As noted
last week at Magic Mountain, just
as Cartoon Network closes the door on Justice League Unlimited,
other arms of the Time-Warner Entertainment Octopus have figured
out what a durable and popular franchise the Justice League
is.
This week, we'll be focusing on two Justice League projects that should float your boat, even if they don't quite ease the pain of cancellation.
Remember, too, that just because JLU has not been renewed, that doesn't mean it's dead. Superman: The Animated Series has an extension in a direct to video release next month, Brainiac Attack. We haven't seen it, but if it comes anywhere near the quality of the series, it should give fans hope that we could see one-off JLU projects in the future.
But first... Six Flags Magic Mountain.
The promotions director Sue Carpenter invited Fanboy Planet down to ride Tatsu, and that was extremely cool. Hearing Six Flags CEO Mark Shapiro's other announcements, however, made it clear that Magic Mountain should be a definite stop on readers' vacation plans.
|
But
who's under the mask? |
From the second you set foot in the park, it's clear that DC matters here. The park's new "Flash Pass" program (that avoids some line-waiting on more popular rides) comes along with a familiar scarlet speedster as its logo. Signs celebrating the 45th Anniversary and reminding you just which park you're at (in case you forgot) alternate among several Justice League members …and Robin.
Okay, so Mark Shapiro believes that Robin is a member of the Justice League. Worse crimes have been committed toward fanboys, and it's easy to forgive when slowly but surely, Magic Mountain has been trying to beef up its theming in Gotham City, where Batman: The Ride has long lurked alongside The Riddler's Revenge.
At the gate to Gotham City, the Justice League hangs out. In years past, the park has had Batman and Robin, but now they're joined by the Flash and Green Lantern, specifically John Stewart, emulating the uniforms in the animated series.
Unlike a certain star-spangled avenger that roughed me up at WonderCon, these heroes know their stuff when pushed. It's not just from a rote script. I pulled a terrible geek move on the Flash and asked, "who are you under the mask?"
I was referencing the upcoming series, where nobody knows, just so I'd have some clownish fodder for this article. Without blinking, the guy answered.
|
Signing
autographs, posing for pictures and not embarassing
themselves. |
"I'm Wally." I admired his quickness, but he continued. "Barry had blue eyes. I know this costume looks more like his than mine, but I'm wearing it today in tribute to him."
He then gathered the other heroes to pose before bounding
off to talk to children - after all, they are who he should
be talking to.
And the kids were impressed for other reasons than I was.
I believed he knew his stuff; they believed they were meeting
the Fastest Man Alive.
When a park can instill that kind of wonder, it's a good place to be.