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Episode #20 – Clash Original Airdate – June 11th, 2005 The world’s mightiest mortal, Captain Marvel, joins the Justice League but even his power may not be enough to foil Lex Luthor?s latest plot. Reviews by Bird Boy and Simple Simon | Credits: Story by Dwayne McDuffie Teleplay by J.M. Dematteis Directed by Dan Riba Music by Kristopher Carter Animation by Dong Woo Animation Voices: |
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| Review (Bird Boy): Fans have been clamoring for a Captain Marvel appearance since Justice League started and this is our first full look at him, not only in design, but in action. He really is the “big red cheese” as fans call him, spouting one-liners that make him even more of a boy scout than Superman (a fact which Batman points out). It’s a really strong episode, both in animation and acting and it all culminates by the revelation of a (once again) evil Lex Luthor and Captain Marvel’s speech to the Justice League at the end. The big fight between Captain Marvel and Superman in this is amazing. The sheer amount of collateral damage that occurs to Luthor’s new ‘Lexor City’ is jaw-dropping. Windows shatter and buildings collapse a lot in here; I was surprised by the amount they got away with, but then again this is This was also the first episode of Justice League Unlimited that I’ve watched with the volume turned up. While I don’t have the luxury of a surround sound system yet, I did play it on two very large stereo speakers—and the thuds and booms that came from the speakers during the big clash between Captain Marvel and Superman was, simply put, awesome. So in addition to an episode that looked good, it also sounded amazing. One of the highlights of the episode was the speech Captain Marvel gave the Overall a great episode that shouldn’t be missed; also, if at all possible—play it loud. Review (Simple Simon): This may sound rather obvious, but it really pays to watch an episode all the way through before passing judgment on it. When I caught “Clash” initially during its Then I caught the first half on its repeat airing at midnight, and that changed everything. You’d think the latter half of the episode would be where the good stuff is. And what a fight scene. Dan Riba has taken some criticism for his staging of action sequences after Joaquim Dos Santos really raised the bar in “Cat and the Canary,” but here he presents the brutal pummeling between two DC juggernauts exactly the way you’d want it to look. Dynamic camera angles and painful punches abound. I especially liked one bit where buildings are coming down as Superman beats up Marvel in mid-air; it’s a subtle touch, but usually the carnage dissipates after the initial blow, whereas it lingers here for a bit longer. Of course such a fight is only possible because the script dictates it so; in any logical world, the Watchtower would’ve sent down help via teleporter to prevent needless property damage between two good guys. Still, the spectacle and fun of the fight outweigh the plot holes. There’s a lot of voice cameos to love in this one, as John C. McGinley, Lisa “Clash” is another outstanding episode in JLU’s season 2 lineup. |