In the aftermath of Justice League: Unlimited's cancellation WB sought to continue their accomplished animated streak by adapting DC's most famous comic storylines, with most succeeding in almost every regard. Titles based on comics like DC: The New Frontier, Under The Hood, The Dark Knight Returns, The Tower of Babel and All Star Superman all did their respective source material justice - sometimes exceeding it in the process as well. Art was masterfully adapted - particularly in The Dark Knight Returns - showcasing Frank Miller's unmistakeable pencils very faithfully on screen. These films also gifted fans with new portrayals of iconic characters, with performances by John DiMaggio, Peter Weller and Neil Patrick Harris coming to mind as the most notable of newcomers to tackle DC's characters. Despite occasional wobbles such as Superman vs The Elite and Superman/Batman: Apocalypse somewhat ruining Warner's perfect slate, DC's original movies still managed to bounce back with successive hits - until they began to go down a somewhat different direction. Though not a bad film by any means, Flashpoint Paradox put Warner on a path to mirror the road to the New 52 - beginning with the dull art style and a recurring yet just acceptable voice cast. There's little variety in the DC animation of today, especially when compared to the sure-fire successes of the past. The fantastic 'Gods and Monsters' may be a step in the right direction, but only time will tell if the company moves back to the model that saw so much adulation when The Killing Joke makes its appearance in but a few years time.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
