This is why I fileshare. Canadians have seen these episodes that won’t be broadcast in the US (according to TV Tome) until December!
Both good episodes – JLU - “Ultimatum” is both touching and hilarious as a “Challenge of the Superfriends” homage, with analogues standing in for some of the more ethnic characters from the old 1970s show-- including Apache Chief, Black Vulcan, Samurai and the Wonder Twins! Bonus points for the great appearances of Maxwell Lord and some loud-mouthed black woman… Amanda Waller ring a bell, anyone? Keeping with comics tradition, she and Batman butt heads and she manages to put a nice verbal smackdown on my favorite superhero with two little words… but I won’t spoil exactly what she says to him.
Still, of the two, I liked JLU - “Dark Heart” is a neat little tale penned by Warren Ellis – probably the episode I’d been wanting to see the most after the Alan Moore adapatation, " For The Man Who Has Everything." Dozens and dozens of superheroes desperately battling a dormant alien menace come to life, and the one best able to stop it is the littlest hero of them all – the Atom! Very cool show, several “wow, did that just happen?” moments – including J’onn J’onzz bringing out the Watchtower’s big guns and Batman’s explanation for a secret weapon he has on the batplane. You’ll laugh when you see what Wonder Woman does with the Atom after she says, “Professor Palmer, I need my both hands.”
I can wait to see the next few episodes of this season.
I really liked Ultimatum. Waller has Big Brass Ones to spare.
I wonder if we’ll be seeing the Suicide Squad in the near future.
Maybe the replacements for the Ultimen as an SS team. although I’d also like to see Captain Boomerang and a couple other canon members. Weasel, for instance (I think he was only with the team for one issue, but he was…entertaining.). Maybe Dr Light and put the heroic Dr Light as a major hero of the episode.
I liked how Cadmus was involved.
Dark Heart I didn’t like so much. I liked it. It was a good episode. But I didn’t like it as much as Ultimatum. Because there were just so many characters that the ones I really wanted to see in action just got tiny parts. At least Ice got to actually fight this time, but she still got no lines. They’re taunting me. ;_; Green Arrow and Dr Fate also needed more face time - but both of them have had big parts in earlier episodes, so it’s not as frustrating. I’d rather Ice not show up than be teased like this.
I loved Ray’s solution to the thing. Simple, elegant, and makes sense, as far as I can tell.
Heh, that was great. I expected some kind of crack from Palmer when it was time for him jump into the ship or whatever, “But I don’t want to go! I’m in a happy place…”.
Ultimen was fun as a tribute to Super Friends (where was Super Marvin, Wendy, and Scoobyclone?).
But boy, the suspension of disbelief needed is getting greater and greater. E.g., when the ‘Wonder Twins’ battle Aquaman, one tries to drown him!! And so, while Imbecilic Water Boy is just simply flooding the room, Shape Shifter Girl decides to battle Aquaman underwater as… a T-Rex!!!
Also, why is an oil drilling platform (“it’s going to pollute my ocean!”) drilling into the molten mantle?
Amanda Waller is drawn (and portrayed) very bulldyke-ish. Was this the same in the comics? Notice that changing the W to a B would make a pun name that’s a bit misogynist. Notice Batman’s vague, “Mine are bigger” quote. And, she knows Bat’s secret identity!
In “Dark Heart,” why didn’t The Atom shrink down some high powered heroes with him to get into the alien vessel?
Notice in both episodes how the government (or, at least, some elements of the military and the government) are positioning themselves to want to be able to reign in or control the JL. There seems to be fear of an autonomous institution that’s more powerful than the U.S. government. Could DC be getting more Marvel? Would there ever be a JL v. USA showdown? Hmmm… let’s debate that in this thread: Justice League Unlimited v. USA.
Moriah. I think you pegged two reasons why i didn’t care for the action sequences in this episode as much as I did in “Dark Heart.” Oh, and Windragon’s freezing lava men while simultaneously NOT freezing ANY of the Justice League.
Best “Blink and You Miss It Moment”: the exterior shot of the UltiMen’s headquarters…? It’s actually the Hall of Justice in a sepia tone wash, in shadows.
Amanda Waller was actually much, much, worse in the SUICIDE SQUAD comics. Stereotypical “Black Bitch Ballbuster.” But the only one in the DCU who could at least give Batman pause.
The Atom can’t freeze other people or objects like himself unless they’re specially-treated – they tend to go “kabloooey”.
I think the military uneasiness is another hint of a major showdown that just may happen on that show – they’ve already had several super-soldiers created, the the Joker’s Royal Flush Gang and the Supergirl clone.
OK, another just hit me: In Ultimen (the Super Friends tribute) we saw Wonder Woman flying her invisible plane. But the modern WW can fly, what does she need a plane for?
Was this the first time we saw the invisible plane in JL(U) cartoon TV series? Was it just a big wink at Super Friends?
Keeping with comics tradition, she and Batman butt heads and she manages to put a nice verbal smackdown on my favorite superhero with two little words… but I won’t spoil exactly what she says to him.