Leading up to the July 28th release of Justice League: Gods and Monsters, the new DC original animated feature, online channel Machinima is debuting a prequel series that premieres today.
The first episode, "Twisted," features Batman vs. Harley Quinn and can be viewed above. The second episode will be released this Wednesday, June 10th and the third and final episode of the season will be released Friday, June 12th.
Along with the web series, beginning next month DC will also release a few limited series titles focusing on the characters and world of the upcoming film. For those interested in this strange Elseworlds-like story, there certainly won't be a dearth of material to further explore the world.
In addition to this first wave of material, last month DC revealed an upcoming slate of additional projects for Machinima, including new content from Bruce Timm.
Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles, #4Hero, and DC's Hero Project are three original features being developed for the online channel. #4Hero is a modern take on the classic Dial H for Hero series, about a superhero can obtain powers for a limited time through the use of a special dial, and DC's Hero Project is a competition allowing fans to submit their own live-action takes on the classic DC hero Starman.
It's Gods and Monsters Chronicles, though, that is garnering quite a bit of attention. The series of shorts, which will actually be the second season follow-up to the previously announced first season, will further explore the world presented in the upcoming DC animated film Justice League: Gods and Monsters. The Elseworlds-like series is notable for both featuring alternate reality versions of Batman (who is a vampire), Superman (here, the son of Zod), and Wonder Woman (a bloodthirsty warrior allied with Ares), and for being the first feature that the legendary Bruce Timm has been involved with since 2012's The Dark Knight Returns Part 2.
It is unknown if more features will join the lineup in the future, but the first season of Gods and Monsters Chronicles will premiere on Machinima before the July 28 release of the film, along with a limited comic book series written by J. M. DeMatteis and Bruce Timm.
Here's the full press release:
Our heroes and villains have traveled across the earth and to galaxies beyond. They’ve fought evil in the cold depths of space and deep beneath the ocean. They’ve discovered a Multiverse of planets and a world of domed cities once thought lost. But the worlds featured in our three newest projects will be accessible to anyone with an Internet connection.
Machinima announced their new programming slate today at the Digital Entertainment Newfronts, which included three projects created in partnership with DC Entertainment and Blue Ribbon Content, including a second season of Bruce Timm’s Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles. Check out the descriptions of each of them below!
DC’s Hero Project
Machinima, Blue Ribbon Content, and DC Entertainment are setting out to discover the next great creator for the world of DC Comics. Eight contestants compete in elimination challenges to develop a live-action short video based on their own interpretations of characters from DC Comics’ Starman comic book series. Well-known guest judges and celebrity special guests will join bestselling writer and DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns and a panel of esteemed judges to oversee the entire competition.
#4Hero
A modern adaptation of DC Comics’ cult-favorite classic Dial H For Hero, #4Hero is a live-action, VFX-heavy action-comedy about a young woman named Nellie Tribble who is quietly desperate to make her mark on the world, but wholly unprepared to do so. Nellie stumbles upon a life-altering smartphone app that allows her to instantly become a Super Hero for a short amount of time. The problem is her super powers are dictated by whatever is trending on social media at that moment, and they are always only semi-useful.
Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles Season 2
From visionary producer and animator Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series), Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles turns the DC Universe upside-down. In this dark, alternate world, telling the good guys from the bad guys is never easy: Superman is not the son of Jor-El, he’s the son of General Zod; Wonder Woman is not from peaceful Themyscira, but rather the warring nation of Ares; and Batman is more vampire-bat than man…and he’s not Bruce Wayne. It is unclear if our greatest heroes are here to protect us...or to rule us. With Season 1 set to launch in June, Machinima, Blue Ribbon Content and DC Entertainment have already begun development on Season 2, a 10-episode follow-up to the initial limited series.
Justice League: Gods and Monsters, as you may already know, is something of a transmedia project for Timm and DC Entertainment. In addition to Season 1 of Machinima’s Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles, there’s also an original full-length animated film, which will be released in July (click here to watch the trailer) and a comic book series featuring stories by Timm that’s set before the events of the film which will be released in July. All images in this post are from Season 1 of Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles.
We'll keep you posted with links and more information as they become available.
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95 comments
Awpwn
Very great animation.
A.C. Wilson
I never been afraid of Harley Quinn before. Holy.. o.o
bb
10/10 amazing episode why I'm i surprised it's form Bruce timm
Spurple
Dat grammar, doe.
Bat-God
*thumbs up*
boots
the hell did i just watch?
JaymusYawsley
I haven't watched it yet. Bad or just weird?
Clown Two-Face
It's vary dark, probably the darkest DC cartoon to date!!!
boots
yes, very very dark. quality is exceptional, but not sure i feel good about it overall. not the least of which the white panties really bothered me. bleh.
boots
honestly: who is the audience for this? (reading the comments i guess i should know).
maybe i would have thought this was cool when i was 13, but man i kinda expect more from stuff nowadays. i mean: yes, it's interesting but...eh...i need to see a few more episodes, i guess.
JaymusYawsley
Yeah, didn't like that design for Harley. The music was good, the animation was fluid, and it's at least an interesting take on these characters, but I'm ready for my heroes to be heroes again.
Kerk Lastnameless
They are NOT YOUR HEROES! It's not Earth-Prime. It's not even close.
JaymusYawsley
I know. Should have worded it differently. The fact that they aren't Clark, Bruce and Diana is an interesting take that could offer some good storytelling potential. The whole "what if the Justice League were the bad guys?!" trope is beyond played out at this point, though.
Ah well. I'll still watch it, and I might even enjoy it. I'm not going into it hoping to hate it.
Kerk Lastnameless
For the same audience that watches Tarantino movies and over-violent anime.
Besides, why would it bother you? It's happening on some N-Earth. It's not real. It's not happening to YOUR characters. So go into this as a newcomer, expecting nothing.
MBII
Thank you, someone who gets it...
boots
who said anything whatsoever about N-Earth or MY characters? i can dislike this on its own merits, can't i?
tarantino, violent anime, and getting hot and bothered over panties is pretty much everything i don't want in my entertainment.
as for expectations: even if i expect nothing, i get nothing from this. but you're right: maybe it's not even worthy of disappointment.
Kerk Lastnameless
Come on now, Lena...Did you really go into this with no expectations? Did you really think, "Oh it features Batman, whatever." No, you wanted to see some good Batman story. And that's part of your disappointment. You may not have said it, but it's there, similarly to Jay.
My attitude was, "Don't care, surprise me." And then, "Tarantino style grotesque uber-violence? Sure, why not."
boots
i've been reading Batman comics and watching cartoons for 40 years. my only expectation is to be entertained.
there's nothing wrong with this story. i don't like the way it's told because it's yet another ratchet down the "oooo darker, grittier, sexier" trail that comic properties seem to think necessary. and for what?
what do Harley's panties add to "good" storytelling? what would be different in this story if she were wearing flat black underpants with no fringe and no weird bunching? if she were wearing her trademark bodysuit?
a combination of uber-violence, sexualization and infantilizing. yeah, great entertainment.
Kerk Lastnameless
Hah, panties in this case is not sexualization. Sexualization is known in context. Ex., when a police officer receives a tip that a father beats on his child monstrously, he arrives to the house, knocks on the door, and the door opens a fat, unshaven man, who stinks of alcohol and is wearing only white underwear -- that is no sexualization. Underwear in this context serves to highlight how deep he has sunken.
Now draw a parallel with Harley here -- the last thing that would come to my mind when I say her was, "Damn, I'd tap that!"
As to violence, I'd certainly not watch something like that on a regular basis. But that is its own kind of weird art, and on occasion I can appreciate it.
boots
it doesn't come to your mind, but look at MBII's reply, above. That's the problem.
also, fat unshaven drunk guy in white-tidies vs. Harley in garters and panties is not really a fair comparison. the context here clearly has Harley depicted as a damaged sex object.
MBII
The white panties left me hot and bothered
Septimus Prime
I'm like that too!
Clown Two-Face
Cool
OptimistPrime99
Now that's MY Batman!
Chris Terrio
Darkest DC cartoon ever. Scariest Harley Quinn version yet. New take on Batman or shall I say Man-Bat. Just what I expected. Impressed so far
DanielCely
f***ING LOVED IT. that's one hell of a deranged Harley Quinn. :D
Rorschach
Wow... Odd and unexpected, but really, really good. I love the dark, gritty, violent, and scary nature of it. Whenever they can take a cartoon to such a dark, violent, mature place, I love it. And this really surprised me with just how dark, violent, mature, and above all, awesome, it was (even though it shouldn't have been surprising at all, coming from the master of DC animation)! I might just buy that movie after all.
What the hell was that? Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but damn! The title is right on the money: that was some twisted s**t!
slade wilson
its even darker than flashpoint
Red Queen
Much darker!
Chris Terrio
Now we know the real reason why Batman asked Superman if he can bleed
ernest schoenmakers
Cool Bats indeed and the most famous superhero in the world but Marvel cannot say that HAHA.
Chris Terrio
Superman is the most iconic superhero and the second most iconic symbol. Marvel indeed has unknown characters but I still like X-Men and Spider-Man
ernest schoenmakers
Yeah they're alright not as good but alright.
ßαby J
Yeah, Claremont era Xmen are the sh*t ! My favorites behind Superman and Batman.
The Dark Knight Detective
That was pretty awesome, not that big on the (bat)suit but I guess the red goggle type things aren't too bad. I don't mind them as much as the white/grey bit down his middle.
JaymusYawsley
For what it's worth, that's not even Bruce Wayne; it's Kirk Langstrom.
diogo02000
Man, everthing on that Batman looks awesome! Can't wait for the others! his suit looks fantastic and he have a very characteristic way of fight. love it!
Clown Two-Face
🎶everything is Batman, everything is cool when your Batman, oh Everything is Batman, when your Batman🎶
Gods and Monsters is probably my favorite Lana Del Rey song hahaha I have it stuck in my head too
ernest schoenmakers
It looks like Batman Beyond but in the horror genre.
PhoenixOuroboros
God I just watched the first episode of Gods and Monsters Chronicles and IT IS FUCKING AMAZING!!!!! Jesus, I cant wait for #4Hero. I loved the Dial H for Hero comics in the new 52 and I cant wait for this series
The Question
Bruce Timm is back!
ernest schoenmakers
Holy mother of God this looks scary, i definitely want to download this, it's quite original.
Well all i can say right now is that Ben looks like the best Bats but we have to wait and see about his acting.
A.C. Wilson
I read the article, Bruce Timm is the man. The same thing is going to happen with the DCCU, everyone will eventually jump in the bandwagon. Just look at Ben Affleck as Batman, I literally don't see haters anymore. Hell, same thing may happen with Gotham, if season 2 is good, everyone will act as if they believed in the show since the beginning.
Abdoulhay Ceesay
ZING goddammit.....ZING.
GeneralPJW
"We added like 50-some odd new characters and called it Justice League Unlimited. No more two-part episodes. I knew the minute we did it that everybody was going to be freaking out. And I didn’t care." Bruce Timm is a literal god among us. Everything this man has with DC has been nothing than GOLD. (Pssst, DC get this man on the movies while you still have him active. DO IT...oh and call up Paul Dini too. Let's get the dream team back together!)
Harley Quinn was very Dollmaker like. not a fan of Batman's look tho looks like he is wearing a sideless muscle shirt but is his wings apart of his suit or his body? Can't wait to learn more
samuel
I know. I mean about the world. Learn more about Langstrom. What powers does he have? Is he married? I thought Wonder woman was Bekka of the new gods maybe now she is not maybe she is Artemis? What is Superman's deal? Will other heroes be coming soon stuff like that
