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Release Date: February 26, 2008

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Feb. 22-24, 2007
Movie will be aired at Wonder Con.

Feb. 26, 2008
DVD releases.

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Review
Justice League: The New Frontier

The DC Comics-Warner Bros. Animation collaboration has gained some notoriety since its first DCU direct-to-DVD movie Superman Doomsday. The follow-up is a more recent fan-favorite from producer, Bruce Timm’s group of familiars. Set between 1945 and 1960, Darwyn Cooke's DC: The New Frontier takes place during a time when the Cold War broke out and communist fears fueled authority. The costumed Mystery Men of the Golden Age were forced into early retirement for not revealing their true identities. Some signed loyalty oaths such as Superman and Wonder Woman. They continued to fight for their ideals as covert agents. However, a new generation of heroes begins to assert themselves to the veterans. Originally published as a six-issue miniseries, the story took readers on a journey from the end of the Golden Age of Comics to the founding of the Justice League of America. Although, the series jumps from character to character, it can't be denied that a majority of the perspective is told from Hal Jordan, as he becomes Earth's newest Green Lantern.

One of the best functions of this story was to link modern fans to heroes from DC's early days, the ones with only guts and gadgets (The Losers, The Suicide Squad, The Blackhawks, The Challengers of the Unknown, and The Sea Devils) and put them side by side with the label's icons (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash). A lot of fans have been waiting to see Adam Strange in action. Don't think all those Alpha Centauri lines on Justice League didn’t go unheard.

One of the most unheard thematic elements of the series was to then take the Golden Age and Silver Age comic book timeline and merge it with real world history, The "Red Scare" The Korean War, The Space Race, Racism and President Kennedy's speech. These all helped serve the grand theme of a call for the next generation to take a stand against its inherited legacy and problems.

Now, what would force man and hero to unite? Brainiac, Lex Luthor, or the Joker? No, throw in a big honkin' primordial monster with telepathic powers. The Centre is the perfect villain, it represents the past, the arrogance, greed for power and all the other sins man has committed. Justice League: The New Frontier basically adheres to the original storyline. Stan Berkowitz and Darwyn Cooke went to town and adapted almost 400 pages into a 75 minute movie. Easier said than done? Like any adaptation, there will be the purists that say the book was way better, those that think both complement each other or children that just like watching super heroes do stuff. We are left with a brief cameo of the Losers and John Henry. We even lost the original introduction to Hal Jordan. However, the opening credits do help us through the political climate and sense of fear that has risen. It truly helps that fans of Jack Kirby were behind the movie.

More pop culture actors make up the cast of voice actors in the movie. Lucy Lawless, the obvious choice for Wonder Woman, puts feeling into every line. Jeremy Sisto's Batman and Kyle MacLachlan's Superman capture the dark, foreboding 50's vibe. Not once did I think about Kevin Conroy or Tim Daly. Justice League: The New Frontier serves as a great addition to DC's direct-to-DVD movies. The adaptation process appears to improve from movie to movie even though I questioned some of the editing (they so should have kept the Vandal Savage scene), but it outshines Superman Doomsday (though it was easier to animate given Cooke's style). And with Batman: Gotham Knight approaching, it seems the wheel will be reinvented as anime becomes the next template.

Actors: Kyle MacLachlan, Jeremy Sisto, Lucy Lawless, Neil Patrick Harris, David Boreanaz, Phil Morris, Miguel Ferrer, Brooke Shields, Kyra Sedgwick Format: Animated, Close-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen Language: English, Spanish Region: Region 1 Aspect Ration: 1.78:1 Number of Discs: 1/2 Rating: PG-13 Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: February 26, 2008 Run Time: 75 minutes

Disc One Special Features

Documentary: "Super Heroes United!: The Complete Justice League History" - The documentary is a comprehensive forty seven year Justice League chronology from the inception in the comics to vivid animated renditions. The story is told with a myriad of interviews tracing back the early days of DC Super Hero team ups during the Golden Age, to the Silver Age rendition where the established heroes emerged and beyond. Interviews include Paul Levitz (President of DC Comics), Dan Didio (SVP Executive Editor at DC Comics), Michael Uslan (Historian), Gregory Noveck (SVP Creative Affairs DC Comics), Mark Waid (DC Comics Historian and Writer), Mike Friedrich (Writer JLU), Denny O'Neil (Writer and Editor at DC Comics), Mike Carlin (DC Comics Executive Editor), Stan Lee (Marvel Comics Co-Creator) and Marv Wolfman (Writer of Fantastic Four).
Sneak Peak: Batman: Gotham Knight - One part anime, one part Caped Crusader, the result is a glimpse at the world of Eastern anime sensibilities combined with a Western tradition of Batman. A detailed look at the world of Warner Bros Animation, and how they joined forces with the renowned Japanese animators to create the highly anticipated anime film of 2008.
Audio Commentary I: Featuring the talented filmmakers of New Frontier.
Audio Commentary II: Featuring Comic Book Writer and Artist Darwyn Cooke.

Disc Two Special Features

Documentary: "The Legion of Doom: The Pathology of the Super Villain"- This documentary will examine the early mythological archetypes of nemesis characters from a historical perspective, and see how the tenants of this rich history were adapted and woven into the Justice League stories. The bonus feature includes many of the talent included in Super Heroes United! As well as Jim Kreuger (Writer of "Justice").
Documentary: "Comic Book Commentary: Homage to the New Frontier" - This documentary is a nod to the fans of the New Frontier comic book. This featurette further expands the themes contained in the source material, and how these elements were truncated or evolved for the inclusion in the film. Featuring vivid imagery culled from the pages of the New Frontier comic, mixed with the commentary of Writer and Artist Darwyn Cooke, this featurette is a treat for both fans and scholars of the medium.
Bonus: "Justice League Unlimited Bonus Episodes" Bruce Timm selects three of his favorite episodes from the Justice League Unlimited animated series:
1. Dark Heart - Alien invaders attempt to thwart the Justice League. The fate of the world rests on the shoulders of Ray Palmer, AKA The Atom.
2. To Another Shore - Wonder Woman learns of a plot to steal the powers of the 3,000 year-old corpse of The Viking Prince. It is up to the Justice League to make things right.
3. Task Force X - Four incarcerated villains are released from prison by Cadmus to undertake an impossible mission: steal a powerful mystic artifact from the JLU Watchtower under the noses of the League.

Rating
Main Feature: 3.5 out of 5
Special Features: 3.5 out of 5
Total Rating: 7 out of 10