Animated Superzeroes At Their Finest!
While the DC Universe’s venture into the world of big budget blockbusters has been met with lukewarm responses at best, there’s no denying that when it comes to the small screen the likes of the Justice League and their companions are undisputed champions, especially when it comes to animation. Whether its adapting iconic comic plots or putting their own spin on origin stories, this long-running series of direct-to-video flicks have captured the spirit of these beloved characters like no other. For the most part.
While the likes of Flashpoint Paradox, Under the Red Hood, Assault on Arkham and Crisis on Two Earths stand as shining examples of how the medium can create some truly spectacular stories, there are a couple that have lost their footing at the final hurdle and left many fans unimpressed.
#3: “Batman: Bad Blood” (2016)
While the majority of these animated flicks are meant to serve as standalone stories, there have been a few that follow a single narrative thread. The one thing tying them together being the fourth Robin aka Damien Wayne aka Batman’s son. While some of the entries in this mini-series had some charm to them, this was the one that got too cluttered for its own good. Focusing on the return of Talia Al Ghul, Batwoman and Batwing’s first appearance, not to mention Batman’s supposed death, the film was the furthest thing from fluid.
#2: “Justice League: War” (2014)
In what was supposed to be a far grittier imagining to the formation of the DC Universe’s greatest super-team, what we got instead was a lacklustre product that had the potential to be so much more. Iconic characters like Shazam and Green Lantern come across as unlikable jerks, the battle against Darkseid is so rushed it just ends up being totally unfulfilling, basically nobody is given the development they deserve. It’s a shame since we could really rally behind Alan Tudyk as Superman.
#1: “The Killing Joke” (2016)
Wildly regarded as one of the greatest graphic novels of all time, you would have thought an adaptation would have pulled out all the stops in order to do justice to the source material. Perhaps they might have accomplished that if they had stuck to the book’s plot instead of adding another thirty minutes on top…which focused on Batman and Batgirl’s sexual relationship. It’s as cringe-worthy as it sounds and greatly diminishes whatever impact the rest of the film might have had. What a waste of the original cast!
Be sure to check out video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Best DC Animated Films!