Thoughts on Justice League Action

the greenman

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I had been trying to check out JLA in it's completion for some time now. Mostly only able to catch pieces of episodes here and there. Everything was out of order as well. This year I was finally able the entire series, and it is kinda surprising to me, it didn't last longer.

I found the tone and style as a mix of both Batman: The Brave & Bold crossed with the DCAU. Almost a remix of them in totalities. The amount of supernatural stories and characters were just a little too much after awhile. I love the designs as both fresh and classic updates. The fact they still use the regular VAs, though some in different roles. The stories are mostly typical for anyone who's read a comic book and surprised they could fit in such a tight time frame.

One of the main observations for me was the lack of Aquaman. I am guessing the dreaded rights and embargoes existed for him and possibly some other characters. Throwing in a true wildcard like Space Cabbie was both odd, and refreshingly unique. I would have loved to see where they could go with this series.

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khuddle

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First half of the season for Justice League Action was excellent. Second half was a little uneven. Overall, I enjoyed it. Voice acting was tremendous, particularly Diedrich Bader (who was literally born to play Booster Gold), Patton Oswalt and Gilbert Gottfried. Only thing I didn't like was Wonder Woman's design -- but I haven't liked any of Wonder Woman's designs in any show , with the the exception of her incarnation as one of the Justice Lords in the JL:AS (she looked awesome there). But anyway, great show and hope we get additional seasons.
 

M.O.D.O.K.

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It was a fun show that sometimes recreated the tone set by Brave and the Bold. I did think the episode it ended was a bit weak and I'm not as gung-ho about seeing more as other cartoons, but I still had a good time watching it.

One of the main observations for me was the lack of Aquaman. I am guessing the dreaded rights and embargoes existed for him and possibly some other characters.

They did have Aquaman in the mobile game, complete with a design. Batgirl was also in one of the show's McDonald's Happy Meal toys, but not in the series itself. I don't know if those issues had anything to do with rights, though.
 

the greenman

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It was a fun show that sometimes recreated the tone set by Brave and the Bold. I did think the episode it ended was a bit weak and I'm not as gung-ho about seeing more as other cartoons, but I still had a good time watching it.



They did have Aquaman in the mobile game, complete with a design. Batgirl was also in one of the show's McDonald's Happy Meal toys, but not in the series itself. I don't know if those issues had anything to do with rights, though.
I was not aware of that. Interesting. Thank you.

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Rick Jones

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I enjoyed the show a lot. They always managed to entertain me despite the show feeling as though it was written for younger kids than some of the past DC fare. It didn't hurt when they threw in moments to make being a longtime fan pay off, like the Green Lantern epilogue. The show's tone was almost like the middle ground between Krypto the Superdog and Brave and the Bold, in my opinion, and they made it work.

I still wish it was able to catch on or to get some kind of second wind on HBO Max. It felt as though they sacrificed some elements, like the occasional serious or emotional moment, to appease the Cartoon Network format and that didn't pay off as it still didn't help the show's treatment when it came to the network programming. I can't imagine how it could have gained a faithful audience.

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the greenman

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This would be a pretty good show for HBOmax. I feel like the design of the series was something to please the network. I heard in the past they frowned upon a series with a continuity and ongoing story. They love it if a child can turn it on a just watch. That is making children seem pretty stupid.

I agree that Booster Gold marriage episode was just a little too weird. Also felt like GL:TAS Star Sapphire episode. I feel like another season could've brought some real fun things. The House of Mystery was done pretty well. Would've loved to see a war episode.

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Yojimbo

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They did have Aquaman in the mobile game, complete with a design. Batgirl was also in one of the show's McDonald's Happy Meal toys, but not in the series itself. I don't know if those issues had anything to do with rights, though.
Come to think of it, yeah, I don't remember why unless they were only designed for promotional reasons i.e. for the game and for the toys. Or maybe they simply agreed to save some characters for a season 2 at the time or story pitches that involved them got rejected like with Blue Devil.
 

the greenman

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Come to think of it, yeah, I don't remember why unless they were only designed for promotional reasons i.e. for the game and for the toys. Or maybe they simply agreed to save some characters for a season 2 at the time or story pitches that involved them got rejected like with Blue Devil.
Okay, I'll bite. What happened with Blue Devil?

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Light Lucario

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I love Justice League Action. It definitely felt like a blend of Krypto the Superdog and Brave and the Bold tone-wise, but it worked. It had a good balance of action and light hearted comedy and it generally worked. The voice acting was solid, most of the character designs worked and it was just an all around fun show. I still rewatch episodes on Cartoon Network's On Demand section once in awhile and they're still so much fun to watch.

The biggest problem I had with it was Booster Gold. He was just so annoying and unlikable that I really didn't understand why he was kept within the Justice League. It was made worse when they kind of went back and forth on Booster Gold being a selfish thoughtless hero to actually showing some heroic behavior. I also desperately wish that Missing the Mark was a full episode instead of a three minute short. Mark Hamill being kidnapped by the Joker and Trickster is an amazing idea that could have been easily fleshed out for a full eleven minute episode.

It is such a shame that Cartoon Network treated the show poorly. I still don't understand why since this is basically a light-hearted Justice League series with little continuity. Kids could easily watch these episodes in any order, so it is basically what they would have wanted. I'd love it if HBO Max picked up the series. Making new Justice League Action episodes would be one of the guaranteed ways for me to sign up for yet another streaming service. I don't know if the chances are that high for it though since I don't think that the series has a strong following like Young Justice does. Justice League Action deserved to have at least another season. I wish it had gotten more episodes, but the series itself is still fun and I think it's a really underrated DC series.
 

the greenman

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Okay, thanks @Yojimbo.

Wow, Glines Twitter feed is like art school. Who is between Terrific and Shazam? Dr. Light?
b0d204556e1c00babda5c2e2a59d65f2.jpg


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Yojimbo

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Who is between Terrific and Shazam? Dr. Light?
Yes, that is correct. That was Dr. Light. She only had a non-speaking background appearance at the party in "Party Animal". And her face appeared in a character select square in "Play Date" as well.
 

Frontier

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JLA, to me, is a show that had a massive amount of potential and that I absolutely adored and deserved way better than the treatment it received from CN.

I just thought it was great to have a DC cartoon that was vibrant, action-packed, and had actual stakes but with plenty of fun and humor to go along with it. It was a little more kid-oriented compared to other DC cartoons but it didn't sacrifice quality storytelling in order to achieve that or dumb things down too much. It also cast a wide net that included a bunch of DC heroes, villains, and premises, some more obscure than others, creating a very dynamic series brimming with story possibilities that extended from both the series itself and the various shorts that were released (and were equally as fun).

I loved how DC characters who hadn't really been in the spotlight that much in animation got to really shine on the show, and I felt like the show delivered some really fun takes on certain characters. I can't imagine Firestorm without "The Heat is On" as his catchphrase. Wonder Woman was really fun on the show, and they did a great job with a straight-up, smiling, Superman.

Production-wise I loved Shane Glines' character designs that brought modern and stylish sensibilities to classic DC designs, making every character look colorful, memorable, and still iconic. The voice cast was also a lot of fun with some newer voices delivering memorable performances such as the veritable chameleon Jason J. Lewis as Superman, Rachel Kimsey as Wonder Woman, PJ Bryne as Firestorm, or Natalie Lander as Stargirl, along with established favorites like Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Josh Keaton, etc. Just a very good and eclectic mix in terms of the voice acting.

I did have some issues with the show...for a show that was anchored by the Trinity, it really did feel like Wonder Woman got the short shrift in terms of screentimes and episode focus compared to Batman and Superman. I once did a count of the number of appearances for characters and there was a huge disparity between Wonder Woman and the rest of the Trinity. Batman, of course, had the majority of appearances. I also wish some female heroes had gotten more to do rather than just get cameos, and there were a few unused characters with designs that I would've liked to have seen them do stuff with. I also agree that Booster Gold's inconsistent personality was a little annoying, as was Skeets' absence.

But all in all I thought JLA was pretty awesome and I really wish it could continue in some form because I feel like this kind of all ages, all-encompassing, and all fun DC cartoon is just what we need in this day and age when it seems like we get fewer and fewer really good DC cartoons in that vein.
 
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khuddle

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Booster Gold is a character that needs to be handled delicately. If he's done right, he can come off as hilarious without being overbearing. If done poorly, he's annoying and overstays his welcome. I think the key with him is to use him sparingly. Justice League Action saw WAY too much of him, and as a result his schtick got tiresome and annoying.
 

the greenman

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JLA, to me, is a show that had a massive amount of potential and that I absolutely adored and deserved way better than the treatment it received from CN.

I just thought it was great to have a DC cartoon that was vibrant, action-packed, and had actual stakes but with plenty of fun and humor to go along with it. It was a little more kid-oriented compared to other DC cartoons but it didn't sacrifice quality storytelling in order to achieve that or dumb things down too much. It also cast a wide net that included a bunch of DC heroes, villains, and premises, some more obscure than others, creating a very dynamic series brimming with story possibilities that extended from both the series itself and the various shorts that were released (and were equally as fun).

I loved how DC characters who hadn't really been in the spotlight that much in animation got to really shine on the show, and I felt like the show delivered some really fun takes on certain characters. I can't imagine Firestorm without "The Heat is On" as his catchphrase. Wonder Woman was really fun on the show, and they did a great job with a straight-up, smiling, Superman.

Production-wise I loved Shane Glines' character designs that brought modern and stylish sensibilities to classic DC designs, making every character look colorful, memorable, and still iconic. The voice cast was also a lot of fun with some newer voices delivering memorable performances such as the veritable chameleon Jason J. Lewis as Superman, Rachel Kimsey as Wonder Woman, PJ Bryne as Firestorm, or Natalie Lander as Stargirl, along with established favorites like Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Josh Keaton, etc. Just a very good and eclectic mix in terms of the voice acting.

I did have some issues with the show...for a show that was anchored by the Trinity, it really did feel like Wonder Woman got the short shrift in terms of screentimes and episode focus compared to Batman and Superman. I once did a count of the number of appearances for characters and there was a huge disparity between Wonder Woman and the rest of the Trinity. Batman, of course, had the majority of appearances. I also wish some female heroes had gotten more to do rather than just get cameos, and there were a few unused characters with designs that I would've liked to have seen them do stuff with. I also agree that Booster Gold's inconsistent personality was a little annoying, as was Skeets' absence.

But all in all I thought JLA was pretty awesome and I really wish it could continue in some form because I feel like this kind of all ages, all-encompassing, and all fun DC cartoon is just what we need in this day and age when it seems like we get fewer and fewer really good DC cartoons in that vein.
Yeah, I can't think about Firestorm anymore without thinking about his catch phrase. I need to rewatch these eps again, but not anytime soon.

One thing that kinda irked me was a lack of good villains. Though, some of them they changed up slightly too (i.e. Chronos). I enjoyed reading the end credits to see who created what characters. They could've used more Atom and I found it strange they followed the arc of the Brothers Djinn for four episodes, then never brought it up again. As well as introducing Brother Night and him showing up fairly soon.

So was the Shazam episodes there aired as a special premiere movie or something?

Booster Gold is a character that needs to be handled delicately. If he's done right, he can come off as hilarious without being overbearing. If done poorly, he's annoying and overstays his welcome. I think the key with him is to use him sparingly. Justice League Action saw WAY too much of him, and as a result his schtick got tiresome and annoying.

Im almost certain they wanted to make him DC's Starlord.

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RoyalRubble

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So was the Shazam episodes there aired as a special premiere movie or something?
Yeah, "Classic Rock", "Power Outage", "Night of the Bat" and "Abate and Switch" were edited into a mini-movie called "Shazam Slam!" which aired as the series premiere (at least in the US - I remember the UK, where the show first premiered internationally, aired the episodes out of order and "Power Outage" was aired first without any of the set-up for who the Djinns were).

On a sort of related note, the only other time I recall more than one episode aired on the same day, was with "Inside Job" and "The Trouble With Truth", which aired around the time the live-action Wonder Woman movie was released. Though in their case, there wasn't really much continuity between the two stories.

Come to think of it, while I really enjoyed the show a lot overall, I do wish there was a bit more continuity between some of the episodes. We did have some loosely connected episodes but I think they could have done more.
 

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