Justice Society: World War II

 Hey all and welcome back to the blog. Today is Memorial Day and we are staying away from the typical Indie films and gore fest horror flicks. I thought we'd make our way back to Warner Brothers and enjoy an animated film. With the fate of the world in the balance, a traveler will be witness to these events and help where he can. This is Justice Society World War II. 

 

The pilot and the princess.

 

 

 

 

 

With something as simple as a picnic out of town, Barry Allen a.k.a.the scarlet speedster, The Flash (Matt Bomer of Tru Calling, Traveler, Chuck, Superman: Unbound, White Collar, Will & Grace and Doom Patrol) is on a date with his long-time girlfriend Iris West (Ashleigh LaThrop of Sirens, Fifty Shades Darker, Fifty Shades Freed, The 100, The Kominsky Method and Utopia). Barry is nervous and still not exactly how to balance being a hero, a forensic officer and boyfriend.

Granted I could slap Barry for choosing Metropolis for a picnic in the park. METROPOLIS?!!! What's a matter, Barry? Gotham at midnight was already taken? Iris makes her point, stresses her love and want of growth with Barry but isn't certain if he wants the same thing. An explosion occurs and Barry runs into action, teaming up with Superman (Darren Criss of Glee, American Horror Story, Supergirl, The Flash, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, American Crime Story, Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Midway and Superman: Man of Tomorrow)against the cybernetic organism known as Brainiac.

With a series of McGuffin events tied together, Barry gets chucked into the speed force, transporting him into another place and time. Clad in his suit and getting bounced about, Flash lands in front of all people during civilians being shot at by Nazis..? Confused but being the good man he is, Flash proceeds to take the soldiers down, leaving them unconscious when he is violently grabbed and slammed against the wall by the Amazon princess herself, Wonder Woman (Stana Katic of ER, 24, Quantum of Solace, The Spirit, Castle, Batman: Arkham City and Absentia). A military outfit of special forces and metahumans code-named Justice Society with archelogist/reincarnated warrior prince, Hawkman (Omid Abtahi of My Own Worst Enemy, Brothers, Last Resort, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, DuckTales, World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, The Mandalorian and American Gods), the martial artist with a sonic cry, Black Canary (Elysia Rotaru of iZombie, Supernatural, Countdown, Arrow, Reapers, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Residue, Lone Echo, Dead Again in Tombstone and The Age of Adulting) 

Flying the not so friendly skies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The chemist/physicist and speedster Jay Garrick/Flash (Armen Taylor of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Rage 2, One Punch Man, Crystar, Call of Duty: Mobile, Wicked Woods: A Descendants Halloween Story, Kingdom Under Fire II, Asgard's Wrath, Super Wings!, Darksiders Genesis, Yakuza: Like a Dragon and The Seven Deadly Sins), chemist/physicist and strong man Hourman (Matthew Mercer of Resident Evil: Damnation, Fire Emblem: Awakening, Fallout 4, Overwatch, Attack on Titan, Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045, The Last of Us: Part II and Blood of Zeus) and USAF Colonel and liason for the team, Steven Trevor (Chris Diamantopoulos of Family Guy, Skylanders Academy, Voltron: Legendary Defender, Go Away, Unicorn!, Disney Mickey Mouse, Silicon Valley, Harley Quinn, Dirty Diana and American Dad!).

 

TOO MUCH COFFEE!! Gotta pee, gotta pee, gotta pee!

 

 

 

 

 

The overseas combat stretches around the world (as the name World War would indicate) and our service men are hard at work. Their war correspondent dubbed Shakespeare tabulates their stories but has to keep the team out of the headlines as they're a secret weapon against the Axis powers. With Hitler's forces encroaching throughout the world, trying to claim religious artifacts for further the Reich, our heroes must work together, putting aside their differences and join in this struggle as one.

With Trevor being smitten by the Amazon princess, there is also a bit of sexual tension between the Canary and the Egyptian war prince. Hourman and Jay have common ground as scientists. Barry also connects to both scientist heroes. With all that is going on, the Alantians are also throwing in their weight to the surface world. With a few examples similar to Barry's time, he notices this isn't simply the past but a different world. An Earth-2 if you will.

 

AMAZON FURY!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can the heroes stop the awaiting onslaught? Can good triumph over evil?

This story gives credit to DC comics writing as far back as the early 60s when the JSA (Justice Society of America) and the JLA (Justice League of America) were establishing timelines and continuity. These stories are older than I am and this film tips its hat to, really projecting the Golden and Silver Age of DC Comics. Did I enjoy it? Yes, very much. Was there anything to complain about? A few things but not enough to give credence too. I know, me not complaining about a flick is almost unheard of. Young and old will enjoy the action-packed film and have a good time with it as well.

 

Another budget meeting.

 

Random Goofy: Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox

Welcome back to Random Goofy. Man I so needed a better title for the week. Oh well. Today we explore an animated film. One that brings it all. Paradox, alternative timelines, a world where heroes have gone as bad as the villains they fight. Two metahuman armies poised at destroying one another and damn all of humanity in the way. One man must rally support to stop this madness before it's too late. This is Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox.

Aunt May will be pissed if I miss breakfast...wait...what?

Based on the five part mini-series written by Geoff Johns (Blade: The Series, Justice League Unlimited, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, Justice League: War, Superman: Unbound, Arrow and The Flash) and drawn by Adam Kubert (Action Comics, Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine, X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, Wolverine and Ultimate Fantastic Four) we see Barry Allen a.k.a. The Flash dealing with the loss of his mother on her birthday when a JLA alert tells him of a hit on his own museum by a slathering of his rogues. Top, Mirror Master, Captain Cold and Captain Boomerang trashing the place. Apparently that is their gig and a slice of revenge on the guy that sent them up river. The fiendish foursome (Lord I have got to cut down on the comics) attack Flash with next to no success when Thawne a.k.a. Reverse Flash or Professor Zoom announces bombs planted to take out 10 square blocks and all the lives along with it. Flash however is nowhere near the idiot Zoom thinks him to be and he already dialed in his own team of the leaguers.

Battle ready amazons??

Bombs defused and Thawne thwarted, Zoom gets in a little snotty remark of Barry not being fast enough to save all those that matter to him. Barry goes for a run to clear his head only to wake up in his office of criminology and discovers things are different. For example, no superhuman speed and his mother is alive, The Amazons of Themyscira are at war with the Atlantians. Yeah Aquaman, Wonder Woman and their collective armies have destroyed chunks of Europe warring against each other. With no speed, no Superman, JLA communications or contact with any of the other metas or heroes is out, he knows that Batman is in Gotham so a logical conclusion to stop by there and sort this madness out. Only to find a completely different Batman in the cave who deals out a much more stern form of justice. Between the two of them they attempt to figure what happened and it all comes up Zoom. Zoom, notorious for time travel has to have altered the timeline creating this twisted and bizarre deviation of the world.

Gotta love the build and red lenses.

With a handful of metas, Flash and Batman have to stop this crazy train before there is no more world to speak of, stop Zoom and get things back to normal. Will the insanity be stopped? How come the Green Lantern Corps isn't looking at Sector 2814? Do I know way too much about DC Comics?

Let's talk voice cast for a minute. Kevin Conroy back for Bruce Wayne/Batman, Nathan Fillion for Hal Jordan/Green Lantern, Vanessa Marshall reprising her role as Diana/Wonder Woman, Dana Delany for Lois Lane, Ron Perlman for Deathstroke, Kevin McKidd as Flashpoint Batman but the most important roles of the two gents right at the center of it all. Justin Chambers as the Flash and a pleasant surprise as C. Thomas Howell as Zoom.

A view of your childhood heroes behaving in a fashion you never thought possible, a world turn upside down and Armageddon at their doorstep, this is intense, good writing and a wonderful voice cast. Hell, I was blown away to here Michael B. Jordan as Cyborg. The kid's got chops, baby. So Flash fans, JLA fans, Super-Fans, Wonder-Fans and Bat-Fans (See that? I did a thing there.) this is an impressive flick at a hour and fifteen minutes that is true to its source material in the likes I haven't seen in a while.

Oh hey, Aquaman.  Um..love the orange shirt?

Andrea Romano Week: Justice League Unlimited: This Little Piggy

Hey gang!  Welcome to Day 4 of Andrea Romano Week.  Was feeling a bit out of it and computer was not behaving so that is why we are a write-up short.   Sorry about that.  Say what could be more terrifying?  Standing up to an ancient sorceress with unbridled powers of the Netherworld or Batman having to admit he has emotions?   As luck would have it we are about to find out in this installment of Andrea Romano Week with another success story of hers.  The Justice League.   This is Justice League Unlimited: This Little Piggy.

Eat your heart out, Marilyn!

Circe: My cousins, the Sirens said I couldn't sing.  They thought they were all that with their "spoil the sailors" routine. Well, I'm showing them tonight, aren't I?




Alone on a stake-out, Wonder Woman (Susan Eisenberg of Jackie Adventures, Justice League, Golden Axe: Beast Rider, Supermam/Batman: Apocalypse. Justice League: Doom and Injustice: Gods Among Us) grows tired of the hero gig without any form of fun.  Her brooding companion, Batman (Kevin Conroy of The Office, Batman: The Animated Series, The Batman Superman Movie: World's Finest, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, Static Shock and Justice League)  points out how dating co-workers is always a mistake, that she hails from an ancient race of warriors and he's a rich kid with more issues than a comic book store and how his enemies would just look for someone in his life to menace... and yet he has trained three kids by this time into impressive non-lethal combatants but maybe I am just splitting hairs.  

Can't move. Back's cramped up.

The alarm is triggered and both Bats and the princess swing into high action to find a lithe cat burglar attempting a break-in only to find out that our burglar is none other than Circe( Rachel York of Fantasy Island, Son of the Beach, Terror Tract, Lucy, Neverwinter Nights 2, Happy Feet and Close to Home) an immortal witch from Homer's Odyssey that has escaped Tartarus (the Underworld) and decides to reek revenge on Hippolyta by changing Wonder Woman into... a pig?  

Through the aid of a high ranking mage and old friend of Batman's Zatanna (Jennifer Hale of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Diablo III, Guild Wars 2, Halo 4 and Green Lantern: The Animated Series) they attempt to break the spell and find they cannot, they seek out Circe and try to convince her to lift the spell.  
What will it cost to get on Circe's good side?   What is Batman willing to sacrifice for Diana?

The episode alone is great with pop culture gags, sibling rivalry and excellent collection of sarcasm.  Andrea Romano pulled out all the stops with finding Rachel York because she steals the show as Circe.  Conroy surprises us all with a tenor tune that is moving.  Trust me kids you want to catch this episode.

Let's see.. eye of newt, testicle of squirrel.. Ah, Dragon's eye.

Superhero Week: Wonder Woman

How do.  Today we reach the end of Superhero Week with a iconic character of which I feel needs no introduction but by God we are going to do that very thing regardless.  A pillar of strength and courage with her superhuman magically imbued powers she sets off into “Man’s world” to trounce bad guys and thwart evil plans.  So fasten your bracelets, strap into your invisible jet and always pack your lasso of truth.  This is Wonder Woman.

Andy Warhol's Mona Lisa?

The spoilers of a frightened evil child too terrified to trust in gentleness…

Now given the constant rewriting of the DC Comics history, the TV version also takes a few liberties with the origins in the same facet as Shazam or Spiderman.  The basis of the character however is sound.  Rather than her mother Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons engaging in World War II, it was decided for story line or possibly not a want to recast that Diana/Wonder Woman (Linda Carter of Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw, The Last Song, Born to Be Sold, Hotline and Partners in Crime) would encounter Major Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner of Swamp Country, Journey to the Center of Time, Love Me Deadly, The Carol Brunette Show and Mind Trap) crashed on the island of Themyscaria, a land of seemingly immortal and youthful women.  Through Major Trevor, Diana learns of the war against the Nazi party and brings this information to her mother Hippolyta (Carolyn Jones of The Man Who Knew Too Much, How the West Was Won, The Addams Family, Fantasy Island and Capitol) that they must take action embarking on a quest to return this much needed warrior to his war.

And now the talent portion of Miss America Pageant...

 As a contest is held to see which amazon will take Trevor home, Diana secretly enters, triumphs and is reluctantly sent under the identity of Yeoman Diana Prince and Season 1 consists of Diana fighting as Wonder Woman in the war.   After WW II she returns to the island and resumes her studies and explains to her amazon sisters the terrors and wonders of Man’s World.  With Season 2 underway, from wither boredom or the need to combat the forces of evil yet again, 30 years later she returns to encounter Steve Trevor Jr. (an amazing resemblance of his father) who works for the IADC the Inter-Agency Defense Command.   With a magic belt that gives her tremendous strength, bracelets that can deflect any caliber of bullet and a lasso that forces any caught in it to tell the truth she soars into action fighting for all of humanity.  

A few points I wish to make.   This is by far one of the closest crossovers from comic book to live-action humanly possible.  The theme song is a bit insipid and yes for you men watching this you will get whip lash and there is some fairly sexist undertones.  I swear the writers were just exploiting the overuse of chloroform.  Yes a woman that could hurl a tank over 20 maybe 100 yards somehow kept getting captured.  Steve Trevor was forever the damsel in distress to the point I just wanted to put him in a gingham dress and tie him to a train track whilst twirling my mustache and engage in a lengthy monologue.   

Sieg Heil!..er..um...I mean Yes Sir!

The pilot episode was an absolute stitch as Diana parades around with an almost childlike naivety as men and women gawk at her alike.  She comes off so sweet and innocent and yet she could bench press a bulldozer.     Oh a little FYI, Drusilla (Debra Winger of Urban Cowboy, Terms of Endearment, An Officer and a Gentleman, Legal Eagles and Lola Versus) has a reoccurring role as Wonder Girl.  Guess the rights to Donna Troy name were tied up with DC and Marvel comics’ writer Marv Wolfman of the Teen Titans and Blade. It was also great to go through these episodes and spot so many actors like: John Saxon, Roddie McDowell, Henry Gibson, Rick Springfield, Anne Ramsey and Pamela Susan Shoop.  So many TV and Movie actors gathered as bit parts or secondary characters.  To this day I cannot envision someone other than Lynda Carter tackling this role.

This ain't yo daddy's Super Friends...

Hello all, I am back again with a new review and this time we are tackling cartoons. Yeah I know those are for kids.  Don’t care.   Today I am touching base on DC Comics biggest triumph on the little screen. So grab your tights, do some stretches to limber up and get ready to save the day.   This is Justice League.

Spoilers make Batman paranoid…

Growing up in the era of the Superfriends and Super Powers, DC superheroes came off as hokey, overbearing and frankly kind of a joke.  In 1992 with the first appearance of Batman the Animated Series, we saw a broken man remake himself to better himself and his city against forces of the absurd and insane.   In 1996 we see the shining city of Metropolis under siege by similar villains of Gotham but a champion from another world, Superman approached this bizarre men and women with super powers and tempered by compassion of honesty and courage.   Throughout both these series, a myriad of more obscure DC characters appeared but you never really got the full scope of whom they are and why they stood for justice.    2001 changed all of that in introducing characters that have been on the comic book pages for more than 60 years.   DC Comics writer Gardner Fox (Justice Society of America, Mystery in Space, Amazing Stories, Planet Stories and Justice League of America) gathered a cadre of different men and women all hailing from unique backgrounds with a common goal.  To dispense justice towards villainy and protect the innocent no matter the cost.

Animators Bruce W. Timm (Blackstar, G.I. Joe, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Batman the Animated Series, Batman Beyond and Superman the Animated Series) and Paul Dini (Creator of Harley Quinn, villainess sidekick to the Joker) set out on a venture to create a cohesive Justice League for kids and adults to enjoy.  Dipping into more than 60 years worth of comic history as well as stories of their own; the duo managed to bring about some of DC comics greatest heroes and villains all under a 25 minute cartoon and a cornucopia of voice actors under the wing of veteran voice casting director Andrea Romano (Batman the Animated Series, The Adventures of Batman and Robin, The New Batman Adventures, Pinky and the Brain and Static Shock) Reigning in actors from previous series, Romano had her pick of the litter if you will.   Batman (Kevin Conroy of Batman the Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, Justice League, Batman: Arkham City and Justice League: Doom) Joker (Mark Hamill of Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi,  Batman the Animated Series, Justice League, Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! and The Super Hero Squad Show) as well as newcomers to the voice acting gig like Phil LaMarr (MADtv, Clerks Animated Series, Invader ZIM, Static Shock, Samurai Jack, The Proud Family and Wolverine and the X-Men) Susan Eisenberg (Justice League, Golden Axe: Beast Rider, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, The Super Hero Squad Show and Mass Effect 3).  

The main issues Dini and Timm had was to make these superheroes more human in the eyes of their viewers by giving them the very strengths and flaws we all have, deliver a thought provoking story and plenty of action all under one name.     No easy task when the fans are this demanding for their hero or heroine not getting enough lines or always deemed in reserve.   While you cannot please everyone, I think Justice League fans of whatever incarnation they grew up reading will be proud of this product and want to share it with other like minded folk.