Justice League Unlimited

Last updated
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited logo.png
Genre
Based on Justice League
by Gardner Fox
Developed by Bruce Timm
Voices of
Theme music composerMichael McCuistion
Composers Kristopher Carter
Michael McCuistion
Lolita Ritmanis
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes39 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer
Producers
  • Dwayne McDuffie
  • Bruce Timm
  • James Tucker
EditorJoe Gall
Running time21–23 minutes
Production companies DC Comics (season 3)
Warner Bros. Animation
Original release
Network Cartoon Network
ReleaseJuly 31, 2004 (2004-07-31) 
May 13, 2006 (2006-05-13)
Related
Justice League

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.

Contents

It is the eighth and final series of the DC Animated Universe, serving as the conclusion to a shared universe which began with Batman: The Animated Series . Notably, it is the most continuity-heavy show of the DC Animated Universe, and weaves together characters and plot lines from past series. Justice League Unlimited received critical acclaim.

Overview

According to producer Bruce Timm, the series finale of Justice League , "Starcrossed", was possibly meant to be the final episode of the series; however, Cartoon Network ordered the production of season 3 and 4. The network wanted the show to be rebranded, including changing the episode format, so instead of two-part episode stories, the standard half an hour format was used. [1] Additionally, alongside the name change, the show features a greatly expanded League, in which the characters from the original series—now referred to as "founding members"—are joined by many other superheroes from the DC Universe; in the first episode, well over 50 characters appear. A number of these were heroes who had made guest appearances in Justice League , but many heroes and other characters made their first animated appearances in this series. The general format of each episode is to have a small team assemble to deal with a particular situation, with a focus on both action and character interaction. This extension of the Justice League was originally planned to be explained in a planned direct-to-video feature film, but the project never materialized.

Production

Justice League Unlimited features both episodic and serialized episodes, the first major overarching story arc involves the growing conflict between the League and a secret government agency known as Project Cadmus. This plot line builds upon events that occurred during the second season of Justice League (which in turn built upon events in Batman: The Animated Series , Superman: The Animated Series , Batman Beyond , Static Shock , and The Zeta Project ), and would go on to affect the plotlines of most of its episodes. It was resolved in a four-part story at the end of the second season of Justice League Unlimited.

The third and final season story arc focuses on the new Secret Society, a loose-knit organization formed to combat the increased superhero coordination of the first season. Towards the end of the series, certain characters became off-limits to the show, particularly characters associated with Batman, were restricted due to the unrelated animated series The Batman and Christopher Nolan's live-action The Dark Knight Trilogy , to avoid continuity confusion, thus leading to the popular term known as “Bat-embargo". Aquaman and related characters were unavailable due to the development of a pilot for a live-action series featuring the character as a young man (planned to be a spin-off of Smallville ). To compensate for this, the last season focused their stories on previously overlooked DC Comics characters and mythos. These included characters like Deadman, Viking Prince, and Warlord.

The series, along with the entire DC Animated Universe, was originally planned to end after the second-season finale "Epilogue", which concluded the story of Batman Beyond and thus the entire DCAU chronologically. But a third season was greenlit by Cartoon Network. The third season started in 2005 with the episode "I Am Legion" (which was written before the announcement of a third season) and ended in 2006 with the episode "Destroyer". Stan Berkowitz, a member of the production team, left the show later for the TV series Friends and Heroes , and writer Matt Wayne was contracted to replace him. According to Matt Wayne, if the show had been renewed for a fourth season, he would have liked to write more episodes focusing on Superman and Wonder Woman.

DC Comics created an ongoing monthly comic book series based on the TV series, as part of its Johnny DC line of "all ages" comics, which did not have the same restrictions regarding character appearances.

Justice League Unlimited, like the second season of Justice League, is animated in widescreen. The show also features new theme music and intro (nominated for an Emmy). [2] The two-part series finale was aired in the UK on February 8 and 18, 2006, and in the United States on May 6 and 13, 2006.

Episodes

Cast

Protagonists

Voice actorRole
George Newbern Superman / Clark Kent
Kevin Conroy Batman / Bruce Wayne
Phil LaMarr Green Lantern / John Stewart
Carl Lumbly Martian Manhunter / J'onn J'onzz
Susan Eisenberg Wonder Woman / Diana
Michael Rosenbaum Flash / Wally West
Maria Canals-Barrera Hawkgirl / Shayera Hol

Supporting cast

Voice actorRole
Nicholle Tom Supergirl
Kin Shriner Green Arrow
Jeffrey Combs Question
Amy Acker Huntress
Oded Fehr Doctor Fate
Scott Rummell Aquaman
Morena Baccarin Black Canary
Dana Delany Lois Lane
Will Friedle Terry McGinnis/Batman, Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)
Farrah Forke Big Barda
Peter Onorati Warhawk, B'wana Beast
Lauren Tom Dana Tan, Green Lantern (Kai-Ro), Doctor Light
Michael Beach Mister Terrific
Giselle Loren Stargirl
Chris Cox Captain Atom, Shining Knight
Jeremy Piven Elongated Man
Gina Torres Vixen
John C. McGinley Atom
Tom Everett Scott Booster Gold
Ioan Gruffudd Mister Miracle
Christopher McDonald Jor-El
Robert Picardo Amazo
Jennifer Hale Zatanna
Nathan Fillion Vigilante
James Remar Hawkman
Ron Perlman Orion
Mike Erwin Speedy
Scott Patterson King Faraday
Jerry O'Connell Captain Marvel
Gregg Rainwater Long Shadow
Dennis Farina Wildcat
Paul Guilfoyle Warlord
Jonathan Joss Pow Wow Smith
Raphael Sbarge Deadman
Jason Hervey Dove
Fred Savage Hawk
Maria Canals-Barrera Fire
Susan Sullivan Hippolyta
Néstor Carbonell El Diablo
Ben Browder Bat Lash
Seymour Cassel Chuck Sirianni
Matt Czuchry Brainiac 5
Daniel Dae Kim Metron
Dick Miller Oberon
Kim Mai Guest Linda Park

Antagonists

Voice actorRole
Clancy Brown Lex Luthor
Corey Burton Brainiac, Key, Sonar, Weather Wizard
Powers Boothe Gorilla Grodd
CCH Pounder Amanda Waller
J. K. Simmons General Wade Eiling, Mantis
Michael Ironside Darkseid
Michael Dorn Kalibak
Ed Asner Granny Goodness
Malcolm McDowell Metallo
Bud Cort Toyman
Robert Foxworth Professor Hamilton
Olivia d'Abo Morgaine Le Fey
Armin Shimerman Professor Milo
Donal Gibson Captain Boomerang
Alexis Denisof Mirror Master
Alan Rachins Clock King
Mark Hamill Trickster
Charles Napier General Hardcastle
Lisa Edelstein Mercy Graves
Robert Englund Felix Faust
Ted Levine Sinestro
Peter MacNicol Chronos
James Remar Shadow Thief
Sheryl Lee Ralph Cheetah
Michael Jai White Doomsday
Robin Atkin Downes Gentleman Ghost
Douglas Dunning Deimos
Rachel York Circe
Michael York Ares
Virginia Madsen Roulette
Héctor Elizondo Hath-Set
Lex Lang Atomic Skull, Captain Cold, Heat Wave
Don Harvey Chucko
Melissa Joan Hart Dee Dee
Michael Rosenbaum Ghoul
Adam Baldwin Rick Flag, Bonk
Juliet Landau Plastique, Tala
Jennifer Hale Giganta, Killer Frost
Hynden Walch Ace
Bob Joles Hades
Glenn Shadix Steven Mandragora
Michael Beach Devil Ray
Arte Johnson Virman Vundabar

Reception

Justice League Unlimited received critical acclaim and is listed as one of the best animated television shows of all time. IGN named Justice League/Justice League Unlimited as the 20th best animated television series of all time. [3] Similarly, IndieWire also ranked the series as the 20th best animated show of all time. [4]

James Whitbrook, editor of io9, wrote "Justice League Unlimited is simply the greatest superhero show of all time", further stating "it embraced its source material wholly, and was unafraid to be the wildest, biggest, comic-book-iest show it could be." [5]

Producer Bruce Timm has stated that amongst all the shows he has worked on, this show is his favorite. [6]

Home media

From 2006 to 2007, Warner Home Video (via DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Family Entertainment) released the entire series of Justice League Unlimited on DVD. The series is presented in original broadcast presentation and story arc continuity order. The series was also released on Blu-Ray.

NameRelease DateEp #Notes
Season OneOctober 24, 2006264 DVDs. Featurette: And Justice for All: The Process of Revamping the Series with New Characters and a New Creative Direction, Themes of Justice: Choose Your Favorite JLU Musical Theme Audio Tracks, Creators' Commentary on "This Little Piggy" and 'The Return.” Contains all episodes of Seasons One and Two from the original airing. Episode 21 – "Hunter's Moon (AKA Mystery in Space)" – is placed out of order between episodes 22 ("Question Authority") and episode 23 ("Flashpoint").
Season TwoMarch 20, 2007132 DVDs. Actually Season Three from the original airing. Cadmus: Exposed: Mark Hamill and the Series Creative Personnel Discuss This Popular Series Story Arc, Justice League Chronicles: Series Writers, Producers and Directors Discuss Their Favorite Moments Among Final Season Episodes, Music-Only Audio Track for the Final Episode Destroyer.
Justice League: 3-Pack FunJuly 19, 2011113 DVDs. Contains "For The Man Who Has Everything," "The Return," and "The Greatest Story Never Told," as well as the two-part Justice League stories "The Brave and the Bold" and "Injustice For All,” and the Young Justice episodes "Independence Day," "Fireworks," "Welcome To Happy Harbor," and "Drop Zone.”
The Complete SeriesNovember 10, 2015393 Blu-ray discs. Featurette: And Justice for All: The Process of Revamping the Series with New Characters and a New Creative Direction, Creators' Commentary on "This Little Piggy" and 'The Return,” Cadmus: Exposed: Mark Hamill and the Series Creative Personnel Discuss This Popular Series Story Arc, Justice League Chronicles: Series Writers, Producers and Directors Discuss Their Favorite Moments Among Final Season Episodes. Episodes are shown in the correct order.

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. The same episodes were later sold as a 10-disc set without the bonus documentary.

Soundtrack

La-La Land Records released a 4-disc Justice League soundtrack on July 29, 2016. [7] A potential Justice League Unlimited soundtrack depends on how well the Justice League soundtrack sells. [8]

Adaptations

Justice League Unlimited

DC Comics published a series of 46-issue numbered comics based on the television series, between 2004 and 2008.

Compilations

  • Justice League Unlimited Vol. 1: United They Stand (2005-05-18): Includes #1-5. [10]
  • Justice League Unlimited Vol. 2: World's Greatest Heroes (2006-04-19): Includes #6-10. [11]
  • Justice League Unlimited Vol. 3: Champions of Justice (2006-04-19): Includes #11-15. [12]
  • Justice League Unlimited: The Ties That Bind (2008-04-09): Includes #16-22. [13]
  • Justice League Unlimited: Heroes (2009-04-08): Includes #23-29. [14]
  • Justice League Unlimited: Galactic Justice (2020-08-25, ISBN   1-77950-673-2/ ISBN   978-1-77950-673-3): Includes #4, 6, 18, 24, 34, 46. [15]
  • Justice League Unlimited: Time After Time (2020-11-03, ISBN   1-77950-724-0/ ISBN   978-1-77950-724-2): Includes Adventures in the DC Universe #10, Justice League Adventures #28, 30, 34; Justice League Unlimited #9, 19. [16]
  • Justice League Unlimited: Girl Power (2021-07-06, ISBN   1-77951-015-2/ ISBN   978-1-77951-015-0/EAN-5 50999): Includes Adventures in the DC Universe #6, 9; Justice League Adventures #4; Justice League Unlimited #20, 22, 35, 42; DC Super Hero Girls: Ghosting (preview). [17] [note 1]
  • Justice League Unlimited: Hocus Pocus (2021-01-27, ISBN   1-77950-754-2/ ISBN   978-177950-754-9): Includes #11, 14, 25, 33, 37, 40. [18]
  • DC Comics: Girls Unite!/DC Girls Unite (2021-11-02, ISBN   978-1-77951-362-5/EAN-5 53999): Includes Batman Adventures: Cat Got Your Tongue?, Supergirl Adventures: Girl of Steel, Batman Adventures: Batgirl A League of Her Own, Justice League Unlimited: Girl Power

Justice League Infinity

It is a sequel comic to Justice League Unlimited, written by James Tucker and J.M. DeMatteis with art by Ethen Beavers. 7 numbered issues were published by DC Comics between 2021 and 2022.

Compilations

  • Justice League Infinity (2022-07-05): Includes #1-7. [19]

See also

Notes

  1. Publisher mislisted the book as including Adventures in the DC Universe #3-5; Justice League Unlimited #21, 36-41.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justice League</span> Comic book superhero team

The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #28. Writer Gardner Fox conceived the team as a revival of the Justice Society of America, a similar team from DC Comics from the 1940s which had been pulled out of print due to a decline in sales. The Justice League is an all-star ensemble cast of established superhero characters from DC Comics' portfolio. Diegetically, these superheroes usually operate independently but occasionally assemble as a team to tackle especially formidable villains. This is in contrast to certain other superhero teams such as the X-Men, whose characters were created specifically to be part of the team, with the team being central to their identity. The cast of the Justice League usually features a few highly popular characters who have their own solo books, such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, alongside several lesser-known characters who benefit from exposure.

<i>Superman: The Animated Series</i> American animated television series (1996–2000)

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.

<i>Batman: The Animated Series</i> American animated television series by DC Comics

Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated superhero television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. Developed by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation, it originally aired on Fox Kids from September 5, 1992, to September 15, 1995, with a total of 85 episodes. Mid-way through the series' run, it was re-titled The Adventures of Batman & Robin.

<i>Super Friends</i> American animated television series about a team of superheroes (1973–1985)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harley Quinn</span> Character in the DC Universe

Harley Quinn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for Batman: The Animated Series as a henchwoman for the Joker, and debuted in its 22nd episode, "Joker's Favor", on September 11, 1992. While intended to appear in one episode, Quinn became a recurring character within the DC Animated Universe (DCAU) as the Joker's sidekick and love interest, and was adapted into DC Comics' canon seven years later, beginning with the one-shot Batman: Harley Quinn #1. Quinn's origin story features her as a former psychologist at Gotham City's Arkham Asylum who was manipulated by and fell in love with the Joker, her patient, eventually becoming his accomplice and lover. The character's alias is a play on the stock character Harlequin from the 16th-century Italian theater commedia dell'arte.

<i>Justice League</i> (TV series) American animated television series (2001-2004)

Justice League is an American animated television series which ran from November 17, 2001, to May 29, 2004, on Cartoon Network. 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 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orion (character)</span> Fictional character in the DC Comics universe

Orion is a fictional superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the son of Darkseid and half-brother of Kalibak and Grayven who was traded to Highfather as part of a peace deal between Apokolips and New Genesis. Since then, Orion has assisted the New Gods of New Genesis against his father and was also a member of the Justice League.

<i>The Batman Adventures</i> DC Comics comic book series

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.

<i>Teen Titans</i> (TV series) American animated TV series

Teen Titans is an American animated superhero television series created by Glen Murakami and developed by Murakami, David Slack and Sam Register. Based on DC Comics's superhero team Teen Titans, it was produced by Warner Bros. Animation, and DC Comics. The show premiered on Cartoon Network on July 19, 2003; its first two seasons also aired on Kids' WB. Initially, only four seasons were planned, but the popularity of the series led to Cartoon Network ordering a fifth season. The final half-hour episode of the show, "Things Change", aired on January 16, 2006; it was later followed by a TV movie, Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo, that premiered on September 15 the same year, serving as the series finale. A 15-minute episode titled "The Lost Episode" was released as part of an online promotional campaign by Post Consumer Brands in January 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Timm</span> American artist, character designer, animator

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Animated Universe</span> Shared fictional universe

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.

<i>The New Batman Adventures</i> American animated superhero TV series (1997–1999)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman (franchise)</span> Portrayals of Superman outside of comic books

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman action figures</span>

Batman action figures have been produced since the 1940s. These action figures, inspired by the character's appearance in comics and serials, were created by DC Comics and manufactured by various toy companies. These figures were made of various materials such as wood, tin, and plastic. They were typically between 6 and 8 inches in height and featured movable joints that allowed them to be posed in various positions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Murakami</span> American animator, artist, character designer, director and producer

Glen Murakami is an American animator, artist, character designer, director and producer best known for his work on Teen Titans, Batman Beyond, Teen Titans Go!, Ben 10: Alien Force and Ben 10: Ultimate Alien. Murakami is the creator and producer of the Cartoon Network series Teen Titans.

Originally created in 1967, the fictional comic book character Barbara Gordon has been adapted into various other forms of media. The character has appeared in both live action and animated television series and films, as well as in video games in her alter-egos as both Batgirl and Oracle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor Fate (Khalid Nassour)</span> Comics character

Dr. Khalid Nassour is a superhero featured in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Levitz and artist Sonny Liew, Nassour first appeared in Aquaman: Convergence #2 and is the eighth version of the Doctor Fate. Unlike prior versions within the main continuity, the character has profound ties to the Egyptian aspect of the character and is the first Muslim character in DC Comics to headline a solo series.

References