For as long as I can remember, this show and these heroes have been apart of my life from childhood to my current 20s, and most likely for the rest of my life. This tv series stems from interconnected shows called the dc animated universe or DCAU for short. Starting from batman the animated series, which
was the inception for this entire animated enterprise. It is honestly the gold standard for the dc universe in this media outside of its source material.
Its what introduced me to numerous DC characters, and whether they were
A list or D list they made me fall in love with this universe.
This show displays passion for these characters and stories that elevates
it far above just being a cartoon made for kids, it makes it an experience.
This show is so good that if I even see a clip from it, I am immediately compelled to binge watch all of it. Which just happened since I watched J reviews on the entire DCAU, I decided to binge watch the show with some friends starting from batman the animated series to justice unlimited, and I will
be giving my retrospective on it.
Story: The majority of the DCAU is built on individual episodic adventures, but the longer story arcs show the true potential the story writers possessed and how creative they could be. They are fantastic! While I believe the 1st season of justice league is definitely the weakest in story ( And animation), it still has many impressive episodes. Justice league begins with an alien vision of earth and 7 superheroes coming together to save the planet, which are Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green lantern, Jonn Jonez the Martian manhunter, Hawkgirl and the Flash, from then on they help protect the world together as a team. After the Thanagarian invasion, the justice league expands, creating a army of well organized superheroes. This however causes the governments of the world to be on edge, and a secret government group called Cadmus begin to devil methods and other superhumans to combat the league. The Cadmus arc is the most thematically powerful, it goes places you couldn't even imagine with the use of politics and authoritarian themes. And unlike the previous seasons, almost every episode in this season cultivates into a perfect finale. As a child,I couldn't truly appreciate this season until I was an adult. The show then continues into the last season called justice League unlimited, where villains lex Luthor and Gorilla grodd create their own group of supervillains called the secret society. The Secret society arc is not as impactful as the previous season, but it is a very entertaining watch and it leads up to the last finale. While the finale is nothing too grand in story, like the Cadmus arc was, it serves as one final epic spectacle as the justice league battles darkseid and his forces world wide. The show is truly something unique since important plot points are used from the batman and superman shows, not to mention everything is almost consecutive, which really weaves a larger overall story, that not many shows or even movies franchises can accomplish.
Characters: The character writing in this show is so strong, that almost every character introduced is likeable and for those that are focused on are given an almost human personality that we the audience can relate to and admire. Even d list characters from the comics are given their moment to shine and become more dimensional. The show also takes the time to show us that the superheroes aren't always saving the day, and that they have lives too, they do this by showing their jobs, daily routines, their friendships and even romantic relationships. In fact the romantic dynamics used for some characters feels so genuine that it puts most rom coms to shame. Most characters are introduced into the story without prior introduction like it was done in the batman and superman shows, even 4 of the original 7 team were introduced in the first episode without any introduction and it worked because that's how effective this universe is, you know this is a world of superheroes, so the story organically has them be apart it, and its remarkable how well this works. It just shows how much the creative team understood the characters that were being used in this show. For me and im sure several others these are the definitive versions of these characters, their personalities, their voice acting, is just perfect and I am always found disappointed by other versions that don't even come close to the gold standard these versions set. In fact this universes batman is so amazing that he is considered among many, to be the best version of batman ever created. While the personalities of the characters are perfect their outward appearances can be off-putting at first, most of the men have box chests and chins, but with better animation, they become more impressive to look at. As for the women of the DCAU, let me just say, ever woman in this universe is 100% attractive, to the point I believe these are the hottest animated women ever created.
Dialogue: The characters are given brilliant material to work with, that really fleshes out the characters, and despite their cartoony look you believe these are real people because of it. Some characters engage in regular daily conversations about relationships or work. Also infamously, this show possesses a lot of innuendo, it is hilariously used in a way that no child will understand it ( I know I didn't), but any adult will, and to be honest its more funnier being done like this, instead of being blunt like in current dc animated works. But there is still a lot of steamy moments in this show they will cause titillation. The humor used in this just gold and never fails to make me have a done grin on my face throughout the whole episode. But besides that, this show can be very deep at times, while discussing theological themes,there are many instances where you will feel almost enlightened by the dialogue used. For example, In The Return, Lex Luthor has to convince the god like android, amazo not to destroy the planet by giving him a speech on what his purpose in life is. The voice actors truly breathe life into these characters and I consider some of the voice acting and dialogue used in the show, as some of the greatest ever.
Action: What can I say this is some of the best animated action ever, in every episode there is always a epic and unique fight, sure it can get repetitive at times but its always extremely entertaining. I love how the animation make each fight seem fast and full of energy, the movement and fluidity just keeps every fight exciting to watch. because of the animation style used, the characters can move freely without restraint. Despite being in a cartoon superhero universe, I admire that the animators never went too over the top, and tried to keep the action in a grounded reality, such as when you hear superman struggle to stop a plane, just hearing moans, grunts,and watching the struggle makes the action feel more believable and intense like you will feel the heroes are in danger. No character is ever completely powerful not even superman ( he even gives an epic speech in the finale on why he holds back) and it just makes each hero even more relatable by showing the effort they must put in to stop the threat. The action and storytelling works as a balance that provides the viewer with emotionally engaging and thrilling stories.
Legacy: The finale of the series leaves me a wheeping mess as all the heroes come running down a flight of stairs to continue their duty of protecting the planet and everybody who lives on it, as the show comes to an end with the main trio of superman, wonder woman and batman,ending on batmans logo, which is fitting, since it was because of the batman the animated series that this show even exists. While there are many other good superhero shows even DC comic ones like young justice, I don't think any show or movie could ever top the greatness that is this show. What makes this show so unique is that it evolves from just the core group of heroes to a large cast of them, which could have ended in disaster, but this show demonstrated that it could be done with good writing and a well established universe. Most other shows that attempt this feel almost too messy, stale and artificial by comparison. This show is truly the highest bar that all other superhero related shows or movies should be measured up too, because this show is truly one of the greatest animated feats in history. While I don't think you need to watch every episode to enjoy the overall experience, there are specific episodes to watch in the batman, and superman shows that cultivate in your watch of this show. Such as when batman first meets superman in " Worlds Finest" and the superman show Finale, there are so many easter eggs and references to these shows, that you will have just as much fun recognizing them.
This is truly one of the greatest animated shows ever made, that is so rewatchable that its addicting. But as much as I adore this show it is not perfect, it is still an action cartoon and therefore it has short stories and requires a lot of pointless action, not to mention the 1st season was very bland especially the animation, but like the animation the show improves considerably, until it turns into a gorgeous work of art. The writing is excellent and the character writing is even better making us care about each character and their struggles. Although I am saddened by the fact live action movies cannot surpass these cartoons, I believe its because this was the medium superheroes were destined to be portrayed in, the show serves as a broad canvas and is a perfect setting for great storytelling. I am eternally grateful to this show and these heroes for molding me from childhood in to a good man. If you haven't watched the entire DCAU please go do it. "And the Adventure Continues"...
Story: The majority of the DCAU is built on individual episodic adventures, but the longer story arcs show the true potential the story writers possessed and how creative they could be. They are fantastic! While I believe the 1st season of justice league is definitely the weakest in story ( And animation), it still has many impressive episodes. Justice league begins with an alien vision of earth and 7 superheroes coming together to save the planet, which are Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green lantern, Jonn Jonez the Martian manhunter, Hawkgirl and the Flash, from then on they help protect the world together as a team. After the Thanagarian invasion, the justice league expands, creating a army of well organized superheroes. This however causes the governments of the world to be on edge, and a secret government group called Cadmus begin to devil methods and other superhumans to combat the league. The Cadmus arc is the most thematically powerful, it goes places you couldn't even imagine with the use of politics and authoritarian themes. And unlike the previous seasons, almost every episode in this season cultivates into a perfect finale. As a child,I couldn't truly appreciate this season until I was an adult. The show then continues into the last season called justice League unlimited, where villains lex Luthor and Gorilla grodd create their own group of supervillains called the secret society. The Secret society arc is not as impactful as the previous season, but it is a very entertaining watch and it leads up to the last finale. While the finale is nothing too grand in story, like the Cadmus arc was, it serves as one final epic spectacle as the justice league battles darkseid and his forces world wide. The show is truly something unique since important plot points are used from the batman and superman shows, not to mention everything is almost consecutive, which really weaves a larger overall story, that not many shows or even movies franchises can accomplish.
Characters: The character writing in this show is so strong, that almost every character introduced is likeable and for those that are focused on are given an almost human personality that we the audience can relate to and admire. Even d list characters from the comics are given their moment to shine and become more dimensional. The show also takes the time to show us that the superheroes aren't always saving the day, and that they have lives too, they do this by showing their jobs, daily routines, their friendships and even romantic relationships. In fact the romantic dynamics used for some characters feels so genuine that it puts most rom coms to shame. Most characters are introduced into the story without prior introduction like it was done in the batman and superman shows, even 4 of the original 7 team were introduced in the first episode without any introduction and it worked because that's how effective this universe is, you know this is a world of superheroes, so the story organically has them be apart it, and its remarkable how well this works. It just shows how much the creative team understood the characters that were being used in this show. For me and im sure several others these are the definitive versions of these characters, their personalities, their voice acting, is just perfect and I am always found disappointed by other versions that don't even come close to the gold standard these versions set. In fact this universes batman is so amazing that he is considered among many, to be the best version of batman ever created. While the personalities of the characters are perfect their outward appearances can be off-putting at first, most of the men have box chests and chins, but with better animation, they become more impressive to look at. As for the women of the DCAU, let me just say, ever woman in this universe is 100% attractive, to the point I believe these are the hottest animated women ever created.
Dialogue: The characters are given brilliant material to work with, that really fleshes out the characters, and despite their cartoony look you believe these are real people because of it. Some characters engage in regular daily conversations about relationships or work. Also infamously, this show possesses a lot of innuendo, it is hilariously used in a way that no child will understand it ( I know I didn't), but any adult will, and to be honest its more funnier being done like this, instead of being blunt like in current dc animated works. But there is still a lot of steamy moments in this show they will cause titillation. The humor used in this just gold and never fails to make me have a done grin on my face throughout the whole episode. But besides that, this show can be very deep at times, while discussing theological themes,there are many instances where you will feel almost enlightened by the dialogue used. For example, In The Return, Lex Luthor has to convince the god like android, amazo not to destroy the planet by giving him a speech on what his purpose in life is. The voice actors truly breathe life into these characters and I consider some of the voice acting and dialogue used in the show, as some of the greatest ever.
Action: What can I say this is some of the best animated action ever, in every episode there is always a epic and unique fight, sure it can get repetitive at times but its always extremely entertaining. I love how the animation make each fight seem fast and full of energy, the movement and fluidity just keeps every fight exciting to watch. because of the animation style used, the characters can move freely without restraint. Despite being in a cartoon superhero universe, I admire that the animators never went too over the top, and tried to keep the action in a grounded reality, such as when you hear superman struggle to stop a plane, just hearing moans, grunts,and watching the struggle makes the action feel more believable and intense like you will feel the heroes are in danger. No character is ever completely powerful not even superman ( he even gives an epic speech in the finale on why he holds back) and it just makes each hero even more relatable by showing the effort they must put in to stop the threat. The action and storytelling works as a balance that provides the viewer with emotionally engaging and thrilling stories.
Legacy: The finale of the series leaves me a wheeping mess as all the heroes come running down a flight of stairs to continue their duty of protecting the planet and everybody who lives on it, as the show comes to an end with the main trio of superman, wonder woman and batman,ending on batmans logo, which is fitting, since it was because of the batman the animated series that this show even exists. While there are many other good superhero shows even DC comic ones like young justice, I don't think any show or movie could ever top the greatness that is this show. What makes this show so unique is that it evolves from just the core group of heroes to a large cast of them, which could have ended in disaster, but this show demonstrated that it could be done with good writing and a well established universe. Most other shows that attempt this feel almost too messy, stale and artificial by comparison. This show is truly the highest bar that all other superhero related shows or movies should be measured up too, because this show is truly one of the greatest animated feats in history. While I don't think you need to watch every episode to enjoy the overall experience, there are specific episodes to watch in the batman, and superman shows that cultivate in your watch of this show. Such as when batman first meets superman in " Worlds Finest" and the superman show Finale, there are so many easter eggs and references to these shows, that you will have just as much fun recognizing them.
This is truly one of the greatest animated shows ever made, that is so rewatchable that its addicting. But as much as I adore this show it is not perfect, it is still an action cartoon and therefore it has short stories and requires a lot of pointless action, not to mention the 1st season was very bland especially the animation, but like the animation the show improves considerably, until it turns into a gorgeous work of art. The writing is excellent and the character writing is even better making us care about each character and their struggles. Although I am saddened by the fact live action movies cannot surpass these cartoons, I believe its because this was the medium superheroes were destined to be portrayed in, the show serves as a broad canvas and is a perfect setting for great storytelling. I am eternally grateful to this show and these heroes for molding me from childhood in to a good man. If you haven't watched the entire DCAU please go do it. "And the Adventure Continues"...