Hey, remember that Top 15 Justice League Unlimited Episodes blog I wrote... 
You don't?  Well then that's even better, because I just decided to take that concept and work it around into a video series!  That way, when I actually talk about some of the nonsense that goes on in the show, you can physically SEE it.  Neat, huh?   
In fact, here's part I right now! 

Continuing my Flash Rogues theme from last installment, this addition of nobody's favorite "art" blog has me sketching up my second favorite among the Flash's lovable Rogues, Captain Cold.  Used the same methods as my Captain Boomerang picture, but added some colored pencils (which didn't really show up all that well once I scanned it).  Again, fairly happy how it turned out, such as it is. 

It's time for another installment of nobody's favorite "art" blog, where I go ahead and put my meager illustration skills to the test.  This time, I tried my hand at my favorite Australian comic book character, Captain Boomerang (Digger Harkness to be exact).  On top of that, I'm trying out a new medium... MARKERS! 

Well, this really is more of an AnimeVice.com thing (actually this really shouldn't even be called art, but whatever), but heck, since Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star has his own page here at Comic Vine, I figure I'll just throw this thing up here for funsies.  Here's a little sketch of the master of Hokuto Shinken I did yesterday.  I actually liked the way it turned out, and proceeded to ink it.

Being a fan of these things called comic books, I've tried my hand at drawing a thing or two.  Am I any good?  Not really, but that doesn't stop me from drawing and wanting to share with people (if only as a cautionary tale).  So here is a (poor) scan of a recent drawing I did of a smattering of Marvel heroes and villains.  I included most of the big names, as well as a some of my favorites.  In case it's unclear, the good guys are Thor, Iron Man, Steve Rogers, Wolverine, Daredevil, Black Panther, and half of Spidey's head.  The baddies are the Mandarin, Daken, Red Skull, Loki, Bullseye, Doctor Doom, and half of Venom's head. 
 
It's only in pencil at the moment, and I'm contemplating inking it, but I'll likely do little more with it than that.  I'll probably attempt somethin' else (I'm thinking an X-23 picture).  That probably accounts for the poor quality of the scan.

This, and all other parts can be found originally posted on my personal blog.  To see that, kindly click these green letters. 
 
This is the end, my loyal 6 readers. Seeing as this little exercise actually got some pretty undeserved attention on ComicVine.com (to which I'm extremely flattered and grateful... I'm grattered), I figure I should just finish it up now while I'm still writing relatively well. Let's finish this bad boy up... 

4.) Episode 26: Epilogue

The world of Batman Beyond and its role in both the DC Animated Universe and in DC Comics in general is one that will always be polarizing. While some people seem to really like Terry McGinnis and his futuristic bat-exploits, some people will always find it just a superfluous extension to a popular character. Either way, "Epilogue" is an episode that, regardless of your feelings on Batman Beyond, you should enjoy. It really is more of a story about Bruce than it is Terry. It's really a testament to his humanity and how that is what makes him a hero. The gist of the episode is Terry is done being Batman, he doesn't want the responsibility and is done with feeling obliged to do Bruce's dirty work. He visits an elderly Amanda Waller in an attempt to gain some kind of closure on his life, but what he finds instead is a new purpose to continue being Batman. I won't spoil some of the best moments of this for you, as there are a few in which you're bound to choke up (if you're the sentimental type like me), but if you're a Batman fiend then this is surely a must-see.

3.) Episode 31: Flash and Substance

What a fun episode. It's Flash Appreciation Day in Central City and Flash has convinced Batman and Orion to turn out for the big Flash Museum unveiling. However, Flash's Rogues (including Captain Boomerang, Captain Cold, Mirror Master, and Trickster) have decided to use the big day as a chance to take the Flash down once and for all. It's the Rogues that really make this episode, as they walk a fine line between being poor washed-up schlubs and the formidable villains they once were. It's fun to watch them bicker about their various methods (nobody likes Captain Boomerang's giant rocket-propelled boomerang!!!), and I really credit this episode with turning me into a Flash fan... because he has awesome villains!  Heck, Mark Hamill even voices the Trickster. Mind blown. But for as much as I've said about the villains, the Flash being shown for the truly unorthodox hero that he is is just another great aspect to this episode, which could have easily taken the top spot. BUT THIS IS JLU! So as it stands... it's only number 3.

2.) Episode 8: The Greatest Story Never Told
Booster Gold is the greatest hero you've never heard of, and I can't say I'd heard of him prior to this episode of JLU. However, after an epic half-hour, I'll never forget him ever again. Put quite frankly, this is a hell of a romp that combines the best of Justice League's comedic and action elements. The League has their hands full and needs every single member to help with the crisis, even Booster who they're none too fond of. Sadly, he's put on "crowd-control", but from his own natural curiosity and desire for fame and glory, Booster ends up having one hell of a wild night of super-hero-ing. Of course, in the end, nobody believes him ( and half the people he meets think he's Green Lantern, for some reason). He even gets lambasted for abandoning his "crowd-control" post, but he does get his just rewards after all. I know I'm being especially vague about this episode, but that's only because I can't do it justice with just a description. Go watch this episode right now.

1.) Episode 2: For the Man Who Has Everything

How can you go wrong with an episode based on a work by Alan Moore? Episode 2 is based on  an old Alan Moore Superman story by the same name, and is by far one of the most intense and emotionally arresting episode of any cartoon EVER. It doesn't follow the story to a tee, removing aspects like Jason Todd and the overt political dealings of Moore's story, but in its place is still a fantastic episode by any measure. It's Superman's birthday and Wonder Woman and Batman go to visit him. When they arrive at the Fortress of Solitude, they find Superman under the hypnotic trance of a plant growing into the Man of Steel's chest. The plant was given to him by Mongul, one of his greatest and most powerful foes, as a way to incapacitate him for his coming conquest of the world. The plant shows Superman his heart's desire, placing him in a state that he never wants to awake from, and so Wonder Woman must take on the far stronger Mongul whilst Batman tries to remove the plant from Clark.
We get an episode split into various parts, showing the extremely touching fantasies of Clark in which he is happily married with a family on Krypton, Batman trying to use all his intellectual know-how to get the plant off his friend, and Wonder Woman fighting for her life against a vastly more powerful opponent. These parts all geniusly meld into a story that will make you laugh, cry, and feel thrilled all in one sitting. It might not be the best representation of what the rest of the series has to offer, but if anybody wants a single example why the DC Animated Universe is a far more than just kid-stuff and deserves attention from audiences of all ages, this is it.

And that's it, my loyal readers. What has this top 15 countdown taught us?

• Tons of heroes featured in one show is a recipe for success.
• Heroes' exposition's awesomeness is equivalent to its dramatic delivery.
• Girl fights can be awesome in a completely un-creepy way.
• Sometimes the bad guys are just more fun.
• Apparently turning into a pig is a constant threat superheroes must worry about.
• Booster Gold is not Green Lantern.
• Alan Moore's work makes great cartoon material (which he probably would hate).
• 
  

This bit of fanboyism was originally posted on my blog.  If you care to, check it out HERE!  Also, check out part 1 HERE or HERE.
 
Welcome to part 2 of my countdown of the greatness that is Justice League Unlimited, and to all nine people who read part 1, welcome back! Ya know, doing this countdown has actually given me greater appreciation for this series. Apparently, my already creepy fanboyism towards it still had room to flower and grow into a monstrosity of even greater creepiness. WHO KNEW?!
But enough of this fuzziness, it's time to do this thing. This portion definitely has a lot more variety and in the storytelling. Here is the continuing countdown of the Top 15 Justice League Unlimited episodes, numbers 9-5.

9.) Episode 17: Task Force X

Starting this part off with a bang, we get a radically different episode that focuses on villains. More specifically, this is JLU's take on teams like the Suicide Squad and Secret Six; teams made up of villains attempting to shorten their sentences and repay their debt to society by being forcibly made to do the dirty work of shadowy government agencies. Here, the Task Force, made up by Rick Flagg, The Clock King, Plastique, Deadshot, and Captain Boomerang, plan on breaking into the JLU Watchtower to steal a weapon of devastating destructive power (hint hint). What really makes this episode is the whole "bank heist" feel of it. Each character has a specific job and, despite their motivations being less than noble, you kinda wanna see them succeed. It's a shame that there weren't more episodes featuring Task Force X, but luckily the thoroughly entertaining Captain Boomerang shows up in another episode (and one that perhaps lands higher on our countdown?)

8.) Episode 33: Patriot Act
Like I said in part 1, Justice League Unlimited is mainly about celebrating those little-known heroes that don't get a lot of fan-fare. No episode does that better than "Patriot Act", as when none of the original 7 Justice League members are available for a parade happening in Metropolis, Green Arrow takes a group of non-powered heroes to fill in. Before long, General Eiling (a recurring antagonist on the show), shows up as an Incredible Hulk-like creature and promptly starts beating the snot out of them in an attempt to provoke Superman into showing up. Outmatched as they are, all these heroes just refuse to give up as long as human lives hang in the balance.  This is punctuated by an amazing final stand by the heroe, Shining Knight, in a sequence that shows that being a hero isn't about having super-powers, and exposes the dichotomy of the attempt to prevent violence with more violence. Truly a great moment in this, the series' waning episodes.

7.) Episode 5: This Little Piggy

This is a WEIRD and hilarious episode that really needs to be seen, so I'll make the description relatively brief. This one's written by Paul Dini (genius behind Batman: The Animated Series) and unsurprisingly, it focuses on Batman. Apparently he has some feelings for Wonder Woman, but before long she's turned into a pig. No, that's not a typo. Circes the Sorceress turns Wonder Woman into a pig, and now Batman must enlist the help of a (presumably?) old flame in the form of Zatanna in order to change the Amazonian princess back. And that's how I'm going to leave this one... ridiculousness ensues, but it's really better left to your actual watching of the episode.

6.) Episode 20: Clash

The age old crowd pleaser of having Superman fight Captain Marvel is enough motivation for this episode to make the top 15. However, it actually does manage to distinguish the two characters and spin a tale of the dual nature of being a hero. Does one try to preempt crises or must we give people the benefit of the doubt? The ambiguity of this storyline and the fact that it actually makes the audience question whether or not Superman is really right in his methods is what makes it such a great pit-stop in the series. Sadly, it's the only one featuring Captain Marvel, who really could've been used to a greater extent.

5.) Episode: Double Date
What better way to close out this installment of the countdown than with some romance? To be honest, the actual villain and conflict of this episode is kinda lame (outside of some truly haunting and pretty edgy re-tellings of Huntress's troubled childhood), but what makes it is the concept of two super-hero couples pitted against one another. It's funny, mostly thanks to The Question, and it's also genuinely cute. Of course Green Arrow is in it with Black Canary, but Question and Huntress and their truly odd burgeoning romance really steal the show. Don't believe me?  TAKE A LOOK FOR YOURSELF!!

And that'll about do it for this part. Next time, we'll head into the home stretch and close this one out with the crop of the cream in the Top 4. Hopefully you'll continue to be inspired to check out this phenomenal series, and any input you may have is greatly appreciated.
Stay tuned, true believers!

 This was originally posted on my own personal blog, so if you'd like to read this on an uglier, worse formatted web page THEN CLICK HERE!!
 
 
Perhaps one of the most epic cartoons of its or any other time, Justice League Unlimited represents everything I love about comic books, cartoons, and cartoons based on comic books. While some might prefer Batman: The Animated Series or the original Justice League as the best of Bruce Timm's animated DC Universe, I've always maintained that JLU is the best. Essentially, the idea was to take just about every DC comics character you can think of, and putting them onto one big team and create some of the most unique stories ever told. This was 39 episodes of pure awesome, showing off characters and storylines that you didn't know needed to be given the spotlight. But man when that spotlight was shone, this series did indeed shine.
So you can probably tell I really really like Justice League Unlimited. After watching the series through for about the third time, I think I feel fully prepared to create a countdown devoted to one of my favorite things EVER. Hell, this was supposed to be a Top 10, but because I love it so much, I've expanded it into a Top 15. So, without further ado, here are the Top 15 Justice League Unlimited episodes, numbers 15-10.

15. Episode 1: Initiation

What better place to start than... well, the start? "Initiation" introduces the audience to the idea of this giant super team of Justice League Unlimited, not to mention the awesomeness of Green Arrow. Seriously, I'm not sure which came first, my love of Green Arrow in comics or my love of him in this cartoon, but between his dry quips and tough guy attitude, he's just a lot of fun in every episode he's in. He, Supergirl, Green Lantern, and Captain Atom take on a nuclear juggernaut hellbent on destroying the non-descript Asian nation that created it. There's a good amount of emotion and cautionary tale-spinning, but what really puts this one into the top 15 is the action. Our JLU heroes get busted up pretty bad, but still manage to save the day. Definitely a great way to start a series.

14. Episode 30: To Another Shore
More Green Arrow in this episode (get used to it, because I love that guy). But really, the star here is Wonder Woman. She gets quite a few episodes to shine in this series, and this is one of her finest, andher reading of a viking poem at the end is actually really touching.Here, the newly formed Legion of Doom is attempting to unearth the corpse of the immortal Viking king, Eric, in an attempt to gain the secret of his invulnerability. This episode, too, is a lot of bang bang action, but it's good all good stuff. What really puts it over for me is the fact that Martian Manhunter actually leaves the JLU's Watchtower in this episode and throws down. The inclusion of the hokey, but thoroughly entertaining King Faraday is just the icing on this great episode.

13. Episode 34: The Great Brain Robbery

Part of JLU's charm and awesome status revolves around its humor. This is one episode that leans heavily on the laughs, and it really works. By some really convoluted means, Lex Luthor and The Flash end up switching brains. Now, each of them are stuck in the other's base and while Flash is just trying to survive his masquerade as Lex, Lex/Flash goes straight to tearing apart the JLU Watchtower. There's action, but the jokes really upstage it. It's just hilarious the way Flash thinks Lex talks in the third person, and how Lex's girlfriend, Talia, is enjoying the newfound "energy" and "enthusiasm" he is displaying *wink wink*. By far, the funniest line in the episode comes from Lex/Flash, though. When he's chased into a bathroom, he muses that he can now unmask the Flash and see who he is. After removing Wally's mask and staring into the mirror, Lex/Flash frowns and simply states, "... I have no idea who this is". Classic.

12. Episode 25: Divided We Fall
This makes the list simply because it's the original 7 members of the Justice League all going up against Braniac. The one negative about JLU is simply that the original 7 would only occasionally be featured and NEVER as a single unit. Here, they're all featured and kicking some ass. That's about it, but isn't that really all you need?

11. Episode 14: The Cat and the Canary

The episode that started the romantic subplot between Black Canary and Green Arrow, there's actually a lot to this episode. Besides the tension between Arrow and Canary, it focuses mainly on Wildcat, a former boxer turned superhero. Poor Wildcat feels as though his old age and lack of superpowers is keeping him out of the action, and has instead moved to taking his talents into the world of underground super-powered fights known as Meta Brawl. Now, it's up to Arrow and Canary to get him to come back to the team. It's actually a pretty heartfelt story about a man who has been fighting all his life, and can't accept the prospect that he might not be able to anymore. The way this story ends is actually really clever, and pretty unexpected.

10. Episode 35: Grudge Match
This episode actually ties into "The Cat and the Canary", as its the return of Meta Brawl. Down on her luck, Roulette (founder and booker of Meta Brawl), decides to start kidnapping JLU heroines for a brand new bloodsport called Glamor Slam. Basically, a bunch of JLU heroines get pulled in, and its up to Batman protege and all around bad ass, Huntress, to snap these ladies out of it. The highlight of the episode is a big five woman smackdown as Hundtress, Black Canary, Vixen, and Hawkgirl all face off against a mind-controlled Wonder Woman. That fight is probably the most well-choreographed, well-animated, and most thrilling fight in the entire series. It can easily turn anyone into a fan of any of these ladies.

Next time, we'll get into single digits and get into even more awesome episodes of this fantastic series. Until then, hopefully this inspires you to check out some of these episodes yourself or, if you're already a fan, to comment about your own personal favorites.
Until then...

Well, what a way to start my tenure here on Comic Vine than to write a blog about something I know very much about; fast food. 
For those who don't spend five days out of the week clogging their arteries with the stuff, you may be unaware that currently Burger King is holding a promotion concurrent with Iron Man 2 (in theaters now!).  While BK's promotions usually go little beyond the kid's meal toys and the occasional odd souveneir, for Iron Man 2, they've actually crafted a unique version of the Whopper and let loose its fury upon the world.  Hide your children, because here comes the Whiplash Whopper... 

Yep, topped with the usual Whopper fixings of ketchup, lettuce, tomato, and Whopper patty, the Whiplash Whopper also comes decked out with "spicy mayo", fried pepper nuggets, and pepperjack cheese.  What commentary they're trying to make on the character of Whiplash I don't know.  Is it insinuating that he's spicy?  Exotic?  Will wreak havoc on your internal organs?  Well, the Whiplash Whopper is at least two of those things, and for all intents and purposes, it's quite tasty. 
Personally, I'll likely be picking another one up on my bi-weekly pilgrimage to BK (and I do mean pilgrimage, as it's about a nine or so minute walk from my campus to the neighboring BK.  Hey, I gotta burn off those calories somehow).  Hopefully this sets a precedent, and we can expect more superhero/villain inspired fast food items.  The Thor movie is just around the bend, right? 
I for one look forward to sipping a delectable Mjolnir Milkshake.