( The Following Film is rated 15)
Off the Bat, much like the Animated Avengers film I reviewed years ago, this film is not in 3D like this artwork, however, unlike that film's cover, this artwork is not only better ( insofar as Wonder Woman's hips are not as big as her head) but the artwork depicts the Trilogy, it's 3 biggest Heroes: Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman, looking like their live action counterparts, flying out of a Supernova. while over their established looks are new Alliterations, Wonder Woman in Cowboy Garb as Jonah Hex looks on, A black and White Clark Kent In a Snowy warzone, and Conan Batman with a Sword fighting a huge cobra. All the While no feet are shown. Artists in comics really hate Drawing Feet!
After the opening Sequence which sees the DC logo on fire! We open on what seems to be late 19th Century Western America as Wonder Woman Rides into a Outlaw Town. Stopping for a Drink on a Saloon. A man chats up Diana, she wants none of it, so this man later named as Tom, reaches out to her only to be slammed into the bar counter. When the outlaws gang up , we get undo her jacket and see the Wonder woman Costume underneath....
Sigh.....
It's not like I'm upset it's here, it's more like everyone is dressed in Costumes that fit their eras, And here is Wonder Woman in a Boiler Suit in the Desert! ....
So Anyway.....
Wondy uses her lasso of truth to outfight the gang, Tom loads his pistol, only for it to be shot out of his hands by Jonah Hex, (Voice of Troy Baker, who also plays Mortal Kombat's Erron Black)
Boy if I had a Penny for every time Troy Baker Voiced an immortal Cowboy with Magic Bullets...I'd have 2 Pennies!
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| "WHICH ISN'T A LOT, BUT IT'S FUNNY IT HAPPENED TWICE!" |
Jonah apologizes for his men's Action, So he explains he is the sheriff of these parts, that the next town over are greedy Gold miners who burnt his Face for not paying their taxes. He wants WW to join as his deputy. In truth it's a protection racket, as Diana sees first hand Jonah's Men Stick up family in a Coach and kill the parents in front of their daughter, Spurring Diana into action to Save the girl and kill the Outlaws.
Dropping her past the gate to a Mining Depot, Diana and The Girl are welcomed by Backlash (not sure if it's the Atlantean Hero, but sure as hell, It's not the Other guy!), much to the Annoyance of their sheriff. The Hero asks Wonder Woman her name, But she doesn't seem to know.
Keep that in the back of your mind for now.
Jonah's gang attacks the wall of the Depot with Dynamite Laden Coaches. Despite WW's And Backlash's efforts, the wall is Detonated, with Woman Woman crawling out of the rubble with a few scratches. With the Children Convinced she is an Angel sent to save them, WW dispatches the Outlaw. The Sheriff is certain that Hex will Starve them out Due to The Supply silo being on his land. But Diana plans to liberate Supplies. Hex kills his men for speaking out of turn.
That night Diana and Backlash raid the Supplies and act as a distraction by fighting Hex. Using the lasso of truth, she learns the Supplies have being Turned into Molotov's Bread Basket, lacing the Crates with Nitroglycerin.
Hijacking the train, Wonder Woman forces the train to Destroy both Hex town and the Mine. Fortunately Backlash went back to Evacuate the townsfolk.
Fat lot of good it did, as Jonah survives the blast and Shoots Backlash Stone Cold dead. Wonder Woman beats Hex to an inch of his life and rides away, the girl she saves asks if she would have stayed if Backlash lived. That question remains unanswered, as Wonder Woman Rides away.
And now to the Batman Story.
We now find ourselves in the Remnants of a Medieval Battle, Blood and Broken Weapons, Slashed Armour and Cloven Helmets litter uneven Ground. The Camera pans towards the sound of Clashing blades. Batman is soon Captured, his Bat themed helmet sliced in twain by the King of this realm of Shamballah.
The King wants to send Deimos' new Mercenary (Batman) to the mines, However Batman make a deal to destroy this Deimos, who is referred to as a Wizard. Not only for his freedom, but for Deimos' hoard of gold. Mercenary, after all!
Batman (who is only called Mercenary from now on), Warlord, His Queen, Mariah, his adviser K'Sheq and a whole army saddle up to Deimos' Realm of Scartaris, A Realm of Infinite Sunlight, making Batman's proposition to attack at night ridiculous to the others. Surely he couldn't have Forgot a simple fact. But Batman's memory is also scrambled, not that he Comes out to admit it!
"World's Greatest Detective, Didn't I tell you that?"
"What....is a Detective....?"
"ERR....it's a Cool and Badass thing, better than being a Warlord!"
"Excuse me? I have a Kingdom and you are just some loony I found in a Helmet and Posing Pouch."
"That's some big talk for a Guy who's gonna have his real name Google Searched by the Guy who wrote this because noone has heard of ya! But me... I am the Night!"
Camping in a wood, Mercenary explains the lands beyond the Forest. Deimos' tower is Surrounded by the Desert of Dreams, A dangerous plain of realistic mirages and Very real Monsters. But to get there they need to sail across the Dragon Sea. Mercenary doesn't believe in magic. He only believes in Steel and Gold and the Evil In everyone's heart. In the flames of the campfire, The Mercenary has visions of the Joker (Mark Hamil's Joker Laugh making an appearance). He does not remember them fully, but he does describe Joker, Mr Freeze and Catwoman.
Soon a Rampage of Prototops Disturb the still air. Mercenary, who is Chained to Warlord is Pulled to Safety into the Canopy above. They are still not safe, the rampage was Running from something. And that was a T-Rex. Which soon dispatched by the two chained men.
Crafting a Raft to sail the Dragon Sea, A Sea monster destroys the raft and kills most of the Unnamed Characters. Swimming to Shore the monster retreats only for Warlord and Mercenary to see an Illusion of a Martian that says "It Really Is You!" Before it fades!
Climbing up the unguarded wall of Deimos' Mountain, Dragons pick off the remaining Jabronis. Mercenary saves K'Sheq, But Mariah Seemingly sacrifices herself to crash a dragon into the Forest below.
In the Entrance to the Castle, K'Sheq ventures forward, only to be Skeletonized by an invisible Force. For some reason, Mercenary knows this is a Technology powered by Electrical power sources, and Discovers some cables that he rips out. They venture in and up some Stair past statues that look like Bruce.
There are Booby Traps and monsters as the two men are Chased by a Minotaur until a Portcullis separates them on each side. With the portcullis' Weight on the Chain and a Lever out of reach, Warlord has no choice but give the Mercenary the key, but with him freed, He leaves Warlord to be devoured By the Minotaur.
Descending down more stairs into a Throne room covered with Piles of Gold. Chained to the Throne are Mariah and Wonder Woman, Dressed in a fur Bikini and her memories wiped again. Deimos, A Vampiric looking Wizard with a Gun exclaims this was his plan on the long, to ALLOW Batman to be captured so Warlord could be lured here to be killed by himself. However Mercenary just Wants his gold and will kill his master to do so! Deimos shoots at Batman but the shot is absorbed by a decapitated head of a Minotaur. Warlord is alive and seeking revenge.
Deimos is out of Bullets but when he is surrounded he turns into a Giant cobra, Thrashes about breaking WW's Shackles and landing her close to the Lasso of Truth which glows to Seemingly call to her. It seems Memories are coming back as Warlord finds the Pistol...his Pistol and some Bullets. He exclaims he is Travis Morgan, the Warlord and Shoots Deimos Between the Eyes!
Time For Backstory!
A Very Obscure Hero, Travis Morgan was a Vietnam Veteran who was transported to Shamballah to fight Deimos.
Deimos reverts back into a Human and vows revenge as he turns into a puff of smoke. A Portal Appears and Batman off Travis the Chance to return home, But Morgan claims his place is here as it's ruler and so part 2 ends with them entering a portal to who knows where...or when!
Part 3 is Animated in Black and White. Rookie Federal Agent Clark Kent meets his new Superior, Officer Faraday. In 1950s Grover's Mill, there has being a Crash of Some Kind. Kent believes it's the Commies, But Faraday thinks It's origins are from further beyond.
In a Snow covered Diner, Kent and Faraday meet Patrol Officer Bruce Wayne and Again Deja vu happens. Inside the Diner are Witness to the crash 3 of them familiar faces to Superman fans, Jimmy Olsen, Lana Lang and Snapper Carr and 2 others. They all tell a Story that their journeys were all interrupted by a Flying Saucer that crashed on the road and Something ran out....Jimmy Olsen (who is Jimmy Lang here) points to a Woman who sat in the Back who claimed to saw a Creature.
In the Back, Sure enough is Diana Prince, A Typist Now in this Reality and like before not able to remember everything.
Carr gets the Agent's Attention. He claims when Officer Wayne bought everything here, he said he got a call to meet everyone here, Except there is no Phone in this diner and none for miles.
Of course it could be a "Call" on his CB, given the Setting of 1950s America.
What can't be explained away so easily is Jimmy claiming he saw Five Footprint trails going into the Woods, when they Double back, there were SIX!. That's when the other Witnesses Try to Gaslight the Lawmen to kill Diana solely because she has an accent, so she much be an Alien or at the very least, Russian.
The stress is causing The Rookie to go insane, he also hears Strange music from a Jukebox, one that is unplugged.
When he exits the Washroom after clearing his head, Diana and Bruce are there to tell him they hear the music too!
Bruce grabs Clark's arm and Clark has Visions of Abductions. The Diners all claim to kill them with Mr Porter the truck Driver Grabbing Clark's gun, Clark tosses Porter into the wall behind him with superpowers and kills him breaking the wall. As the music plays from the car radio, porter stands up with his bones resetting as He, The Langs, Snapper and Burrows turning into White Martians.
The heroes Fight not knowing how they have these Skills, But more pods fall from the Sky-It Is a Full Scale Invasion. Piling into Bruce's Patrol car pass Mr Porter's Oil Tanker (only proving that there was A Mr Porter and he and the others are dead!) Bruce Hands Clark a Flare Gun to cause an Explosion to drive the White Martians back...how he knows this will work he has no idea.
After Causing the Fire they find a UFO different to the ones they've seen, and inside the body of a green Martian. Before Clark can touch him, Faraday appears to order Clark to kill the Alien.
Subduing Faraday, The Green Martian sends out Waves that changes himself and the world around him. It's the Martian Manhunter, Joh'nn Joh'Nezz. Who's Telepathic and Shapeshifting powers where being syphoned. And everything was changed except Bruce, Diana, Clark and a Unconscious Faraday. The Black and White World at Night wasn't even The Filmmaker's Artistic License, But rather, an in-universe way that was solely made to remove Superman's Power from Sunlight.
The Humans (or 2 Humanoids and 1 Human) hide as a White Martian Queen and 3 Minions torture Joh'nn with a Taser. The Heroes make a Stand and free Joh'nn from the machine. He Exclaims he had being forced to put the three through "A lot" since his capture months ago. Clark asks where he is? Manhunter answers Warworld.
Without Mongol or Mongal, the Flying Coliseum planet had gained Sentience and Became a parasite for the Fear and Hatred of its Captured victims, Using Joh'nns Power to Create Scenarios for its Victims captured from it's Invasion of Earth months ago.
Joh'nn wants the others to escape using a "Theta Chamber" before "He" arrives. Still not Cognisant of their Identities. Superman asks who "He" is.
"I swear to Rao, Joh'nn, if it is that Orange clad manchild that rides on a Yellow Cloud, who wants to fight me in a FOURTH Deathbattle noone wanted, I am going to have a Blackest Night of my own at Rooster Teeth!"
Then he Arrives.
Lobo.
Okay no Spoilers just yet, but when I saw that the Supposed Big Bad was Lobo, I was ecstatic. I was expecting Mongol because he owns Warworld or Darkseid and Assume the Illusions were effects of the Omega Sanctum.
And up to this point, thinking it was Lobo?
I was all for it.
Lobo is a bounty Hunter, not a World Conquerer. He doesn't want to kill the heroes, but they have gotten in his way of him getting paid, so what better to get back on the Goody-Goods, than let them live out fantasies that see them get hurt over and over, while Lobo gets his work done.
Sadly....as you will read that is not the case.
So Lobo blasts all 4 with lazer pellets, they lose Consciousness. When Diana wakes up she and the others are in a Pod Room, Where Clones of Backlash, the Sheriff and Jonah Hex are stored naked in Red Liquid. Bruce at the Consol Surmises that all the Pods contain Clones of every lifeform they have met so far and each are used to Syphon or Cause the Hatred need to keep Warworld going! As Backlash is Rebirthed, Propped onto a Conveyor belt, Redressed and reintroduced to a new Scenario. Bruce is fiddling with the consol to find a map, somehow knowing how a computer works. But instead finds their costumes. And look of Puzzled Familiarity hit them.
Meanwhile Lobo is Dragging Joh'nn to his Boss, to punish him for ruining his fun.
And it was Mongol the Whole time.
He is apparently searching for a Key that a New Goddess called Logos hid in the DNA Of Martians. So he Enslaved White Martians from every universe. But it was When Lobo told him of a Green Martian - the last in Every Universe, Mongol thought he was the Key, and for a time the Illusion amused him, but seeing him free the Justice League means Joh'nn's services, as well as his life, comes to an end.
The Trilogy suits up and this must be a Timeline where Clark and Diana did the dirty as Wonder Woman is Flirty towards Superman. Mongol plans to make an example of the Martian by torturing him as a warning to those who oppose him, hoping broadcasting his pain would power Warworld back to Full Capacity and he would know, He is Linked To Warworld in some way that's not explained.
The Heroes Find the Theta Chamber, a teleportation device. And are slowly coming to terms with their powers and weapons. A Projection of Mongol states he will publicly Execute Martian Manhunter as a further example. The others go to leave but then the lasso of truth glows.
Lobo is confused with such a small Speech, but Mongol does not want to waste time by drawing out his death. Lobo takes one last punch to Joh'nn's chest, claiming he ain't so tough, he's not taking any chances as he chained his prisoner in the "Brainblockers" he was given. On the Bridge, the Martian Workers tell their master of attacks increasing in power and Speed, Lobo undoes the Brainblockers in an attempt to seize Warworld for himself, an idea Joh'nn planted in his head, when he was punched by Lobo, being close enough for the psychic suggestion, even with Brainblockers on.
Joh'nn takes control of a White Martian. You see, the New Gods when they built Warworld, did it with a sick sense of humour. Logos did plant the Key to Warworld's Full power in Martian Genetic Memory, but it requires a Green and a White Martian to work together, an act that would never happen, due to each destroying eachother for eons in a Civil war with no end and no Origin.
Joh'nn and his Thrall Merge into One Being to override Warworld's Systems to cause a self Destruction. Superman Argues that they have to save the Clones and Slaves, But Joh'nn sadly states They are no longer the people they were, Warworld had Tampered them so much they would only cause Hatred on other worlds if freed. Mongol Laughs that Martian Manhunter Lacks the full power to destroy Warworld at this Capacity. Joh'nn Agrees that there is not enough rage, But Mongol Claims to be Bonded to Warworld, So lets test that theory, as Joh'nn taps into Mongol's own rage to detonate warworld. All Seems lost Until Some Silver skinned Woman with Flaming Hair Teleports The Trilogy onto a second spaceship, Blabs some Sequel Bait about Crisis on Infinite Earth. Freezeframe. Fade to Black. THE END!
I Will be Treating This Film as a 4 four chapter Anthology, with a Review for each.
CHAPTER 1, WONDER WOMAN DID NOT SUCK!
Anachronismistic Clothes aside, This was Both a Good Superhero and Western Story that Did well Combining the Tropes of Both: A Stranger Rides into Town with No Dog in the fight, But gets involved anyway because it's the right thing to do! In Itself a Microcosm of Wonder Woman's Origin Story. Troy Baker as Jonah Hex played him more Charisma than what ever the hell that Megan fox film was supposed to be, Wonder Woman's Voice Actress, Shana Katic, Voices her as close as Sounding like Gal Gadot as possible, a Choice that i appreciated later in part 2 When i Thought Wonder Woman was Catwoman when she Appeared in a Fur Bikini!
CHAPTER 2, BATMAN DID NOT SUCK!
First I would have liked if each Segment has a different Art style to Differentiate from each other and Denote when the other starts and Finishes. And Given the Action and Fanservice of the second part i would have liked it of it was drawn in the style of Bruce Timm.
This was an enjoyable spin on Batman. For even Batman who's identity and villains stem from Psychological illness and Trauma, can lead themselves to the iconography from the Supernatural. However despite evidence to the contrary, Batman does not believe in magic. He does not say in outright or word for word, but he feels that Villains are still "A Superstitious, Cowardly Lot" we also get the first clues that something is wrong with this world, and they do it without it slowing down the pace. Warlord also make a Strong Showing despite being an obscure Hero.
Chapter 3: SUPERMAN NOIR WAS FANTASTIC!
I would prefer it to go with the Black and White Scenes to have it presented with 0 animation, the only movement given to the camera moving between comic panels and pan outs, like a comic book. Making this a slower pace detective story before the End was a Great Pacing choice after that much action before. Making this story a Combination of Elements from The Thing and And Now I Must Scream a nice touch with Alien Fakes trying to convince him to kill Wonder Women Solely because she's Different. I was so Enthralled with story I didn't even notice the Colour returned to the screen.
CHAPTER 4: WARWORLD STARTED STRONG, BUT...
In terms of Using a Different Art Style, well they Advertised Falsely 3D on the Cover, so why not make "Fantasy" 2d and "Reality" CGI?
As for the Plot that ties all the parts together, I like that the heroes didn't regain their memories off the bat remarking how ridiculous they look or that aliens exist. But as a Big Bad, Mongol was underwhelming, Solely because When Warworld is a story element, Mongol is a given, which is why I was happy to see Lobo, and had my head in my hands when Mongol Turned Up.
Speaking of Bruce Timm, The 2003 Justice League Cartoon, Introduced him to a wider audience, and as a Charismatic Dictator, On the level of Superman, Who like a Roman Dictator, Put on Gladiatorial Fights to Distract his slaves and quell Rebellion.
Instead we get his Guy!
Some Scrawny Yellow Guy, Yabbering about Keys, too weak to lift a taser with both arms! This Guy should not be who we were building up to!
And the Ending was Disappointing, everyone is close to dying, but then Harbinger, (WHO IS ONLY NAMED IN THE CREDITS!), Teleports in, peaces out with the Trilogy, leads 1000S to die, tells us "OH YEAH, THERE'S A SEQUEL!" Freeze-frame. Fade To Black. THE END!
Instead, why not have Harbinger in the last 5 minutes, not 2, and Arrive to Establish how strong and important she will be in Crisis on Infinite Earths? Have her Single handledy Mop the Floor with Lobo, threaten Mongol with a Speech that she is a New God, the only thing Mongol Fears, and he exits tail between legs. Then she teleports everyone and Being a New God, She cures the Warworld Programming from the Clones, Claiming it's a sad imitation of the Anti-Life Equation. You know, That Thing the Evil New Gods Used to Conquer Earth So many times? But no, we got the Ending we got and it really took the wind out of our sails.
So In Summary: Warworld is a Great Anthology Series, Where Sadly it's Many Halves are Greater than the Sum of it's Parts!
CREDITS
DC ANIMATED: JUSTICE LEAGUE-WARWORLD was Reviewed, Compiled and Edited by Eamonn Bermingham (@RealEnli)
With Media From:
Justice League-Warworld
Phineas and Ferb
Atop the Fourth Wall
Justice League Unlimited
DC'S Warlord
Death Battle!
Dc Comics
Justice League (2003)
DC Animated Justice league Warworld was Produced By Warner Brothers Animation, Under Licence by DC COMICS.
All Media Used Belong to their respective Owners. All Rights Reserved.
NEXT MONTH, ON BOGGER BOX OFFICE. WE ARE STILL IN THE DC UNIVERSE, AS NEXT MONTH WE REVIEW BLUE BEETLE!
