Top 10 Hidden Details in DC Animated Movies
#10: O’Neil & Adams
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“Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” (1993) In the critically-acclaimed “Mask of the Phantasm”, Batman attempts to stop the killer vigilante known as the Phantasm. And while combing through data on the Batcomputer, viewers can briefly spot two corporations listed as “O’Neil Funding Corp” and “Adams Tool and Die”. This is a reference to Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams. This writer-artist duo was instrumental to expanding much of the Batman mythos during the Silver Age of comics. When you think of Batman you likely think of this dark gothic figure. And O’Neil and Adams were huge parts in bringing that version of the character to life.
#9: Earth-22
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“Injustice” (2021) During the “Injustice” movie, the dystopian world where Superman became a tyrant is referred to as Earth-22 by the Earth-1 Superman. While specific Earth numbers don’t always matter, Earth-22 is definitely one of the more noteworthy ones. In the comics, Earth-22 belongs to the world of Kingdom Come. The 1996 Eisner-award winning “Kingdom Come” miniseries was created by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. And it was another story that featured heroes in the midst of a deeply personal conflict. This time with Superman taking aim against the next generation of younger, darker superheroes who have entered the fold.
#8: Year One Callback
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“The Batman vs. Dracula” (2005) This action-packed movie’s got more references to the larger Batman mythos than you might expect. After Batman experiences a gruesome beating from Dracula, he recovers in Wayne Manor. And during a nightmare, he dreams of a bat shattering through his bedroom window. This is a callback to Frank Miller’s “Year One”. In that comic, the fledgling vigilante Bruce Wayne is inspired to call himself Batman after a bat enters the manor in a similar way. This isn’t the only easter egg in this nightmare sequence either! After the bat breaks in, Bruce is joined by the literal Batman persona. The nightmare apparition then bears fangs and lunges for Bruce. This Batman’s monstrous form is reminiscent of the vampire Batman from the “Red Rain” comic (xref).
#7: Will Magnus’ Mice
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“Justice League: Gods and Monsters” (2015) When running a set of tests for his experiments, Dr. William Magnus disposes of several lab mice. The mice are named Mickey, Minnie, and Mighty. Besides the references to Mickey and Minnie Mouse, there’s also the last mouse called Jerry. It’s a neat nod to the “Tom and Jerry” cartoon franchise. The name’s also fitting since Jerry’s known for surviving whatever danger Tom puts him in, and here Jerry is the only survivor of Magnus’ experiments. So does this make Will Magnus the Tom of “Justice League: Gods and Monsters”? We’ll let you guys decide.
#6: Billboard Jokes
“DC League of Super-Pets” (2022) During the midst of their battle with the evil Lulu, the fight takes the League of Super-Pets to just outside of the Daily Planet where viewers can spot billboards advertising some unique things. There’s ads for the popular fast-food chain “Big Belly Burger”, a “Cats” parody called “Catwoman”, even Bruce Wayne’s own line of professional suits. We also see a billboard for Ferris Aircraft and a true deep cut with a sign for Gingold Soda. This is a beverage made with Gingo, the mysterious fruit which gave the Elongated Man his powers. Besides being neat easter eggs, the billboards are also pretty effective marketing tools. Seriously, anyone else craving some Big Belly Burger now?
#5: Greek Gods
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“Justice League: War” (2014) By the end of “Justice League: War”, the League has become a true team. Wonder Woman even goes so far as to compare her new teammates to mythological gods from the Greek Pantheon. Batman gets Hades (which is so fitting), Green Lantern is Apollo, Flash is Hermes, Cyborg is Hepheastus, and Shazam is Zeus. They all seem like pretty apt comparisons and only reinforce the idea many fans have that the League are gods trying to be men. Superman’s the only one she doesn’t make a comparison for, claiming he’s not like any she’s ever met. That seems fair given Superman has often been perceived as a Christ-like character. But it also kind of feels like Wonder Woman is putting the moves on Superman. Smooth.
#4: Looking Into the Abyss
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“Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths” (2010) When Batman and Owlman fought on Earth Prime in a battle to determine the fate of the entire multiverse, it was a pure spectacle. As Owlman masterfully counters every one of Batman’s moves and overpowers him, Batman offers a few words of wisdom to him. His comments about looking into the abyss are an allusion to Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche was a famous philosopher who said “when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” And that’s pretty much what happened to Owlman. Both individuals experienced darkness in their lives. But while Batman overcame it, Owlman gave into the darkness and became the monster he is now. Hey it’s not a superhero movie without a little existential dread!
#3: The Monarch Theater
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“Batman: Under the Red Hood” (2010) “Batman: Under the Red Hood” was a highly personal film that pitted Batman against his former Robin Jason Todd who found himself back from the dead. And shortly before the two have their final fight, the Monarch Theater can be seen briefly in the background. Longtime Batman fans can recognize this as the theater Bruce and his parents went to the night the Waynes were killed. Having the Monarch Theater in the movie is kind of symbolic if you think about it. The first time the theater ever really came into play, Bruce lost his family. And when it appears (briefly) again now, Bruce is about to lose family again through losing Jason. But hey, that’s just our two cents on it!
#2: Marty McFly’s House
“Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox” (2013) It’s not a time-travel movie if you don’t try to pay homage to “Back to the Future” at least once. The opening scene to “Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox” has a young Barry Allen rushing home where he eventually discovers the grisly sight of his mother’s murder. The Allen residence bears a particularly strong resemblance to Marty Mcfly’s own house from “Back to the Future”. Marty Mcfly and Barry Allen have more in common than just their houses though. Both characters create alternate timelines that inadvertently mess everything up for them. It also then becomes their responsibility to fix things before it's inevitably too late. We’ve all wanted to change the past, but the consequences just aren’t worth it.
#1: The New 52
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“Justice League: War” (2014) DC loves the number 52. It was the name of their year-long comic book event in 2006 and has also been a reference sprinkled across numerous shows and movies. So it should come as no surprise that the number shows up during “Justice League War”. When a gravely-injured Victor Stone is tended to at Star Labs, his heart rate is shown on a screen as 52 beats per minute. Besides being the title of their 2006 event, the number 52 also refers to DC’s mass-scale reboot “The New 52” that occurred in 2011. It brought DC’s heroes back to square one, and while divisive, still created many iconic stories. “Justice League War” is even a direct adaptation of the New 52’s first Justice League arc.
