DC Super Hero Girls, also released as DC Superhero Girls, is an American superhero web series and franchise produced by Warner Bros. Animation for Cartoon Network based on characters from DC Entertainment that launched in the third quarter of 2015.
| DC Super Hero Girls | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Shea Fontana (2015 version) Lisa Yee (2015 version) Aria Moffly (2015 version) Lauren Faust (2019 version) |
| Based on | Characters by DC Comics |
| Written by | Shea Fontana Nina G. Bargiel |
| Directed by | Jennifer Coyle Cecilia Aranovich |
| Voices of |
|
| Theme music composer | The Math Club featuring Colton Fisher and Jason Rabinowitz (2015 version) Asher Lenz and Stephen Skratt (2019 verson) |
| Opening theme | "Get Your Cape On" by Jordyn Kane (2015 version) "Super Life" by Kay Hanley and Michelle Lewis (2019 version) |
| Composer | Shaun Drew |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 112 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Sam Register |
| Producers | Jennifer Coyle Paula Haifley |
| Running time | 11-15 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Cartoon Network Boomerang |
| Release | 1 October 2015 – 27 December 2018 |
| Related | |
| DC Super Hero Girls (2019) | |
DC Super Hero Girls line was later reimagined by Lauren Faust, who had previously worked on The Powerpuff Girls, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.[1] This resulted in a full rebrand for the franchise, centered around an eponymous television reboot of the same name,[2] which began airing on Cartoon Network in March 2019.[3] The rebooted series was heavily inspired by Faust's DC Nation Shorts entry Super Best Friends Forever from 2012,[2][4] while carrying over certain themes from the earlier DC Super Hero Girls web show.[2]
Overview
editPremise
editAt Super Hero High School, well-known DC heroes, both male and female, attend challenging classes and deal with all the awkwardness of growing up with the added stress of having unique superpowers.
Announcement
editThe multipronged franchise was announced in April 2015. The franchise includes an animated web series, a graphic novel line, books from Random House, Lego tie-ins and action figures from Mattel.[5][6][7][8] The intended audience is girls aged 6–12.[9]
Website
editThe website was launched in early July 2015. Characters featured at launch were: Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Supergirl, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Katana, and Bumblebee.[10] Other characters including Hal Jordan, Barry Allen, Star Sapphire, Beast Boy, Cheetah, Hawkgirl and Catwoman also appear.[11] Amanda Waller is featured as the principal of the series' setting Super Hero High. Many other DC Comics heroes and villains appear in the background as cameos.
Publication history
editDC Super Hero Girls was originally launched in 2015 with an animated web short on YouTube.[12][13][14] Over the course of 2016, the franchise was expanded with a graphic novel line, additional animated and digital content, toys, and apparel.[15][16][8] Diane Nelson, president of both DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, stated in 2016: "We think DC Super Hero Girls can be bigger than a $1 billion brand".[12]
A relaunch of the franchise[1] began with the 2019 DC Super Hero Girls TV series.[2][3] Also that year, the DC Zoom imprint "launched with the continuation of [the] DC Super Hero Girls" graphic novel line.[17] The DC Ink and DC Zoom imprints were built off both the creative success of the post-New 52 DCYou program, which "employed younger creators than the New 52 titles, with the titles having a more contemporary feel", and "the financial success of the DC Super Hero Girls property".[18] Dan DiDio, DC's co-publisher from 2010 to 2020, explained that "a lot of that had also to do with our interest in getting the young adult marketplace. That was DC testing the waters and wondering what a young adult book would be from DC Comics".[18]
Cast and characters
editDC Super Hero Girls has various characters inspired by the DC Universe. Certain characters are voiced by actors who have performed as the same characters previously. The characters listed below are listed on the franchise's website:
Voice cast
editMedia
editWeb series
editThe DC Super Hero Girls has a series of animated shorts on YouTube and their site centered on the young heroes and villains attending Super Hero High. The first season premiered on 1 October 2015.[19] The second season premiered on 21 April 2016. The third season premiered on 26 January 2017, while the fourth season premiered on 18 January 2018. The fifth and final season premiered on 2 August 2018 and ended on 27 December the same year as a cliffhanger.
Television series
editIn 2019, the DC Super Hero Girls franchise was rebooted as a TV series developed by Lauren Faust, with a continuity separate from that of the previous version of the franchise. Shorts connected with the series began to be released online on 10 January (the first short had previously received a sneak peek screening with showings of Teen Titans Go! To the Movies), and the full series premiered on Cartoon Network on 8 March.
Films and specials
editSpecial (2016)
edit| Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "DC Super Hero Girls: Super Hero High" | Jennifer Coyle | Shea Fontana | 19 March 2016 (Boomerang)
21 May 2016 (Boomerang UK) 30 May 2016 (Cartoon Network) | |
|
School is in session for DC Super Hero Girls. This is where students master their super powers to become the Super Heroes of tomorrow. When Supergirl crash lands into the cafeteria, it's evident that though she has incredible power, she has a long way to go before she becomes a Super Hero. As Supergirl learns to harness her powers, the Junior Detective Club investigates a mysterious rash of security breaches. | ||||
Direct-to-video films (2016–2018)
edit| Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| "DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year" | Cecilia Aranovich | Shea Fontana | 23 August 2016 |
| "DC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games" | Cecilia Aranovich | Shea Fontana | 23 May 2017 |
| "Lego DC Super Hero Girls: Brain Drain" | Todd Grimes | Jeremy Adams | 8 August 2017 |
| "Lego DC Super Hero Girls: Super-Villain High" | Elsa Garagarza | Jeremy Adams | 15 May 2018 |
| "DC Super Hero Girls: Legends of Atlantis" | Cecilia Aranovich Ian Hamilton | Shea Fontana | 2 October 2018 |
Novels
editRandom House is publishing a series of text-only novels.
Original series
editLisa Yee wrote every novel for the original series which each focus primarily on one character's experiences as a student at Super Hero High. American "big box" retailer Target has released special editions of the Wonder Woman and Batgirl novels that include additional materials (character profiles and posters).
| Title | ISBN | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Wonder Woman at Super Hero High | 978-1101940594 | 1 March 2016 |
| Supergirl at Super Hero High | 978-1101940624 | 5 July 2016 |
| Batgirl at Super Hero High | 978-1101940655 | 3 January 2017 |
| Katana at Super Hero High | 978-1101940686 | 4 July 2017 |
| Harley Quinn at Super Hero High | 978-1524769239 | 2 January 2018 |
| Bumblebee at Super Hero High | 978-1524769260 | 3 July 2018 |
Rebooted series
editThe novels for the rebooted series are written by Erica David.
| Title | ISBN | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Winner Takes All! | 978-1984894533 | 19 November 2019 |
| Fierce Competition! | 978-1984894564 | 19 February 2020 |
Graphic novels
editThe DC Graphic Novels for Kids imprint is publishing a series of graphic novels.[17]
Original series
edit| Title | ISBN | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Finals Crisis | 978-1-4012-6247-1 | 5 July 2016 |
| Hits and Myths | 978-1-4012-6761-2 | 1 November 2016 |
| Summer Olympus | 978-1-4012-7235-7 | 11 July 2017 |
| Past Times at Super Hero High | 978-1-4012-7383-5 | 26 September 2017 |
| Date with Disaster | 978-1-4012-7878-6 | 31 January 2018 |
| Out of the Bottle | 978-1-4012-7483-2 | 7 August 2018 |
| Search for Atlantis | 978-1-4012-8353-7 | 26 September 2018 |
| Spaced Out | 978-1-4012-8256-1 | 4 June 2019 |
Rebooted series
edit| Title | ISBN | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| At Metropolis High | 978-1-4012-8970-6 | 15 October 2019 |
| Powerless | 978-1-4012-9361-1 | 17 March 2020 |
| Weird Science | 978-1-4012-9846-3 | 14 July 2020 |
| Midterms | 978-1-4012-9852-4 | 1 September 2020 |
| Ghosting | 978-1-77950-765-5 | 7 September 2021 |
| Exchange Students | 978-1-77950-891-1 | 25 January 2022 |
Toys
editFrom 2016 to 2018, Lego featured a product line using DC Super Hero Girls logo. 12 Lego sets were distributed. These sets used Lego Friends style mini-dolls figures rather than traditional Lego minifigure, a design aimed at feminine market.
Video games
edit| Title | Platforms | Release date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC Super Hero Girls Blitz | iOS, Android | 8 August 2019 | [20] |
| DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power | Nintendo Switch | 4 June 2021 | [21][22] |
References
edit- ^ a b Comtois, James (May 22, 2018). "First Look at DC Super Hero Girls Relaunch for New Cartoon Network Series". Syfy. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Dahl, Angie (August 1, 2018). "DC Super Hero Girls Reboot Was Lauren Faust's 'How Could You Say No' Moment". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ a b McLean, Tom (March 8, 2019). "Teen Girls to the Rescue: Lauren Faust Powers Up 'DC Super Hero Girls'". Animation Magazine. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ Amaya, Erik (March 11, 2019). "DC Super Hero Girls Brings Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, More Fan-Favorite Characters to the Small Screen". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ Mendelson, Scott. "Girls To Get 'Separate But Equal' DC Super Hero Girls Product Line". Forbes. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
- ^ "Mattel Enlists Feminists to Help Design DC Super Hero Girls Dolls". The Mary Sue. 2015-10-12. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ "Here's a First Look at LEGO's New 'Super Hero Girls' Collection". Time. October 3, 2016. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ a b "Second Book Added to DC Super Hero Girls Graphic Novel Series". PublishersWeekly.com. March 3, 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ Polo, Susana (2015-04-22). "DC announces long-overdue girl-focused superhero initiative, but few specifics". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ Reich, J.E. (8 July 2015). "Hotly Anticipated DC Super Hero Girls Website Is Now Live". TechTimes. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ "Meet the Heroes – Others". DC Super Hero Girls. 1 October 2015. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ^ a b Brown, Luke (May 25, 2016). "DC Super Hero Girls Could Break the Mold and the Bank". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on 2016-05-26. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ Truitt, Brian. "DC's 'Super Hero Girls' taps into what kids want". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ Kit, Borys (2015-04-22). "DC Launches Female-Centric Universe With DC Super Hero Girls". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ Faughnder, Ryan (2016-02-09). "Make way! Warner Bros. expands its universe with DC Super Hero Girls". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2016-02-09. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ "DC Super Hero Girls Bring Comic Book Toys To A Brand New Audience". Kotaku Australia. 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ a b "Do DC's graphic novels for young readers get a passing grade?". AV Club. August 31, 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-09-01. Retrieved 2021-03-26.
- ^ a b McMillan, Graeme (2021-09-21). "The oral history of DC Comics' infamous New 52 reboot". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ "The DC Super Hero Girls Universe is Live!". dccomics.com/. 1 October 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ^ "DC Super Hero Girls Blitz (2019)". DC. 2019-08-08. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ "DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power Is A Great Kids Game". Kotaku. June 9, 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ "DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power Review". IGN. 22 June 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-06-22. Retrieved September 21, 2021.