Without a doubt, Warner Brother's team-up with DC Comic has created some of the best super-hero animated series to ever hit TV screens. The show that started it off was the superlative "Batman: The Animated Series", which I have written about countless times in reviews for all of the websites I write for. It still stands as the benchmark (as much as I hate using corporate euphemisms) of what a superhero animated series should be. Everything from the style of the animation to the stories to the perfect voice casting, came together to create something unmatched to this day. (The full series is now available on DVD, and I highly recommend it, by the way.)

But I'm here today to talk about a different series that benefited from what was done right, even to the point of carrying over the voice casting of Kevin Conroy as Batman. The series is, of course, "The Justice League." Created for Carton Network back in 2001, brought together Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, J'onn J'onzz and Hawkgirl to form the team known in comic books as "The Justice League of America." Previously, we had a similar incarnation back in the 70's called "Super Friends", but where that series fell prey to the campy style that was so pervasive in comics at the time, this new series took things much more seriously.

What little humor could be found here came mostly in the glib one-liners spouted by the Flash, but other than that it was all action. I still remember seeing all the promos for the first episode (which was in 3-parts) and I could not wait for the first night it was going to air. I kicked back, ready to be impressed and at first… I'll have to admit I was a little less so. This first episode brought the heroes together to tackle an alien invasion with a storyline ripped directly out of "War of the Worlds." That was my first complaint. I wanted something a little more original to start the series off with a bang. Then there was the matter of voice casting. I was thrilled to hear Kevin Conroy as Batman, but I had a real problem with George Newbern as Superman. For some reason his voice just sounded to… weak… to be coming from the Man of Steel. He sounded a little more like the Man of Aluminum. The other voices were perfect however, Michael Rosenbaum (The Flash), Carl Lumbly (J'onn J'onnz), Phil LaMarr (Green Lantern), Susan Eisenberg (Wonder Woman) and Maria Canals (Hawkgirl) all did a great job with the voiceover work, but Newbern just didn’t work for me. So much so that it made me cringe every time he spoke.

That said, I opted to keep watching the series to see if I would be any more impressed. Happily, not only did the series get better, but it got so much better that Newbern's voice work no longer bothered me. (To his credit, he really did start to do a better job as the series wore on eventually growing into the role.) All of the episodes were a half hour, but they were in 2 parts so in essence all the stories were an hour long. This made for some great stories, some of which were adapted and updated from some of the comic books I read as a kid.

Over time, the series not only got better (as I mentioned), but it began to change a little during the 3rd season. The title was changed to "Justice League Unlimited" and the membership roster was expanded in order to include a lot more than just the core heroes. We were treated to the likes of Green Arrow (a favorite of mine as a kid), Zatanna, Black Canary, Atom, Elongated Man, Supergirl, Dr. Fate, and even Jonah Hex (another fave of mine…even if he wasn't a superhero). They also stopped making 2 part episodes, which was the only step backwards I thought they made, but admittedly there were times that Cartoon Network wouldn't air them in the right order and it was hard to keep up.

Warner Brothers began releasing the Justice League episodes in small DVD sets, each with its own 2-part episode. I didn’t really think this was a very good idea, and certainly did not want to spend that much money to collect an entire season's worth of episodes. But last year, the announcement was made that they were finally going to release a full first season set. This was the news that holdouts like me longed for while those who bought the earlier releases dreaded.

When I originally received the 1st season set, I was pleased to see that my wife was just as excited about watching the episodes as I was (she usually rolls her eyes) and we set off on our little Justice League adventure. It took a couple of days to get them all in, but it was worth the ride. I had missed a few of the episodes in this season due to Cartoon Network's schedule, so I was glad to catch what I had not seen.

Warner's has since released the 2nd season, and are now gearing up to release the 3rd. Well, actually it is being titled as though it is a whole new series. It's listed as "Justice League Unlimited: Season 1", but we all know it’s really the 3rd season. This is the season that expanded the show and as I only saw a few episodes as they originally aired, I was actually quite surprised to see just how many heroes were added to the Justice League roster. There were so many in fact, that my wife had to keep asking me who they were and I actually couldn't name them all! There were a ton I recognized as we watched the series, but I hadn't read comics in such a long time that there names were gone.

The episodes that are offered here are every bit as good as those in the earlier seasons. The addition of so many heroes to the fold only opened up doors that the writers couldn't go through before. But one of the best episodes offered only used our core heroes, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. The episode was called "For the Man Who Has Everything" and it was adapted from a story written for the comics by Alan Moore. Those of you familiar with the name know he is the genius behind "V for Vendetta", "The Watchmen" and "The Saga of the Swamp Thing." He is one of the best writers to ever hit the comics arena and the adaptation of his story in this episode proves it. But I know that the story had to have been pared down to fit the show's half hour format, so I am planning on tracking down a trade paperback of the series if it exists.

Along with the 26 episodes in this set, Warners opted to include some nice extra features. There are commentaries on 2 of the episodes, all of which offer some great insight into the creation of the series, as well as the writer's reverence for the characters. You'll also find a short featurette where the creators talk about how they set out to revamp the series with so many new characters. There is also a feature that allows you to choose your favorite "JLU" music theme audio track.

Warner Brothers has been releasing some great sets for its animated superhero line, and the ones for the 1st and 2nd seasons of "Justice League" and now the '1st' season of "Justice League Unlimited" have lived up to expectations. I understand there are already plans for the rest of the episodes to be released and all I can say is, "Bring 'em on!!"

Episodes:
Initiation
For the Man Who Has Everything
Hawk and Dove
Fearful Symmetry
Kids' Stuff
This Little Piggy
The Return
The Greatest Story Never Told
Ultimatum
Dark Heart
Wake the Dead
The Once and Future Thing, Part 1
The Once and Future Thing, Part 2
The Cat and the Canary
The Ties that Bind
The Doomsday Sanction
Task Force X
The Balance
Double Date
Clash
Question Authority
Hunter's Moon
Flashpoint
Panic in the Sky
Divided We Fall
Epilogue

Extras: "And Justice for All", "Themes of Justice", Creator's Commentary on 'This Little Piggy' and 'The Return'
Specifications: Widescreen, English Stereo
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: 10/24/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
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We'll give Justice League Unlimited: Season 1 an A.