It’s not the first time that DC’s first super-team has made an animated appearance, but it’s the first time that they’ve headlined a movie. Even in live-action, they’ll play second fiddle to Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam. Here, despite a boost from the modern version of The Flash, the Justice Society are in all their glory in Justice Society: World War II. Or most of their glory — a few classic members are missing, but that’s animation budgeting.
It’s enough — and though (glasses up on nose) the Golden Age Black Canary didn’t have the Canary Cry in comics, the superpowered version is who movie fans know from Birds of Prey. It looks great, with Stana Katic and Matt Bomer voicing Wonder Woman and The Flash respectively. What really matters is the Justice Society is facing down Nazis.
As for Kamandi, that’s the DC Showcase short in this one and Warner Animation hasn’t shown us anything on it yet. But I haven’t seen a DC Showcase that hasn’t been terrific, even when it’s a character I didn’t much care about before. The press release does provide a synopsis:
Jack Kirby’s beloved DC comic creation features the last civilized teenage boy on a post-apocalyptic Earth ruled by talking animals. In this short, Kamandi and his friends Prince Tuftan of the Tiger Kingdom and humanoid mutant Ben Boxer are kidnapped by a gorilla cult dedicated to finding the reincarnation of their god, The Mighty One. Golgan, the cult’s leader, puts Kamandi’s team through a series of deadly tests to find if any of them know the secret of … The Mighty One.
Kamandi, Ben Boxer, and Prince Tuftan are all there, and the Mighty One could refer to Superman — established in the comics as a legend in Kamandi’s time. But it could also be another character who was used when Kamandi met Batman in Brave and the Bold. We’ll see. As soon as we get art, we’ll run it.
From Warner Animation:
Justice Society: World War II finds modern-day Barry Allen – prior to the formation of the Justice League – discovering he can run even faster than he imagined, and that milestone results in his first encounter with the Speed Force. The Flash is promptly launched into the midst of a raging battle – primarily between Nazis and a team of Golden Age DC Super Heroes known as The Justice Society of America. Led by Wonder Woman, the group includes Hourman, Black Canary, Hawkman, Steve Trevor and the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick. The Flash quickly volunteers to assist his fellow heroes in tipping the scales of war in their favor, while the team tries to figure out how to send him home. But it won’t be easy as complications and emotions run deep in this time-skipping World War II thriller.
Stana Katic (Castle, Absentia, A Call To Spy) and Matt Bomer (Doom Patrol, White Collar, The Boys in the Band), who made their DC Universe Movies debuts as Lois Lane and Superman in the 2013 film Superman: Unbound, return to the popular animated film series in the lead roles of Wonder Woman and The Flash for Justice Society: World War II. The star-studded cast includes Geoffrey Arend (Madam Secretary, Batman: Hush) as Charles Halstead/Advisor, Armen Taylor (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind) as Jay Garrick, Elysia Rotaru (Arrow) as Black Canary, Liam McIntyre (The Flash, Spartacus, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War) as Aquaman, Omid Abtahi (American Gods, The Mandalorian) as Hawkman, Matthew Mercer (Critical Role, Overwatch) as Hourman, Keith Ferguson (Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Overwatch) as Dr. Fate, Darin De Paul (Overwatch, Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge) as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Ashleigh LaThrop (The Handmaid’s Tale, Utopia, The Kominsky Method) as Iris West, and Chris Diamantopoulos (Episodes, Silicon Valley, voice of Mickey Mouse) as Steve Trevor.
Jeff Wamester (Guardians of the Galaxy TV series) directs Justice Society: World War II from a screenplay by Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, DC Super Hero Girls) and Jeremy Adams (Supernatural, Batman: Soul Of The Dragon). Producers are Jim Krieg (Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) and Kimberly S. Moreau (Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Butch Lukic (Superman: Man of Tomorrow, Constantine: City of Demons) is Supervising Producer. Sam Register is Executive Producer.
Also, Chris Diamantopoulos is the voice of Mickey Mouse? What? When did THAT happen?
Justice Society: World War II will be available digitally on April 27, 2021, then on Blu-ray May 11, 2021.
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