Marvel recently released a new animated series that just may be its answer to the popular DC show Teen Titans Go! Airing on YouTube and Disney XD, Marvel Battleworld is a fun, lighthearted and comical take on the Marvel Universe based on the Funko tabletop game of the same name.
The series utilizes surprisingly deep pulls from Marvel's rich history of character and stories to craft a direct and engaging story.
The first set of Marvel Battleworld episodes are collectively called "Mystery of the Thanosstones." They see Thanos the Mad Titan using his Infinity Gauntlet to trap all of Marvel's heroes in a series of stone pods. Then he ships them off to Battleworld -- an amalgamation of various Marvel Earths -- so they do not interfere with his big plan. Of course, the heroes have something to say about that.
What ensues is a well written, direct and concise story full of enjoyable characters and a plethora of references to even the most obscure moments of Marvel history. The show is well aware of its web-series format and has found a way to excel within it. Each episode is roughly 3-4 minutes long and packed with enough quips and callbacks to make any Marvel fan happy.
Captain Marvel arrives on Battleworld after receiving a distress signal from Iron Man and proceeds to free him, along with Baby Groot, Spider-Ham and Throg (a frog worthy enough to wield Mjolnir). This unlikely team of heroes then sets out to free others from their stones in order to escape Battleworld and stop Thanos, but they run into a few problems along the way.
Iron Man is the first to discover that not every stone holds a hero, as he meets Zombie Red Skull of Earth-2149, a reference to Robert Kirkman and Sean Phillips' Marvel Zombies series. Throg finds himself in a jam after freeing Spider-Ham's nemesis Pork Grind -- the Venom of Earth-8311 -- before being saved by the Pet Avengers. This team is in reference to Lockjaw's group of Pet Avengers that has occasionally appeared in the comics and even had their own series.
Spider-Ham, already a familiar face from his appearance in Sony's Into the Spider-Verse, battles Thanos and his goons alongside of the Thor Corps, a reference to Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic's Secret Wars comic where the amalgamated Battleworld originated.
There are plenty of other deep cuts and references to comic storylines past and present, including a different version of that famous Avengers: Endgame Captain Marvel vs. Thanos scene.
Marvel Battleworld is a perfect answer to Teen Titans Go! What makes it different is its brevity, direct approach to storytelling and splendid use of Marvel's countless stories and characters. Where Teen Titans Go! is a roughly 30 minute parody of all things DC and pop culture, Marvel Battleworld is a short web-series that incorporates the inherent comedic nature of its characters while still managing to tell a story that feels equal parts familiar and refreshing.
All six episodes of Marvel Battleverse are available on the Marvel HQ YouTube Channel.