02.06
During Earth’s first contact with Mars, astronauts accidentally awaken the White Martians, who slowly breach the defenses of humanity and prepare for their invasion. When this conquest begins, Batman and Superman prove unable to save the world alone and must look for outside help. So with that, Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, and the last original Martian J’onn J’onzz join alongside them to form the Justice League and help Earth face off against oblivion.
When watching previous crossovers such as World’s Finest or The Demon Reborn, one couldn’t help but feel something epic from how Batman and Superman met. It was like the equivalent of seeing Pink Floyd and Iron Maiden join together. It made their universe feel larger, added a level of vibrancy in seeing Lois Lane interact with Batman or Harley fight Mercy Graves, and created the general feeling that shit was going to go down. So when I first saw the commercials for Justice League as a kid, it felt like seeing the pearly gates open while endless swarms of seraphim angels greeted you as if you were a saint.
But now as an adult and looking back at the premiere, with crossovers between DC superheroes about as common as beggars in the alley, it just feels kind of stilted. Admittedly, it holds up a hell of a lot better in comparison to other shows I watched as a kid, but that’s pretty much expected when it comes to DCAU shows. In comparison to the premieres of series from that universe like On Leather Wings, Rebirth, or the Last Son of Krypton, Secret Origins just feels lacking. Maybe it was because the staff wasn’t used to working with so many characters all at once, or that they were too tired from having just finished STAS and wrapping up Batman Beyond. Whatever it was, these three episodes are far from Justice League’s best.
First off, let’s get to how the characters are brought in. The show expects you to have at least known about BTAS and STAS beforehand, so Batman and Superman are introduced with about as much fanfare as any other character. Wonder Woman’s beginning has a bit more set-up by showing Themyscira and her reason for wanting to take up the mantle, and the premiere already does a good and subtle job establishing her character as brash and alien to human culture. The plot also does well in
presenting J’onn in where he came from and what his wants and needs are. However, Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl just seem like they’re there purely for the sake of it. There’s very little buildup to their appearances, so it just feels random to see them. And though Flash quickly gets revealed to be the comic relief of the team, there’s very little room left to show John and Shayera’s personalities, let alone plant the seeds of their relationship throughout the series. While later episodes will do well in solidifying the cast, the debut of the Justice League feels quite jumbled and unable to properly define each member.
For the villains of this story, the White Martians, it just seems like a bit of a stretch for them to invade Earth so easily. You would think that with previous alien threats like Darkseid or Brainiac, everyone would be better prepared against such a widespread assault. Though the plot tries to explain this weakness with earlier scenes showing the dismantling of nuclear weapons, it just feels too convenient for the plot to portray the military in an almost completely useless matter. And while the use of sunlight as a weakness against them serves as a decent, if not also convenient, way to resolve the story, it also raises questions, such as how no one noticed that a figure as public as a US senator never went outside during the day. I’m far from one to determine what’s odd or not for politicians, but never going into sunlight at all should rise up several red flags at the least.
As for the premise of the episodes, it’s a generic invasion story and nothing more. There are a few twists, like the aforementioned senator being one of the aliens, but none of them are of any particular note as to shock the audience in any way. In short, with too much time taken away to introduce everybody as well as showcase some fight scenes, the main plot has nowhere to grow.
Overall, it definitely feels like the production staff is far from finding their footing. While it does well in spectacle, it lacks when it comes to pulling off a plot for an ensemble cast. Still, a bad first few episodes doesn’t determine the quality of an entire show, and Justice League is a reminder of that.
Originally posted on Thursday, November 17, 2011.