Justice League Unlimited "For the Man Who Has Everything" Talkback (Spoilers)

[Alph]

This episode still remains my favorite stand-alone episode in the series. It's probably the first episode I ever show anyone if I want to introduce them to the DCAU, because it just makes you really want to see more episodes about these characters.

 

[DisneyBoy]

While that's true, it's also a tribute to the continuities built up over the course of all the different shows. So would a newbie understand why Clark is so surprised when Jor-El's voice changes? Or why Loara is significant?

I'd say good entry-points episodes are ones that establish the world in general and the tone ("The Late Mister Kent" or "The Laughing Fish"), and that stories like these should follow up as a showpiece of how the established worlds and characters continue to grow.

But yes...for me, it's a standout. Great episode...

 

[Alph]

While that's true, it's also a tribute to the continuities built up over the course of all the different shows. So would a newbie understand why Clark is so surprised when Jor-El's voice changes? Or why Loara is significant?

Perhaps. But I think that stuff is what makes it more enticing to watch the whole DCAU and understand how it all connects. It's sorta the kind of feeling you get when you read a really good comic book that has references you don't quite get, but makes you want to learn more. Except with the DCAU it's actually possible to watch every episode and get it all (whereas reading every DC comic is dang near impossible).

 

[Ekaj-Prime]

A lot of people say that Superman showed his true strength against Darkside in the final episode, but he really went to town on Mongul here...

 

[Sinsio]

This is my favorite DCAU episode. I wish they would make more episodes direct from the comics.

 

[Toddman]

While that's true, it's also a tribute to the continuities built up over the course of all the different shows. So would a newbie understand why Clark is so surprised when Jor-El's voice changes? Or why Loara is significant?

I don't think the examples from the episode that you sited would be confusing for a first time viewer at all. As long as that person had a rudimentary knowledge of the origin of Superman, not too much else would be necessary to enjoy the story.

Sure, to us seasoned fans of the DCAU, the Lois/Lana dreamgirl has added significance, but the fact that she has characteristics of both of Superman's love interests doesn't really affect the plot or the flow of the story. To the average viewer, she's just Kal-El's fantasy wife, a character unto herself, just as Van-El was.

And the change from Jor-El's voice to Pa Kent's might come across to the average Joe as just a symptom of Superman's dream world starting to fall apart. I only have to think back to my own first viewing of the episode for an example of that. I have to admit when I first watched that scene, I noticed the change in Jor-El's voice, but it was so quick (what, 7 words?) that I didn't even recognize the switch was to Mike Farrell. I mistook the voice change for a simple distortion in "reality" that only Superman was experiencing, similar to the earth tremors (it wasn't until I saw his name in the credits that I realized what I missed).


Toddman

 

[DisneyBoy]

I happened to rewatch this episode just this past weekend, and really took notice of the stellar voice acting work. This episode is basically just four people playing off one another, and they do excellent work.

The more people look back on this show, the more praise it's going to get over time. You don't hear characters this well cast and this well performed every day.

Just brilliant. And I love Dana Delaney. She only gets a few lines, but slips perfectly into character. It's as though she's actually watching the scenes play out in front of her when she's acting - that's how connected she is. And yet, we know she's just in a booth without any animation or set to play off.

Wow.

 

[Bobbywoodhogan]

Just watched this other day for the first time in ages and its still one of the best episodes of anything animated in my opinion. The action is incredible and the story is perfectly adapted from the comics, even with the absence of Robin it works in someways even better than the comic story. I've never been a fan on Wonder Woman on this show but I really like her in this episode, she knows she cannot beat Mongul yet she doesn't stop. Its so good to see Superman get the characterisation he deserves on this show. 5 out of 5

 

[Dusty]

I just rewatched this episode too, and while the story and acting were great, the animation was all over the place, at times Superman looked good, at others he looked like and Ed McGuinness drawing and Loana looked like a toothpick compared to him, Also Superman was kind of a wimp in this, he put a way better beat down on Darkseid than he did mongul in this ep (in "Warworld" he was even more powerful) Mongul isn't even close to Darkseids power level, yet he mopped the floor with supes for about 75% of the time. Anyways Batman looked good though (but BT always makes him look good ) and for some reason I still don't like WW's design, plus her snarkyness got a little annoying to me in JLU, sorry about all the nitpicking (I do that way too much,) I give this episode 3.89 stars out of 5,


D.

 

[BigFatHairyDeal]

Mongul's supposed to be on Superman's level, though, especially according the comic continuity circa 1986, off which the episode was based. Obviously, the cartoon wasn't 100% faithful to the comic, but if they changed the outcome of the fight I think very few fans would've been pleased.

 

[Dusty]

But again in "Warworld" Superman was more powerful than Mongul, he was letting Mongul win, and had BT and Co. let Superman fight him at the end (like what should have been done) it would have been more brutal than the "Twilight" fight IMO, they could have figured something else out for Draaga instead of having him waste Mongul, but yeah your probably right, there would have been more disappointed fans than not,


D.

 

[JTMarsh]

One of the best Superman episodes of the entire DCAU and one of George Newbern's best outings as the voice of the Man of Steel.

 

[BigFatHairyDeal]

But again in "Warworld" Superman was more powerful than Mongul, he was letting Mongul win, and had BT and Co. let Superman fight him at the end (like what should have been done) it would have been more brutal than the "Twilight" fight IMO, they could have figured something else out for Draaga instead of having him waste Mongul, but yeah your probably right, there would have been more disappointed fans than not,


D.

That is true, I did sort of forget about Mongul's appearance in "War World." I tend to think, though, that "War World" undervalued Mongul's legitimacy as a villain. Just now, I was leafing through the Superman: Exile TPB, the story on which the episode "War World" was based, and Superman estimated that Mongul was every bit as powerful as he was, maybe even stronger. Also, Mongul conquered thousands of planets all throughout space, a task made possible in part because he was too mighty for anyone to oppose physically. I think the cartoon sort of gave Mongul the feel of being a poser, a guy who talked the talk but might not've been able to walk the walk, though he thought he could.

Therefore, I understand your complaint. Based strictly on "War World," Superman probably should've wiped the floor with Mongul and then served tea and biscuits to Wonder Woman and Batman afterward.

...

I also agree with those who mentioned the superb voice acting. Dana Delaney and George Newbern really stepped it up for this one.

 

[Dusty]

That is true, I did sort of forget about Mongul's appearance in "War World." I tend to think, though, that "War World" undervalued Mongul's legitimacy as a villain. Just now, I was leafing through the Superman: Exile TPB, the story on which the episode "War World" was based, and Superman estimated that Mongul was every bit as powerful as he was, maybe even stronger. Also, Mongul conquered thousands of planets all throughout space, a task made possible in part because he was too mighty for anyone to oppose physically. I think the cartoon sort of gave Mongul the feel of being a poser, a guy who talked the talk but might not've been able to walk the walk, though he thought he could.

Therefore, I understand your complaint. Based strictly on "War World," Superman probably should've wiped the floor with Mongul and then served tea and biscuits to Wonder Woman and Batman afterward.

...

I also agree with those who mentioned the superb voice acting. Dana Delaney and George Newbern really stepped it up for this one.

LOL, you sir just posted THE Post of the year IMO, "Tea and bisquits." ha ha, I love it,


D.

 

[JTMarsh]

I also agree with those who mentioned the superb voice acting. Dana Delaney and George Newbern really stepped it up for this one.

I wonder what Dana thought of working with George Newbern as Superman compared to working with Tim Daly as Superman...

 

[BigFatHairyDeal]

I feel like this thread should be bumped for every Leap Day, in honor of Superman's traditional comic universe birthday.

I rewatched this episode for the occasion, and it's one of the episodes I'd cite for why I'm more attached to Newbern as Superman than Daly. I don't feel Daly got to have as many chances to be as personable in character as Newbern did in this episode when he had his dialogue with the imaginary Van-el. It's not to say that Daly's not good, I just felt Daly rarely got to play the role as an "ordinary" guy like Newbern did in the fake Krypton world, so there was a restricted range of emotions Daly was allowed to demonstrate. Of course, it's been a few years since I watched the DCAU regularly, so maybe my memory's playing funny tricks on me at the moment.