Justice League | |
---|---|
Genre | |
Based on | Justice League by Gardner Fox |
Developed by | Bruce Timm |
Written by | Rich Fogel (seasons 1-2) Stan Berkowitz (seasons 1-2) Dwayne McDuffie (season 2) |
Directed by | Butch Lukic Dan Riba |
Voices of | |
Theme music composer | Lolita Ritmanis |
Composers |
|
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 52 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producers |
|
Editor | Joe Gall |
Running time | 20–22 minutes |
Production companies | Warner Bros. Family Entertainment Warner Bros. Animation |
Original release | |
Network | Cartoon Network |
Release | November 17, 2001 – May 29, 2004 |
Justice League is an American animated television series which ran from November 17, 2001, to May 29, 2004, on Cartoon Network. [1] The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics. It serves as a sequel to Batman: The Animated Series (including The New Batman Adventures ) and Superman: The Animated Series , as well as a prequel to Batman Beyond , and is the seventh series of the DC Animated Universe. The series ended after two seasons, but was followed by Justice League Unlimited , a successor series which aired for three seasons.
Bruce Timm, who co-produced Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series in the 1990s, became producer on an animated series focusing on the Justice League. The roster consisted of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern (John Stewart), The Flash (Wally West), Martian Manhunter, and Hawkgirl. [1]
According to audio commentary on the DVD release of Season 2, the second-season finale "Starcrossed" was expected to be the final episode of the series. However, in February 2004, Cartoon Network announced a follow-up series, Justice League Unlimited , which premiered on July 31, 2004, and featured a larger roster of characters.
It is the first series in the DC Animated Universe to fully use digital ink and paint, also the first to be produced in widescreen starting in Season 2.
Kevin Conroy reprised his voice role as Batman from Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995), The New Batman Adventures (1997–1999), and Batman Beyond (1999–2001). Batman's costume was redesigned, but this time, his costume was a combination of his last three costumes. The same costume from The New Batman Adventures is retained, but with the blue highlights from the Batman: The Animated Series costume and the long-ears from the Batman Beyond costume are added to the costume. Tim Daly, who voiced Superman in Superman: The Animated Series (1996–2000), was initially involved, but was unable to continue his role due to involvement with The Fugitive . [2] He was replaced by George Newbern. Both Newbern and Daly have voiced the character in different DC projects outside the DCAU, with Newbern becoming the longest-running actor to portray Superman.
Alongside Kevin Conroy and George Newbern as Superman, joining the rest of the main cast is Susan Eisenberg as Wonder Woman, Maria Canals-Barrera as Hawkgirl, Phil LaMarr as John Stewart, Michael Rosenbaum as the Flash, and Carl Lumbly as Martian Manhunter.
Several actors in previous DCAU media also reprise their roles, including Dana Delany as Lois Lane, David Kaufman as Jimmy Olsen, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Alfred Pennyworth, Shelley Fabares and Mike Farrell as Jonathan and Martha Kent, Mark Hamill as the Joker, Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor, Corey Burton as Brainiac, Ron Perlman as Clayface, Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn, Peri Gilpin as Volcana, Diane Pershing as Poison Ivy, Mark Rolston as Firefly, Ted Levine as Sinestro, Brian George as Parasite, Michael Ironside as Darkseid, Michael Dorn as Kalibak, Lisa Edelstein as Mercy Graves, and Brad Garrett as Lobo. In the episode "Hereafter", Maria Canals-Barrera voiced Livewire and Corey Burton voiced Toyman and Metallo, replacing their respective original actors Lori Petty, Bud Cort, and Malcolm McDowell.
From 2006 to 2011, Warner Home Video (via DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment) released the entire series of Justice League on DVD and Blu-ray, and presented in original broadcast version and story arc continuity order.
Season releases
Name | Disc | Release Date | Ep # | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Season One | DVD | March 21, 2006 | 26 | Contains a set of 4 DVDs with all of the episodes from the first season as well as audio commentaries, interviews, and other special features. |
Season One | Blu-ray | August 19, 2008 | 26 | Season One has been re-mastered and re-issued as a set of 3 Blu-ray Discs (in full 1080p and with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound) with everything included on the prior release. |
Season Two | DVD | June 20, 2006 | 26 | Contains a set of 4 DVDs with all of the episodes from the second season as well as audio commentaries and a panel discussion involving the production team of the series (although the set packaging indicates a featurette hosted by voice actor Phil LaMarr, it is misprinted, the featurette is on Disc One instead of Disc Four). Despite the show having been produced in a widescreen format this release lacks anamorphic encoding. |
Season Two | Blu-ray | July 26, 2011 | 26 | Warner Home Video released Season Two on a two-disc (50GB each) Blu-ray set. |
Warner Home Video also released another DVD set titled Justice League: The Complete Series. It contained all 91 episodes of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited on a 15-disc set with the 15th disc containing a bonus documentary. This was later re-packaged and sold as a 10-disc set without the bonus documentary.
DVD name | Release date | Additional information |
---|---|---|
Justice League | April 23, 2002 | Contains all three parts of "Secret Origins". A mini-DVD version of this disc has also been released. |
Justice on Trial | April 22, 2003 | Contains "In Blackest Night" and "The Enemy Below". |
Paradise Lost | July 22, 2003 | Contains "Paradise Lost" and "War World". |
Starcrossed The Movie [3] | July 13, 2004 | Contains "Starcrossed" in both widescreen and fullscreen. |
The Brave and the Bold | October 19, 2004 | Contains episodes "The Brave and the Bold" and "Injustice For All". |
DVD name | Release date | Additional information |
---|---|---|
The Justice League Collection | April 13, 2004 | Contains previous "Secret Origins", "Paradise Lost", and "Justice on Trial" DVDs |
Challenge of the Super Friends to Justice League: | April 13, 2004 | Contains the previously released "Justice League" (Secret Origins) DVD along with two Super Friends discs in a slip-case. |
Justice League - The Complete Series | June 20, 2006 | Contains Justice League seasons 1 & 2 along with Justice League Unlimited seasons 1 & 2. (Blu-ray/DVD release) |
Justice League: 3-Pack Fun | July 19, 2011 | Contains "The Brave and the Bold" and "Injustice For All" As well as the Justice League Unlimited episodes: * "For The Man Who Has Everything" * "The Return," * "The Greatest Story Never Told," the Young Justice episodes: * "Independence Day" * "Fireworks," * "Welcome To Happy Harbor" * "Drop Zone". |
A 4-disc soundtrack of musical highlights from both seasons of Justice League was released by La-La Land Records in July 2016. It is a limited edition of 3000 units and can be ordered at the La-La Land Records website. [4] The set includes tracks from fan-favorite episodes like A Better World, Hereafter, Wild Cards and Starcrossed.
La-La Land are hoping to release a soundtrack for Justice League Unlimited as well, provided that sales of the Justice League soundtrack improve significantly and that there is sufficient demand from fans. [5] [6] A second Justice League volume may also follow if fans support the existing release.
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2016) |
The series premiere on November 17, 2001, set a Cartoon Network record with over 4.114 million viewers. This made it the channel's highest rated premiere ever, a record it would keep until September 13, 2009, when the world premiere of Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins gathered over 6.108 million viewers.
The show was aired in the Republic of Ireland on TG4 in both Irish and English from 6 September 2002 to 2007. [7]
Justice League Season 1 received acclaim for its portrayal of the superhero team and its engaging storytelling. WhatCulture praised the season for its exceptional execution, and highlighted the series' mature handling of themes such as relationships, trauma, and loss, which contributed to its broad appeal across different age groups. [8] Den of Geek highlighted the show’s effective team dynamics, drawing a favorable comparison to Star Trek: The Next Generation for its exploration of character relationships. [9] The Young Folks admired the show’s versatility, noting its ability to seamlessly shift between emotional, humorous, and epic moments. [10] io9.com also appreciated the charm of the heroes’ initial team-up, benefiting from their backgrounds in previous animated series. [11]
Despite its strengths, the season faced some criticism. CBR noted that the storytelling in Season 1 often felt superficial, with deeper narratives and character development emerging in later seasons. [12] Filip Vukcevic of IGN agreed, pointing out uneven character development as a drawback but still finding the show entertaining overall. [13] Oliver Sava of the AV Club countered this view by praising the expansive nature of the series and its multi-part episodes, which he felt contributed to a strong iteration of the Justice League. [14] Indiewire ranked the show overall as the 20th best animated show of all time. [15]
The second season of Justice League however, is considered to be one of the best seasons of the entire DC Animated Universe, with Oliver Sava from The A.V. Club writing "good enough isn't good enough." "That's the philosophy for Justice League season two, according to producer Bruce Timm on the DVD commentary, and this two-part season opener is the perfect example of that new attitude in action. Just as Batman: The Animated Series set a new standard for solo superhero cartoon excellence, Justice League season two is only eclipsed by Justice League Unlimited as the strongest superhero-team series. Everything is of higher quality this season: the direction, animation, music, sound effects, and most importantly, the stories." [16]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing – Television Animated Series – Sound | Robert Hargreaves, Mark Keatts, George Brooks, and Kelly Ann Foley (for "In the Blackest Night, Part II") | Nominated | [17] |
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Main Title Theme Music | Lolita Ritmanis | Nominated | [18] | |
Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards | TV Presentation of the Year | Runner-up | [19] | ||
2003 | Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing – Television Animated Series – Sound | Robert Hargreaves, Mark Keatts, George Brooks, and Kelly Ann Foley (for "Savage Time, Part I") | Nominated | [20] |
2004 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Writing in an Animated Television Production | Paul Dini (for "Comfort & Joy") | Nominated | [21] |
Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing – Television Animated Series – Sound | Robert Hargreaves, Mark Keatts, George Brooks, Mark Keefer, Kelly Ann Foley, and Kerry Iverson (for "Twilight, Part II") | Nominated | [22] | |
2005 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Main Title Theme Music | Michael McCuistion | Nominated | [23] |
Writers Guild of America Awards | Animation | Rich Fogel, John Ridley, and Dwayne McDuffie (for "Starcrossed") | Nominated | [24] | |
2006 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Directing in a Television Production | Dan Riba (for "Clash") | Nominated | [25] |
2007 | Gold Derby Awards | Animated Series | Nominated | [26] | |
2009 | Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for DVD Original Programming | Edwin O. Collins, Tim Borquez, Eric Freeman, and Doug Andorka | Nominated | [27] |
Circa 2004, Bruce Timm announced that a direct-to-video Justice League feature film was being produced to bridge the second season of Justice League and the first season of Justice League Unlimited . It was planned to reveal how Wonder Woman acquired her Invisible Plane and feature the Crime Syndicate as the main antagonists, an idea that was originally conceived for the episode "A Better World" until the Syndicate was replaced by the Justice Lords. [28] Dwayne McDuffie wrote the script and Andrea Romano assembled the cast, but Warner Bros. finally scrapped the project. [29] In 2010, the film was repurposed and released as Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths , a standalone film unconnected to the DCAU.
DC Comics published a series of 34-issue numbered comics based on the television series, between 2002 and 2004. However, while the comic would use the style of the animated show, it would often ignore its continuity and use backstories and personalities for characters based on the mainstream DC comics instead.
Streaky the Supercat is a fictional superhero cat that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Action Comics #261 and was created by Jerry Siegel and Jim Mooney.
Superman: The Animated Series is an American animated superhero television series based on the DC Comics character Superman. It was produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation and originally aired on Kids' WB from September 6, 1996, to February 12, 2000. It was the second series in the DC Animated Universe after Batman: The Animated Series, and like its predecessor, it has been acclaimed for its writing, voice acting, maturity, and modernization of the title character's comic-book mythos.
Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics. The title of the series varied from season to season, as did the superheroes on the team. Nine seasons, comprising a total of 93 episodes, were produced.
Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in Flash Comics #1. Shayera Hol was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Joe Kubert, and first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #34. Kendra Saunders was created by writer David S. Goyer and artist Stephen Sadowski, and first appeared in JSA: Secret Files and Origins #1. One of DC's earliest super-heroines, Hawkgirl has appeared in many of the company's flagship team-up titles including Justice Society of America and Justice League of America.
The Batman Adventures is a DC Comics comic book series featuring Batman. It is different from other Batman titles because it is set in the continuity of Batman: The Animated Series, as opposed to the regular DC Universe.
Justice League Unlimited (JLU) is an American superhero animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation with DC Comics in season 3 and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the previous Justice League animated series and picks up around two years after it. JLU debuted on July 31, 2004, on Toonami and ended on May 13, 2006.
Ace the Bat-Hound is a superhero dog appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is commonly featured as the canine crime-fighting partner of Batman and as an ally of other animal superheroes, such as Krypto, Streaky, and the Legion of Super-Pets.
Bruce Walter Timm is an American artist, animator, writer, producer, and director. He is best known for contributing to building the modern DC Comics animated franchise, most notably as the head producer behind Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995), Superman: The Animated Series (1996–2000), The New Batman Adventures (1997–1999), Batman Beyond (1999–2001), Justice League (2001–2004), and Justice League Unlimited (2004–2006).
The DC Animated Universe is a shared universe based on DC Comics and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It began with Batman: The Animated Series in 1992 and ended with Justice League vs. the Fatal Five in 2019. The associated media franchise includes theatrical and direct-to-video feature films, shorts, comic books, video games, and other multimedia adaptations.
The New Batman Adventures is an American animated superhero television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, which aired on Kids' WB from September 13, 1997 to January 16, 1999. Produced by Warner Bros. Television Animation, it is a continuation of Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995) and the third series in the DC Animated Universe. It was followed by Batman Beyond (1999–2001). The series was revamped from BTAS, replacing its art style with streamlined designs to allow for more consistent animation and maintain similarity with the simultaneously running Superman: The Animated Series (1996–2000), with episodes airing on Kids' WB under the title The New Batman/Superman Adventures.
Mercy Graves is a supervillain appearing in multimedia and American comic books published by DC Entertainment and DC Comics. Created for the DC Animated Universe (DCAU), she first appeared in 1996 on Superman: The Animated Series as the personal assistant and bodyguard of Superman's archenemy Lex Luthor, returning in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, voiced by Lisa Edelstein. She has since been introduced into comic books published by DC Comics.
The American comic book character Superman, created in 1938, has appeared in many types of media since the 1940s. Superman has appeared in radio, television, movies, and video games each on multiple occasions, and his name, symbol, and image have appeared on products and merchandise.
While Batman and Superman had their own animated series and comic book follow-ups, the rest of the characters in the DC Comics Universe appeared in the following comics often.
Roxy Rocket is a supervillain appearing in media published by DC Comics. She was created in 1994 for the DC Animated Universe comic series The Batman Adventures before appearing in the animated series The New Batman Adventures and Superman: The Animated Series. In 2006, the character was introduced to the main DC Universe.
The Justice Lords are a fictional team of anti-heroes/anti-villains who first appeared in the two-part Justice League episode "A Better World", which was broadcast on November 1, 2003.
The All-New Super Friends Hour is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from September 10, 1977, to September 2, 1978, on ABC. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and is based on the Justice League and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics.
DC Universe: Justice League Unlimited Fan Collection is an action figure line based on the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated series. Though it was based on the shows, the line has continued well beyond it, and has been re-branded in 2008, as a Target exclusive. Mattel announced in February 2011 that the line would come to an end later in the year with the final figures being released on the Mattel website including the final two three-packs, a seven-pack as well as the three exclusive Con three-packs being made available to the public.
Justice League vs. the Fatal Five is a 2019 American animated superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment. Featuring the DC Comics team Justice League created by Gardner Fox, the film is the 36th of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. The film features the voices of Elyes Gabel and Diane Guerrero alongside Kevin Conroy, Susan Eisenberg, and George Newbern reprising their roles as Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman, from various DC productions.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)