io9: Why Justice League Unlimited Was, and Still Is, the Best Superhero TV Show

[Agent Z]

io9 on why they loved the Justice League Unlimited animated series.

http://io9.com/why-justice-league-un...bes-1742256265

[RobinFan4880]

Justice League/Unlimited was really amazing. Probably my favorite superhero show. Batman: The Animated Series would be next.

[Rahul]

It's the only form of DC that I've followed long term.

[Vinsanity]

I liked it when it was just the main characters. I felt it was overkill and boring afterwards. The animation hasn't held up.

The Batman which was around the same time. Now, that's animation that holds up well.

But one of the show’s greatest strengths in characterization, and what makes it still so important today, was that Unlimited was the culmination of one of the ultimate Batman iterations ever made: Kevin Conroy’s animated hero, the one that had been around on television since 1992.

I don't agree with that at all. The characterization for Hawkgirl was the best. Everyone was mediocre (Supergirl, Huntress, John Stewart, Flash, Aquaman) or downright bland (Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter) or grating (Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman)

[shades of eternity]

JLU is built on the base of Superman TAS and buttressed by Justice League.

The Timmverse is the high bar that all animation needs to be compared to.

The only DC animated show that was comparable is Young Justice.

[nightrider]

I thought Young Justice was so much better.

[mathew101281]

The Batman which was around the same time. Now, that's animation that holds up well

Have to disagree, to me the Batman was a mostly forgettable show that did just that was forgotten. The designs were strange and many of the characters were unrecognizable. The Joker looked dumb. It got better in later seasons, but to say it's better then any of the Timmsverse cartoons is crazy when you consider the impact the Impact the Timmsverse cartoons had on everyone. The only other cartoon that I think can compare to the Timmsverse cartoons are the Super friends cartoons. Young Justice was really solid though and could have amassed similar impact if it lasted longer.

[SmokeMonster]

I found it pretty bad honestly. Too in love with the lamer parts of the DC Universe. A ton of missed opportunities as well.

I enjoyed the first season Flash way more. More exciting stories, more emotional, better comedy, etc.

[Agent Z]

I found it pretty bad honestly. Too in love with the lamer parts of the DC Universe. A ton of missed opportunities as well.

I enjoyed the first season Flash way more. More exciting stories, more emotional, better comedy, etc.

What lamer parts where they "in love with"?

[SmokeMonster]

What lamer parts where they "in love with"?

Shining Knight and Vigilante come to mind first.

Hawkgirl, Vixen, and several others as well, though the costume designs were partly to blame.

Just my opinion of course.

[FlashEarthOne]

I thought Young Justice was so much better.

I agree. The Flash and Daredevil are both better as well.

[Desh]

I really love Justice League Unlimited, but I think that Justice League is considerably better, especially the second season. I do agree with the article in that Bruce Timm and co's takes on several key characters have been my favorite interpretations to date. Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, The Flash, Martian Manhunter, Batman, Lex Luthor, Braniac, Darkseid (Michael Ironside's delivery is perfect), to name a few. And even Timm's Superman was great. People complain about him, but Timm did a really solid Superman and Wonder Woman, in my opinion. I think Wonder Woman is the character they struggled with the most, but she still came through really strong. I think that's the amazing thing about the core seven characters. All of them were incredible, and vital parts of the team and the narrative.

[Lee Stone]

Justice League Unlimited, Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men really set the bar on animated superheroes.

I think Young Justice could have made the list if there were a few more seasons between season one and season two. The shift to season two was so jarring and inorganic after season one had built the characters up more naturally.

[DrNewGod]

I loved JLU. I was very impressed when they expanded the cast and actually made something out of them other than guest star fodder (Supergirl's journey through the series was especially enjoyable for me). My main regret is we didn't get the full-on showdown with Grodd's Legion that I anticipated at the beginning of the final season, although Grodd's counter-coup attempt certainly took up a lot of that slack.

I also wish we'd gotten a little more out-of-the-watch tower-and-off-the-clock stories of some of the characters. The closest we got to that was the brief scene of the apartment Green Lantern and Vixen shared, just before Shadow Thief jumped them. Would have been fun if they could have taken a page from the old Superfriends cartoons and expanded the show to an hour with 22 minutes dedicated to the main JLU story, followed by 2 shorts featuring different members of the cast in solo stories.

Still, it was great as it was, and is sadly missed.

[Exciter]

I thought Young Justice was so much better.

I was shocked how much I enjoyed Young Justice. I put it over JLU as well.