This Saturday morning, fans of DC comics will likely all find themselves gathered around the television once again for some Saturday morning cartoons. The favorite past time of youths dating back half a century of gathering around the tube to watch animated dramas and comedies is still alive with DC Nation, the DC block of cartoon programming on television channel Cartoon Network. The DC Nation block had actually disappeared without warning last October, during New York Comic Con, leading many fans to worry that all of the comic company’s cartoons had just been canceled. While no proper explanation was ever actually given, we did later find that the DC Nation block would return in 2013. Now that 2013 is freshly 2-days old, we have the return of DC Nation set for 10AM this Saturday, January 5th!

This Saturday both Green Lantern: The Animated Series and Young Justice (now Young Justice: Invasion) return alongside the beloved DC animated shorts from various animators and creators. At 10AM, Green Lantern: The Animated Series will bring us the new episode, Steam Lantern. Done in the trendy Victorian anachronistic style of Steam Punk, Hal finds himself in a Steam Punk-themed world after being literally punch so hard by the Anti-monitor that he is knocked into another dimension! Expect it to be a little Gotham By Gaslamp. The episode was originally set to air on October 13th of 2012, but was obviously not shown when Cartoon Network unexplainably halted DC Nation programming for the year. However, many fans who were quick to jump on iTunes and Amazon were able to purchase the episode for viewing in a limited window on October 14th while Cartoon Network scrambled to lockdown their programming changes online. For those of you who didn’t get your chance to see it online, here is a preview of this Saturday’s episode below:

 

 

Much like with the Green Lantern episode set to air back in October, this Saturday’s Young Justice: Invasion picks up in the middle of season 2 with the episode that was supposed to find release last year and found itself heavily leaked thanks to iTunes and Amazon. Titled Before the Dawn, episode 10 of Young Justice: Invasion deals with Blue Beetle, Miss Martian, and the rest of the team going on a covert mission to rescue some of their own, uncovering shocking secrets and devastating truths. The episode airs at 10:30AM on Cartoon Network and we have another preview for you below:

 

 

But for those of you dedicated fans that have already seen both these episodes, there is still certainly a reason to tune in this Saturday. The DC animated shorts, of course, are always a splendid look at other parts of the DC universe now fully animated by various studios. This week there are 2 great shorts featuring Black Lightning and Amethyst.

The Black Lightning clip, titled Thunder & Lightning: Clothes Make the Hero, deals with classic African American hero Jefferson Pierce (better known as Black Lightning) as he goes in search of a new costume with his 2 daughters, Thunder and Lightning.

 

And also expect the surprise appearance of Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld in her new animated short, Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld: Level 1: Your Quest. Amethyst, otherwise known as Amy Winston, was a very 80′s magical/fantasy comic character who recently found revival in DC’s New 52 via the on-going comic series, Sword of Sorcery (though she also finds herself in the cast of Justice League: Dark at the moment). But in her newly animated form she plays a much cuter and more modern young girl, as you can see below:

 

Amethyst certainly has that Magical Girl anime style appearance here, and probably owes a nod to Sailor Moon…even if Sailor Moon appeared a decade later in a country far to the East. Never-the-less, after the Legion of Super-Heroes TV show was booted from WB, it’s nice to see any Legionaire animated. So remember to check out the return of DC Nation this Saturday at 10AM!