“Justice League: Gods and Monsters” is a Justice League film that doesn’t feel like a Justice League Film. “Batman v. Superman” is a Justice League film by this films logic as we only have this version of Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman and even knowing that, this film still works. I wasn’t a fan of the villain plot but anything with the Justice League is a lot of fun and it is worth checking out to see this version of the Main 3.
The film was directed by Sam Liu and the screenplay by Alan Burnett (though Bruce Timm did co-write the original story with him).
The story follows an alternate universe version of the Justice League as they face mixed public opinion and work on solving the mystery of who is killing all of the world’s scientists.
SPOILERS ahead
The Pros:
The Animation – The animation is once again beautiful. I don’t think I’ve seen a bad looking DC animated project but that same standard of quality animation is on display here. The action also feels fluid as do the characters in motion and flight.
The Premise – The premise of an alternate universe Justice League the world doesn’t trust with a murder mystery is compelling. I like how these aren’t Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne or Diana Prince either as it lets these characters fully be who they are as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman versus being a reaction to the identities, which often happens in alternate universe takes.
Lex Luthor – Lex Luthor is a good guy in this! He starts out as an an enemy but in the end he saves Superman and Wonder Woman from the army and reveals who the real threat is. This is all in the context of his body being broken by Superman possibly prior but he still sees the bigger picture. Jason Isaacs really added a lot of nuance and empathy to the role.
Hernan Guerra / Superman – This Superman is General Zod’s son (he discovers later) and raised by immigrants who were escaping to a better world on the border of the United States. This shaped his perspective in ways that I found compelling as he faced a harsh world from the government that wants him to work for them when they wanted to use him as a weapon and cared nothing about his parents. His arc is accepting Lex Luthor and forming the Justice League as a force that doesn’t kill and it works in the context of the film though the film never having us meet and interact with his parents is a travesty. Martha and Jonathan are so key to every version of Superman and we get to know them, even if it is only a little. Here in this film we don’t get that.
Bekka / Wonder Woman – This version of Wonder Woman is an New God who was betrothed to Darkseid’s son but is betrayed by her people when the Highfather (her grandfather) executes all the Old Gods. It is a powerful scene and we get why she doesn’t allow herself to get close to others after everything she lost. In the end she leaves with Lex Luthor to confront her people for the wrongs she did as her arc ends after her people betrayed Darkseid and his family and she escaped to Earth.
Kirk Langstrom / Batman – Kirk Langstrom is originally Man-Bat in the main universe but here we get vampire Batman. This is such a cool concept and I like how driven he is. He is still very much Batman in personality in how disconnected he is from humanity. The investigator is still there and he is the one to figure out the plot as in the end his friend Dr. Magnus is the one behind the killings and the one responsible for making him a vampire in the first place. I’d read and watch more stories with this Batman as I feel there is potential in the vampire Batman premise.
The Cons:
Missing Parents – We never meet the Guerra’s beyond them recovering Superman and they are only told to be a drive for Hernan we never see the reality of why. This was a shame as said before Jonathan and Martha are core to Clark’s development in other versions of Superman.
The Villain – Dr. Magnus is a selfish prick and I never got his friendship with Kirk. He does eventually regret all he did with trying to make the world one mind through nano-technology but this anime cliche and his personal relationship to a character doesn’t save how badly he is written. He’s just a selfish murder.
Lack of other Meta-Humans / Justice League Members – There are only 3 Justice League members, which given how powerful Superman is and the threat he knows he is under it makes zero sense for him not to recruit. This lack of other members made the world feel much smaller than it should have.
“Justice League: Gods and Monsters” is a cool concept that mostly works. What would have made it a great film would have been giving us the story of Superman’s parents or at least have him interact with them and having Superman having recruited more members. Having only 3 members of the Justice League makes it difficult for me to even consider them the Justice League as 3 is a trio not a league. This is still worth checking out though and like the “Crisis on Two Earths” film needed more time to explore the ideas to make the most of the premise.
Final Score: 8.2 / 10
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