Justice League Unlimited Seasons One and Two: Must have for JLU Fans. (1 Viewer)

[Jerome Grate]

It takes alot to get me to purchase a TV show on DVD, but when I saw JLU available I said I picked this up. Well let me tell you, this was clearly one of the better purchases I made to my collection. I haven't looked at the special features yet, but yesterday (Sunday) during the Noreaster we did a complete JLU marathon my 6 year old son and myself. The package is matted widescreen but anamorphic nonetheless and the picture is beautiful. It's in Dolby Surround but Logic 7 on the HK does a real good job with the sound presentation. We watched season one and will do season two this coming weekend. JLU Fans you are going to love the set. It's a shame that they only did two seasons, because the stories are very well done, and at one point my wife was interested in some of the episodes. Definetly a must have.

 

[Sam Favate]

Actually, they did three seasons, each consisting of 13 episodes. For some reason, the first 26 were packaged together and called "Season 1," while the final 13 were packaged as "Season 2."

 

[Matt Lucas]

Hello all---

I just wanted to add my two or three cents as well. These two sets are a LOT of fun, particularly for a reformed comic geek like myself. There are lots of tips of the hat to longtime fans, but don't let that stop you from checking these shows out. You don't have to know much of anything about these heroes to enjoy the shows. In fact, I would say that, if you liked THE INCREDIBLES, you'd probably like JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED as well.

The characterization is surprisingly well-done, particularly for charcters like Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Supergirl, and others. The stories are snappy and move along at a strong pace, but they also pause to take a breath when it's needed.

The writers also have a wicked sense of humor, and many sly jokes and great script exchanges are included for the benefit of the parents out that like me. For example:


...and the voice actors are out of this world. There is talent on this show's crew from top to bottom. Producer Bruce Timm and his group, all of whom share credit for the success of the many series that they've created, are moving into the realm of direct-to-video. I look forward to their first two productions, which supposedly concern "The Death of Superman" story that was published about 10 years ago and a new Justice League ["The New Frontier"] story that takes place in the past. See the link below for more information:

http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/news/030307.php

mattl

 

[Jerome Grate]

Matt, reading your post confirms my feelling about how it's a shame that they stop making the series. Last night I was watching the episode mentioned with Egypt and the best line in the episode was when Green Lantern sees Hawkgirl in the elevator in a dress and he interrupts his comments to her with the phrase Judas Priest
Hilarious.

 

[Matt Lucas]

Hello all---


That was a great line! Those kinds of simple off-the-cuff responses during the course of an episode really make the show for me. There was an episode where the main members [Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, etc.] were going to turn themselves in to the government as an act of good will because the JL had been framed for a horrible attack. Anyway, when they call up Batman to tell him to surrender---a guy who has always been clear that he considers himself a part-timer---his immediate response is a quick, terse, "You want me to WHAT?!?" It's exactly what you'd expect his response to be.

I crack up every time I see that one. My seven-year-old does a great impression of Bats.

Speaking of sharing the show with your kids, my son absolutely loves the show, but there are episodes that I think are a little too heavy in terms of subject matter or mood for little kids. There are certainly some of the episodes that I don't let him watch. But some of the lighter ones are fine for all ages, I think. My four-year-old daughter absolutely loves Supergirl and Wonder Woman.

But the stories are just plain great. The whole Cadmus storyline was amazing.

mattl

 

[Sam Favate]

Yeah, that was my favorite thing they ever did. Some great writing in that arc, and the writers weaved together a story using so many varied characters. It was probably the crowning achievement of the Bruce Timm DC animated shows. There's a cool bonus feature on the Cadmus arc on the Season 2 set (ironically, not the set that includes the Cadmus arc). Worth checking out.

 

[Jerome Grate]

Defintely, a while back I had to dance around my son's question when Hawkgirl made the comment about The Flash being the fastest man on earth and why he doesn't have a date. Also when I was watching the Epilogue with my son and Supergirl was fighting her older clone, my son blurted out "Chick Fight". I laughed and gave him a look and he said oops "Cat fight". I couldn't stop laughing. I corrected him later but it was one of those father son moments that made the day a nice one.

 

[Matt Lucas]

I know what you mean! Luckily, most of the more adult-geared comments sort of fly over my son's head. I try to restrain my own responses and laughter, because, unless I crack up, he doens't really know anything special has been said. It's just that sometimes it's hard...!

Some of the Darkseid-related episodes seemed a little intense for smaller kids, just because the guy is so evil and doesn't have a problem killing people with no remorse. And the couple of episodes that take place in the super-hero fight club were a little weird to show a small child. He didn't really understand at first why heroes were fighting heroes and why people would want to watch that and bet on it.

Luckily, these types of things are the exception, not the rule.

mattl

 

[Harpozep]

My little girl loved watching them on TV with us. I though some were a bit too intense as well, but she turned to me and said " Fighting is the wrong thing that you sometimes have to do!' Kinda cool for a then five year old to say......

She had already seen a couple of seasons of Teen Titans ( another great show if you can get used to the character design ).

These days she plays Marvel Alliance like there's no tomorrow and paints pictures of Storm, Electra, and MS Marvel !

SHe does wonder though why Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl are not part of Marvel Alliance. I explain that is it like the Disney Channel and Cartoon Network. Each has its own shows and they do not crossover.
Of course I think I'll confuse her when I do show her all the DC/Marvel crossovers in the trade paperbacks at our store. Oh yes, we own a comic store!
And today is new book day, so I'm off to put out the goodies! Katy will be with me too since she has the week off from school and is reading voraciously.

For comics she found the Archies all on her own and has taken to them with gusto, even putting all the ones we have in order!
She still reads Teen Titans Go as well.

I look forward to seeing all the JLU episodes as we now have them on DVD as well. Time for that marathon

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

I love the show too and watch them while I am on the treadmill. Nothing like good motivation then watching Superheroes, with big muscles and great strength, in action.

 

[Jerome Grate]

The question is does it make a difference

 

[Peter McM]

I love the humanity these characters showed--the flaws, the inner struggles of both heroes and villains. I liked the romantic, sometimes even sexual undertones, being handled with realism and taste. But when it was indicated that Gorilla Grodd and Tala were, um, involved--I couldn't help but thinking, "Parents should be talking to their children right now..." :wink:

I'm hoping to see a 4-season Justice League/JLU box set.

 

[AlexF]

I picked one up today actually. Well, it's a re-packaging of the four season sets into one big slipcase. But it saved me about $75 CAD. And, like the Superman set (I got in the same way for about the price of one season), I likely wouldn't have bought the entire series otherwise.

 

[Peter McM]

Alex:

Thanks for letting me know this exists already. Where did you find it? I checked Amazon.com and a couple other places, and while I found a JLU 2-season set, I couldn't locate anything with all four.

 

[AlexF]

Best Buy in downtown Toronto. I've not seen it anywhere else, but then again... I didn't look for it either anywhere else so...

They also had one for the Batman Beyond series... all three seasons, plus the uncut Return of the Joker movie. I didn't get that... I already had the lot of them...

All we need now is the Zeta Project and Static Shock. Whee.

 

[Matt Lucas]

Hello all---


Hah! We skip that episode at our house when the kids are watching...! *grin* That one made me wince a little bit, by the way. "I don't even WANT to think about how that works..."

mattl

 

[Richard_Gregory]

Yep it's a great series.

I'm wondering if the upcoming movie based on "The Death of Superman" will deal with Doomsday properly though.

He's appeared in JLU a couple of times and doesn't seem to fit in properly, and he seems surprisingly weak ....

 

[Matt Lucas]

Do you mean weak in terms of character or use of the character, or weak in terms of how his powers are presented?

I trust that they'll do a great job, though I'm a little curious about who has returned with Timm this time around. I assume James Tucker has his hands full with LEGION OF SUPERHEROES.

I'm a little disappointed that they recruited different voice actors. As far as I'm concerned, they had everyone down perfectly with the previous cast. Maybe it's just a simple case of the originals not being available right now.

I'm also disappointed that the new DTV Superman will be PG-13. The thing about the JL and JLU [and, for that matter, all of the Timm shows] episodes that I always loved was the balance between kid appeal and adult-comic-geek appeal. The adult-geared stuff wasn't too heavy, which meant that the shows were still okay for kids to see.

Maybe it's the subject itself, and they feel that kids would have a hard time seeing their hero die, which is certainly understandable. I just hope this isn't a trend for the DC DTVs. The fan boy in me wants to see everything AND the kitchen sink, but the parent in me wants to be able to share this stuff with my kids, too.

Actually, I just discovered a new Timm interview that mentions this issue. Check it out:

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=105799

Regardless, any disappointment I feel is surpassed by the complete joy I feel just knowing that Timm's universe is continuing, albeit in a slightly different format.

Speaking of Doomsday in the JL/JLU shows, in which episodes did he appear? I know he's in the JLU episode [is it "Doomsday Sanction"?] in which he is freed from the Cadmus labs and he and Superman fight in a volcano. Did he appear in others? I know they changed his background so that, in the show, he was a sort of mutated clone of Superman. I'm no purist...I'm a fan...so I don't mind the changes like that so much, and I think, on some level, it made sense in context with Cadmus, etc.

mattl

 

[Paul_Scott]

Just finished S2 (actually S3) last night. After the heights of JLU S1(1&2), and then going back and watching JL S2, and enjoying that, I found JLU S2 to be a little more scattershot than I was expecting- especially considering they were only 13 eps this time. But looking back, I can't remember any eps I really disliked, and a couple I liked as much as any of the best of the other seasons.

I did like the way the secret society plotline eventually paid off- I didn't see that curveball coming at all and ended the show on a big free for all action beat.

Yeah, I felt the same way.
not a fan of animated material in general, but this JL ride has been a lot of fun.

Excellant voice work too, they really went out of their way to 'cast' these properly.