Posted in: DC Universe, TV | Tagged: Black Condor, CW Seed, doll man, entertainment, Freedom Fighters: The Ray, phantom lady, quality comics, television
Freedom Fighters: the Ray – Adapting the Characters for Animation and Live-Action
While the Crisis on Earth-X event introduced us to The Ray and an Earth where the Nazis won World War II, the Arrowverse crossover didn't introduce us to some of his friends. That's where Freedom Fighters: The Ray comes in. The new CW Seed animated series shows us other characters that started in the Quality Comics line before being bought out by National Periodical Publications (Now DC Comics). The Ray, Phantom Lady, Black Condor and Doll Man were all staples of the publishing company along with titles like Blackhawks, Plastic Man, Alias the Spider and G.I. Combat. Prior to Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Quality Charactres existed on two different Earth… Earth Quality and of the Nazi run Earth-X. That was home to the Freedom Fighters lead by Uncle Sam. Interestingly, Red Tornado was not part of the Quality Comic line even though he is part of the Freedom Fighters in the series. But the company did have a character named Red Torpedo. This was the story of a Robin Hook-esq man going around in his own one-man submarine. DC would later used the name Red Torpedo to introduce a female android into the Red Tornado series.
The video below is a behind-the-scenes look as Blue Ribbon Content's EVP Peter Girardi and WB Animation art director Phil Bourassa talks about taking the classic characters and designing them for both animation and the possibility of live-action.
Freedom Fighters: The Ray is showing now on the CW Seed.