Justice League: War Review

-Gregg Dietz
Reviews Editor

One of my biggest issues with superhero stories today is how gritty and real they have to be. I'm not saying that those stories aren't well made and entertaining, I'm just saying that I would love to see more pre 90's dark stories. With JLW, I get this, there are cheesy lines, cheesy moments and even better, a small plot. The plot by the way is that Darkseid is coming to earth by sending his minions through portals. The future members of the Justice league must come together to take care of this threat.

I love this type of story telling for the justice league because I am not a fan of past justice league animated films. They are overly convoluted and unnecessary with deep, involved plot about superheroes needing to punch their way out of a situation. The avengers movie did it right, and people don't even notice it. It was a simple plot with lots of action and that's why it did so well.

Each superhero in this is also exactly what they need to be. I'll start with Hal Jordan, he is the most unimaginative green lantern in my opinion because what he creates with the ring is very limited. And it shows constantly in this with him creating A baseball mitt, a train, a beartrap, a bank vault, and a bed. Now normally I would not be into this but it works in this setting.

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Batman is what he was in the animated series from the 90's, Dark but light, serious but fun. Superman is the same in that regard, everything that made the 90's animated series so much fun is what this man of steel embodies with a slight edginess.

Wonder Woman has a new-ish outfit, similar to the new 52 design. Her personality is that of a fresh, bright eyed Diana right out of paradise. There is an early scene with her and a little girl involving ice cream, this scene is great because of the light hearted attitude. After that though, Wonder Woman kicks some serious ass, with her sword that most people forget she has.

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Flash takes a little bit of a backseat in this one. Barry doesn't show up till the end of act 1 and that's fine because you know what his powers are and what he's about so why waste time? Cyborg is a meaty component of this because his origin is the only character we see, oh and he doesn't come from the future. Shazam, or as he was known before people forgot his name as Captain Marvel, replaces Aquaman from the comics. He isn’t in the too much but is a huge part of why Cyborg sticks around.

So there you have all the members in a nutshell, and that’s one of the major reasons i loved this so much. How many times do we need an new origin story, hell i would have been even happier if cyborg had just come from the future. When its all said and done, superheroes are supposed to put a smile on my face, not make me cringe or wax philosophical, not that there is anything inherently wrong with that, i.e. The Killing Joke or All-Star Superman, because sometimes it’s necessary.

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I highly recommend seeing this one if not for the shear fist to mouth ratio but for the level of fun you’ll have watching it. And this is coming from a guy who verbally expresses his distaste for the DC universe constantly. I give Justice League: War an 8 out of 10.

Did you agree or disagree with my review? What is your favorite way to enjoy superhero stories? Let us know in the comments below, on our Facebook fan page or tweet us @MissionStartP

Thank you for reading

-Gregg Dietz (@ChubRockGeek)