TV DVD Review: "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes": Volume Four: "Thor's Last Stand"

Rated: TV-Y7 for fantasy violence
Starring: Eric Loomis, Brian Bloom, and Colleen O'Shaughnessey
Released: October 25, 2011 (DVD)

Synopsis
The Avengers will stop at nothing to save the day...which is just what the villains are expecting! When scientist/superhero Ant-Man's robotic project goes haywire and becomes bent on mass destruction, it seems to be too much for Iron Man and his crew to handle...but, what comes next separates the heroes and leaves them to fend for themselves while all of Earth hangs in the balance.  Will these superheroes still be able to save the day, or have they finally met their demise?
Based on stories from Marvel Comics.

The Good
The animation is mostly great, and the action sequences are spot-on.  Positive themes--working as a team, sacrificing for the greater good, putting aside difference to work together for a common goal--are also quite present.  Every voice actor does an amazing job.  As you'd expect, there's no profanity or sex.  The cliffhanger ending of each episode leaves you wanting more, especially the last one in the set.

The Bad
The animation may be great for the most part, but some sequences could have been done better.  Some sequences were also disturbing; the opening episode features what the SDHs called "demons," though that may have been wrong, as a later episode had a scene where the same subtitles referred to a male villain as "Wonder Woman," who isn't even part of the Marvel universe.  Not only that, but...using female characters--particularly Janet Van Dyne/Wasp and the Enchantress--as eye candy got rather old, especially when the first episode starts off with Janet lounging poolside in a bikini.

Conclusion
I love superhero stories; ever since I watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward about 1.5 years ago, I've gobbled down several other animated do-gooder programs, ranging from Superman: The Animated Series to Batman Beyond to even the currently obscure Fantastic Four.  When I first started watching The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, I was a bit surprised.  Sure, I expected plenty of action, but it was rather intense for a kids' cartoon.  Just like many other series, the further you get into it, the more intense it gets, and, though good overall, I couldn't help but be slightly disturbed by this fourth set.  Still, I'm curious to see how it ends, and you bet I'm putting in a request at my local library for the next volume.

Score: 3.5/5