Bruce Timm Steps Down at Warner Bros. Animation

Bruce Timm, perhaps the first and last name in animated superheroes, is stepping down from his position as a supervising producer at Warner Bros. Animation.  It's important to note that he hasn't been fired, nor is he leaving the company at this time. As of now, he is simply handing over his responsibilities to  longtime collaborator James Tucker so that he can pursue his own projects.

Bruce Timm is best known for creating the DC Animated Universe ("DCAU" or "the Timmverse") that began with Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, and then later included Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.  I think it is fair to say that when you have an entire fictional universe named after you, you have done something right with your career.  

For a generation, the works of Bruce Timm have been the face of some of the oldest and most beloved superheroes.  Batman: TAS continues to be not only one of my personal favorite animated shows, but also a defining entry in the look and mythology of the character.  Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill will forever be Batman and the Joker and, like her or not, Harley Quinn is here to stay.  While contemporary series done by Marvel were jerky looking and overly arc-heavy, the DCAU combined modern yet timeless animation with stories that created a universe that didn't feel overly burdensome to understand.

Even though Justice League Unlimited wrapped up the story of the DCAU, Timm has also supervised the highly successful line of standalone DVD titles featuring a myriad of DC heroes both famous and obscure.  He hasn't done much in TV lately, and it shows with Cartoon Network cancelling its current DC lineup in favor of a reworked version of Teen Titans and a radical new approach to the Dark Knight called Beware the Batman.  Young Justice got the ax after just two seasons, and despite Timm's supervision, the CGI Green Lantern never managed to pick up traction.  

While not intentional, I think that the DCAU may have set the bar too high, and new projects are struggling to compete with that level of quality.  The competition between DC and Marvel is as heated as ever, and DC is struggling to maintain its hold on having better animated programs.  I would be slightly interested to see Bruce Timm be given the opportunity to work on the live-action DC movies that are attempting to outdo The Avengers.  Like Joss Whedon, Timm brings a level of humor and humanity to superheroes and is capable of making them awesome, but believable and relatable; a tough trick for characters who have the power of gods and brandish their knickers on the outside.

In all likelihood though, Timm will pursue some other animated projects of his own.  He's done comics for so long, I would kind of like to see him try his hand at some other sort of project though.  With his sense of design and art style, I would love to see what he could do with a more traditional comedy cartoon.  Regardless of what happens next, I remain optimistic for the future.  Warner Bros. Animation is in good hands with James Tucker, and I anxiously await whatever Bruce Timm has up his sleeve next.  I wouldn't even mind waiting for a while.  He's earned a bit of a break.

"Young Justice" Saves DC Nation

This is a series that, even though it's been around since last year, I've just now gotten to watching. Young Justice is one of Cartoon Network's entries in its DC Nation programming block.  It centers on a team of young heroes as they work under the supervision of the Justice League to carry out missions and learn what it means to be a team and a hero.

The "Team" in the first season is comprised of Robin, Kid Flash, a new Aqualad, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Green Arrow's new protege Artemis.  New members eventually join up, but these six remain the focus of the series during the first season.

First off, what I like about the show.  It looks great, especially when compared to that god-awful looking Green Lantern.  I also like how each member of the team has some sort of relationship with their corresponding "senior" hero whether it be familial (Miss Martian and her uncle Martian Manhunter) or a bit strained (Superboy and Superman).  And even though normally I don't like characters who are invented purely for a show, I really like the new Aqualad and the gravitas he brings to the Team.  Plus, the fact that he is black actually serves a narrative purpose later on rather than just to make the roster politically correct (I'm looking at you John Stewart on Justice League and Justice League Unlimited).  Coming of age is a major theme, and it is executed rather well as each hero learns the full extent and limits of their powers and how to work with each other.  I particularly enjoyed Robin's struggles with leadership and his relationship with Batman.  The show feels less like and origin story and more of a proper tale unto itself.

There are some drawbacks however.  Many times the writing feels off or just plain bad.  Some little gimmicks, like Robin's fascination with prefixes, strike me as more annoying than clever.   The show may be geared for teens, but there is way too much crushing and relationship stuff going on for my liking.  Luckily though there isn't much in the way of the dreaded love triangle.  To further the "don't trust anyone under 30" vibe, many of the established members of the Justice League come off as cold and even downright harsh.  I can't help but scratch my head at the fact that the two most compassionate heroes are Red Tornado (an android) and Batman (The Goddamn Batman)!  Young Justice is in the middle of its second season, and the tone this time around has shifted drastically.  The whole season is now one long arc with each episode tying directly to the next one.  Season one was also guilty of this with its references to the Big Bad at the end of nearly every episode, but at least the first time around it was a bit looser and a viewer could enjoy an episode without feeling completely lost.

As I've pointed out before, the two main comic companies seem to have differing levels of success regarding their respective properties.  DC has always led the pack in animation, both for TV and their direct to DVD films.  Young Justice fits in nicely with DC's other successful TV shows, and while I don't think it will surpass the universe created by Bruce Timm, it is still a strong entry in the animated superhero genre.  All it needs now is more of this guy.