The Future of DCAU/Timmverse

[Sick]

So, Justice League finished two years ago, a month ago there was a last issue of comic Justice League. For now, there are no developments of DC Animated Universe. Are there going to be some stories set in this universe at all ?

[creativerealms]

Nope it's over and while I loved it it deserves to end, because of how well it did. Everyone who worked on it is pretty much done with it, seeing how they have worked on post Timm verse animated features for DC. Timm and others work on the new DC DTVs and those are in an independent universe.

Every animated DC show will be in it's own universe, or so it seems so far. Really it's nothing new, DC shows started to break away from the DCAU with Teen Titans.

[Wolf Boy2]

The DCAU does need to end, for its own sake. If it continued for 20+ years it would become a muddled mess like the comics. Canon debates would escalate and the whole thing would stop being much fun.

[Peter Paltridge]

The DCAU does need to end, for its own sake. If it continued for 20+ years it would become a muddled mess like the comics. Canon debates would escalate and the whole thing would stop being much fun.
Sadly, you are correct.

But we're unlikely to ever get something like the Timmverse again. It's special, it's huge, and it lasted for over a decade. Very few people in animation can keep the same job for this long, especially in the children's department. They created their own world that feels real and rich and many of the later stories work because we already know the characters so well.

I think it's a testament to the quality of their legacy that with so many unfinished DVD volumes hanging, the entire Timmverse was released on disc easily.

[Wolf Boy2]

Sadly, you are correct.

But we're unlikely to ever get something like the Timmverse again. It's special, it's huge, and it lasted for over a decade. Very few people in animation can keep the same job for this long, especially in the children's department. They created their own world that feels real and rich and many of the later stories work because we already know the characters so well.

I think it's a testament to the quality of their legacy that with so many unfinished DVD volumes hanging, the entire Timmverse was released on disc easily.
What I love most about the DCAU is the consistancy of tone among all the shows.

The only other instance of cross-series continuity would be Transformers, GI Joe, Beast Wars and Beast Machines. But the original Transformers and GI Joe do not have the same tone of Beast Wars and its really jarring for someone (like me) who saw Beast Wars first. While I do like the original Transformers, it was a dissapointment after seeing Beast Wars (which was more like JLU in its tone and seriousness). GI Joe is an absolute farce, but it wedged into the Beast Wars universe because of its vague Transformers crossovers. However, GI Joe and Beast Wars are literally as different in tone as JLU and Superfriends.

But in the DCAU, it doesn't matter which series you saw first. Someone watching JLU can go back and watch BTAS and find the same level of quality despite its age. From the pilot promo of BTAS ("The Dark Knight's First Night") to the finale of "Destroyer", the internal consistancy of the DCAU is staggering. Only a few episodes from the Batman and Superman runs stand out as turkeys, and even those are enjoyable in their own way.

[DerekPowers]

I dont mind a break from the DCAU/Timmverse, but honestly, if I could choose, Id keep it going in some form, at some point in the future. I mean, can't we atleast get a JLU DTV? If it is really over and never coming back, I'd be ok with that too, because it was so great, and when something is great like that, its okay to have it end, but honestly, I'd rather it not end, simply because nothing has even come close to its quality and brilliance.

[Nexonius]

While the DCAU is over, there's a new universe that houses The Batman and Legion Of Superheroes, and I call it TNDCAU (The Non DC Animated Universe).

[creativerealms]

While the DCAU is over, there's a new universe that houses The Batman and Legion Of Superheroes, and I call it TNDCAU (The Non DC Animated Universe).

Those two shows are not in the same universe.

[Master Toon]

Gosh, I didn't know everyone here felt this way about the DCAU.

[The Weed Of Cri]

As much as I hate to see it go, it's better that it go out while it's still vibrant and entertaining. Better that than see it hang around until it becomes a burnt-out shell of itself.

[Max]

Gosh, I didn't know everyone here felt this way about the DCAU.

I don't.

Until I see something on the level or better than the Timmverse I will still continue to want new Timmverse animated series.

[Mad Mod 49]

IMO, they should have had a "Crisis" style story for a TV movie or something that could effectively end the Timmverse and clear a path for a new one. Than once that new one's had it's fill, same thing happens. It's very effective. :cool:

But in any case, yes, it should stay ended, Bruce Timm would become far too exhausted working on it any further, and the quality would nosedive as a result.



Until I see something on the level or better than the Timmverse I will still continue to want new Timmverse animated series.


If there's one issue I have with the Timmverse, it's feelings like this. You go on about how good it is but then will dislike any new DC show because it's not on it's level or BETTER? :eek: It's a very close-minded and self-defeating viewpoint. Rabid DCAU fans need to learn that, despite how good the DCAU was, it's over and it's time to move on and allow other DC shows and producers to have their chance, lest Bruce Timm monopolize the entire market.

[Silverstar]

I personally can live with the absence of the DCAU, provided we can get decent DC cartoons from another studio (or studios) to fill the void. And I don't mean just a bunch of new Batman shows.

[Master Toon]

I hate to sound like a rabid wrestling fan but.. One more time! One more time! One more time!

I just want Tim and all of his pals to get back together on one more series, not a movie but a series. JLU ended gracefully but I want it to end with more emotion, something that's like cliffhanger but isn't. One more time!

[Wolf Boy2]

IMO, they should have had a "Crisis" style story for a TV movie or something that could effectively end the Timmverse and clear a path for a new one. Than once that new one's had it's fill, same thing happens. It's very effective. :cool:
NO. God, no.

I hate Crisis stories. A cold reboot is so much better.

To be honest, I am sick of DC altogether. The Marvel/Lionsgate DTVs have been a good universe to follow, and the new X-Men cartoon looks awesome.

What I really want is something like what Gargoyles was in the 1990s -- a completely original animated series. Which, unfortunately, it seems I can only find that in anime.

[Alex Weitzman]

I'd love to see more DCAU stuff.......if they have a story to tell.

There's no use in doing something if they don't have their hearts in it. If there's a worthwhile story that needs telling, and it's a DCAU story, then my Pavlovian drool will run continuously. But otherwise, I'm quite pleased with what Warner Premiere has accomplished so far and see no need to forcibly demand a needless revisit of DCAU.

[Max]

If there's one issue I have with the Timmverse, it's feelings like this. You go on about how good it is but then will dislike any new DC show because it's not on it's level or BETTER? :eek: It's a very close-minded and self-defeating viewpoint. Rabid DCAU fans need to learn that, despite how good the DCAU was, it's over and it's time to move on and allow other DC shows and producers to have their chance, lest Bruce Timm monopolize the entire market.

I love (not) this guys who read a simple phrase by someone and think they know all about that person. No, I'm not a close-minded rabid DCAU fan and you clearly misunderstood what I said.

I never said that I will dislike every show that is not on the same level or better than the Timmverse shows. I never said that I will not watch new shows unless they are done by Bruce Timm. What I said is that I will continue to want more shows done in the Timmverse style unless something new, different but with the same quality or even better comes up. And let's get real...when something is good and people really enjoy it like happened with the Timmverse it's normal that people want to get some more of that, specially when they feel that so much more could be done on that area which is my case. After the JLU a few other DC animated series like the Flash, Green Lantern, Shazam! or even the Question could have been done in the Timmverse style. But I understand if Bruce Timm and the guys don't want to do more shows and I can live with that.

The thing is that instead of we have had the arrival of a new DC animated universe that could move us from the Timmverse, what we had (and will probably continue to have in the future) was just a bunch of kid shows with no connection between them that are nothing more than new versions of the characters and the stories that we already know from the recent past series. Those shows will not substitute the Timmverse. If you want the fans to move on from the Timmverse you got to create another DC universe with shows done in a different way, with other type of animation but still with some continuity and animation consistancy that connects them to each other. Other way it will be very difficult to get people away from the Timmverse because that was very well received. There's a lot of people that even prefer the Timmverse over the DC Comics universe.

I'm open for new stuff but let's face it....people never like changes for worst only for equal or better, even if different.

[Harvey Two Face]

It really does need a rest, and until there is ambition and desire by any of the writers to do another DCAU series it should end for now, as said by Weitzman, if they don't put their hearts into it it'll never achieve the greatness the other series did.

[Dynoblaze]

I hate to sound like a rabid wrestling fan but.. One more time! One more time! One more time!

I just want Tim and all of his pals to get back together on one more series, not a movie but a series. JLU ended gracefully but I want it to end with more emotion, something that's like cliffhanger but isn't. One more time!

If even eaiser to please. One 2min clip of Batman saying "the godd-m Batman" line.
By Conroy of course.

[darkdetective]

One last dtv would make me happy.

[thedanmachine]

I feel like the DCAU has done pretty much most of what all it can ever do without seeming redundant. With the exception of giving some of the JL members their own shows theres really no place to go.
I think if they wanted to do one more DTV about some big event that they havent done yet, I'd be up for that, but otherwise the DCAU/Timmiverse has had it's time.

[Dogbert]

There are other directions the universe could have gone to avoid repetition, I'm sure, but I'm glad it ended without becoming a watered down version of itself like so many long-running shows tend to do. I hope future series at least come close in terms of quality entertainment and storytelling, but I'll take a near miss if one ever pops up (Spectacular Spider-Man, though obviously a Marvel show, has given me hope that's still possible).

I know this dream will never come true, but I'd really, really like to see the Near-Apocalypse of 2009 as a DTV movie.

[thanos28542]

So far, not one DC animated series that has come out since the end of the Timm DCU, has been equal or better than the BTAS/STAS/JL/JLU were.

Let's hope the upcoming "WF" series is the one that will.

[Hanshotfirst113]

Quite frankly, as Timm has said that he does not want to continue with the DCAU, I find it hard to begrudge it to him at all. He provided me with years of entertainment, has shown nothing but respect for the fans (even interacting with us here), and most importantly, and most importantly has done no George Lucas tampering crap with the DCAU. He's made clear his desire to move on, and I'd love to see what else someone as talented as him can do. Would I object if he made more DCAU projects? Certainly not! But if this is all that we'll get, that's fine. It's lots of great stuff. And I'm grateful for it.

I would like to see the Static Shock crossovers on DVD though ;).

[Super_Staff]

I personally think they did all they could with the series without letting it slip into a deep, dark place that many TV shows go through once they've hit their peak. I think I'm ready for something new and exciting for cartoons based off comics. Spectacular Spider-man's filling that desire at the moment.

[Yojimbo]

How quickly they forget. Try and google for some Comic Con interviews from last year. Timm entertained the possibility of revisiting the Timmverse if the DTV movies are successful. The possibility would get more ground if the JLA live action movie gets running. Most likely, give it a year or two and we might see World's Collide, the JL movie that got shelved years ago. I'm sure someone will ask Timm this again at this summer's con Q&A's.

[DerekPowers]

How would people feel about new Timm shows that arent in continuity with the past "Timmverse"? Like a Flash: TAS, or Green Arrow: TAS, but new characters, so they can start fresh like w/ BTAS?

Id love it. Mr. Timm is the most qualified person to launch a new DCAU.

[Bones Justice]

I would like to see more shows or movies set in the DCAU. I didn't think the creators had slowed down at all in the last season of JLU. The ending was good but I think it was open-ended enough that a lot more stories could be written.

[Alph]

How would people feel about new Timm shows that arent in continuity with the past "Timmverse"? Like a Flash: TAS, or Green Arrow: TAS, but new characters, so they can start fresh like w/ BTAS?

Id love it. Mr. Timm is the most qualified person to launch a new DCAU.


I think that might seem kind of pointless though, since B.T. has already created a version of those characters, and other people are already making new versions of them. If he wants to start a fresh new story, it would probably make more sense for him to use characters outside of the DCAU.


I wouldn't mind seeing a brand new universe starring an entirely original cast, personally.

[Fone Bone]

How quickly they forget. Try and google for some Comic Con interviews from last year. Timm entertained the possibility of revisiting the Timmverse if the DTV movies are successful. The possibility would get more ground if the JLA live action movie gets running. Most likely, give it a year or two and we might see World's Collide, the JL movie that got shelved years ago. I'm sure someone will ask Timm this again at this summer's con Q&A's.That's awesome news. I'm not really a DC Comics fan but a DCAU fan.

I'd be fine with the DCAU ending if they wrapped it up better but there are just too many unanswered questions that probably comes with the territory of only having 13 episodes to wrap the entire thing up with. When will Lois find out that Clark is Superman? What happened to Zeta and did he ever prove his innocence? When will Dwayne McDuffie be allowed to do a PROPER Static finale? What exactly happened in the Near-Apocalypse of '09? World's Collide? I'd like maybe a trilogy of DTVs to answer all of these questions (not including a Static Shock one which I want too) that could probably be based a lot on the season of JLU that never happened.

I want new live-action Buffyverse projects for the same reason. Say what you want about the Farscape miniseries but it wrapped up most of the stories that needed to be wrapped up and I'd like an opportunity for the DCAU to be able to do the same.

[Heeroyuy_Batman]

How would people feel about new Timm shows that arent in continuity with the past "Timmverse"? Like a Flash: TAS, or Green Arrow: TAS, but new characters, so they can start fresh like w/ BTAS?

Id love it. Mr. Timm is the most qualified person to launch a new DCAU.

I see no purpose in Mr. Timm creating a new DCAU. The examples you gave of a Flash: TAS or Green Arrow: TAS would fit perfectly well within the DCAU, especially if they were set before their appearances in JL/JLU and would require very little continuity with other DCAU series. Even if they made Nightwing: TAS (which I'd absolutely love, but know is just wishful thinking), there wouldn't need to be a huge amount of continuity between it and other series in the DCAU.

[BigEclipse]

Personally, I would love to see a DCAU version of the Teen Titans, with BTAS Nightwing in the lead. It would give characters like Deathstroke, Brother Blood, the HIVE and Terra a real vehicle, as I didn't like their portrayal on the original TT show. (Well, Slade was okay...)

[Wolf Boy2]

Personally, I would love to see a DCAU version of the Teen Titans, with BTAS Nightwing in the lead. It would give characters like Deathstroke, Brother Blood, the HIVE and Terra a real vehicle, as I didn't like their portrayal on the original TT show. (Well, Slade was okay...)
It would be interesting if the "Judas Contract" DTV was a DCAU tie-in, set around the time of TNBA. If I recall (its been a long time since I read the book), Nightwing made his TT debut in "Judas Contract", right?

If they took this route, it would finally clear up that little plot hole of Batman mentioning the Titans in Static Shock's "Hard as Nails."

[Silverstar]

It would be interesting if the "Judas Contract" DTV was a DCAU tie-in, set around the time of TNBA. If I recall (its been a long time since I read the book), Nightwing made his TT debut in "Judas Contract", right?

If they took this route, it would finally clear up that little plot hole of Batman mentioning the Titans in Static Shock's "Hard as Nails."

There was originally slated to be a Static/Titans crossover episode planned, but had it happened, the episode would've premiered before the debut of the Teen Titans show, so the project was abandoned in favor of a Static/Justice League crossover ("A League of Their Own").

[Alph]

That's awesome news. I'm not really a DC Comics fan but a DCAU fan.

I'd be fine with the DCAU ending if they wrapped it up better but there are just too many unanswered questions that probably comes with the territory of only having 13 episodes to wrap the entire thing up with. When will Lois find out that Clark is Superman? What happened to Zeta and did he ever prove his innocence? When will Dwayne McDuffie be allowed to do a PROPER Static finale? What exactly happened in the Near-Apocalypse of '09? World's Collide? I'd like maybe a trilogy of DTVs to answer all of these questions (not including a Static Shock one which I want too) that could probably be based a lot on the season of JLU that never happened.

I want new live-action Buffyverse projects for the same reason. Say what you want about the Farscape miniseries but it wrapped up most of the stories that needed to be wrapped up and I'd like an opportunity for the DCAU to be able to do the same.


I agree with you 100%. I would love a DCAU DTV trilogy that wrapped everything up.


Of course, I'd be ecstatic if we ever even got one JLU movie. Which we should, since every other DCAU generation has had a movie or two.

[Toddman]

How quickly they forget. Try and google for some Comic Con interviews from last year. Timm entertained the possibility of revisiting the Timmverse if the DTV movies are successful. The possibility would get more ground if the JLA live action movie gets running. Most likely, give it a year or two and we might see World's Collide, the JL movie that got shelved years ago. I'm sure someone will ask Timm this again at this summer's con Q&A's.

Someone did ask.

For all of you who seem to think they somewhere overheard Bruce Timm saying that he has totally left the DCAU in the past and will never return to his own established style of animation, these are quotes from Comic-Con '08 (taken from a report on "the site that will not be named")...

* Timm said a direct-to-DVD Justice League Unlimited "could happen."

* Timm said the odds are 50/50 that Worlds Collide, the script Dwayne McDuffie wrote as a bridge between Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, will be made.

* Timm said he hopes he can use his old DC Animated Universe style again. "I hope to do something in my own personal style again -- soon," Timm said.

It ain't dead yet...


T:Dddman

[raporfest]

Well sadly, Timm said that the Near Apocalopse of 2009 will never happen. However you never know when he might change his mind. I would personally want a direct video that fills the gap between JLU and Batman Beyond more so then Wolrds Collide.

[Toddman]

Well sadly, Timm said that the Near Apocalopse of 2009 will never happen.

Do you have a source for that?


Toddman

[raporfest]

I asked him at the panel for the Wonder Woman animated movie at San Diego Comic Con if they ever going to do a Near Apocalopse of 2009, he said no.

[sdp]

I'd be fine with the DCAU ending if they wrapped it up better but there are just too many unanswered questions

meh, most of those are not that important, yeah Lois finding out or the Apocalypse of 09 would be great but not everything has to be tied to perfectiong. With the exception of maybe Zeta having a real ending. Also Worlds Collide counting its been planned already I'd be up for that.


Glad to see that JL is not necessarily over, if nothing ever happens again I"m fine since the DCAU is already great, however seeing more would definitely be awesome. Aren't cartoons drove by sales of toys though? The JLU line seems to be going strong since it started and is even continuing in the future through Target. The only reason the new TMNT cartoon has lasted as much is because of sales, its weird if it got good sales tha the show didn't continue.


TNBA, STAS, JL, BB, ZP, where all series that could have easily had more episodes, and more episodes wouldn't hurt the DCAU, also seeing other heroes in their own series would have been a great way to continue it. I always wonder how come DC is reluctant to use anything besides Batman, even superman rarely gets a chance. The only way we see other heroes is through team ups. Marvel lets all their heroes have cartoons and that is another reason why Marvel hereos tend to have more recognition.

[Silverstar]

}]I always wonder how come DC is reluctant to use anything besides Batman, even superman rarely gets a chance.

The reason DC isn't doing a lot with Superman right now is because unlike Batman, Supes doesn't currently have any hit movies in the box office. Superman Returns met with a lukewarm reception, and so now DC is reluctant to try anything with new with Supey for fear that they'd take a huge bath money and ratings-wise. If the upcoming Man of Steel sequel rocks everyone's socks, then we'll see a whole slew of Superman related projects coming down the pike, I can guarantee it.

[Blackstar]

The reason why the only times you see other DC heroes is in team-ups is because TV executives are xenophobes; they're afraid of anything that they haven't seen before and will only invest in something that they are 100% certain will make them a ton of money. They go with Batman because Bats is a guaranteed cash cow. People know Batman and will watch Batman, no matter what, just because it's Batman. They don't know if many people would be interested in a series/video starring Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Starman, Dr. Light or Vixen. They only way that a series revolving around them would even see the light of day is if it featured these more obscure heroes appearing alongside of an established hero like Batman or Superman, who have proven time and again that they have the power to put butts in seats.

[matthewscott614]

The DCAU will live again.
The toys sell out at Target!
The comics sell out on Amazon!
The DVDs always do well.
Sales for a DCAU DTV would be excellent.
Its just a matter of time.

[Harlan_Phoenix]

The DCAU will live again.
The toys sell out at Target!
The comics sell out on Amazon!
The DVDs always do well.
Sales for a DCAU DTV would be excellent.
Its just a matter of time.

This is a very well thought out post.

Let me ask you, WHY is it such a big deal that the DCAU continues?

[Superman012]

While I have not seen every single Episode of the Older Animated series of Batman and Superman stuff, i think that people like the Warner Brother's producers should be able to continue in making series like 'The Batman'. (Though I know that the WB station on TV was bought out by the CW :()

It's newer, feels like it's our kind of time period (Seeing how they upgraded Batman's technology so well in The Batman), and that these producers can recycle and add different twists of older stories from their points of views.

(hopefully this makes sense to people)

[matthewscott614]

This is a very well thought out post.

Let me ask you, WHY is it such a big deal that the DCAU continues?
Its not a big deal, just a cool way to blow 20 bucks.
In the world of DTVs the audience is not required to be massive assive.
However the DCAU should continue because it is unique.
The designs are timeless & sometimes just down right fabulous.
Plus the style gets copied by other shows anyway.
So why not have the original floating around out there?
The voice actors rock!
The Vintage radio drama frame work holds the animation down to earth.
The animation is not cheap looking & is still 2-D.
Kevin Conroy & Mark Hamill rule as the Dark Knight & The Clown Prince!
Bruce Timm's style works on every DC character.
The last thing WB wants is a Marvel Timm Style show.
If you want more reasons, maybe I can bust some more out later?

[Wolf Boy2]

The DCAU will live again.
The toys sell out at Target!
The comics sell out on Amazon!
The DVDs always do well.
Sales for a DCAU DTV would be excellent.
Its just a matter of time.
Is this a poem?:sweat:

[matthewscott614]

Is this a poem?:sweat:
No.
However maybe you should make one out of it?