Superman's Savage Redesign Changes His Connection to Humanity

In the DC Universe, Superman is held up as a beacon of humanity. But surprisingly, it's his new Jurassic League dinosaur doppelganger that has a better connection with the people of Earth.

The Jurassic League reimagines classic DC characters as superpowered dinosaurs. This bizarre world includes regular dinosaurs as well as primitive humans. The villainous dinosaurs, which include dino versions of the Joker, Bizarro, and Black Manta, are abducting humans for a nefarious purpose involving a mysterious Dark Embryo. All the while, dino versions of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman try to stop them.

Not surprisingly, the dino version of Superman, called Supersaur, has a similar origin to his human counterpart. He was sent away from a dying planet and crash-landed on Earth, where he was adopted by primitive humans and raised to be considered one of their own. In The Jurassic League #2 by Juan Gedeon and Daniel Warren Johnson, it's revealed that Supersaur stands apart from the dino version of Batman because he can actually understand the human’s language. Having been raised among humans, Supersaur can communicate with both humanity and the superpowered dinosaurs. This language barrier has been frustrating for the dino Batman, who saved a human child and has been unable to communicate with him.

This language skill makes Superman not just an adopted member of humanity, but the sole bridge between them and the powerful dinosaurs with who they co-exist. It's as if a large society of Kryptonians also existed on Earth in DC's main reality, with Superman as the lone member who can speak to humanity on their behalf and vice versa. Given that the Jurassic League is assembling against a huge dino threat, Superman's role as an ambassador for humanity makes him vitally important. This is a fascinating new twist on his status as an adopted 'human,' and one that gives him a different kind of power and responsibility.

This changed dynamic is a subtle but an important difference between Supersaur and Clark Kent, even as it reflects on the original Man of Steel. Ultimately, any new version of a hero is an interpretation of the themes and ideas core to the character. In Superman's case, while Clark Kent may not be literally mediating between humans and Kryptonians on a daily basis, he is a symbolic expression of the best humanity can be. In this way, Supersaur's ability to speak to both humans and dinosaurs says something essential about Superman's purpose in seeking peace, and the foundational sense of teamwork and acceptance that the Justice League needs for its very different heroes to unite together against planetary threats like the Dark Embryo.

The Flash Finally Gets A Super-Pet (and It's Oddly Perfect)

In that latest issue of Batman: Urban Legends, the Dark Knight gives The Flash his own Super-Pet which is oddly perfect for the Fastest Man Alive. While heroes such as Batman and Superman have consistently had dogs in the comics (Krypto and Ace), Flash's status as a pet owner has been a bit more ambiguous across DC's various continuities. However, his new pet is a wonderful homage to the animal companion he once had in DC's Golden Age.

Featured in the Batman: Urban Legends anthology series, "Hounded" sees Batman's dog Ace forming a new Legion of Super-Pets to save Batman who's been captured by the Russian mob. Written by Mark Russell with artist Karl Mostert, Ace was taken to an illegal kennel and lab that specialized in creating animal bodyguards for criminals and supervillains. As such, the Bat-Hound encounters a cognitively enhanced chicken capable of limited speech, a pickpocketing squirrel, and a massive bear named Ursa. Breaking out and freeing these abused animals from their cages, they all join Ace in his mission to save Batman. However, Batman's dog also saves what must be the fastest turtle alive (having been forced to run for its life on a treadmill with a grinder at the end)

Following the Legion of Super-Pets' adventure to save Batman in Urban Legends #16, Bruce Wayne helps Ace find new homes for the Bat-Hound's animal allies. Naturally, Batman gives a call to the Flash to see if he'd be interested in taking the super fast turtle home as his pet. While unnamed, it does seem as though this turtle is a more grounded take on Merton McSnurtle, Flash's speedster turtle from DC's Golden Age. As a result, it's quite the perfect pairing between the Fastest Man Alive and the World's Fastest Turtle.

While Merton McSnurtle hasn't been featured in the current comics as much as her fellow Super-Pets (even Damian Wayne's Bat-Cow has had more of a spotlight), she has been getting time to shine in other media. For instance, The Flash television show on the CW saw Barry Allen receiving a pet turtle named Merton as a housewarming gift, while Natasha Lyonne will be voicing Merton in the animated League of Super-Pets film (who's seemingly able to tap into the Speed Force like her Golden Age counterpart).

At any rate, Flash having an oddly fast turtle for a pet is now part of the DC continuity once more. As such, it would be lots of fun to see this particular Super-Pet in the future. Perhaps in a sequel series for this new version of DC's all-animal team? Here's hoping Batman: Urban Legends won't be the last fans see of Merton McSnurtle the Super Fast Turtle.

Superman Has a Chilling Explanation for Why He Doesn't Help Everyone

While he's capable of solving the world's problems, that doesn't mean that Superman is willing to. The Man of Steel spelled out the fine line he has to walk in order to prevent himself from negatively affecting humanity.

When baby Kal-El was rocketed to Earth to avoid the destruction of Krypton, his father knew that the boy would one day grow up to possess amazing powers that would practically make him a god among the population. While he's far from the only hero on Earth, there's enough evidence to argue that Superman is the most powerful DC hero around. Clark has come a long way from his days of being able to run faster than a speeding bullet or leap tall buildings in a single bound. Superman's powers have advanced to the point where, if he so desired, he could solve all of Earth's problems for good.

And yet, despite knowing that he could, Clark actually refuses to eliminate every problem on Earth, though he isn't without his reasons. He was forced to admit this to Kyle Rayner after the hero received a power boost thanks to wielding the power of Ion. In Judd Winnick and Doug Eaglesham’s Green Lantern #149, Kyle Rayner has become more powerful than ever before and effortlessly shows off his new power to the JLA. The Green Lantern effortlessly stops an alien invasion all on his own before the League can even form a response. Superman takes it upon himself to talk to the young hero, letting him know that Green Lantern is actually doing too good a job with his new powers. Clark explains to Kyle that their power is meant to stop evil forces too powerful for regular people. Anything more than that robs humanity of its independence.

To prove his point, Superman shows Green Lantern how, in just a small period of time, Kyle already has people worshipping him as a god online. To be fair, even Superman admits there are a number of churches who worship him, though he credits that more to the time he's spent working as a hero. Still, Clark shed an interesting light on how he operates. As much as he may want to, Superman has to let humanity work things out for themselves.

He may just be one hero among many, but there is little to no doubt that the most beloved hero in the DC Universe is Superman. But for all the people who look up to him, Clark knows that he has to do what's best for them. As easy as it would be for him to solve society's ills, it would rob the people he cares for of their purpose and growth. Clark loves the Earth and its cultures more than anything. The last thing he would want to do is change it. It's a hard line to walk and no doubt difficult to accept sometimes, but Superman can't solve the problems of the world if it thinks it deserves its own identity.

The Arrowverse Finally Gets The Villain It Deserves in New DC Crossover

The Arrowverse might be a shell of its former self on the small screen, but in the comics, Earth-Prime just got the ultimate villain it deserves. In a new preview for Earth-Prime: Hero's Twilight by DC Comics, Magog finally makes his grand entrance against Supergirl, Impulse, and other Arrowverse heroes, sending out a series of attacks that will make the crossover event's grand finale one that can't be missed.

The Arrowverse is the culmination of several shows airing on The CW, starting with the debut of the Green Arrow-starring Arrow in 2012. In the next decade, several spinoffs and additions joined The CW's superhero universe, as The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman, and Supergirl all landed shows with the network. However, in 2022, only The Flash and Superman & Lois are left standing after the cancelation of the still-popular Arrowverse spinoffs Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow. As the small screen shows got cut down, a crossover in the comics is giving the Arrowverse the villain it deserves, as Kingdom Come's Magog makes his final stand against the heroes.

In a new preview for Earth-Prime: Hero's Twilight #6 by Thomas Pound, Jeff Hersh, Will Robson, Alex Sinclair, and Tom Napolitano, Magog's ultimate plan finally reveals itself, as he unleashes his collection of villains from across space and time. Bart and Nora Allen take on Magog, but are quickly overmatched by the energy-blasting villain. Impulse nearly dies before Supergirl arrives on the scene. Bart watches in amazement while watching the "Supergirl-level threat."

However, even with Supergirl intervening in the fight against Magog, the villain's plans still continue. Throughout the Arrowverse crossover, Magog assembled some terrifying villains to stop the age of heroes, including Clayface, Kal-El from another Earth, a clone of the Needle, and Evil Eye. The preview ends with the revelation about who Magog is as he ramps up attacks across the city.

The Arrowverse small-screen crossovers were a lot of fun, but they never felt like its greatest heroes were facing off against a singular force that managed to take on all the heroes at once with their cunning plan. Sure, the stakes have been large, especially during the Crisis on Infinite Earths adaptation, but the main villains such as Anti-Monitor and Despero in the different superhero team-ups aren't exactly the most memorable.

Magog's incredible powers and ability to travel across space and time, while pulling bad guys from each hero's rogue gallery, ends up giving the Arrowverse a deserving crossover villain. It's unfortunate Magog never made it to live-action in the Arrowverse as he would have been the perfect final boss as The CW shows came to a close. Earth-Prime: Hero's Twilight by DC Comics is in stores on Tuesday.

Harley Quinn's TV Series Just Became Official DC Canon

The hit Harley Quinn TV series on HBOMax has officially become DC Comics canon. Ever since her debut in Batman: The Animated Series, Harley Quinn has been a staple of DC across all media. Whether she's making appearances in comics focused on other characters or getting stories of her own, the sensational antihero has become iconic both in the comics and beyond. While she's gotten a new comic run every year or so, she's also made her way to the big screen in the live action Suicide Squad films and Birds of Prey. She's even found herself back on the small screen in her own series.

HBOMax's Harley Quinn is an adult animated series by Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker and Dean Lorey that follows Quinn not too long after her break-up with the Joker. She's joined by Poison Ivy as she tries to make a name for herself by becoming Gotham's next big villain. Along the way, she encounters countless Batman villains, friendships with DC favorites and an exploration of the romance between her and Ivy that's become beloved by comic fans everywhere. The series has been received positively by both critics and audiences because of its humor, tone and story, with the third season being highly anticipated by fans. Now, the influence of the series has officially made its way to comic canon.

Poison Ivy #1 by G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara features a moment in Ivy's past between her and Harley. The two are having a pretty nasty fight, alluding to the infamous break-up that would see the famous LGBTQ couple going their separate ways. What's interesting though is the shirt that Harley is wearing. On it is a graphic of Frank, a character from the Harley Quinn animated series created specifically for the show as a more foul-mouthed version of Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors. He's a plant that's primarily seen as a supporting comedic relief that also helps Ivy through tough spots and has become a fan-favorite in the series. Now, he's officially made his debut in DC Comics, cementing the TV show as comics canon.

When putting this in perspective for the in-universe implications, it's pretty humorous to think that Harley perhaps convinced network executives to create a series about her misadventures. From her romance with Ivy to her attempts at making a name for herself, it's not farfetched that Quinn would want to show the world who she is in the one place where she can get it across best: television. Of course, the series could be seen as her own fantasy of how certain events would play out in her mind. After all, some pretty notable Batman heroes and villains meet gruesome fates throughout the show, so it could mirror what comic Harley believes them to be from her point of view.

Nevertheless, this little Easter egg demonstrates how much influence the show has had since it debuted. While the show has had its own adaptation in the comics with the Eat! Bang! Kill! Tour, this is the first instance of the show finally being in a new DC Comics story, even if it's just a little reference. Harley Quinn is a series that has continued to grow in popularity and making it officially canon in DC Comics just shows that it won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Shazam! Movie Review

We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson's (Asher Angel) case, by shouting out one word SHAZAM! this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Zachary Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heart--inside a ripped, godlike body Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he'll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Strong).
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    Rating:
    PG-13 (for intense sequences of action, language, and suggestive material)
    Genre:
    Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy
    Directed By:
    David F. Sandberg
    Written By:
    Henry Gayden
    In Theaters:
    Apr 5, 2019  wide
    Runtime:
    130 minutes
    Studio:
    New Line Cinema

The films in the world of the DC Universe haven't exactly been smooth sailing from the beginning, but I would definitely say they've found their stride in these last few years. From standalone films like Wonder Woman and Aquaman, they're proving that taking a step back is sometimes the best thing to do. Shazam! is the latest film to be added to this collection of movies and while some may view it as incredibly cheesy, I believe the majority of audiences will find it to be an absolute blast as I did. Here's why, when Shazam! hits theatres, you should definitely seek out a screening of it. Following young Billy Batson at a very pivotal point in his life, after having lost his mother and jumped between foster homes throughout the years, he may have finally found one that works for him. Making friends with one of the foster kids in Freddy Freeman, he's interrogated about what superpowers he would love to have. Little does he know that he's about to stumble upon a magical wizard who will grant him numerous abilities and be able to turn himself back and forth between boy and man. This may sound silly and that's because it is, but it's all done in good fun and the story plays out very well on-screen. When going into a film like this, you need to know what you're in for, otherwise, you may find yourself cringing at the cheesiness of it all. Shazam! embraces its cheese and pokes fun at classic films that it's clearly borrowing from and even pokes fun at the fact that this film even exists in the same world as movies like Man of Steel or Aquaman. That being said, you absolutely don't have to see any prior films, because this movie truly does stand on its own, which was a breath of fresh air. In terms of pure enjoyment, this movie fires on all cylinders and hits all the right notes, being a near-perfect film for what it's striving to be. On the other hand, where I feel this film continuously took a nose dive was within the villain subplot. While Mark Strong gives his all here and commits to creating a great character, the certain characters around him and the burden that comes with the powers he has, felt very strange and out of place in my opinion. Aside from that, I really have nothing to complain about, but these things are very much present on multiple occasions throughout the movie and I wasn't a big fan of them. The idea behind them was interesting, but the overall execution just didn't quite work for me. In the end, Shazam! is a fantastic, comedic superhero flick, with a few minor weaknesses throughout. Zachary Levi as the leading man is the reason to see this movie alone, as his charisma and chemistry with Jack Dylan Grazer is absolutely amazing. Aside from a few annoying aspects, there is so much to love about this movie. I had a blast with it and I think you will too. I definitely recommend checking this one out when it hits theatres.