Justice League Dark Apokolips War: Spoilers

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

The apparent ending for this new 52 animated universe that began with Flashpoint Paradox
spoilers:

-maybe this could have been split into a two parter, but this generally skipped passed the initial failed invasion of Apokolips and imo largely benefited from that -So Clark Kent and John Constantine were the main protagonists in the end. Which is very good seeing as they were the best characters of this dc animated movie universe. -lots of shock value -wait, I thought Swamp Thing and Black Manta were already dead?!? -I like that this ties in the JL, The JLD, the Titans and the Suicide Squad, really feels like this universe built up to this. -So Amanda Waller finally died of cancer. As a fan of H2P, it’s good to know she’s presumably in hell where she deserves. -Lois, Etrigan and Damian are all badasses. -Lex Flipping Luthor everybody! Whether it’s the Anti Monitor destroying the multiverse or Darkseid conquering the universe that son of a bitch really does know how to survive to the bitter end. -So this began... and ends with Flashpoint. Odd given The Flash hasn’t don’t anything of note or get any development of any kind since Flashpoint -I guess the new Superman: man of tomorrow movie is going to be part of a new universe after all.

end of spoilers
Well this is a tricky one to rate. Gotta commend then for bringing everyone together and setting high stakes. Must admit to being surprised how this played out.

spoilers:

how they follow or IF they follow with that cliffhanger is a big factor though

end of spoilers

[John Venus]

So.....everyone except Superman and Constantine died?

[Farealmer]

If they do follow it up it will be a one off movie. Since they aren't going all in with continuity movies anymore. I liked it, it's a shame it ended but what an end. That's always been the advantage of doing your own thing, you can have cool movies like this.

[Comic-Reader Lad]

Saw it and loved it. Another great entry in the Tuckerverse of animated DC films.

Do we know for sure that there won't be a universe going forward? It's not going to be THIS universe, but the Flashpoint allows for a reboot while still keeping a universe.

I hope they do both one-off films like Batman:Ninja as well as universe films the way they've been doing.

The upcoming Superman animated film looks great to me just based on the character designs in the still frame we saw so far.

In general, I prefer more realistic character designs in cartoons, so I've been glad DC has been getting away from the Bruce Timm look.

Very happy with most of what DC produces in terms of movies, animated films, TV shows, and streaming shows. I know Marvel gets all the fawning and buzz from the press, but with all the things DC has been putting out, it's been pretty solid to me. Lots of variety, and lots of distinct voices.

[bat39]

So I FINALLY ended up watching this (over a year later, lol ) and...it was great! In many ways, it feel that this universe is DC's real answer to the MCU, rather than the DCEU with all its behind-the-scenes drama, and Apokolips War is what Snyder's Justice League sequels could have been.

I suppose part of the reason why the film worked well for me was because I've been following this 'verse since Day 1, over the last 7-8 years, having meticulously watched every installment (apart from Wonder Woman Bloodlines so far). I've seen it grow from its early New 52 inspired Batman and Damian obsessed days to a more diverse, creative and lived-in universe. So the 'grand finale' aspect of this film really hit home for me.

I love how this film is truly a celebration of this entire universe. The major characters represent the Justice League, the Bat-family, the Titans, the Justice League Dark 'team' and, to an extent, the Suicide Squad. You have plot points from a wide range of films coming into play - from Justice League War to Justice League vs. Teen Titans to Justice League Dark to Reign of the Supermen to all the way back to Justice League The Flashpoint Paradox. If ever a piece of DC media has felt like Infinity War and Endgame, its this one.

As much of a hardcore Batman fan as I am, I admit that this universe often erred too much on the side of Dark Knight screentime and focus. So I was pleasantly surprised here to see that the real heroes of the day were Superman, Constantine and Raven. Well, we have Damian too of course, but he doesn't really hog the limelight. Bruce does get some cool moments, but he's definitely not the protagonist, or even a co-protagonist of this story. Its also a bit refreshing to get an ''evil Batman'' rather than an ''evil Superman'' for a change Well, we do get ''evil Superman'' as well for about 5 minutes, but you know what I mean.

I love how some of the minor characters get their moments to shine as well. Etrigan was a treat to watch, as was King Shark. A (quiet literally) post-apocalyptic setting is the only one where I can take Harley as a superhero seriously. And John Stewart, who appears on screen for a couple of minutes tops, gets a truly epic moment too.

There was one aspect of the film which I did feel could have been developed better, and its to do with the ending.

spoilers:

Yeah, they did set it up with Barry mentioning Flashpoint at the start, but I feel the whole bit where Constantine reads Barry's mind and figures out that, in a way, he's responsible for what's happening now could have been explored further. Barry himself hasn't really gotten much focus in these films since Flashpoint so it would have been nice to have at least aa brief scene dealing with the issue of his culpability (or not) in creating this timeline and how he and the others feel about it. Or the potential ramifications of playing God again. I really feel that the last conversation between him and Constantine should ideally have included Bruce as well, as a book-end to their conversation at the end of Flashpoint, and because Bruce, more than anyone else, understands what Barry went through that time. That said, as abrupt as the decision to reboot the universe was at the end, it was refreshing to see a hero go back to change history not in the nick of time just before everything's wiped out, but because the long-term prognosis for the current timeline is not positive. And we got that great shot at the end of all the surviving heroes of this universe boldly awaiting oblivion and new lives...

end of spoilers

On the whole, this was a treat, and IMO one of the best DC animated original movies to date!

[Thezmage]

So I FINALLY ended up watching this (over a year later, lol ) and...it was great! In many ways, it feel that this universe is DC's real answer to the MCU, rather than the DCEU with all its behind-the-scenes drama, and Apokolips War is what Snyder's Justice League sequels could have been.

I suppose part of the reason why the film worked well for me was because I've been following this 'verse since Day 1, over the last 7-8 years, having meticulously watched every installment (apart from Wonder Woman Bloodlines so far). I've seen it grow from its early New 52 inspired Batman and Damian obsessed days to a more diverse, creative and lived-in universe. So the 'grand finale' aspect of this film really hit home for me.

I love how this film is truly a celebration of this entire universe. The major characters represent the Justice League, the Bat-family, the Titans, the Justice League Dark 'team' and, to an extent, the Suicide Squad. You have plot points from a wide range of films coming into play - from Justice League War to Justice League vs. Teen Titans to Justice League Dark to Reign of the Supermen to all the way back to Justice League The Flashpoint Paradox. If ever a piece of DC media has felt like Infinity War and Endgame, its this one.

As much of a hardcore Batman fan as I am, I admit that this universe often erred too much on the side of Dark Knight screentime and focus. So I was pleasantly surprised here to see that the real heroes of the day were Superman, Constantine and Raven. Well, we have Damian too of course, but he doesn't really hog the limelight. Bruce does get some cool moments, but he's definitely not the protagonist, or even a co-protagonist of this story. Its also a bit refreshing to get an ''evil Batman'' rather than an ''evil Superman'' for a change Well, we do get ''evil Superman'' as well for about 5 minutes, but you know what I mean.

I love how some of the minor characters get their moments to shine as well. Etrigan was a treat to watch, as was King Shark. A (quiet literally) post-apocalyptic setting is the only one where I can take Harley as a superhero seriously. And John Stewart, who appears on screen for a couple of minutes tops, gets a truly epic moment too.

There was one aspect of the film which I did feel could have been developed better, and its to do with the ending.

spoilers:

Yeah, they did set it up with Barry mentioning Flashpoint at the start, but I feel the whole bit where Constantine reads Barry's mind and figures out that, in a way, he's responsible for what's happening now could have been explored further. Barry himself hasn't really gotten much focus in these films since Flashpoint so it would have been nice to have at least aa brief scene dealing with the issue of his culpability (or not) in creating this timeline and how he and the others feel about it. Or the potential ramifications of playing God again. I really feel that the last conversation between him and Constantine should ideally have included Bruce as well, as a book-end to their conversation at the end of Flashpoint, and because Bruce, more than anyone else, understands what Barry went through that time. That said, as abrupt as the decision to reboot the universe was at the end, it was refreshing to see a hero go back to change history not in the nick of time just before everything's wiped out, but because the long-term prognosis for the current timeline is not positive. And we got that great shot at the end of all the surviving heroes of this universe boldly awaiting oblivion and new lives...

end of spoilers

On the whole, this was a treat, and IMO one of the best DC animated original movies to date!

I agree with most of what you've said, but ultimately my problem with this movie is that the end renders all of the enjoyment and the promise of this franchise irrelevant. How am I going to get into the next DTV universe knowing that any character I my grow attached to is probably just going to get massacred, their planet destroyed, and their entire timeline wiped out? The least they could do is establish that the new universe is a result of Barry time traveling back from the end of this one, and they could easily have done this with the World War Two movie

[j9ac9k]

Apokolips War felt like an old issue of "What if...?" where the story would be an excuse to have fun breaking as many of the toys as they could since they never had to come back to it. The only real effective thing this universe did for me was build up the Batman Damian relationship, but other than having "Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay" directly tie into "Flashpoint" in a fun and unexpected way, I didn't really see the value in having the Wonder Woman in "Bloodlines" be the same WW in"JL:War", etc. I'd be happy if each film were its own thing, unless it was a specific sequel.

[90'sCartoonMan]

It was cool to see a lot of characters come together and continuity pay off (even if I felt we were missing a third Teen Titans movie with Wonder Girl, the new Kid Flash, and Superboy), but the whole thing felt too much like Avengers Endgame for me. They have a powerful alien ruler gain the upper hand, do a timeskip with some absent heroes, and then turn the Suicide Squad into the Guardians of the Galaxy (with King Shark filling the Groot role for some reason).

Still, there were some great moments like Damian calling Dick his brother and Constantine saying "Azarath Metrion Zinthos" with Raven.

Apokolips War felt like an old issue of "What if...?" where the story would be an excuse to have fun breaking as many of the toys as they could since they never had to come back to it. The only real effective thing this universe did for me was build up the Batman Damian relationship, but other than having "Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay" directly tie into "Flashpoint" in a fun and unexpected way, I didn't really see the value in having the Wonder Woman in "Bloodlines" be the same WW in"JL:War", etc. I'd be happy if each film were its own thing, unless it was a specific sequel.

I think Batman Hush suffered most, especially since it was an adaptation of a pre-New52 story. Bruce had no intention of telling Selina about Damian? And he was oddly hostile to Superman.

[Thezmage]

Apokolips War felt like an old issue of "What if...?" where the story would be an excuse to have fun breaking as many of the toys as they could since they never had to come back to it. The only real effective thing this universe did for me was build up the Batman Damian relationship, but other than having "Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay" directly tie into "Flashpoint" in a fun and unexpected way, I didn't really see the value in having the Wonder Woman in "Bloodlines" be the same WW in"JL:War", etc. I'd be happy if each film were its own thing, unless it was a specific sequel.

What it does is open up DC's plans to make more movies starring smaller characters. A Judas Contract movie was one of the first three movies announced when DC started these DTV movies and it took a decade and a Teen Titans appearance in a Justice League movie in this new continuity for it to actually happen. The value of hving the Wonder Woman in Bloodlines be the same WW in JL:War is that it gets the solo Wonder Woman movie greenlit in the first place

[Frontier]

I agree with most of what you've said, but ultimately my problem with this movie is that the end renders all of the enjoyment and the promise of this franchise irrelevant. How am I going to get into the next DTV universe knowing that any character I my grow attached to is probably just going to get massacred, their planet destroyed, and their entire timeline wiped out? The least they could do is establish that the new universe is a result of Barry time traveling back from the end of this one, and they could easily have done this with the World War Two movie

You could always think they did, Barry just doesn't remember Flashpoint this time around.

Apokolips War felt like an old issue of "What if...?" where the story would be an excuse to have fun breaking as many of the toys as they could since they never had to come back to it. The only real effective thing this universe did for me was build up the Batman Damian relationship, but other than having "Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay" directly tie into "Flashpoint" in a fun and unexpected way, I didn't really see the value in having the Wonder Woman in "Bloodlines" be the same WW in"JL:War", etc. I'd be happy if each film were its own thing, unless it was a specific sequel.

Well, the value was the fact that the continuity offered them a chance to actually give the WW from JL:War her own solo movie that they might not have gotten to do with the Elseworlds films.

[Vakanai]

I'd have to say that this film was one of my favorites from the old 'verse...but some of that is because it was the brutal, gruesome end to a continuity I never really cared for. The art was good, the action was great, but most of these films, especially the early ones, felt like huge missteps. So, this film just flat out destroying and breaking everything so we'd never return here to this continuity? That it screwed over a whole universe that I personally didn't appreciate? I don't want to be petty, and I'm sorry for the fans of that continuity, but I can't help but like watching it break and end. I was always disappointed in that continuity, so this movie was just such a great cleanser for me.

[Frontier]

Apokolips War definitely feels like the James Tucker era of animated films at their peak, both in a positive and a negative sense.

[bat39]

Apokolips War felt like an old issue of "What if...?" where the story would be an excuse to have fun breaking as many of the toys as they could since they never had to come back to it. The only real effective thing this universe did for me was build up the Batman Damian relationship, but other than having "Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay" directly tie into "Flashpoint" in a fun and unexpected way, I didn't really see the value in having the Wonder Woman in "Bloodlines" be the same WW in"JL:War", etc. I'd be happy if each film were its own thing, unless it was a specific sequel.

I mean, there may not be a specific value, but there's not necessarily a specific harm either - especially since the option to do a standalone out-of-continuity/Elseworlds type film was always open.

Over the last decade, we've seen the positives and negatives of shared universes versus standalone, and the DC Animated Original Movies line has been able to get the best of both worlds IMO.

A shared universe not only allows you to build up to bigger crossover events and movies like this one, but it also offers the security of an established brand/setting/template which allows you to get movies made which may not have gotten made without the framework already in place.

Take the MCU. Would Guardians of the Galaxy have been green-lit without the MCU? Its a pretty standalone film with its own unique tone, and it doesn't really tie into any other character/franchise explicitly (until later, in retrospect, with the Power Stone). But it got made because it had the security of being part of the same universe as the Avengers...and it raised the possibility of one day having a crossover with the Avengers.

At the same time, a movie like Joker can't get made if you're slavish to a shared universe.

[Vakanai]

I mean, there may not be a specific value, but there's not necessarily a specific harm either - especially since the option to do a standalone out-of-continuity/Elseworlds type film was always open.

Over the last decade, we've seen the positives and negatives of shared universes versus standalone, and the DC Animated Original Movies line has been able to get the best of both worlds IMO.

A shared universe not only allows you to build up to bigger crossover events and movies like this one, but it also offers the security of an established brand/setting/template which allows you to get movies made which may not have gotten made without the framework already in place.

Take the MCU. Would Guardians of the Galaxy have been green-lit without the MCU? Its a pretty standalone film with its own unique tone, and it doesn't really tie into any other character/franchise explicitly (until later, in retrospect, with the Power Stone). But it got made because it had the security of being part of the same universe as the Avengers...and it raised the possibility of one day having a crossover with the Avengers.

At the same time, a movie like Joker can't get made if you're slavish to a shared universe.

I disagree that the DCAMU was the "best" of both worlds when so many of the films were divisive among the fandom and you wound up with people like me glad to see it gone. It wasn't all bad, but I think you're trying to focus on the positives and ignore the negatives. Best of both worlds? No. Definitely not. But there could be an argument made for best and worst.

[bat39]

I disagree that the DCAMU was the "best" of both worlds when so many of the films were divisive among the fandom and you wound up with people like me glad to see it gone. It wasn't all bad, but I think you're trying to focus on the positives and ignore the negatives. Best of both worlds? No. Definitely not. But there could be an argument made for best and worst.

I was talking about the DC Animated Original Movies line having the best of both worlds...not the universe. My point was that their overall approach combined the benefits of a shared universe (the DCAMU) with the freedom to do standalone films as well. And I say this as someone whose favorite DC animated films are mostly standalones that were not part of this universe.

And there's always someone glad to see something gone...different strokes for different blokes I guess.