DVD : Justice League - Season One (DC Comics Classic Collection)

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- Justice League season 1
The feature "Secret Origins" is shown as a 3 parter. Early scenes start with the DCAU's existing Batman/Superman teamwork developed in Superman: The Animated Series. Alien newcomer Martian Manhunter gathers 4 more team members, and they save the world, and decide to team up.
"Like a bunch of Superfriends?" gibes the Flash, poking fun at Hanna-Barbera's 1970s-80s version of the Justice League America.
"More like a Justice League" says Superman (who last saw flash in "Speed Demons" episode of his own show, which featured the great Superman Flash race. Order that from amazon too.).

In the second story "In blackest night", you'll see the Green Lantern Corps and Guardians of the Universe. The show adapts a comic story written for Hal Jordan (who is excluded from this show, in favour of the long awaited John Stewart).
Guest stars include Metamorpho and Aquaman and Etrigan in the ordinairy episodes.
We're spared nothing, as the details of Aquaman's loss of hand are implied, with the aftermath shown.
This set saves you buying Secret Origins and Savage Time as separate DVDs.
Time travel plot lines in Savage Time pt1-3 enable us to see The Blackhawks, Sgt Rock and Easy Co, The War Wheel, and Wonder Woman's brief interlude with Steve Trevor.

Now here's a twist. In 1981-89 Roy Thomas wrote incessantly about the Justice Society (and All-Star Squadron and Young All-stars) set forever in 1942. Not even the crisis on infinite earths' phasing out of the golden age Superman and Wonder Woman and Batman could stop Roy reinventing the golden age of comics.
To satirize this, 4 core members of the Justice League travel to a parallel universe (in JL season 1 ep "Legends") and meet the Justice Guild of America (whose characters are clear retoolings of the Justice Society of America). There's just one catch. Are they the real JGA or not? The key to it all is their teen mascot "Ray Thomson", who has kept the world in a permanent golden age, using his amazing mental powers.
Hope I haven't spoilt too much, but I hate to see the joke go to waste.
This is a great first season, leaves you wanting more, which you'll get in Season 2 and Justice League Unlimited.
Enjoy the extras too.

Rating:

- Got to love the league
This is a good reintroduction to the Justice League. I agree with some other reviewers that it could be better if Superman was at full strength. I guess the writers felt they had to bring his power down some so the rest of the league can get some more time. They fix this in season two ( which is great also). Overall, my daughter and I loved watching every episode.

Rating:

- A Great Gift for a JL fan
This dvd is great for any super-hero fan. It contains the entire 26 episode season on 4 DVDs. Whether you're a new JL fan, or you've read all the comic books, this is a great dvd for your collection.

Rating:

- What happened to the DC superheroes?
The stories are generally pretty good, but the depiction of the DC superheroes is terrible. Where do I begin?

Every episode makes Superman look more like a wimp. Everything hurts Superman - lasers, lightning, explosions, punches, electricity - everything. He needs to wear breathing apparatus to stay under water. He needs to wear a full spacesuit to travel in space. He completely forgot that he has super speed - faster than a speeding bullet, and all that. He is always out of breath after a fight, or after just lifting a heavy object. In one episode he struggles to carry a fire engine in one hand and a fireman in the other - Wonder Woman has to help him.

Speaking of Wonder Man, she can fly. Where's the invisible jet? No need for it. She's basically Superwoman with a different costume. She's a match for Superman in strength and invulnerability. She does block weapon's fire with her bracelets, but she doesn't really have to - she can survive being thrown through a thick concrete wall or column without suffering a single scratch.

The Flash can dodge missiles and laser blasts, but is not quick enough to step over a small rock that falls in his path. He's always tripping over things.

Hawkgirl is about as invulnerable as Superman and Wonder Woman.

Jon J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, constantly forgets to use his powers. Sometimes he will let flying objects pass through him - other times he will watch an approaching threat, and just take the hit. He never uses his invisibility, only his intangibility. His invulnerability to all but fire is non-existent; like Superman, he gets hurt by everything. He also suffers Superman's poor super strength.

The Green Lantern and Batman are the only superheroes that resemble the DC comic versions.

The show has good artwork and animation, so it's not a total loss.

Rating:

- The First Season of the greatest superhero animated series ever created
The first season of Justice League is an achievement and a definite must-have for any superhero fan. It certainly sheds the corny, clichéd writing and cheap animation of its embarrassing relative "Superfriends."

The disk starts out of the gate strong with an entertaining, three-part episode tracing the League's origin. Superman confronts an overwhelming alien power and soon realizes that he can't protect the world on his own anymore. The remaining episodes are generally well-written, certainly by animation standards, and then some. Some fans criticized the first season for presenting an all-too human Superman, who appeared to be getting his rear-end kicked at every turn (reminiscent of Superfriends' Superman: "oh no, this net must be made of some type of Kryptonite alloy!") Although it's understandable that writers wanted to give Superman some good challenges lest he dominate every battle, some fans - this one included - thought it went a bit far.

There are a few weak spots, namely "In Darkest Night" and "War World," (the weakest of all the episodes) but these can be dismissed as but minor aggravations. (And, on an interesting note, the featured villain in War World makes a comeback in Season 3's "For the Man who has Everything" - an episode which received some great reviews (and strongly based on the 1985 comic book Superman Annual #11).

The first season attempts to develop the bonds of friendship and note some of the awkward strains created when seven, very independent and powerful individuals team up together. Former Marine Jon Stewart (Green Lantern) routinely becomes aggravated with the younger and quite immature Wally West (Flash) and frequently questions the aggressive Hawkgirl's judgment and tactics. However, these tensions evaporate over the season, (and Jon and Hawkgirl develop a friendship that ultimately turns to romance in subsequent seasons). The King of Atlantis (Aquaman) makes an entrance, and he is anything but Superfriendly (The Enemy Below). Diana (Wonder Woman) learns about "man's world," trusting her team members, and makes a difficult choice that results in exile from her home world of Themyscria (Paradise Lost). "Injustice for All" features Lex Luthor's faltering attempts to fashion a league of villains against the JL, with Bruce Wayne (Batman) in rare form, nearly losing his life on two occasions. Some team members think he is trying to prove his mettle, dangerously so. And, if you look carefully, you'll see the beginnings of Bruce and Diana's growing affections for one another (The Brave and the Bold).

Each of stories are either two-part or three-part episodes, which I thought was a plus. Look for various heroes (and enemies) to appear later down the line in subsequent seasons.

page 3 of 18