Roxy Rocket

Roxy Rocket
Roxanne Sutton

There's been a lot of talk about jetpacks and amazing female characters, but there hasn't been much talk about the original rocket riding adventurer. Roxy Rocket is more of a mischievous villain and less of a murderer and thief, since it's all about the thrills. The burgling is again a little foreplay before the adventure begins, since one needs a plot to start the journey. Sadly her character only had two appearances and one focused episode, though due to production errors she came out in print first. Most of us know her from the high flying adventures of Batman and her deadly race with a highly sophisticated rocket for City travel. Since her tale is so short we decided to talk about her appearances and the character in this little editorial about the Crimson Criminal Roxanne Sutton aka Roxy Rocket!

shorts SHORT Review: Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles; Big

Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles 
Big

Written by Alan Burnett
Directed by Bruce Timm
Distributed by Warner Brothers Animation and Machinima

Tamara Taylor voiced Bekka
Tahmoh Penikett voiced Steve Trevor
Bruce Thomas voiced the Mysterious Mustached Man, or Kobra.

Take a moment and enjoy the short Big
<--- Also check out the first review of the feature film here
Then there's the first short review of Twisted over here --->

The best of the three, this is the one that I feel was pulp perfected. I love everything about this short, since it's a Spicy story from a dime novel. I'm bias for these types of films especially in animation. This is another short written by Bruce Timm, it's honestly a love letter to Spicy Pulp Fiction. And back in the day anything with the word Spicy on it was like the word Adult in the 90's, though not quite ten cents, but there was a lot of situations that needed two minds that knew what they were doing (or at the very least are told they know what they're doing). Though there was another element that made it Adult or Spicy, it was the Pulp or Action! Yes, tales and observations were detailed in these adventures of those that were of age and could take a licking and keep thrusting their way across exotic and dangerous scenery. That was always a subtle element to a lot of these pulp classics, the nudity. Most of the time implied and some of the time shown, it matters the market and the amount of people that want to read, watch, or see pictures of folks in these escapades into the relative unknown. On this day we jump into the known unknown and take a dip into the adventures of Wonder Woman aka Bekka in this world, since she's never formally introduced as the Trinity associate.

shorts SHORT Review: Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles; Twisted

Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles
Twisted

Written by Alan Burnett
Directed by Bruce Timm
Distributed by Warner Brothers Animation and Machinima

Hyperlink to the short Twisted
<--- Also check out the first review of the feature film here
Then there's the second short review of Big over here --->


This (to me) feels like the first of the three, if you were to watch these shorts "Twisted" would be a way to ease into the micro-series. Everything about this feels like a Batman animation, the mood and the setting, it's like Bruce Timm never left, though this was penned by Alan Burnett long time contributor to both Batman series (Batman: the Animated Series and Batman Beyond).

Like in Batman Beyond (Rebirth part 1) it opens with a factory at night with a Batman flying to deter villains. We see the City that all know, Gotham a place of darkness and disheveled life. A Batman soaring about them all, as Bruce he's a rich man, riches beyond anyone's dream, as Kirk he fits right into the night. Another face in the crowd, though this throng keeps more than skeletons in the closet. Speaking of, Batman is on a case to find (at the very least) the bodies, based off of whispers through the night (and the Police Department). They really know how to set a mood in this animation, there's been no conversation between anyone, the victims, the heroes, not even an inner monologue. It really makes you feel like you're within this warehouse with the dark knight, groping for anything that could be a clue to find the missing people.

Then we stop for a Bat-Snack, as we always do, remember kids, there's always time for nutrition.

Though what we find is the macabre in the fridge of this slaughter house, body parts of all different types of people frozen, also a nice treat for ice cubes. You take an ice tray and pour your favorite soda in it and bingo you have yourself a nice little treat or a tasty ice cube for a glass of water or booze. Batman has no time for the habits of others and closes the door moving into a darker part of the warehouse. In this room he finds boxes, jack-in-the-boxs to be more specific, one's a toy, the other is half a man, limply bouncing on a spring. Seeing no joy in this practice Kirk moves on, without a word. Another box moves and, with the same easy, Kirk not thinking that there's anything of danger that could spring from the next box, opens the moving cube. Inside a woman persists that she needs help through her eyes since she is tied up, Kirk removes the gag. The woman's warning is too late, but Batman isn't bested by a sledgehammer, but the corpes-in-the-box is knocked over.

Oona Kulte, friend of Tea and local.
Dressed in her harlequin outfit.

Harley looks a bit different in this world, I think it's a tongue-in-cheek joke about how she looks in the video game. She's very dressed down and has a belly ring, a diamond tattoo, and red and black dyed hair. It's an interesting take on the original, also it's something that the original wanted, a family, well at least that's through the assumption on the direction that's been consistent through a lot of Bruce Timm's interpretations of Harley (well these are my assumptions of Harley based off of the media I've seen). Harley wants a family, a gang, a group that she can love. It's been seen in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker and Batman: Mad Love (Comic and Animation), she's always had a motherly appeal (and sex appeal) it's an interesting dichotomy for this Batman Femme Fatale, which is why she's a wonderful villain. This Harley has taken the Baby Doll (as seen in Batman: The Animated Series, episode of the same name, season 3 episode 4) route for family, well the darker path.

The woman runs off, though Harley is even more annoyed at the B-Man, then her "Sis" getting away. Again the tone for this short is spectacular (I really mean it, it's haunting). Harley doesn't pull punches, nor does Batman as he releases his cling to the ceiling, but that only sets up his ribs for Harley's hammer. Though with a second swing the Bat stops her and punches the ghastly greasepaint grinning girl through a pane of looking-glass into a family room. Four individuals (assuming Harley propped them up, you never know, maybe they died that way) each with a haunting and stunning smile. A Mother, Father, little brother, and Grandmother, all dead, waiting with an open seat for big Sis.

With this being absorbed into Kirk's mind, Harley comes out again, though this time with something a little more dangerous than a Hammer. A Chainsaw, toothed and ready to add a Bat-Butler in the family room. Wagging the saw around the room Harley buzzes into many of her "loved ones", till she grabs a wrong spin into a wall and busts the chain, slicing her side open.

Gom dressed in his best Batman outfit,

grabbing hold of his next pursuit of justice and meal.

Kirk jumps down from the rafters, holding Harley's wrists. She gives into defeat and allows Batman his duty as Justice to take her away. This amuses our darker Knight, as he produces his fangs and takes a bite into his meal. Leaving only the sounds of pain and shock that this Harley's victims know so well.

I trust you enjoyed the inspection, thank you for reading.
Support the creator, check out the links and watch the movie.
If you want to stay up to date on my reviews, subscribe to this page.
Keep well and Stay well.

Justice League: Gods and Monsters

A little forward thinking one should set things up in advance to get more done in less time. I sometimes write these when I can and since I'm assuming before diving into this movie that it's going to be another origin story (about the characters we know better than our family) I decided to have some wine. It's an Adult beverage that I enjoy, in retrospect I should not have. Remember the words of Ernest Hemingway "Write Drunk, Edit Sober", though if it's an analytical piece this mantra might not work out so well. Also I don't think the phrase was to be taken literally, though this is the mess we've been giving, it's color commentary, I'll try to explain myself the best I can with the words I wrote. With this little bit about me, and my writing methods, let's dive into this feature film finely focused forefront on this terrific trinity that gives homage to heroic heroes.

Tom & Jerry: Spy Quest

If there was one thing to know about me my film choices you should take a look at ever pulp hero and see if there's a film or an homage to these types of heroes, since I've either seen it or I'm hunting it down. Jonny Quest is a classic, it's Hanna-Barbera's kid version of pulp adventurers, though it's still the most amazing limited animated series created. This was their first action series in 1964 on Prime-time, though like Tom & Jerry and Yogi Bear the name Jonny Quest became household. Then the years start passing and new generations come and go, then new prime-time series need to be produced. Lucky for people like me there's adventurous folks out there that want to see more of the Quest Family. In 2015 they completed and shipped out this amazing (about a hour long) feature starring Tom & Jerry with guests (and driving plot) Jonny Quest, Haji, Race, and Dr. Benton Quest with Bandit, of course. Enough history, let's swing into action and adventure in this Warner Bros. Animation that gives great respect for the series and a bright future for the characters.

shorts SHORT Review: Thunder and Lightning

DC Nation: Thunder and Lightning

Character Designed, Written, and Directed by Lynell Forestall
Executive Produced by Sam Register
Produced by DC Entertainment
Production Company and Distributed by Warner Bros. Animation

Detective Comics saw that their animations were popular and finally decided to give the creative people of the animation world a chance. It was a great way for Warner Brothers to see what short got people interested in and if they should make more superhero shows. There's been a rising increase in superhero shows in production since the end of the DC Nation shorts. This has lead to successes and failures, though the majority of the media has been flourishing and exposing fans to more heroes.

Black Lightning goes way back with me, all the way to the Super Friends, Hannah-Barbera made a lasting impression on me and the characters in this series. Now he wasn't apart of the series till The All-New Super Friends Hour and even then he was a guest, but by the 80's he became a core member of the team as Black Vulcan. Black Vulcan was Black Lightning's name in the show, though it was confusing to why they renamed the character at the time. With a little research it seems there were disputes between the creator of the character (Tony Isabella) and DC, this is something that happens. New characters are made for Superhero shows if they don't match up with what is needed for the series. It was a great selection for the roaster, since he's proven himself as a hero and a protector of justice.

Ever since I saw Electro (Spider-Man Rogue) I wanted a Hero version of that character, then Static Shock came around. An awesome show about an electricity powered hero, I saw him in a different outfit and different media first. It was in a crossover that showed me Rocket and Superboy teaming up (in his leather jacket). That's the time that I started to look up more heroes and learn more about the DCU. DC Animation has always been a favorite of mine, so seeing Black Lighting in motion was an exciting venture into nostalgia, but also excitement in seeing the family adventures of the first DC African American Superhero.

Black Lightning has two daughters in this series, I know Thunder from the Outsiders comic, she was an interesting character that could change her density. She was a strong character though she mostly had her strength in her personality. A confident and take charge type of person, unfazed by the weird world of Superheroes. Anissa was the metaphorical glue of the Ousiders' team, keeping them together and strong, her Dad even popped in to see her at her best. Also she was an amazing "death from above" bomber, dropping her body's full weight on an aggressor. Lighting on the other hand I'm unfamiliar with, though I know her design well from Kingdom Come, she seems to have her Father's electricity manipulation power, though it's unclear if she has his Force Field generating ability.



In the Clothes Make the Hero, we see a cutout standee of the Black Vulcan, showing off the old attire of the Hannah-Barbera, though this wasn't the original costume, just the one that he's most known for having because of the 70's cartoon. Black Lightning's costume has always been a favorite of mine, it's a wonderful design and it's strong appearance make it powerful in the eyes of the wearer and his opponents, even the 1977 version.

The short is about 1 minute long, though is a wonderfully designed and animated feature. The daughters are different from their comic counterparts, though I do enjoy their take on the two siblings and single Dad. Thunder was defiantly close to the strong woman that becomes a core member of the Outsiders. The ending of the short shows how strong the hero is and how tough of a character he can be, though superman like throwing around his weight and less attacks with his powers, but still showing how effective he is as a hero against a heavy hitter like Doctor Polaris.

Lauren Montgomery was the storyboard artist for this short.
(She has a Blogspot and DeviantArt that's defunct)


In Under the Weather we see that the youngest daughter is feeling a bit sick. It's a classic single parent deal, since he needs to work, he gives his oldest daughter the role of parent. A great show of skill and strength from the Father as he delegates between his working life (battling the scum of the neighborhood) and family life. Showing that he's a force in the Superhero world and a caring Dad to his daughters. As our hero is flinged back to his home his littlest daughter sneezes a blast of lightning taking out the robotic threat. Jefferson Pierce smiles to the camera congratulating his daughter's winning battle.

Michael Goguen was the storyboard artist for this short.
(Can't find any social media connected to him, though if you can, post in the comments)

Tea Steeping is trying to relax after a hard day of keep Gom entertained.

The little automaton is (literally) full of energy when it comes to Supers.

I don't know Blair Underwood, that's a shame, since he was able to give a wonderful performance within 1 minute. I believed enough that he was Black Lightning, since his strong voice and heroic approach to this character was spot on. I hope that I see more from him and his work in the future.

Masasa Moyo, again is an actress that I don't know her body of work, though I've thumbed through her credits and I've been exposed to most of her employment. She preformed an excellent little sister and kept great energy for the 1 minute shorts. I'll keep a finer eye on her in the future, since I enjoy a lot of Canadian actors.

Then there's Cree Summer, I know this woman's voice in every form, since I've been following her career for awhile. She's been in just about every cartoon or TV show I've seen growing up. From Susie Carmichael to Freddie Brooks to Queen Kida to Foxxy Love to Numbuh 5, and that's just her diversity as an actor, she's a wonderful singer too. Within the shorts her performance and experience shows, embodying the role and showing great skill in her emotional range while keeping her voice confident as the oldest sister.

In short if you like fluid and beautifully designed animation, then this is for you, if you like strong characters, this is for you, if you like super short toons that are crafted as if they could become something longer than a minute and change, then you'll be watching these over and over.

Black History Month is an important time, not only for the past, but for the future. Celebrating and honoring those that should be remembered for their accomplishments and their achievements. Here at Cartoon Cyborg Cinema we give respect to this month and to everyone that's apart of Black history and Black Culture. This is a blog for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and the Weird, we'll be reviewing media of influential figures, fictional and real.

I trust you enjoyed the inspection, thank you for reading.
Support the creator, check out more from your local Library and watch the shorts.
If you want to stay up to date on our reviews, subscribe to this page.
Keep well and Stay well.

The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age Smackdown!

Wrestling and Cartoons, honestly these two need to team-up more often, though the year of 2015 seemed to have Hanna-Barbera connect and make many specials. One special that was a fantastic choice, but a strange way to bring back a series was with this film, was one of the first Animated Television Series, the Flintstones. The last feature or special from the Flintstones franchise was the Live-Action film The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000) or the hard to find made-for-TV special The Flintstones: On the Rocks (2001). This is more than a decade from the last appearance, unless one counts The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy episode (Modern Primitives, 2006) still the series hasn't see much interaction, even being as world renown and iconic. I'm glad that one of the most famous and celebrated cartoons that Hanna-Barbera created is getting a few more eyes on it's newest animation (especially since I love the way guests are designed on the Flintstones).

Scooby-Doo! Moon Monster Madness

Right off the bat, I'm gonna say it, I'm a Scooby-Doo fan. I have liked for years, now heading toward decades, this character and his friends, my favorite hokey series of this character has been A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. Then there was a shift in power, Scooby wasn't the character he was anymore, this shift is where I became a Shaggy fan, now I'm going towards Velma, it's a weird evolution, but this is the current state of things for the characters. The people responsible for their development are forgetting the spirit of the characters and grouping the Mystery Gang together as one being, it happens with long series, though I'm glad they keep reinventing what makes each member special, not only toward solving mysteries, but to each other. With this recent film for the series, let's see what made Scooby-Doo in Space better than the other cartoons that Hanna-Barbera shot into space or is Warner Brothers following in the footsteps of their predecessors when it comes to making an old idea new?

Justice League War

**** Hey (2018) Cartoon Cyborg Cinema citizens, it's Mister Forte here with an EDIT, that's right, I wanna rework the blog a little, make it more of a positive effort to cinema and books than something that's gonna discredit and harm the passionate project that people have put time and effort into making. I'll be putting small changes into these posts, just making them flow a little better, or correct grammar or spelling errors, but mainly I want you to seek out these features in your own life and enjoy them to the fullest. I'll still critique them on issues and embellish other points, though I feel more can be done then feed negativity. The main goal of this is to bring positivity to reviewing and conversation to topics that don't always get the same amount of love back (more on this topic over here). Thank you for the privilege of your time and enjoy this review. **********

This is a big jump for DC Animation and WB Animation alike, since the Justice League is the Avengers of DC Comics. And on top of that the Justice League (and Justice League Unlimited) Animation Series is a well loved program, so making a movie that updates the characters and plot in a more modern setting is going to be a challenge, then the uphill battle of convincing fans. With that in mind Justice League War is a brash title for an introduction to these new version of old friends.

Let me get this out of the way, I'm an old school fan of DC Comics, though I understand cinematic versions and updated versions (new 52) of the characters are out there and applied to modern adaptions, but their spirit should be placed into all media. What I'm saying is when my memory of the past comes into place I'll give you my nostalgia, then my understanding of the character within the film. Again most creative teams want to make their version of the characters or use their dream team or their favorite characters from their favorite creative team. This can be seen as successful with the TV series X-Men from 1992 and Teen Titans from 2003, so I can't blame them for being ambitious in trying to have lightning strike twice.

That's where this movie comes in, they want to take a good idea, update it and make it something that they can create a film series, that's not too ambitious, since they've done that with many of these characters. Just to name a few Scooby-Doo, Tom & Jerry, and always Batman, though they saw a trend in the fabric of what was moving in pop-culture and it was teams. With the success of Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers they needed to bring back their heavy hitters, though a little dusty they just needed a new paint job. This is my speculation, and you'll hear more about this 'between the lines' thinking in this post.