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258 of 262 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Actually Justice League Unlimited - Seasons One And Two! , July 31, 2006
When the Cartoon Network picked up Seasons Three and Four of "Justice League" after Season Two finished, they did so with the conditions that 1) instead of two-part stories, they wanted half-hour, self-contained stories; and 2) they wanted a fresher version of the show that clearly differentiated Season Three [and up] from Seasons One and Two. The producers obliged. The result was the re-titled "Justice League Unlimited."
The series creators' mandate, according to producer/story editor Dwayne McDuffie, was simply to tell really good stories with very small groups of characters, combining some of the original heroes with the new ones. These half-hour, power-packed stories (most notably, the Stan Berkowitz/Robert Goodman-penned "Fearful Symmetry") ultimately snowballed into the highly-praised, two-season long "Cadmus arc" which involves a government conspiracy formed to combat the ever-increasingly powerful Justice League. And don't forget "Epilogue" featuring a startling Batman revelation.
Watching the original founding members of the Justice League joined by an even greater collection of heroes including Supergirl, Green Arrow, Captain Atom, Booster Gold, Vigilante, and the Question is just fun unto itself. During a given episode, I'd be like Hey, Hawk & Dove! Hey, Booster Gold! Hey, The Question! Hey, Red Tornado! So, for me, part of the fun in having so many heroes available for JLU was seeing which hero (obscure or otherwise) would appear on the show (whether on a mission or in the background). A lot of the heroes would probably never get their own show, so JLU was a fun way of introducing these heroes in animated form.
JLU also benefited from more contributions from well-known comic book creators. Not to mention even more inspired voice casting including TV brothers Fred Savage and Jason Hervey (The Wonder Years) in reversed roles as brothers "Hawk (the aggressor) and Dove" (the pacifist), respectively; Dennis Farina (Crime Story, Law & Order) as aging tough guy Wildcat in "The Cat and the Canary"; Tom Everett Scott (Saved) as gloryhound Booster Gold in "The Greatest Story Never Told"; and CCH Pounder (ER, The Shield) as the voice of Amanda Waller; JLU's new opening rock theme was provided by Michael McCuistion.
Though the box cover of this set is titled "Justice League Unlimited - Season One," this 4-disc Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) set actually contains both JLU Seasons One and Two (each 13 episodes) for a combined count of 26 episodes. No doubt Amazon and the previous reviewer will make edits in their descriptions of this product given this revelation. Season One title aside, just know that you're getting two seasons worth of JLU episodes in one package! Special features include: "And Justice for all": The process of revamping the series with new characters and a new creative direction; "Themes of Justice": Choose your favorite JLU musical theme audio tracks; Creators' Commentary on "This Little Piggy" and "The Return".
JLU Season One:
1. Initiation
2. For the Man Who Has Everything
3. Kid Stuff
4. Hawk and Dove
5. This Little Piggy
6. Fearful Symmetry
7. The Greatest Story Never Told
8. The Return
9. Ultimatum
10.Dark Heart
11.Wake the Dead
12.The Once and Future Thing: Weird Western Tales
13.The Once and Future Thing: Time, Warped
JLU Season Two:
1. The Cat and the Canary
2. The Ties That Bind
3. The Doomsday Sanction
4. Task Force X
5. The Balance
6. Double Date
7. Clash
8. Hunter's Moon
9. Question Authority
10.Flashpoint
11.Panic in the Sky
12.Divided We Fall
13.Epilogue
Unlimited Heroes. Unlimited Justice. Unlimited Fun!
Highly Recommended!!
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184 of 187 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Justice League - now accepting applications, July 28, 2006
YES! I finally got my paws on this - JLU Season One! Don't get me wrong, the first two seasons of Justice League were great! Justice League, after all, was the logical next step in the progression and maturation of the DC animated universe, which began with the superbly gritty Batman: TAS, followed by the aesthetically cleaner looking Superman: TAS. But, as a lifelong fan of crossover comics, where heroes interact daily, I was happily stunned when they, in effect, opened up the whole DC roster of heroes to the viewing audience. Justice League has always had sweeping, big-budget sensibilities and an escalated level of jeopardy. But with JLU, the scope expands even more and the stakes are raised even higher. Time travel, technology run amok, magic of the highest order, clandestine government operations - these are all effectively explored in JLU.
Warner Brothers may label it as the complete first season but this box set actually includes JLU Seasons 1 and 2 (chronologically Justice League seasons 3 and 4, if you really wanna get technical). Following the harrowing closing events of Justice League Season Two, in which the team thwarts an alien invasion and suffers betrayal from a League member, the third season finds the League expanding its roster from the original seven to over 50 costumed heroes, thus meriting the title change to Justice League Unlimited. These new episodes, while still occasionally showcasing the core members, tend to focus more on the new recruits. Noteworthy rookies are Green Arrow, Captain Atom, the Question, Black Canary, the Atom, Booster Gold, and Supergirl. JLU, unlike Justice League, features a continuing story arc which, in effect, inundates the whole season. In JLU Season 1, the focusing element is more or less the shady, super-secret government agency Project Cadmus and its insiduous machinations and escalating hostilities against the League. Project Cadmus, which deals in genetic engineering, is the government's first line of defense should the Justice League go rogue. Project Cadmus initially came into being after a brainwashed Superman attempted to invade Earth (Superman: TAS Volume 3, "Legacy"). The incident with the Justice Lords (Justice League Season 2: "A Better World") merely broadened the Project's goals to include the League. This storyline carries over into the next season and isn't actually resolved until the final episodes of JLU Season 2. These interlinked stories serve to add fantastic depth and a sense of continuity and drive to this animated series. All the episodes are presented in their widescreen cinematic-like glory. The theme music and opening and closing sequences have been altered, but not gratingly so.
All the episodes are excellent (excepting the merely decent "Hawk and Dove") but my favorites of JLU Season One are: "Kid Stuff," where we see further developments in the Batman-Wonder Woman romance and we also see four of the original Justice Leaguers converted to kids (Batboy is a gas!); "This Little Piggy," where Batman attempts to rescue the porcine Wonder Woman and, along the way, gets to sing "Am I Blue?" in a nightclub; "The Greatest Story Never Told," which is all about the glory hound Booster Gold and his sycophant robot sidekick Skeets; and the very cool "The Once and Future Thing" storyline, which has League members chasing Chronos and traveling back in time to the Old West and then to the future of the Batman Beyond universe. It was nice to see old friends Static and Terry McGinnis (Bats Beyond) again in the "The Once and Future Thing: Part 2." Standout episodes of Season 2 are: "The Ties That Bind," which casts Mr. Miracle in a starring role; "Task Force X," where you just have to root for the bad guys; "Clash," which pits the World's Mightiest Mortal vs. the Man of Steel; and the 4 episodes ("Question Authority," "Flashpoint," "Panic in the Sky," and "Divided We Fall") which conclude the Project Cadmus arc.
The voice actors continue to lend gravitas to their animated roles. The great Kevin Conroy is simply irreplaceable as Bats. Carl Lumbly contributes depth and weight and conveys a sense of unimagined solitude in his Martian Manhunter vocalizations, while Maria Canals ably portrays the feisty warrior-woman Shayera Hol (Hawkgirl). Phil LaMar gives John Stewart (Green Lantern) a formidable military sensibility. I still miss Tim Daly as Superman, but George Newbern comes into his own as the season progresses. Clancy Brown's awesome voice is used to great effect in his rendering of the wily, ever-scheming Lex Luthor. Kin Shriner, by the way, voices the stubborn Green Arrow to contentious perfection.
Now, for having 2 seasons come in one packaging, this 4-dvd-set doesn't really have a lot of extra features. Disc 1 has "And Justice for All" - a 9-minute look at the revamping process of the series, as well as audio commentaries (by Bruce Timm & others) on 2 episodes: "This Little Piggy" and "The Return". Disc 4 contains "Themes of Justice" - where you select (yawn!) your favorite JLU musical audio track - and trailers for other animated shows. And...that's it! So, yeah, the lack of more extras is very disappointing.
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Justice League Unlimited Season One contains these episodes:
"Initiation" (episode 1) - Green Arrow takes center stage as he reluctantly becomes a member of JLI, joining forces with Green Lantern, Captain Atom and Supergirl as they fly to Asia to face off against a gigantic nuclear creature. Green Arrow's loose cannon persona amusingly clashes with Capt. Atom's rigidness.
"For the Man Who Has Everything" (episode 2) - Batman and Wonder Woman drop in on Superman for his birthday in the Fortress of Solitude, only to find that Mongol has also crashed the party and has brought snacks for everyone - knuckle sandwiches.
"Kid Stuff" (episode 3) - Mordred magicks all adults off the planet, but his mother Morgan Le Fay enchants Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern into tots to combat him. A humorous, must-see episode.
"Hawk and Dove" (episode 4) - The focus is on the war-minded Hawk and his peace-loving brother Dove as they, with the aid of Wonder Woman, go up against the Annihilator, an invincible creature of war created by Ares in an attempt to initiate WWIII.
"This Little Piggy" (episode 5) - The enchantress Circe transforms Wonder Woman into a pig in this hilarious episode. Batman, with Zatanna, must find a way to change Wonder Woman back.
"Fearful Symmetry" (episode 6) - Project Cadmus comes to the fore as Supergirl begins to delve into her disturbing dreams, with the help of Green Arrow and the inquisitive Question. Cameo appearance by Prof. Hamilton from the animated Superman series.
"The Greatest Story Never Told" (episode 7) - Booster Gold is shunted off to the side and relegated to crowd control as the big guns battle the powerful Mordru. However, Booster gets a shot at the big time when he chances upon a sentient black hole that threatens to swallow, well, just about everything.
"The Return" (episode 8) - The unstoppable superandroid Amazo (from Justice League Season 2: "Tabula Rasa") returns from deep space and vengefully targets Lex Luthor, who has "turned over a new leaf." The full might of the JLU is set loose for the first time as the heroes attempt to nullify Amazo. Meanwhile, it's up to Luthor and the Atom to come up with a weapon to save the day.
"Ultimatum" (episode 9) - Maxwell Lord is the money man behind the Ultimen, a supposedly altruistic band of superheroes, who wants to be the people's choice of heroes. Of course, they end up confronting the JLU. This is a great nostalgia piece for fans of the Superfriends show, as the members of the Ultimen are based in large part on old-school heroes such as Apache Chief, Samurai, Black Lightning, and the Wonder Twins. Also, Project Cadmus once again rears its ugly head.
"Dark Heart" (episode 10) - The JLU tries to hold off an invading nanotechnological alien creature, who is self-replicating and ever expanding. It's up to the Atom again to breach the surface of the alien technology and cut things down to size (sorry).
"Wake the Dead" (episode 11) - An out-of-control, muddle-headed Solomon Grundy is magically restored to life and begins to wreak havoc. Dr. Fate and Aquaman, among others, attempt to counter him, but it's finally up to a grieving Shayera to put a final end to Grundy. A bittersweet ending to this story.
"The Once and Future Thing, Part 1: Weird Western Tales" (episode 12) - A rousing time travel two-parter. Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and Bats temporally chase Chronos into the Old West, where they hook up with DC western heroes such as Jonah Hex, Batlash and El Diablo. Then the Justice Leaguers, still tracking Chronos, travel to the future universe of Batman Beyond.
"The Once and Future Thing, Part 2: Time, Warped" (episode 13) - Conclusion. In the Batman Beyond universe, the time-travelling Justice Leaguers partner up with the future Justice League to shut down Chronos. The future Justice League has on its roster Batman Beyond, Warhawk (Green Lantern and Shayera's son), and a mature Static. The current League also meets the future Bruce Wayne, very much older and arthritic but still very intense and in full faculty.
Justice League Unlimited Season 2 contains the following episodes:
"The Cat and the Canary" (episode 1) - The Black Canary and Green Arrow try to help Canary's mentor Wildcat, who's indulging his midlife crisis by competing in Meta-Brawl, an underground super-powered fight club.
"The Ties That Bind" (episode 2) - This episode focuses on Jack Kirby's Fourth World characters as...
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best DC animation since the Batman animated series, August 14, 2006
After the cataclysmic events of the "Star Crossed" season two finale of Justice League, the show was re-formatted and re-launched as Justice League Unlimited: and now featured an enormous cast of DC heroes uniting to take on an ever growing list of villains which threaten the world. In addition to Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and the distrusted Hawkgirl; characters like Aquaman, Green Arrow, Supergirl, Captain Atom, Dr. Fate, Captain Marvel, Red Tornado, Black Canary, Wildcat, Huntress, the Atom, the Question, Hawk & Dove, Mr. Miracle, Big Barda, Booster Gold, Zatanna, Vixen, and Vigilante join the fold in one capacity or another. While it gets off to a shaky start, JLU really takes off in the second half of the first season as Cadmus forges ahead with their own agenda (led by Amanda Waller, voiced by the always excellent CCH Pounder) and Lex Luthor (still voiced by the great Clancy Brown) eyes the presidency, and the destruction of the JLU. The rest of the voice casting is superb as well, including mainstays like Kevin Conroy (still the best Batman voice ever) and Phil LaMar as Green Lantern, but the guest voices are just as great, including Wonder Years brothers Fred Savage and Jason Hervey in reverse roles as brothers Hawk & Dove, Dennis Farina as aging tough guy Wildcat, and Tom Everett Scott as the underappreciated Booster Gold. The villains that the JLU takes on are a nice assorted bunch as well, including Mongul, Doomsday, Solomon Grundy, and a delicious ode to the classic Suicide Squad lineup with Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and others. Of the 26 episodes here, many have their own great moments (Superman and Captain Marvel going toe to toe in "Clash", Batman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman jumping across time in "The Once and Future Thing", which features Jonah Hex, a grown up Static Shock, and future Batman Terry McGinnis), but the season closing episodes in which the original seven members take on Luthor and Brainiac is truly great animated television. However, the season closer "Epilogue" gives the late Batman Beyond show the closure that it always deserved, as an older Terry McGinnis learns the truth behind his own origin, and a choice Bruce Wayne had to make years before that set in motion his destiny to become the Batman of the future. There's so much more here worth mentioning, but seeing it for yourself is better. Undoubtadly the best DC animation since Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited is superb, and here's hoping that there's more spectacular super powered action to come.
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