JDWatker
07-13-2005, 09:53 PM
As a 24 year old male who watches a show for pre-teens, I sometimes find it hard to balance my own hopes against that which should be realistically expected of “Justice League Unlimited.” Luckily, over the course of the last three years (and to a greater extent, the entire run of the modern DCAU), the two have never come into conflict. Now that JLU has wrapped up its most ambitious storyline to date, I’m sad to say that what I would have liked to see, and what I actually saw, were two very different things.
Over the past year, we’ve been presented with a storyline that has turned JLU on its head, and have been presented with a villain whose motives and ideals are not that difficult to relate to. We’ve been teased with hints of conflict between our heroes, had events escalate one on top of another in an exciting fashion, and had old plot arcs dovetail into the current ones, promising us one hell of a finale. What we got instead was a cop out and an unrelated epilogue. What we got was gypped.
This is, of course, the 24 year old male talking. Is it right of me to expect a resolution to a serious dilemma with words and heroic sacrifice, as opposed to mindless pyrotechnics and anti-climatic actions? Is it wrong of me to speak poorly of episodes that on their own are wonderful, but as part of a greater whole weaken the series? I don’t know. I’m afraid that the answer to that question, if discovered, may seriously impair my ability to watch the DCAU shows, and that’s something I wouldn’t want to happen! :)
Getting down to business, the Cadmus storyline of “Justice League Unlimited” has been a pretty exciting ride. Growing quite naturally out of the Superman two-parter “Legacy,” we get to see a government agency scared to death of a possible meta-human rebellion. The story not only makes sense, but is possibly the single best application that the new “Justice League” series could have hoped to be put to.
It helps, big time, when we’re presented with antagonists that keep our interest. By making Amanda Waller a sympathetic villain (if that word can even be used to describe her), and reintroducing Dr. Hamilton to the viewers, we can more readily accept Cadmus as a necessary precaution to the Justice League, as opposed to a clandestine organization only out to get the ‘good guys.’
The big promise of the Cadmus arc was the conflict it put our characters in. Presented with a nemesis that challenged the views of some members (Batman) and put others in a position where brute force couldn’t solve the problem (Superman), we could certainly look forward to a brilliant climax between the two good-intentioned groups. Unfortunately, once JLU aired its best episode to date (“The Doomsday Sanction”), the Cadmus arc began to collapse under its own weight.
Starting with “Task Force X” (Cadmus squandering their presence on the Watchtower to chase down a mythological artifact) and continuing into the later part of the season (where Cadmus becomes but an extension of a super villain plot), the promises of a Justice League divided against the government and against itself soon dissipated.
Sadly, each episode, while alone being a solid outing, presented more and more questionable logic and unbelievable develops. By the time Brainiac pops out of Luthor in “Panic in the Sky,” you don’t know whether to laugh or cry at what the season has become.
Moments of questionable logic include:
Captain Atom so easily falling in line with General Eding, even though he must know about his involvement with Cadmus. (“Question Authority”)
The Question’s stolen files turning out to be a huge McGuffin. (“Question Authority”)
The impotent confrontation between Superman and Dr. Hamilton, resulting in nothing important. (“Question Authority”)
The odd inclusion of supernatural elements in what had, up to this point, been a realistic plot-arc. (“Task Force X”)
Then there’s the biggest plot gaffe, that being Brainiac’s possession of Luthor’s body. Brainiac has nothing, NOTHING to do with the Cadmus arc! How could they ruin such a wonderful storyline, one that grew so organically out of what came before it, by introducing the blue-green Dues Ex Machina that is Brainiac?
It doesn’t help matters that once Brainthor (or whatever the hell we’re suppose to call him) entered the scene, the Cadmus storyline came to an abrupt end. I think it can be honestly said that “Divided We Fall” had absolutely nothing to do with anything that happened this season, and acted only to destroy what little dramatic tension remained. It robbed both Cadmus and Luthor of any responsibility for their actions, and denied us the grand Cadmus/Justice League showdown we were promised. (The Ultimen taking on the Watchtower does not count, as it had little to do with the core characters of the series.)
Despite all this, the last season of JLU is far from a complete waste. Although the overall arc fell to shambles, the individual pieces were fun to watch. Even “Divided We Fall,” the big cop-out episode, was a fun ride in and of itself. If only the creative team behind JLU could sustain their ambitious plotline. It could have been the crowning achievement to over ten years of DCAU.
Shorter Takes:
The Flash was a welcome presence this season, and his final take down of Luthor/Brainiac was great stuff. The 'Speed Force?' Not so great, but it was a small price to pay for a characters terrific return to form.
After “Twilight” I was anxious for another Brainiac episode. Now that we’ve gotten both “A League of Their Own” and “Divided We Fall,” I hope his character is retired for the foreseeable future. (At least Darkseid isn’t ruined yet.)
The final scene of “The Doomsday Sanction,” with Batman arguing with Superman while a Lex Luthor presidential ad runs in the background, was the best scene of the season. That it wasn’t followed up on at all is a crime.
The final two scenes of “Divided We Fall” tried its best to tie together the year-long Cadmus arc. I really wish it had succeeded.
Finally, there’s “Epilogue.” Again, on its own, it’s not a bad 30 minutes of television. Still, it seemed completely unnecessary to both the JLU and Batman Beyond. Do I object to the big revelation? No, I can live with that. (Cadmus actually makes a pretty good bridge between the modern DCAU and the more tech-heavy Batman Beyond one)
What bothers me is that it doesn’t act as an epilogue, but more of a side story. Is it neat that Cadmus had a project called “Batman Beyond?” Yeah, it sure is. Does it add any closure to the issues brought up this last season? No, it sure doesn’t. That, plus the fact that Terry proves himself as Batman in “Return of the Joker,” makes the existence of this episode a bit perplexing.
[One possible theory, and this may have already been discounted, is that Batman’s character is being retired because of “The Batman,” and this episode acted as an epilogue to his involvement in the Justice League.]
As disappointed as I am in how the Cadmus arc concluded, I’ll still be back next season. Bruce Timm, James Tucker, and Dwayne McDuffie know how to put on a good show. Even though the Cadmus arc fizzled out, I have no doubt these guys will produce something in the next season that will make sense of Cadmus, or make me forget about it. Until then, I’ll be re-watching season 2 of “Justice League,” recalling what these guys can do when they really put their effort into it.
Over the past year, we’ve been presented with a storyline that has turned JLU on its head, and have been presented with a villain whose motives and ideals are not that difficult to relate to. We’ve been teased with hints of conflict between our heroes, had events escalate one on top of another in an exciting fashion, and had old plot arcs dovetail into the current ones, promising us one hell of a finale. What we got instead was a cop out and an unrelated epilogue. What we got was gypped.
This is, of course, the 24 year old male talking. Is it right of me to expect a resolution to a serious dilemma with words and heroic sacrifice, as opposed to mindless pyrotechnics and anti-climatic actions? Is it wrong of me to speak poorly of episodes that on their own are wonderful, but as part of a greater whole weaken the series? I don’t know. I’m afraid that the answer to that question, if discovered, may seriously impair my ability to watch the DCAU shows, and that’s something I wouldn’t want to happen! :)
Getting down to business, the Cadmus storyline of “Justice League Unlimited” has been a pretty exciting ride. Growing quite naturally out of the Superman two-parter “Legacy,” we get to see a government agency scared to death of a possible meta-human rebellion. The story not only makes sense, but is possibly the single best application that the new “Justice League” series could have hoped to be put to.
It helps, big time, when we’re presented with antagonists that keep our interest. By making Amanda Waller a sympathetic villain (if that word can even be used to describe her), and reintroducing Dr. Hamilton to the viewers, we can more readily accept Cadmus as a necessary precaution to the Justice League, as opposed to a clandestine organization only out to get the ‘good guys.’
The big promise of the Cadmus arc was the conflict it put our characters in. Presented with a nemesis that challenged the views of some members (Batman) and put others in a position where brute force couldn’t solve the problem (Superman), we could certainly look forward to a brilliant climax between the two good-intentioned groups. Unfortunately, once JLU aired its best episode to date (“The Doomsday Sanction”), the Cadmus arc began to collapse under its own weight.
Starting with “Task Force X” (Cadmus squandering their presence on the Watchtower to chase down a mythological artifact) and continuing into the later part of the season (where Cadmus becomes but an extension of a super villain plot), the promises of a Justice League divided against the government and against itself soon dissipated.
Sadly, each episode, while alone being a solid outing, presented more and more questionable logic and unbelievable develops. By the time Brainiac pops out of Luthor in “Panic in the Sky,” you don’t know whether to laugh or cry at what the season has become.
Moments of questionable logic include:
Captain Atom so easily falling in line with General Eding, even though he must know about his involvement with Cadmus. (“Question Authority”)
The Question’s stolen files turning out to be a huge McGuffin. (“Question Authority”)
The impotent confrontation between Superman and Dr. Hamilton, resulting in nothing important. (“Question Authority”)
The odd inclusion of supernatural elements in what had, up to this point, been a realistic plot-arc. (“Task Force X”)
Then there’s the biggest plot gaffe, that being Brainiac’s possession of Luthor’s body. Brainiac has nothing, NOTHING to do with the Cadmus arc! How could they ruin such a wonderful storyline, one that grew so organically out of what came before it, by introducing the blue-green Dues Ex Machina that is Brainiac?
It doesn’t help matters that once Brainthor (or whatever the hell we’re suppose to call him) entered the scene, the Cadmus storyline came to an abrupt end. I think it can be honestly said that “Divided We Fall” had absolutely nothing to do with anything that happened this season, and acted only to destroy what little dramatic tension remained. It robbed both Cadmus and Luthor of any responsibility for their actions, and denied us the grand Cadmus/Justice League showdown we were promised. (The Ultimen taking on the Watchtower does not count, as it had little to do with the core characters of the series.)
Despite all this, the last season of JLU is far from a complete waste. Although the overall arc fell to shambles, the individual pieces were fun to watch. Even “Divided We Fall,” the big cop-out episode, was a fun ride in and of itself. If only the creative team behind JLU could sustain their ambitious plotline. It could have been the crowning achievement to over ten years of DCAU.
Shorter Takes:
The Flash was a welcome presence this season, and his final take down of Luthor/Brainiac was great stuff. The 'Speed Force?' Not so great, but it was a small price to pay for a characters terrific return to form.
After “Twilight” I was anxious for another Brainiac episode. Now that we’ve gotten both “A League of Their Own” and “Divided We Fall,” I hope his character is retired for the foreseeable future. (At least Darkseid isn’t ruined yet.)
The final scene of “The Doomsday Sanction,” with Batman arguing with Superman while a Lex Luthor presidential ad runs in the background, was the best scene of the season. That it wasn’t followed up on at all is a crime.
The final two scenes of “Divided We Fall” tried its best to tie together the year-long Cadmus arc. I really wish it had succeeded.
Finally, there’s “Epilogue.” Again, on its own, it’s not a bad 30 minutes of television. Still, it seemed completely unnecessary to both the JLU and Batman Beyond. Do I object to the big revelation? No, I can live with that. (Cadmus actually makes a pretty good bridge between the modern DCAU and the more tech-heavy Batman Beyond one)
What bothers me is that it doesn’t act as an epilogue, but more of a side story. Is it neat that Cadmus had a project called “Batman Beyond?” Yeah, it sure is. Does it add any closure to the issues brought up this last season? No, it sure doesn’t. That, plus the fact that Terry proves himself as Batman in “Return of the Joker,” makes the existence of this episode a bit perplexing.
[One possible theory, and this may have already been discounted, is that Batman’s character is being retired because of “The Batman,” and this episode acted as an epilogue to his involvement in the Justice League.]
As disappointed as I am in how the Cadmus arc concluded, I’ll still be back next season. Bruce Timm, James Tucker, and Dwayne McDuffie know how to put on a good show. Even though the Cadmus arc fizzled out, I have no doubt these guys will produce something in the next season that will make sense of Cadmus, or make me forget about it. Until then, I’ll be re-watching season 2 of “Justice League,” recalling what these guys can do when they really put their effort into it.