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+

Justice League: The Darkseid War Part 1

While investigating the deaths of several women sharing the same name, the Justice league uncover a nefarious plot set in motion by their old nemesis Darkseid.  It soon becomes evident that a dark secret from the Amazons’ past has returned to ignite a deadly war with the tyrannical ruler of Apokolips. With the potential death of a God looming, the greatest battle the Justice League may ever face lies ahead of them.

Justice League Volume 7: The Darkseid War Part 1 collects Justice League #40-44 and material from DC Comics Divergence #1, written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Jason Fabok.

The Darkseid War reads purposefully as a culmination of the conflicts and events of Geoff Johns’ best-selling Justice League from DC Comics’ New 52 initiative. Taking place after the events of Convergence, this multi-part story arc reveals that Darkseid had a daughter named Grail with an Amazon and she has grown up with the singular mission of destroying her father. To accomplish this Grail and her mother have allied themselves with the seemingly unstoppable Anti-Monitor. Darkseid returns to the pages of Justice League, bringing a nice symmetry to the series after playing a crucial role in their origins during the opening arc of the title. The introduction of Grail is well-done and she serves as a rather neat addition to the League’s rogues gallery. I also appreciate the effort made to intertwine her origins with Wonder Woman’s, as it helps to add a sense of importance to both characters and links the two together in a meaningful way. This proves consistent with the overall direction Geoff Johns has taken with Justice League. It’s been a carefully piloted with stories that are written with purpose and give greater prominence to Wonder Woman than ever before.

The first part of Darkseid War is action-heavy and features quite a bit of exposition, but is still remarkably light on character development. For the most part, the Justice League don’t actually feel like the stars of the book. With such a heavy focus placed on Metron and Mister Miracle, many of the League members become marginalized within the story. For instance, Cyborg and Shazam don’t offer much to the overall narrative and are thus easily forgotten. Regardless, there are many great character moments. Notably, we get to see the Flash working a crime scene, Batman taking control of the Mobius chair, and Jessica continuing to test her limits with the Power Ring. Johns also pens some fantastic interactions between Superman and Lex Luthor, as well as between Green Lantern and Batman (which is a dynamic I missed after Hal was removed from Justice League for a time).

Overall, this is a promising start to what could be an epic storyline. Johns’ dialogue is on point, as it almost always is, and I appreciate the focus he’s continued to place on Wonder Woman. Additionally, Jason Fabok’s glossy art elevates the quality of the book tremendously. His work is polished, his characters distinctive (especially Wondy!), and his ability to render compelling action sequences is impressive. Put simply, The Darkseid War is quite possibly one of the strongest story arcs from Johns’ Justice League run.

RATING: B+

Review: JLA - Volume 1

When a group of mysterious aliens known as the Hyperclan settle on Earth, they begin righting the many wrongs that have befallen Earth’s inhabitants. However, their help comes at a great price. After uncovering the nefarious intentions behind the Hyperclans actions, Earth’s greatest heroes – Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter – band together to defeat this alien menace as the new Justice League of America.

Then, before they can even begin to settle in as a team unit, they must combat the fallen angel Asmodel and long-time foe the Key.

JLA Volume 1 collects JLA #1-9 and Secret Files and Origins #1, written by Grant Morrison with art by Howard Porter and Oscar Jimenez.

The Justice League is arguably the most iconic superhero team in existence and perhaps no incarnation is more beloved or celebrated than Grant Morrison’s late-‘90s take. Teaming up with Howard Porter and John Dell, Morrison re-introduced the Justice League in the best-selling series JLA with a pared down roster and with a distinct focus on global threats. The introductory arc is classic in and of itself, with Morrison and Porter crafting a tried-and-true alien invasion story featuring the enigmatic Hyperclan. This four issue storyline is every bit as epic as it was intended to be and even features a rather clever twist during its climax, one which helps to further develop the oft-forgotten Martian Manhunter. The action is spectacular and the enemies powerful enough to be genuine threats to the God-like members of the Justice League. Morrison even appears to reference the narrative structure of the early stories from Justice League of America by having the heroes split up to divide and conquer over the course of the narrative. The four-part opener is then followed up with a single issue storyline involving a character named Tomorrow Woman, an android whose inventors were responsible for creation of Amazo and Red Tornado. It’s a satisfactory and breezy read that plugs into the theme of free will within an electronic mind. This collection is then capped off by two two-parters, the first detailing the League’s fight against Asmodel and the second involving them being trapped in a sort of virtual reality by the Key. The latter storyline is particularly interesting, as Morrison offers up alternative takes on the main cast. For instance, he presents Superman as a Green Lantern, references Wonder Woman’s iconic mod era and then explores a potential future where Batman marries Catwoman.

As a whole, JLA is an action-first book and delivers this type of storytelling in spades. Porter is well-suited to this task as well, drawing detailed and well-choreographed sequences that emphasize the high octane nature of Morrison’s narrative. While character development is not at the forefront or even a priority in JLA, it is through these scenes that we see the glimmering hints of the personalities behind the characters. Green Lantern and Wonder Woman especially shine during fights, with the former creating constructs that emphasize his youth and interests while the latter is shown to be a formidable fighter whose presence in the battlefield is awe-inspiring. Morrison further supplements the action with dialogue that seeks to counteract the missing component of character development. An example of this would be the contrast between the youthful Green Lantern and veteran heroes like the Flash. He’s portrayed as far more flippant and this implies what the others are like by comparison. It goes without saying that Green Lantern is the most colourful and memorable character in this set of stories.

There are a few shortcomings to this collection. For one, it highlights the rushed nature of JLA as it breezes through its first nine issues with a hectic pace that provides no room for defining the overall team dynamic. The prime example for this being that by issue five the League are already in the process of expanding membership, which shouldn’t be done until the reader has adjusted to the current line-up. Yes these heroes are iconic and six of them had their own comics at the time, but their roles and personalities within the team needed to be established first. The other major failing in JLA is that it is forced to accept and run with the changes made in the characters’ individual books. For instance, the blue Superman is thrown at the readers without any explanation and it’s especially jarring for those who are reading the book in retrospect. Another personal gripe of mine would by how Porter illustrates the John Byrne redesigned Wonder Woman costume. It looks dreadfully dated in most shots, drawn with ridiculously high cut briefs, and she appears to be spilling out of the bodice in far too many panels. Porter illustrates her with a beautiful face and an impressive muscular physique, but she looks uncomfortable and out of place standing next to her Justice League cohorts.

JLA Volume 1 is an entertaining collection of stories that offer a glimpse into what made JLA DC Comics’ best-selling series during the 1990s. It’s an action-packed trade that proves why the Justice League is as legendary as they are by giving them incredibly powerful enemies. The stories themselves are quite memorable, while the dialogue and art gives the reader just enough glimpses at the personalities of the characters. It then goes without saying that this is an important trade for any DC Comics fan, especially those who grew up on and were fans of the Justice League cartoon.

RATING: B

Review: Justice League - Throne of Atlantis

When an American submarine is mysteriously attacked, the Justice League is deployed to investigate. They soon discover that the sub was assaulted by Atlantean warriors, prompting the team to scramble to find the mythical underwater kingdom before a war is unleashed on the surface.

Meanwhile, the eldest son of the Queen of Atlantis must learn to accept his heritage and prevent his younger brother from enslaving the world above.

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis is a 2015 animated film starring Jason O’Mara, Jerry O’Connell, Rosario Dawson, Nathan Fillion, Shemar Moore, Sean Astin, and Matt Lanter. It is an adaptation of the graphic novel Throne of Atlantis, written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Ivan Reis and Paul Pelletier.

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis functions as both a sequel to JusticeLeague: War and as an origin story for the hero Aquaman. As such, this is a movie that struggles with what it wants to be. On the one hand, it’s the story of how the Justice League accepts their role as Earth’s greatest heroes. On the other, it’s the story of how the half-blood prince Arthur Curry becomes the King of Atlantis. These two narratives are constantly at odds with one another, warring for prominence over the course of the film’s 72 minute running time.

By eschewing Aquaman from the preceding film in this series and shoehorning his narrative into the story of Orm’s war on the surface world, we get a surprisingly overstuffed film despite its relatively short running time. What we get a lot of are great character moments. We see Cyborg’s struggle to embrace his humanity even though he is mostly machine, leading to some standout interactions with the civilian Sarah and his teammate Shazam. We also get some cute moments between Superman and Wonder Woman, who have begun dating due to their mutual similarities. The majority of the attention though goes towards Aquaman. Though this should be a good thing, the problem is the focus shifts too often with how we’re supposed to empathize with and relate to him. The film deals with his mourning of his father, the impending responsibility of ruling Atlantis, his budding attraction to Mera, his hatred for his half-brother Orm, and his mixed feelings towards his mother. While all of these things are fantastic and worthy of being explored, the fact that Throne of Atlantis attempts to tackle all of these subplots makes the film pretty crowded and unfocused.

Much like Justice League: War, this film struggles with its cast and finding the right balance. Also like its predecessor, it gives us a terrifyingly powerful villain and some incredible action to go along with it. Orm is presented as the Big Bad of this movie and he truly does live up to that status. He single-handedly takes down the Justice League in one of the most harrowing climactic final battles within the DC Universed Animated Original Movies line. He’s brutal and relentless in his pursuit for power, viewing everyone around him as weak. It’s clear he places more capital on politics and legitimacy than love, which makes him extremely dangerous.

The animation from this line of films continues to impress. It’s clean, expressive and each character has his or her own unique look. The new characters have pretty neat designs. Aquaman is very sleek and his costume is a nice modern update on his classic orange and green uniform. Queen Atlanna is another standout, particularly due to her elegant styling. This gives her a sense of gravitas. There is one disappointment though – Mera. I absolutely adore the character and think she’s portrayed as the fierce warrior she truly is. Sadly, her design is lackluster. Her hair is pulled tight into a high ponytail, which somehow makes her look bald. Her headdress isn’t terribly pretty and her outfit itself looks as if it’s a knock off of Chun-Li’s blue jumpsuit from the Alpha line of Street Fighter video games.

Even though Justice League: Throne of Atlantis was somewhat below Justice League: War in terms of quality, I still found it to be a highly entertaining film. Despite its unfocused narrative, the characters are all very distinct and are performed well by a talented voice cast. It’s a film that gives us a fresh, new take on Aquaman and provides us with hands-down the most badass version of Mera we’ve seen in an adaptation thus far. Justice League: Throne of Atlantis is enjoyable as an Aquaman film and does its job of establishing him as a force to be reckoned with. However, as a Justice League movie, it falls short of its target.

RATING: B 

Review: Justice League Volume 6 - Injustice League

In the aftermath of the Crime Syndicate’s takeover of Earth, Lex Luthor and Captain Cold are being hailed heroes for their role in the Syndicate’s defeat. Now, Luthor is demanding entrance into the Justice League and is doing everything he can to convince the public of his beneficence. The League is wary of inviting him into their ranks, but as the old adage goes – “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

Justice League Volume 6: Injustice League collects issues 30-39 of Justice League, written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Doug Mahnke, Ivan Reis, Scott Kolins and Jason Fabok.

Injustice League is a return to form for writer Geoff Johns after the lackluster work found in the preceding volume of this series. With Forever Evil finished, Johns explores the consequences of the world’s greatest supervillain suddenly becoming Earth’s apparent savior. It’s an interesting concept to consider, the notion that Lex Luthor could be a hero and could fight alongside the heavyweights in the Justice League. Even still, he has to earn the right to be on the team and Johns doesn’t take the easy road by making it seem like Luthor has had a change of heart. It’s very clear that he’s still just as shady as ever.

This trade is split into two distinctive arcs. The first deals with Luthor’s campaign to be elected into the Justice League, which coincides with a conflict between the League and the recently formed Doom Patrol over the new bearer of the Power Ring. Much of the focus in these issues goes to Luthor, Batman, and the Doom Patrol, which means we don’t see a whole lot of the rest of the League. Johns’ take on the Doom Patrol is certainly interesting, particularly since he uses the classic team and puts his own spin on it. I really like the inclusion of Element Woman, especially since I was disappointed that she was written out prematurely during the conclusion of Trinity War. She’s a fantastic character, so it was nice to see more of her. Needless to say, she was the standout amongst the Doom Patrol members. This is also due to the severe underdevelopment of the rest of the characters, whose personalities are fairly one-note and whose origins and abilities are only dealt with in a cursory manner. The diminished role of the League itself is also unsatisfying, as this is their book and there had been very little focus placed on them as a unit since the onset of Trinity War.

The second arc is far more engaging and features a pretty neat storyline. It puts a new spin on the classic Justice League foe Amazo, shifting the enemy from an android to an unstoppable virus that turns humans into pseudo-zombies and gives them superpowers in the process. Nearly everyone in Metropolis is infected, leaving only a handful of heroes to find a cure. Johns uses this arc to explore Luthor’s continued path to legitimacy as a hero, as well as to play with some of the tropes of the zombie fiction subgenre. The reinvention of Amazo as the product of a virus is a really cool idea and breathes new life into an otherwise stale character. The continued use of Captain Cold as part of the supporting cast gives the dynamic a little flavor, while the prominence of Wonder Woman throughout leads to plenty of cool action sequences.

Aside from the focus placed on Lex Luthor, Injustice League is notable for the introduction of Jessica Cruz – the then-new owner of the Power Ring. While one would expect Johns to focus a lot on her development, she’s woefully underused throughout. We get bits of her origin, as well as some relationship building scenes with the Flash, but that’s about it. She’s de-commissioned for most of the Amazo arc, while the Doom Patrol sucks up a lot of the spotlight prior to that. She has the potential to be a really interesting character though, particularly due to her being promoted as the first official female Green Lantern from Earth (note: Jade was actually part of Kyle Rayner’s Corps in the ‘90s).

Despite there being some shafting of characters, Justice League Volume 6: Injustice League is a great read. Johns skillfully re-establishes the team’s dynamic Post-Forever Evil and continues to show his strength as a dialogue writer. His inclusion of Lex Luthor into the League is interesting and creates tension within the team, while the Doom Patrol and Jessica Cruz both have tremendous potential to be really cool if utilized properly. Beyond Johns’ work, the art in this collection is deserving of praise. While I’m not the biggest fan of Kolins’ work, the art done by Reis, Mahnke and Fabok is nothing short of spectacular. In fact, Fabok proves to be the shining star of this trade. His pencils are detailed, crisp and beautiful to look at. His Wonder Woman and the new design he’d given her are fabulous.

RATING: B

Review: Justice League Volume 5 - Forever Heroes

With the Crime Syndicate’s hold on Earth growing, a gravely injured Cyborg suits up once more to take down the Syndicate’s dangerous AI Grid. But first he must find the mysterious Metal Men and convince them to assist him in bringing down the Syndicate.

Meanwhile, Grid ponders its inability to process emotion and looks into the pasts of its fellow Crime Syndicate members in order to feel something – anything.

Justice League Volume 5: Forever Heroes collects Justice League 24-29, written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Ivan Reis and Doug Mahnke.

Forever Heroes is divided into two parts. The first three issues detail the origins of the Crime Syndicate members (save for Superwoman) as Grid attempts to learn something about emotion through their past experiences. These issues provide some background information for the primary antagonists of ForeverEvil, but they ultimately seem ill-placed in a title like Justice League. This should be a book where big things happen, not where we get exposition and filler. Truth be told, Forever Evil probably could have been eschewed as a mini-series and should have instead been treated as a proper arc in the pages of Justice League. The backstories given are pretty standard and vary in quality. Issue 24 serves as Ultraman’s origin story, 25 is Owlman’s and 26 goes breezes through Power Ring, Johnny Quick, Atomica and Deathstorm. Owlman’s is easily the most interesting and multi-dimensional, putting some unexpected twists into his previous backstories. The lack of an origin story for Superwoman was a disappointing omission.

The remaining three issues of this collection deal with the return of Cyborg and his quest to defeat Grid. This arc fares better than what preceded it, mostly because it’s not just a series of flashbacks. Johns continues to write a compelling Cyborg, portraying him increasingly as a responsible and courageous hero.  I also think that Johns executed the introduction of the Metal Men rather well, in addition to their overall inclusion in the arc. He uses them, along with Cyborg and Grid, to consider the theme of human emotion and how that translates to non-humans. It’s an effective and interesting subject to consider. Aside from that, the arc is mostly unremarkable. Since the main action involving the Crime Syndicate was occurring in Forever Evil, the events here come across like background noise.

Justice League: Forever Heroes is probably the steepest drop in quality for Justice League since Geoff Johns and Jim Lee launched it in 2011. The art is beautiful, but it feels wasted on what amounts to a half-hearted tie-in to Forever Evil. The work here serves as background information and contextualization for the aforementioned mini-series. The new suit Cyborg gets is pretty snazzy and he’s a standout character in this collection, but he’s one of the few things worth checking out here.

RATING: C+

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+

Review: Justice League - The Flashpoint Paradox

When the Flash finds himself trapped in an alternate timeline, he must team-up with that reality’s Batman in order to stop a brutal war being waged by Aquaman and Wonder Woman. But first, he must recover his powers and determine what has happened to place him in this strange world.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is a 2013 animated film based off of the graphic novel Flashpoint, originally written by Geoff Johns. It stars Justin Chambers, C. Thomas Howell, Kevin McKidd and Michael B. Jordan.

The Flashpoint Paradox is a dark and deeply moving film that grapples with a lot of mature themes, so much so that it makes you wonder how the film achieved a PG-13 rating. The plot focuses primarily around Barry Allen – otherwise known as the Flash – whose childhood was marred by the murder of his beloved mother. We see that as an adult he’s become an incredible hero and has rightfully earned his place among the Justice League. Then, out of nowhere, he wakes up in another world. This abrupt shift is jarring and not very well executed, but the events that follow are certainly very bleak. Barry no longer has his powers and he is now trapped in a reality where Aquaman and Wonder Woman have nearly destroyed the Earth because of a war between Atlantis and Themyscira.

The film stays relatively close to the source material, though it is further supplemented by the many comic book one-shots that were written to tie into the Flashpoint universe. The idea of a darker, more depressing world created by a ripple or change in time is not a new concept, which made the original Flashpoint fairly lackluster. Over the course of the film, and the graphic novel it was adapted from, we see just how terrible this timeline is and how desperately it needs to be changed back to what it once was. It’s fairly predictable and unremarkable. Nevertheless, I do appreciate the idea of a major comic book event centering around the Flash. It’s a nice change. When looked at through that lens, The Flashpoint Paradox is a fascinating character study of the Flash and helps to endear the viewer to him. Over the course of the film, we understand who he is and what it means for him to be a hero.

Unfortunately, the Flash is pretty much the only likeable character in the film. Batman is a jerk, Cyborg naively follows the government’s orders, Aquaman is a relentless dictator, and Wonder Woman is a terrifyingly violent madwoman. The latter two characters serve as the antagonists for The Flashpoint Paradox, which actually angers me as a Wonder Woman fan. The set-up for her character’s descent into villainy is shallow and seems out of character for her. Regardless of how messed up this world may be, Wonder Woman would never carry on an affair with a married man and would never kill Mera out of “self-defense.” Are we really to believe that she couldn’t just use her lasso to bind Mera and help her to calm down? The fact that we then see Wonder Woman murder innocent people, and children in particular, is unsettling and unnecessary.

In fact, a lot of this film is unsettling. It relies heavily on bloody violence and gore, which I’d imagine is done to really shock the reader. It’s a very cheap and obvious way of portraying how messed up this world is. The various deaths could have been portrayed far more imaginatively. I understand the choice made to be as gruesome as possible, but it’s distracting and doesn’t actually add much to the plot. You could also say the same for the sheer number of characters that appear over the course of the film’s 81 minute running time. It wasn’t necessary to cram as many characters as possible into the movie. It probably would have been just as effective, if not more effective, to tone down the violence and be more selective with which characters made the final cut.

The Flashpoint Paradox is not a pretty movie – and I’m not just speaking about the grim alternate reality it is set in. The animation is far too exaggerated, particularly due to the rather comedic proportions of the characters in the film. The characters’ faces all look pretty darn great. They’re expressive and most likely inspired by anime styles that are oriented more towards older viewers. Unfortunately, once you get past the neck the characters look awful. The men have massive shoulders and chests, but have waistlines that would rival the waif-like Audrey Hepburn. Depending on the character, we see something similar happen with the women. They’ll have tiny heads placed on hulking bodies, consisting of huge shoulders and thighs contrasted against impossibly small waistlines. Needless to say, I’m not a fan of the animation style. Many of the preceding films in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line have been absolutely gorgeous (especially Wonder Woman), so it’s disappointing to have such an adverse reaction to the animation here.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is far from being one of my favourite films in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. It’s depressing, laborious and contains a lot of characterization I’m not fond of. I do have praise for it being a Flash-centric story and applaud the explorative work done on his character in this film. However, better stories could have been told… perhaps one where Wonder Woman doesn’t come across as irredeemably evil and where I don’t hate her. Just saying. It does seem like they wanted to use this film as a bridge between the previous Justice League films and the new continuity set in Justice League: War, but the fact remains that the source text (Johns’ Flashpoint) is still one of the weakest events DC has put out in the past decade or so.

RATING: C