The 99 Gets Animated

Last year I shared some information with you about the Islamic superheroes known as the 99. This year I have an update. Apparently it is well on it's way to become an animated series. The rather long clip below shows some of the 99 in action and even provides a history/origin for the 99 stones that grant the new users their power. Take a look and tell me what you think and don't forget to download your free copy of the 1st issue of the comic. Enjoy!

Firestorm & Black Lightning in Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths

In the movie, Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths, Batman needs a hand and calls for backup. Included in the group was Aquaman, Black Canary, Red Tornado, Black Lightning, and much to my surprise, the African-American Firestorm. There was something to like about each of these backup Justice Leaguers. The art and animation was great here as were the fight scenes that nicely showcased their powers. Just another good reason to get the video.

At The 'Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths' LA Premiere

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the 'Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths' LA Premiere and I have to say I enjoyed it. The movie looked great, had a good story as well as plenty of compelling action, and quite a few easter eggs. There were some notable changes in the voice actors from what I have come to expect but it all worked out well. One of the fun things for me to do during the film was to try to figure out who everyone was as many of the characters on the alternate earth were very different from their hero counterparts. Wait till you see Uncle Marvel! The whole thing exceeded my expectations. I want to tell you all about why I liked it but I don't want to spoil it for you. Oh, while we got to see the actual movie, we did not get to see any of the DVD extras like the Showcase of the Spectre or First Look at upcoming DC Universe movies. I guess we'll all need to get the DVD for that.

Afterwards, there was some on-stage Q&A from some of the people involved in the making of the film. My view was quite good because we arrived at the last moment just as they opened up a row near the front. Despite the frequent raising of my hand, I never got picked to ask questions but luckily many of them got answered anyway. The panel was interesting and we got to hear a lot about their history in the business.

Gina Torres, who voiced Superwoman in the film, is quite beautiful in person and amazingly thin. Whoever her trainer is needs to get a raise. I have to confess I was watching her more than everyone else on the panel. Josh Keaton voiced the Flash. You might also remember him from voicing Spider-Man and too many other video game characters to name. I wish I had his job. One of the big surprises for me was that Vanessa Marshall, who did the voice of Wonder Woman in this film. Apparently she used to do the voice of the little Black kid, Irwin, on The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. It was a little freaky hearing that voice come out of her mouth. She was really nice and seemed to feel sorry for me when I was constantly overlooked for the Q&A.

After the Q&A I got to shake hands with Dwayne McDuffie and express my admiration for his work and was pleasantly surprised when he told me that he reads this blog. I even got to talk to him briefly about Ben 10. It was a good time. I don't live in Hollywood or even close by but it was well worth the nearly hour and a half drive through traffic.

Amanda Waller on Smallville

In case you missed it, Pam Greer played Amanda Waller on the latest episode of Smallville. This one was entitled 'Absolute Justice' and featured appearances by members of the Justice Society of America. I think it was one of the best episodes of the season. I'm not totally happy with Pam Greer's portrayal of Amanda Waller but it looks as if she'll be back in future episodes to make improvements. Check out the clip.

Luke Cage: Like Thunder

Looks like Luke Cage is going to be leading the new Thunderbolts this year. It's all part of Marvel Comics' new Heroic Age. This seems like a bit of a demotion from him leading a group of Avengers and didn't Hawkeye try to lead a previous incarnation of the T-Bolts? Luke Cage really shined in the Avengers. I hope they will continue that tradition in this new mag. I wonder what happens to his wife and kid.

Whatever happened to Chocolate Thunder?

Chocolate Thunder, (not Darryl Dawkins), is one of those comic book heroes that I never really got to know but wanted to. I ran into references to the comic many times a few years back but never actually got to have a copy of the book in my hands. The official website Gettosake.com has no direct reference to this comic at all. In fact, at the time I am writing this, the entire site is down. One of the original writers of this book, Jeremy Love, is doing some amazing work with Bayou but no word of Chocolate Thunder.

What is or was Chocolate Thunder all about? Basically he was sort of a throwback Blacksploitation hero. Here's the blurb: "Believed dead by his former employers, government agent Kevin King returned home to find his old stomping grounds over-run by crime. Unable to stand idly by, he became a costumed vigilante, whom the local graffiti artists dubbed Chocolate Thunder."

Why am I so hyped up about the guy? Well I'm always looking into new and interesting Black Superheroes but my interest piqued when I saw the video. Apparently the guys who put this character together made a flash video a few years back to promote the comic and I loved it. It even inspired me to do some of my own flash work. It was only available on the Gettosake website but with that gone, who knows. I was luck to find it on YouTube. It's called Chocolate Thunder: On My Way.

Wikipedia doesn't even have an entry on this brother but he did make their List of Black Superheroes. The best listing I was able to find, other than the official page, is a reference to him here. I looked to buy the comic on Amazon (Chocolate Thunder on Amazon) but they are either out of print or there are no books in stock for the forseeable future. To be honest I don't know if Chocolate Thunder ever made it to print at all but he will not be forgotten.

Check out the video for yourself before it gets taken down.

Black + Aqualad = Blaqualad?

The Web abounds with rumors about an upcoming Young Justice animated series and I have to say I like what I see so far. The biggest part of the series of rumors to date is that of Aqualad being Black and played by a Black voice actor. I am currently unable to confirm any of this so take it all with a grain of salt but the picture of Aqualad with what may be the voice actor playing him is compelling. I've heard rumors of other members of the team but no Cyborg or any other Black characters for that matter so far. As I learn more I will keep you posted. You may already be familiar with the picture of Arrowette below who is also rumored to be in the upcoming series. She's not Black but her appearance does add credibility to the possibility that the series will exist. I'm excited about the possibility. Check here to find out a bit more.

Black Superheroes On The Web

Black Superhero stories from around the web

• Great Characters: Barracuda 
• Should Will Smith Play Captain America?
• Blckgoldsays
• Black Panther Animated Series summary
• Comic Book's Black Quintet
  
• Why are they making black people as white comic book roles in movies now?
  
• Public Domain Hero-A-Day: ATOMAN!
  
• Snoop To Play A Superhero In 'Malice N Wonderland' Film
  
• Great Characters: Jack-In-The-Box