Film Review: Justice League: Doom DVD [2012]

Vandal Savage unites his Legion of Doom to destroy the Justice League so he can establish a new world order. Savage brings together Bane, Metallo, Mirror Master, Cheetah, Star Sapphire, and Martian Manhunter’s nemesis Ma’alefa’ak who all want their respective enemies dead. He gives his members the knowledge and plans to defeat the Justice League.

Bruce Wayne is distracted after his parents’ tomb is disturbed by Bane who later buries him along side with his parents. Hal Jordan failed to save Carol Ferris and lost the will to be Green Lantern. Metallo takes on Superman by shooting him with a Kryptonite bullet and weakening him with his Kryptonite heart as he falls to his death. Wonder Woman is poisoned by Cheetah and fights endless Cheetahs. The Flash has a bomb attached to his body and if he slows down he explodes. Martian Manhunter is on fire while the only hero who will be able to save them all is Cyborg who has not been targeted by the Legion of Doom. After our heroes are defeated Savage reveals to his Legion of Doom that he plans on destroying two-thirds of the world.

Savage reveals to his fellow members who received their rewards will become meaningless if his plans come to fruition. Savage was mutated by a meteor 80,000 years ago enhancing his intelligence and body. Everyone is saved following Batman’s instructions and the Justice League takes on the Legion of Doom as a solar flare heads towards Earth. The idea for the solar flare came from Season 3 of the Challenge of the Super Friends episode History of Doom where Lex Luthor and his Legion of Doom attempt to rid the Super Friends.

The story is written by Dwayne McDuffie borrowed pieces from various stories and combined them to bring an interesting tale of the Justice League. One story that comes to mind is JLA: Tower of Babel by Mark Waid where Batman had plans to take on the Justice League if any of them went rogue. Bruce Wayne’s parents are stolen and his search for them distracts him from helping the Justice League. Wonder Woman faces endless Cheetahs who happened to SWAT until Cyborg arrives and talks her down. The Flash deals with a bomb strapped to him reminding me of the movie Speed and uses an iceberg to get rid of the bomb. Green Lantern was dosed with Scarecrow’s fear gas because the emotion of fear is destroys will. All the plans used by the Legion of Doom originated from Batman.

McDuffie presents one of his greatest stories before he passed away who was responsible for the early 1990s Milestone Media characters including Hardware, Blood Syndicate, Icon, and Static Shock. Justice League: Doom is respectively dedicated to McDuffie (1962 – 2011) who will be missed.

RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT OF 5