Saturday, July 18, 2015

DC Super Friends YouTube Series - Great for Kids

DC Super Friends is a recent YouTube series of short videos from WB Entertainment and Imaginext. Each video is about 3 minutes of content, with 15 videos in total telling a continuous story about the Justice League facing off against the Legion of Doom, headed up by Lex Luthor and Joker (always an entertaining pair!).

Cyborg, Hawkman, Batman, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and (waving in the back) Robin

These videos are great for introducing the Justice League to kids as it gives each of the main JL members their moment in the spotlight and I think Robin and Cyborg are handled especially well in terms of being relatable for youngsters. (Aquaman or Hawkman fans might not be totally thrilled, but what can you do?) There is also a great set of villains that can serve as an introduction to the rogues in the DC Universe. Even though this is a strong, kid-friendly DC series, I think there is also some appeal to older fans as it is pretty fast paced and actually has some well-executed humor.

One critique is that this YouTube series could have featured more female characters so that Wonder Woman doesn't have to carry most of the load. For instance, they could have used Hawkgirl instead of Hawkman, like they did in the Justice League animated series. I think the story could have remained intact with that change and it would have doubled the number of women on the team.

I absolutely love the direction that the DC Extended Universe is taking in film, exploring deep themes and taking a realistic approach. But my one worry about that direction is that it might not bring in as many kids and families as, say, attend Marvel Cinematic Universe films. If, however, WB and DC continue with things like these DC Super Friends and the partnership with LEGO, then I think things will workout across generations. And we also still have the great animated series (Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League, etc.) from the recent past that can work for kids, as well.

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