Steven Universe Returns in June!

In case you missed it, Entertainment Weekly published earlier today that Cartoon Network has ordered additional seasons for Steven Universe and Uncle Grandpa up to Season 5. Steven Universe, in particular will begin airing episodes from the 3rd Season coming this June under the "Summer of Steven" event.

A few fans got a bit confused as the first season was comprised of 52 episodes and assume the other season will also have the same number. Log Date, which aired on Jan 8, was the 26th episode of the current season and many assumed we're halfway through.

Matt Burnett then made clarifications on his Twitter that the 1st Season is indeed set at 52 episodes, but the succeeding seasons will be released in half. So 26 episodes for Seasons 2 to 5. Not much has changed as far as production is concerned. And remember, Adventure Time had seasons that last up to 52 episodes, while others were 26, so this isn't anything new.

Now word has it Cartoon Network France is catching up to the US in terms of episode releases and plans to release the new episodes of Steven Universe this May. Obviously, I don't have access to CN France to confirm this, but for those that do, "S'il vous plaît", let us know if CN France is indeed releasing the new episodes one month earlier from the US.

So for Steven Universe fans, it still is a few months away, you gotta be a little more patient. It is indeed coming.

Justice League vs Teen Titans Review

In an effort to capitalize on Batman v Superman, DC just released  "Justive League vs Teen Titans" today on digital. It is the latest in DC's animated movies based on the New 52 line of comics and continues after the events of Batman: Bad Blood, which came out this February.

The movie begins with the Justice League easily taking down the Legion of Doom, led by Lex Luthor, though it's never stated why, until they encounter the demon Trigon. When Damien Wayne, the biological son of Batman and the current Robin, disobeys his fathers orders and attacks Trigon with weapon with the near power of a small nuke, he is sent to the Titans Tower with the rest of the Teen Titans in order to learn more about teamwork.

Later, when Trigon captures Raven as part of his plan to rule the world, the Teen Titans run into action to save her. But standing in their way is the Justice League, which also includes Superman, as they are under Trigon's control.

Now I've said this before and I'll say it again. If you expect the Teen Titans in this movie to be anything like the original series from Cartoon Network, don't. They're totally different as they are based from the New 52 versions. For starters, Starfire is the leader of the group as she is the elderst, around the same age as Nightwing. Also, since the Teen Titans are played by different voice actors, it takes some getting used to.

I do have some issues with this film and it starts with Damien's character. Yes, he is quite the jerk, but considering he's been working with the Bat Family for some time now, he should at least know a thing or two about teamwork. But the film makes Damien even MORE reclusive just to get him to join the Teen Titans.

That being said, Robin is depicted here to hook up with Raven, as the two are kindred spirits. Sorry, Beast Boy fans. Starfire is the only character you can related to the Cartoon Network version as she retains much of that, but also very mature as she's an adult in this movie.

2nd Problem is Nightwing. Despite being promoted as taking part of the movie, he's only around in a few scenes and that's it. He doesn't even take part in any of the battles, which is very disappointing, considering not only him being very popular nowadays, but also as being a former Titan himself.

Finally is the "vs" part. I REALLY hate it when they use the term in movies like this because it's not what it seems. Yes, the Justice League and the Teen Titans indeed took on one another, but it only takes the time you need to cook a frozen Chicken Patty in the microwave for it to be settled.

The good ones. Plenty. For one, Phil Bourassa, who does the character designs for the New 52 movies, Vixen, and Young Justice, really pulled no strings in making the characters as good looking as possible. You will be struck in awe on the designs. And yes, that includes Raven. The movie also features a revelation that effectively ties much of the New 52 movies together, in particular the Batman movies that feature Damien.

It is very rare in media outside the comics that feature a villain not even the Man of Steel can defeat. And Trigon here proves to be quite an intimidating villain and places the movie in a unique spot where anything can happen. I honestly hate the fact that Superman is always displayed as the one-all-be-all superhero who can take on virtually anything, and it's nice the movie places Superman in a position where he can't win. You don't see that on overpowered characters these days and do it very well story-wise.

There is one part of the movie that is refreshing to see and that is Raven's backstory. Due note that the backstories of the Teen Titans were never revealed and if you want to learn more about them, you have to read the comics. Her origins in the movie explain her twisted relationship with Trigon, and where her enchantments come from. I also like that Raven has more powers here than in previous versions so she's actually more formidable than what she appears. While she starts off as a bit of a Damsel in Distress, she eventually grows and becomes a cental character to the film, a far cry from the classic Raven and thus you get to like her even more.

And if you happen to be a fan of fan-service, get excited because has lots of it. It even has a few Anime references if you can spot them.

Despite these few bumps, Justice League vs Teen Titans is a great film and brings the Titans back to its glory days and even more. I would personally love to see more stories of these Titans in the near future. And while we're at it, why not add in characters from Young Justice as well, to make things even more interesting. It is definitely worth getting this, be it on Digital, which is available now, or on DVD coming out later this April. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give Justice League vs Teen Titans, a 4 out of 5.

Quick Thoughts on Justice League vs Teen Titans

So I just watched JL vs TT and while the Teen Titans here are anything but the classic ones, and that it's more focused on Damien and Raven, they are for the most part, quite likable and in spite of a few bumps, the movie does take the Titans back to the glory days and even more. While you don't need to watch the previous New 52 movies, knowing them does expand your knowledge as this one ties them together at some point. It's definitely worth getting it.

I'll give a full review later.

Yet another problem with Youtube

So it seems YT is having another problem. Not only are comments not being published, but the view count is broken. Tried watching my most recent video and didn't see the counter even go above 0. That's troubling.....

Batman v Superman Full Review

Take note that for this review, I will include spoilers as to show my reasonings for this film. So if you have yet to see the film, I strongly urge to stop reading this right now.

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Abbreviated as BvS, the premise of the movie is a series of events that pit two of the most iconic characters in superhero history against one antother. Around 3/4 of the movie or even more is all just to set-up this fight and why it should happen. By the aftermath, it sets up the events of the other DC movies that were announced way back. That's essentially it.

I will say that the actual fight between Batman and Superman is average at best. I don't think the fight can be made any better, honestly, except maybe if they let the fight happen a lot sooner. You see, I actually got really, REALLY, bored by the middle of the film and I was thinking out loud "Just get to the damn fight, already!". It just seems that the lengthy runtime for the movie was made for its own sake. I will agree with the critics saying the plot is a mess because there's just too many scenes that simply doesn't contribute at all to setting up the fight.

And then there's the issue of the set-up itself pertaining to Batman and Superman. What I find so jarring is that the movie removes certain aspects of the two. It's strange that these two people, being incredibly smart, ESPECIALLY with Batman's case being 'the great detective', yet they never got to learn each other's true identities up UNTIL the fight itself! And Lex Luthor happens to know their identities for a very long time, which allowed him to set-up the fight in the first place!

And speaking of Batman, besides being not so much as a great detective, despite the movie addressing he's been fighting crime on Gotham for 20 years (and do note, he's never EVER called 'Batman' and the name is only mentioned once), this Batman isn't afraid to kill people, directly or indirectly. Now, Batman has indeed killed people before in the comics, but this movie puts the killing aspect front and center, in an effort to make Batman a bit of a heel in pro-wrestling terms when it comes to the fight against Superman. Again, Batman not being 'the great detective' in the film means he couldn't figure out the entire fight was orchestrated by Luthor himself.

As for Wonder Woman, despite her being all over the place in the trailers and ads, she doesn't really do anything in the movie other than being a Deus Ex Machina in the final fight. The movie never explained what in the world she is there for other than 'just being there'. The cameo appearances of the other Justice League members doesn't contribute to the plot either and is a waste of movie runtime.

Other problems I have with the film, the killing off of some secondary characters. While these said characters aren't named, it was clear from their appearances who they are and even the credits confirmed their identities. I'm referring to Jimmy Olsen and Mercy Graves, who are killed off needlessly.

And then the final fight itself, which pits the Holy Trinity of DC against Doomsday. For those who don't know, Doomsday gained a reputation as one of the few, if not the only DC character that actually KILLED Superman during "The Death of Superman" arc from the comics. And while the final fight was indeed a REALLY great fight, it plays out exactly like one would expect from the comics. And when you know Superman will be back in Justice League, it makes his death in BvS not only meaningless, but totally deprived of any emotional feels from the viewer with regards to his death. The final scenes just drags this on as though it implies you should be saddened by Superman's death, but you're not because you know he'll be back in Justice League.

Therein lies another problem. After Doomsday, the next major antagonist has to be someone that provides a much GREATER challenge to Superman than what Doomsday has ever done. That's quite a tall order, considering this is Superman we are talking about. Again, this is DC sticking it up to Marvel. Where Marvel's Infinity War brings in Thanos. DC will obviously throw in Darkseid.

The movie does have some very good parts, however. Aside from the fight against Doomsday, I really enjoy Superman's struggle to be accepted by society because of his powers. This struggle, done within the movie's timeframe, is much better written and presented than in CBS's Supergirl series, and it also reflects the similar problem Saitama has in One Punch Man of not being taken seriously as a hero because of his powers.

I also enjoy Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal as Lex Luthor, as he seems more psychotic than cunning. And by psychotic I mean classic Joker-level psychotic. It does deprive him of being cunning like in the comics and the animated series. Then again, the Lex Luthor in the movies was never cunning to begin with.

BvS isn't as bad as the critics say it is, but it could've been a lot better if they made the movie shorter and removing the unneccessary scenes, so the set-up wouldn't be so boring. So in spite of all its problems, it is still worth the price of a movie ticket, or on home video if you want the 'R-rated' version with additional scenes. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a 3 out of 5.

New Berserk Teaser

First Teaser Trailer for the new Berserk Anime Series, coming in July. Unlike the previous TV series and the movies, this new incarnation will begin with the "Retribution" Arc, which takes place after the "Golden Age" Arc, which was the main focus of the previous versions.

Berserk is a long-running series of a man named Guts, a former mercenary now on the run battling the various demons that want him dead after being branded as a sacrifice by his former best friend. Berserk is notable for its violent horror in a medieval fantasy setting.

Nick Premiere List April 2016

As usual, this is for the entire Nickelodeon network and will include live-action content (credit to Toon Zone):


Bella and the Bulldogs
Saturday, April 2nd-9:00 pm "Accept No Substitutes"
Saturday, April 9th-9:00 pm "I Love You, Hunter Hayes!"
Saturday, April 16th-9:00 pm "Party of Three"
Saturday, April 23rd-9:00 pm "Bad Grandma"
Saturday, April 30th-9:00 pm "Bella in the Spotlight"

Blaze and the Monster Machines
Tuesday, April 12th-1:30 pm "Axle City Grand Prix"
Thursday, April 14th-1:30 pm "Treasure Track"

Henry Danger
Saturday, April 9th-8:00 pm "Text, Lies, & Video"
Saturday, April 16th-8:00 pm "Opposite Universe"
Saturday, April 23rd-8:00 pm "Grave Danger"
Saturday, April 30th-8:00 pm "Ox Pox"

Paw Patrol
Tuesday, April 19th-11:30 am "Pups Save a Goldrush; Pups Save the Paw Patroller"
Thursday, April 21st-11:30 am "Pups Save a Dragon; Pups Save the Three Little Pigs"

School of Rock
Saturday, April 2nd-8:30 pm "The Story of Us (But More About Me)"
Saturday, April 9th-8:30 pm "We're Not Gonna Take It"
Saturday, April 16th-8:30 pm "A Band with No Name"
Saturday, April 23rd-8:30 pm "We Can Be Heroes, Sort Of"
Saturday, April 30th-8:30 pm "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

Shimmer and Shine
Tuesday, April 5th-12:00 pm "Gone Bowlin'"
Thursday, April 7th-12:00 pm "The Great Skate Mistake"
Friday, April 29th-12:00 pm "Escape Goat"

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Sunday, April 3rd-11:00 am "Revenge of the Triceratons"
Sunday, April 10th-11:00 am "The Evil of Dregg"
Sunday. April 17th-11:00 am "The Ever-Burning Fire"
Sunday, April 24th-11:00 am "Earth's Last Stand"

The Halo Effect
Friday, April 22nd-8:30 pm "Purses for Primates"

The Other Kingdom
Sunday, April 10th-7:00 pm "What Fools These Mortals Be?" (Series Premiere)
Sunday, April 10th-7:30 pm "The New Kid"
Sunday, April 17th-7:00 pm "Lost in Translation"
Sunday, April 17th-7:30 pm "Thanks a Latte"
Sunday, April 24th-7:00 pm "Where There's Smoke"
Sunday, April 24th-7:30 pm "Witch!"

The Thundermans
Saturday, April 2nd-8:00 pm "Kiss Me Nate"



Nick Jr.
Winx Club
Sunday, April 3rd-10:00 am "The Secret of Alfea"
Sunday, April 3rd-10:30 am "The Golden Butterfly"



TeenNick
TeenNick Top 10
Friday, April 1st-9:00 pm "TBA"



Nicktoons
LBX
Sunday, April 3rd-10:30 am "The Director"

Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V
Sunday, April 3rd-10:00 am "Bad Business"



TV Land
Lopez
Wednesday, April 6-10:00 pm "George Takes a Hike"
Wednesday, April 13th-10:00 pm "Down and Drought in Beverly Hills"
Wednesday, April 20th-10:00 pm "George's Party"
The Soul Man
Wednesday, April 6th-10:30 pm "Boyce's Choices"
Wednesday, April 13th-10:30 pm "Hangin' with Mr. Cupper"
Wednesday, April 20th-10:30 pm "Leader of the PAC"