Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One
Summary:
Death is coming in Crisis on Infinite Earths. But what can Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and countless other heroes do to save all of existence from ARMAGEDDEON?!
The Story
The Anti-Monitor is unleashed upon the DC Multiverse and begins obliterating its various earths. In a desperate attempt to prevent the destruction of the multiverse, The Monitor recruits heroes from across the Multiverse but is murdered before he can finish assembling his team. Stranded together in an unfamiliar universe, different versions of these heroes must find a way to halt the destruction of all reality. Woven through all of this is The Flash’s story as he tries to balance love for Iris West with his duty to save the world while dealing with some lingering trauma that manifests as him seeing himself across multiple timelines.
I know it like I was there yesterday. I remember driving up to my college town’s library which by Texas standards might as well have been the Smithsonian and going inside. Earlier that week I’d looked up online that they had a comic book section somewhere upstairs that got updated fairly frequently by some underpaid employee, no doubt for you to check out and take home FOR FREE (you only needed a library card which were easily obtained; I’d applied for mine days earlier). So up I went.
I walked up those giant steps into this colossal building and clumsily made my way towards where all the comics were held. 30 minutes later I found myself at what could only be described as “the END ALL be all” of comic book collections in libraries. THE CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS COMPLETE GRAPHIC NOVEL. Two Supermen on the cover! Each with a slightly different crest on their chest! One has slightly graying hair! One holding dying Wonder Woman! The other holding dying Supergirl! Well not really Supergirl but she’s dead too it’s actually Matrix, a shape shifter, being manipulated by Lex but let’s not get into that. And I just stood there for like 5 minutes. Staring at the Alex Ross cover and all of the cameos.
Crisis on Infinite Earths by Alex Ross
Alex Ross is from Lubbock my college town and supposedly frequented Star Comics where I would buy my comics. It was always crazy to think that Alex stood where I did, and occupied the same space in the comic shop just at different times in history. But what really drove this story home for me is when Barry Allen saves Supergirl from certain death at the hands of an Anti-Matter demon and holds her limp body in his arms as she dies.
I remember studying it in detail trying to name all the characters that graced the bottom half of the front and back spread. I sat down, right there, on the floor, with my back to the bookshelves, and read half of that book in one day. I didn’t just read it, I absorbed the art and was immersed in the fantastic storyline that spanned across a Multiverse. That was the first time I ever heard the term Multiverse. It was an epic story brilliantly displaced and detailed on a grand scale. The animated movie “Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One” was not that.
Now, before you leave, let me just say that I have enjoyed the “Tomorrow-verse” (I guess we’re going with that?) and its new take on the characters. I have watched and enjoyed all of the previous animated films, and let me tell you, I enjoyed this one too. I really did. I enjoyed the storyline, it had me engaged, trying to figure out what the heck is going on. However, during my first watch through, I began to question my own sanity. Was I remembering the story wrong? Maybe I missed the comic before the graphic novel picked up and that would explain it. (Mike will let me know if I’m wrong) But as I let go of previous expectations, and allowed the story of The Flash to take me away. I began to enjoy it. Because that’s what two thirds of this film is another “Flashpoint type” story that we have seen almost redundantly in DC animated universe.
Look, I get that “they” have to clear board for Gunns’ “United Front” approach to DC universe; and “Crisis” is an obvious vehicle for them do so, also storyline can potentially please old fans as well as new ones; also filmmakers want do their own thing and go out in their own unique way, but can’t they be a TAD more faithful source material?
Full Spoilers here, folks.
I mean, we had Two Supermen on screen. With a chance to show some real depth. And their hair curl was basically the only difference between them. No slightly different shade of blue or elongated “S” crest. It became a bit confusing and they seemed too similar. If they were truly trying to go out with a bang, why not introduce other characters from previous DC animated universes? Like the “New Frontier” universe, or the “Superman/Batman” animated series? Clash art styles? A-La “Into the Spider-Verse” but look at me wishful thinking that strays too far from the source material. I can understand how this could get confusing and become balancing act for filmmakers who are trying to please the fans and studio remain faithful to source material while at same time develop their own story; They did just that; It was not what I expected.
My major complaint is combining Harbinger and Supergirl characters. I understand that they were trying to do service by the character, as maybe Supergirl wasn’t in this animated universe a lot before, but I was most upset about this. Every single one of their sacrifices and character arcs had enormous consequences on the story’s development in the original, Harbinger and Matrix Supergirl, and I think it weakens it when you put those two together. Who knows? Maybe I’m just getting older and more protective over the source material. And maybe that is what this film will do, spark interest in the original source material. I mean “All-Star Superman” got a resurgence with the announcement “Superman: Legacy” was taking inspiration from it so maybe there’s hope for a resurgence in the original “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”
The third act of building the towers did feel very rushed I will say. The scale was missing from the original graphic novel, all of this should have felt like it was truly happening everywhere across all time and space all occupying the same space and plane but on a different time frequency. There were many background cameos in said third act. Loved Question’s interactions. Also feel they spent too much time with Crime Syndicate.
Overall though, I did enjoy it. Even though for half of it I was wondering what in tarnation is going on? But The Flash is our narrative point of view character throughout the film, and he was probably wondering what in tarnation is going on? So if that’s what they were going for then kudos to them.
Voice Acting
Across the board performances are solid here. Matt Bomer is fantastic as The Flash (Barry Allen) and sells the emotional beats of this film well. Jensen Ackles is reliable and stoic as ever in Batman.
David Kaye does great work with The Question, a character we haven’t seen much of in the animated films which is kind of unfortunate because even in this brief moment he’s depicted as a compelling character and something of a disruptor. Could he have his own animated series at some point? I’d be game.
Animation
As is often the case with DC’s animated films. The animation for this is solid and gives us some great action beats, as well as quieter/more heartfelt moments including a rather sad/tragic death scene toward the close of the movie.
General
This was not terrible, but it wasn’t great either. Just kind of meh. It shows a little too much of the backstories of Barry, Iris, and Amazo and does not explain enough about what is happening with the Monitor and Antimonitor and all the Earths being destroyed. Let me put it this way you have to be already a fan of DC movies to see them all; if somebody new picks up this one there is nothing explaining the Multiverse. Also, I’m starting to feel like they’ve dipped into the Multiverse well one too many times because there were parts where my mind wandered.
That being said the action was awesome throughout and backed by a killer soundtrack. But I felt that weak writing plagued it as it leaned on its established audience base.
All in all, I thought this movie was just okay. The Elseworlds style DC movies have been bringing their A game lately while the ones set in the prime DCU have fallen flat for me.
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