Justice Society: World War II (2021)

Directed by: Jeff Wamester | 80 minutes | animation, action | Original voice cast: Stana Katic, Matt Bomer, Omid Abtahi, Geoffrey Arend, Darren Criss, Darin De Paul, Chris Diamantopoulos, Keith Ferguson, Ashleigh LaThrop, Matthew Mercer, Liam McIntyre, Elysia Rotaru, Armen Taylor

Publishers DC Comics and Marvel Comics are direct competitors. While Marvel Comics quickly built and released a very successful universe, DC Comics tried to target the DVD and rag market. That resulted in a lot of – usually – very enjoyable animated films for a niche audience. Most of these cartoons were based on beloved comics and barely deviated from the source material. For example, classic ‘Return Of The Dark Knight’ was released in two sturdy parts. ‘Batman: The Killing Joke’ also got its own comic book adaptation, but that turned out not to be such a success. The ‘problem’ of DC Comics is that this publisher takes the source material way too seriously. To what extent is a (cartoon) film in which a man who dresses up as a bat and beats up crooks at night to be taken seriously? The relative wink is missing. This is especially evident in the cinema films. Fortunately, a change is underway…

After the remarkably light-hearted and somewhat cheesy ‘Batman: Soul Of The Dragon’, ‘Justice Society: World War II’ is again a fairly cheerful cartoon in which the heroes from the DC stable come to the fore. The film is not top-heavy and has a few light-hearted moments that never seem forced (something that was sometimes the case in the past). Director Jeff Wamester has put together a cool cartoon for comic book lovers and casual fans to enjoy. There’s plenty of respect for the source material, but great care has been taken not to deter newcomers. No prior knowledge is necessary! That is refreshing and perhaps the selling point of this film. While Marvel Comics expects you to watch every movie they release because there’s no other way to go about it, DC Comics presents a standalone story with Justice Society: World War II. A completed adventure.

In Justice Society: World War II, The Flash goes back eighty years and ends up on the battlefield. World War II is in full swing and the Justice Society – an old superhero team that includes Wonder Woman – could use its help. In exchange for help to return to his own timeline, The Flash helps to win the war.

In addition to a smooth story, ‘Justice Society: World War II’ also features a beautiful animation style and a strong voice cast. This cartoon is well animated and all the characters look detailed. Fans of the comics will love this style for sure! This film is energetic, cheerful, creative and accessible. So highly recommended!