While live action DC films and shows are very hit and miss there animated shows were nearly always hits. With them much like Marvel did in the nineties spawning there own animated around the same time as Marvel set up the Marvel Animated Universe with DC's being called the DC Animated Universe with the show that i'm going to talking to you all about today being an episode from the final entry into that universe and so then join me as I review the episode which sees the Justice League add a new member with the episode in question being called simply just "Initiation" enjoy.
The plot of this episode is when Green Arrow rejects another big to join the Justice League who are expanding taking in heroes from all over the world he , Green Lantern , Supergirl and Captain Atom are sent Asia where they must stop a nuclear-powered robot rampaging through the countryside. Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual plot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual plot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really good. This episodes plot to be fair was a fun plot as it showed us the Justice League from the point of view of a small time hero who just wants to look after the everyman with Green Arrow refusing to join them because while the other heroes are perfectly happy with fighting monsters in space he's more concerned with looking after the little people. However the episodes plot doesn't really follow up on that and instead drops that aspect of the episode when that is something that would have made the episode alot more interesting to watch but they instead drop that to focus on this robot ramping through Asia which in all fairness is a pretty epic way to start of this show but plot wise it's not that interesting as there's no conflict there but seeing Green Arrow having to struggle between doing what's right for the little guy for the time being and doing what's right for the little guy in the bigger picture would have made for a more interesting plot but to be fair this episodes plot was about as good as it was ever likely to be with the plot of this episode also being really rather entertaining and as well as being really rather engaging as well in my freaking opinions anyways / at least.
Starring in this episode is Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne / Batman and Phil LaMarr as John Stewart / Green Lantern. Also starring in this episode is Carl Lumbly as J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter , George Newbern as Clark Kent / Superman , Kin Shriner as Ollie Queen / Green Arrow , Nicholle Tom as Kara Kent / Supergirl , George Eads as Nathaniel Adams / Captain Atom and Robber 2 , James Sie as General Kwan and The Scientist and Lex Lang as Robber 1 and A Soldier.
Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really good. The fact that thus episode does have some really good acting in it is something that is not all that surprising as alot of this episodes actors are reprising their roles from various other DC animated shows and therefor would have a really good handle on how best to perform there character and those that aren't are still really good in there own right with them more then holding there own when it comes to acting with the more established stars. With the best actor in this episode being Kin Shriner as Ollie Queen / Green Arrow as while Kevin Conroy is still really good in this episode his role in the episode is basically just a cameo role and therefor he doesn't get a chance to show us what he can do as an actor whereas with Kin due to the fact that Ollie is the episodes main character he does get the chance to show us what he could do as an actor with him being able to pull of the more sarcastic and funny side of the character and the more dramatic and action side of the character and yet still make it feel like it's the same person with his own natural charisma really coming through in this episode. With the acting that's in this very episode really being helped by the fact that this episodes script is just so good that all this episodes actors have to do is just say the lines as they are written and a good performance will come out of them naturally which is something that really does help to raise the overall quality of the acting that's in this very episode.
Doing the animation for this episode is the legends and the really greats that are currently over at DR Movie. Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual animation that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual animation that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really good. To be frank this episode animation was alot more better then what I thought that it would be as while DC is known for hitting out of the park with there animated projects they are using what was at the time an untried animation studio and superhero shows at that point in time didn't typically have good animation in them. Yet you can tell right from frame one that this not only this episode but this show as a whole has had some serious money put into it as it looks stunning with there being alot of details in the backgrounds and on the characters faces that help to make this episode feel more real and less cheap looking with even the scenes in the Asian countryside where most of the episode does take place looking really good and having colors that pop this is the type of animation that you get when you have people that care truly about what it is that there turning in and aren't just working on it to earn some fast money and it is something that does show unlike with the 1996 The Incredible Hulk cartoon where you could tell right away that the people working on that show didn't care enough to go that extra mile here tho you do see them go that extra mile by even giving background characters these really fluid movements which was something that the makers of this episode really didn't have to do and yet they did it anyway and it's that level of care that does help to make this episodes animation be really good.
If Green Arrow is the main character of the episode then surely Kara has to be the second lead as she is the one that not only ends the episode but much like with Green Arrow is going on her first mission. Which was quite fun to see as we get to see her act like a kid her age might very well act as she does get excited not only when she is first told that she is going on the mission in the first place but also when they are in the jet waiting to depart and it's something that does make her character alot of fun to watch as she is still after all a kid albeit one that not only has superpowers but is also Superman's cousin and while the episode does explore the fact that this version of the character is quite angry and hot headed it also takes the time to show her acting as a referee when Captain Atom and Green Arrow start arguing and it's she that tells Green Lantern when Ollie has left the ship these are things that do make her out to be a really caring person at heart. This is also true for Ollie as the only reason why he didn't want to join the league in the first place is due to the fact that to him they don't care abut the little guy anymore and instead care more about fighting battles in space and while of course we the audience know that that's not true it is nice seeing Ollie openly call that out as alot of the heroes in league do have there own cities to protect and yet all of them are here in space waiting to go on a mission which is something that does prove his point as those heroes be there Superman or Batman or whoever could very easily go back to earth and only come up when there needed and yet alot of them openly choose to stay there and yet Ollie is painted as the one being in the wrong which in all fairness he kind of is but he's also in the right.
What was odd is that they never explain why the Asian country is hiding the fact that they built this giant robot. Which is something that they very easily could have done as the country does also hate all foreigners so why not say that the robot was built to keep foreigners out of the country and if called upon could be used to attack those that it deems to be a threat to its home country like for example the American army this would go someway into explaining why General Kwan didn't want the help of the Justice League and was trying to keep the robot a secret from even them by saying that the situation was undercontrol when it clearly wasn't its the small things in this episode that make these bigger moments all the more impactful which is why it's weird that the makers of this episode would leave out that small bit of information as without the country just comes across as hating people really for the sake of hating them. Something that does work for Green Arrow as it does play into Ollie's nature of being a bit of a playboy is the fact that the only reason that he's joining the league in the first place is the fact that he sees an attractive female suiting up which is something that not only feels true to his character but it does also serve as a good way to end the episode as it is this lighthearted moment but what kind of spoils it tho is the fact that Batman is there fully supporting the idea of Ollie joining just because he sees a pretty female as this doesn't feel true to how Batman or Bruce Wayne are as characters as Bruce was only playboy to act as a cover up for him being Batman as deep down he's a one woman man and heck he would want Ollie to join the league for the right reasons and not just because he sees someone he likes there is however a chance that Batman told Black Canary to get dressed there as a way to get Ollie to join the league tho as that is something that Batman would do.
The giant robot in this episode is the episodes main villain as it does go about attacking all of these people for literally no reason whatsoever. While the villain not really having an end goal in mind would be seen as being a bad thing given the fac that the villain is a man made robot and has pretty much only just come to life seeing everything as a threat it does make sense that it wouldn't have a plan as it wasn't created to become alive it was created to do this one job and that's it and yet when the robot does come alive and does start attacking everyone it does become to much for them to handle with even the members that the Justice League send to help having a tough time with it as they all either get beaten really badly by it or its radioactive heat proves to be to much for them to handle. To be frank here this robot is the perfect villain for these members of the league to have as it is something that does require all three of them to even get close to let alone hurt and kill which is something that does force our heroes to be better heroes and while this villain wouldn't be a match for Superman as he'd know to get it off the planet and to stick it with the rods himself for Kara it is a challenge as she's still a new hero and therefor she wouldn't know how best to defeat it let alone the fact that she's be able to stick it with the rods herself but in all fairness her not knowing that is something that does create some good drama as for all she knows the only one that could defeat this creature is Captain Atom and he gets beaten easily and while it would have made more sense for the makers of this episode to have Kara beat the monster having it be Ollie to do it does also make sense as the rods are drawn to look like arrows.
Now then this episode has / had an exact grand total running time of exactly twenty three minuets and forty five seconds. Which is pretty much the bogstandard running time for alot of animated shows like this one to have especially back in the mid to late two thousands and while this episode doesn't have to set up all that much due to it taking place in the same world as both Batman and Superman and the fact it is a direct sequel to Justice League it still does have to set up the main plot of the episode and who Ollie is as a character and why he didn't want to join the league in the first place and it wouldn't be able to do all of that and still tell a good plot with this episode having more then enough there interms of plot to really cover that amount of running time in the first place. With this episode not really using its running time all that wisely as the episode doesn't really take the time to fully develop its plot as the main plot of the episode that being the attack on the Asian country doesn't really get brought up until deep into the episodes first act and even then the episode doesn't really add much to the plot which does make the plot feel like an afterthought with the makers of this episode putting more thought and effort into telling us why Ollie didn't want to join the league in the first place then they did in giving this episodes plot some much needed plot development. This is something that is also true for the episodes character development as while you could make the case for all of the episodes either getting there development in future episodes or got it in past episodes there still did need to be some form of character development here in this episode and with this episode focusing on Ollie learning the league does care about the little guy it would have made sense as that after this mission he views the league differently and yet he doesn't as he didn't change as a character with the makers of this episode putting alot more thought and effort into making sure that we like Supergirl and then they did into giving the episodes characters some character development but I really will admit that this episode really does have same really good pacing to it tho.
So now then as this is an action show that really does mean that I have to actually talk about the actual action that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual action that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really good. Look no matter the show or movie it will always be cool as heck seeing one or more heroes using there powers to take down a common foe and it's the same thing here as we do get to see Green Arrow , Green Lantern , Supergirl and Captain Atom all use there powers and it just so cool to see with it even making this episodes alot more exciting as we are seeing the heroes do the things that that are known for. With the best action scene in the whole entire episode being the scene where Green Arrow , Supergirl and Captain Atom attack the robot head on as the characters have to get these rods into the robots centre chest but given that the robot is nuclear the only one that the team things could do it is Captain Atom with him giving it his all but the monster uses its gun and ribs a hole and his suit causing Captain Atom to be severely wounded which angers Kara who then proceeds to try and hit it only for the robot to wipe the floor with her Olly tho sees that the rods look like his arrows and decides to fire them at him which for a while doesn't work that is until Ollie get the high ground on the monster finally hitting it in it's centre plate switching it off with Kara then coming back in to to knock it's head off. That is such a good action scene as it shows what it is that these three heroes do best as well as showing how all three of them have different approaches to the same problem with Captain Atom doing things by the book , Kara preferring to beat it up until it doesn't move and Ollie looking to think of an alternative method which given the fact that the villain is driven by nuclear power was the right option to go with with the rest of the episodes action being just as good as well in my freaking opinions anyways / at least.
Overall this was such a fun episode with it being easy to see why alot of people not only like this show was when it was first airing but still do like to it to this very day with the episode itself doing a good job of setting up Ollie as a character and just being a good episode to watch in general in my freaking opinions anyways / at least. Now then i've talked about all of the good and as well all of the bad things that are in this very episode in this very review and as such that really does mean that this episode really does earn itself a grand old score of exactly a 7 out of 10 from me.
Now then as for where I personally got all of the images that I personally used in this very review well then boys and girls and as well as ladies ad gentlemen I personally got all of the images that I personally used in this very review from Amazon . Co . Uk and Google Images. With my personally preferred website to use to get the images from this very episode that I used in this very post being the really great Google Images really simply just due to the fact that really alot of if not really all of the images that are all really from this very episode with alot of them really being really better quality then what you'd really think of and all of the images are really of course up and really on Google Images really are also really all fairly high in quality and as well as them all being really fairly freaking high in definition.