Review - Justice League Season One

After being accidentally awakened on their native planet, a group of Martians launch a full scale invasion on Earth. Seven of Earth’s greatest heroes band together to stop this threat and become the legendary team known as the Justice League. Together they are Earth’s only hope against despotic aliens, treacherous Atlanteans, and nefarious supervillains.

Justice League is an animated series that made its debut in 2001, created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini. Its first season consisted of 26 episodes and featured the voice talents of Kevin Conroy, George Newbern, Susan Eisenberg, Phil LaMarr, Michael Rosenbaum, Carl Lumbly, and Maria Canals.

As far as iconic superhero cartoons go, Justice League is way up there with Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men: The Animated Series. This seminal adaptation of DC Comics’ premiere team introduced a generation of kids to superheroes like Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Hawkgirl alongside old favourites Batman and Superman. With its sophisticated multi-episode story arcs and streamlined animation, it stood above its contemporaries (and even most of its successors) in terms of quality. What also helped to set it apart was its pitch perfect casting. From Carl Lumbly’s ambivalent Martian Manhunter to Maria Canals’ attitude-filled Hawkgirl to Michael Rosenbaum’s comedic Flash, the voice work on Justice League is distinctive and embodies each character flawlessly. In fact, it’s so good that it’s hard to imagine anyone else in these roles.

The series opens with “Secret Origins,” a three-part saga that sees Superman and Batman assembling a team of heroes to defeat a Martian invasion. It clearly draws inspiration from the first arc of Grant Morrison’s JLA run, though it’s streamlined significantly and features a slightly different roster. While the alien invasion narrative is predictable, it does its job of assembling the team in a way that makes sense and provides the epic grandeur that is necessary for origin stories of superhero groups. It does struggle a bit with its introductions. Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and the Flash are without actual origins, while Wonder Woman’s gets mangled to the point that it’s unrecognizable (more on that later!). Still, it’s a great start.

Aside from the opening arc and the concluding one, the rest of the first season is comprised of two-part arcs. These vary in quality. The Aquaman-centric “The Enemy Below” is a standout. It introduces the King of Atlantis as he deals with the treachery of his half-brother Orm. Orm covets the throne and will do whatever it takes to get it, including starting a war with the surface world and attempting to murder his own brother. It’s a surprisingly dark storyline with some truly harrowing moments. Beyond that, it also accomplishes portraying Aquaman as someone who is not to be trifled with.

“Paradise Lost” and “Fury” are also some of the better episodes from the first season, though both are somewhat hindered by their failure to properly portray Wonder Woman and the Amazons. “Paradise Lost” sees Wonder Woman striking out on her own to recover artifacts for the sorcerer Felix Faust, who has turned her Amazon sisters to stone and won’t reverse his spell unless Wonder Woman completes his tasks. It’s a fun globe-trotting adventure that feels very reminiscent of Indiana Jones. It also features one hell of a smackdown between Superman and Wonder Woman while they are under the influence of one of the artifacts. “Fury” is an all-female romp as Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl team-up after a renegade Amazon unleashes a plague that only affects men. It’s enjoyable from a superficial level as it gives the series’ lead heroines the opportunity to interact with one another and get to kick butt without their male teammates sucking up the spotlight. However, its thematic elements are problematic as it’s clearly attempting to tackle feminism, but is done through the lens of a male writer and a male director.

“Injustice for All” is another noteworthy episode. Long-time Superman foe Lex Luthor escapes from prison and enlists the aid of Ultra-Humanite in order to assemble a gang of supervillains capable of taking down the Justice League. These types of superhero team vs. supervillain team are typically among my favourites whenever they crop up in comics and adaptations. They generally provide for a lot of interesting interactions and “Injustice for All” does not disappoint. From Lex and Ultra-Humanite’s rivalry to Cheetah’s flirtations with Batman, writer Stan Berkowitz gives us plenty of fun dynamics that punctuate this episode. Its only shortcoming (surprise, surprise) has to do with Wonder Woman. Cheetah is amongst the cast of villains used in this episode, yet she’s not acknowledged or even portrayed as a Wonder Woman villain.

The best episode from season one may be the three-part conclusion “The Savage Time.” In it, the Justice League (sans Batman – thank the Gods) are transported to an alternate past where the Nazis won World War II with the aid of the immortal villain Vandal Savage. Along the way, the League are fractured and must rely upon the aid of others to prevent Savage’s further assault on western Europe. Hawkgirl and the Flash ally themselves with the high-flying Blackhawks, Green Lantern becomes a part of the US military unit known as Easy Company, and Wonder Woman takes part of a sabotage mission alongside the spy Steve Trevor. Savage is a menacing villain and the technology that he introduces into the war makes for some great imagery. More importantly, “The Savage Time” digs deep into the motivations and emotional core of its lead heroes. The trio of Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, and the Flash are integral to the overall plot, but they also offer differing point of views on war. The contrast between Hawkgirl and the Flash is especially fascinating. Hawkgirl has a more militaristic, greater good approach whereas the Flash has a “no man left behind” perspective that’s more personal in its nature. Green Lantern, meanwhile, proves himself as a capable hero without the use of his ring. This is crucial to showing the audience that he’s more than just some ring-slinging space cop. I also must admit that I quite enjoyed all of the interactions between Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor. While I may not like them much as a couple in any medium, their dynamic here was quite cute.

The rest of the episodes from season one vary greatly in quality. Those that feature Green Lantern more heavily (“In Blackest Night,” “The Brave and the Bold,” “Metamorphosis”) tend to be on the duller side. “Legends” is a frustratingly disposable entry as it uses analogues for the Justice Society rather than the actual characters, which would have made for a more impactful storyline. “War World” suffers from being ridiculously predictable by pulling out the gladiator games trope (which is done in just about every TV show – including Smallville, Supergirl, and twice in Justice League Unlimited). If that weren’t enough, it’s also one of the (many) episodes where we see Superman severely depowered in order to make him seem more vulnerable.

Part of what makes Justice League so special was its strong adherence to character development. The first season is significant for its plotting of a budding relationship between Hawkgirl and Green Lantern. Both are very militaristic characters, though the former is wilder and more impulsive. She’s exciting and gives the usually straight-laced Green Lantern a foil. We see this replicated with his dynamic with the Flash, who serves as the comedic relief on the team. Ultimately, these are the characters that help to ground the series and they end up being the standouts. While this trio was afforded a lot of great character development that endears them to the audience, the same cannot be said for Wonder Woman. It’s clear from the onset that the producers don’t understand her character and they don’t even seem to like her. Where Hawkgirl is the cool girl on the team and can hang with the guys, Wonder Woman is presented as the prissy ice princess who is antagonistic towards men. In this series, Wonder Woman is very aggressive and there’s very little warmth to her. She’s not driven by any kind of divine mission of peace, which is evidenced by the shift in her origin story from a warrior who earns the right to be the Amazons’ champion to a petulant princess who steals her armour. Her lack of compassion and the overall harsh nature of her character betrays a very shallow portrayal. This is extended towards the Amazons as well. They’re not given any kind of depth or interiority. Instead, they’re man-hating extremists whose isolationist views are coded as weird and aggressive. It’s a place that Wonder Woman can’t wait to escape from, rather than a peaceful home that she loves to return to from the harsh realities of Man’s World. The problem is that the series is plotted by a bunch of men who can’t seem to understand why women would want to isolate themselves from the rest of the world (i.e. men) and who have a very difficult time writing women as anything more than love interests or aggressive warriors. It’s clear that they were pulling mostly from a late Silver Age or Bronze Age context for the Amazons, but it feels dated and unnecessary as they chose to ignore (and thus disrespect) George Perez’s influential work on the character and her mythos.

After all these years, Justice League still holds a special place in my heart. While it can at times adhere too much to common tropes and it fails miserably at portraying a well-written Wonder Woman, there’s a lot to love about its first season. The voice work is stellar and the amount of character development that is packed into these 26 episodes is nothing short of amazing. Hawkgirl remains the star for me and she steals every single scene she’s in, so further applause is in order for Maria Canals for that. The complex storytelling that is achieved is also brilliant and is worthy of praise. While the first season doesn’t quite hit a home run, it’s always worth a watch – though some mild cherry picking may be necessary.

Review: Justice League vs. Teen Titans

After disobeying orders during a mission with the Justice League, Robin is reprimanded and sent to learn about teamwork from the Teen Titans. Though he clashes instantly with the group of teenage heroes, Robin is drawn to the enigmatic sorceress Raven. It’s through this connection that Robin is convinced to help the team as they are drawn into a battle with the demonic villain Trigon.

Justice League vs. Teen Titans is a 2016 animated film directed by Sam Liu and features the voices of Stuart Allan, Taissa Farmiga, Jerry O’Connell, Jason O’Mara, and Rosario Dawson.

The storyline for Justice League vs. Teen Titans is loosely adapted from The New Teen Titans #4-6 by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. In both versions, the Teen Titans race against the clock to prevent Trigon from entering into our dimension and turning the planet into a hellish wasteland. Where they differ is in the film’s lack of cohesion and the divergence from the canon. Justice League vs. Teen Titans essentially tries to be a sequel to Justice League: Throne of Atlantis and Batman: Bad Blood and a spin-off for the Teen Titans. The product that director Sam Liu and screenwriters Bryan Q. Miller and Alan Burnett put together feels like a cobbled together mess of two films crammed into one. The presence of the Justice League throughout feels unnecessary, especially since there’s a forced continuation of the relationship between Superman and Wonder Woman that takes away precious screentime from the film’s true stars (the Teen Titans). Furthermore, the absence of Aquaman, Green Lantern, and Shazam isn’t addressed in a satisfying way.

This film is at its best when it focuses on the Teen Titans and is actually really entertaining when it actually explores the interpersonal relationships between the characters. The rivalry between Robin and Beast Boy proves to be rather amusing, which culminates in a (somewhat dated) scene where they compete against one another in a game of Dance Dance Revolution. Similarly, Robin and Raven make for an interesting duo. The sullen bird-named heroes both have villainous father figures (an actual father in Raven’s case). There’s also a sense that Robin may have the inklings of romantic feelings for Raven, which is admittedly kind of cute. Unsurprisingly, Robin and Raven are the standout characters of this film, the latter especially due to her having a fully developed character arc. That said, there is an uncomfortable exchange between Raven and one of the male members of the team when she retells the story of her conception. Whether it was Miller or Burnett who wrote the dialogue, their flippant approach to making a punchline out of an instance of implied sexual assault is disgusting.

The same, however, cannot be said about Blue Beetle and Starfire. Blue Beetle is a rather obvious stand-in for Cyborg, whose status as a Titan was nullified by being a founding member of the League instead. He’s given very little to do throughout and there’s not much to convey that he has a personality. With Starfire, who has a couple of eyeroll worthy fan service moments, she comes across as a glorified babysitter who seems to be constantly hovering around the team. In fact, it was a major misstep to have her serve as the team’s mentor. This is probably more of a personal preference than an objective criticism though. For one thing, Starfire is portrayed in this film in a rather dippy manner, especially giving the lilting tones that Kari Wahlgren uses. As such, it seems her characterization draws more from the 2003 cartoon than the comics. Furthermore, all of her lines and the role itself would have been more effective had they been given to Donna Troy. She’s a better leader, a far more nurturing individual, and would likely not have been portrayed as if she had nothing but air rattling around between her ears. Quite frankly, the continued mistreatment of Donna at the hands of Warner Brothers and their employees is irritating and is disrespectful towards the legacy and importance of Wonder Woman. The legal red tape is no more, so stop leaving her in the dustbin. She’s an amazing character, one of the best you all have, so start putting her in adaptations!

Justice League vs. Teen Titans is one of the weakest entries into the DC Animated Movie Universe, which is a shame because it’s adapted from such a seminal comic book series. The character designs, performances (Rosario Dawson in particular continues to shine as Wonder Woman), and direction overall is quite good, but it’s the writing that drags the quality down. It juggles one too many subplots and has an unwieldly large cast that is woefully underdeveloped. It would have been more effective as a film had it stuck closer to the source text (this means having both Donna and Wally as part of the cast) and if it kept the Justice League members to cameos. As it is, Justice League vs. Teen Titans is a bit of a mess with occasional stints of compelling character moments.

RATING: C+

Review: Winx Club (Season One)

After a chance encounter with the fairy princess Stella, 16-year-old Bloom learns that she has mystical powers. She is subsequently transported to the world of Magix, where she enrolls in the magic school Alfea. There, she and Stella form a special team known as Winx Club with their friends Flora, Musa and Tecna. Together they must learn to master their special abilities and best the mischievous trio of witches known as the Trix.

Winx Club is an Italian animated series created by Iginio Straffi. Its first season consisted of 26 episodes and aired in 2004.

At its core, Winx Club is a healthy mix of She-Ra: Princess of Power and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon with a dash of Harry Potter. The series owes a lot to the magical girl genre as it focuses on a group of teenage girls who transform into powerful heroines in order to fight the forces of evil. We’re introduced to the world of Winx Club through Bloom, a seemingly normal girl who was raised on Earth. She’s bright, inquisitive and moralistic. Much of the first season focuses on Bloom and her search for the truth about her past, much of which is a total mystery to her, as well as her blossoming relationship with Sky. Bloom’s character and her arc are surprisingly deep, as the season explores subjects like adoption and self-doubt. Bloom can be a bit bland at times, which is why it helps that she’s contrasted and complimented by her group of friends. Stella is the scatterbrained fashionista, Flora is the gentle environmentalist, Musa is the sarcastic music lover, and Tecna is the logical scientist. Their characters are mostly secondary in comparison to Bloom, but they are given their fair share of the spotlight. For instance, we see that Stella can be a bit of a screw-up and Musa’s interactions with her love interest Riven proves to be volatile at first.

The first season largely revolves around the Trix’s constant pursuit for power and their eventual mission to acquire the powerful Dragon's Fire. As antagonists, the Trix are nasty, vindictive and relentless. Though they initially seem like mere nuisances to the Winx Club, much like the Misfits were to Jem and the Holograms, their plots become more and more deadly as the season wears on. This cumulates in an intense and harrowing battle during the final episodes, where the Trix attempt to invade Alfea and the combined might of Magix must unite against them. This multi-part finale exemplifies the season’s pervasive darkness and maturity, which seems at odds with the demographic it aims for, and shows just how high the stakes are in this world. In fact, it is its tone that partly makes Winx Club so interesting in its first season. It is further helped by the directional quality the stories have, as the Trix’s schemes and Bloom’s identity crisis work are interwoven into an evenly paced arc that stretches across the entire season.

The animation is perhaps what is the weakest about Winx Club’s first season. The style itself is interesting and provides the series with a unique aesthetic, but the quality of it is both inconsistent and crude. Its usage of CGI makes everything seem dated and the backgrounds aren’t quite as detailed as they should be. The characters themselves also look awkward at times, both facially and when they move around. Action sequences also have a tendency to be rather static and laughable, which is unfortunate since the series depends heavily on magical conflicts. This unevenness also spills out into the voice work. The Cinelume/RAI English voices aren’t the best since the characters don’t sound distinctive enough and their line delivery isn’t the best.

The first season of Winx Club does a remarkable job of establishing a unique cast of characters and the magical world they live in. The concept itself isn’t wholly original, but its execution is bright, fun and entertaining. There’s a depth to the characters and their stories that is uncommon in most animated series aimed at younger audiences, which is actually quite refreshing. Overall, I appreciate the efforts made to create a series of overarching storylines that lead towards an explosive conflict in the season’s final episodes. Individual episodes can be a bit childish at times, but the general tone for the first season is consistent and its pace keeps audiences engaged. While the low quality of the animation and voice work hinder Winx Club quite a bit, the lovable characters and captivating storylines are enough to really illustrate why this series was able to transform itself into a profitable franchise.

RATING: B-

Review: Spider-Man - The Animated Series (Season One)

Equally adored as he is reviled, Spider-Man must contend with the distrustful fury of Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson as he protects New York City from the unseen machinations of the criminal Kingpin. Along the way, he must face off against the likes of the Lizard, Doctor Octopus, Mysterio and the Scorpion all while trying to impress his drop dead gorgeous next-door neighbor Mary Jane Watson.

Spider-Man: The Animated Series’ first season aired from 1994 to 1995, featuring the voice talents of Christopher Daniel Barnes, Edward Asner, Sara Ballantine and Roscoe Lee Browne.

As far as first seasons go, Spider-Man makes a splash. As one of the most iconic cartoons from the ‘90s, it establishes its characters with incredible precision and develops an engaging story arc that develops organically over the course of its 13 episodes. The series is set early on in Spider-Man’s career and focuses on his debut fights against the Lizard, Doctor Octopus, Mysterio, Scorpion, Kraven, Venom, the Hobgoblin, Shocker, Rhino and the Chameleon. Needless to say, this show wasted no time introducing the webslinger’s rogue’s gallery to audiences. Each villain is defined rather well and is given an assortment of motivations that keeps things fresh. From the tragic Lizard to the vengeful Mysterio to the mercenary Chameleon, these villains feel distinct and are a key component of what makes this show so captivating. No two episodes feel alike, nor do they particularly feel like filler. This is aided by a subplot involving the Kingpin’s plotting to rid New York City of Spider-Man.

Standout episodes from the first season include the multi-part “The Alien Costume” and “The Hobgoblin,” the latter of which features Mark Hamill portraying the titular Hobgoblin. The three-part “The Alien Costume” chronicles Spider-Man’s acquisition of a new black costume created by a Symbiote. When Spidey finally ditches the new duds, the Symbiote attaches itself to Eddie Brock and transforms him into the villainous Venom. This three-parter is an important series of episodes that push our hero to the brink, exploring his frustrations and doubts, while also transforming Eddie Brock from a whiny nuisance into a genuine threat. “The Hobgoblin,” meanwhile, sees Kingpin and Norman Osborne crossing and double-crossing each other using the mercenary Hobgoblin to do so. It’s amusing to see two of Marvel’s most iconic villains going tête-à-tête with one another, in addition to seeing just how much havoc Hobgoblin can wreak. Beyond that, “The Hobgoblin” pushes even further past filler territory by developing Peter’s relationships with Harry, Mary Jane and his aunt. It would have been an ideal season finale, certainly much more so than the so-so “Day of the Chameleon.”

Beyond storytelling, Spider-Man: The Animated Series is so enjoyable because of its animation and its casting. Where its contemporary X-Men: The Animated Series is dreadfully dated and awkwardly drawn, this series is much more fluid and dynamic. The choreography here isn’t as clunky and the consistency is much stronger. Of course, that’s not to say that the CGI backgrounds and the oh-so-censored laser guns aren’t worthy of raised eyebrows. On the voice acting front, the casting couldn’t have been better. Christopher Daniel Barnes is iconic in his role as Spider-Man, capturing the youth and snark of his character. Similarly, it’s almost impossible to imagine anyone but Edward Asner and Roscoe Lee Browne in the respective roles of J. Jonah Jameson and Wilson Fisk. I’m also rather fond of Sara Ballantine as Mary Jane, who captures the flirtatious nature of the character as well as the more tender parts as well.

The first season of Spider-Man: The Animated Series is an impressive effort. It’s an entertaining start for an iconic cartoon, featuring a colourful and distinct cast of characters. It’s mildly dated, particularly due to heavy censorship and the animation styles at the time, but overcomes this with strong storytelling that is remarkably respectful to its source text.

RATING: B

Review: X-Men - The Animated Series (Season Two)

With the fanatical Friends of Humanity stoking the public’s fear of mutants, the X-Men are faced with unprecedented levels of paranoia and hate. To make matters worse, their mentor Professor Xavier has gone missing and the villainous Mister Sinister has set his sights on capturing Cyclops and Jean Grey for his wicked experiments.

The second season of the animated ‘90s classic X-Men contains 13 episodes, airing between 1993 and 1994. It features the voice talents of Cedric Smith, Norm Spencer, Catherine Disher, Cathal J. Dodd, Lenore Zann, Alison Sealy-Smith, George Buza, Chris Potter and Alyson Court.

After a strong debut, the X-Men’s second season on the small screen fell short of the quality established in its preceding year. This season establishes an ongoing subplot involving Professor Xavier and Magneto forming an alliance to survive in the Savage Land, while Mister Sinister plots behind the scenes in order to acquire Cyclops and Jean Grey’s genetic material. The X-Men remain oblivious to the circumstances of their mentor’s disappearance and are unaware of Mister Sinister’s machinations. Instead, they become embroiled in a series of episodic conflicts. Unfortunately, most of these are forgettable and lack depth.

What can be appreciated about the cartoon’s second season is that the writers made a more concerted effort to develop its characters by creating episodes that focused on individual members of the team. For instance, “Whatever It Takes” featured Storm and Rogue travelling to Tanzania in order to protect Storm’s spiritual son from her hated foe the Shadow King. It’s an admirable effort as it attempts to emphasize Storm’s undeniable willpower and maternal instincts, but falls flat in its execution. Similarly the Beast-focused “Beauty & the Beast” tells the story of the titular hero falling for a blind girl, who is subsequently kidnapped by the Friends of Humanity due to her connection to him. It concludes the conflict with the Friends of Humanity, who acted as the season’s pseudo-Big Bad, and does a satisfactory job of handling the comparable topics of racism and homophobia. However, the most successful and entertaining character-centric episodes are “Repo Man” and “A Rogue’s Tale.” The former focuses on Wolverine’s return to Canada, where he is ambushed by his former team Alpha Flight. It’s a loose adaptation of Uncanny X-Men #121 and helps to elaborate on Wolverine’s past. The voice acting is questionable, but the action is well done and the plot is engaging. It’s definitely one of the best episodes from the series. “A Rogue’s Tale,” meanwhile, details Rogue’s past prior to joining the X-Men. It’s a much needed episode that helps to fill in the blanks of a character who had been quite enigmatic up until this point. We learn that she was once Mystique’s pupil and was a member of the Brotherhood, leaving after a mission gone awry. The episode itself blends together elements from Avengers Annual #10 and Uncanny X-Men #269, which means the writers take a concerted effort to align Rogue with her comic book persona. Understandably, her origins are sanitized in order to make her far more sympathetic. Where she was a psychotic villain in the comics, here she is portrayed as a sympathetic victim in Mystique’s schemes. Aside from getting some great character work on Rogue, we also see rare interactions between her and Jean Grey. These tender sisterly moments always stand out within the series.

When season two pulled its focus away from the individual members of the X-Men, the quality suffered tremendously. The two-part “Time Fugitives” sees the X-Men working to stop further panic after an outbreak of a mutant virus. Bishop and Cable guest star as allies to the X-Men with contrasting goals. One wants to stop the virus, while the other wants to allow it to continue on. It’s a Groundhog Day-style two-parter that repeats events with different outcomes, which makes it cliché and predictable. Furthermore, it was a very shallow attempt at creating a storyline analogous to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It pulls elements from X-Cutioner’s Song and Fatal Attractions, but lacks the depth and heart required to tell such a meaningful story. Similarly, the two-part “Reunion” serves as an unremarkable way of concluding the season. It does a satisfactory job of tying up all of the loose ends – Professor Xavier’s disappearance, Mister Sinister’s schemes and even the re-appearance of Morph. However, it feels like a very paint-by-numbers story wherein the X-Men land in the Savage Land to rescue their mentor and find themselves without powers, they must then find a way of beating Mister Sinister and his henchmen without the benefit of their mutant abilities. Naturally, there’s a device that must be destroyed and a subplot involving Ka-Zar. That said, the worst episode of the season is easily “Mojovision.” In this filler episode prior to the finale, the grotesque Mojo kidnap the X-Men at a mall and transforms them into stars of television shows in his dimension. The episode itself parodies TV and the programming on it, but there’s really not much depth and it features some terrible attempts at humour. It’s also got a rather glaring continuity error – when the X-Men are kidnapped from the mall Rogue is not amongst them, but when they all appear in Mojo’s dimension she’s with them.

For the most part, the second season of X-Men is skippable. Aside from a few memorable episodes like “Repo Man” and “A Rogue’s Tale,” the quality of the stories told is inconsistent and lacks the same tension that was present in the preceding season. The development done on characters like Rogue, Wolverine, Gambit and Beast help make them even more likeable and relatable, while others like Cyclops and Jean Grey remain somewhat stodgy and one-dimensional. Jean Grey, for instance, continues to be portrayed as little more than a woman caught between Cyclops and Wolverine and who is easily quelled in battle. The Xavier/Magneto subplot is lackluster and Mister Sinister never quite delivers as this season’s Big Bad quite like Magneto and the Sentinels did in the first. My recommendation is watching the best episodes of the season – “Red Dawn,” “Repo Man,” “A Rogue’s Tale” and “Beauty and the Beast” – and moving onto the third season.

RATING: C

Review: Batman - Bad Blood

When Batman seemingly dies in an explosion, his one-time partner Nightwing returns to Gotham City to continue his mentor’s legacy as the city’s protector. With a new Batman on the streets, the original Batman’s estranged son Damian and the newcomer Batwoman join him in investigating what really happened to the Dark Knight. This uneasy alliance must find a way to work together in order to combat the devious Heretic and his shadowy boss.

Batman: Bad Blood is a 2016 animated film starring Jason O’Mara, Yvonne Strahovski, Stuart Allan, Sean Maher and Morena Baccarin.

Batman: Bad Blood is the second sequel to Sonof Batman and is the fifth entry into the DC Animated Movie Universe. In the aftermath of Batman vs. Robin, Batman has returned to operating alone while his wayward son Damian is honing his skills in the Far East. Additionally, a new vigilante named Batwoman has surfaced and she’s determined to rid Gotham City of a mysterious crime syndicate that has its tendrils imbedded into the city’s underworld. Batman and Batwoman thus begrudgingly team up together, which only leads to Batman’s apparent death during a high octane explosion. His surrogate family must then pick up the pieces and continue his legacy, but they’re not so convinced that he’s truly dead and gone. In actuality, he is being held captive by an old enemy and they plan to bend him to their will.

To date, Bad Blood is the most enjoyable of the offerings from the DCAMU. It builds on the elements of its predecessors while adding in a series of unexpected twists. The addition of Batwoman to the cast is simply brilliant and it helps to inject some much-needed estrogen into the mix. She’s tough and she’s sassy, more than proving she’s capable of her spot in the Bat Family’s boys’ club. Best of all, we get her (truncated) origin neatly tied into the plot and her father becomes a minor supporting character. The writers also toss in Renee Montoya for good measure. Batwoman is used in a manner similar to Damian in the first two Batman-centric DCAMU films. She’s more extreme in her methods and even uses a firearm in battle. Though this doesn’t jive with her comic book persona where she’s much more hesitant about taking a life, it does seem to work as a reference to her past as part of the military and works to contrast her against Batman. Her characterization and integration overall is quite strong. The only weak spot is a questionable scene wherein she’s walking around in lingerie in front of her father and she must defend herself against an attack. It’s tonally jarring for the character. That said, it is counterbalanced by a sequence wherein we see Bruce in nothing but his skivvies.

While Batwoman is an organic inclusion into Bad Blood, the same cannot be said for Batwing. Introduced as the son of supporting cast mainstay Lucius Fox, Luke Fox reluctantly becomes a vigilante in order to seek justice for an attack on his father. Though I enjoyed the playful teasing that Batwoman does at Batwing’s expense, his presence in the film was distracting and not as well-planned as it could have been. There’s undeniable potential with his character, but his sidestory was one subplot too many.

The animation and design work is strong with this particular entry into the DCAMU. While I’m rather fond of the details added to Batwoman’s iconic costume, the best work is done on the villains. D-listers Killer Moth and Firefly are given cool modern redesigns, while Onyx gets a very exotic costume update. The one weak link is Mad Hatter, who doesn’t look much like we’d expect him to. The characters all look great and the action sequences are expectedly well done. Interestingly, some of the best sequences are those that focus on female fighters. They’re faster, more fluid and, in some cases, far more ruthless. In fact, one of the standout sequences involves the Bat Family facing off against gun-toting nuns (jokingly referred to as “nunjas”).

Batman: Bad Blood is thus far my personal favourite of the Batman-centric animated films within the DC Animated Movie Universe. Of course, I may be biased due to my love of Batwoman. The film is easy to follow, but features a more layered story than its predecessor. It’s a superior sequel to Batman vs. Robin, especially since it makes a leap forward by developing the Bat Family further and pulling away a little of the focus from Robin. Despite its title, the film features very little of the Dark Knight and it is instead much more concerned with the other members of the cast. This isn’t a bad thing though, as it allows audiences to get to know a different set of characters. Now, if only we could get a Batwoman-centric film as a sequel…

RATING: B+

Review: X-Men - The Animated Series (Season One)

With tensions between humans and mutants, the heroic X-Men are caught in the middle of a war for survival. They become the targets of the mutant-hunting Sentinels and must work against both Magneto and Apocalypse as they attempt to assert their dominance over the world. The X-Men also grapple with the loss of a teammate, the incarceration of another and the training of the new mutant Jubilee.

The first season of the animated series X-Men consists of 13 episodes and aired between 1992 and 1993. It features the voice talents of Cedric Smith, Norm Spencer, Catherine Disher, Cathal J. Dodd, Lenore Zann, Iona Morris, George Buza, Chris Potter and Alyson Court.

Originally airing in the fall of 1992, X-Men became a breakaway animated hit for Fox Kids. Its impressively large cast of mutant heroes tackled the heavy issue of discrimination all while taking on larger-than-life threats in the form of such baddies as Sabretooth, Magneto and the Sentinels. The first season presents audiences to the plucky Jubilee, a teenager who becomes our introduction into the world of mutants.  After being attacked by Sentinels at a mall, she is saved by the X-Men and joins their ranks after proving herself a capable hero. The rest of the season unfolds by documenting the fraying relations between humans and mutants, as well as the role Magneto plays in this conflict.

As far as cartoons go, X-Men is legendary. The question is though, does it hold up well to the ravages of time? The short answer is yes. The series tackles issues that are very much relevant to today’s society and never pulls its punches while doing so. The two-part “Night of the Sentinels” and “Slave Island” actively engage in themes of racism, while “The Cure” eerily mimics the rhetoric surrounding conversion therapy. The first season never attempts to resolve or reconcile the flaws in humanity and this is part of why this show in particular is so impactful. The writers were also smart to have varying points of view on these topics as well. On one side of the spectrum you have Wolverine, who is proud of being a mutant, while on the other you have Rogue, who views her abilities as a curse.

What strikes me as a comic book fan is the fact that X-Men actually adapts storylines from their source text, albeit fairly liberally. For example, the first part of “Night of the Sentinels” borrows from UncannyX-Men #244, the big fight in “Enter Magneto” mirrors the one from X-Men #1, and “Captive Hearts” closely adapts the events of Uncanny X-Men #169-170. In most cases, such as with “Captive Hearts,” the adaptation is seamless and the only changes made are to reflect the differing cast of characters from the original stories. In contrast, the two-part “Days of Future Past” is a messy hodge-podge that borrows elements from several different storylines despite being named after the storyline from UncannyX-Men #141. For instance, Bishop fills an amalgamated role once filled by Rachel Grey and Kate Pryde in an alternate future and the animosity between Gambit and Bishop is pulled in from UncannyX-Men #287. In this respect, odd choices are made in order to wedge Bishop into a storyline he otherwise wasn’t part of. In the same vein, not all episodes are of the same quality. “Cold Vengeance,” a Wolverine-centric story set in the Arctic, is an unbearably dull bit of filler that employs caricatures of Inuit people.

The voice work for the first season is strong, particularly from Cathal J. Dodd (Wolverine), Lenore Zann (Rogue) and Alyson Court (Jubilee). Expectedly, their characters are the standouts. Zann especially invigorates every scene she’s in, breathing life into Rogue and transforming her into a loveable bruiser with a one-liner for every situation. She also captures the softer side to Rogue as well and really understands the conflicted nature of the character. It should be a surprise to no one then that Rogue was featured heavily in most episodes, particularly in “The Cure” and “Come the Apocalypse.” On the other side of the spectrum we have Iona Morris as Storm. Despite being one of the most influential and important comic book characters of all time, Storm is portrayed as a fuddy-duddy blowhard in X-Men. During the first season, she’s either stuck playing the role of den mother (a role more suited towards Jean Grey) or she’s giving long-winded speeches demanding the weather to obey her commands. It’s over-the-top and does little justice to the character. While I find her scenes with Jubilee to be quite touching, she’s almost unbearable in action sequences due to her penchant for narrating her intent in battle.

Earlier in this review, I posed the question of whether this series stands the test of time. Though this series is still re-watchable, there are aspects of it that haven’t aged well. The voice acting, despite the A+ efforts done by the aforementioned talent, can be cheesy and dramatic at times. Most characters are cast well, but there’s still a tendency to overdramatize the dialogue. Worst of all is the animation. Even during its original airing, the animation for X-Men was subpar especially in comparison to its contemporary Batman: The Animated Series. It’s awkward, inconsistent and cringe-worthy most times. The difference in its quality would only become more apparent when Spider-Man debuted a couple years later, which featured far more fluid animation.

The first season of X-Men is unlikely to net any new fans. It’s a thoroughly ‘90s piece of nostalgia that is sure to re-capture the fuzzy feelings of childhood for Millennials. There are merits to the first season, particularly due to its themes and its portrayal of characters like Rogue and Jubilee. Some episodes are pretty darned good, particularly the two-part opener and my guilty pleasure favourite “Captive Hearts.” I also have to applaud the decision by the producers and writers to develop actual arcs, creating a serial form of storytelling for the first season. This keeps the viewer more engaged and gives a sense of direction to them. However, there are some real duds that are tough to sit through (“Cold Vengeance,” “Slave Island” and “Days of Future Past Part 1”) and the animation is uncomfortably dated.

RATING: B

Review: Justice League - War

When a string of mysterious kidnappings force Batman and Green Lantern into a reluctant joint investigation, they discover that it is part of a much larger plot to initiate an alien invasion on Earth. They must then team up with the world’s greatest heroes – Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Shazam and the newcomer Cyborg – in order to stop the invasion and defeat the seemingly unstoppable menace Darkseid.

Justice League: War is a 2014 animated film starring Alan Tudyk, Jason O’Mara, Michelle Monaghan, Justin Kirk, Christopher Gorham, Shemar Moore and Sean Astin. It is based on the graphic novel JusticeLeague: Origin by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee.

Justice League: War serves as the origin story for the Justice League under the new continuity set within the DC Universe Animated Original Movies canon and smartly adapts Johns’ and Lee’s best-selling series from DC Comics’ New 52 initiative. As with any good superhero team-up story, an alien invasion breaks out and it’s up to the titular band of heroes to stop it. This narrative can be stale, particularly considering how it was also used in the seminal Justice League and the record-breaking Marvel’s The Avengers. Yet, Justice League: War proves itself to be an endlessly entertaining 79 minutes of incredible non-stop action. What helps this film to stand out is its terrifyingly powerful antagonist and the distinctive personalities of the protagonists.

Much of the praise for Justice League: War deserves to land squarely in the lap of Geoff Johns and Jim Lee. They were the ones who laid down the foundation for this film with their work on the source text. In fact, much of the dialogue and scenes are taken straight from the pages of Justice League: War. This is partly why the characters seem so vibrant and brimming with personality. The dialogue between Batman and Green Lantern proves to be quite hilarious, while Wonder Woman’s flip-flopping between the naïve fish-out-of-water to fearsome warrior serve as standout character moments. In fact, some of the funniest scenes in the film come directly from the source material – notably Batman removing Green Lantern’s ring to prove a point and Wonder Woman’s infamous ice cream experience. This levity helps the film from feeling too dark and gives it a sense of light-heartedness.

Unfortunately, some of the flaws that were present in the source text ended up being translated to Justice League: War. With the exception of Cyborg, none of the characters in the film are given any kind of expository origin story. Some of the characters are defined rather well – Batman is a shadowy vigilante, Green Lantern is a space cop and Wonder Woman is part of a political envoy – but the rest of the characters are question marks. The Flash largely fades into the background, particularly due to his more muted personality and lack of narrative definition. Superman is similarly not very memorable, but much of this has to do with the fact that he’s held captive by Darkseid for a substantial chunk of the film. It’s tough to juggle a cast this large and, for the most part, each one gets an opportunity to shine. In the case of Justice League: War, it’s just a matter of some characters shining more brightly than others.

One of the biggest changes in adapting Justice League: Origin to an animated film was the replacement of Aquaman with Captain Marvel/Shazam. This was both a good and a bad idea. The good of it was that Aquaman wasn’t all that important to the source text, so his exclusion could have meant that there would be more room to develop the other characters. It also meant that the character would receive more attention due to the sequel hinging largely on Atlantis (in Justice League: Throne of Atlantis). The bad of it is that his replacement seems unnecessary. For one thing, Captain Marvel/Shazam is a relatively obscure character whose origins and powers aren’t properly defined in context within the film. His schtick, of course, is that he’s a kid who transforms into a super-powered adult by saying the magic word “Shazam.” In the New 52, Johns dedicated a series of back-up stories to building towards the introduction of the character. Here, he’s already a hero with powers and not much is said about the fact that he’s an orphan living in a foster home or where his powers come from. In other words, he’s far less accessible than Aquaman. The even bigger problem is that Captain Marvel/Shazam sucks up so much attention. He’s a hormonal, showboating powerhouse, which translates to him being comedic relief and to him receiving more focus than the Flash or Superman (or even Cyborg).

After the abysmal animation for Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, the animators clearly stepped up their game and went with a more palatable style for this film. It’s more streamlined and not as oddly proportioned. Wonder Woman also receives a redesign, which is both super cool. Her costume is not strapless and her accessories cover more of her skin, while her hair is pulled back into an incredibly long ponytail. The animators also do a stupendous job on the action sequences.  Given the fact that a good chunk of the film is the crazy knock-down-drag-out grudge match with Darkseid, the animations really hit it out of the park with how brutal the fight scenes are. They’re fast-paced and put our heroes through the ringer as they attempt to bring down Darkseid. Their extremely narrow victory further emphasizes just how badass their foe is, which ultimately heightens the tension and highlights the necessity for the Justice League.

Justice League: War is a fantastic re-telling of the Justice League’s origins. It’s arguably one of the best and the film itself does a great job of illustrating who these heroes are. While not all of the characters stand out, the majority does and come across as multi-dimensional (and often funny) individuals. The film is action-packed and features some of the most memorable fights ever seen in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. If you’re looking for a fun animated film about superheroes, then I’d highly recommend Justice League: War.

RATING: B+