Justice League Unlimited (2004-06)

Justice League Unlimited (2004-06)

39 episodes, approx 22 minutes each, split over 3 seasons.

A continuation of the excellent Justice League (2001-04) animated series, set approximately two years after its end.

As you'll see in the accompanying image, while the core team remain Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc, there are a lot more supporting characters than before. And that's just a sample. There's even more in the series proper, some that are obvious choices and some that certainty aren't.

The extended roster is both a good and bad thing. It's good because with new faces come new challenges, which can open the door to new types of story, that can in turn give rise to internal conflicts and additional depth.

Some examples are the stories involving The Question (Jeffrey Combs) and Huntress (Amy Acker); and the love triangle that revolves around Green Lantern John Stewart (Phil LaMarr), Vixen (Gina Torres), and Hawkgirl (Maria Canals-Barrera).

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)

Dir. Curt Geda

Batman (Kevin Conroy) rarely gets a break. In addition to risking his life fighting against ego-centric criminals, he risks his public reputation dodging gold-digging ladies at high class charity balls as Bruce Wayne. It's tough being a billionaire.

When a female figure in a stylised bat suit hits the streets of Gotham, being reckless and endangering human life, the caped crusader has to use his night time detective skills and his daytime playboy skills to figure out who's hiding under the mask.

The story offers up more than one possible candidate, which should keep interested viewers guessing for a while. It might be a short while, though, because the 'mystery' aspect isn't as adroitly developed as it could've been.

Justice League (2001-04)

Justice League (2001-04)

52 episodes, approx 22 minutes each, split over 2 seasons.

Seven unique heroes fighting as one unit, with each one bringing individual strengths and weaknesses, creating opportunities and anticipating reactions, kicking villainous ass in dramatic set-pieces that give way to relatable human drama is what made Justice League one of the best cartoons that I've ever seen, especially Season 02.

It's often the City of Metropolis under threat, but, while not explicitly stated, the War of the Worlds style attacks in the very first arc make it clear that the danger isn't just going to be of global origin, it'll be intergalactic.

The typical focuses are there, of course, such as the folly of those with power, the corruption of the weak-willed in the face of that same power, and the way in which good intentions ill-conceived can be catastrophic to all, but like the comic from which the show took its name the stories aren't unwilling to stray into surreal situations in its exploration of such things. JL is storytelling without constraints.

The Zeta Project (2001-02)

The Zeta Project (2001-02)

Dirs: Various | 26 episodes (12 in S1 + 14 in S2), approx 22 mins each.

TZP is a spin-off series starring a character that was introduced in Batman Beyond, specifically S02 Ep20: Zeta; with a second appearance in S03 Ep 12: Countdown. It's recommended you watch those to get the backstory, but for the benefit of anyone who didn't, a spoilery synopsis follows:

Infiltration Unit Zeta is a synthoid (robot) with a chameleon-like ability to holographically assume the appearance of anyone he's met or seen.

Equipped with high-tech gadgets and deadly weaponry, Zeta's primary function was to carry out covert assassinations for the NSA. But an existential crisis brought on by the realisation that one of his given targets was innocent of the crime they were accused of caused Zeta to overcome his programming and vow to never again kill.

The synthoid's newfound morality didn't sit well with his NSA superiors, however, who fear he's been reprogrammed by an enemy.

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)

aka Batman of the Future: Return of the Joker (2000)

Dir. Curt Geda

The only feature-length outing for Batman Beyond is a great one. It came out between Seasons 02 and 03 of the parent series, so was able to reference Terry McGinnis' life up to that point, including splicing and The Jokerz street gang. [1]

But that's not all, because being a part of TAS continuity meant is could reference Bruce Wayne's life, too, which it does via a split timeline, telling a story that spans decades and involves both the Batman of old Gotham and the Batman of New.

It's no spoiler to say that The Joker (Mark Hamill) appears to have returned, which impacts the lives of both Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) and Terry (Will Friedle). The Clown Prince of Crime's appearance vexes Bruce greatly and is the mystery that drives the narrative in the early part.

Static Shock (2000-04)

Static Shock (2000-04)

52 episodes, approx 22 mins each.

I haven't had time to watch Static Shock, much less write about it. I need to publish the post, though, so I can keep the links to PREVIOUS and NEXT in functional order. I'll edit the post when I have something more to say; i.e., when time allows and I get to to watch all 52 episodes!

It likely won't be until 2024. Until then, I'll use lorem ipsum to fill the empty space. Quisque lacinia pretium convallis. Donec iaculis vulputate ante. Ut finibus sem bibendum posuere semper. Proin scelerisque iaculis dictum. Phasellus auctor lacus et ex finibus, id luctus arcu hendrerit. Duis sed risus augue. Sed ornare pretium neque vitae placerat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.

Phasellus eget est in sapien blandit luctus. Aenean tincidunt purus arcu, non rutrum lectus dapibus.

Batman Beyond (1999-2001)

aka Batman of the Future (1999-2001)

52 episodes, approx 22 minutes each, split over 3 seasons.

The team that created Batman Beyond (aka Batman of the Future) achieved the near-impossible: they made a show that's the equal of Batman: The Animated Series (1992-95) in tone and content and they did it without having Billionaire Bruce Wayne as the lead! Holy personnel changes, Batman.

It's set in 2039, forty years after TAS' successor, The New Batman Adventures, and continues the continuity set up by both it and TAS. The era of the original caped crusader has passed and the world has moved on.

Even Gotham has evolved, into Neo-Gotham, a towering, high-tech megalopolis wherein crime and corruption is as rife in the shiny office buildings as it is on late night docks.

Bruce (Kevin Conroy) is still around, possibly because like one of his contemporaries said he's too stubborn to die. He is, however, a retired, cranky and cynical recluse that rarely leaves the seclusion and safety of Wayne Manor.