02.06
A distressingly consistent theme within these episodes is that Superman’s been pretty useless. More often than not, his only purpose is to be a meat shield so the villain will be shown to be threatening enough for the other heroes. While it proves effective in trying to show that characters like Hawkgirl are just as useful as everyone else, it ends up devaluing Superman and turns him into the Krillin of the group. As a result, the show ends up going against its supposed belief in justice by having the forerunner of the idea made into a buffoon.
War World can be seen as a means to fix that characterization; which it does rather well yet in a way that doesn’t serve to be objectively good. In other words, it has a good execution as a message, but not as a story.
In terms of how it serves in its ideas, War World is heavily symbolic. Draaga’s first fight and its reaction seem like a critique against a certain other action show which ran alongside, rendered a tad unsubtle given the opponent’s mechanic features and use of oil in place of blood. Putting him in opposition towards the Man of Steel mirrors the two shows and what they represent: Draaga going through neverending brute violence done only to satisfy the audience’s whims versus Superman’s stand to be a beacon of hope in an otherwise alien world (or channel, if you will).
Therefore, the theme serves to not only show his value to the team, but his value to the series. Is Superman still relevant in an age that views him as old hat?
The society run by Mongul—where the poverty rate’s at an all-time high and society is kept under the leashes of entertainment—further cements the show’s ideas as it reflects the real world during the time. Other viewers might claim that it’s a satire of the Gladiatorial age, but remember 2002? When America was still feeling the moral and economic woes of 9/11 and while being force-fed reality television? Justice League tries to show what we are: A poverty-inflicted horde that can only be satisfied by what’s on the screen.
Then you get to the idea of Mongul threatening to use a laser to destroy Draaga’s home planet. Not to start a political fight, but the idea to start conflict to make sure the public’s happy shows reminiscence towards the Iraq War and how we went straight in after the public was calling for terrorist blood. Though being in production long before the war was even considered, War World beings up an interesting point on how corrupt leadership dictates society.
That said, its story proves to be predictable to an almost clairvoyant degree. You know that Draaga’s planet won’t get destroyed. You can bet that everybody will cheer for Superman instead of Mongul. The least-read of viewers will predict the ending in the first few minutes. The writing is clear, but goes nowhere. Although it brings up why Superman is still relevant despite all these decades, it lacks the ability to go beyond the simple message of heroes triumphing over barbarism.
Originally posted on December 22, 2011