The End of an Era
You should know that the reason I haven't been posting is because I got that online role-playing game City of Heroes. So I've been superheroing on my own the past couple of weeks. I'm sure whatever slim readership I may have had has vanished into the ether. C'est la vie.
Anyway, I did find time out of my busy schedule to watch the series finale of Justice League Unlimited. JLU was in many ways the culmination of the Bruce Timm DCU Animated Universe. It began with Batman, grew to Superman, took a detour into Batman Beyond, and then absolutely exploded with Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. And now it's over.
Its ending brings with it the end of that animated universe. As far as I know, there are no plans to to make any further series set within that continuity (though I do hear that there will be a Legion of Superheroes series before too much longer). This of course, makes me sad. Because the series I've mentioned represent the best of what American animation has to offer.
All too often American animation is eclipsed by its Japanese counterpart. Anime is increasingly popular in the West. In many ways this parallels the incresed popularity of manga at the expense of more traditional Western comics.
Of course, I don't think the cancellation of Justice League Unlimited represents an end of American imagination. But it is the end of something that I've been watching grow over years. Batman: The Animated Series got me into superheroes. And that's what got me into comics. So I'm saddened by its end... Though I have hope that we'll see more in the future.
posted by Diamondrock @ 3:34 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
The series hasn't quite finale'd yet, actually. There are six more episodes in the can and on the schedule. And of course one of them in the crossover with the Legion of Superheroes, which will be spinning off into its own series if all goes according to plan.
Also, the first JL DVD comes out in March!
Those episodes have aired in other countries. I just downloaded the last one off the Internet.
I find it hard to believe that this will be the last of the Animated Universe. They say they won't be doing anything more, but I recall they also said they would never do Justice League in the first place. I have a feeling there'll be something else down the line (I hope, I hope, I hope...)
The last few episodes were quite good, although I don't really understand that bit with Luthor and Darkseid. The last episode seemed like it would have benefited by more time.
Yeah I really hate that it is over. I also felt it was one of the best animations produced in America.
Season 1 box set comes out March 21, along with complete Batman Beyond.
I bet they'll produce an animated JLU movie, maybe 2 if we're lucky.
There is the JLU comic DC is producing. I've never read it, so I don't know if it is any good. Thinking it is aimed more for kids, so it may lack the punch as many of the episodes.
The JLU comic is great! True, it is kid-friendly, but that doesn't mean that it can't be fun for old fogies too. It has great art, lots of charm, and fun, action-packed stories heavy on obscure characters. There have been issues starring Space Cabbie, Vibe, and even the Creeper! Of course my favorites were the two issues focusing on Blue Beetle and The Question, respectively.
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