Justice League Action

This year at Toy Fair, Mattel once again lifted the curtain on a number of new figures and collectibles based in the DC Universe. From the continuing DC Multiverse figure line, which mixes the comics, television and movie properties, to DC Super Hero Girls and Teen Titans Go!, there was little that Mattel showed that didn't elicit excitement from everyone in attendance. However, the biggest surprise was clearly the unveiling of the Wonder Woman DC Multiverse wave, which gave us our first clear look at the DC Cinematic Universe version of Ares.

Justice League Action, premiering this Friday, December 16, at 6 PM EST on Cartoon Network, is the first new TV version of the Justice League since Justice League Unlimited ended in 2006. From the advance promos, we knew the show was aiming for a younger audience from that show, but beyond a few casting announcements we didn't know many details. Now we've had a chance to watch this week's premiere episode, and we have plenty to say about it. This review deals with the basic plot elements of the episode, and details which characters appear, but beyond that we'll do our best to avoid spoilers.

The first installments of Cartoon Network’s new Justice League Action will bow as early as this Friday, and the latest look at our “Shazam Slam” beginnings trot out even more DC favorites. Arrow meets Constantine yet again in a new clip, along with Swamp Thing, Wonder Woman and more.

Justice League Action, the new animated Cartoon Network series featuring all your DC Comics favorites, premieres on December 16 with a special event. “Shazam Slam” is a four-part epic featuring Black Adam, Shazam, and Batman turning into a bat-monster. Sean Astin voices Shazam, by which I assume they mean the original Captain Marvel, since Astin is much better suited for a hero with the spirit of a child, than for a wise old wizard. In fact, Carl Reiner is credited as the Wizard, which probably means the character we used to call Shazam, since the old Justice Society villain the Wizard would be a stranger choice.

Just when DC had us distracted with one shiny animation return, so too is the Justice League ready to grace our screens again in animated form. See for yourself in new clips from the forthcoming Justice League Action, including musical moments, alien worlds and a little Bat-time travel.

DC's Trinity will return to television in an all-new animated series on the Cartoon Network for the first time since Justice League Unlimited went off the air in 2006. While Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman have made some animated appearances elsewhere, Justice League Action will reunite the three biggest heroes at DC Comics to star in their first weekly adventures in seven years. What's more, Kevin Conroy is coming back to the role that made him one of the biggest stars in DC and Warner Bros. film and television, Batman. Though he's frequently reprised the role over in the home video and video game realms, Conroy hasn't dabbled with the voice of Batman on a recurring series since JLU ended. The actors for Superman and Wonder Woman haven't been revealed as of yet, but I suppose we can all keep our fingers crossed for Tim Daly and Susan Eisenberg to make the dream team reunion a reality.