Justice Society: World War 2

DC has a stellar reputation when it comes to their animated films. They combine all the elements that make a fantastic story come to life. Justice Society: World War 2 may be the best indication yet of just how vast and amazing the multiverse can be.

It begins with Barry Allen and Iris West visiting Metropolis and trying to enjoy a nice quiet day together. Not long into the date Barry is called into action to fight alongside Superman in a battle against Brainiac. As Barry chases down a bullet meant for Superman he races into the Speedforce and finds himself emerging in War torn France where the Justice Society of America is fighting in World War 2 against the Nazis.

It's the first time since The Flashpoint Paradox that an animated film has been centered around Barry Allen/The Flash. This film right from the opening frame treats him more like a lead than any film previous to it. It's nice to see Barry Allen used to his full potential springing him more into a leadership role. Voiced by Matt Bomer in this film, Barry is given complex decisions to make all the while staying true to his character and allowing the world to be redesigned from scratch. More epic use of the Speedforce, the use of colors and lightning definitely accentuated the experience of seeing Barry inside time and space.

The rest of the film is fantastic as well. Barry finds himself under the suspicion of Wonder Woman when first in 1945 but quickly shows her that he can be trusted. She is fiercely loyal and determined to win the war. Stana Katic creates her own take on Wonder Woman who has not lost faith in humanity but looks to continue to provide them with safety and guidance.

It was cool to see the Multiverse on full display even if the ways it was done were very brief. It gave us the potential and hope that within this new continuity almost any story could be possible and the balance we see among the standard Justice League team may be different this time around.

It's a beautiful script from Jeremy Adams and Meghan Fitzmartin. Adams is also currently the writer for the comic book Flash series which features Wally West as the titular hero. It is clear after the beginning of that comic run and now this film that he really does understand the intricacies of the speed force and the cool capabilities it has within this universe. Adams proves sometimes all it takes is some new ideas to recreate some of the classic characters. It was nice to see a film that relied on cool characters such as Hawkman, Black Canary and Jay Garrick to round out the team. Three characters that often are left out all have amazing legacies among the DC universe. It did feature a cool spin on Superman as well that allowed him to come off as refreshing too. It took a lot of things and flipped them to make a solid and unpredictable adventure through the multiverse.

It's quite good. Dare I say the best animated film from DC in a good two to three years. The last series focused heavily on Batman, Robin and their journeys together. This one seems poised to create its own version of events while staying true to the heart of DC. More of the characters we know and love will make an appearance and after seeing these refreshing takes one can only hope that we see more. This could very well be the start of something amazing as this film was flawless in the way it told the story and sets up so much more on two very different earth's. Either one is open for continuation. Let's see what the plan is now.