[7.8/10] Don’t think too hard about this one. How was Batman able to reverse the polarity on the invaders’ power source? Why would the invaders have a setup where one fail point destroys them all? Why were these heroes who were previously getting their butts kicked suddenly able to get the upper hand in individual fights? You can definitely feel Justice League straining to do everything it wants to with this massive threat in the span of twenty-two minutes, and employing a few contrivances and shortcuts in the process.
But it didn’t really bother me. Despite some convenience in the setup, this one did feel appropriately epic. The group’s efforts to retrieve their kidnapped comrades, the arrival of the Imperium, and the exposure to sunlight that saved the day were all visually striking and set the right perilous but ultimately triumphant tone that’s necessary for conflicts involving seven of the planet’s greatest heroes.
This was also a visually-striking half hour of television. Some of that just comes from the designs. The construction of the Imperium in particular was eye-catching ,with the baddie looking like a giant single-celled organism, so distinctively alien and weird in the ebay ways. The organic ship and tertain, blended with the rays of sunlight beaming down on the, also made for some noteworthy contrasts.
At the same time though, there was tons of pretty bold body horror here. The image of the Imperium’s tentacles reaching under Martian Manhunter’s skin made my skin crawl, in a good way. Likewise, the simple act of J’onn using his phase-shifting powers to reach through a pair of alien soldiers got my attention. And the invaders’ exposure to the sun led to some gross but cool sequences of them melting or otherwise being affected by its effects. The first story in Justice League doesn’t shy away from being abstractly graphic when necessary, without feeling indulgent, and that’s a tough line to walk.
The story works for me despite the aforementioned shortcuts. There’s enough twists -- like the fake out with Supes and Hawk Girl, and Batman being psychically shielded by J’onn -- to keep things interesting along the way. I’d guessed the reveal involving Senator Carter, but it was still cool to see him monologue a bit before being cast off by his leader.
Of course, in the end we get a “the League comes together” scene. There’s a bit of cheese to it, and a fairly trite “I thought I could protect the earth, but I realized we’re better as a team” speech from Superman. Still, it hits the right notes and provides a solid enough reason for the Leaguers to come together. The presence of the Watchtower makes it feel especially epic, and they even inject some real character into this, mostly through J’onn. This is as much his story as anyone’s, since he’s the key to defeating the bad guys and takes an active role throughout. So it’s good to see him get some love in the denouement, including a warm welcome from Superman and some camaraderie from the Kryptonian as the last of their kind.
Overall, this trilogy is a strong way to start the new series, which has a long way to go, but hits some good opening notes as the culmination of the DCAU.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2020-07-09T20:47:09Z
[7.8/10] Don’t think too hard about this one. How was Batman able to reverse the polarity on the invaders’ power source? Why would the invaders have a setup where one fail point destroys them all? Why were these heroes who were previously getting their butts kicked suddenly able to get the upper hand in individual fights? You can definitely feel Justice League straining to do everything it wants to with this massive threat in the span of twenty-two minutes, and employing a few contrivances and shortcuts in the process.
But it didn’t really bother me. Despite some convenience in the setup, this one did feel appropriately epic. The group’s efforts to retrieve their kidnapped comrades, the arrival of the Imperium, and the exposure to sunlight that saved the day were all visually striking and set the right perilous but ultimately triumphant tone that’s necessary for conflicts involving seven of the planet’s greatest heroes.
This was also a visually-striking half hour of television. Some of that just comes from the designs. The construction of the Imperium in particular was eye-catching ,with the baddie looking like a giant single-celled organism, so distinctively alien and weird in the ebay ways. The organic ship and tertain, blended with the rays of sunlight beaming down on the, also made for some noteworthy contrasts.
At the same time though, there was tons of pretty bold body horror here. The image of the Imperium’s tentacles reaching under Martian Manhunter’s skin made my skin crawl, in a good way. Likewise, the simple act of J’onn using his phase-shifting powers to reach through a pair of alien soldiers got my attention. And the invaders’ exposure to the sun led to some gross but cool sequences of them melting or otherwise being affected by its effects. The first story in Justice League doesn’t shy away from being abstractly graphic when necessary, without feeling indulgent, and that’s a tough line to walk.
The story works for me despite the aforementioned shortcuts. There’s enough twists -- like the fake out with Supes and Hawk Girl, and Batman being psychically shielded by J’onn -- to keep things interesting along the way. I’d guessed the reveal involving Senator Carter, but it was still cool to see him monologue a bit before being cast off by his leader.
Of course, in the end we get a “the League comes together” scene. There’s a bit of cheese to it, and a fairly trite “I thought I could protect the earth, but I realized we’re better as a team” speech from Superman. Still, it hits the right notes and provides a solid enough reason for the Leaguers to come together. The presence of the Watchtower makes it feel especially epic, and they even inject some real character into this, mostly through J’onn. This is as much his story as anyone’s, since he’s the key to defeating the bad guys and takes an active role throughout. So it’s good to see him get some love in the denouement, including a warm welcome from Superman and some camaraderie from the Kryptonian as the last of their kind.
Overall, this trilogy is a strong way to start the new series, which has a long way to go, but hits some good opening notes as the culmination of the DCAU.