Justice League: The Complete Series Review

Written on November 17, 2009 by Marc Eastman in Television

Get ready for amazing adventure with Justice League: The Complete Series, now available in a 91-episode, 15-disc collection. The action-packed series featuring Superman, Batman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Hawkgirl can now be yours, and in limited-edition collector’s packaging (a metal case with two box inserts).

Bruce Timm (character designer/producer) has created quite a list of animated universes over the years, but none stands out quite so much as Justice League (which in the third season expanded/morphed into Justice League Unlimited). Starting with Batman, which soared to fame and is a great series, Timm has followed up with Superman, Wonder Woman, Teen Titans, and Green Lantern: First Flight, all of which have the Timm signature look and feel about them.

Justice League stands out to me mainly in terms of the complex and intriguing stories. While Batman, for example, had solid plots, great action, and was a lot of fun, Justice League took things to a whole new level. Often multi-episode arcs, Justice League spins great detail, depth, and character into the stories it tells, all while retaining the spirit of superhero fun that’s an obvious requirement.

The first two seasons (which are actually Justice League) also run through a wonderful mix of character-driven stories, with any particular storyline being mainly connected to one of the members’ story/history/universe. After that the show become Justice League Unlimited, and open the doors to several new superheroes, and the challenges becoming mind-bending. Green Arrow, Supergirl, and quite a number of others joined in, and a lot of work went into plots which showcase the team working together.

I recall that at the time Justice League was in its second season someone described it as having the best writing on television. While that might be going a bit too far, it’s a statement that shouldn’t be dismissed too quickly. Getting these characters together, and making sense of the team dynamic is pretty complicated stuff, and it’s taken very seriously. Add to that the fact that the show tackles these characters, as characters, in several-episode arcs, and it becomes a wonder that there’s time to also fit in supervillains, action, and wild adventure. Often these character explorations are not exactly showcases for non-stop thrills, like when Hawkgirl’s past catches up to her and turns out to not be very nice at everyone, or when Green Lantern goes on trial, but the storytelling never lets up.

The show has been released before (I believe as individual seasons), and as far as I can tell many of the special features are carry-overs from those releases, although there is a bonus 15th disc with new additions.

The breakdown on the discs is -

Discs 1-4 – Justice League Season One – Standard format as originally broadcast.

Special feature include several commentary tracks and featurettes. Inside Justice League, which is a panel discussion with the show’s creators. A storyboard and character design featurette (both of which are very cool), and the original promo for the show.

Discs 5-8 – Justice League Season Two – Widescreen format as originally broadcast.

Again, there are some commentary tracks and other bonuses. Voices of Justice is a featurette which explores the work of providing the voices for the show and has the voice actors answering fan questions. Look, Up in the Sky! is an excerpt from the documentary The Amazing Story of Superman. Justice Legue Declassified, among the most fun featurettes you’ll find here, is a trip behind-the-scenes with the creative team.

Discs 9-14 – Justice League Unlimited Seasons One and Two – Widescreen format as originally broadcast.

There are only two commentary tracks for the second season, and the featurettes are a bit slimmer. And Justice for All is actually a nice treat, because it walks us through the ideas behind revamping the series. There are a couple of other bonuses on these discs, some to do with altering the music track, and reliving favorite moments, but they don’t stand out.

Disc 15 – Bonus.

This disc includes the all-new featurette Unlimited Reserve: Exploring the Depths of the DC Universe, and while it isn’t exactly a spectacular bonus, it’s well done and is going to be interesting for fans. The general idea is revisiting the difficulties posed by trying to fit all these characters together.

91-episode collections are going to come with a price tag, but this a great collection of a solid show, and well worth the price.