Superman may be returning at the box office, but the Justice League is back on DVD with the second season collected on four discs. The second season features all the elements that made the animated series great – big action, story driven plots, and characters that seem to jump directly from the DC Comics pages.
The Justice League is made up of DC’s biggest heroes including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Hawkgirl. Together, they fight crime, alien threats, and supervillians.
The second season also sees a continuation of the series’ use of cameos with appearances from Lobo, Aquaman, Dr. Fate and other classic heroes. This use of minor DC characters is a formula the creators would push even further in Justice League Unlimited. The season also continues the show’s use of multi-part stories that helped give the Justice League the epic scope of the comics.
Disc One kicks off with the two-part Twilight - which also features commentary from producers Bruce Timm and James Tucker, director Butch Lukic, and story editor Dwayne McDuffie. Twilight picks up story plots from Superman: The Animated Series where the Justice League is forced to deal with Darkseid and Braniac. Episodes 3 and 4: Tabula Rasa part 1 and 2 is action packed with the League forced to deal with an android that can mimic their powers who just happens to be under the control of Lex Luther. Episodes 5 and 6: Only A Dream part 1 and 2 sees the League tangling with Dr. Destiny and their own nightmares.
The first disc sets the tone for the whole season. It picks up everything that made the first season a success and improves on it with more action and bigger stories. This is a pace that the entire season will follow, and fans will love.
DC's biggest superheroes return in season two
Disc Two starts of with Wonder Woman in the spotlight with episodes 7 and 8: Maid of Honor. The two parter finds Wonder Woman and Batman teaming up to take on Vandal Savage (seen in the first season). Episodes 9 and 10: Hearts and Minds part 1 and 2 see the League team up with members of the Green Lantern Corps to take on Despero. Episodes 11 and 12: A Better World finds the League jumping alternate realities (a theme that is common with the superheroes) and facing other versions of themselves.
The second disc is a bit slower than the first, but the addition of the Lantern Corps and the other versions of the League more than make up for any faults. The disc also includes commentary on A Better World with producers Bruce Timm and James Tucker, writer Stan Berkowitz, and story editor Dwayne McDuffie.
Disc Three starts off with some humor thanks to the two part Eclipsed (episodes 13 and 14) where the League has to deal with Flash seeking fame through commercials and a gem that turns even heroes evil. Episodes 15 and 16: The Terror Beyond sees the return of Aquaman who teams with Dr. Fate, and Solomon's Grundy for an origin tale. Episode 19 and 20: Secret Society sees a supergroup of villains formed by Gorilla Grodd.
Disc Three continues the action and the addition of extra DC characters that makes the show great. It also has the special feature Justice League Declassified which takes you behind the scenes of the series. This is similar to the special features on the first season with a round table of the creators discussing the show and how they approach the characters. Also, my copy of the DVD has a misprint with the two part Hereafter listed on Disc Three and Secret Society listed on Disc Four.
Season two features more action and bigger stories
Disc Four’s two parter Hereafter (episodes 19 and 20) sees time traveling plot elements return as Superman is thought dead but actually shot forward in time. He is forced to team with the villain Vandal Savage to get back. Also, the episode features the appearance of Lobo. The season takes a break from the big storylines with episode 21’s Comfort and Joy where we get a Christmas special Justice League style.
Episodes 22 and 23 Wild Card finds the Joker playing havoc with the League as they rush to defuse several bombs while the Joker broadcast the event on television. The season ends with the three part Starcrossed (which was also released as an individual movie) where the League has to deal with a Thanagarian invasion and a betrayal from Hawkgirl.
The final three part Starcrossed is hands down the best story of the season and sets up the show’s revamping into Justice League Unlimited. The Hawkgirl storyline is finally revealed and the story features some of the biggest action of the two seasons. The Starcrossed story also features commentary from producers Bruce Timm and James Tucker, director Butch Lukic, and story editor Dwayne McDuffie.
If you are a fan of the Justice League, the collection of the second season is a must have. Like the first season collection, some of the episodes have been released on DVD before, but it is still worth having the entire season collected in one set. The season will not disappoint thanks to bigger stories, more action, and more characters. I wish there could have been more special features included, but it doesn’t really hurt the set.
The villians return to pester the heroes
Overall, I would still recommend the collection to any fan of comics, animation, or Justice League Unlimited. The show was a monster hit for Warner Bros., and is probably one of the best superhero cartoons ever created.
Justice League - Season Two is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD’s database for more information.
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