[7.7/10] This is a fun transition between Batman Beyond and the impending Justice League show as the home for the Dark Knight in the DCAU. A couple of things up front, though...
First, this is one of the few late-season Batman Beyond episodes I watched live as a kid, which is to say that I knew the twist of this one. That takes some of the oomph out of the “Superman is the League saboteur” twist and what follows, but I can still intellectually appreciate that swerve and premise and how it sets us up nicely for a Dark Knight Returns-esque showdown between Batman and Superman in the modern day.
Second, I am a sucker, but I love the stunt casting for this one. I’ll admit that it’s weird to have a DCAU Superman appearance where the Man of Steel isn’t voiced by Tim Daly or someone approximating his vocal tones, especially with Kevin Conroy still voicing Bruce Wayne. But I love that the show has Chris MacDonald, who voiced Superman’s biological father on S:TAS, taking on the role of the elder Cal-El here in a nice bit of winking casting. At the same time, I get a big kick out of the fact that Aquagirl (who is stated to be the trident-wielding Aquaman’s daughter) is voiced by Jodi Benson, best known for playing the title character in Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
What’s more, despite a few minor inconsistencies with the later Justice League shows, there’s something just cool about finally getting to see more of the wider world of superheroes in the 2040s on this show. Micron (a modern day version of Atom), Barda (a Wonder Woman equivalent), War Hawk (a Hawkgirl-like presence we learn more about later in the franchise), and a young Asian Green Lantern (Lauren Tom, who can do anything in the DCAU!), makes for a cool line-up that recalls traditional members of the JL, but with intriguing twists. Much of this episode coasts on the cool factor of the bigger world Terry’s stepping into here, and it works.
The catch is that it’s hard for me to get too caught up in the mystery here when I know the solution. That’s not the episode’s fault! But it does detract a little bit from the episode as its own story and not just a cool, continuity thrillride.
Still, I do like the dynamic here with Terry as the new guy in the League and plenty of other members resenting him for it. He’s in a tough (dare I say, Anakin Skywalker-esque) spot of having to spy on people whom he admires, while also wanting to prove himself as legitimate, and I appreciate that, even if some of the scenarios are a tad contrived.
That said, the action here is good. With the “attack” on Metropolis, it’s cool to see a Batman Beyond version of some of the incredible feats that Supes used to pull off in his own show, with the help of his Super Friends, including lifting buildings, sealing tankers, and rescuing plummeting civilians. There’s a lot of fireworks, but they largely click.
I also really enjoyed the tease at the end. There’s something ominous about Bruce saying that this “isn’t the first time Superman’s gone rogue,” and the green glimmer on Terry’s mask as he opens the box containing the kryptonite is a very cool shot. The prospect of another Batman v. Superman (a better one, hopefully!) is exciting, and the episode sells the portentous and momentous quality of that prospective showdown.
Overall, this one gets by on the cool factor more than on the story factory, but the narrative is still sturdy, and the stakes still big enough, to make this one very good.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2020-06-24T21:15:12Z
[7.7/10] This is a fun transition between Batman Beyond and the impending Justice League show as the home for the Dark Knight in the DCAU. A couple of things up front, though...
First, this is one of the few late-season Batman Beyond episodes I watched live as a kid, which is to say that I knew the twist of this one. That takes some of the oomph out of the “Superman is the League saboteur” twist and what follows, but I can still intellectually appreciate that swerve and premise and how it sets us up nicely for a Dark Knight Returns-esque showdown between Batman and Superman in the modern day.
Second, I am a sucker, but I love the stunt casting for this one. I’ll admit that it’s weird to have a DCAU Superman appearance where the Man of Steel isn’t voiced by Tim Daly or someone approximating his vocal tones, especially with Kevin Conroy still voicing Bruce Wayne. But I love that the show has Chris MacDonald, who voiced Superman’s biological father on S:TAS, taking on the role of the elder Cal-El here in a nice bit of winking casting. At the same time, I get a big kick out of the fact that Aquagirl (who is stated to be the trident-wielding Aquaman’s daughter) is voiced by Jodi Benson, best known for playing the title character in Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
What’s more, despite a few minor inconsistencies with the later Justice League shows, there’s something just cool about finally getting to see more of the wider world of superheroes in the 2040s on this show. Micron (a modern day version of Atom), Barda (a Wonder Woman equivalent), War Hawk (a Hawkgirl-like presence we learn more about later in the franchise), and a young Asian Green Lantern (Lauren Tom, who can do anything in the DCAU!), makes for a cool line-up that recalls traditional members of the JL, but with intriguing twists. Much of this episode coasts on the cool factor of the bigger world Terry’s stepping into here, and it works.
The catch is that it’s hard for me to get too caught up in the mystery here when I know the solution. That’s not the episode’s fault! But it does detract a little bit from the episode as its own story and not just a cool, continuity thrillride.
Still, I do like the dynamic here with Terry as the new guy in the League and plenty of other members resenting him for it. He’s in a tough (dare I say, Anakin Skywalker-esque) spot of having to spy on people whom he admires, while also wanting to prove himself as legitimate, and I appreciate that, even if some of the scenarios are a tad contrived.
That said, the action here is good. With the “attack” on Metropolis, it’s cool to see a Batman Beyond version of some of the incredible feats that Supes used to pull off in his own show, with the help of his Super Friends, including lifting buildings, sealing tankers, and rescuing plummeting civilians. There’s a lot of fireworks, but they largely click.
I also really enjoyed the tease at the end. There’s something ominous about Bruce saying that this “isn’t the first time Superman’s gone rogue,” and the green glimmer on Terry’s mask as he opens the box containing the kryptonite is a very cool shot. The prospect of another Batman v. Superman (a better one, hopefully!) is exciting, and the episode sells the portentous and momentous quality of that prospective showdown.
Overall, this one gets by on the cool factor more than on the story factory, but the narrative is still sturdy, and the stakes still big enough, to make this one very good.