Genre:

Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Release Date:

June 16, 2023

Director:

Andy Muschietti

Cast:

Ben Affleck, Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon

Plot Summary:

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.

The Great DOOM! is coming “Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham” combines the world of Gotham and Batman with the cosmic-horror fiction of H.P. Lovecraft, creating a DC Elseworld story that is hauntingly atmospheric and full of great gothic horror as Batman’s rational mind and unparalleled fighting skills are put to the ultimate test when an ancient force threatens his world and everyone he holds dear. The all-new, feature-length DC Animated Movie puts Batman up against Lovecraftian supernatural forces threatening the sheer existence of Gotham as he’s aided and confronted along the way by reimagined versions of his well-known allies and enemies, including Green Arrow, Ra’s al Ghul, Mr Freeze, Killer Croc, Two-Face, James Gordon and more. 

Based on the three-issue comic book miniseries written by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, Richard Pace, and Troy Nixey published from 2000-2001 is an alternate-world tale that introduces us to an alternate version of Bruce Wayne and the residents of Gotham to Lovecraftian horrors. The film is genuinely atmospheric and true to both the core of DC characters and the tone of the 1920s Gotham story. I’ve always loved reading these alternate stories within the DC Universe and seeing them translated into animation is always a thrill, especially when I get to see different iterations of Batman and Gotham City like “Batman Ninja” in Feudal Japan, “Gotham By Gaslight” with Batman hunting Jack the Ripper, and now we have a 1920s tale with Lovecraft influence. In a matter of fact, Arkham is a fictional town in many of his stories, the two worlds blend seamlessly, though was half expecting to see Constantine with all these demonic demon creatures.  

An ancient supernatural evil known as the stalker on the threshold awakens as mystical and evil forces begin to take over Gotham with the purpose of conquering the world and plunge it into an eternal abyss of darkness. In the 1920s an expedition led by Bruce Wayne (David Giuntoli) arrives in Antarctica in search of a lost expedition led by Professor Cobblepot (William Salyers), however, what they find goes further beyond all imaginable mutant creatures and the professor’s undead assistant Grendon (David Dastmalchian). This sets in motion a plot by Talia Al Ghul. Bruce takes to the streets of prohibition Gotham in search of information, This leads him to Dr Kirk Langstrom, a scientist who specialises in bats, and who is convinced something dreadful is coming to take over the world. The story in this film ultimately tests Bruce as Batman soon finds himself coming face-to-face with a new enemy, who is prepared to unleash all hell on earth, thus leaving Batman as the only line of defence. The Dark Knight however seems to be more connected to this supernatural Force than he realised, so in order to defeat it, he may have to embrace the darker side of his persona and face the trauma of his past.

The animation is great, especially the character designs and the 1920s aesthetic for Gotham showcases more of the macabre aspects of the story that features the Cthulhu Mythos. As we explore this alternate Gotham we begin to see the dark shadows and conspiracies of Gotham City that seedly blend well with dark cults doing supernatural things. Even better is how it mixes new alternate iterations of Batman’s rogues’ gallery. Almost all of the villains are physically or mentally corrupted by the Lurker on the Threshold and are given new purposes and an Elseworld makeover in this Alternate story, my favourites being Poison Ivy and Mr Freeze. The colour palette throughout is also strong with red, black, and grey hues for Gotham City to the neon green, fiery red colours depicting the supernatural elements. Whilst the film’s score composed by Stefan L. Smith fulfils the task of being a support element that features good pieces that go from classical to thunderous and orchestral horror truly makes the experience more enjoyable and very Batman which I thought his soundtrack harkened back to Elfman’s.

Sam Liu (The Death and Return of Superman) fills the dual role of producer and co-director, of “Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham working closely with co-director Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) to bring to animated life the script from screenwriter Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse).

The voice cast is comprised of David Giuntoli (Grimm, A Million Little Things) who reprises his Batman: Soul of the Dragon role as the voice of the Dark Knight. Tati Gabrielle (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Uncharted) makes her DC animated debut as Kai Li Cain, Batman’s closest ally. Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer, Insatiable) as Oliver Queen, Patrick Fabian (Better Call Saul) as Harvey Dent, John DiMaggio (Futurama, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire) as James Gordon, and David Dastmalchian (Dune, The Suicide Squad, Ant-Man) as Grendon. Rounding out the cast is Gideon Adlon (Legion of Super-Heroes) as Oracle, Karan Brar (Jessie, Diary of a Wimpy Kid franchise) as Sanjay “Jay” Tawde, Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator, The Frighteners) as Kirk Langstrom, Darin De Paul (Mortal Kombat Legends & Overwatch franchises) as Thomas Wayne, Brian George (Seinfeld) as Alfred, Jason Marsden (Young Justice, A Goofy Movie) as Dick Grayson & Young Bruce Wayne, Navid Negahban (Homeland, The Cleaning Lady) as Ra’s al Ghul, Emily O’Brien (Days of Our Lives) as Talia al Ghul & Martha Wayne, Tim Russ (Star Trek: Voyager) as Lucius Fox, William Salyers (The Regular Show) as Cobbelpot & Professor Manfurd.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I was very impressed with Batman: The Doom That Came To Cotham. A film that faithfully adapts from its source material and goes to some dark and twisted places. Gripping, thrilling, and ultimately a striking horror mystery showcasing Batman fighting off Lovecraftian creatures. Prepare for a mystical, often terrifying Batman adventure unlike any other.