Justice League "In Blackest Night, Parts 1 & 2" Talkback (Spoilers) [Archive]

Kal-el

11-19-2001, 10:41 PM

Wow, I thought "In Darkest Night" was a great episode! A terrific follow of the pilot.
It was great seeing John in streetclothes, seeing people he knows. I guess he has no problem with people knowing he's the Green Lantern?
Flash was great in this ep. He's horny, that's for sure. Hawkgirl's "Down boy" was classic! "Flash, take the controls. Does anyone care to ask if I know how!" Great lines.
Superman was great too. He was the Superman I've been expecting. Not so powered down this ep, and he showed a greater leadership role.
MM showed me a lot. Sure, the Manhunters kicked him around a bit, but the scene on the alien plant witht he ships attacking and the subsequent soldiers fighting the JL, he was great.
Hawkgirl showed that maybe she needs to tone down her tactics a bit, at least in Superman's eyes.
Superman: "Hawkgirl!"
Hawkgirl: "What? Oh, that" hehe
I'm very curious, and excited, to see the continuation.

I almost...almost thought I'd see Kyle among the GL's waiting on the alien planet. Oh well.

Kal-el

11-19-2001, 10:49 PM

Also, did anyone notice when MM referred to Diana as "Wonder Woman"? I wonder when she decided to go by that instead of Diana?

The Guard

11-19-2001, 11:40 PM

As usual, I loved the little things...

Hawkgirl flirting with Flash.

J'onn's bored look when he goes into action.

The Guardians!!! They know something's going down.

The Corps. Kilowog and that had to be Tomar-Tu or Tomar-Re

OBSERVATIONS

Superman's power level has INDEED increased. Look at him, effortlessly picking up a runaway spaceship, burning a huge hole in the wall with heat vision in 3 seconds flat...

I guess that's it.

Stardust

11-19-2001, 11:58 PM

are there going to be reruns? i missed the episode and i can't believe i did that too! :( :( aww i hope there's reruns sometime during the week.....

Failure

11-20-2001, 12:16 AM

poops, it sounds great. i wont be able to see it until next monday though. They will be rerunning it friday and sunday night I believe. I'm not sure of the exact time though, you might want to check TVGuide.

The Guard

11-20-2001, 12:20 AM

Yes. It'll be rerun on Friday...and then on Sunday...

Batman 80

11-20-2001, 01:02 AM

This was a great episode! The Flash and Hawkgirl interaction was well done and interesting. The Manhunters were cool just like I thought they would be. I also think Kanjo-Ro is going to play a bigger role next episode.

Jowy Blight

11-20-2001, 01:07 AM

Who else loved seeing John walk down the street in civilian clothing? He reminded me sort of like "Shaft."

Heh, that's what my parents thought when they saw him. My Dad even started to sing the theme. :D

I thought it was a fairly decent episode.

JL4Ever

11-20-2001, 09:45 AM

I give the episode high marks. The interaction between the characters was just great. We got to know a lot more about Hawkgirl, something that was seriously lacking in "Secret Origins" in my opinion. This episode also goes a long way in making GL a bit more likeable for me. He's still very by the book, but we're seeing his humanity here as well. I esspecially liked it when the Flash was hitting on Hawkgirl and then asked Jonn if he ever got lonely. Jonn's response was so heartfelt and really resonated through you as you could really feel how much pain he's going through. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that they didn't use Wonder Woman. She's my favorite and I know they're not going to use all seven all the time but Wonder Woman should definitely be used often in my opinion. :D

Luminous

11-20-2001, 10:24 AM

All that action on the streets was excellent. It made this episode FLY BY! And yes, seeing Stewart in civilian clothes made him more relatable as one of us normal "Earthers." When I saw the "To Be Continued", I went "D'OH!" when I realized it was over ALREADY!! I was clamoring for more.

I LOVED the flirting going on between Hawkgirl and Flash. It would seem we have some wild ones here, which plays perfectly into HG's character. However, I think Flash is all talk. I think if HG actually tried anything on Flash, he would be too stunned to do anything.

Was it just me or did Supes seem a bit more powerful in this episode?

Another question I have is why the HECK did GL's beam bounce off some ship's shields??? I didn't think that was possible? Mind you, I don't read the comics. Not that I don't like DCU, it's just I'm more of an animation fan so there are probably things about the whole GL mythos that I don't know about, but I was under the assumption that the power in the ring is limited ONLY by the wielder's willpower and imagination. Am I to take this as John maybe not knowing that the ship would have shields, thus resulting in an "under-powered" beam??

Just wondering!!

Domino

11-20-2001, 10:33 AM

"In Blackest Night" is based (somewhat loosely) on Justice League of America #140-141, from 1977. If you liked this episode, you may want to hit the back issue bins and pick these up for about $2 each. They were among the first of Steve Englehart's run as writer of Justice League. You'd most likely discover how the whole story will unfold, too. No spoilers here!

Stupendous Man

11-20-2001, 10:50 AM

I loved this episode.
This show has potential.

I was relieved in the first episode that they
had powered superman down a little.

I think the biggest problem with superman in
every medium in which hes appeared is that
writers tend to boost his power levels as convenient.

I was hoping it was just my imagination that in blackest
night he seemed more powerfull than in the pilot.
I hope this trend stops. I prefer a Superman who has to
struggle a little- makes him more heroic and more dramatic.

I loved seeing John Stewart in civilian garb ... I hope the series
gives a peek into the lives of all GL members in their alter egos.
Wouldnt a Lois cameo kick ass?

Im also surpirised how much the incedental JL members are
growing on me .
Im really digging Hawk Girl and Martian Manhunter.
I didnt even miss Bats all that much. I genuinely
enjoy all these characters ...Kudos to the producers for
working on making this more than just 'Superfriends'.

Anybody have any idea what other cameos we can expect
in the first 26 episodes other than aquaman?
Id love to see a robin cameo.

Kal-el

11-20-2001, 01:17 PM

Originally posted by The Spirit
I think the biggest problem with superman in
every medium in which hes appeared is that
writers tend to boost his power levels as convenient.

I was hoping it was just my imagination that in blackest
night he seemed more powerfull than in the pilot.
I hope this trend stops. I prefer a Superman who has to
struggle a little- makes him more heroic and more dramatic.

I would have to agree with the power level fluctuation Spirit. I don't lke seeing a so-so Supes one ep and then a very super Supes the next. If anything, at least be consistent with his power.
I like seeing him struggle a bit, but to a point. He's Superman for pete sake. Some things just won't be a struggle. Some things, no matter how super, will be a struggle. If he's going to be powered down, I can accept that. But too much is not something enjoyable, IMO, or true to the character of Superman.
If there is any kind of spark whatsoever b/t Supes and WW, a Lois cameo would add some good friction to the mix.
A Robin cameo would be cool as Spirit stated, as would a Nightwing cameo.

Toddman

11-20-2001, 02:05 PM

Originally posted by bloodone
I loved this episode for one reason: G'nort!!! I never would have thought that G'nort would make an appearance on Justice League (though, it makes sense, he was a member during the JLI days)

I missed G'nort. Where was he?

Toddman

Toddman

11-20-2001, 02:08 PM

Originally posted by Domino
"In Blackest Night" is based (somewhat loosely) on Justice League of America #240-241, from 1977. If you liked this episode, you may want to hit the back issue bins and pick these up for about $2 each. They were among the first of Steve Englehart's run as writer of Justice League. You'd most likely discover how the whole story will unfold, too. No spoilers here!

If anyone is interested in getting those back issues, they are actually Justice League of America #'s 140-141.

Toddman

I Love My Boyfriend!

11-20-2001, 02:49 PM

I thought the second justice league episode last night was not as good as the Premiere.
It was like an ok episode, but it wasn't like as exciting or as kewl.
And, how come wonder woman and batman wasn't even in it.
They're like totally kewl and they weren't even in the episode.

And like oh my god , it was like a total accident that the green Lantern blew up that planet . Shouldn't the alien judges like realized that the green lantern didn't blow up that planet on purpose and it was like all an accident.

Don't they like know the green lantern is a good guy and he's like on the justice league and why couldn't the green lantern get like a real good alien lawyer to represent him and say like it was all an accident and stuff.

And the 3 big alien robot thingys that went to earth and attack the justice league had like No fashion sense at all.
Like Oh my god, who the hell wears red with orange and majorly ugly deep navy blue Boots all together. Totally bad designs from the artist people and majorly no fashion sense.
The Alien robot thingys should have been the ones on trial for going out in public in those nasty outfits .
And like the artist people draws the green lantern guy looking totally like the actor wesley snipes.

And, I don't know if anybody else noticed but one of the aliens that was wearing a green lantern outfit on the alien planet looked like Humpty Dumpty in a green lantern costume.
That was like totally funny.

Well, anyways, the second show wasn't as exciting or as fun as the premiere but it was still overall good.

And like, Have a Great and Wonderful Thanksgiving everybody !

Vin

11-20-2001, 02:51 PM

Originally posted by Stardust
are there going to be reruns? i missed the episode and i can't believe i did that too! :( :( aww i hope there's reruns sometime during the week.....

It repeats Fridays at 7:30 PM EST.

Tim Drake

11-20-2001, 03:09 PM

I thought the dialouge was so much better. So as a show it was far better but it didn't have the cliffhanger feeling the pilot did. And yes the episode will replay on saturday at 7 and sunday at 830.

Domino

11-20-2001, 03:31 PM

Originally posted by Toddman

If anyone is interested in getting those back issues, they are actually Justice League of America #'s 140-141.

Toddman

Oops, sorry about that! You're right, of course. I've gone back and edited that error!

Joker85

11-20-2001, 04:14 PM

it was ok. I liked MM and Superman, but I don't really like the Green Lantern, so I wasn't overly impressed with this eppy. But, I'll still watch next weeks. No Batman!! Now that's a crime :p When did Wonder Woman get her name? I thought she was still just Diana. MM is definitely my next fav character after Bats. He is just too cool!! I also thought HG was used better in this eppy.

Firefly

11-20-2001, 04:27 PM

I thought it was a good episode I really gives you a feel for the Jon Stewart Character my only gripe is there was no apperance of Barman or Wonder Woman

Kal-el

11-20-2001, 04:43 PM

I kind of liked the absence of a few of the characters. It shows that they don't all have to be there for the league to function. And, it shows that the members still take care of stuff on their own. Even Superman was off taking care of an earthquake ("It was only a 4.0").
I figure they all can't be together all the time just waiting for some huge problem to occur.

kid_flash

11-20-2001, 06:51 PM

Very good episode. The animation flowed smoother, and not all the Leaguers were in it! I love it when that happens, as long as it doesn't happen all the time.

My one complaint: Flash was written a bit too wimpy. When he came out of the ship and saw the Manhunters, he should've just grabbed all their guns.

Red

11-20-2001, 07:28 PM

I liked it but I don't want to wait until next Monday for the Ending. :mad:

Ricochet

11-20-2001, 07:36 PM

I loved the cameos of Arkis Chummuk, Kilowog, Gallus Zed, Tomar - Re, and I, think, either Medephyll or Larvox or Sputa or something like that! The garbanzo bean shaped one w/ red hair. I can never find the right comic book when I need it... :rolleyes: ;)

The Mad Hatter

11-20-2001, 07:43 PM

I thought it was an excellent episode. Not only did the episode get to delve a bit into GL's character, but all the other characters got fleshed out a bit more, too. The Flash had great lines, and Hawkgirl is really starting to grow on me... she's a vicious warrior, but not without a more complex side (not sure if I could use the word "softer"). Not to mention that the animation was great, particularly when Supes was getting blasted by the Manhunters, and when Jon was getting beamed up. And the dozens of alien designs! Now that's fodder for a freeze frame.

The Guard

11-20-2001, 09:13 PM

Why did the Manhunters fly in like Sentinels, and then beam out?

Calhoun07

11-20-2001, 10:09 PM

Originally posted by The Guard
Why did the Manhunters fly in like Sentinels, and then beam out?

If they simply beamed in, the heroes in the space station wouldn't have seen them, and it would have been a rather short episode! And to fly back? Maybe GL wouldn't have been able to take the trip?

Luminous

11-20-2001, 10:32 PM

Originally posted by The Guard
Why did the Manhunters fly in like Sentinels, and then beam out?

I had that same thought as they were beaming out. But then I figured it's a retrieval mechanism only? They might need some sort of signal to home in on before transport can commence.

Works for me!!! :]

James Harvey

11-26-2001, 01:44 PM

http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/jl/episodes/inblackestnight/p1/29.jpg

Episode #04 - In Blackest Night, Part 1
Original Airdate - November 19th, 2001

Green Lantern is accused of destroying a heavily populated planet.

Episode #05 - In Blackest Night, Part 2
Original Airdate - November 26th, 2001

Green Lantern stands trial, convinced he was responsible for a planet's destruction, the Justice League arrive to find the real culprit.

Comments?

The Guard

11-26-2001, 08:57 PM

Part 2 is on really soon!!

nothing

11-26-2001, 09:05 PM

The way the battle ends is so tough. I got chills watching John Stewart save the day. Plus seeing the central battery was pretty cool too.

How does Hawkgirl get her wings into the spacesuit?!

BeastBoyWonder

11-26-2001, 09:06 PM

erm, what happens?

BeastBoyWonder

11-26-2001, 09:21 PM

i guess i'll see it on friday...

Kal-el

11-26-2001, 10:05 PM

Great episode! The animation was very good. The plot really took off from "IBN Part 1". I really enjoyed this episode.

cysurf

11-26-2001, 10:09 PM

Yeah when GL yelled the GL oath.....was that cool or what? Though if GL's are so powerful, I find it hard to believe that Hawkgirl took on like 5 at one time.

Vin

11-26-2001, 10:13 PM

Wow, that was a great episode! "JL" keeps getting better and better. The last two episodes, I don't mind not having Batman around, because all the other characters seem very likable now.

Lodoss War Fan

11-26-2001, 10:15 PM

I enjoyed part 2 much more then part one.
Great battle in the end . Can't wait for the enemy below.
Hawkgirl is a Hardcore chick and I can't believe that HG can take on the 5 of them at once either nah just don't buy it :p

Knight

11-26-2001, 10:15 PM

great conclusion. It was great to see how Superman and The League never gave up on John and uncovered what was really going on.

J'onn J'onzz continues to be one of my favorite Leaguers It was inovative how he just reached into the head of one of the Manhunter and ripped the brain right out.

Superman also had a good showing he wasnt playing around with the Manhunters and turned it up all the way. He ripped through them so strong and fast it was hard to see.

Kal-el

11-26-2001, 10:16 PM

Originally posted by cysurf
Yeah when GL yelled the GL oath.....was that cool or what? Though if GL's are so powerful, I find it hard to believe that Hawkgirl took on like 5 at one time.
Well, she was going at them without them using their rings. I'm not surprised she kicked some butt. She really grew on me this ep.
How about Supes with the detective skills! Maybe working with Batman those few times rubbed off on him a bit.

Vin

11-26-2001, 10:20 PM

Originally posted by Kal-el

Well, she was going at them without them using their rings. I'm not surprised she kicked some butt. She really grew on me this ep.
How about Supes with the detective skills! Maybe working with Batman those few times rubbed off on him a bit.

Yeah, Superman's becoming a detective himself, in addition to Batman and Hawkgirl.

Knight

11-26-2001, 10:33 PM

Originally posted by Kal-el

Well, she was going at them without them using their rings. I'm not surprised she kicked some butt. She really grew on me this ep.
How about Supes with the detective skills! Maybe working with Batman those few times rubbed off on him a bit.

As Clark Kent he is an investigative reporter. Remember when he saved that guy from the gas chamber in an episode of STAS.

He's no Batman but he has skills.

Bobby Boy 101

11-26-2001, 10:39 PM

I think in that gas chamber ep Supes had ALOT of help from Lois.

Anyway, about this ep. Wow, Hawkgirl can kick butt royally! 3 GL'S AT ONE TIME!!!!! Wow. .. . she's pretty awsome.

GL IS SOOOOOO FREAKIN' ANNOYING!!!!!

The Mad Hatter

11-26-2001, 10:44 PM

Call me strange, but I liked part one better. Though the action sequences and animation in this ep were great (especially the shimmering on the Guardian's energy shields), I thought things seemed a bit rushed. I would have liked a little more focus on the characters, but then again, the characterization was still scads better than just about any other show. I guess I was expecting a little more insight into Jon Stewart's past in Harlem, but maybe I expected too much there.

I didn't really get the whole smackdown between Hawkgirl and the Corp... was it her fighting spirit that suddenly caused the big guy to realize they needed to support their comrade? Maybe I need to watch it again...

Still, I liked this episode. "We've solved our lawyer problem..." ouch. :)

The Guard

11-26-2001, 10:46 PM

WOW.

I loved the thing about the "lawyer problem." Flash as a defense attorney...priceless. "If the ring wasn't lit...you must acquit."

What was Hawkgirl doing in a bar? Either way, she is a badass. It's becoming clear that she has some enhanced strength. Kilowog just sat there drinking. The little ball GL did jack squat except bounce off of stuff. Just like I knew he would. We got to see a little of Kilowog which was really cool. "We catch bad guys".

Indeed.

We also got to see The Guardians. Uber-cool.

I didn't see the planet still existing.

Illucitrons? Is that the best they could do?

Once again, Superman bails out Hawkgirl.

This show is a lot darker than it's predecessors. A gas chamber?

John Stewart's speech on accountability was great. But he's human. He fell apart when gas filled the chamber. Then the way he attacked Kanjar Ro...sweet...

The Corps. arriving was sweet.

The Oath. WOW. All that power.

Trent Lane

11-26-2001, 10:59 PM

Pretty awesome follow up episode. The space suits worn by Supes, J'onn, and Hawkgirl make me want an action figure of those three in suits sooooo bad. The fight at the end was awesome, Hawkgirl is slowly becoming a really cool character, right behind J'onn and Batman...

virtual_alfred

11-26-2001, 11:19 PM

Am I the only one who didn't like this episode?

The animation was great. The final battle was cool. I loved it then GL protected them from the "big gun"! But the story and characterization were absolutely flat.

Was this story based on an old comic? I haven't read GL in years, but I felt like I knew this story. Someone tell me that this was the case, and that it wasn't just predictable. A whole planet and all of its inhabitants are hidden. No radio in or out? No messages from the citizens, no departing spaceships? Anyone who can do that probably doesn't need money.

I thought Flash was hilarious in the first episode. But in this one, his humor as a defense attorney just didn't work. His life and GL's lives were on the line... c'mon! (On the plus side, I love seeing him zig-zag around.)

Hawkgirl -- she had a line besides just "grrrrr!", didn't she? At least one? And did she go to the bar just to pick that fight? (Hey, the GL's deserved it.)

The GL Corps is revealed to be a bunch of losers who can't think, speak in complete sentences, or even hold their own in a brawl. At least they're loyal, like dogs -- oops. Not.

The only way to redeem this episode would be to make it a buildup for something better, like:
-- Some new flaw in Stewart's ring as a result of having absorbed the power-charged manhunter.
-- A revelation that the Guardians really weren't telling the whole truth, and that the manhunters were, in part, right.

Tonight, the Cartoon Network also aired "Eggbaby", from Batman Beyond. Really, now that you've seen both, wouldn't you agree Eggbaby was better?

Every series has its good and bad eps. (BTAS had "I've got Batman in my Basement.) I'm hoping the rest of the JL series is more like the first episode, and less like this one.

Calhoun07

11-26-2001, 11:57 PM

Originally posted by virtual_alfred
Am I the only one who didn't like this episode?

I can't say I didn't like it, it was ok, but I certainly prefer part one over part two.

DerekPowers

11-27-2001, 12:17 AM

this really was a great ep. the ending where jon says the green lantern speech was by far a highlight of dc animated. i was just not sure how he saved the day all of a sudden, when even the guardians gave up hope. howd he do that? but that scene was just sooo cool.

i have a question though, who were the people putting gl on trial?? what gives them the authority? and whats their relationship to the planet that was "destroyed" and howd they get the manhunters?

well, i also loved the scene where jon became see-through (i know thats not the right term but im tired) and pulled the brain out of that manhunter.

great ep, better than pt one. and while i'm not too crazy over the animaiton in this series (well, compared to tnba animation) i really love the cgi effects they use. it works great, like the gl headcourters sheilding, the illusion hiding the planet, even the manhunter's rays, i really think they are using the cgi very well, exploiting every possibility. peace.

Kal-el

11-27-2001, 12:19 AM

The way I see it, when HG noticed that the GL's weren't at the trial, she was p****d off at their lack of support for Jon Stewart. She went looking for them to set them straight. It ended up being a brawl, in which she kicked butt (remember too, the GL's are not endowed with physical superpowers...the rings give them their abilities. If/ when they fight without using them, what do they have? Look at Kyle in S:TAS...definitely not superpowered w/o the ring). By showing the passion she had for Stewart's innocence, she at least convinced Kilowag (sp?) that Jon was worth another chance. That scene made total sense to me. I'm not sure what the confusion is over it.
Also, IMO this ep was not about character development. It was about taking action. Actually, there was enough development in this ep to make note of. There was Superman being more of a detective (Bats rubbing off maybe?) and HG showing she has trust and faith in her fellow JL's (well, at least GL). It also showed that Flash is willing to stand up for someone besides himself, even though the consequences could mean death. He had no clue what he was doing, but he did it anyway in a manner about as serious as Flash can be.
This is somewhat of a unifying factor for the JL (for the characters shown). They all trusted Jon, blindly at first, but still proved his innocence. They are moving past just being a group of superheroes to being an actual 'team.'

Failure

11-27-2001, 12:24 AM

I thought it was a good ep, on par with Part 1. I liked it.

Man Hawkgirl is awesome! Great fight with the GL's. She whooped booty mostly because the GL's didnt use their rings. I hope they do an ep focusing on her.

I thought Superman sounded a lot more credible this ep. It seems like George Newbourne (sp?) is getting better as he goes along.

Flash was a riot. It's prolly a good thing he's got that superspeed, cuz I dont think I'd want him defending my case. ;)

What I dont understand was the final robot who gained all the power seemed like he was defeated way too easily. The Guardians collapse saying that "all hope is lost" and all it takes is John Stewart reciting the GL motto? Seemed rushed there.

Otherwise, I thought it was pretty good in developing GL's character, showing off Superman's detective skills, etc.

Karkull

11-27-2001, 12:24 AM

Crap. Guess I'll have to wait until Friday...

And give Superman some credit. He is an investigative reporter who, while not as good as Batman, is pretty capable with or without Lois to back him up.

Tim Drake

11-27-2001, 01:07 AM

Spectacular episode. I loved the music, the animation, the action etc. I hope we see more episodes like this. In many ways I enjoyed this more than the JL pilot.

Batman 80

11-27-2001, 01:13 AM

Good episode. The part where John recites the oath was my favorite scene. Hawkgirl is some character. She's fiery and a excellent fighter. The Flash also showed how loyal a teamate he is. He could have easily run away before him and John were about to be executed. Good episode all around.

Naraht

11-27-2001, 01:27 AM

Originally posted by cysurf
Yeah when GL yelled the GL oath.....was that cool or what? Though if GL's are so powerful, I find it hard to believe that Hawkgirl took on like 5 at one time.

They weren't using their GL powers though...

Anyways...my thoughts...now that I've slugged through the rest of the existing posts...

What the frack? (and yes, I mean frack...frack is frack, and frack is good..or bad..depends on the mood) anyways...is there some new GL law that one can only make bubbles, walls, and bolts from the rings? GL almost had a blade going in one shot...but it was so unrefined as to not count. I mean, the whole thing about the ring, is you can "make" anything with it. This continueing need to use the ring as a shield/gun thinggie is fracking me off.

I got a few good laughs out of this ep though...

Brainiac

11-27-2001, 02:04 AM

I really liked "In Blackest Night II"...I thought it was better than "Secret Origins," and that ending sequence was definitely the highlight...and "Eggbaby"? What a terrible BB episode.....

Ruffian

11-27-2001, 02:17 AM

I like this episode, a good follow up IMO. Superman was cool taking charge and and figuring that the planet was still in existance somehow if it's moon was still in orbit. I'm definitely liking George Newborn now. It's not so strange hearing his voice like it was in the beginning and I do think he's getting better as the series is moving along. I like seeing Hawkgirl in action. A lot more of her abilities was revealed, like the display of her superstrength and fighting skills. Dude, she's tough even without that mace of hers. I let out a bunch of ooh's, aah's, and ouch's watching her the GLs around. Flash wasn't that great with the comic relief I felt, I thought it was cheesy. The lawyer problem bit was funny though.

John Stewart I like too. I didn't so much when the series began because I was expecting Kyle Rayner. He is noble and the Gaurdians were right about them not making a mistake when they offered him the ring. That last battle scene where he defeats the last manhunter was awesome. It felt like a very simplistic solution, but it was awesome to hear he speak the green lantern oath and seeing all that power around him. I'm beginning to think that maybe that was the only thing he could have done. His powers were gone, being sucked away from the manhunter who entered the battery. But John reciting the oath was calling back the power and I felt it showed how powerful that ring is and maybe John too. Isn't it right that it is the wielder of the ring that makes the ring what it is?

As someone else has already mentioned, I also like the feeling of the JL members working as a team by having faith in one another. That was cool and that's what makes a good, strong relationship. That last sentimental bit with John and the other members was touching. :)

Domino

11-27-2001, 07:11 AM

Originally posted by virtual_alfred

Was this story based on an old comic? I haven't read GL in years, but I felt like I knew this story. Someone tell me that this was the case, and that it wasn't just predictable. A whole planet and all of its inhabitants are hidden. No radio in or out? No messages from the citizens, no departing spaceships? Anyone who can do that probably doesn't need money.

It was based on "No Man Escapes the Manhunters" and "No World Escapes the Manhunters" from Justice League of America #140-141, from January-February 1977.

The cool thing about the comic book was that Batman was the one who figured everything out, which is the way it should be! <g>

dc-marvelite

11-27-2001, 08:37 AM

Agreed that the ending seemed rushed (even if the fight scenes had some well done moments). It almost had the feeling that someone suddenly looked at their watch and said , "We have to wrap this up quickly!!"

The "lawyers problem" lines were the highlight of the episode. Hopefully, the clever dialogue will continue. However...

Flash's "humor" is either starting to wear a little thin ("habeus corpus ... phi kappa?") or just starting to sound a little to much like a crutch instead of more three dimensional dialogue.

I miss Bats!

I can understand having John Stewart "save the day" since it WAS his two parter but hope this type of thing isn't going to be used repeatedly (shifted to another character when a two-parter featuring them comes around).

Rating: B+

Terminatah

11-27-2001, 08:40 AM

Originally posted by virtual_alfred
But the story and characterization were absolutely flat.

Actually it was real creative.

Originally posted by virtual_alfred
The only way to redeem this episode would be to make it a buildup for something better, like:
-- Some new flaw in Stewart's ring as a result of having absorbed the power-charged manhunter.
-- A revelation that the Guardians really weren't telling the whole truth, and that the manhunters were, in part, right.

Nah, we're not gonna be doing that.

Originally posted by virtual_alfred
Tonight, the Cartoon Network also aired "Eggbaby", from Batman Beyond. Really, now that you've seen both, wouldn't you agree Eggbaby was better?

What does that have to do with anything?

I enjoyed the episode and I will probably end up accepting Newbern as Superman (even though he will never surpass Daly). I like the one hour episode format and I hope it will allow them to tell more complex stories and develop characters further, rather than force them to pump a good episode with unnecessary filler.

Oh yah, and Superman's an ass. He should've broken that hologram thing immediately instead of flying over to the trial and telling Hawkgirl over the radio to break it. But as my little brother put it, "What kind of an entrance would that have been?"

-Terminatah

SSNTails

11-27-2001, 08:51 AM

great ep, better than pt one. and while i'm not too crazy over the animaiton in this series (well, compared to tnba animation) i really love the cgi effects they use. it works great, like the gl headcourters sheilding, the illusion hiding the planet, even the manhunter's rays, i really think they are using the cgi very well, exploiting every possibility. peace.

I agree. When I first saw Justice League, it looked like the budget is a little tighter on this series. TNBA/STAS/Beyond was a noticeably higher quality.

Or maybe it's just the large dislike I have for CGI (except how it was used in RotJ). When people have computers to mess with graphics, they tend to make everything shiny and throw ten billion lens flares on it.

st63z

11-27-2001, 09:00 AM

I like this ep too. I know next to squat about DC universe, but I'm guessing it was solely Jon's force of will (strength of his belief in the good cause, whatever) that turned the tide on that errant Manhunter by reversing the power flow. It's a really impressive showing of Jon's character that he was able to do that when the Guardians couldn't (well, to be fair, it may be the case that the Guardians don't have the same wielding powers as the GL's and that they may be more of caretakers of the power source?).

I think they got it right when one of the other GL's said about Jon "He was the best of us" -- I like how dedicated and selfless Jon was shown to be in this 2-part ep :)

I also like the end where he expressed a little hurt that most of his GL team mates had literally abandoned him (though to be fair, *he* had lost faith in himself too), and especially that touching moment after he walks up to his JL team mates...

I'm also curious to find out more about that seemingly a "UN" multi-species organization that held the tribunal? Maybe I better bone up on my DC comics (so many questions about how everything meshes up in this universe). The GL Corps aren't an officially sanctioned police force in the universe? In fact, I guess there's not any all-encompassing organization with jurisdiction over the whole universe (seems more like little fiefdoms, or regions with their own governing alliances and such)...

st63z

11-27-2001, 09:05 AM

Oh, and I'm new to toon discussions and have just learned that it's the same guy doing the GL and Samurai Jack voices (the guy from MAD TV) :) Funny, he sounds totally different on the two...

Hey, maybe they would swap crews for an episode (Genndy's animators doing JL, Timms' animators doing SJack)...

Overall I was surprised at the very high caliber actors they got doing voices for the casts and guest characters (for all these DC-based Warner Bros shows up to and including JL).

Tim Drake

11-27-2001, 12:05 PM

Yeah one of my issues with JL is the computer coloring that they sometimes use. Still I think its leaps ahead of TNBA and STAS. Am I the only one who thinks they have a higher budget for JL? The amount of detail they put into the show far exceeds the older shows.

superfriend

11-27-2001, 12:16 PM

I really liked part two better that part one. I guess part of it was I felt I new what was going to happen. I found the trial boring. Then, Last night before the show, I dug out Justice League of America #140 and read it to my son. It got me all fired up for part 2.

My real disappointment now is that Batman and Wonder Woman were not part of the story. Bats discovered the illusion in the comic and deserved credit here.

Other than that, the story was fantastic. Loved the Hawkgirl vs GLs fight. Sign me up for a second Hawkgirl figure in the spacesuit. John's absorbing the power back into hmself was awesome. Can't wait till tonite when I watch both parts together. (Maybe after my son and I read JLofA 141).

This era of JLA - by Steve Engelhart - is what I first found in comics and loved. I've been concerned that comics of late have been too gory for my son. This show has made me realize I can read that era to him (He's 7 and can read perfectly by himself, we just like reading outload together)

By the way, I do really like the opening that looks computer generated.

Mr. Obsession

11-27-2001, 04:00 PM

Over all I thought it was a good conclusion. While I agree that it did feel rushed, I suspect that if you watch parts I & II together in the "movie" format the pacing would seem just right.

Like many others I highly enjoyed the scene where Hawkgirl tosses her mace aside (right into a support beam :eek: ) claiming that she doesn't need it, then proceeds to mop the floor with four different GL's at the same time, one of which was using his ring only for flight.

"If the ring was not lit, you must acquit."

Blight

11-27-2001, 04:44 PM

What a great conclusion! This part was better than the first! There were lots of great, memorable moments, and the action sequences were something to treasure. My favorite part had to be Green Lantern's speech at the end. Kind of weird hearing someone other than Kyle Rayner saying those words of wisdom (After seeing "In Brightest Day" twenty times), but it was still a great moment. I can't wait ti'll "The Enemy Below"! I just hope Batman is in that one, because if he's not, we're not going to see him again until february!

See ya!
Blight

JLU Dude

11-27-2001, 04:53 PM

I really enjoyed both parts.

TerryMcGuiness

11-27-2001, 05:55 PM

Pardon the gratuitous use of caps-lock but..

MAN WAS THIS A FREAKING COOL CONCLUSION!!! GOD I LOVE THIS SHOW! BRUCE TIMM AND CO. ROCK ON!!

..ahem.

Some of the things I really enjoyed most:

Supermans portrayl in both parts was nicely done. From the power display in part one to deomonstrating his mad deduction skills in part two ( and hey, how can ya not love Superman tearing through a horde of Manhunters? Thats livin!)

The Flash had me literally on the floor laughing. It really strikes me that this is the kind of personality the character has needed all along. A fast mouth to go with his fast feet. It just really, really works.

The bar fight. Hawkgirl is fastly becoming a favorite character of mine and the entire scene was really fun. This also brings me tohow gald I was that Kilowog finally got to speak and it was cool when he tried to stand up for John. I really felt for him being the only guy in the corp to still believe in John and yet his freindship may be forever affected because he didnt speak up soon enough.

Words are a totally weak medium for me to describe how cool I thought the ending was. When he said the oath and the way it was brought into that scene.....I got chills down my spine and I literally jumped up out of my chair and recited the oath along with John.

God...Bruce Timm and co. work gived me the kind of charge that the actuall comics used to give me once upon a time before they became so nihilistic and dour. Its that old magic that these guys now how to spin in fun new ways.

and with Batman and Superman TAS coming back soon, I am gonna be one happy superhero fan. :D

Joker85

11-27-2001, 06:16 PM

I thought this eppy was a big improvement over part one. the lawyer problem was hysterical!! I loved the animation and all of the action towards the end. Plus, I am finally starting to like GL a little more. He is still my least favorite of them all but I am starting to like him. I also like HG. She is right up there on my favorites list, just behind Batman and Martian Manhunter. I hope Bats is back next week. Guess I'll just have to wait and see! Overall, a great eppy. :)

kid_flash

11-27-2001, 06:20 PM

Wow, that was AWESOME! Some things I liked:

The Flash: I wasn't a huge fan of how he was protrayed in part I, but he was awesome in this. Sticking up for GL, using some offense, the super-speed effects. Sweet.

Hawkgirl vs. the Corps: Yeah, baby!!!

J'onn's past: Very briefly mentioned was J'onn's childhood, but it's very important that people realize that's a huge difference between him and Superman: J'onn had a life on Mars.

John Stewart vs. the Manhunter: WHOO-HOO! When it looks like all hope is lost, John comes through!

Flash: "I object!"
Judge: "OVERRULED!"
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!

The fight on Oa: Very well done in so many ways.

The one thing I did not like: Hawkgirl's spacesuit. HOW exactly did she fit that mask underneath the helmet?

BeastBoyWonder

11-27-2001, 06:52 PM

about the flash asking about a hawkboy...is there a romantic intrest for hawkgirl?

Ricochet

11-27-2001, 07:09 PM

All, I have to say is I LOVED seeing Killowog being Killowog! Oh and It was a great ep! BTW, how do you spell "Killowog"? :D

-- Ricochet :cool:

The Guard

11-27-2001, 11:43 PM

Kilowog

Toddman

11-28-2001, 10:51 AM

Was I the only one that thought Hawkgirl looked A LOT like Birdman when she was wearing the spacesuit?

Also I was surprised that the episode was played up for laughs so much. Not only the Flash (who I thought was much funnier here than in "Secret Origins"), but Superman and J'onn's conversation on the alien moon as well. It was something like (very heavily paraphrasing here)...

Superman saying, "J'onn, do you notice anything about this situation?"

And J'onn replying (in his very somber voice), "You mean the loss of life? The sad reminder of the shared fate of both of our homeworlds? Yes."

Superman then corrects him, "No, J'onn. I was talking about the position of the moon."

I didn't mind, though, it was all very funny. Throw in the joke about the "lawyer situation" and I was rollin'!

Toddman

Tracer

11-28-2001, 12:59 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by st63z
I like this ep too. I know next to squat about DC universe, but I'm guessing it was solely Jon's force of will (strength of his belief in the good cause, whatever) that turned the tide on that errant Manhunter by reversing the power flow. It's a really impressive showing of Jon's character that he was able to do that when the Guardians couldn't (well, to be fair, it may be the case that the Guardians don't have the same wielding powers as the GL's and that they may be more of caretakers of the power source?).

I think it was something different. If you notice the manhunter says "Now I am the Power". The ring can tap into and absorb the power from the Central battery (as it is called in the comics). GL absorbed the manhunter (now pure energy) into his ring and dispersed it.

By the time the Manhunter got to the battery the Guardians had spent all thier energy tring to prevent them from breaking through the barrier.

Tracer

11-28-2001, 01:16 PM

I didn't like number 2 as much as 1. In the first part, the manhunters are going toe to toe with Superman and the rest of the JL. In number 2 they were tearing through the Manhunters like children.

Also the solution bothered me, Your telling me that Jonn can sense GL from that far away but can not sense that there is an entire planet near by that his other sense can pick up on. Or that Superman can sense them with his ears or eyes?

The is the second story line and I REALLY hate the FLASH!! I am a big fan of the comic but someone here said it best "He is a really fast gopher that only has defensive weapons" He can move at speeds approachnig lightspeed" How did he get hit with Debris or clocked by the manhunters in part 1? Nearly everything should be standing still relative to his speed. I won't even talk about what he should be able to do at that speed.

Everyone has complained about how they powered down GL, but no one has noticed that the flash is useless in this series so far. Potentially he is the third most powerful person on the team. Batman and Superman are 1 & 2 (You pick the order cause I won't even get into that debate.)

Knight

11-28-2001, 05:52 PM

Originally posted by Tracer
I didn't like number 2 as much as 1. In the first part, the manhunters are going toe to toe with Superman and the rest of the JL. In number 2 they were tearing through the Manhunters like children.

Also the solution bothered me, Your telling me that Jonn can sense GL from that far away but can not sense that there is an entire planet near by that his other sense can pick up on. Or that Superman can sense them with his ears or eyes?

The is the second story line and I REALLY hate the FLASH!! I am a big fan of the comic but someone here said it best "He is a really fast gopher that only has defensive weapons" He can move at speeds approachnig lightspeed" How did he get hit with Debris or clocked by the manhunters in part 1? Nearly everything should be standing still relative to his speed. I won't even talk about what he should be able to do at that speed.

Everyone has complained about how they powered down GL, but no one has noticed that the flash is useless in this series so far. Potentially he is the third most powerful person on the team. Batman and Superman are 1 & 2 (You pick the order cause I won't even get into that debate.)

First id like to say even though its not said, that the machine that created the illusion of the planet being destroyed also must have had some additional capabilities. Since the people on the planet weren't dead it apparently also blocked communication and surrounded the planet with some form of forcefield to prevent the inhabitants from leaving. This field may have also been capable of blocking mental scans.

As for the Flash he has definitely been powered down. Its probably very hard to animate someone who can circle the globe in a second. But they do need to showcase more of his skills that he can do with his speed.

SSNTails

11-28-2001, 06:04 PM

Circling the globe in a second is just insane. That's 1/3rd the speed of light!

kid_flash

11-28-2001, 06:14 PM

About the Flash...

This is Wally back in the days he wasn't so much like Barry Allen (current comics, while good, don't really set Wally apart). He was a jerk, went through girlfriends like they were going out of style, and could only barely reach the speed of sound, and that's if he's REALLY trying. He was half the hero he is today, and it's all in his attitude.

For my money, Flash is the best character on the show. Well, him or J'onn, I can't decide.

Tracer

11-29-2001, 10:09 AM

Originally posted by kid_flash
About the Flash...

This is Wally back in the days he wasn't so much like Barry Allen (current comics, while good, don't really set Wally apart). He was a jerk, went through girlfriends like they were going out of style, and could only barely reach the speed of sound, and that's if he's REALLY trying. He was half the hero he is today, and it's all in his attitude.

For my money, Flash is the best character on the show. Well, him or J'onn, I can't decide.

I am not so sure about that. In the Superman episode where he premiered, Both he and Superman were going speed for speed and they were about even. So that would only put Superman at barely reaching the speed of sound. But you never know, they've powered down everybody else.

But I do agree with you, I Really like J'onn, and Batman (when he makes an appearance).

warmachine04

11-29-2001, 06:31 PM

The episode was quite good but not as good as the first part. Hawkgirl's battle with the Green Lantern Corp and Flash as GL lawyer were the most memmorable parts in this episode. It is rumored that next episode "The Enemy Below" will feature Aquaman in a whole new look.

SSNTails

11-29-2001, 07:21 PM

Yeah, he looks more like Neptune.

Toddman

11-29-2001, 07:27 PM

Originally posted by warmachine04
The episode was quite good but not as good as the first part. Hawkgirl's battle with the Green Lantern Corp and Flash as GL lawyer were the most memmorable parts in this episode. It is rumored that next episode "The Enemy Below" will feature Aquaman in a whole new look.

Warmachine, if you're interested in more info on that episode and what to expect from Aquaman, you should check out the news story on him:

http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?threadid=12931

Toddman

Karkull

11-30-2001, 08:11 PM

I finally got to see the episode and, man, was it a blast!

Finally, Superman's detective skills are being spotlighted. He's no Batman, but he is a great reporter (with detective skills).

As for Hawkgirl...damn. She's turning out to be a lot of fun.

The Flash was funny, but his fighting skills leave a bit to be desired (if he wants to get with her he'd better shape up). Oh, and why couldn't he super-metabolize the gas?

Green Lantern is turning out to be a good character, if not a little cold to his fellow guardsmen (if he believed he was guilty why did he fault the others for thinking so as well?)

Great fight with the Manhunters, but when the Manhunter robot absorbed the green power energy (which drained Stewart's ring of its power) why didn't the other Lanterns lose their power as well (they should have been literally falling out of the sky).

I hope that we see Kanjar Ro again--if I'm not mistaken I think he's a running adversary of the Hawk characters in the comics.

Oh, and Kilowog was cool.

Terminatah

11-30-2001, 08:47 PM

Originally posted by Karkull
Great fight with the Manhunters, but when the Manhunter robot absorbed the green power energy (which drained Stewart's ring of its power) why didn't the other Lanterns lose their power as well (they should have been literally falling out of the sky).

I certainly hope somebody got fired over that one.

-Terminatah

The Guard

11-30-2001, 09:44 PM

Let me ask you a question? Why would a man named Karkull spend all his time watching a CHILDREN'S CARTOON show?

Lol.

No more Simpsons ripoffs...

Karkull

11-30-2001, 10:46 PM

Originally posted by Terminatah
I certainly hope somebody got fired over that one.

Oh, come on, just one more:

Worst episode ever.

Lady Iapetus

11-30-2001, 11:20 PM

I watched this ep and the one before it only because Rene Auberjonois, one of my fave actors, was voicing Kanjor-Ro and I try to catch Rene's work when I can. :D

For the most part I enjoyed this episode. Flash cracks me up, no two ways about it. *thinks* Though, I believe that crack at Cochran and OJ has already been done, in some way. It was in the new Batman Animated Series ep Over the Edge, wasn't it?

It seems to me that some of the VAs did double-duty...I swear to God that Rene did one of the Oa Guardians as well. Speaking of, does anyone know the names of the Guardians (if they even have names)?

Maxie Zeus

11-30-2001, 11:42 PM

Originally posted by Lady Iapetus
It seems to me that some of the VAs did double-duty...I swear to God that Rene did one of the Oa Guardians as well. Speaking of, does anyone know the names of the Guardians (if they even have names)?

It's quite common for voice actors to do double duty. (I think I read somewhere that the rules say they can voice up to 3 characters before the producers have to kick in more money and screen credit.)

I'm certain he was also doing the chief Guardian, and listening very closely, I think he was also doing the "giant head" GL.

Lady Iapetus

11-30-2001, 11:57 PM

I'm certain he was also doing the chief Guardian, and listening very closely, I think he was also doing the "giant head" GL.

"Giant head?" I was more of the impression of "bowling/beach ball" with arms and legs.

The Mad Hatter

12-01-2001, 02:29 PM

I dunno, the sound effects when he was bouncing around sounded kinda like a dodgeball...

Maxie Zeus

12-01-2001, 02:49 PM

Originally posted by Lady Iapetus
"Giant head?" I was more of the impression of "bowling/beach ball" with arms and legs.

:D Well, as long as you know who I'm talking about.

Stinky Cat

12-01-2001, 03:10 PM

i stand corrected...

Ed Liu

12-03-2001, 10:10 AM

Howdy all,

OK, I'm late to the party, but I finally saw this ep last night. The person who decided to program _Samurai Jack_ & _JL_ against _Angel_ on Monday nights was a cruel, cruel person, but at least _Angel_ is in reruns for now. Anyway...

I was pretty jazzed about the first episode, and kind of turned off by the second. My big beef is that the writers forgot that J'onn is telepathic, but he wasn't even useful in a Deanna Troi "I sense great hostility from that Romulan warbird charging its disruptors, Captain" capacity. It's really, really hard to lie or keep a secret from a telepath, and Kanjar Ro didn't really seem like the kind of mental giant able to do that. They did the same thing in JL Adventures #1, and it annoyed me to no end there, too.

I was also kind of disappointed by the continuing lack of originality in the use of GL's ring. I may just have to get used to that, from the looks of things.

Hawkgirl rocks. Just get used to it. I thought the space-suit looked a bit like the Thanagar-space-cop body armor from the _Hawkworld_ comics, but the similarity to Birdman someone else made is pretty amusing because it's pretty accurate.

Someone else commented about the ease of wrecking Manhunters in space vs. the difficulty on Earth. I could make something up based on a line in the Grant Morrison JLA where the Flash says the Moon's gravity makes Superman ten-times more Super than on Earth, but why should I have to? Or maybe it's just a display of the sci-fi movie rule that a single creature is indestructible, while the exact same creature in hordes is cannon-fodder (cf, the _Aliens_ movies =8^).

Think Batman will make a comment about the demolishing of the Javelin-7 in a later episode?

I'm impressed by the series so far, but not as impressed as I'd like to be, yet.

-- Ed/Ace

Toddman

12-03-2001, 11:01 AM

Originally posted by Ace the Bathound

Hawkgirl rocks. Just get used to it. I thought the space-suit looked a bit like the Thanagar-space-cop body armor from the _Hawkworld_ comics, but the similarity to Birdman someone else made is pretty amusing because it's pretty accurate.

Someone else commented about the ease of wrecking Manhunters in space vs. the difficulty on Earth. I could make something up based on a line in the Grant Morrison JLA where the Flash says the Moon's gravity makes Superman ten-times more Super than on Earth, but why should I have to? Or maybe it's just a display of the sci-fi movie rule that a single creature is indestructible, while the exact same creature in hordes is cannon-fodder (cf, the _Aliens_ movies =8^).
-- Ed/Ace

You're right, it seems like there was more that could've been explained about the capabilities of the "Illusitron" (sp?). The story in the comic book series that this episode was inspried by, explained the disappearance of the planet was due to mass hypnosis. Perhaps the device didn't create physical illusions as much as it created mental illusions. If it was powerful enough, it could have even fooled J'onn.

As for the JL tearing through an army of Manhunters when only three were kicking their tails back on Earth... if you watch the battle on Oa closely, the only Leaguers that inflict a lot of damage with little effort are Superman and GL. The Flash succeeds in manuevering two Manhunters into shooting each other, and J'onn rips out the brain of one of them, but those tactics were not used on Earth. I can be forgiving enough to assume that Superman was just cutting loose on Oa, and was holding back/testing their strength before. And we never saw GL fight them on Earth. It looks like he could have done the whole job by himself if he hadn't surrendered to them.

The real mystery of the episode is "If Superman and J'onn were using the Javelin-7 on the moon, how did Hawkgirl GET her spacesuit?"

Toddman

Naraht

12-03-2001, 11:25 AM

They left it for her....or she got it before they left.

BeastBoyWonder

12-03-2001, 01:57 PM

Who is Kanjar Ro?

Naraht

12-03-2001, 02:23 PM

Originally posted by ragingdrummerboy
Who is Kanjar Ro?

The "bad guy" who was voiced by Rene Aberjoinous (I forget how to spell it) the GUy who played Odo (and a number of other roles in his life)

Karkull

12-03-2001, 02:47 PM

Originally posted by Ace the Bathound
My big beef is that the writers forgot that J'onn is telepathic...It's really, really hard to lie or keep a secret from a telepath, and Kanjar Ro didn't really seem like the kind of mental giant able to do that.

Good point, but overall the secret was well guarded (you can't telepathically scan a robot). Perhaps there's a way to shield against telepathy (Alexander Luthor had several telepathic locks protecting his thoughts in the graphic novel Earth 2). Or maybe there's just some alien races that J'onn can't read (on Star Trek, Betazoids can't read the minds of Ferengi).

DisneyBoy

09-28-2002, 01:57 PM

Finally, at long-long, we here in Canada have begun seeing all the first season of Justice League! Today's episode was the first part of John Stewart's highlight arc, and here are my comments...

I really enjoyed it!!! I actually saw part two on a Monday night before Part One aired, and from that, I didn't think too much of the arc. Thankfully, Part One proved to be a pleasant surprise!

I was really glad to see John walking out and about (as was everyone!), mainly because it shed some light on the whole Kyle/John debate. John's former teacher mentionned his "return", meaning that it's entirely possible that John was out doing other galaxy-related stuff during the time that Kyle was first introduced. Well, regardless of that topic, it was really nice to see him at home.

The Watchtower sequence was a really great way of beginning the first arc of the series (not counting S.E.). Hawkgirl and Flash definately have some chemistry (for animated characters that is :p ) and J'onn remains my favorite new addition to the animated universe. We don't often see a hero so composed and morose, so having him around makes for a great dynamic. During the street fight, Superman didn't suffer from the "wuss syndrone" everyone has been mentionning. I especially loved the way Hawkgirl and the team was animated. Butch Lukic (from those painted JLA covers) directed this one didn't he? Nice job! Shayara's wings ruffled in the wind and J'onn's facial expression after being sent through the wall was very well rendered.

The trail was rather dull, but the group shots were very impressive. I don't think it made any sense for John to surrender without any questions, but then again, I know nothing about the Manhunters. Perhaps he just knew not to put up a fight.

Of course, this does raise some awful questions. If the planet was "destroyed" (I already saw part two, so I know it wasn't) prior to Secret Origins, then John has been carrying the burdon of the event inside him since the time it happened. Then again, I can't help but wonder why it was that he wasn't arrested right after the planet exploded. None the less, it was a really cool episode, with great pacing and animation.

Any other Canucks wanna comment? Thank you YTV!

Drachentöter

11-02-2002, 06:11 PM

It's been a while since the last post, but I never got a chance to comment and that would just go against all the reasons I signed up for.

Today was the first time I saw the full IBN story arc (Thank goodness for Saturday afternoons). I really liked it and I think it's one of the better episodes. I'll give it four stars.

Part one is virtually flawless. Seeing John in plainclothes is a stroke of brilliance. I loved seeing him interact with friends from the past and reconnecting with his old town. Poor John couldn't make the basket. :D

Seeing the down-time on the Watchtower made me wish more scenes like those were made in season one. The Flash-Hawkgril flirting was great to watch. Actually makes me wish they'd hook up for a while. J'onn was used well here, too. Though he wasn't necessary to the plot, his fighting skills were well demonstrated.

The trial was interesting to watch. I never found out who the judges were though. Seeing Kyle Rayner would have been awesome, but I guess that's a topic the writers would rather avoid at this point. Still rooting for a Kyle appearance though.

"I am Guilty." Great ending. Now we know John is willing to bear such an awful responsibility.

Animation was excellent, can't think of any problems. Music got a bit repetitive with the Manhunters theme, but the opening Shaft-like music was a treat to listen to.

A great start to a great story.

Drachentöter

11-02-2002, 06:38 PM

It's been almost a year since the last post but here's my opinion.

I really liked this episode. They did a good job with the battle scenes when the JL and the Manhunters fought at the battery. HOWEVER, this was the episode that brought down the rating from five to four stars. I'll say why later.

The Flash as a lawyer scene has become one of my favorites in the whole series. "I'd like to talk about....habeus corpus and ipso facto and [Something] Beta Kappa..."

"The lawyer problem" is also a favorite of mine.

(Paraphrasing)
Flash: "Don't you have laywers?"
Judge: "We solved the lawyer problem long ago."
....
Judge: "But be aware, if you defend the accused and he is found guilty, you will suffer the same fate as him."
Flash: "You mean...?"
Judge: "That's how we solved our lawyer problem."

Hilarious!

Definitely one of the funniest episodes. Surprising for a story arc with such a dark subject.

I liked the Hawkgirl/GL Corps brawl. Really gave me newfound respect for her. It also developed her character and I'm sorry I missed that at the beginning.

Then come the faults.

1) J'onn senses the loss of life, the destruction, etc. How? The planet's still there...Nobody died. And wouldn't the people of Ajuris (sp?) 5 still have contact with their neighboring planets? Or did that holo-thing obstruct their communications. A plot hole that should've been explained.

2) The whole Manhunter absorbing the lantern power seemed pretty hard to swallow. Wouldn't he blow up with some much energy? Isn't their ANY other line of defense to guard one of the most powerful structures in the Universe? Why are the Guardians so weak?

AND...

I liked how John yelled out the oath while he absorbed the power back, but that scene was also hard to believe. How can any single human manage to pull back on such a powerful force and walk away unscathed. Maybe if the other five GLs helped I'd be satisfied. But ONE SINGLE human? Geez, Superman, watch your back. This might be the most powerful man on Earth.

3) This was mentioned on the Watchtower site. Green Lantern believes he's guilty himself and then blames his friends for thinking the same thing? I understand why he'd be a little peeved, but completely brushing them off like that. Including Kilowog, who tried to help him. Talk about being a hard-ass.

But all in all it was still a good episode. I realize I might have to adjust the ratings I gave the episodes in my first post on the forum. Posting fresh opinions is actually making me look forward to reruns!

I still want Season Two to come soon. Like now. Please now. And if they make more episodes like In Blackest Night and it'll blow the other season out of the water.

JusticeLeagueLegion

11-04-2002, 02:10 PM

I'm not sure if I posted on this a long time ago, but I really loved this episode...Kilowog was an auesome character...this episode was just brilliant.

DarkLantern

11-04-2002, 08:57 PM

Originally posted by Ricochet
I loved the cameos of Arkis Chummuk, Kilowog, Gallus Zed, Tomar - Re, and I, think, either Medephyll or Larvox or Sputa or something like that! The garbanzo bean shaped one w/ red hair. I can never find the right comic book when I need it... :rolleyes: ;)

That was Larvox, and I believe we'll be seeing him again in Season 2, along with two others from the above list.

DL

Fernus

01-29-2003, 03:47 PM

Like I metioned before, this was really my fist encounter with a Green Lantern, so I had no idea what to expect. This was a great start, in my opinion, to the 2 parters. It was good to see a hero in their secret identitiy. The Manhunters confused me for a moment, since there was a Martian Manhunter, but I understood it later.
The trail scene was a bit time consumming, but none the less good. Kanjar Ro was new, but we did'nt get to learn a whole lot about him.
For some reason, Iliked the fight scene where the JL fought those aliens before they came to the trail. I liked it when Superman told Hawkgirl not to aim to kill, but she almost did it without knowing it anyway.
The ending was good. A good continuation that makes you want ot find out what happens next.
Other scenes I thought were nice was when the other GLs would'nt even help John. That was a bit sad that the Green Lanterns didn't stick together.
Flash was, at the begining, living up to his reputation as a "ladies man" by somewhat flertting with Hawkgirl. Flash is starting to grow on me as a character now. At first I thought that he made wisecracks about anything to his friends, even if they might hurt their feelings. In this episode, he proved me wrong by trying to opoligize to the Martian Manhunter for what he said.
Every character starts to slowly change their attitude as the episodes start.

Style

08-13-2005, 03:26 AM

No bump for tonight's rerun? For shame.:mad:

It's nice seeing these first season episodes again. For the most part, they aren't nearly so bad as people would harp on about. And they give the newer episodes nice context.

My favorite bit was when Superman and Martian Manhunter had to actually be standing on the moon before they realized it didn't fly out of orbit. Nice bit of detective work there.

Second too it is when Superman asks J'onn, "Found anything yet?" To which J'onn replies, "Well, now that you mention it, I did stumble across the key clue to the case five minutes ago, but I didn't want to bother you with it."

Dusty

08-13-2005, 04:19 AM

I love this ep it's one of my favs. i love how Supes takes out the manhunters, and GL couldn't, shows that Superman is more powerful than some you guys thought he was in season one, it rocked,

D.

The Penguin

08-13-2005, 08:34 AM

No bump for tonight's rerun? For shame.:mad: :o Sorry about that, RA training left me wiped out and I fell asleep before I made it to the computer. My timer should I have been set though so I hope to check back in with some comments.

Azrael24

08-13-2005, 11:11 AM

this episode was okay, i didnt like it the first time i watched it like 4 years ago but now i think its better. but the acting was pretty crappy and cheesy in part 1. and there was a hawkgirl and flash relationship?? i dont remember that!

****

Batman Fan

08-13-2005, 01:21 PM

I found this episode to be pretty boring at parts and kinda slow pace, but it's not all that bad of an episode.

Great moments include:
Hawkgirl's fight with the Green Lanterns.
Seeing John Stewart walking around in his community.
Superman and MM's on the moon discovering the truth.
The fight at the end with all the Manhunters, GL chanting the oath or whatever.
Some nice dialogue from Hawkgirl and Flash, especially when Flash was defending GL in court.

It's always fun to see a hero get blamed for a crime, but this one fails in some parts. I really didn't like the fact that GL gave up so easily into thinking he did it. I'm really at a lost of what this episode was trying to accomplish or whatever. The whole first part was lame action and GL acting all mopey. I did like the fact that the JL, having not been togther long, trusted John enough to believe he didn't do it, and wanted to defend him, that's teamwork! I thought Kanjar Ro was a boring character, and the second part was an improvement over the first, the dialogue was better, action was more fun to watch, especially the Manhunters attack on Oa, and the nice twist in the plot. Pretty average episode.

***

awh1978

08-13-2005, 01:34 PM

i love how Supes takes out the manhunters, and GL couldn't, shows that Superman is more powerful than some you guys thought he was in season one, it rocked,
Superman was fairly effective in these episodes, but it's still doesn't make sense that three manhunters caused so much trouble in part 1 but an entire army was easily trashed in part 2. I could understand the head manhunter being tougher, but the rest should all be equally tough.

Toddman

08-13-2005, 02:02 PM

Superman was fairly effective in these episodes, but it's still doesn't make sense that three manhunters caused so much trouble in part 1 but an entire army was easily trashed in part 2. I could understand the head manhunter being tougher, but the rest should all be equally tough.I thought the only character that showed inconsistency between fights was J'onn J'onzz.

In the first fight, you're right, the three Manhunters were giving the good guys all they could handle...until Superman showed up. He didn't exactly mow them down without blinking, but he was easily holding his own and was doing a better job than Flash, Hawkgirl and JJ combined.

However, whoever said that Supes outclassed GL is mistaken. GL wasn't a part of the first fight, and in the second battle he was slicing up the Manhunters like Thanksgiving turkey.

But back to my original point, when the the rest of the Lanterns showed up during the fight on Oa is when the Manhunter army really started to get taken apart. I thought the members of the League were played consistently in both fights...except for J'onn. He's really the only one that got the crap knocked out of him in the first fight, then in round two started ripping brains from their heads:shrug: ...

Toddman

Batman Fan

08-13-2005, 02:27 PM

Originally posted by Toddman
I thought the only character that showed inconsistancy between fights was J'onn J'onzz.

In the first fight, you're right, the three Manhunters were giving the good guys all they could handle...until Superman showed up. He didn't exactly mow them down without blinking, but he was easily holding his own and was doing a better job than Flash, Hawkgirl and JJ combined.

However, whoever said that Supes outclassed GL is mistaken. GL wasn't a part of the first fight, and in the second battle he was slicing up the Manhunters like Thanksgiving turkey.

But back to my original point, when the the rest of the Lanterns showed up during the fight on Oa is when the Manhunter army really started to get taken apart. I thought the members of the League were played consistantly in both fights...except for J'onn. He's really the only that got the crap knocked out of him in the first fight, then in round two started ripping brains from their heads:shrug: ...

Agreed, I've noticed that a lot with J'onn's character in the first season. He's used either very inconsistently, or used just plain bad. It's really sad, J'onn is such an interesting character, but I noticed, even more than Superman, he's the one getting beat up the most in the first season. He's always getting tossed around, most action sequences with him are just him getting hit, zapped, knocked out, etc. But later on, they started using his powers more consistently and he wasn't the the punching bag of the JL.

Dusty

08-13-2005, 07:22 PM

I thought the only character that showed inconsistency between fights was J'onn J'onzz.

In the first fight, you're right, the three Manhunters were giving the good guys all they could handle...until Superman showed up. He didn't exactly mow them down without blinking, but he was easily holding his own and was doing a better job than Flash, Hawkgirl and JJ combined.

However, whoever said that Supes outclassed GL is mistaken. GL wasn't a part of the first fight, and in the second battle he was slicing up the Manhunters like Thanksgiving turkey.

But back to my original point, when the the rest of the Lanterns showed up during the fight on Oa is when the Manhunter army really started to get taken apart. I thought the members of the League were played consistently in both fights...except for J'onn. He's really the only one that got the crap knocked out of him in the first fight, then in round two started ripping brains from their heads:shrug: ...

Toddmanyour forgetting about this part: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/Dusty37/JLMHF.png http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/Dusty37/JLMHF3.png http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/Dusty37/JLMHF4.png

GL was chumped, SM in the first part stood up to their blast and then broke one of the staffs, while GL couldn't even protect himself against one with his ring,
I still like GL, it's just that SM is more powerful,

D.

Casey Mack

08-13-2005, 09:53 PM

your forgetting about this part: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/Dusty37/JLMHF.png http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/Dusty37/JLMHF3.png http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/Dusty37/JLMHF4.png

GL was chumped, SM in the first part stood up to their blast and then broke one of the staffs, while GL couldn't even protect himself against one with his ring,
I still like GL, it's just that SM is more powerful,

D.

Superman more powerfull...perhaps but smarter.....no. This means War world:sad: might be on next week, and that episode is the pinnacle of superman stupidity in season one.
________
BRUNETTE SEX (http://www.****tube.com/categories/440/sex/videos/1)

Dusty

08-13-2005, 11:20 PM

Stupidity? :yawn: what makes you think Superman is stupid? :gir:

D.

Casey Mack

08-14-2005, 12:13 AM

Stupidity? :yawn: what makes you think Superman is stupid? :gir:

D.
Didn't mean stupid stupid, i mean the way he was written in some episodes lead you to beleive he is an idiot especially "War world".
________
Yamaha Ym3526 (http://www.yamaha-tech.com/wiki/Yamaha_YM3526)

Fone Bone

08-14-2005, 12:56 AM

Very underwhelming episode. I think they made John too much of a buttmunch in the early episodes to create forced conflict within the League. I know it's only the second arc and I should be gentle but the episode is kind of bad when compared to the later stuff. Fortunately A Knight of Shadows and The Savage Time showed that the series would greatly improve even in the first season. In Blackest Night isn't the worst episode of the first season but it's really kind of boring. **1/2.

Caswin

11-12-2006, 10:14 PM

Maybe if the other five GLs helped I'd be satisfied.Wow. That really would've been sweet. Go write something.

James Harvey

07-28-2009, 06:35 AM

Featured on the DVD release of Green Lantern: First Flight (DVD/Blu-ray Talkback (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=233195), Feature Talkback (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=233194), Review (http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/dcuam/greenlantern/reviews/)), discuss this two-part episode spotlighting Green Lantern!

http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/jl/episodes/inblackestnight/p1/29.jpg

Episode #04 - In Blackest Night, Part 1
Original Airdate - November 19th, 2001

Green Lantern is accused of destroying a heavily populated planet.

Episode #05 - In Blackest Night, Part 2
Original Airdate - November 26th, 2001

Green Lantern stands trial, convinced he was responsible for a planet's destruction, the Justice League arrive to find the real culprit.

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