02.06
The cold opening shows us something we never thought possible; Lex Luthor has beaten Superman. As he stands over his Kryptonite infected body, he tells Superman how he managed to sneak one past him… Until he learns that Superman isn’t really Superman at all! It’s the Martian Manhunter, and the Justice League has finally trapped Luthor! He makes a run for it, but he’s simply no match for the new team and as he’s catured by the Man of Steel he passes out in pain. It turns out Luthor is dying, his years of paranoia of Superman lead him to wear kryptonite around his neck, poisoning his body.
In many people’s opinions, this was when Justice League started working. Lex goes mad trying to find a way to save his life, cobbling together a team of his own to take on the League while in pursuit of a cure. How this works is that every villain is given their own chance to shine in both personality and plot, they are all a formidable threat to the Justice League making this one of the first times in the series where the team of seven is actually fully needed for a mission to succeed. It is here where we see that Justice League becomes Justice League.
The first half of the first episode is pretty standard, mostly the League in action saving the day, however it becomes interesting when Luthor’s team comes together and instantly dislike each other. The interactions between all of them, and the way the plot unfolds is the first time the show really proves to us that it has become its own entity. It’s no longer “Batman and Superman and those other guys”, but a world where super beings -both hero and villain- are larger than life, and at odds with each other in order to shape the world as they see fit. This is a motif used more in the Unlimited portion of the show, but it first rears its head here. What makes the first part of the episode stand out are two things, one being the big battle royale between Luthor’s team and the League, and the second being the first appearance of a specific character at episode’s end. It works great as a fleshing out of the core concept of the two teams, but it pales in comparison to what the second part offers.
The second episode is just plain exciting, with characters playing off of each other, fights that are choreographed wonderfully, and features one great moment after another. Batman manipulating the bad guys, the Joker being a pest, Superman trying to be intimidating to Copperhead and failing, and the League’s tactical invasion of the enemy base. It all culminates in an explosive finale of super beat-downs with bodies flying everywhere and a bit of a twist ending that is not one to be seen coming.
The only real negative one could really put upon ‘Injustice For All’ is the overall focus on the villains and only about half of the League in comparison. It’s a bit of a shame, but not really anything to complain about with material this fun that’s an undeniable step up from most material so far. The first season might have been a bit generic overall but this was one of the few standouts of the early episodes, finally showing the potential a true Justice League show could give us. It’s also nice seeing an episode where Superman isn’t made to look like a chump to make the episode work.
Originally posted on Thursday, December 8, 2011.