by Erin Hatch, Media Editor

The DC Universe is known for hosting some of the most iconic characters in comics. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Canterbury Cricket… the list goes on. Fans of DC and Warner Brothers’ animated series have seen the Justice League work together to fight impossible odds time after time,  always moving past their personal differences in order to save the day. Now, in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, it’s time to see them in a slightly different light: emotionally scarred and desperately trying to kill each other.

As always, it’s the Flash’s fault. Not the lovable jokester Wally West though, this Flash is the more somber Barry Allen. See, like our beloved Caped Crusader, this version of the Scarlet Speedster has a tragic backstory: his mother was taken from him in an unsolved murder when he was only a child, shaping his entire life afterward. Then one day he wakes up at his desk and discovers that the whole world has changed: Wonder Woman and her Amazons have invaded the UK and Aquaman and his Atlanteans have sunk Europe into the sea as the two forces fight a horrible war with no regard for the rest of the world. Batman is a brutal jerk who uses guns freely, with no qualms about killing criminals. Superman and Green Lantern are nowhere to be seen, and nobody has ever heard of the Flash. Barry has even lost his wife, Iris West Allen. But hey, his Mom is alive again. Now Barry has a mission: get his powers back, prevent Wonder Woman and Aquaman from destroying the world, find out what changed everything and change it back before his memories of the old world disappear and his old life is lost forever. The result is an action-packed thrill ride through a chilling alternate version of the DC Universe.

This movie really is fantastic. Easily accessible to a beginner DC fan, yet much more enjoyable if you are able to catch the numerous character cameos that pop up every couple of scenes. The action is dynamic and exciting, with no two fight scenes feeling the same, as super powered heroes are shown using their abilities in ways you’ve never seen them used before. The animation has an anime vibe while retaining the spirit of the DC Universe, and everything just kind of fits. An impressive voice cast brings the characters to life including Justin Chambers (Grey’s Anatomy) as Barry Allen, C. Thomas Howell (The Outsiders, Southland) as his arch-enemy Professor Zoom, Kevin McKidd (Brave) as Angry Alternate Universe Batman, and Michael B. Jordan (Chronicle) as Cyborg. Familiar DCU voices Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) and Dana Delany (Superman: The Animated Series) pop up too, as well as a slew of recognizable voices playing alternate versions of our old super friends.

My only quibble with the quality of the film is the integration of CGI with 2D animation. The trick is used extensively, and most of the time it looks great, blending seamlessly. I didn’t even notice most of it my first time through, and had to go back and re-watch the film to pick up how often it was actually used. The problem, though, is when the CGI doesn’t blend in, at which point it is painfully obvious and clunky. I’m thinking about one segment at the end in particular, which looks like it was a good idea conceptually but hard to pull off smoothly when it required using a much higher percentage of CG per shot than the rest of the film. It is a small thing though, and easy to dismiss when everything else is so amazing. One other thing I should point out: this is not a movie for kids. There are some pretty disturbing images in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, mostly due to Wonder Woman and Aquaman being ruthless bad-asses and horrible people. Things never get too graphic onscreen, but they show enough for some very unsettling things to be implied, earning it a PG-13 rating. Parents should probably go through and double check to make sure this film is suitable for their younger Justice League fans before letting them watch.

Special Features:

DC and Warner Brothers pack the Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox Blu-ray with some spectacular special features, including:

– Audio Commentary track by Geoff Johns (Original writer for the Flashpoint comic), Jay Oliva (director of The Flashpoint Paradox), Jim Krieg (screenwriter), and James Tucker (supervising producer).

– My Favorite Villain! The Flash Bad Guys and A Flash in Time Featurette.

– Flashpoint #1 Digital Comic.

– From the DC Comics Vault – 4 Bonus Cartoons

– A Sneak Peek at Justice League: War.

The commentary track is great, a perfect excuse for going back to watch the movie a second time and hear the creators talk about the process of translating the comic to the screen, as well as explaining why certain choices were made in the transition. I also really appreciated the My Favorite Villain! short feature, which explores the backgrounds of Flash’s longtime opponents, the Rogues, and lets some of the creators behind the movie and the comic explain what makes each villain so fun. The A Flash in Time short feature was slightly less enjoyable, spending a lot of time talking about science and philosophy before getting around to talking about the Flash. Not that I do not like science and philosophy; there are a few good ideas in the feature, but it spends a lot of time getting to their point. The Digital Comic is a disappointment too. There is not a whole lot of comic there, and the translation to a digital format that can be read on a TV screen leaves a lot to be desired. As for the Bonus cartoons, the Blu-ray features the “Legends” two parter from Justice League, “Flash and Substance” from Justice League Unlimited, and “Requiem for a Scarlet Speedster!” from Batman: The Brave and the Bold. It is a fun collection to watch through, especially in how it relates to the Flash and his exploration of other times and dimensions. There are a bunch of trailers rounding out the special features, and aside from the preview for Justice League: War, they are pretty much a standard collection of what else DC and Warner Brothers Animation have been working on.

Overall:

I had not read the Flashpoint comic before watching Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, but after experiencing both, I have to say that I’d give the animated film the edge. There are a few changes to the story, but most of the changes are for the better: fleshing out action scenes that are shorter or only implied in the book, and adding sequences and characters that were not specifically mentioned in the comic but help explain what is going on in the larger world. There are a few characters absent, and one particular subplot that is missing, but the basic story is the same and better off for the changes. Fan of the comic or not, devoted member of the DC Animated Universe audience or just a casual Justice League viewer, Justice League: The FlashpointParadox is an excellent comic adaptation and well worth your time and money.

ComicsOnline gives Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox five out of five spectacular Aquaman moments.

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