Static Shock – 31leaguept2

Back on Earth, Static discovers that Brainiac has taken over Gear through Backpack, and needs the help of the Justice League to save his friend.

Media by Bird Boy, James Harvey
Review by Matt Zimmer

Voices:
Phil LaMarr as Virgil Hawkins/Static
Jason Marsden as Richie Foley / Gear, Carmen Dillo
Kevin Conroy as Batman
Carl Lumbly as Martian Manhunter / J'onn J'onzz
Phil LaMarr as Green Lantern
Maria Canals as Hawkgirl
Michael Rosenbaum as Flash
Corey Burton as Brainiac
Jean Smart as Richie's Mom

Static and the Justice League fight Brainiac to save Richie in the conclusion of a two-part episode.

Picking up from Part 1, Brainiac has taken over Richie and is using him to build a fortress. At the Watchtower J'onn fears that Brainiac may have loaded himself onto
Gear's robot. Flash finds Gear and tells him they need to talk about
Backpack when Backpack captures him. Batman, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern and
J'onn J'onnz meet up with Static and tell him Flash is missing and
Static says he hasn't seen Richie either. Static uses his Shock Vox to trace where Richie is and the League and Static find Richie and Flash at an abandoned factory. Brainiac has taken over them and puts his mind control devices on Static and the League but Static's shorts out.
Brainiac orders the League to kill Static.

Static manages to short out the rest of the League's mind control devices and they tell him to wait there while they stop Brainiac. Static is concerned that Richie will be killed and from a clue he got from his friend he locates Backpack's remote control at the gas station.
Meanwhile Brainiac has gotten his floating Brainiac Airship up and running and the league is battling him. Static arrives and tells the league he can save Richie and shut down Brainiac at the same time. He and Batman go into the control room when Brainiac takes the remote.
Static shorts the remote out and shuts down Brainiac, saving Richie. At the end Green Lantern and the rest of the League tell Static that he will be a handful when he one day joins the League.

A REALLY great conclusion to the two-parter. I think it works so well because although the Justice League guest stars it's written with a
Static Shock sensiblilty in that it seems that saving Richie is more important than simply just stopping Brainiac. Maybe the Flash's message that the power of friendship is the most important thing is schmaltzy but I think this is what sets Static apart from the other DCAU heroes so it's forgivable. I also really liked Hawkgirl telling Static after she cracked Green Lantern on the noggin that it was "just a tap".

I've heard it argued that Static shouldn't have been able to take down the rest of the League as he did here but I have to disagree. Static wasn't required to take them down in combat he just had to short them out which seemed to me to be a relatively simple thing to do under normal circumstances. I completely buy that a kid who's been superheroing as long as Static would have the skills to perform his signature move on even the most seasoned of heroes.

Like Part 1, the animation here is pretty choppy in regards to the final battle. It's really noticeable and although it's a little better than part one it still kind of drags the episode down. Other than that this was a very solid conclusion and one of my favorite Static Shock team-ups ever.

Story: *****
Animation: **1/2
Average: ****