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The latest update on the DCAU:
The latest update on the DCAU:


{{quote|"At the moment, I'm thoroughly enjoying making these "one-off" DCU movies, and don't have any burning desire to re-visit the old continuity — again, anything is possible, so conceivably that could change someday — instead of saying "THE DCAU IS DEAD", maybe we can just say it's in a state of suspended animation until further notice...?"|Bruce Timm, 2009{{[http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showpost.php?p=3380444&postcount=234]}}
{{quote|"I very much appreciate that so many of you guys have so much love for the old series, from BTAS through JLU (i do too) -- but frankly, i doubt that we'll be formally, "officially" doing another movie or tv series set in that continuity (...) anything is possible, so concievably that could change someday -- instead of saying "THE DCAU IS DEAD", maybe we can just say it's in a state of suspended animation until further notice...?"|Bruce Timm, 2009<ref>http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showpost.php?p=3380444</ref>}}


===Terry McGinnis in 2010 and Beyond===
===Terry McGinnis in 2010 and Beyond===

Revision as of 23:55, 21 March 2010

File:DCAU.jpg
An image of many of the DCAU heroes, as seen in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Dark Heart".

The DC Animated Universe (aka DCAU) is a fan term[1] that refers to a series of popular animated television series and related spin-offs produced by Warner Bros. Animation which share the same continuity. Most of these series are adapted from DC Comics properties. This continuity is also sometimes referred to as the Timmverse (after producer Bruce Timm, the continuity's most consistent creative influence) and in the past, the Diniverse (after writer Paul Dini, who had mostly departed from Warner Bros. Animation when Justice League was in production).

In-continuity in the DCAU

While there have been several animated series based upon DC Comics characters over the decades, what is commonly accepted as the "DC Animated Universe" refers to the stable of shows and films that spin off from Batman: The Animated Series, the original show in this universe. Older shows such as Super Friends and newer shows such as The Batman and Legion of Super Heroes are not part of this continuity. Other productions, like the straight-to-video films Superman: Brainiac Attacks and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, are not to be considered part of the DC Animated Universe, despite utilizing the same character designs and much of the same voice cast as previous DCAU series.

TV series

The DC Animated Universe primarily consists of these animated series (and their related films; see below):

Films

The following spin-off films, theatrical feature films and direct-to-video, also are part of the DCAU continuity:

Web cartoons

Gotham Girls, a Macromedia Flash web cartoon series was downloadable from the WB website, and featured DCAU versions of characters voiced by their original actors. A DC comics mini-series inspired by the series was released in 2004. All three seasons of Gotham Girls were released on the Birds of Prey DVD box set in 2008.

There was a second web cartoon series starring Lobo, the galactic bounty hunter. The web-series is a spin-off of the Superman episode "The Main Man." A wax statue with the same character design as Lobo in this series appeared in an episode of Gotham Girls, which strongly supports that it is part of the official DCAU, although this is still heavily disputed[by whom?].

Comic books

Main article: DC Animated Universe Comics

Many of the DCAU productions have also had comic books created based on the characters of the various series. The comics are:

Video games

There have also been a number of DCAU tie-in video games released to correspond with the various animated television series and films. Some of these games have original plots, while others follow previous stories, their status in DCAU canon is unknown as of yet. The games are:

Five of these games feature voice acting from the casts of the original shows. These are: The Adventures of Batman and Robin (SEGA CD/Mega CD version), Superman 64, Batman: Vengeance, Superman: Shadow of Apokolips, and Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu. The SEGA CD/Mega CD game, The Adventures of Batman and Robin, also features animation from one of the studios that animated Batman: The Animated Series.

Chronology in the DC animated universe

Main article: Chronology in the DC animated universe

Characters adapted from the DCAU

also see List of characters in the DC animated universe

Though the DCAU is an off-shoot of the mainstream DC comics universe, it has also affected the DC universe in return. The following characters were originally created for their respective series' in the DCAU, but were eventually adapted into the mainstream DC comic continuity:

In addition, the backstory of Mr. Freeze was adapted from his portrayal in Batman: The Animated Series, and the visuals and/or characterization of Green Lantern, Tim Drake, Supergirl, Toyman, Two-Face, Parasite, Metallo, Clayface, and many others have been applied to their comic counterparts.[citation needed] On a different note, issue #22 of DC Comics' Superman/Batman series, which explores alternate realities, had Bizarro transported to an alternate version of Gotham City patrolled by a Batman using the Batman Beyond version of the costume. The future of Batman Beyond made an appearance on Countdown to Final Crisis #21, as part of the new Multiverse in the wake of the Infinite Crisis and 52. A Batman Beyond-inspired universe is currently being labeled as Earth-12.

The future of the DCAU

With the conclusion of the Justice League Unlimited animated series, Warner Bros has moved on to adapting new versions of the various DC comics properties, rather than reviving the DCAU counterparts.

The last script written for DCAU continuity was titled Justice League: World's Collide. This screenplay was created to bridge the several month gap between Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. The draft was eventually adapted into the February 2010 film Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, with the removal of any references specific to DCAU continuity, replacing Green Lantern John Stewart with Hal Jordan, and the casting of celebrities rather than the voice actors of the DCAU.

The latest update on the DCAU:

"I very much appreciate that so many of you guys have so much love for the old series, from BTAS through JLU (i do too) -- but frankly, i doubt that we'll be formally, "officially" doing another movie or tv series set in that continuity (...) anything is possible, so concievably that could change someday -- instead of saying "THE DCAU IS DEAD", maybe we can just say it's in a state of suspended animation until further notice...?"

— Bruce Timm, 2009[2]

Terry McGinnis in 2010 and Beyond

A six-part Batman Beyond miniseries will begin its run June 2010, set in 2039 Neo-Gotham, revolving around the assassination of anyone who had anything to do with Bruce Wayne's Batman, foe or friend. This series will be penned by Adam Beechen, a non-DCAU Batman television writer. According to Beechen, the comic book arc will open the door for the "legendary" DCAU to enter into the mainstream DC Universe (comics), tying into both continuities. The series will take place after McGinnis had defeated the reborn Joker and pick up where Bruce Timm initially left off, but years before he learns that Bruce Wayne is his biological father.[3][4][5]

Another unrelated project is also being produced for early 2010 release. Superman/Batman Annual 2010 will be a single over-sized issue featuring Terry McGinnis' Batman. Author Paul Levitz will be writing the story, having experience collaborating with Paul Dini and Alan Burnett in the past. It will pick up after Superman's first meeting with the new Batman taking place in the DCAU, and also jibing with the DCU.[6]

References

  1. ^ WF Justice League Unlimited Season One Review on IGN http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=17445 (accessed 30th of October 2009)
  2. ^ http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showpost.php?p=3380444
  3. ^ http://www.bigshinyrobot.com/reviews/archives/12731
  4. ^ http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25300
  5. ^ http://www.newsarama.com/comics/adam-beechen-batman-beyond-100318.html
  6. ^ http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=23528
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