| REVIEWS: MOVIES & DVDs | COMIC BOOKS | VIDEOGAMES | WEB SITES & MORE The Animated Age of Comics by Mike-oh
Bruce Timm made animated Batman better than the Batman in the comics (those that were being published at the same time as the Batman, Animated Series' release) because he took everything that is great about Batman, stripped away the baggage of continuity, created a unique universe for Batman to exist in, and then brought it to life with voice, emotion and attitude. And everyone loved it. It didn't change Batman. But the changes Timm made helped to emphasize the qualities that everyone loves in Batman. I believe that this approach lead Marvel to the creation of the Ultimate Universe. It's certainly an inspiration for much of today's approach to re-defining classic heroes in comics. The power of Timm's approach is evident in the success of his following endeavors. One could say that it was a good formula for Batman but would it work for someone like Aquaman or Metamorpho? When you watch the Justice League Season One DVDs, the answer is a resounding "yes." Through this series, Timm introduces the audience to characters seemingly for the very first time. And not just offbeat characters like the Demon. But giant characters like Wonder Woman. His origin stories are created in a way that don't necessarily follow their comic book counterparts verbatim but capture the real essence of the character's origin so perfectly as to be easily accepted by the most critical fan and entirely enjoyed by the novice. The Justice League Season One DVDs are veratible smorgasborg of DCU characters, heroes and villains alike. At the center are fantastic mainstay characters -- Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, The Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Hawkgirl. I'm sure that the series could have been built entirely on the backs of these characters. They could have created some kind of new threat for the Justice League in each episode. But thankfully, Timm has seen the wisdom in mining the DCU's rich history to produce one great story after another. In the process, we are introduced to great DC characters like the Green Lantern Corps, Felix Faust, Gorilla Grodd, Solomon Grundy, the Demon, The Joker, Lex Luthor, Vandal Savage, Metamorpho, Sgt. Rock, Simon Stagg and many more. The success of this show can be credited to great stories that involve great characters and bring to life the intensity of the DCU that we had only been able to imagine before. But perhaps what has been equally impactful has been the characterizations of our well-known heroes. Batman is grim and serious. Superman is helpful and hopeful. Wonder Woman is brave and beautiful. And then there are characters like the Flash and Hawkgirl who have been given personalities that are improvements over their comic book counterparts. The Falsh is terribly funny and cavalier but my favorite is a complete surprise to me. Hawgirl. She is a total badass. Seanbaby makes fun of Hawkman becasue his only power is flight and compared to the other flying superheroes, it seems kinda weak. But Hawkgirl redeems them both. She is a total warrior with wings. She comes on strong with an energy mace and totally kicks ass. I watched a few of these episodes when they first came out but I have always had a hard time maintaining a regular TV watching schedule. So, as it is with any series that I have liked, I failed to follow it beyond the first couple of episodes and eventually it fell off of my radar altogether. Which is why I am so thankful for this DVD set that collects the entire season. I don't have to wait a week to find out what will happen next. And since most of the stories are 2 or 3 episode story arcs, that's pretty important. Now I can sit down and consume massive amounts of this great series all at once instead of having to parse out my enjoyment over the course of a television season.
So,
what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Let us know. All comments welcome. |
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