Hey folks Valkor here. The whole fascination with YouTube has taken it’s time with me because in the beginning, I didn’t really get the concept. I mean I GET why it exist, so that folks can share their home made videos and such, but I’ve seen stuff like this prior on such sites like Banged Up, Wimp.com, or Ebaums. But a lot of the vids YouTube show that were user created, were simply boring. And at best for me YouTube was just a place to watch anime or catch shows and films I can’t find anywhere else. Lately however I’ve been slowly but surely finding myself hanging out at YouTube on the daily because on top of the anime, the shows, and celebrity guffaws, I’ll stumble onto something really funny or just damn good. And one show in particular that deserves serious highlight comes from a user called “ItsJustSomeRandomGuy” (aka Mike) and the series he has created that has the geek in me on the floor laughing my ass off. It’s “Marvel/DC: “After Hours”.

Think Robot Chicken, just as funny (if not funnier) and without the Claymation. What Mike has done is created a series based on Marvel/DC toy line-up, with the toys acting on their comic counterparts, discussing the films based on them, done up at first like the “PC vs. MAC” commercial, shifting into the “After Hours” series. Things start out kinda simple with just Superman and Spider-man, but with each episode new characters are introduced, mostly characters who have starred in their own comic films such as Daredevil and Ghost Rider. Of course with the heroes come the villains and in “After Hours” the villains get their own spot to chill, to plot out their next dastardly deed or just toss a few back. The backdrops on each episode isn’t much, but you won’t have time to focus on that due to Mike’s great voice acting, awesome ability put together a skit or piece together a perfect story.

The Good

Where to begin with this? First, the acting. As I mentioned above, the voice work is top notch and fits each character perfectly. I don’t know how Mike does it but he nails just about every character in comparison to their movie persona or it simply fits the character. Just listen to his Lex Luthor and you tell me he didn’t somehow channel the spirit of Kevin Spacey’s Lex from “Superman Returns”. It’s spot on! Moving on, the jokes are freakin hysterical. Superman getting riffed on for fighting a giant rock in Superman Returns, Spider-man’s infatuation with Batman (hey they have a lot in common) and I especially love Hulk’s comment on the reboot, sequel, remake of his film. And there’s tons more and almost all the jokes are nailed with perfect timing. What’s also great about the series is it plays out like South Park and will always be current to what’s happening in the comic to film world. So I can’t wait to see if Mike tackles all the JLA casting, new Punisher stuff, and more Iron Man. Lastly the music chosen for the “After Hours” stuff is fitting to each scene and it just gets better with each ep.

The Bad

Other than the lack of any real backdrop, nothing is bad. Now if you mean Bad as in the good kinda bad then this is the baddest series I’ve watched in recent months.

The Ugly

Ha! Nothing ugly here.

Before I forget other characters from other comic book universes show up in the “After Hours” series and I hope we get to see more of them but in a bigger storyline. Marvel/DC and its “After Hours” companion series is one of the best series to hit YouTube and Mike aka Justsomerandomguy keep up the great work, TOV will be watching. Also don’t forget if you wanna discuss this in our forum, we have a YouTube section in our MediaView forum. I’m given Mike’s Marvel/DC series 5 stars!! I couldn’t get any stills but enjoy the videos I’ve attached to this review.

Email: valkor@the-other-view.com