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: Green Lantern Volume 1 - Sinestro

When his homeworld is enslaved by his former army, the newly re-appointed Green Lantern Sinestro must seek out the aid of disgraced Lantern Hal Jordan for help in freeing his people. Together they must venture to Korugar and shut down the very power source for the Sinestro Corps.

Green Lantern Volume 1: Sinestro collects issues 1-6 of Green Lantern, written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Doug Mahnke.

Geoff Johns continues to build on his legacy as the premiere Green Lantern writer by trying something a little different – re-introducing Sinestro as a hero looking to dismantle the very Corps he once created. It’s a simple yet effective premise that takes Hal Jordan’s most iconic nemesis and re-imagines him more as a flawed antihero. By 2011, when the issues collected in Green Lantern Volume 1: Sinestro were originally published, Johns had been the primary creative force behind the Green Lantern for roughly seven years. He was responsible for breathing new life into that section of the DC Universe and turned it into a veritable “franchise.” With this arc, we see him not only creating new concepts, but also undoing some of his previous work. It’s an interesting read, since it’s like a shedding of skin.

At its core, Green Lantern Volume 1: Sinestro is about two men. Plain and simple. It’s an intimate character examination of just who Sinestro and Hal Jordan are. The former is portrayed as an immensely multi-dimensional character who is clearly loyal to his people, but his past actions and “bigger picture” attitude has led many to distrust him. As a point of comparison, he is to Hal Jordan who Magneto is to Professor Xavier. Meanwhile, we see Hal Jordan struggling to find himself. Who is he without a Green Lantern ring? Can he really be happy unless he’s zipping all over the universe saving the day? Will he ever be able to settle down with his lady love Carol Ferris? There’s this brilliant sense of co-dependency between Hal and his status as a Green Lantern, one which proves he’s far more than the Silver Age cardboard cut-out many claim him to be.

Ultimately, Green Lantern Volume 1: Sinestro is comparable to Johns’ work on Aquaman from the New 52. It’s a concise, straightforward story with a small cast and plenty of great action. The character development and dialogue is on point, while Doug Mahnke’s art is superb. There is one downside though. Unlike Aquaman, this collection isn’t as easy to dive into as a casual reader. Since all of Johns’ previous Green Lantern material is canon, new readers may find it difficult to contextualize what’s going on. As such, it’s best to start with Rebirth and read on from there.

RATING: B

Review: Son of Batman

When the mercenary Deathstroke stages a coup to seize control of the League of Assassins, Talia al Ghul seeks out Batman to help protect the League's rightful heir. As it turns out, said heir also happens to be the Dark Knight's son. With this new revelation hanging over his head, Batman must stop Deathstroke and learn to cope with his wayward son.

Son of Batman is a 2014 animated film starring Jason O'Mara, Stuart Allan, Morena Baccarin, Thomas Gibson and David McCallum. It is based off of the 2006 graphic novel Batman and Son, written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Andy Kubert.

As the sixth Batman-centric film from DC Universe Animated Original Movies line, Son of Batman is less about the Dark Knight himself and more about his spunky new sidekick. We're introduced to Damian Wayne in the film's opening scenes as Ra's al Ghul's loyal grandson and as a fearsome warrior in his own right. From then on, much of the action of the film pivots on Damian as a character and his development from unquestioning assassin to Batman's partner. The film hits all the right notes with Damian in this respect. He's got significantly more attitude than any previous Robin and he's also the most violent, but this also means he has the most to learn about being a hero from Batman. As such, Son of Batman becomes a story of Damian's growth from would-be villain to reluctant hero.

While this film is an adaptation of Batman and Son, many changes are made to alter the characters and narratives of the source text. Damian's behaviour, for instance, is toned down. Tim Drake is also phased out as Batman's partner in the film in favour of using Dick Grayson instead. The most notable change, however, was the shifting of antagonists. Batman and Son was a character assassination of Talia al Ghul, transforming her from Batman's true love to being an all-out murdering rapist. Morrison played fast and loose with Talia's character and past, making her out to be someone she wasn't. The writers and producers of Son of Batman rectify that. Talia is far more affectionate and caring in this film, looking out for Damian's best interests. With Talia firmly rooted in the role of protective mother (and later damsel in distress - eye roll), Deathstroke steps in as the film's villain.

Deathstroke fits in remarkably well within the narrative of the League of Assassins and is the ideal villain for this story. His motivations are carefully laid out and certainly makes him seem far more power-hungry than the lame version we got in Arrow. Interestingly, the film doesn't explore the notion of Deathstroke being a rival to Batman. We do know that Slade was miffed about Talia falling for Bats, but the focus never wavers from the grudge between him and Damian. In this sense, it's a little less predictable and convinces audiences to invest more in Damian.

The animation for Son of Batman follows the same style of Justice League: War, as it should considering they're meant to be within the same continuity. There's a vague anime quality to it, in addition to its vaguely noir aesthetic. The settings provide a very rich background for the story to play off of. From Gotham City's harbour to the League of Assassins home base, we see a veritable tapestry of looks for this film. I'm also rather fond of the character models. Batman's is a little off, particularly due to his overlong ears, but the rest look pretty snazzy. I'm particularly obsessed with the look Talia sports, as it's a beautiful update on what she looked like in the DC Animated Universe. Also worth noting are all of the carefully choreographed fight scenes. This film features some pretty cool action sequences that are among the best from the DCUAOM line.

Son of Batman is an entertaining film through-and-through. Despite its lack of focus on Batman himself, I do like the dynamic established between Damian and his father. I also appreciate the effort put into developing Damian as a multi-dimensional character. In fact, one of my favourite scenes occurs near the end when he is reunited with his mother. It's a sweet scene that illustrates the good aspects of both his character and Talia's. Son of Batman is full of action too and it's bloody action at that. Fans of Batman are sure to be satisfied with this film, but those who are on the fence about Damian's character aren't likely to be swayed. Also, did Talia al Ghul really have to be a damsel in distress? That's my one big complaint. Other than that, Son of Batman is pretty darn enjoyable.

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: Birds of Prey Volume 1 - Trouble In Mind

Having uncovered a secret web of sleeper agents under the control of a man known only as Choke, Black Canary assembles an elite special ops team to free them from his command. Her ragtag group of would-be heroines must overcome internal strife in order to defeat this unseen menace.

Birds of Prey Volume 1: Trouble In Mind collects Birds of Prey issues 1-7, written by Duane Swierczynski and illustrated by Jesus Saiz.

Out of all the launch titles from DC Comics’ New 52 relaunch, Birds of Prey was one of the riskiest and most unique. Following on the heels of Gail Simone’s short-lived return to the team Post-Brightest Day, writer Swiercynski did everything right in his reinvention of the Birds. Rather than use the same cast from Simone’s fan-favourite runs on the group, he opted for a far more unusual roster consisting of Black Canary (a must for any Birds team), the sword-swinging Katana, new heroine Starling, and villainess Poison Ivy. These four have an electric chemistry and aesthetic that pops off the page, which is largely due to Swiercynski’s memorable dialogue and Saiz’s gorgeous artwork.

One of the most interesting aspects to Swiercynski’s Birds is the shift in the dynamic of the concept of the team when Oracle is removed from the equation. Without the computer savvy hacker backing them, the Birds become more active protagonists who are constantly thinking and reacting. Black Canary is now the de facto leader and, as such, does a whole lot more detective work than the Pre-Flashpoint character had done while working with Oracle. In other words, she’s not just the muscle anymore – she’s the brains of the operation. The other characters on the team similarly fill distinctive roles. Starling is the fast-talking, impulsive sharpshooter, Katana is the silent warrior, and Poison Ivy is the not to be trusted wild card. These character types work incredibly well together, particularly when tossed into the high stakes world of espionage and anti-terrorism. The tension is heightened and it allows you to become more invested in the story because the characters are so layered.

Of all the characters present in this collection, none stands out quite as much as Starling. She’s an absolute riot as the edgy gun-slinging Rockabilly badass of the group. Her quippy dialogue peppers the story quite well, particularly due to her penchant for mocking Poison Ivy and sarcasm towards Katana talking to her sword. Beyond the humour, there’s also a really beautiful friendship between her and Black Canary that ultimately becomes the nucleus around which everything else builds upon. This is extremely important as Birds of Prey, above all else, has always been about the importance of friendship. Canary and Starling’s friendship fills this niche rather well, which thankfully shows Swiercynski’s understanding of what makes Birds of Prey such a fan-favourite concept.

Jesus Saiz’s art is a major draw for this title. His illustrations paired with Swiercynski’s dialogue are a match made in heaven. I absolutely loved Saiz’s art on the acclaimed Manhunter series written by Marc Andreyko and I love it just as much in this collection. It’s sharp, it’s colourful and it’s stylish. He draws each character so distinctively, perhaps moreso than he’d done in Manhunter. His Canary is absolutely gorgeous and his Starling always appears super sassy, but it’s his Poison Ivy that leaps off the page. He draws her New 52 look like a master, making her appear as this vaguely otherworldly creature. Additionally, his action and splash pages are something to behold. For example, the opening scene from the first issue where Starling crashes through a church is forever seared in my mind. He really knows how to stage and choreograph a fight on a page, allowing the characters just the right amount of space in a panel and draws it in a way that is pure, unfiltered storytelling. Of course, it certainly helps that Swiercynski’s minimalist writing style (i.e. not cluttering pages with verbose dialogue and narrative) gives him the room to really tell the story visually.

At its core, Birds of Prey Volume 1: Trouble In Mind is a riotous wild ride. The titular team must stop Choke from activating his unwitting suicide bombers, while learning to trust one another in the process. This book features amazing dialogue and stunning artwork, perhaps some of the best from DC Comics’ New 52. For fans of action, espionage and/or female-led comics, this is a must-read trade. It’s exciting, engrossing and features some of the most distinctive characters circa 2011.

RATING: A-

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+