Posted in: Movies, Recent Updates, san diego comic con, TV | Tagged: Comics, justice league, Justice League: Gods & Monsters, killing joke, mark hamill, sdcc, SDCC '15
SDCC '15: Justice League: Gods and Monsters Spoiler Free Impressions And Killing Joke Mark Hamill Speculation
Hey Gang! I got to see the premiere of Justice League: Gods and Monsters. I won't spoil anything, but I really, really want to. However, I wouldn't want to deprive any of you the unadulterated joy of seeing this very original story unfold.
My initial reaction to hearing about this project was, "Good idea Bruce Timm. It was a good idea when Gardner Fox did it as the Crime Syndicate, and it was a good idea when you did it as the Justice Lords a decade ago." If you have the same impressions about this project, rest assured that you are as wrong as I was. This is not a "What if the Justice League were evil" retread. This is Bruce Timm at his most original and creative telling a story that rewards and challenges the discerning fanboy.
Bruce Timm talked about the genesis of this project. It first started as an idea for rebooting his Justice League animated series. However, that soon snowballed into the project that we have before us, comprising not only an animated movie, but a webseries that will explore this new take on the Justice League, where there there is no Clark, no Diana, and no Bruce.
Timm's take on this is not unlike the transition from the Golden to Silver age of comics, where characters like the Green Lantern and Flash were reintroduced. Same powers, same name, but different identities and personalities behind the masks. Often this approach leads to a "not your grandpa's superhero" attempt to "update" the character. I see none of that here. My grandpa would have loved this take on these iconic characters. I love this take on these characters, specifically because good character development transcends passing fads.
I am dangerously close to spoiling, so I'll do a rundown of future WB/DC animated offerings. Next year will see Batman: Bad Blood (featuring Batwoman), Justice League vs. Titans, and perhaps one of the most anticipated DC animated films of all time (drumroll) KILLING JOKE! Mark Hamill has said repeatedly that he would reprise his role as the Joker if they ever animated this classic story. I asked a WB official if Hamill was coming back for this project. I didn't get a yes, but I didn't get a no. Let's end things here. Follow me @notacomplainer