I’ve mentioned that I like it when a television program can surprise me. This morning, I had a couple of those surprises:

  • X-Men: Evolution – “Ascension (part I)”: The first of the two-part season finale. Professor X confronted Apocalypse. And the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse were introduced. And they were not whom I was expecting. Wow. They put a rather interesting spin on the comics’ story line.
  • Justice League – “Twilight (part II)”: I didn’t get to watch this entire episode, but I did record it. Of what I did see, I was impressed. As always, the quality of the writing on this show is high. For example, Batman. The writers have maintained the all of the edge that he had in Batman: The Animated Series:

    Superman: You don’t know Darkseid like I do!
    Batman: We know he used you, brainwashed you, humiliated you, and turned you loose against the earth…..cry me a river.

    …and, during Superman and Darkseid’s climactic confrontation:

    Superman: You have to go through me.
    Darkseid: You really are a glutton for punishment. Time and again I’ve beaten you, humbled you. What makes you think this outcome will be any different?
    Superman: This time I won’t stop until you’re a greasy smear on my fist. Let’s go.

    This is definitely different, more mature, Superman than was seen in Superman: The Animated Series.

In other toon-related items, Cartoon Network aired the chupacabra episode of Dexter’s Laboratory. It reminded me of . They also aired the “Techno Turtle” episode, in which DeeDee rescued an injure baby turtle (which she thought was a partially-hatched bird) and Dexter performed bionic surgery on it. It reminded me of The Six Million Dollar Man shows that I watched when I was younger.