Justice League: The New Frontier
DC’s latest direct-to-DVD animated feature represents a monumental step-up from their first effort, Superman Doomsday. It is clear from the very beginning Justice League: The New Frontier, based upon Darwyn Cooke’s series, is not just some sort of extended kids TV episode. The level of violence is not for young children, and the PG-13 rating reflects that the movie is not afraid to show a little blood. The animation, though improved from the poor quality of Doomsday, is nothing special. It is done in typical American style, with strong, thick lines, square faces, and certainly not of the quality of a Japanese Anime feature. While there are some imaginative scenes, for the most part the style is forgettable, except for Wonder Woman who looks a little too manly. The voice acting is strong and well balanced, and filled with notable names (Neil Patrick Harris as The Flash is my favorite). However, without Kevin Conroy as Batman, the character feels flat, perhaps speaking to both Conroy’s ability and the association so many have built between his voice and Batman. The story remains true to the source material as possible given the limited running time (75 minutes). Though some subplots are missing, or in most cases just passingly referred to, the overall plot and tone of Cooke’s work comes through unscathed. This does produce the effect however, that the less familiar one is with the comic, and JLA cannon in general, the less enjoyable the movie will become. In the end the strength of the source material, combined with a solid execution prove this is what animated comic features should be about. Though there is room for improvement in the quality of animation and production values, it is clear that DC is headed in the right direction. This movie earns 3 out of 4 Fantoms.