appreciate how closely the feature hews to the source material, with only a few variations; the plethora of Marvel persona on display, including a brief cameo by Thor, Beta Ray Bill (stepping in for the Silver Surfer), Adam Warlock, and Star-Lord, is also a plus.

And there's a wealth of extras to keep Hulk and Marvel fans happy, including two commentaries--one, a technical spec-heavy track with director Sam Liu (The Batman), character designer Philip Bourassa, and key background painter Steve Nicodemus, the other, a juicy, trivia-driven chat with writer Greg Johnson (Wolverine and the X-Men) and producer Joshua Fine--as well as "Let the Smashing Commence! The Saga of Planet Hulk," which features interviews with Greg Pak, who cocreated the Planet Hulk comic story line, and artist Aaron Lopresti. The latter is of particular interest to anyone curious as to what happened to the Hulk and Co. after this adventure. A 20-minute making-of featurette offers side-by-side comparisons of original comic panels and scenes from the film, as well as an alternate look at the opening sequence. The two-disc set (the second disc is a digital copy for PC or Mac) is rounded out by a snippet from the Thor: Tales of Asgard feature, a Hulk-centric episode of Wolverine and the X-Men, trailers for Hulk online games, and a pair of curious "music videos" featuring Spider-Woman and the X-Men. --Paul Gaita

Superman - The Animated Series, Volume One (DC Comics Classic Collection) (1996)

Actors: Tim Daly, Dana Delany, Clancy Brown
Directors: Bruce W. Timm
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
Language: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

From the creators of Batman: The Animated Series comes DC Comics' polar opposite: the Man of Steel in Superman: The Animated Series, Volume One. Like the Dark Knight's series, Superman: The Animated Series is a successful, modern telling of the classic story. Superman's tale is already known to most people, enduring as a modern American myth. The challenge for the producers was how to make something old and familiar new again. Quite successfully, they managed to modernize the Superman environment and its characters enough to attract a new audience but also maintained the integrity of the mythos to satisfy longtime fans. What lifts Superman: The Animated Series above all past Superman shows is its high-quality animation, strong dramatic scripts, a star studded cast, and the creators' willingness to present the show more like a series than a cartoon. It begins with a three-part episode ("The Last Son of Krypton") chronicling the last days of Krypton, the introduction of Braniac, Kal-El's trip to Earth, his development into Superman, and finally his introduction to the world. These three episodes lay the foundation for the next 15 adventures that follow, including confrontations with rivals Lex Luthor, Metallo, Braniac, the bizarre Lobo, and others. For fans of Superman, DC Comics, superheroes, the comic genre, and action tales in general, Superman: The Animated Series is not to be missed.

Also available is Volumes 2 and 3.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (Two-Disc Special Edition) (2009)

Actors: Clancy Brown, Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, Xander Berkeley, Corey Burton
Directors: Sam Liu
Writers: Ed McGuinness, Jeph Loeb, Stan Berkowitz
Producers: Alan Burnett, Benjamin Melniker, Bobbie Page, Bruce W. Timm
Format: Animated, Color, NTSC

Based on the six-issue comic-book arc by Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuiness, Superman/Batman Public Enemies finds DC's stalwart heroes on the wrong side of the law. It's not too surprising, considering Lex Luthor has been elected President of the United States, and he sets up an elaborate scheme to frame his archenemy for murdering his henchman, Metallo. That puts a bounty on their heads that a horde of supervillains is determined to collect, and a good part of the movie is dedicated to all-out action against Gorilla Grodd, Captain Cold, and many, many others. And when it's not supervillains, Superman and Batman have to face off against heroes that Luthor has recruited to his administration, including Captain Atom, Power Girl, Katana, and Starfire. The movie is very faithful to its source material, reusing many of the dialogue lines, though without the internal monologues, and some of the situations toward the end of the book are missing.
At 69 minutes, Public Enemies is fairly short for a DC Universe animated movie and perhaps because the original story is part of an ongoing series, it feels more like a string of episodes from one of executive producer Bruce Timm's TV series rather than an event like Wonder Woman or The New Frontier. But it's entertaining to watch, and highlighted by the return of familiar voices Tim Daly (Superman), Kevin Conroy (Batman), and Clancy Brown (Luthor). Inside joke: Smallville's Allison Mack voices Power Girl.

Super Friends!: Season One, Vol. One

This is it! Superman! Wonder Woman! Aquaman! Batman & Robin! The very first Super Friends incarnation, with Wendy, Marvin & Wonderdog is finally coming to DVD!

Fans have been waiting years for this and now it's here! The show was comprised of 16 hour long episodes (about 45 minutes without commercials) and included some rare guest appearances such as Green Arrow & Plastic Man among others.

Warner Brothers is releasing the 1973 Season in Two 8 episode Volumes, which are both 2 discs each.

Episodes included with Volume 1:

Disc 1:
01) The Power Pirate
02) The Baffles Puzzle
03) Professor Goodfellow's G.E.E.C.
04) The Weather Maker

Disc 2:
05) Dr. Pelagian's War
06) The Shamon 'U'
07) Too Hot To Handle
08) The Androids

Also available is Vol 2 and other series of Super Friends

Teen Titans - The Complete First Season (DC Comics Kids Collection) (2003)

Actors: Hynden Walch, Scott Menville, Greg Cipes, Khary Payton, Tara Strong
Writers: John Esposito
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

The complete first season of Cartoon Network and WBTV's fine adaptation of Marv Wolfman and George Perez's '80s-era DC Comics title Teen Titans arrives in a 13-episode two-disc set. The attractive, anime-influenced episodes of the series' 2003 debut season pit the Titans--former Batman sidekick Robin, Beast Boy, Starfire, Cyborg, Terra, and Raven--against a horde of regular foes, including Slade (voiced by Ron Perlman), Trigon, Trident, Mad Mod, and many others. True to their age, the Titans also have to deal with issues about maturity, confidence, a hint of romance, and even a body-switch between two members.

Also available is seasons 2 to 5

Top Cat - The Complete Series (1961)

Actors: Jean Vander Pyl
Directors: William Hanna, Joseph Barbera
Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
Language: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

In the tradition of great screen conmen--one of the few with a visible tail--"Top Cat" holds a top spot in the hearts of cartoon fans. The smooth-talking New York City cat, known as T.C. to his kitty cohorts Benny the Ball, Choo-Choo, Spook, The Brain and Fancy-Fancy, is always on the make toward a big score or swindle. And the bothersome--and ever-exasperated--Officer Dibble is relentlessly on his case (although always a step behind)--throughout 30 fast, funny episodes. This deluxe 4-disc set offers terrifically top Bonus Extras as befits, so the swinging theme song immortalizes, "the chief, he's the king, but above everything: he's the most tiptop Top Cat!"

Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut (2009)

Actors: Jackie Earle Haley, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup
Directors: Eric Matthies, Jake Strider Hughes, Zack Snyder
Writers: Alan Moore, Alex Tse, Dave Gibbons, David Hayter, Hans Rodionoff
Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English

The Set Includes:

Disc 1
- Watchmen, the Ultimate Cut  
- Commentary from Zac Snyder and Dave Gibbons (Explains everything from prop inspirations to plot alterations)
- BD Live

Disc 2
- The Phenomenon: The Comic That Changed Comics
- Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes
- Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World
- Watchmen: Video Journals
- Under the Hood
- Story Within a Story: The Books of Watchmen
- My Chemical Romance, 'Desolation Row' Music Video

Disc 3
- Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comics
- Watchmen Video Journal, Dave Gibbons
- Wonder Woman Sneak Peak

Disc 4
- Bonus Digital Copy (Not Blu-ray)- Digital Copy of the Theatrical Version.

WARNING:
- Disc 1 does not include 'Watchmen' WITHOUT 'the Black Freighter' integrated. The digital copy may somewhat compensate for this, but if you're still not satisfied, you'll have to purchase the 'Director's Cut' and 'the Black Freighter' separetely.

'The Ultimate Cut':

O, except maybe for the 3 additional discs with extra material. The Box it comes in, is pretty snazzy and durable too.

Also available is the Watchmen Trade Paperback

Wacky Races - The Complete Series (1968)

Actors: Daws Butler, Don Messick, John Stephenson, Janet Waldo, Dave Willock
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Animated, NTSC
Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Mix The Great Race with the slapstick humor of Road Runner cartoons and the wildly inventive minds of Hanna-Barbera, and you've got the 1968 animated series Wacky Races. You remember the lineup: the Slag brothers in the Boulder-Mobile; the Gruesome Twosome in the Creepy Coupe, with a dragon in its belfry; Prof. Pat Pending (ha ha) in the Convert-a-Car; Red Max in the Crimson Haybailer biplane; Sergeant Blast and Private Meekly in the tank-like Army Surplus Special; the Ant Hill Mob in the Bullitt-Proof Bomb; Lazy Luke and Blubber Bear in the Arkansas Chugga-Bug; Rufus Ruffcut and Sawtooth the beaver in the Buzz Wagon; the Belle of the Brickyard, Penelope Pitstop, in the Compact Pussycat; Peter Perfect in the Turbo Terrific; and our hissable villains, Dick Dastardly and his snickering muttering dog, Muttley ("Sassa frassin'...") in the Mean Machine. In each 11-minute episode, the physics-defying cars compete in different areas of the country ("See-Saw to Arkansas," "Rhode Island Road Race," "The Carlsbad or Bust Bash"), so evenly matched that any car has a chance to win despite the evil schemes of Dastardly and Muttley, who always seem to come to a Wile E. Coyote-type end (writer Mike Maltese worked on both series). There's never really a plot, but just a string of situations and gags before someone finally crosses the finish line to earn the checkered flag.

The DVD set contains all 34 episodes of the series, looking reasonably good. Four members of the original creative team appear on a commentary track on four different episodes, and their discussion is less interesting for what they have to say about Wacky Races ("What was that car again?") than for their memories of working for Hanna-Barbera ("we did things off the top of the head"). There's also pop-up factoids on two episodes, a 20-minute recap of the series' history, and a look at the two spinoff series, Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines and The Perils of Penelope Pitstop. That a relatively short-lived series could inspire two spinoffs, toys, comic books, a CD-ROM game, and other souvenirs is a testament to its ability to capture the Saturday-morning imagination and create a lot of fond memories