Watching DVDs on the computer is nice but sometimes it's better to watch them on TV. So after some thinking, I decided to get myself a new DVD player. This one is by Sony and it only set me back $40. Why didn't I get a Blu-Ray player? Because I'm not 100% sold on them. Besides, I hear the PS3 is a good Blu-Ray player as opposed to the PS2's DVD playback functionality, which was crap. When I get a PS3, I'll have Blu-Ray, so I can wait. And yet, when I bought my new DVD player, I picked up my first Blu-Ray movie. Well it came with Blu-Ray and DVD.Justice League: Doom is the latest DC Universe animated film. How prepared is Batman? Prepared to take down his own teammates, if it becomes necessary. Based off the Justice League of America: Tower of Babel story written by Mark Waid, JL: Doom explores Batman's paranoid nature. Batman has taken measures to stop each member of the Justice League should they ever go rouge or sub-come to mind control from outside forces. These plans are kept hidden in the Batcave via Batman's computer. Under the guidance of Vandal Savage, the Legion of Doom puts Batman's plans into action, nearly killing each member of the Justice League, including Batman himself after a close call with Bane.
The possibility of heroes going rouge or turning against humanity isn't anything new. Superman: The Animated series played it up in a huge way on the two part series finale in Legacy when Darkseid brainwashed Superman into attacking Earth. This was concept was explored even further in the first Cadmus story arc in the first two seasons of Justice League Unlimited. Super heroes usually have fight the good fight, but it never hurts to be prepared. In comic books alone, how many times has Superman been mind controlled? I love Big Blue as much as the next guy, but you cannot tell me you don't wanna have some sorta fail-safe in the event of the most powerful being on the planet turns traitor. Now imagine him and the rest of the Justice League going berserk. Not a pretty picture.
Without giving too much of the feature away, I have to say it's quiet good. Maybe not as good as say Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, but this is still a solid purchase. The animation is nice and the fights are stylish. The voice casting is topnotch. Kevin Conroy reprises his role as Batman, Tim Daly is once again Superman, Susan Eisenberg is Wonder Woman Carl Lumby is Martian Manhunter and Michael Rosenbaum is the Flash. It's almost an entire DCAU Justice League reunion. As good as Tim Daly's work was on Superman: The Animated Series and later DC Animated films, I honestly think he's done his best work here. I almost wasn't sure if Michael Rosenbaum was Flash since it's different from his DCAU Flash. Perhaps it was due to the Flash being Barry Allen instead of Wally West. The music was also good with my favorite theme being he title music, which is an arrangement of opening title from Crisis on Two Earths. Major bonus points for that.
Justice League Doom was the last work written by Dwayne McDuffie before he passed away last year. Seeing this movie makes me wish he was still with us.
Comments
It's nice to bring the voices of Superman, Batman and Bane from the 90s shows