Bob Higgins is a man after my own heart.

A couple of weeks ago at the San Diego Comic Con during the Cartoon Network panel, a lot of questions flew in Mr. Higgins direction. When asked about the future of anime on the channel, Mr. Higgins, who just happens to be Cartoon Network's head of Programming and Development, gave this clear response:

"Anime will be on Cartoon Network as long as Toonami is on the network, and Toonami will not go off the network."

As an anime fan, I was really pleased to hear that response come out of Mr. Higgins. As a Toonami fan, I was more than please to hear that Cartoon Network continues to have support in the seven-year old block, which has really undergone dramatic changes in recent months. Afterall, the block continues to grow popular as the weeks turn into months. With the addition of acquired shows like Gundam SEED, DuelMasters, and Rave Master alongside Toonami mainstays Yu Yu Hakusho and Dragon Ball GT and Cartoon Network originals Teen Titans, Justice League Unlimited, and, of course, Megas XLR, Toonami viewers have witnessed new episodes each and every week.

Speaking of JLU, I really enjoyed it. From the market scene (which kind of reminded me of the first scene from the Bebop movie) introducing Green Arrow to the DCAU to the Watchtower gathering (featuring a cornucopia of heroes that would have never seen the light of day in any other DCAU series, including the modern day JSA, Aztec [a very new character who was a Justice League member until his connection to a familiar foe was revealed], Elongated Man [who's playing an important part in the Identity Crisis miniseries currently taking place], other heroes like Booster Gold and Waverider, and a whole lot of rejects [honestly, who invited Vibe?]). Yeah, I'm showing my DC fanboy colors, and it's bullet blue and white. The teamup of the veteran Green Lantern, rookie hero Supergirl, a by-the-books nuclear hero named Captain Atom (created by Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko, Captain Atom is the first Charlton hero ever animated), and recent recruit Green Arrow went to this Asian country similar to North Korea. There happens to be a huge level of radiation in the area that poses a danger to the country. When this team of Leaguers came, the disinformation police refused to let them do their job, saying it wasn't their concern. The team found the threat, or rather the threat found them. This nuclear-powered creature, which appears to be an amalgamation of a pair of DC villians (the heat-generating Darkseid creation known as Brimstone and the "costume" of a minor Superman villian known as The Atomic Skull), began an assault on the heroes, displacing Green Lantern and destroying Captain Atom's containment suit (he's pure energy, you know), so it's up to the remaining heroes to save the day.

I loved the dynamics between the characters, and I enjoyed how the characters weren't watered down. I was almost afraid that they'd make Green Arrow a blank slate of a hero like he was during his brief stint on Super Friends, unlike the unabashed humanitarian hero he truly is. I haven't seen a stand-alone "traditional" DCAU episode since the Christmas special last year, so it'll be interesting if they continue the pacing on the series. As for the music . . . well, I think of it like the score for Batman Beyond, only more Queen than Metalica. Not that it's a bad thing, mind you. I just have to get used to it. I think people will enjoy Justice League Unlimited if they give the series a fair chance and look beyond the fact that it's not anime.