Justice League: Season Two
After doing three successful shows based on two of the greatest superheroes ever known, what do you do for an encore? You make a show about the greatest superhero team, of course; The Justice League. Unfortunately, season one was not the homerun everyone was expecting. It wasn’t what the fans were hoping for, and interestingly enough, Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Alan Burkett, Glen Murakami and the rest of the crew that brought us the superb Superman, Batman and Batman Beyond shows felt the same way. They knew there was something decidedly lacking with their new show Justice League, and fortunately for fans, they did everything possible to fix those problems for season two. Their efforts certainly paid off, as this is one of the best action/superhero shows on TV. It doesn’t quite live up to the legacy of Batman: The Animated Series, mind you, but then it isn’t really trying to. This is a completely different show, and it’s a lot of fun for geeks and non-geeks of all ages.
One thing that’s immediately evident as you watch this set is just how big these stories are, or should I say epic? Granted, when you put together seven of the greatest heroes in comics, you have to go big, but to say that and to accomplish it are two completely different things. Best of, this time around the show’s creators didn’t rely on Superman getting beat up all the time to convey just how dangerous the situation is (oh no, they took down Superman, our strongest, most invulnerable hero. This is a serious situation/villain/alien species/threat or whatever. It’s kinda like what Star Trek: The Next Generation did with Worf. Every time Worf the Klingon - the strongest member of the crew - was taken down, you knew the villain/alien was really strong and really dangerous). This time around, the writers were more creative. From a team-up between Darkseid and Braniac to a very personal conflict and betrayal to an alternate Justice League called the Justice Lords, the stories in season two are epic and fun. There are also some very nice personal moments that help flesh out the characters. There’s a heartwarming Christmas episode, and several romantic moments between GL (Green Lantern) and Hawk Girl. We also get a hint of romance between Batman and Wonder Woman. Crazy! Without giving anything away, let me also say that the three part season finale is one of the most epic, exciting super hero stories I’ve seen. It plays out like a major motion picture, topping many of the recent live action super hero films to grace the big screen.
The other cool aspect of Justice League is the team aspect. It’s one thing to see these heroes operate solo, but Justice League shows us that even the strongest of heroes needs a little help from their friends. Superman may be the greatest hero the earth has ever known, but even he finds himself in numerous situations where he has to rely on his friends for help. Batman may be the ultimate loner, but even he discovers the value of being a part of a team. No matter how strong or smart we may be, we can never truly go it alone. Despite the great connectedness we have in our modern society, so many people still feel completely alone or like they have to do it all on their own, but that’s not the case. The Bible tells us two very encouraging things: one; God will never leave us for forsake us, so we never have to feel alone, and two; when we follow Christ, we’re surrounded by a huge family made up of the sons and daughters of God who, like the Justice League, will always be there to support us in our time of need. If Superman needs help from his fellow heroes every now and then, who are we to think that we could be any different?
Justice League Season Two contains the same meager extras content as any of the other sets from Batman to Superman, but what little we get is still pretty good. Voices of Justice takes us behind the scenes with the voice actors of the show in a discussion of what it’s like to work on Justice League. We also get an interesting round table with the producers where they talk about how the worked to make season two of Justice League into the show they all know it could be and should be. There are a couple of commentaries spread throughout various episodes, and again, although these commentaries are nice, like with the previous sets, it would be better if there were more of them. Justice League was the first of these shows to be made in the digital era, and it definitely shows. The picture is sharp and clean, and there are some cool CG effects in the show as well. The sound is also top-notch, which is a good thing because it goes a long way in establishing the epic nature of these adventures.
Justice League Season Two does an excellent job of recovering from its so-so first outing, and it ends with a bang. The stories, the action, and to some extent even the drama is all bigger, better and more exciting. If it seems from recent reviews that I find these animated shows more enjoyable than some of the live-action, big-budget movie versions of these heroes, well that’s because I do. In live action versions, it’s always harder to suspend your disbelief at a hero’s amazing feats because its believability is dependent on the special effects. With animation, my mind isn’t constantly gauging whether or not special effects are good enough, it just enjoys the show. Plus, the team that has brought us these shows over the past decade and a half really understand these characters. Of all the geeks that watch the show, they are the geekiest, and it pays off with versions of these beloved characters that ring true. Yes, Justice League is a cartoon, but it isn’t just for kids.
One thing that’s immediately evident as you watch this set is just how big these stories are, or should I say epic? Granted, when you put together seven of the greatest heroes in comics, you have to go big, but to say that and to accomplish it are two completely different things. Best of, this time around the show’s creators didn’t rely on Superman getting beat up all the time to convey just how dangerous the situation is (oh no, they took down Superman, our strongest, most invulnerable hero. This is a serious situation/villain/alien species/threat or whatever. It’s kinda like what Star Trek: The Next Generation did with Worf. Every time Worf the Klingon - the strongest member of the crew - was taken down, you knew the villain/alien was really strong and really dangerous). This time around, the writers were more creative. From a team-up between Darkseid and Braniac to a very personal conflict and betrayal to an alternate Justice League called the Justice Lords, the stories in season two are epic and fun. There are also some very nice personal moments that help flesh out the characters. There’s a heartwarming Christmas episode, and several romantic moments between GL (Green Lantern) and Hawk Girl. We also get a hint of romance between Batman and Wonder Woman. Crazy! Without giving anything away, let me also say that the three part season finale is one of the most epic, exciting super hero stories I’ve seen. It plays out like a major motion picture, topping many of the recent live action super hero films to grace the big screen.
The other cool aspect of Justice League is the team aspect. It’s one thing to see these heroes operate solo, but Justice League shows us that even the strongest of heroes needs a little help from their friends. Superman may be the greatest hero the earth has ever known, but even he finds himself in numerous situations where he has to rely on his friends for help. Batman may be the ultimate loner, but even he discovers the value of being a part of a team. No matter how strong or smart we may be, we can never truly go it alone. Despite the great connectedness we have in our modern society, so many people still feel completely alone or like they have to do it all on their own, but that’s not the case. The Bible tells us two very encouraging things: one; God will never leave us for forsake us, so we never have to feel alone, and two; when we follow Christ, we’re surrounded by a huge family made up of the sons and daughters of God who, like the Justice League, will always be there to support us in our time of need. If Superman needs help from his fellow heroes every now and then, who are we to think that we could be any different?
Justice League Season Two contains the same meager extras content as any of the other sets from Batman to Superman, but what little we get is still pretty good. Voices of Justice takes us behind the scenes with the voice actors of the show in a discussion of what it’s like to work on Justice League. We also get an interesting round table with the producers where they talk about how the worked to make season two of Justice League into the show they all know it could be and should be. There are a couple of commentaries spread throughout various episodes, and again, although these commentaries are nice, like with the previous sets, it would be better if there were more of them. Justice League was the first of these shows to be made in the digital era, and it definitely shows. The picture is sharp and clean, and there are some cool CG effects in the show as well. The sound is also top-notch, which is a good thing because it goes a long way in establishing the epic nature of these adventures.
Justice League Season Two does an excellent job of recovering from its so-so first outing, and it ends with a bang. The stories, the action, and to some extent even the drama is all bigger, better and more exciting. If it seems from recent reviews that I find these animated shows more enjoyable than some of the live-action, big-budget movie versions of these heroes, well that’s because I do. In live action versions, it’s always harder to suspend your disbelief at a hero’s amazing feats because its believability is dependent on the special effects. With animation, my mind isn’t constantly gauging whether or not special effects are good enough, it just enjoys the show. Plus, the team that has brought us these shows over the past decade and a half really understand these characters. Of all the geeks that watch the show, they are the geekiest, and it pays off with versions of these beloved characters that ring true. Yes, Justice League is a cartoon, but it isn’t just for kids.
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