Justice League second season comments
I did eventually wind up liking season two of "Justice League", but it started off surprisingly slow. The stories weren't as simplistic, but they were still having trouble drawing me in. The characterizations and interactions had also intensified. Wonder Woman was much better this season. I don't know whether the actress changed her voice or just her approach and I much preferred the season 2 Diana to season 1.
"Twilight" - Also could be called Destroyer part 1, since this sets up that season finale. I liked the Brainaic bits more than the New Gods/ Darkseid sequences. Maybe I'm just not a Kirby fan particularly.
"Tabula Rasa" - I hated the whole Amazo robot storyline. I'm glad they didn't make him the focus point of the Cadmus storyline the way they'd considered. What was more interesting in light of the final JLU season was J'onzz trying to scan the whole city with his telepathy. I've seen the sequence done a zillion times with the telepath overcome by all the voices, but they handled it well here, contrasting the selfish and unselfish sides to humanity. I have to wonder if some of J'onnz's later attitude towards humanity came from those glimpses of our screwed up psyches.
"Only a Dream" - Doctor Destiny was a reminder that all villains in the DCU can be dangerous, not just the Luthors and the Grodds and Jokers. Watching Batman try to pull an all nighter was amusing, complete with stop at the the coffee shop. The dream sequences were effective. J'onzz not being able to read Shayera's mind would factor in much later. Have the Thanagarians built up a natural mental shield over the years? Or did they train themselves to help withstand torture? Shayera mentioned the Absorbacon worked telepathically, so obviously their minds are open to it. Or is it limited to their own technology?
"Maid of Honor" - I could go on and on how much I adored this two parter. Reading the online reactions I noticed a lot of people didn't like it and felt it was a very weak episode. Depends why you watch I guess. One thing that struck me: when Batman makes the comment about the rich and famous aren't always what they seem, Wonder Woman assumed he merely meant her partying around with Princess Audrey. But I've got to wonder if he meant someone closer to home... might have overtipped his hand there. Dwayne McDuffie has said online he wanted to swap the last two bits in the episode, so it ended not with the dancing bit, but with Vandal being carted off to Kasnian prison and threats of torture by Audrey. That would have certainly given the ending a different edge, less light hearted.
"Hearts and Minds" - After a peek at the Lantern Corps in "In Blackest Night", this provided a better understanding of how they worked and trained. I wasn't overly fond of the animated Katma Tui. I liked what I remembered of her in the comics. She was one of the easily identifiable other Lanterns with her exotic glamorous look. I think they took away all the softness in the animated version, maybe so she'd match John in toughness and blunt edges. Comics people will obviously be annoyed of the portrayal, since Katma was John's wife, but the animated verse had already decided to take a step towards Hawkgirl and GL. This episode was actually one of the ones in that direction with Shayera encouraging him. The Despero storyline worked better than the later "Eclipsed" episode, partly because they world built Despero's world so well.
"A Better World" - Such a plausible demented little AU. The scary part is seeing what comes after this episode with the whole Cadmus arc. The commentary shed some interesting light on the context, especially given my own "Waiting for the World to Change". They were finishing this episode just as we were starting the war in Iraq. The commentaries are always interesting for hearing how they work, this drawn by this person or that shot changed there. They took forever in doing the sequence with Superman holding up the flag and still they weren't terribly satisfied with it.
"Eclipsed" - I think I watched this the first time around and wasn't terribly impressed. Rewatching it I'm noticing the funniest in-jokes from Flash's line about "hard traveling heroes" to the study by Dr. Frederick called "The Innocent Seduced"... even a reference to the old cosmic treadmill.
"Terror Beyond" - This episode sneaks up on you. Initially I thought "Justice League meets Cthulhu? Dear god." On the other hand, this helps explain "Wake the Dead" in JLU with more or less the same secondary cast of Dr. Fate, Aquaman, Hawkgirl and Solomon Grundy. We learned a bit more about Hawkgirl and Thanagar contrasted with Wonder Woman and Aquaman's strong faith. The runes are interesting, if you link it up with the Thanagarians showing up in Ancient Egypt. This version of Dr. Fate & Inza took some getting used to initially, but I actually quite liked them, especially Inza. She isn't just the humanizing force who worries about the helmet taking over his mind and soul. She's an active and integral part of Fate's work.
Interestingly, the box set lists "Hereafter" being on the third dvd, but I would up with "Secret Society" instead. "Secret Society" appears on the menu screens so color me confused.
"Secret Society" - Ow. Ow. The Injustice Gang episodes were the usual heroes versus villains, but this one brings the whole issue of teamwork and how the Justice League works and doesn't work together to a different level. They really did need an episode like this to show how tenuous this group can be. They're thrown together through circumstance. Green Lantern takes on the role of the Justice Company's drill sergeant and no one likes it. A lot of stuff gets said during this episode, stuff that usually is unsaid. All the insecurities and egos are out there in the open. That they found a way to move past it is commendable, but I imagine it took them awhile to look at each other in the eye.
"Hereafter" - Somehow I'd never watched the vaunted "death of Superman" episode. Watching the heroes grapple with the loss was the most touching part, especially Lois' raw emotion and Bats' moment at the memorial. No one was dealing terribly well. Lobo's appearance wasn't helping. His characterization was pretty dead on, all the reasons I loathed him in the comics. I wasn't as thrilled with Superman's adventures in an alternate future, although seeing Vandal Savage as the last human alive was poetic justice. They talked a bit about the actor who played Vandal Savage in the "Savage Time" commentary. They utterly loved loved his voice and his portrayal. He also knew the comics version, which surprised the hell out of the producers. I bet they were used to having to explain the characters a lot. Vandal Savage stealing the white dwarf matter from Ray Palmer was a nice twist. Diana liked the beard. I wonder what Lois would think of it. Truthfully she'd just be glad to see him alive.
"Comfort and Joy" - Such a lovely little Christmas episode, filled with all the mixed up ways we celebrate the holidays. Clark & J'onzz's visit to Smallville was my favorite of the storylines. I did a slight doubletake before I realized yes, saying you're a Martian in the Kent household is not really likely to get you looked at funny.
"Wild Card" - Mostly known as the John & Shayera finally admit their feelings episode and rightly so. The last scene is a nice little payoff for the last two seasons and an ugly setup for what's coming. I have to say when they had time and episodes to plan their big arcs they did a good job of bringing bits together.
"Starcrossed" - I've commented on the Hawk aspects of this three parter awhile back. In retrospect, I'm glad they didn't try to make Hro the Hawkman analogue, although he seemed fairly in line with the grittier Hawkworld version. There's some odd symmetry with what happens between this triangle (GL/Shayera/Hro) and the Ancient Egyptian version. Part 2 is probably my favorite for obvious reasons, namely the Bruce/Diana moments -- "Sorry." "Don't be." Part of me wondered if Bruce's little speech to GL had a second meaning, trying to brush aside his own attraction/distraction. I do think it's funny that GL's the one who gives him advice about dealing with those pesky women. Neither of them do figure it out, do they?
Bits from the commentary: Maria Canals (Shayera) was very emotional after the final episode. She must have been afraid she'd never be seen again. Victor Rivers who played Hro was uncomfortable with some the final scenes smacking around Shayera. He apparently speaks about abuse and domestic violence, so those scenes didn't sit well with him.
Funny shippy bit: Butch Lukic commented on how Batman and Wonder Woman were carrying on a secret affair behind everyone's backs. Bruce Timm had to correct him and that it was more of a "will they or won't they?" sort of thing, but it was amusing that someone could make that assumption.
Next it's time to go JLU. I'm toying with watching the Batman and Superman animated series as well.
"Twilight" - Also could be called Destroyer part 1, since this sets up that season finale. I liked the Brainaic bits more than the New Gods/ Darkseid sequences. Maybe I'm just not a Kirby fan particularly.
"Tabula Rasa" - I hated the whole Amazo robot storyline. I'm glad they didn't make him the focus point of the Cadmus storyline the way they'd considered. What was more interesting in light of the final JLU season was J'onzz trying to scan the whole city with his telepathy. I've seen the sequence done a zillion times with the telepath overcome by all the voices, but they handled it well here, contrasting the selfish and unselfish sides to humanity. I have to wonder if some of J'onnz's later attitude towards humanity came from those glimpses of our screwed up psyches.
"Only a Dream" - Doctor Destiny was a reminder that all villains in the DCU can be dangerous, not just the Luthors and the Grodds and Jokers. Watching Batman try to pull an all nighter was amusing, complete with stop at the the coffee shop. The dream sequences were effective. J'onzz not being able to read Shayera's mind would factor in much later. Have the Thanagarians built up a natural mental shield over the years? Or did they train themselves to help withstand torture? Shayera mentioned the Absorbacon worked telepathically, so obviously their minds are open to it. Or is it limited to their own technology?
"Maid of Honor" - I could go on and on how much I adored this two parter. Reading the online reactions I noticed a lot of people didn't like it and felt it was a very weak episode. Depends why you watch I guess. One thing that struck me: when Batman makes the comment about the rich and famous aren't always what they seem, Wonder Woman assumed he merely meant her partying around with Princess Audrey. But I've got to wonder if he meant someone closer to home... might have overtipped his hand there. Dwayne McDuffie has said online he wanted to swap the last two bits in the episode, so it ended not with the dancing bit, but with Vandal being carted off to Kasnian prison and threats of torture by Audrey. That would have certainly given the ending a different edge, less light hearted.
"Hearts and Minds" - After a peek at the Lantern Corps in "In Blackest Night", this provided a better understanding of how they worked and trained. I wasn't overly fond of the animated Katma Tui. I liked what I remembered of her in the comics. She was one of the easily identifiable other Lanterns with her exotic glamorous look. I think they took away all the softness in the animated version, maybe so she'd match John in toughness and blunt edges. Comics people will obviously be annoyed of the portrayal, since Katma was John's wife, but the animated verse had already decided to take a step towards Hawkgirl and GL. This episode was actually one of the ones in that direction with Shayera encouraging him. The Despero storyline worked better than the later "Eclipsed" episode, partly because they world built Despero's world so well.
"A Better World" - Such a plausible demented little AU. The scary part is seeing what comes after this episode with the whole Cadmus arc. The commentary shed some interesting light on the context, especially given my own "Waiting for the World to Change". They were finishing this episode just as we were starting the war in Iraq. The commentaries are always interesting for hearing how they work, this drawn by this person or that shot changed there. They took forever in doing the sequence with Superman holding up the flag and still they weren't terribly satisfied with it.
"Eclipsed" - I think I watched this the first time around and wasn't terribly impressed. Rewatching it I'm noticing the funniest in-jokes from Flash's line about "hard traveling heroes" to the study by Dr. Frederick called "The Innocent Seduced"... even a reference to the old cosmic treadmill.
"Terror Beyond" - This episode sneaks up on you. Initially I thought "Justice League meets Cthulhu? Dear god." On the other hand, this helps explain "Wake the Dead" in JLU with more or less the same secondary cast of Dr. Fate, Aquaman, Hawkgirl and Solomon Grundy. We learned a bit more about Hawkgirl and Thanagar contrasted with Wonder Woman and Aquaman's strong faith. The runes are interesting, if you link it up with the Thanagarians showing up in Ancient Egypt. This version of Dr. Fate & Inza took some getting used to initially, but I actually quite liked them, especially Inza. She isn't just the humanizing force who worries about the helmet taking over his mind and soul. She's an active and integral part of Fate's work.
Interestingly, the box set lists "Hereafter" being on the third dvd, but I would up with "Secret Society" instead. "Secret Society" appears on the menu screens so color me confused.
"Secret Society" - Ow. Ow. The Injustice Gang episodes were the usual heroes versus villains, but this one brings the whole issue of teamwork and how the Justice League works and doesn't work together to a different level. They really did need an episode like this to show how tenuous this group can be. They're thrown together through circumstance. Green Lantern takes on the role of the Justice Company's drill sergeant and no one likes it. A lot of stuff gets said during this episode, stuff that usually is unsaid. All the insecurities and egos are out there in the open. That they found a way to move past it is commendable, but I imagine it took them awhile to look at each other in the eye.
"Hereafter" - Somehow I'd never watched the vaunted "death of Superman" episode. Watching the heroes grapple with the loss was the most touching part, especially Lois' raw emotion and Bats' moment at the memorial. No one was dealing terribly well. Lobo's appearance wasn't helping. His characterization was pretty dead on, all the reasons I loathed him in the comics. I wasn't as thrilled with Superman's adventures in an alternate future, although seeing Vandal Savage as the last human alive was poetic justice. They talked a bit about the actor who played Vandal Savage in the "Savage Time" commentary. They utterly loved loved his voice and his portrayal. He also knew the comics version, which surprised the hell out of the producers. I bet they were used to having to explain the characters a lot. Vandal Savage stealing the white dwarf matter from Ray Palmer was a nice twist. Diana liked the beard. I wonder what Lois would think of it. Truthfully she'd just be glad to see him alive.
"Comfort and Joy" - Such a lovely little Christmas episode, filled with all the mixed up ways we celebrate the holidays. Clark & J'onzz's visit to Smallville was my favorite of the storylines. I did a slight doubletake before I realized yes, saying you're a Martian in the Kent household is not really likely to get you looked at funny.
"Wild Card" - Mostly known as the John & Shayera finally admit their feelings episode and rightly so. The last scene is a nice little payoff for the last two seasons and an ugly setup for what's coming. I have to say when they had time and episodes to plan their big arcs they did a good job of bringing bits together.
"Starcrossed" - I've commented on the Hawk aspects of this three parter awhile back. In retrospect, I'm glad they didn't try to make Hro the Hawkman analogue, although he seemed fairly in line with the grittier Hawkworld version. There's some odd symmetry with what happens between this triangle (GL/Shayera/Hro) and the Ancient Egyptian version. Part 2 is probably my favorite for obvious reasons, namely the Bruce/Diana moments -- "Sorry." "Don't be." Part of me wondered if Bruce's little speech to GL had a second meaning, trying to brush aside his own attraction/distraction. I do think it's funny that GL's the one who gives him advice about dealing with those pesky women. Neither of them do figure it out, do they?
Bits from the commentary: Maria Canals (Shayera) was very emotional after the final episode. She must have been afraid she'd never be seen again. Victor Rivers who played Hro was uncomfortable with some the final scenes smacking around Shayera. He apparently speaks about abuse and domestic violence, so those scenes didn't sit well with him.
Funny shippy bit: Butch Lukic commented on how Batman and Wonder Woman were carrying on a secret affair behind everyone's backs. Bruce Timm had to correct him and that it was more of a "will they or won't they?" sort of thing, but it was amusing that someone could make that assumption.
Next it's time to go JLU. I'm toying with watching the Batman and Superman animated series as well.