It’s no secret that I love the DC animated movies. They have been on a real hot streak of success lately, and that’s before Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles even comes out. You also have Batman: Hush, which I feel like I’ve been waiting for my whole adult life. Now, things are about to get even better.
Warner Bros. Animation, DC and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment have announced the return of DC Showcase, a series of five animated shorts that will release as extras on DC Universe movie releases. The first will be “Sgt. Rock”, releasing with Batman: Hush. According to a press release, Sgt. Rock will be executive produced and directed by Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series) from a script by award-winning comics writers Louise Simonson & Walter Simonson and Tim Sheridan (Reign of the Supermen). The original tale finds battle-weary Sgt. Rock thinking he has seen everything that World War II can dish out. But he is in for the surprise of his life when he is assigned to lead a company consisting of legendary monsters into battle against an unstoppable platoon of Nazi zombies. Karl Urban (Star Trek & Lord of the Rings film franchises) provides the voice of Sgt. Rock. Also voicing characters in Sgt. Rock are Keith Ferguson, William Salyers and Audrey Wasilewski.
That’s amazing, but take a look at what else is coming:
- Adam Strange is produced and directed by Butch Lukic (Batman Unlimited franchise), who also conceived the original story – which is written by J.M. DeMatteis (Constantine: City of Demons). On a rugged asteroid mining colony, few of the toiling workers are aware that their town drunk was ever anything but an interplanetary derelict. But when the miners open a fissure into the home of a horde of deadly alien insects, his true identity is exposed. He is space adventurer Adam Strange, whose heroic backstory is played out in flashbacks as he struggles to save the very people who have scorned him for so long. Charlie Weber (How To Get Away with Murder) provides the voice of Adam Strange, alongside with Roger R. Cross, Kimberly Brooks, Ray Chase and Fred Tatasciore.
- Inspired by Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman,” Death is produced & directed by Sam Liu (Justice League vs. The Fatal Five) and written by J.M. DeMatteis (Batman: Bad Blood). In the story, Vincent, an artist with unresolved inner demons, meets a mysterious girl who helps him come to terms with his creative legacy … and eventual death. Leonardo Nam (Westworld) provides the voice of Vincent, and Jamie Chung (The Gifted, Big Hero 6) is the voice of Death. The cast includes Darin De Paul, Keith Szarabajka and Kari Wahlgren.
- The Phantom Stranger has Bruce Timm (Batman: The Killing Joke) at the helm as executive producer & director, and the short is written by Ernie Altbacker (Teen Titans: The Judas Contract). Set in the 1970s, the short follows young adult Jess as she joins her friends at a party in a dilapidated mansion hosted by the mysterious Seth. When odd things begin to happen to Jess and her friends, the Phantom Stranger intervenes to save her from a dreary fate. Peter Serafinowicz (The Tick) gives voice to The Phantom Stranger, and Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, Impastor) provides the voice of Seth. The Phantom Stranger also features the voices of Natalie Lander, Grey Griffin and Roger Craig Smith.
- Batman: “Death in the Family” is the final short, but more information will not be available on that until 2020.
Here’s why I love this so much. Most of these characters will probably never get their own movie. We will likely never see them get their own series either. This gives fans a chance to see one of their favorite, outside of the mainstream characters, get a much deserved spotlight. I have a short box with a bunch of Phantom Stranger comics, and I love the character. Now this gives me something that I never would have expected. These shorts will also be available in an extended release in 2020, so we will get even more at some point.
Remember, DC Showcase first launched in 2010. We got a Superman/Shazam team up, Jonah Hex and a few others. This is the perfect time to bring it back, especially with the recent success of the DC animated movies. This also opens up an endless list of possibilities. What characters would you like to see featured in DC Showcase?