SUMMARY: Running Time: 11 Min.
Directed by Doug Murphy, this episode first aired in the U.S. on February 25, 2017. While battling parademons together, Batman & Big Barda witness Steppenwolf’s abduction of Superman. Isolating the Man of Steel across the galaxy on a desolate alien planet beneath a red sun, Steppenwolf assumes that, upon rapidly losing his powers, Superman will be easy pickings.
Seeking the high-profile glory of destroying the Man of Steel, Steppenwolf takes two parademons to hunt him down. Meanwhile, Big Barda & Batman infiltrate Apokolips seeking to thwart Steppenwolf’s scheme. A running gag is which Leaguer has taken down the most villains.
Big Barda: Laura Post
Steppenwolf: Peter Jessop
Superman: Jason J. Lewis
Batman: Kevin Conroy
Virman Vunderbar: William Salyers
Note: For whatever reason, data re: official episode numbers and original air dates for this series vary depending upon its source, so such info should really be taken as a best guess.
REVIEW:
It’s like this episode’s plot is a cross between Superman: The Animated Series and Batman: Brave and the Bold. The storyline delivers solid entertainment, in terms of balancing a resourceful Superman dodging Steppenwolf’s goons with Barda & Batman’s mission on Apokolips.
Presumably, Barda’s unusually huge, buggy eyes in this episode are meant to help visually distinguish her from Wonder Woman. Laura Post’s gruff vocal rendition of Barda is certainly well-played. William Salyers’ amusing take on Steppenwolf’s DeSaad-like flunkie, Virman Vunderbar, is a nice bonus, too.
The episode’s chintzy animation, which gives Justice League Action its distinctive web series-like look, is barely noticeable watching this episode. Somehow, the artwork even appears slightly upgraded. More importantly, the satisfying “Under a Red Sun” somehow packs enough story for a standard-length TV cartoon.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
Note: This episode is on the Justice League Action: Superpowers United! 2-disc DVD set (which collects the first half of the series).
