Justice League of America
the TV show
Review
by : Matthew
McConnel 
Y'all
remember the Superfriends? Not the perversion that abides
at SeanBaby, but the early cartoon show that, for some unknown
reason, captivated us in the late 70's and aired into the
early 80's? With the success of their previous works of Batman,
Superman, and Batman Beyond, Bruce Timm's Justice League hit
the airwaves last night.
I have
to say that I was impressed. While they did not get the same
voice talent for Superman, Kevin Conroy, the long time (and
in my opinion only) voice of Batman returns. Other members
include The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern (neck and neck
for coolness next to Batman in my book), and HawkGirl. They
are joined by the Martian J'onn J'onzz, aka Martian Manhunter.
Let's face it, this is the core cadre, don't really need anyone
else with the possible exception of Plastic Man, but most
of the huckstering is given to The Flash.
The animation
is crisper, cleaner, than the predecessors. Batman and Batman
Beyond were dark and gritty, with good reason, and Superman
was syrupy, bright colors. JL simplicity in animation belies
the effort in it. It's rare to see such work go into a weekly
television show, let alone an animated one. It's smooth, flows
well, and the new models for the characters are much more
interesting. Batman is more angular; Superman is a little
older, etc.
The writing
is par for the course, nothing new really. All the players
fit well within their given roles, no surprises. But then
again, this is, at least nominally, a kid's show. It even
briefly pays homage to the old show, and leaves it at that.
Thankfully the writers have said they will do their own thing
with the show.
On the
whole, I commend the effort, and am quite pleased with the
result. It certainly is superior to the Superfriends, and
the Superman series, and I will watch with interest to see
where they take things in the future.
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