Justice League gets a new title sequence, plus a new focus on single-episode stories. The Justice League team gets an expanded roster. Green Latern gets the Ben Sisko makeover (shaved head, goatee).
"Initiation"
Cute superheroics, the envelope is pushed a bit, animated DC D-listers, Black Canary is ogled. A fine relaunch.
Grade: B+
"For the Man Who Has Everything"
Batman, you gift-certificate giving varlet! I hate you! (Actually, he went with the time-honored gift of cash in a blank envelope.) (Suave bastard.) But seriously folx: Kal-El's line to his son -- "But I don't think you're real" (couresty of Alan Moore -- credit where credit's due) -- typifies the pathos of the episode. Only nitpick, from a narrative standpoint: Batman's encounter with the Black Mercy feels tacked on since it appeared so late in the episode, even though it worked Batman's primal scene to great effect (never met a "Waynes family coming out of a Zorro movie" scene where I wasn't goose-pimpled with pathos). And man! Superman's dialogue with Mongul seethed with fire.
Grade: A-
"Hawk & Dove"
It's Hawk & Dove.
Grade: C+
"Fearful Symmetry (aka Galatea)"
The Question! Singing a boy-band pop song!
Grade: A-
"Kids' Stuff"
Kid Lantern's imagination outrunning his power ring! HAHA. Baby Etrigan! CUTE. Wonder Girl's adolescent flirting with Batboy! TOO CUTE.
Grade: A+
"This Little Piggy
"Rich kid with issues!" The Singin' Dark Knight Detective! Plus, I have a serious soft spot for well-animated pigs.
Grade: A
"The Return"
Breathtaking set pieces, cutting one-liners, and the Green Lantern Corps flexing planetary muscle! Oh, and the return of *awk*irl!
Grade: A-
"The Greatest Story Never Told"
Strained humor focusing on B-Lister Booster, though cute scientist action helps.
Grade: B
"Ultimatum"
Lame Superfriends parody de-spiced with return of pansy Wonder Woman.
Grade: C+
"Dark Heart"
Warren Ellis, why you break my heart? His dialogue translates painfully, and all of the action is repetitive lasers and ugly metal-eating replicants.
Grade: C+
"Wake the Dead"
Shayera and Grundy! The JLU Old Yeller episode.
Grade: B
"The Once and Future Thing" Parts 1 & 2
Time travel! Self-reflexivity! Alluding to the Batman/Wonder Woman shipping! CAN YOU HEAR ME PLOTZ? (Only way to top this episode would've been to include super-smart talking monkeys.)
Grade: A-
Indie rating: Fennesz - "The Other Face"
Showing posts with label DCAU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DCAU. Show all posts
Monday, December 11, 2006
Justice League - Season 2
"Twilight"
Fourth World! Seeing an animated Darkseid blew my mind (N.B. I haven't seen Superman: The Animated Series).
Grade: A-
"Tabula Rasa"
I always like the idea of a group that has to fight against its own powers. I kept expecting Batman to save the day because he's the only JLer without powers, but instead, we get J'onn anticlimactically opening Amazo's mind to the empathy of humankind or somesuch sentimentality. No room for liberal ideals in a slobberknocker!
Grade: B+
"Only a Dream"
Batman vs. sleep deprivation appeals to me, but dream/nightmare episodes often get too bogged down in unnecessarily exploring bad, pop Freud psychology.
Grade: B-
"Maid of Honor"
Wonder Woman hangs out with Paris Hilton. Plays out as well as it sounds.
Grade: C
"Hearts and Minds"
Better space opera than Star Wars! Religious cults, romance (Katma Tui? Rrowr!), intergalactic wars, and Kilowog eating ice cream -- which is to say, EVERYTHING I COULD EVER WANT.
Grade: A+
"A Better World"
So the Flash is the key to democracy. Alterna-universe stories are inherently cool. Also, what's the difference between Alterna-Bats and real Batman? They're both fascists.
Grade: A-
"Eclipsed"
Ancient snake people whose spirits live in a crystal? Please. The Flash saves not only Earth but the episode arc when he fights the possessed JL.
Grade: C+
"The Terror Beyond"
Aquaman? UGH. Dr. Fate? YAY. I can't get into the fun of superheroes fighting each other for no apparent reason, then realizing that they're on the same side. But, Hawk "Bird Nose" Girl!
Grade: B
"Secret Society"
Yay gorillas! Batman pwning to put an early end to group training! A perfect 10, surely. Let me write the zero first... Oh noes! The story ends with the League squaring off against the Secret Society -- in a packed stadium. Yuck!
Grade: B
"Hereafter"
A story about the Death of an Icon™ that turns into a post-apocalyptic buddy movie? Admittedly weird, but classic if only for Vandal Savage, reader of self-help books ("I read whatever I can find; anyway, I've got issues, what with my destroying the Earth and all"). Bonus points for not showing the slobbernocker that saves Earth for once.
Grade: B+
"Comfort and Joy"
A Very Justicey Christmas with -- get this! -- GORILLAS. Cheerful and touching without being saccharine, and Ultra-Humanite is a big furry softy (albeit with high-blown tastes).
Grade: A+
"Wild Cards"
This story is Joker's last appearance? sadface.jpg
Grade: C
"Starcrossed"
Meat and potatoes actioner, with a twist, plus great Batmanisms (knowing the secret identy of everyone who had one, kicking Flash and J'onn out of the Watchtower so he could crash it). I love you, you noble death-driven rich kid with issues!
Grade: B+
Indie rating: Thomas Fehlmann - "Making it Whistle"
Fourth World! Seeing an animated Darkseid blew my mind (N.B. I haven't seen Superman: The Animated Series).
Grade: A-
"Tabula Rasa"
I always like the idea of a group that has to fight against its own powers. I kept expecting Batman to save the day because he's the only JLer without powers, but instead, we get J'onn anticlimactically opening Amazo's mind to the empathy of humankind or somesuch sentimentality. No room for liberal ideals in a slobberknocker!
Grade: B+
"Only a Dream"
Batman vs. sleep deprivation appeals to me, but dream/nightmare episodes often get too bogged down in unnecessarily exploring bad, pop Freud psychology.
Grade: B-
"Maid of Honor"
Wonder Woman hangs out with Paris Hilton. Plays out as well as it sounds.
Grade: C
"Hearts and Minds"
Better space opera than Star Wars! Religious cults, romance (Katma Tui? Rrowr!), intergalactic wars, and Kilowog eating ice cream -- which is to say, EVERYTHING I COULD EVER WANT.
Grade: A+
"A Better World"
So the Flash is the key to democracy. Alterna-universe stories are inherently cool. Also, what's the difference between Alterna-Bats and real Batman? They're both fascists.
Grade: A-
"Eclipsed"
Ancient snake people whose spirits live in a crystal? Please. The Flash saves not only Earth but the episode arc when he fights the possessed JL.
Grade: C+
"The Terror Beyond"
Aquaman? UGH. Dr. Fate? YAY. I can't get into the fun of superheroes fighting each other for no apparent reason, then realizing that they're on the same side. But, Hawk "Bird Nose" Girl!
Grade: B
"Secret Society"
Yay gorillas! Batman pwning to put an early end to group training! A perfect 10, surely. Let me write the zero first... Oh noes! The story ends with the League squaring off against the Secret Society -- in a packed stadium. Yuck!
Grade: B
"Hereafter"
A story about the Death of an Icon™ that turns into a post-apocalyptic buddy movie? Admittedly weird, but classic if only for Vandal Savage, reader of self-help books ("I read whatever I can find; anyway, I've got issues, what with my destroying the Earth and all"). Bonus points for not showing the slobbernocker that saves Earth for once.
Grade: B+
"Comfort and Joy"
A Very Justicey Christmas with -- get this! -- GORILLAS. Cheerful and touching without being saccharine, and Ultra-Humanite is a big furry softy (albeit with high-blown tastes).
Grade: A+
"Wild Cards"
This story is Joker's last appearance? sadface.jpg
Grade: C
"Starcrossed"
Meat and potatoes actioner, with a twist, plus great Batmanisms (knowing the secret identy of everyone who had one, kicking Flash and J'onn out of the Watchtower so he could crash it). I love you, you noble death-driven rich kid with issues!
Grade: B+
Indie rating: Thomas Fehlmann - "Making it Whistle"
Monday, December 04, 2006
Justice League - Season 1
Quick reviews (I'll try to limit them to incomplete sentences) and grades for Justice League story arcs, because right now I cannot get enough of CARTOONS. Usual spoiler whosits apply.
"Secret Origins"
Series finding its feet, too many dead audio spots, generically faceless alien enemies, hooray for Batman.
Grade: B
"In Blackest Night"
Potential race allegory, punches pulled in the end.
Grade: C+
"The Enemy Below"
Aquaman = ugh. Aquaman chops off hand = better, because there's less of him now.
Grade: D+
"Paradise Lost"
Decent occult/adventure story mired by humorless Amazons. No sign of empathetic Lucifer, or of blank verse.
Grade: B
"War World"
Superman in meandering "reality tv is like gladiator games" aborted slobberknocker. Points for Hawkgirl and GL's married-couple bickering.
Grade: B-
"The Brave and the Bold"
Establishes trend: every Justice League episode that features a talking gorilla rocks.
Grade: A
"Fury"
Amazons don't know how to have fun, reeks of "vengeful feminist" phobia -- but first episode to air with Olivia d'Abo's delectable accent as sassy Star Sapphire.
Grade: C+
"Legends"
JSA analogue! And just a little bit hokey! Still can't believe they got away with the "You're a credit to your people" line.
Grade: B+
"Injustice For All"
Lex Luthor! Joker! Bounded Batman bides time! And, yes, talking gorillas! Wherein Ultra-Humanite is revealed to be a PBS devotee.
Grade: A+
"A Knight of Shadows"
A leftover Batman: TAS script? Mishmash of occult and King Arthur myths -- Batman's presence assures grade won't fall into C range.
Grade: B-
"Metamorphosis"
Is Metamorpho this boring and emo in the comic?
Grade: D-
"The Savage Time"
Wonder Woman funny when confronted with WWII-era chauvanism. Old-fashioned "Superheroes vs. the Axis" story mixed in with time-travel. For a season finale, not enough Batman (though fascist alterna-Bat (HOW CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE? HAR HAR) saying that nothing would make him happier than to no longer exist is Batman at his best) or talking gorillas.
Grade: B
Indie rating: Barbara - "Septembre (Quel Joli Temps)"
"Secret Origins"
Series finding its feet, too many dead audio spots, generically faceless alien enemies, hooray for Batman.
Grade: B
"In Blackest Night"
Potential race allegory, punches pulled in the end.
Grade: C+
"The Enemy Below"
Aquaman = ugh. Aquaman chops off hand = better, because there's less of him now.
Grade: D+
"Paradise Lost"
Decent occult/adventure story mired by humorless Amazons. No sign of empathetic Lucifer, or of blank verse.
Grade: B
"War World"
Superman in meandering "reality tv is like gladiator games" aborted slobberknocker. Points for Hawkgirl and GL's married-couple bickering.
Grade: B-
"The Brave and the Bold"
Establishes trend: every Justice League episode that features a talking gorilla rocks.
Grade: A
"Fury"
Amazons don't know how to have fun, reeks of "vengeful feminist" phobia -- but first episode to air with Olivia d'Abo's delectable accent as sassy Star Sapphire.
Grade: C+
"Legends"
JSA analogue! And just a little bit hokey! Still can't believe they got away with the "You're a credit to your people" line.
Grade: B+
"Injustice For All"
Lex Luthor! Joker! Bounded Batman bides time! And, yes, talking gorillas! Wherein Ultra-Humanite is revealed to be a PBS devotee.
Grade: A+
"A Knight of Shadows"
A leftover Batman: TAS script? Mishmash of occult and King Arthur myths -- Batman's presence assures grade won't fall into C range.
Grade: B-
"Metamorphosis"
Is Metamorpho this boring and emo in the comic?
Grade: D-
"The Savage Time"
Wonder Woman funny when confronted with WWII-era chauvanism. Old-fashioned "Superheroes vs. the Axis" story mixed in with time-travel. For a season finale, not enough Batman (though fascist alterna-Bat (HOW CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE? HAR HAR) saying that nothing would make him happier than to no longer exist is Batman at his best) or talking gorillas.
Grade: B
Indie rating: Barbara - "Septembre (Quel Joli Temps)"
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