Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo (2006)

Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo (2006)

Dirs. Michael Chang + Ben Jones + Matt Youngberg

A feature-length adventure set after the end of the Teen Titans TV Series (2003-06). It's a movie in its own right, but can be seen as a series finale, too, which helps salve the feeling that the series didn't get a satisfying final episode of its own.

The mini heroes go to Tokyo in pursuit of a bad guy, and despite Robin insisting that it's not a vacation, the rest of the team don't pay much attention to him - Beast Boy, in particular.

It's funny, fast-paced, well-written, full of heart, and has wonderful characterisation. The Titans are voiced by the same actors as they were in the series, with the addition of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and Keone Young on the Japanese side.

As well as tackling the main villain, the team members have their own challenges to overcome.

Teen Titans (2003-06)

Teen Titans (2003-06)

5 seasons | 65 episodes total, approx 22 mins each.

From front centre and going clockwise, the TT's are Robin, Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg.

Their base of operations is a T-shaped skyscraper named Titans Tower, located on an island in Jump City bay. Besides the obligatory training rooms and gym, it has a large TV for movies and video games because even superheroes need a hobby.

Just like their elder peers in the DC universe, the teens defend the world from those that would threaten personal freedoms, all while battling personal conflicts. The latter may be unique to each member, but more often than not problems are best resolved through teamwork, highlighting the importance of acknowledging and accepting individual strengths and weaknesses, which is a theme that defines the series, overall.

Justice League: Doom (2012)

Justice League: Doom (2012)

Dir. Lauren Montgomery

Batman is a notable and valued part of the Justice League collective, but he's never really been what one would call a 'team player'. He'd much rather be alone, doing things his way, accountable to no one but his his own (troubled) conscience.

But it's while alone that each member is most vulnerable. Ergo, if a megalomaniac with strategic knowledge and the proper resources was to target each of the individuals while they were divided…

JL: Doom is an exciting animation that's loosely based on author Mark Waid's four-issue Tower of Babel story that ran in the JLA comics in 2000.

The pacing is excellent, the action is plentiful, and there's a decent level of subtext in play. It's so well assembled that you might not even notice until afterwards that the villains are mostly blank slates who exist to facilitate the main antagonist, himself a character who gets some back-story but doesn't actually do very much. A more devastating threat comes from a less obvious place, and isn't as straightforward as it might sound.

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015)

Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015)

Dir. Ethan Spaulding

It surprised me to learn that Aquaman made his comic book debut in 1941. I'd not given his genesis any thought before now, but if asked I would've guessed that he was a product of the Silver Age. I don't know if the DC universe would be much worse off if he wasn't in it, but the modern (internet) age hasn't improved his profile much. The Throne of Atlantis movie doesn't help his credibility, either.

Before he dons the orange and green duds, he's dry-land dweller Arthur Curry (Matt Lanter). Arthur's father has recently died, leaving the young man lonely and angry as he moves through the stages of grief.

Besides loss and anger, the story explores yearning, belonging, belief, and teamwork, among other things, as Arthur uncovers his true heritage.

Justice League: War (2014)

Justice League: War (2014)

Dir. Jay Oliva

The first Justice League animated movie to be based on the New 52 reboot in the comics is itself a reboot of the DC animated world, picking up the continuity reset of The Flashpoint Paradox (2013). It doesn't waste time giving backstory for most of the heroes. It starts instead in the middle of a chase and goes steadily downhill from there.

It earned my respect for addressing certain criticisms of failings that are almost inherent in superhero stories and for turning them into strengths, but the characters are mostly awful.

None of the protagonists have met one another at the movie's beginning, so it's essentially a League origin story that strives to establish rebooted attitudes and relationships, and lay the groundwork for bonds of friendship that are not yet forged.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)

Dir. Jay Oliva

An alternative universe tale of sorts that can be viewed as a single movie in itself, but also functions as the beginning of a major continuity shakeup for the animated DC Universe. I'll refer more to the second part of that sentence at the end of the post. [1]

It's a gritty and violent adventure packed with DCU heroes and villains; some of whom have very little impact on the story, but it's fun to see them included.

A knowledge of the Justice League is required, however, in order to fully appreciate how different things are in the featured timeline - to understand the extent of the contrast, you'll need to have some knowledge of how things ought to be normally.

The primary protagonist is Flash, the Barry Allen version, as seen front and centre on the cover art.