This is where the DCAU really hit its stride. You had 7 of Earth's greatest heroes coming together to fight off various world threatening...threats. Batman and Superman are of course in, but you also have Green Lantern (John Stewart as opposed to Kyle Rayner, who was introduced in S:TAS), Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, Flash, and Martian Manhunter
A lot of people aren't too fond of the first season, and, to wit, the second season is superior; but I find the first season pretty enjoyable. There's some old school superheroing going on there. Even War World, the most hated episode of the series, isn't all that bad when you sit down and really watch it.
To really show the scope of the series, the writers decided to make every story a 2 parter. This allowed for more character growth as well as larger stories. When watching it in reruns, it is a bit vexing, but on DVD it's not such a huge factor.
As said before, the second season is much improved. The characters are given greater depth and the writers figured out how to make the hour format work to their benefit. Another flaw that they fixed was Superman's supposed weakness. In season one, Supes would often charge in headfirst, only to get knocked out. The writers didn't even realize they were doing this and inadvertently invoking what TvTropes refers to as "The Worf Effect". For those unfamiliar, it's when a writer will have a stronger character go up against the villain only to lose handily. This is done to show us that the villain means serious business and build tension. The writers apologized and made up for it, but fans were a bit vexed.
The advancements in technology made for superior animation. Fight sequences were far more fluid, which made for a much greater viewing experience.
This series did draw its fair share of controversy. A lot of fans were miffed that John Stewart was selected (either because they wanted Kyle for continuity's sake, or they wanted it to be Hal Jordan). George Newbern, who replaced Tim Daly as the voice of Supes, also got a lot of flack. While Wonder Woman wasn't really done a disservice, her origin is basically wiped out and as a result, is something of a lesser developed character.
The show did eventually overcome these obstacles. John became one of the more 3-dimensional characters, allowing him to jump into mainstream consciousness, and Newbern eventually came into his own as Supes.
As said before, the second season is vastly superior, probably one of the better seasons in the DCAU as a whole. It's epic, the stories are better, and it manages to up the ante from what we see in the first season.
Still, the first is enjoyable in its own right. If you're a fan of superheroes, DC heroes specifically, this is just the show you've been looking for.
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