[7.5/10] I am a sucker for these “forced gladiator” stories in genre fiction. Samurai Jack did them very well on multiple occasions, and Thor: Ragnarok even did it with panache in a superhero context. So I’m already an easy mark for Superman being made to compete in gladiatorial games on a godforsaken planet.
I’m also 99% sure I watched this one as a kid, and it’s the sort of combat-heavy premise that appeals to young boys. But what I like about this one is that it’s not just a thin excuse to throw Superman against an onslaught of alien scrappers. It’s also a rescue mission, a tale of honor, and a story about political distractions.
It’s that last point that I find most interesting. Justice League is far from the first or last show to do a “Bread and Circus” routine, but there’s something compelling about how Mongul uses the games and his people’s bloodlust to mollify and distract them from that fact that they’re impoverished and starving. It’s an evergreen critique, one still resonant now when we have an endless tidal wave of easy entertainment at our fingertips while grand, serious real world problems rise by the dozen every week. (Says the guy reviewing a twenty-year-old superhero cartoon, mind you.)
Still, it gives the situation some extra weight, including some broader societal issues that make Mongul more than just another indiscriminate Darkseid/Thanos/Apocalypse-looking dude. He’s a selfish ruler who publicly champions the will of the people in the inessential and bloodthirsty, but privately ignores their needs.
There’s also some good work done with Hawkgirl and Green Lantern. The two of them doing the good cop/bad cop routine and butting heads a bit makes for an interesting dynamic. The pair of them playing detective and trying to gather information on what happened to their ally makes for a strong secondary story that suggests if Supes can just hold out for a little while, help is on the way.
But things are interesting in the arena too. Draaga is compelling as a champion, because despite working for Mongul, he’s not an evil villain. He’s an honorable fighter who doesn’t want the cheers and even would prefer an honorable death. That makes him unique as an adversary for Superman in the field of battle, and he seemingly has the strength to stand up to the Man of Steel in the arena. Their fight isn’t the world’s most memorable, but it works.
Overall, there’s a lot going on here, building of an exciting central setup but finding engaging side stories and themes to build on top of it as well.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2020-07-26T16:46:44Z
[7.5/10] I am a sucker for these “forced gladiator” stories in genre fiction. Samurai Jack did them very well on multiple occasions, and Thor: Ragnarok even did it with panache in a superhero context. So I’m already an easy mark for Superman being made to compete in gladiatorial games on a godforsaken planet.
I’m also 99% sure I watched this one as a kid, and it’s the sort of combat-heavy premise that appeals to young boys. But what I like about this one is that it’s not just a thin excuse to throw Superman against an onslaught of alien scrappers. It’s also a rescue mission, a tale of honor, and a story about political distractions.
It’s that last point that I find most interesting. Justice League is far from the first or last show to do a “Bread and Circus” routine, but there’s something compelling about how Mongul uses the games and his people’s bloodlust to mollify and distract them from that fact that they’re impoverished and starving. It’s an evergreen critique, one still resonant now when we have an endless tidal wave of easy entertainment at our fingertips while grand, serious real world problems rise by the dozen every week. (Says the guy reviewing a twenty-year-old superhero cartoon, mind you.)
Still, it gives the situation some extra weight, including some broader societal issues that make Mongul more than just another indiscriminate Darkseid/Thanos/Apocalypse-looking dude. He’s a selfish ruler who publicly champions the will of the people in the inessential and bloodthirsty, but privately ignores their needs.
There’s also some good work done with Hawkgirl and Green Lantern. The two of them doing the good cop/bad cop routine and butting heads a bit makes for an interesting dynamic. The pair of them playing detective and trying to gather information on what happened to their ally makes for a strong secondary story that suggests if Supes can just hold out for a little while, help is on the way.
But things are interesting in the arena too. Draaga is compelling as a champion, because despite working for Mongul, he’s not an evil villain. He’s an honorable fighter who doesn’t want the cheers and even would prefer an honorable death. That makes him unique as an adversary for Superman in the field of battle, and he seemingly has the strength to stand up to the Man of Steel in the arena. Their fight isn’t the world’s most memorable, but it works.
Overall, there’s a lot going on here, building of an exciting central setup but finding engaging side stories and themes to build on top of it as well.