The Comic Book Cartoon Longbox of the underrated!!

 This was written for Maglomaniac on January 10, 2014

If you’re like me, you like cartoons.  You also like comic books.  So, when comics come to life courtesy of cartoons, you can figure it to be a match made in nerd Heaven.  There  have been a lot, and I mean, A LOT of cartoons based on comic book characters, varying in degree of quality.  I could go on and on about what I’ve seen and enjoyed.  However, I rather take this time to celebrate the cartoons that I’ve seen recently that, for one reason or another, were given an abrupt halt of sorts, but should be remembered for their quality.  Now, I’m sure a few of them you might not agree with, and all of them aren’t really aimed at older fans, since they are kid shows.  But, considering the content and the execution, you can say that the cartoons were for all ages.  Older fans can appreciate them for what they do right in accordance with the comic book, and younger fans can appreciate them for…well, being aimed for them.  These are proof to me that cartoons can have quality in this day and age, rather reminiscent to what we used to see as kids ourselves.  I have no doubt that the conversations of nerddom when it comes to cartoons these days is how some of them have good quality, while most of the others don’t.  So, with that prefaced and proclaimed, here are a few comic book cartoons that I feel are vastly underrated, even to the point of actual cancellation:

Spectacular Spider-Man

I love Spider-Man.  He’s one of my favorite superheroes of all time, with the likes of Gambit, Nightcrawler, and various others following after.  I like him most due to his being somewhat relate-able to the readers.  Other than being a very intelligent teenager, he was mostly an average person who got bullied, usually needed money, and had few friends.  One day, he gets bitten by a radioactive spider and his life changes dramatically.  He becomes the hero no one expects with the abilities of a spider, fighting the good fight against the forces of evil because he has the power to do so.  I could go further into it, but you know the story already.  When it comes to adaptations, he’s had 3 to 4 films, various toys, and even a spot on The Electric Company children’s show.  When it came to animated shows, Spidey has had a solo show in the 70s, a long-standing series in the 80s with Iceman and FireStar, and a breakout series in 1994 during the surge of comic book cartoons redefining their images.  It was the 1994 series that helped breathe life into Spider-Man as a franchise for the newer fans.  Time passed, various shows happened and then came this nice little number.  What made this show special?  To me, it was the perfect blend of a little old-school flavor with some new-school swing.  It feels like you are watching an updated version of the 1960s Spider-Man comic come to life.  The animation style is fresh, vibrant, and appealing to all ages.  The action is frenetic, furious, and very fun.  Also, the storytelling aspect is well-paced, separating into story arcs with some similar aspects.  They didn’t waste time giving you the various faces in the rogue’s gallery, familiar or new.  I watched the very first episode after receiving a recommendation from a friend during its original run and I was hooked ever since.  I thought it would have a great shelf life as it is hard to find some quality television for children that have some longevity these days.  How did it end?  Well, after one season, the show was sent to Disney to be shown on their networks.  Soon enough, the show was off of Saturdays in the morning and was being shown five days a week at 7pm, in contention with various children’s and adult’s television shows.  The second season had come and before its end, the decision was made to discontinue the series in favor of a new Spider –Man series.  This came right around the time of Marvel being acquired by Disney.  Since the cartoon was the property of Sony Entertainment instead of Marvel Studios, the show could not be continued.  Interestingly enough, various fans of this version find this far superior to that of the new series that replaced it.  Even more interestingly, the show has returned in reruns on the same channel as the new show at a different time slot.  This is definitely a show you want to see if you haven’t done so already.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Batman may very well be the most popular superhero in history, right next to Spider-Man and Superman.  When it comes to adaptations of Batman to animation, he has had a pretty good run to say the least.  His early stuff has him as a part of a bigger group, known as the Superfriends, among other short cartoons.  It wasn’t until the early 1990s that Batman would find his niche in a new light.  It was Batman: The Animated Series.  It is considered to be one of the best cartoon series ever created and a definitive adaptation to Batman’s storied legacy.  With over one hundred episodes and a legion of fans, it stands as the definitive Batman cartoon.  However, what do you do for an encore?  Since its release, Batman has had an interesting history as a cartoon character from the futuristic “Batman Beyond” to the stylized retold story of “The Batman”.  As both series ended and Batman was relegated to the Justice League show and animated films, a new cartoon came to the forefront.  Instead of focusing on Batman as the Dark Knight, he reverted back to his days as the Caped Crusader.  Black and grey was out; blue and grey was in.  Batman was now brave and bold and his adventures would show it.  This version was more approachable for children, to be sure, but it had something that was missing from various comic-related materials for a while: charm.  Cartoons didn’t have to be all dark and brooding when it comes to comic books anymore.  They can be light-hearted with a level of seriousness.  It’s much more approachable for all ages, and it leaves just enough for the older fan to get into.  My favorite part of the show is how the opening scene before the credits sets the tone for the lesson, message, or common theme of the episode.  It’s a different take on Batman mixing a little bit of that old school flavor with some new school swing, with some dark and a good amount of light in the mood department.  Sadly, it was shown the door due to Cartoon Network’s inability to keep certain series going for various reasons.  This is very disappointing as I saw it to be a very solid cartoon that had some legs for the future.  I wouldn’t call it better than Batman: TAS, but it is a more welcome addition than some Batman cartoons to be sure. Definitely give it a look, especially if you have children.

Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes

There have been various cartoons based on various different comic book characters and groups.  However, I don’t recall ever seeing or hearing about a cartoon about the Avengers any time before this one.  And if there is a reason, I’m guessing it’s because not all the characters stand out like the ones that have had cartoons, I guess.  Either that or no one ever thought of it.  Regardless, this cartoon came into play after the success of Iron Man on film.  The success of this cartoon, to me, was two-fold.  One: it gave Iron Man a good vehicle to become popular off the silver screen.  Sure, they tried with a cartoon series some years ago, but it never really caught on like the others.  Two: it worked as a test to see if people would take to the Avengers in media today.  The result: an amazing re-telling to the origin of the Avengers team.  Each principal member had their origin story told initially before they were placed together with the help of S.H.I.E.L.D.  What followed were two seasons of action-packed episodes based on the various stories in the team’s history, littered with cameos and team-ups.  The animation was crisp, the voice acting was full of chemistry, and the stories were very captivating.  Unfortunately, the show was canceled after Marvel’s acquisition by Disney.  The show was to be replaced by another Avengers cartoon based on the Ultimate Avengers comic line as opposed to this one, which was based on the original line.  It was gone too soon with a strong fan base from older and younger fans that, to me, captured the charm and excellence that the Avengers movie showed years later.  I’m telling you the movie plays out like it were supposed to be an episode on a cartoon series, but with all the right cues hit for a movie audience.  If I didn’t know better, I’d have sworn they used this show as the template.  Nonetheless, you have got to see this series as a fan of the Avengers, comic book cartoons, or of cartoons in general.  It’s an amazing find, to say the least.

And there you have it.  If I missed some cartoons that I should have mentioned, let me know in the comments section.  I’ll be happy to share my thoughts and whatnot on the matter.  It’s tough to see some gems go, but when they leave, they leave a ton of memories behind.  But, you can’t be remembered if you haven’t been seen.  So, check these out and you won’t be sorry. 

On a personal note, I’ll make it a point to get my posts on a lot sooner now that all the hustle and bustle in life is a bit done, so stay tuned!


(All rights go to the owners of the above images.  I don't own the rights.  Thank you)