After two seasons, the higher ups decided that the Justice League series needed a revamp. One of the primary changes was that instead of 2 parters, each episode would be a self contained half hour story. The execs also wanted to expand the cast. Since the writers weren't sure how much longer the DCAU was going to continue, they decided to go all out and add every hero, hence the changed title. The sequel series even came with a new guitar heavy theme. I've gotta be honest, I'm not a fan of the new theme. The old theme was heroic and elegant whereas the riff heavy new theme just came off as cheesy. I got used to it after a while, but it really paled in comparison to the original.
I wasn't sure how this series was going to pan out. Adding more characters and shortening the runtime seemed like a really bad idea, but ultimately it ended up making the series more interesting and brought a lot of lesser known characters into the mainstream, most notable is The Question who became a fan favorite.
Even the half hour format ended up working out for the better. While 2 parters were reserved for finales, the changed format allowed the writers to experiment with a 2 season long arc that ended up being one of the best things that they have done. The Cadmus arc pulled from all ends of previously established continuity, gave us an antagonistic force we could empathize with, and made for great drama. I had never heard of Amanda Waller before this show, but she became one of my favorite characters. She was tough enough where she could stand toe to toe with Batman. Watching those two face off was always enjoyable.
The second season finale ended up acting as not only a finale for the DCAU in general, but for Batman Beyond as well. It was a great curtain drop moment.
Even so, a third season was made, which kind of undercuts the effect. It was decent enough. There were some fun episodes, but the "Legion of Doom" story arc didn't really compare to the Cadmus one.
The first half of season one is a bit rocky, but the writers found their footing and really got to milk the format for all it was worth. The shorter episodes, coupled with the longer arc, made it feel more like a comic book come to life.
As is expected at this point, the voice acting was really well done. Clancy Brown did a superb job adding layers to Lex Luthor, and CCH Pounder gave the aforementioned Waller the necessary gravitas.
As with the other JL series, the show hit its stride in the second season (although it is packaged as part of the first season in the DVD set). I don't know what it is, but the second seasons of this show seem to be the major highlights.
Definitely check this series out, it's a fun watch.
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