Justice League

YTV in Canada has been re-running "Superfriends", the Wonder Twin era crap, at 1am (PST). I decided to watch it for old times sake and was wondering why no one had taken the time to do it right - the "Batman:TAS" approach? Suffering from insomnia, and not wanting to watch "Thunderbirds" I surfed for a half hour and went back to YTV to see what they had on next and I was NOT disappointed.

"Justice League" is what I always wanted "The Superfriends" to be. No lousy sidekicks, no space monkey, no ludicrous plots involving Martian brain creatures. It was like watching the comic book. I like the way they have presented the characters and the fact that there is tension - they maybe friends, but those relationships get strained. A powered down Superman, excellent had to be done. A stand-offish Batman, perfect. Jon J'onzz? Yeah... great character, perfectly voiced too!

However, I was happy to see that used the John Stewart GL- the DC universe's karmic kicking bag - and the Wally West Flash instead of using Hal Jordan and Barry Allen. Hal and Barry (especially Barry) were just too perfect too much of the time. I like them and they always have a special place in my comic book memories, but Stewart and West (as flawed heros) are better characters. In fact, I'd like to see them with their own shows someday. Wally West is a great character if you go in depth, rather than just leaving him as comic relief.

I hope Warner Brothers keeps this up, superlative job!

DC Animation is one of the best animation companies today. They consistently do the best Superhero toons, leaving all others in the dust. Great voices and stories, this is well worth watching again and again. It got even better when it became Unlimited.

This version of Justice League is much better than the now very dated Hanna Barbera cartoons of the 1970s. The way the characters are drawn are more faithful to the golden age comic books. Also, the Wonder Woman on this show is beautiful and rates second on my list to Lynda Carter's portrayal of the heroine. I'm surprised Lynda didn't add her voice to the show as Queen Hippolyte. As for the other characters, perhaps Batman is a bit of a know-it-all and The Flash is perhaps a few pumpkins short of a pie, but still this is the best cartoon to show up here on Canadian TV in a long time!

JUSTICE LEAGUE, WE SALUTE YOU!!!

Rating: ****

I knew this was going to be a good show, given the fact that Bruce Timm and the same team responsible for the WB/DC animated shows were doing it.

Even so, this show TOTALLY blows me away every time I watch it. EVERYTHING about it is dead on PERFECT. Kevin Conroy, as always, is great as Batman, as is George Newbern as Superman. Hawkgirl is a great addition, and boy can she hold her own!! But the character that has emerged as my favorite is J'onn J'onnz, aka Martian Manhunter. I love the character design and animation of him, and I don't think they could have gotten a better actor to voice him than Carl Lumbly (who played Stalker in a few episodes of Batman Beyond).

The composing team also does a great job with the music, and I REALLY hope that somewhere down the road, they release a CD of this music.

I'm absolutely delighted that Cartoon Network airs JL in letterbox format as well as full-frame. I, for one, prefer letterbox as it gives the show a more epic and cinematic feel.

Simply put, JUSTICE LEAGUE rules. Period.

By thy side,

Figaro

For those of us raised on George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, or "Batman: The Animated Series," "Justice League" (or its latest incarnation, "Justice League Unlimited") is a god-send. It is a show that combines superhero daring-do with some witty dialog, intriguing story lines, and superb character interaction that is much more "adult" than most of the fare on Cartoon Network's prime time lineup.

Now in its fifth (and final) year, "Justice League," though often pitting the superheroes against invading aliens or super-villains bent on world destruction, has taken some departures from the typical cartoon by presenting some interesting romantic relationships between principal characters: the not-so-subtle romance between Green Lantern and Hawkgirl and the implied attraction between Wonder Woman and Batman. There has also been some rift between the heroes, on occasion between Batman and Superman. Like Superman, the Martian Manhunter has to deal with the loss of his home world and the death of his beloved and children. The Flash is along as the comic relief, as a superhero with a strong libido, always on the "hunt" for a female conquest.

The writers get to show more of the human side of those that are considered "super". Even Superman got to show a little emotion when confronted with longtime enemy Darkseid" in the two-parter "Twilight". The Man of Steel would've murdered the villain if Batman had not intervened. In an episode about a parallel universe, the Superman of that world even did away with Lex Luthor.

The show has a stellar cast of actors supplying the major characters' voices with a roster of guest talent (CCH Pounder, Michael Ironside, Robert Picardo, Hector Elizondo, Mark Hamill, Clancy Brown, and others) that is second to none.

The show, though not a ratings juggernaut (due to frequent changes in airing times), is a treat for the boomer generation and is a welcome addition to the mythos that DC Comics created over six decades ago.