Couchman Vs. Giant Stack of Comics!

Greetings citizens! Today is something special. For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you may have seen a few tweets from me with the #CouchmanVSGiantStackOfComics label. Well, I haven’t been able to get up to the comic shop since the beginning of May, so my pull box was quite full. In addition, I found several issues on the shelves that I wanted to pick up for one reason or another. All in all, I ended up with a stack of around twenty-five comics or so. I decided that a fun thing for me to do, in order to try and get back into the rhythm of reviewing comics, would be to go through the whole thing as quickly as I could and give some brief thoughts on each one. Well, almost each one. I cut the stack down to about seventeen comics for the review, but hey, that’s still a big pile. So, let’s dive in and conquer this stack!

First up in the stack is Ms. Marvel #16. This is the beginning of the Secret Wars tie-ins, both for the issue, and for me personally, which makes me groan. I’m not a fan of Secret Wars. The concept has potential, excising stuff from various worlds that just doesn’t work, and trying to bring everything into the main continuity. But I detest that they’re “ending” everything. Sure, I can buy that the Ultimate Universe is dead. Hell, it was mostly dead already, so it’s not like they’re losing much, especially since Ultimate Spidey is now the main Spidey. But the 616 universe? Sure, they –might- kill that, but only if they keep the vast majority of stuff from it, which means it will only be technically dead. I also hate all the freaking drama about it. This goes back to what I wrote about the Death of Wolverine story; there is no tension to it, so stop trying to make us feel tension! We’ve already gotten some announcements of things that are going to be around in the NewMU, so trying to tell us that “everything ends” is just dumb. Also, NewMU is a terrible name. If it’s intentionally trying to rip-off the New52, I only have to ask why? While there was good stuff in the New52, it was pretty widely panned, so why are you trying to make people think about it? If it’s unintentional, then how far up your asses are your heads, Marvel?

Ugh, okay, rant over. Ms. Marvel #16 is pretty solid. People fleeing from Manhattan have traveled to Jersey City, and all hell has broken loose in the city. Kamala tries to make sure her loved ones are taken care of, but is still reeling from having her heart broken. The writing is, as always, good with G. Willow Wilson making Kamala very relatable in both word and deed.

Red Sonja #16 is next, and like with Ms. Marvel, it’s solid as usual. Sonja is dying, and as people are wont to do in fiction, she sees the Goddess of Death. Death offers Sonja the opportunity to be one of her personal guards, but Sonja decides to just try and kill death. Which works out for her, as she ends up living. Admittedly, that all could’ve just been a dream, since Sonja was saved by a miracle elixir concocted by a dead alchemist, but I like to think Sonja’s just that badass. Walter Giovanni’s artwork is beautiful as always, and Gail Simone’s writing hits all the right notes. It saddens me that I recall hearing she was no longer going to be writing the series.

Next up on the block is Thors #1, written by Jason Aaron. I was interested in this series, because I am a big fan of Aaron’s writing on Thor and Star Wars, and it was an intriguing idea. Thors serve as a police force on Battleworld, crossing between the domains and reporting to Doom. I’m not fond of the idea of them serving Doom (before Secret Wars #2, I thought that they kept order for the sake of keeping order), but it is what it is. The writing is good, which is to be expected, and the artwork is also solid. All the Thors have a different outfit, making them all stand out from one another, but with enough commonality to them to identify them as part of the same group. However, what irks me is that Aaron killed off Beta Ray Bill. Considering Bill isn’t exactly a big name character, his death may be a permanent one to come from this whole mess. So, yeah, not pleased with the issue, and not sure I want to pick up the following ones.

On to something less aggravating; Sensation Comics featuring Wonder Woman #10. I’ve been reading the series for awhile now, and it is always a delight. Wonder Woman is a great super hero, and before picking up these, I hadn’t gotten any exposure to her in the comics. I did pick up a couple of issues of the main Wonder Woman title, but… it just didn’t pull me in and didn’t show off how awesome Diana is. The stories in Sensation Comics though are all about showing off how awesome she is, instead of things like pathos or character development. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy those things quite a bit, but sometimes you just want something fun and light. Issue 10’s stories focus on a singer/actress who’s branching into a less “feminine” kind of image, and Diana is brought on as extra security from a creep who’s threatening her. The second one is about a dragon who attacks a city to get revenge on Diana’s mother for killing all of his people. My love for dragons could easily fill up an entire review on it’s own, but suffice to say that seeing Diana take down a dragon is simultaneously awesome, but also a little sad.

Captain Marvel #15 is a solemn issue. Carol finally returns home from her grand space adventure to find out that her friend Tracy passed away not too long ago. Carol had known it was coming, but it was still a shock. The issue is spent hearing bits of her life, and mourning her. It’s a very well written issue, and spoke to me on an emotional level like little else has in a long while. I teared up a little, not gonna lie.

Alright, back to the Secret Wars, this time with Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps. We get introduced to Banshee Squadron, AKA the Carol Corps. The Corps serves as a fighter squadron for Hala Fields, one of the many domains of Battleworld, under the leadership of Captain Marvel. The Corps begin to question whether all of the “facts” of the world as told by Doom are truth or not. They get sent on a mission, ostensibly to take out some invading Ultron robots, but the ship they’re sent to destroy instead has people on it, though the revelation comes too late to save most of the people. Carol attempts to save them though, but she fails and is presumed dead. She later turns up at the squad’s barracks with the lone survivor. She declares that she’s going to find out the truth, and asks for her squad’s aid. It feels like a shorter issue than it is, but it’s well written and sets up the series well. I think I like this more than any of the other Secret Wars things I’ve read because it actually shows one of the heroes actually in opposition to Doom, questioning if he really is God or not. The writing by Kelly Sue DeConnick is good as always, and it makes me sad she’s not going to be writing Captain Marvel anymore. The artwork is also solid, evoking the same kind of feel as reels from World War Two and American propaganda posters. All in all, a good read, and so far the only Secret Wars title I want to follow.

Star Wars #5 and #6 continue to make me smile. Jason Aaron is great at capturing the voices of the characters, to the point where I hear them speaking in my head like the actors. The pacing feels a little on the slower side, but I tend to prefer that as it gives more time for everything to sink in and for the characters to interact. My only disappointment is that there’s no Chewie. I always liked Chewie, and am hoping to get more about him from these comics. Luke goes back to Tattoine to search Obi-Wan’s place for something – anything – to help guide him. Boba Fett is also on Tattoine looking for Luke, and the two find each other. Meanwhile, Han and Leia are scouting out possible new locations for the Rebel base, but end up having to lay low on a planet that Han’s used for such things before. Unfortunately, they get visited by a very unexpected guest; Han’s wife.

In the same galaxy far away, we’ve got Darth Vader issues 5 and 6 as well. These issues are more fast-paced, with some really nice action. It’s hard for me to describe what’s going on in these issues beyond that. It’s mostly about Vader trying to prove to the Emperor that he’s still a competent lieutenant, and him gaining a greater understanding of their relationship. I really like this series because it shows more of Vader than we’ve seen before. We see him as being more cunning, more devious, and all around more interesting than he was in the original trilogy. Don’t get me wrong, I freaking love Vader, but in the movies he doesn’t have much of a repertoire. This takes what we’ve seen before and expands it, accentuates it. The artwork is really nice as well. There are a few panels of flashback to the events of Revenge of the Sith, and damn do they look good. They practically look like screenshots, they’re that good.

I’ve been trying to get into more independent comics lately, and whilst perusing that section at my comic shop, I found one that caught my eye; Lady Mechanika #3. They sadly didn’t have any prior issues, but I figured what the hell and grabbed it, flipping through it briefly. The artwork caught my eye immediately, with a high level of detail  in the pencils, along with well modeled everything. The colors, likewise, are excellent, capturing the mood of the scenes perfectly allowing everything to stand out as being distinct. Another neat touch is that some (but understandably not all) of the panel borders have neat flourishes, mainly being made of clockwork looking pieces. It’s a neat little touch to the pages to give them a little distinctiveness. The writing is also solid, with a feel not far off of Indiana Jones, but steampunk. The beginning is a bit slow, but it picks up quickly enough. A pair of archaeologists are searching for something in Sumerian ruins called the Tablet of Destiny. One of them is being coerced into searching because the villains (the German Empire) have his daughter. But the titular Lady Mechanika, along with a fringe acquaintance of the girl’s father, rescues his daughter, Winifred. Afterwards, they head off to Africa to find him, but they’re followed by the Germans, and the issue ends with Winifred and Lady Mechanika stranded in the Sahara. I really want to try and track down prior issues in order to find out what the deal is with Lady Mechanika. She says that she has metal limbs and ghoulish eyes, so I want to get the full story.

Next is Wonder Woman #41. Like I said, I tried reading the main Wonder Woman title before, but just couldn’t get into it. However, I am a firm believer in second chances, and since the cover was showing off her awesome new costume, I figured I’d give it another shot. Not a whole lot happens in the issue, but that’s fine. The previous issues I had seen featured a bunch of stuff going on with no explanation, which made me confused and disinclined to pick up future issues. That’s one thing that really bugs me about DC’s comics in comparison to Marvel’s. Marvel gives a recap page at the beginning of each issue, allowing new readers to get caught up on general plot details that are important to the issue, and to refresh the minds of those who need it. DC lacks such a thing, so if you pick up an issue, it’s very easy to get lost. For example, last time I had picked up Wonder Woman, she mentions being the God of War, and her mother has been turned into a statue. How and when did that happen? Not to mention I had no idea who some of the other people were in said issue, including the person who created Donna Troy. Is a recap page really such a hassle to include? Or is DC saying “If you want the full story, you’ll have to buy it to find out!”? Because if that’s the case, I’m more inclined to just try and find the issues online to spite them. But, whatever, let’s talk about this issue. Diana briefly visits with the incarcerated Donna, then goes to see… some woman with a baby who I guess is Zeus? Seriously DC, recap page! Then she goes to see Hephaestus who has her sweet new outfit, and then heads off to stop a tragedy. A kid has threatened to blow himself up if he doesn’t get to meet Wonder Woman, but it turns out he was just luring her there… to meet her I guess and get a few hits in. He escapes back to his layer, where’s he’s given a Pegasus, a bow and some arrows by a magical green pool in his floor. Overall, I’m still iffy on the series. It has elements I like, but on the whole it just feels a bit lacking. Not bad, but not good either. It just sort of exists, which is a shame considering how awesome Wonder Woman is. Wonder if there’s any chance of getting Gail Simone to write the series again. Or maybe Kelly Sue DeConnick.

Starfire #1. The vast majority of my exposure to Starfire has been from the Teen Titans animated series that used to run on Cartoon Network. The only other thing I’ve seen with her, was Linkara’s review of Red Hood and the Outlaws #1, which was… much less flattering. However, this seems to be more in line with the animated series, so I’m pleased. Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, writers who I’m somewhat familiar with because of the writing on Harley Quinn, are writing the series, and I couldn’t be happier. Starfire is in Key West, with no money or place to live. The local sheriff helps her out with those two things, and the issue ends with a big storm hitting the area, and Starfire exclaiming “X’hal!” All in all, it’s a cute and fun issue, and I’ll be adding it to my pull list next time I get to the comic shop.

Continuing the parade of new stuff, we’ve got Black Canary #1. Black Canary is one of those characters I haven’t seen much of, but I’ve liked what I’ve seen. My primary exposure to her has been in the Justice League Unlimited and Young Justice cartoons, as well as a supporting cast member of Batgirl. Her solo book has her as part of a band also called Black Canary. For some reason, she’s going by D.D, and I’m wondering what that stands for (I know her name is Dinah, which is one of them, but what’s the other?). Anyway, the band is on tour, and has been plagued by problems, mostly involving Dinah busting some heads. Their show in Detroit is different though, because it’s attacked by aliens who are after the youngest member of the band, a girl called Ditto. The band all agree to stand by Ditto, in spite of not knowing why the aliens are after her. It’s an interesting opening to the series, with some solid writing. The artwork has a nice style to it, very gestural with lots of energy. It’s got kind of a punk feel to it, though I’m hard-pressed to explain why it feels that way. I’ll be picking up the next issue, and deciding if the title is worth adding to the ol’ pull list.

Last up is Doctor Fate #1. I have a soft spot for characters like Doctors Fate and Strange. The idea of a supreme sorcerer really speaks to the nerd in me, so when I saw this, I had to pick it up. There’s apparently a lead up to the issue on DC’s website, but I’m just going with this based on its own merits. It does surprisingly well. It’s established that Anubis is causing a great flood in the Brooklyn area. Khalid Nelson has been chosen to be the wielder of the Helm of Thoth to oppose Anubis. After some denying that this is happening, Khalid accepts his fate and dons the helm. There’s a bit more to it than that, but those are the basics. The writing is decent, though being a lover of mythology, I was picking apart some of the Egyptian deity stuff, like why Anubis is the villain. If Doctor Fate is supposed to be the supreme force of order, shouldn’t he be opposing Apep? Why does Bastet give him the Helm of Thoth? Shouldn’t Thoth do that? Also, I thought it was called the Helm of Nabu, but I may be wrong about that. The artwork is good, with no major hiccups, except for one instance where the panel layout is randomly different, which threw off my reading of it. Overall, a good beginning to the series, and another one I’ll be picking up the second issue of.

Well, that’s it for Couchman VS Giant Stack of Comics. Will I do this again? Maybe, depends on if I get behind on picking up my comics again, and how well this is received. Let me know what you guys think.

Justice League, the Animated Series

Hello once more, citizens! Once again, I apologize for the lateness (and length) of this review. But as promised, here is my review of the Justice League animated series!

I’ve never read too many comics from DC, so most of my exposure to the characters has been from the animated universe. But the DC animated stuff and I have had a mixed relationship. I loved Bruce Timm’s Batman, but I never watched the Superman series that aired alongside it. I loved Teen Titans, but I didn’t actually watch the Justice League or Justice League Unlimited until a few years after they ended. I saw an episode or two, but none of my friends were really all that into superheroes then. However, one of my friends loaned me his DVDs of the entire series, and I began kicking myself for not watching the show sooner.

Justice League ran from 2001 to 2004, before undergoing some pretty major changes and being retitled to Justice League Unlimited. It featured Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Martian Manhunter.

Batman, aka Bruce Wayne, was voiced by the wonderful Kevin Conroy, who provided the voice for the Batman series that had run prior to Justice League. Batman was of course going to be part of the series, since the success of his own series helped get support for this project, and he and Superman had already done crossovers with each other, so this was the next logical step. Like most of the characters, this is where most of my experience with the character comes from. The way he’s portrayed in this however does differ from that of some people’s idea, in that he is NOT prepared for every conceivable thing (as well as several inconceivable ones). Oh sure, he’s prepared for a whole hell of a lot, but he does get taken surprise once or twice, and he does need the League’s help with some things. However, he’s also very stubborn, and not entirely sold on the idea of having backup. There’s instances where he sort of rolls his eyes at the whole thing, and he never officially joins, which is odd considering how he’s financing them and still takes turns on monitor duty.

Superman, aka Clark Kent, initially had the same voice actor as in his own animated series, but due to a conflict with another project, had to be replaced by George Newbern. I actually didn’t even notice the change until looking up info for this post. Newbern apparently impressed the folks at DC, since he’s continued doing work as Superman since then. Like I said before, I never watched the Superman animated series, so I didn’t really have much exposure to the character beforehand. The only other things I’d seen with Superman were some animated shorts produced in the early 1940’s, and the Super Friends, which I thankfully can barely remember. When I initially watched the series, I honestly didn’t think much of Superman. He just seemed like too much of a caricature rather than a character. However, more recently, I’ve been talking with people about Superman, and have actually been thinking about Superman as something more, and I’ve really warmed up to him. In re-watching the series for this review, I realized that he had a lot more depth than I’d given him credit for. You can actually see him struggling with moral questions at points, as well as trying to work with the League. It may have been his idea to form it, but he’s not used to working so closely with others so often, and there’s actually moments where he displays arrogance, but then humility. It actually makes me really want to check out some of the better Superman stories out there.

Wonder Woman, aka Diana, was voiced by Susan Eisenberg. Wonder Woman is one of those characters that I’m really interested in, but know entirely too little about. Her inclusion in the League was more or less a given, since she is one of DC’s most iconic characters, as well as a long standing member of the League. Like Superman, this is the depiction I’m most familiar with, and I’m rather fond of it. In the series, she has only just left her home in Themyscira, so she has to adjust to the world of man, doing so gradually over the course of the series. She has her super strength and durability, as well as the ability to fly (something she doesn’t always have in the comics, for some reason), and she possesses her indestructible bracers and magic tiara, though I only recall her using it once. I guess Sailor Moon patented that move at some point. She also has a lasso, though it’s never shown to actually be the lasso of truth, though it is incredibly strong. She also doesn’t have the invisible plane, which is just fine because I always felt that it was a silly idea anyway. Interestingly, she and Batman sort of have a thing in the series, in contrast to just about everything else which pairs her with Superman.

The Flash in this is depicted as Wally West, instead of Barry Allen who many consider to be the more iconic one. I’m guessing that they did this in order to reflect the current state of affairs in the comics at the time, since Barry Allen was dead at the time. From what I’ve been able to find, this Wally West is pretty different from the one in the comics, and has more in common with Plastic Man, being the comic relief of the group. I don’t get why they would do that, instead of just using Plastic Man. Sure, Plastic Man isn’t as iconic as the Flash, but come on, you’ve got Hawk Girl and a lesser known Green Lantern, why not just have Plastic Man? Anyway, I’m honestly kind of put off by this version of the Flash. I get that they felt they needed some comic relief, but he really just comes off as more dumb and irritating than funny.

Green Lantern, aka John Stewart, was voiced by the very talented Phil LaMarr. I had never actually heard of John Stewart before this series. I’d heard of Hal Jordan (who was the Green Lantern in several episodes of Super Friends) and Kyle Rayner, but I had thought that they were the only Green Lanterns. Oh man was I wrong. I’ve heard some mixed things about John Stewart, but I actually really liked him in this. He’s apparently from my home town of Detroit, which is always nifty. He’s very gruff most of the time, which makes sense given that he’s a former Marine, making me think he went from the Marine Corp to the Green Lantern Corp. However, he does have a softer side. He’s good friends with Wally, and also develops a relationship with Hawkgirl, and is a fan of Golden Age comics and Old Yeller.

Martian Manhunter, aka J’onn J’onzz, was voiced by Carl Lumbly. MM is a character I’d never even heard of before the series, which seems sort of lame considering much less interesting characters seem to get more exposure. He’s got some nifty powers including telepathy, shape-shifting and the ability to become intangible. His telepathy seems like more of a detriment than an asset though, since I’ve seen it knock him into unconsciousness more times than I’ve seen it help the team. He’s pretty stoic, though there are a few moments where he gets emotionally, as well as a few humorous lines made all the better by the deadpan delivery. Beyond that, I’m not really sure what to say about him, except that reminds me a bit of the Marvel character, The Vision.

Hawk Girl, aka Shayera Hol, is voiced by María Canals, and is yet another character I wasn’t familiar with prior to the series. Her inclusion seems kind of strange, since it’s not like she’s an iconic member of the League. It feels like the main reason they added her was to add another woman to the team, which it needed. I’m honestly not a fan of Hawkgirl as she’s presented in the series. It feels like 60% of her screen time was charging in recklessly only to get knocked down with one hit, 35% was needless antagonism, and the other 5% was her actually contributing to the team. I’m sure she wasn’t as ornery and useless as I’m making her out to be, but that’s what stands out in my memories most, even after re-watching the series for this.

The series also has a bunch of recurring characters. I could go on for thousands of words about all of them, so I’ll limit myself to the ones who stand out the most.

Lex Luthor, Superman’s arch nemesis, was voiced by the incredibly talented Clancy Brown. This is easily my favorite version of Luthor I’ve ever been exposed to. It shows the business savvy side of him, his mad-scientist side, and his criminal mastermind side in more or less equal measure. He’s cold, ruthless, manipulative, cunning and calculating. He’s only in a few episodes, but he leaves a greater impression than most of the other villains.

Aquaman, king of Atlantis, was voiced by Scott Rummell. Most people tend to make fun of Aquaman, and I think that most of that stems from his portrayal on the Super Friends. In every other depiction I’ve seen of Aquaman, he’s something of a badass, and this version is no different. First off, he’s sporting a rather Nordic look, with the long blonde hair and full beard, which immediately gives him points. He’s able to go toe-to-toe with Wonder Woman no problem, which gives him even more points. Most badass of all, however, is when he loses his hand. He gets trapped over a volcanic vent, along with his son. His son begins to fall into the vent, and the only way he can get loose is to cut off his hand using his abnormally sharp belt buckle. He then gets an enormous hook grafted onto his arm, and proceeds to kick the ass of the guy who tried to kill him. In his second appearance, he takes on the forces of an elder god (who is clearly supposed to be Cthulhu, but for some reason they don’t call him that in spite of the fact that Cthulhu is within the public domain.). This is another case where the series has made me want to check out the character in the comics.

Last up is Vandal Savage, voiced by Phil Morris. Vandal Savage is yet another character I was unfamiliar with prior to watching the series, but I think I like him more than any of the others. Vandal Savage, for those unfamiliar with the character, is a caveman who was given immortality, enhanced intelligence and enhanced strength by sleeping next to a meteors work like that, right? I’m not sure what it is about him that I like so much, since he doesn’t seem to offer too much. I think it’s because I like the idea of a villain who plays the long game so well, even if his plans in the series are kind of poorly thought out. He also makes as many appearances as Luthor, including in one of my favorite episode arcs.

One of the things I really liked about the series was the format. With the exception of one episode, all of the stories took two to three episodes to tell. It gave them more room to let things develop as well as have some good action. However, I was disappointed in there not being any sort of overarching plotline. There was a sense of continuity, with things building on previously established ones, but I feel it would’ve been nice if each season had been building to a major conflict at the end with a foe that had eluded them throughout. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed both of the season finales, but I just wish they’d been part of a larger story. All that said, here are some of my favorite episodes.

Injustice for All: These episodes the first appearance of Luthor, who discovers he’s dying of a rare disorder brought on by long term exposure to kryptonite. He decides to attempt to take down the Justice League, blaming Superman for his illness. He gathers together a bunch of villains including Solomon Grundy, Shade, and Ultra-Humanite, dubbing them the Injustice Gang. The Joker also joins the group, though on his own initiative, but he proves his usefulness by aiding in the capture of Batman. Humanite devises a technological thingamajig to keep Luthor alive, but the Injustice Gang ends up defeated. This is the first time we got to see the League squaring off against a group of villains, and we end up getting some really good fight scenes, made all the better by the variety of powers and tactics on display. We also get to see Batman manipulating most of the members of the Gang like they’re all his puppets.

Legends: While attempting to stop a giant robot from destroying Metropolis, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Flash and Hawkgirl are sent to an alternate dimension. This alternate dimension has a group of heroes called the Justice Guild of America, whose members are homages to Golden Age superheroes. This amazes Green Lantern, because they were all characters of comics that he read when he was younger, and they had a noticeable influence on him. However, you can’t have superheroes without supervillains, and the ones in this city cause trouble while the League is around. Throughout the two episodes, MM keeps getting psychic flashes of something being not quite right, and Hawkgirl finds a bunch of graves marked as belonging to the Guild. Once the villains are defeated, it’s revealed that almost everything is just an illusion created by the Guild’s mascot, a boy named Ray. The city was apparently bombed, and the fallout mutated Ray, giving him incredible powers. The League tries to fight him, but they don’t have any luck. The Guild briefly discuss if they should try and stop Ray, since doing so will mean their deaths. However, being heroes, they decide to sacrifice themselves. The world is restored to the grim reality, but the few survivors (who were minor characters within the episodes) tell the League they were glad to be freed. The League manages to return home thanks to an interdimensional portal one of the Guild members had been working on before the city got nuked.

The Savage Time: This one is the three-part first season finale. The League, excluding Batman, are returning from a mission in space, when they see a blinding light coming from the Earth. When the light fades, they find the Watchtower missing, and J’onn can’t sense it or Batman. They land, and find that Metropolis has been redecorated in their absence, finding giant posters of a ruggedly bearded man everywhere. Turns out that Metropolis is under the rule of some terrible dictator, and our heroes meet up with a resistance group, led by Batman. However, he’s not the Batman they know and like, since his outfit is different and he doesn’t have any problem using guns. They learn that apparently, the Axis won WW2 thanks to the brilliant inventions of the Führer, Vandal Savage. They deduce that Savage went back in time and did something that allowed the Axis to win and assumed control of Germany. They find his time travel device and go back themselves. Yep, it’s the Justice League fighting Nazis, which is just all kinds of awesome. I don’t care if it’s been done before, and I don’t care about the weird way time travel seems to work in this instance. Nazi punching will never get old to me. The League actually gets split up, with most of the heroes joining up with some Golden Age heroes from DC’s roster. Green Lantern finds himself in the company of Easy Company, but without any power left in his ring, forcing him to rely on his Marine training. Wonder Woman finds herself with Steve Trevor, and they are involved in some espionage shenanigans. Hawkgirl, Superman and the Flash join up with The Blackhawks, and they’re involved in some good ol’ fashion dogfighting and bombing. Martian Manhunter, meanwhile, gets captured but escapes easily and gathers some good intelligence on Savage and his plans. Oh, and he discovers a frozen Hitler. Eventually, the League manages to reunite and stop Savage’s plan of an invasion of the United States. There are a lot of problems with this plan, as well as some other stuff, but I’m not going to get into it. The day is saved, Nazis are punched, and Vandal Savage is assumed dead because they don’t know he’s immortal yet.

A Better World: We start of with Superman killing the president of the United States, Lex Luthor. We then see that Superman and everyone else has apparently taken over the U.S. (loosely, since there’s still a president and such) and act as dictators. And then we learn this is a parallel universe, making things much less bizarre. However the “heroes” of this universe, known as the Justice Lords, discover the primary universe and decide to “help” them. By help, I of course mean “capture them, hold them in the Lords’ universe, and install their little tyrannical government in the League’s universe.” We learn that the reason the Lords turned to the dark side is because their version of the Flash was killed. The Flash is able to free the others, save for Hawkgirl who is in a hospital. Batman stays behind to find the dimensional portal, while the others go to get Hawkgirl. Batman ends up battling his evil counterpart, culminating in a philosophical debate about ends justifying means. Normal Batman surrenders, and him and Dark Batman go to apprehend the other League members. However, this was all a ruse on Normal Batman’s part, and he manages to convince Dark Batman that he and the other Lords have been in the wrong with all of this. Dark Batman then helps the League return to their universe to stop the Lords. The League has a brief discussion on how to accomplish this, since the Lords have proved they’re more ruthless than the League and just as powerful. Superman works out a deal with Lex Luthor, exchanging a full pardon for a power-draining ray, allowing the Lords to be easily taken into custody.

Wild Cards: The main reason I like these episodes is because of the Royal Flush Gang. Each member is voiced by one of the voice actors from Teen Titans, and supposedly the character models were even based on the voice actors. Otherwise, the episode’s not bad, but not great, I just like that little Easter Egg.

And that, citizens, is my review of Justice League. I’ll be doing Justice League Unlimited at the end of the month, but don’t expect quite the same sort of review for that. For one thing, there will hopefully be pictures! I had some issues watching these episodes, and my Mac doesn’t seem to want to take screen shots. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get these issues resolved prior to the review.

Check back on Thursday for your usual update!