Note: This review is based on the first seven episodes (of eight)
Following on hot off the heels of 2021’s The Suicide Squad James Gunn strikes again with more hilariously entertaining superhero shenanigans. Originally Peacemaker would seem like an interesting choice of the squad to be getting his own series, especially after the final act of The Suicide Squad revealing him to be a complete asshole, but very quickly the show establishes itself and manages to make Peacemaker, AKA Christopher Smith, just a little bit more likeable.
The show opens with John Cena’s Peacemaker busting out of prison and he unites with some new teammates to defeat a bunch of alien creatures known as butterflies. On the team are leader Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji), John Economos (Steve Agee) and Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) two characters that we briefly met working for Amanda Waller in The Suicide Squad, rookie Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) who’s by far the most interesting of the team behind the Peacemaker, as well as Peacemaker’s wisecracking friend Vigilante (Freddie Stroma). It’s a completely different sort of team to who we last saw Peacemaker with in The Suicide Squad but it allows for a much greater exploration of the eponymous Peacemaker.
HBO Max
John Cena is absolutely perfect for the character and James Gunn’s sharp writing and direction makes the show stand out. Right from Peacemaker’s ridiculous pitch-perfect opening titles up until the end of each episode it’s filled to the brim with stupidity and the sort of gags we come to expect from Gunn. It’s remarkable that the cast can perform it all with a straight face. Everything about the show has this air of stupidity to it, whether that’s in the dialogue, Peacemaker’s bald eagle pet named Eagly, or even just Peacemaker’s costume. But the show somehow perfectly balances this stupidity with seriousness as it provides a great look at Peacemaker’s character and actually gives a reason as to why he’s getting this show.
There’s far more to Cena’s character beneath the surface and beneath what we’ve seen of him previously and there’s something that deserves exploration and that’s what the series does. He’s willing to get peace at all costs no matter how many men, women, and children he has to kill to get it. The main plot line of the show about tackling the alien species of butterflies that take over a host body seems a little similar to Project Starfish from The Suicide Squad -and in fact the show even jokes about this similarity- but the show also delves into deeper issues as we experience the relationship between Peacemaker and his white supremacist dad Auggie played by Terminator 2’s Robert Patrick. There’s so much more to Peacemaker as a person and what he’s been through that The Suicide Squad just doesn’t touch on at all so this show is a good chance to really connect with him on a deeper level and it provides us with reasons to actually sympathise with this character.
We’re inundated with superhero content at the minute and Peacemaker feels distinct enough from much of what Marvel are doing, even Gunn’s own Marvel projects, however there is an easy comparison to be made between this and Amazon’s The Boys. Peacemaker isn’t quite as sharp or as smart as The Boys is, nor are any of the other characters in Peacemaker anywhere near the high quality of Amazon’s show but nonetheless it’s a delight to watch and a break from the many Marvel series we had in 2021.
HBO Max
As the show runs on a lot of the humour starts to drip away with Gunn’s juvenile style of comedy getting a bit repetitive. In particular the novelty of Stroma’s quippy Vigilante, who initially seems like DC’s version of Deadpool starts to wear off. Very quickly his stupidity and lack of awareness gets boring.
Peacemaker delivers with its heavy and brutal violence along with being incredibly funny and goofy at the same time. James Gunn shows us once again that he can make something fun and vibrant that feels like it’s been ripped straight out the pages of a comic book. It’s entertaining as hell and a great start to the year for DC.
The first three episodes of Peacemaker premiere on HBO MAX on January 13th with new episodes releasing each week.
The hunt for James Gunn’s Superman is heating up. Now that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has made its debut, the Director has ramped up his search for a cast to match his script. Recent reports have David Corenswet as the frontrunner to play the man of steel, as well as Nicholas Hoult being eyed for Lex Luthor. We’ve also heard that Gunn’s antagonist role in ‘SUPERMAN: LEGACY’ is reportedly labeled as “APEX” and James Gunn is looking at Black actors for the role.
“You know, listen… I don’t come to ‘Guardians 3’ and say, ‘I wanna write a movie that’s gonna make everybody cry.’ I don’t think about that. I just think I want to tell a story that treats the characters with dignity and compassion and is the best, most surprising, most moving story I can possibly tell. And if that ends up being just moving, because it’s a fun blast of a film or if it ends up being moving because you’re sobbing, or it makes you feel that rage, or whatever it makes you feel, I’m good with all of those things as long as it works.”
Gunn also believes Superman is an emotional character and should embody that human trait.
“And so, I can’t say I’m looking for any particular emotions to bring out through ‘Superman,’ but I don’t want it to be unemotional. I don’t want it to deny that we are, as human beings, emotional characters and that Superman is also that.”
Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past, but his attempt to save his family creates a world without super heroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future.
Ben Affleck, Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon
Plot Summary:
Barry Allen uses his super speed to change the past, but his attempt to save his family creates a world without super heroes, forcing him to race for his life in order to save the future.
The heroes of DC’s Justice League and Rooster Teeth Animation’s RWBY join forces in “Justice League x RWBY: Super heroes and Huntsmen Part One” an all new Anime-Action Packed adventure that sees our heroes transported to Remnant. It’s a visually vibrant story about teamwork, strength, and belonging. The all-new, feature-length DC Animated Movie finds Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Cyborg, Green Lantern and Vixen in new iterations – transformed into teenagers while in transport to RWBY’s world, and presented in Rooster Teeth’s anime-influenced animation – and partnering with the heroes of Remnant (Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang) to battle a mysterious, superpowered creature before it destroys everything they know.
“Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen Part One” is an adaptation of the seven-issue comic crossover that came out in 2021 and was written by Marguerite Bennett with artists Aneke and Mirka Andolfo. The miniseries introduced fans of manga and superheroes to Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, and Diana Prince of Remant, fighting with team RWBY. The creative team have truly got the best of both worlds with DC and RWBY, crossovers can be risky business but I’m here to say that both these worlds truly blend together seamlessly creating such a fun colourful world of adventure.
Director Kerry Shawcross and his team do justice to both sets of characters by introducing DC characters to RWBY and vice versa. The film does function more like an instalment of RWBY than a standalone so if you are not familiar with this world you’ll miss out on the easter eggs and quirks, however, for me, it served as an introduction and has made me a fan of this world. I love how they’ve incorporated fandoms whilst also visually reimagining the Justice League to suit the world of Remnant, transforming the members into teenagers was truly an act of genius from writer Meghan Fitzmartin. Taking well-established, experienced characters who are in their prime have been taken back to their youth which provides teenaged angst, goofiness, awkwardness, and a new perspective for the League. Seeing each member get their Semblance was such fun as the two worlds collided Superman’s semblance is solar-powered and comes from the sun whilst Batman’s allows him to scan his surroundings akin to x-ray or infrared vision, and now as a bat Fanus, Bruce is able to use wings to fly. Here in Remnant, his crime-fighting detective knowledge is turned into a superpower but ultimately it’s Bruce who feels at home in this world gaining an understanding of what it’s like to be Superman.
Each member goes through a change whether it’s Wonder Woman who now has the ability to conjure and summon her weapons as the RWBY Dust enables her to use the Lasso of truth, The Flash who still retains his powers of speed from his original world, Cyborg has more electricity abilities and Vixen becomes a Fanus but ultimately the film is about overcoming and imposter syndrome as Jessica Cruz aka Green Lantern since her arrival on Remnant is unable to use the powers of the Green Lantern. Jessica’s arc is so vital to the story showcasing that in this world she doesn’t feel that she can stand with her peers without the ring, throughout with the help of Juane she must learn to have confidence in herself. It’s fun to put both teams in these situations as they have to all come together and in the process learn from each other.
The voice cast throughout is in top form. Chandler Riggs voices the teenaged version of Superman managing to carry the sense of authority that comes from the Man of Steel but tempered with the awkwardness of youth. Natalie Alyn Lind, treads a similar path to Riggs with her portrayal of Wonder Woman, as indeed, does Nat Wolff as Bruce Wayne/Batman and all the JL cast members. Alongside them are Team RWBY’s long-running cast Lindsay Jones (Camp Camp) as Ruby, Kara Eberle (RWBY: Ice Queendom) as Weiss, Arryn Zech (The Detective is Already Dead) as Blake, and Barbara Dunkelman (Blood Fest) as Yang.
Also featured in the cast is Ozioma Akagha (Teen Titans Go!) as Vixen, Jen Brown (Red vs. Blue) as Pyrrha, Tiana Camacho (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure) as Glynda, Aaron Dismuke (Fullmetal Alchemist) as Oscar, Jason Douglas (The Walking Dead) as Jacques, David Errigo Jr. (Ridley Jones) as The Flash/Barry Allen and Rolf, Samantha Ireland (Red vs. Blue) as Nora, Miles Luna (Camp Camp) as Jaune, Shannon McCormick (Get Backers, Day 5) as Professor Ozpin, Neath Oum (RWBY: Chibi) as Lie Ren, Tara Platt (Aggretsuko, Naruto: Shippuden) as Kali, Jeannie Tirado (Soul, Saints Row) as Green Lantern, and Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as Cyborg.
The animation this time around was handled by Rooster Teeth which employs a different visual style than most WB DC releases. It preserves the 2D/3D hybrid world of RWBY much similar to the previous 3D CGI feature Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons Review Here. the visuals are energetic with anime influences and references. the action is enough to keep the film exciting as the Grimm are imposing creatures that feel very Kaiju inspired. One thing that truly ignited the film was its score, David Levy has created such a heavy metal operatic symphony that felt energetic and electrifying.
Final Thoughts
“Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen Part One” was a lot of fun and worked even for someone like me who was completely unfamiliar with the RWBY franchise, it serves as the perfect introduction to Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang whilst also being a great anime-inspired action adventure for the Justice League as we’ve never seen them before. It’s a visually vibrant story that focuses on teamwork, and building strength in yourself and others, whilst also showcasing a tale of belonging, self-discovery and adorable teenage angst. the appetite is well and truly ready for Part 2!
Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One is produced and directed by Kerry Shawcross (RWBY franchise) and written by screenwriter Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II). Producers are Ethan Spaulding (Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge), Jim Krieg (Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) and Kimberly S. Moreau (Legion of Super-Heroes). Laura Yates (Boyhood, RWBY, Red vs. Blue) is Supervising Producer. Executive Producer is Michael Uslan. Sam Register is Executive Producer.
Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One is now available to purchase on Blu-ray and on Digital Download.