SUMMARY: Running Time: 289 min.
Released by Warner Bros. Home Video in 2018, this double-DVD set assembles the second round of twenty-six episodes from Justice League Action. It’s billed as “Season One, Part Two.” Televised in 2017-2018, these approximately eleven-minute episodes are:
DISC 1:
# 27. Time Out.
Premise: Booster Gold must prove his mettle to a skeptical Batman in battling a threat to the space-time continuum.
#28. The Fatal Fare.
Premise: With Superman held captive by Darkseid’s forces, it’s up to Space Cabbie to discreetly summon the Justice League for an emergency intervention.
#29. Mxy’s Mix-Up.
Premise: Amidst a battle against Gorilla Grodd’s minions, Mr. Mzyzptlk bedevils the League with chaotic mischief by playing roulette with the team’s super-powers.
#30. Supernatural Adventures in Babysitting.
Premise: Stargirl’s routine babysitting gig goes awry when Klarion the Witch Boy shows up. Even with Batman & John Constantine involved, it’s up to Stargirl to help thwart Klarion’s fun-and-games.
#31. Booster’s Gold.
Premise: Inspired by Jurrasic Park, a marooned Green Arrow gets an exclusive preview of Booster Gold’s latest get-rich-quick scheme involving time-displayed dinosaurs.
#32. Booray for Bizarro.
Premise: Bizarro may be the League’s only hope to thwart the android Amazo’s ability to copy their super-powers.
#33. Best Day Ever.
Premise: The Joker breaks Lex Luthor out of prison for a day of fun-and-games. The League’s hot pursuit sets up a showdown where the Joker’s true scheme is revealed.
#34. The Cube Root.
Premise: With the Calculator holding Ronnie Raymond captive, Professor Martin Stein to team up with old rival Mr. Terrific to restore Firestorm.
#35. Superman’s Pal, Sid Sharp.
Premise: The Man of Steel must single-handedly invade Apokolips to rescue Clark Kent’s snarky Daily Planet rival from Darkseid’s clutches.
#36. Superman Red vs. Superman Blue.
Premise: Lex Luthor’s latest weapon divides Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman into dual beings, with the blue as their ‘good’ sides and the red as their ‘evil’ counterparts.
#37. The Ringer.
Premise: A seemingly invincible Sinestro battles Green Lantern, Superman, and Wonder Woman in an asteroid field. It’s up to the Atom to seek out Sinestro’s secret power source.
#38. Forget Me Not.
Premise: Unraveling why the other Leaguers have lost their memories, Firestorm must convince a skeptical Clark Kent, Diana Prince, and Bruce Wayne that they are really super-heroes.
#39. The Brain Buster.
Premise: It’s a dangerous contest of the world’s greatest minds, as Lex Luthor, Batman, Mr. Terrific, the Calculator, and the Brain are forced to compete against each other.
DISC 2:
# 40. E. Nigma, Consulting Detective.
Premise: With Batman held captive by the Joker, Wonder Woman and Green Arrow must rely on the Riddler to counter the madcap clown’s unpredictable clues.
# 41. Harley Goes Ape!
Premise: Gorilla Grodd unleashes a gigantic ape’s rampage upon Metropolis, but Harley Quinn may be the League’s best hope to thwart Grodd.
# 42. Phased and Confused.
Premise: It’s up to Booster Gold to save Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman from Zod’s latest scheme to escape the Phantom Zone.
# 43. It’ll Take a Miracle!
Premise: Batman must recruit Mr. Miracle to help rescue a captive Big Barda on Apokolips.
# 44. System Error.
Premise: Five Leaguers ominously discover that they are actually robots.
# 45. Race Against Crime.
Premise: Lex Luthor and Chronos interfere with Superman’s charity race vs. the Flash.
# 46. Party Animal.
Premise: Hosted by Green Arrow, the League’s annual Christmas party shenanigans brings some unexpected guests.
# 47. Watchtower Tours.
Premise: Booster Gold’s side business of selling unauthorized Watchtower tours causes plenty of super-villain mayhem.
# 48. Barehanded.
Premise: A backtracking Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) finds himself in a real jam after he loses his power ring at an intergalactic rest stop.
# 49. Captain Bamboozle.
Premise: Mr. Mxyzptlk cons Shazam’s elderly Uncle Dudley into becoming the world’s new super-hero: the bumbling and all-powerful Captain Bamboozle.
# 50. Keeping Up With the Kryptonians.
Premise: Mxyzptlk’s latest hijinks pit a tyrannical Superman vs. vapid mega-celebrity Supergirl in a skewed alternate reality. Booster Gold may be their own chance to escape.
# 51. Unleashed.
Premise: The Red Lanterns covertly try using the Watchtower’s technology to attack Earth, with only Plastic Man and the two gallant Pets of Steel (Krypto & Streaky) standing in their way.
# 52. She Wore Red Velvet.
Premise: The League gets caught in matrimonial crossfire when Booster Gold’s scorned bride pays him a time-traveling visit for some long-overdue payback.
REVIEW:
While the kid-friendly animation will seem ultra-flimsy to adults, most of these episodes exceed Justice League Action’s visual limitations. More significantly, the show’s production team grasps the formula of balancing good storytelling with fun twists that make sense. The same policy applies to the series regularly anchoring the battle scenes with well-played chuckles that can appeal to anybody.
As seen in some episodes, familiar comic book plots are re-imagined (i.e. Giganto; Superman Red/Superman Blue; the Flash/Superman race) with often impressive results. Still, in an instance where humor isn’t part of the package, “System Error” rates among the best entries of Justice League Action.. Its ingenious scripting keeps in perspective that this fast-paced series also hits occasional speed bumps (i.e. the eye-rolling dud, “Superman’s Pal, Sid Sharp” and the shamelessly goofy “Harley Goes Ape!”).
Supporting the show’s core vocal talents: Jason J. Lewis (as Superman); Rachel Kimsey (as Wonder Woman) and Kevin Conroy (as Batman), this volume’s star-studded guest cast delivers sterling performances. Chris Diamantopoulos’ Green Arrow, Diedrich Bader’s hilariously self-involved Booster Gold and James Woods’ snarky Lex Luthor are spot-on. Additionally, contributions from Jonathan Adams (as Darkseid), Patton Oswalt (as Space Cabbie), Josh Keaton (as Green Lantern), and Gilbert Gottfried (as Mr. Mxyzptlk), among many others, are instances of perfect casting. Yet, as one might expect, Mark Hamill’s Joker steals the show in his few appearances. Above all, Justice League Action: Battles from Beyond! offers solid G-rated episodes that can resonate well with Justice League fans of any age.
Note: Other than the on-line shorts, Episode # 52 is evidently the last Justice League Action episode, as a second season hasn’t been produced.
BONUS FEATURES:
Featurettes aren’t included. Unfortunately, the on-line shorts (essentially, they’re three-minute episodes) aren’t part of this package, either. Instead, there’s an ad for the DC All Access website, as well as a trailer for the LEGO DC Super-Hero Girls: Brain Drain animated film.
QUALITY CONTROL:
Sporting 5.1 Surround or Dolby Surround (depending upon the language), the episodes are in widescreen with excellent picture quality. The remote control access is easily accessible. Language options include English, Spanish, and Portuguese, while the sub-title options include English, Spanish, and French.
PACKAGING:
The two discs each have sturdy storage pages. The back cover effectively conveys all of the pertinent information.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
Note: Volume 1 (or Season 1, Part 1) is entitled Justice League Action: Superpowers Unite!
