The Movie
The newest DC Universe Animated Original Movie, Justice League: Doom, is in fact an extensively rewritten amalgam of storylines from the pages of two different comics, Mark Waid's JLA "Tower of Babel" arc and Alex Ross' Justice. Here, under the guidance of über-villain Vandal Savage, a newly formed "Legion of Doom" is committed to the ultimate defeat of the costumed do-gooders. Each hero's arch enemy is armed with a detailed, expert dossier on exactly how to destroy his or her nemesis, these plans having been freshly stolen from... Batman? Expect shocking twists galore, including Savage's monstrous intentions once his opponents have been eliminated.
Doom marks a return to the fan-favorite voices for the classic characters: Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly as Batman and Superman from their respective Animated Series, Susan Eisenberg and Michael Rosenbaum as Wonder Woman and Flash from the various Justice Leagues, with Nathan Fillion most recently added to the roster as the Hal Jordan Green Lantern in Emerald Knights. The Legion of Doom harkens back to the old Super Friends cartoon, but this new tale is quite violent with a few choice words thrown in to help earn that PG-13 rating. The battle strategies aren't as exceedingly clever as we're supposed to think they are, but the high stakes yield plenty of suspense.
The Picture
The computer-animated 16:9 image displays what I assume is a deliberate, not unpleasant softness, further muted with occasional added effects such as clouds of dust kicked up by all of the fighting. The video here has mostly risen above the banding issues of some past releases, as hard lines compromising soft glows and transitions are rare, although noise can taint the picture in some scenes, perhaps a consequence of the modest AVC bitrate, in the high teens (megabits per second). Razor-sharp computer overlays appear from time to time, and these really pop, while color is manipulated in memorable ways.
The Sound
One of the nice things about a Justice League movie--as opposed to any single member--is the variety of powers on exhibit: Batman's whizzing Batarangs, Green Lantern's energy ring, or the sheer brute strength of Superman, all of which bring their own exhilaration to the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. There is no shortage of action, typically accompanied by solid bass reinforcement and a general fullness across the soundstage. Surrounds are deftly exploited, including some discrete voices, especially effective during a scene with multiple Cheetahs surrounding Wonder Woman.
The Extras
The Blu-ray offers a generous complement of bonus material, some exclusive to this edition, starting with the audio commentary by comic book writer and DC Comics Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns, joined by veteran comic book editor and now Creative Director of Animation for DC Entertainment, Mike Carlin.
"A League of One: The Dwayne McDuffie Story" (36-and-a-half minutes) looks back at the life and career of the beloved, recently deceased writing virtuoso. "Guarding the Balance: Batman and the JLA" (19 minutes) goes deeper into The Dark Knight's secret agenda, while the six-minute "Cyborg: His Time Has Come" provides background on one of Doom's most valuable supporting players.
The DC Digital Comic Book Justice League of America: "Tower of Babel" is more of an snippet intended to whet our appetite. The animated Justice League Unlimited two-part episode "Wild Cards" (about 42 minutes total) guest-stars The Royal Flush Gang, who figure in Doom, literally a "ticking clock" story as a series of bombs count down in Las Vegas. We are also given "A Sneak Peek at Superman vs. The Elite" the next animated movie, born of a controversial story arc and leading to a pivotal moment for The Man of Steel (six-and-a-half minutes). All of these video extras are in HD.
Disc Two is a DVD of the movie with the Elite preview and some trailers. A printed code is included in the package to unlock an UltraViolet Digital Copy as well. I must say that, as an admirer of these DC Universe Animated Original Movies since the beginning, I find the lack of consistency in the Digital Copy a little frustrating. Sometimes it will work on iTunes, other times strictly Windows Media, and now UltraViolet only, all different platforms.
Final Thoughts
Anyone who enjoys Warner's direct-to-video comic book adaptations will do well to add Justice League: Doom to his Blu-ray collection, for the thrills, the fine technical quality, and the multiple expert bonuses.
Product Details
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