here they come to save the day

just a quick shoutout to the awesomeness that is Justice League: The New Frontier masterminded by Darwyn Cooke and Stan Berkowitz (JL/Batman Beyond writer), of which the prequel comic was featured here.

bringing a new take to the formation of the Justice League in a '50s setting, Cooke hits all the right notes, defies expectations, and pulls a lot of surprises even for a jaded joe like me. this is the adaptation from Cooke's Eisner/Harvey Award-winning series back in 2003-04.

and its not your typical G.I.Joe/Cobra cartoon either. TNF doesn't skimp on the violence (witness Hal Jordan shooting a North Korean soldier in the head) or the reality (did you not think the Yankee flag-waving Superman would clash with feminist hardliner Diana?). of course, during this period of McCarthyism, outsiders like Batman and J'onn J'onzz will need to operate on the fringes, and even an idealist like The Flash can get disillusioned by government paranoia.

i like the way the film reintroduces forgotten characters like King Faraday and Ace Morgan (Challengers of the Unknown). Cooke also seems to have a bias for Jordan, as he gets a majority of screen time, tying into nearly every major plot point and provides the day-saving feat sans Superman.

if i have to nitpick - i'd have some issues with Kyle McLachlan voicing Superman, and Superman actually taken out of the fight, and having the rest of group defeat their nemesis. Aquaman actually only appears in the end (because he returns a convalescing Superman back to the surface world). much of the details of the original comic series have been lost to editing but hey, thats the way the world works.

this will stand with the great DC stories of all time, alongside Kingdom Come and JLA: Year One.


i only watched this on my iPhone. should i buy the Blu-Ray? hmmmmm .... awesomeness!

time space warp ... now!

ok, the proper call is "time space warp ... ngayon din" which is the mixed Tagalog/English dubbed episodes of the classic Japanese live fantasy TV show Shaider. but this post is not even about Shaider (but i was curious, and it turns out the cast/show fell on some hard times). this post is about turning back the clock ...

... courtesy of Darwyn Cooke, late of the Batman/Superman Animated series and Catwoman, and current brains behind Justice League: The New Frontier, a look back at the '50s incarnation of the JL (now available on DVD, Blu-Ray and On-Demand. HD-DVD ... well, kinda.). in line with that, they came out with a New Frontier Special, featuring three stories and storyboard art.

Cooke, a protégé of the now-legendary Bruce Timm, has the art down pat, harkening back to simpler times. but one thing in common with the modern era ... Batman still kicks Superman's ass. big time.

whether in the past, present or future, elseworlds or box-office, Batman PWNS Superman

the general idea is that superheroes started appearing much around the same time. Superman, being the embodiment of the American ideals, was pretty much a public (and idolized) figure. Batman, being the hardcase that he is, pretty much kept to the shadows although his methods rang loud enough to be noticed by the Man. and i really meant the government, not Superman (although am sure he also did).

even in those times, Bats already had Kryptonite. so sending Superman in to rein in the Dark Knight doesn't really work.

that kind of attitude led to racism, didn't it?

only the timely intervention of Diana, a.k.a. Wonder Woman, and the voluntary unmasking of Batman, leads to better understanding among the triumvirate, and in doing so, cements them as the cornerstones, the backbone of the Justice League in eras to come.

are we sure its just her "spirit" that's "buoyed"? i kid, i kid.

the second story is a team up between Batman's protégé (and in some circles, boy love - ewww) Robin and the Flash (still known as Kid Flash). a Chickie Race turns out to be the link to some saboteurs who want to assassinate the President (pretty heady stuff). of course, kids can fix those kind of problems. you just gotta trust them.

i'm not sure a teenager should be riding bikes, but that's just me

the last story will appeal to women and feminists (what, there's a difference?): Wonder Woman goes on an anti-man crusade and Black Canary tags along to keep her out of trouble.

who you calling a pig? oink!

here's what she thinks of you, Hugh Hefner. you better jack up on the viagra run for your life now.

and who do they find in this disgusting den of iniquity? why, its that good-for-nothing, playboy Bruce Wayne!

the few times he actually tries to enjoy himself, and he's busted.

so in effect, what Cooke is trying to tell us here is: Women's Lib was started by Wonder Woman herself.

with a cameo by Gloria Steinem, who can't help but smile?
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Justice League: New Frontier Special
Darwyn Cooke/David Bullock/J. Bone/Michael Cho/Dave Stewart/Jared Fletcher