TheDC Animated Universeowes a lot toJustice LeagueandJustice League Unlimited, two animated series that have withstood the test of time as venerated DC classics. Thetimeline of the DCAU, or “Timmverse”, culminated in the formation of the Justice League, who fought villains the world over as a team in theJustice Leagueanimated series. From there, the follow-up showJustice League Unlimitedopened up DC’s roster of heroes even further, leaving an enduring mark as the best adaptation of the famous comic team ever.
There are so many reasons why the animatedJustice Leagueseries is still thebest depiction of the Justice Leaguein movies or TV ever created.Going back to the show today, it’s hard not to balk at the longevity of the quality a show ostensibly made for kids was somehow able to capture. Almost 20 years later,Justice LeagueandJustice League Unlimitedhave aged like fine wine.
10Justice League’s Depiction Of Its Heroes Still Feels Accurate Over A Decade Later
Every single inclusion is incredibly faithful
The core roster offounding Justice League members in the animated showconsisted of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, and Hawkgirl.After seeing how lovingly and accurately Bruce Timm portrayed Batman and Superman inBatman: The Animated SeriesandSuperman: The Animated Series, it’s easy to praise the show simply for directly porting these amazing interpretations intoJustice League.But the new DC heroes introduced there for the first time are just as faithful.
New Justice League Animated Series Coming to Cartoon Network
A new Justice League animated series is coming to Cartoon Network, with a possible 2016 premiere date.
In the years sinceJustice League, the world has gotten many decidedly inaccurate portrayals of DC’s most venerated characters.Because of that, going back to the straightforward and comic-accurate personalities of the founding team inJustice Leagueis quite refreshing, making the series somehow age better than some movies and TV shows newer than it. This is no easy accomplishment, butJustice Leaguenevertheless pulls it off consistently across its many seasons.
9Justice League’s Biggest Stories Still Feel Epic
The series knew when to lean in to a truly weighty narrative
The very formation of theJustice Leagueimplies some very terrifying existential threats to the world.Indeed, the series didn’t play around with good reasons for a team of the Earth’s most powerful heroes to exist,thrusting them into many arcs laden with potentially world-ending gravitas.WhenJustice Leaguemade its way to these more intense overarching stories, it knows how to make them feel epic in the true sense of the word.
From the CADMUS arc ofJustice League Unlimitedto the terrifying return of Darkseid and the anti-life equation inJustice League,both shows had plenty of serious arcs that necessitated the full strength of the team.
Simply gauging different characters' reactions to certain narrative beats makes them easy to measure in terms of severity.From the CADMUS arc ofJustice League Unlimitedto the terrifying return of Darkseid and the anti-life equation inJustice League,both shows had plenty of serious arcs that necessitated the full strength of the team. The sheer amount of characters introduced in the former certainly made the continued story of the DCAU feel like a true saga of mythical proportions, as well.
8Justice League’s Most Emotional Moments Hold Up Well
The show understands nuance and subtlety just as well
As great as the epic battles for the fate of the world that play out over the course of multi-episode arcs are,Justice Leagueis just as good at balancing the more emotional beats.The show certainly isn’t non-stop fun action-adventure, with downright tragic beats balancing out the high-flying fight scenes. For example, the series has one of the betterThe Death of Supermanadaptations with episodes likeHereafter, doing the iconic story justice better than anySuperman animated movie.
The series was also great at demonstrating how the Justice League were considered heroes not just for their powers and ability to fight for the innocent, but for their outstanding personalities and depths of emotional support. A great example of this is Batman’s final conversation with the metahuman Ace, which brings her tragic tale to a tear-jerking final conclusion that demonstrates how kind and thoughtful The Dark Knight can truly be underneath the mask.It’s this more tender side to the DC universe’s characters that often gets lost in translation in lesser works.
7Justice League Does Romance Right
Dating within the workplace never looked so good
Despite largely being superhero shows primarily marketed at young boys,Justice LeagueandJustice League Unlimiteddo romance shockingly well.Of course, the classic pair-ups like Superman and Lois Lane or Black Canary and Green Arrow are adapted superbly throughout both series, making solid arcs out of these iconic relationships. But the series also wasn’t afraid to experiment with some bold new romance options that shouldn’t seem to work on-paper.
Even if they don’t get together in the end, the romantic tension between Batman and Wonder Woman is a rare will-they-won’t-they treat that works out for the series.
Oddball pairings like Huntress and The Question are oodles of fun to watch unfold as well, butthe series could even delve into some heavy topics regarding the subject, such as infidelity.Hawkgirl and Green Lantern’s forbidden romance was one of the most tantalizingly well-written romantic arcs of the series, providing some intrigue that has gone unmatched in other DC media.
6Justice League Calls Attention To John Stewart’s Green Lantern
Justice League put some respect on John Stewart’s name
Speaking of Green Lantern, the DCAU made the bold choice to focus on not classic posterboy Hal Jordan, but the then lesser-known version of Green Lantern, John Stewart. Of all the versions of Green Lantern, it’s safe to say that John Stewart wouldn’t have the popularity he enjoys today if it weren’t forJustice League’s use of him.Not only did this add some valuable diversity to the Justice League without needing to poach Cyborg from Teen Titans like more recent DC projects have, but it gave audiences a chance to examine his story and personality.
A former Marine sharpshooter, John Stewart is a fearless hero who acts like something of a straight man for the group’s theatrical antics.While his stern demeanor can make him come across as humorless at times, his relationship with Hawkgirl is an interesting bit of drama that opens up his more tender side. Even more so than many dedicated Green Lantern movies and TV shows,Justice LeagueandJustice League Unlimitedhad one of thebest adaptations of Green Lantern ever, thanks to John Stewart.
5Justice League Is Great At Introducing Obscure Characters
The series didn’t over-rely on name recognition
In the modern age of movies and TV, brand recognition is everything.For the most part, only the most beloved and iconic of comic characters get adaptations, with many of DC’s lesser known heroes and villains in particular left to languish in obscurity. From the very beginning,Justice Leaguewas keen to explore some deep cuts from the DC universe that might still have their appearance in the series as their sole TV adaptation.
Justice League Unlimitedthrew the doors wide open for character inclusion, adding uniquely uncommon picks like Rocket Red, Hourman, and Vibe, who got the pleasure of being the first Justice League member to be killed in the line of duty. Even Hawkgirl’s inclusion in the base roster could be considered a boldly obscure addition, with the character being relatively unheard of before her inclusion in the original series.This willingness to explore lesser-known characters helpsJustice Leaguestand out all these years later.
4Justice League Has Some Great Villain Teams
It isn’t just heroes that team up in the DCAU
Justice LeagueandJustice League Unlimitedare also noteworthy for having one of the few depictions of a evil version of the Justice League made out of the heroes' rouge’s gallery.From the Injustice Gang to the Secret Society to the classic Legion of Doom, the villains attempt a Justice League of their own multiple times throughout both series. Funnily enough, the C-list villain Shade always seemed to find a way to worm his way in to these supervillain teams, even if they all failed one after another.
Seeing the villains attempt to work together and interact with one another is a true treat.It’s a shock more Justice League properties haven’t focused on similar anti-Justice League groups before considering just how entertaining their episodes are. These episodes are also a great way to expose certain members of the Justice League to villains of their teammates, leading to some great interactions like Batman seducing Cheetah. It’s a shamethe DCEU’s planned Legion of Doom movienever panned out.
3Justice League Has A Great Sense Of Humor
The DCAU isn’t all doom and gloom
The DCAU had a very interesting approach to humor that feels particularly refreshing in the wake of modern superhero cinema’s MCU-ified comedy stylings.Rather than focusing on quick quips and sassy retorts that poke fun at the inherent absurdity of the superhero genre as a whole,Justice LeagueandJustice League Unlimitedactually took its setting and world quite seriously.Instead, the humor was derived from situational comedy that takes advantage of the opportunities superhero stories provide.
There are so many examples of hilarious jokes from the show that have breached containment from the fandom. Lex Luthor swapping brains with The Flash, excited to learn his identity, only to realize he has no idea who he’s looking at is an all-time classic, and Batman’s secret ability to sing soulful lounge music is proof that the Caped Crusader can truly do anything.Justice League’s humor has remained quite timeless as the years have gone on, aging the series incredibly well.
2Justice League Was The Avengers: Endgame Of Its Day
Justice League didn’t exist in a vacuum
The Marvel Cinematic Universe often gets praise for being the first superhero property to perfect the technique of introducing various solo heroes one at a time in their own projects only to then bring them together in a shared universe.This might be true as far as theMCU’s live-action moviesmay be concerned,but the DCAU pulled off the same trick years earlier thanks toJustice LeagueandJustice League Unlimited.The series essentially served as theAvengers: Endgameof its day, bringing together recognizable heroes from multiple sources.
Even if it was on TV,Justice Leaguewas the proof of concept that a shared superhero universe could work outside of the comics.
Obviously,Batman: The Animated SeriesandSuperman: The Animated Seriesare the two most obvious and famous progenitors ofJustice League.But the show drew from many more sources of inspiration beyond just its two biggest flagship characters, includingStatic Shockand even elements from the far-flung cyberpunk future ofBatman Beyond.Even if it was on TV,Justice Leaguewas the proof of concept that a shared superhero universe could work outside of the comics.
1Justice League Isn’t Afraid To Explore More Nuanced Topics
The series went far beyond simple kids' entertainment
One thingJustice Leagueshares with its DCAU predecessors is its willingness to explore more nuanced and decidedly not kid-friendly topics with class.Despite being a cartoon made to be kid-friendly, the series was somehow able to broach difficult subjects with the respect and care they deserved. Looking back, it’s hard to believe how wellJustice LeagueandJustice League Unlimitedstruck this balance time and time again.
As previously discussed, topics like infidelity, romance, and mortality were common touchstones inJustice League, exploring the human condition from the viewpoint of some characters who aren’t human at all. Even subjects like mental health weren’t off-limits forJustice League, explored in beats like The Flash’s treatment of his more harmless and unfortunate villain Trickster inJustice League Unlimited.Touching scenes like this have aged theDCAUimmaculately.
