‘Justice League: Gods and Monsters’ Blu-ray Review

While millions continue to wonder how the live-action DC Cinematic Universe will play out, they continue to miss some of the best comic-to-movie adaptations in the animated DC Universe. Releasing a few features to home video each year, Warner Bros. DCU Features–formally under the name Warner Premiere–shares strong adaptations and new original stories we want to see on the big screen. This  is the case with Justice League: Gods and Monsters, the newest animated film to come from the studio.

Movie Itself

Justice League: Gods and Monsters takes place in an alternate DC reality. Much like the many other elseworlds stories DC produces, the Earth and its heroes (as known to DC fans) are radically different. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman remain the big three, but who they are and how they patrol are radically different.

This is a great and refreshing story from the mind of Bruce Timm. So many times comic writers take advantage of alternate universes and do the obvious with the same characters by making their reality pretty much an opposite of what it is. With Gods and Monsters Kal-El isn’t Superman, Bruce Wayne isn’t Batman, and Diana Prince isn’t Wonder Woman. What works for this movie is that a couple different dominos created an entirely new reality that doesn’t have to play off the actual reality to work.

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If there’s anything Justice League: Gods and Monsters doesn’t have going for it, or in some ways does, it’s the fact it doesn’t treat its audience like they are new to DC. Characters that exist in the actual DC universe are present everywhere here, but there is no handholding to tell you who they are in other comics and cartoons. Some of the New Gods are present in the movie without much explanation of their role in DC. This includes a significant piece with Orion, even though his name is not mentioned once.

I, as a fan, thoroughly enjoyed it. Guessing how the puzzle pieces fit and remembering who is who: this was especially enjoyable. But if you had new fans to DC starting with Justice League: Gods and Monsters, the confusion of who Kirk Langstrom is and why he’s Batman in this rendition doesn’t make much sense.

But all of those items highlight what Gods and Monsters is doing, and that’s telling a story–a strong one, at that. I was impressed with the development piece in explaining why DC’s Trinity is who it is in this elseworlds story. There were motives for everything, including roles of people who weren’t overly significant. The idea that one thing is different in somebody’s life can make such change seem realistic in this story, and that helps move the plot along as well.

Justice League: Gods and Monsters is a fun movie that will cater to DC fans but also serve as a fun escape for other moviegoers. It is much darker than most DCU animated features, a new trend with these films, making it clear this isn’t targeted for the family. Simply put, it’s a movie worth seeing, especially if you can get past the dark tone and changes in characters.

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Presentation

Justice League: Gods and Monsters arrives on Blu-ray with a full high-definition video and audio presentation.

The video is presented in 1080p courtesy of an Mpeg-4 encode. Colors are strong, animation is consistent, and environments are vibrant. Detail holds from scene to scene without a concern. Oftentimes the two-dimensional animation feels three-dimensional thanks to a rich palette and the aforementioned detail. Action sequences hold up, and the image remains consistent from the opening until the credits role. Although this is short of a grand slam, this presentation is a home run and remains consistent throughout.

The audio on the disc is a strong DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The strong track is definitely a benefit for the Justice League: Gods and Monsters Blu-ray release, featuring a strong balance in audio as well as distinct and clear dialogue in an action-driven story. Conversations never get lost to the many exciting events happening on the screen. Noises clearly and accurately follow the action on the screen, and the rear channel speakers get an opportunity to show their strengths. The subwoofer is a little light, but overall, the bass accents the soundtrack nicely.

All-around great job on the presentation for this DCU release.

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Extra Features

Justice League: Gods and Monsters comes with a fair share of extra features. In many stores you will find versions available with a collectible figure, something DC and WB have been doing for the past few releases. All Blu-ray releases will contain the following:

  • Alternate Realities: Infinite Possibilities (HD) – DC Entertainment Creative Director of Animation Mike Carlin, DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Dan DiDio, Gods and Monsters executive producer Bruce Timm, co-producer Alan Burnett, Throne of Atlantis writer Heath Corson and DC Entertainment CCO Geoff Johns discuss the film and characters.
  • “Calculated Risk: The Making of Gods and Monsters” (HD) – This half-hour making of featurette includes Carlin, Burnett, Timm, and Johns discussing everything from development to marketing.
  • The New Gods (HD) – Jack Kirby’s New Gods are put under the microscope in this featurette featuring Dan DiDio, author Paul Levitz, comic book historian Alan Kistler and writer/artist Walter Simonson.
  • From the DC Comics Vault (SD/HD) – Two episodes, “Phantoms” from Legion of Super Heroes and “Brave New Metropolis” from Superman: The Animated Series.
  • Batman: Bad Blood (HD) – The standard sneak peek at the next DCU Animated feature.
  • Digital Copy via Ultraviolet

Final Thoughts

Justice League: Gods and Monsters is a very enjoyable elseworlds tale created by Bruce Timm. The Blu-ray delivers a solid video and audio presentation and has a decent slate of extra features. If you collect the DCU animated films, you shouldn’t hesitate to pick this up. In fact, Justice League: Gods and Monsters is worth checking out for everybody else as well.

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