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Justice
League Unlimited
Panic in the Sky
Original Airdate - 07/09/05
Note:
Due to Michael Goodson's scheming, this week's review is
written by me, Derek McCaw. Yes, Goodson predicted he wouldn't
want to write another review in July, so nine months ago
he impregnated his wife to make sure that I'd totally buy
the excuse of "I can't review JLU, my wife just had
a baby." Congratulations to Michael and his wife Sharon,
and welcome to their baby daughter.
Early
on in the run of Justice League Unlimited, we had
the complaint that too many episodes seemed to be arbitrary
little one-off adventures. None seemed connected to any
master plan, as Bruce Timm and his merry men seemed to be
randomly showing off just who they could redesign for animation.
You've got Hawk and Dove?
Okay, let's use them for an episode for no other reason
than because we can!
But we were so, so wrong.
Okay, not necessarily about Hawk and Dove,
though they do appear briefly in "Panic in the Sky." What
we were wrong about was there being no master plan, as this
season of JLU has brought us to the edge of our seats
again and again. Months of plotlines tie together and ...IT'S
STILL NOT OVER!
Knowing
where America's interests really lie, teen dream idol Supergirl
gets another defining episode when Cadmus re-activates her
clone Galatea. Accelerated in growth to be what Supergirl
for now can only hope to be in power, Galatea (Power Girl
to those who read comics) is like the Tin Woodsman: if she
only had a heart.
Even
with the fast pace of this show, though, we get moments
that complicate things: we should root against Galatea,
but she hugs Professor Hamilton and refers to him as "Daddy"
with real sadness.
It's
not really that simple a case of good vs. evil with a Galatea/Supergirl
showdown, because Amanda Waller really believes the Justice
League has gone rogue. Foolishly dancing with the devil
Lex Luthor, it never occurs to Waller that maybe he isn't
as reformed as he seems. We know, because the show runners
have been dropping none-too-subtle hints throughout the
season, most bluntly but satisfyingly in "The
Clash." To his chagrin, Batman discovers what The Question
learned last week, that Luthor has inexplicably gained super-strength
- and cured his own cancer to boot.
The secret to that must wait until next
week's episode. For now, viewers get one heck of a battle
royale that doesn't just spotlight Supergirl. The armored
Steel (voiced by Phil LaMarr, who may hold the record for
being the most superheroes in a single season) stands beside
her as best he can.
As
they face down Galatea, wave after wave of Superfriends,
er, Ultimen keep the battle
going throughout the rest of the satellite. Once again the
valiant sword of Sir Justin and the guns of the Vigilante
howl with justice, but the episode relies heavily on Justice
Society members Star Spangled Kid, S.T.R.I.P.E., Atom Smasher
and Sand.
Only
S.T.R.I.P.E. gets a good speaking part, but it just serves
to remind long-time fans that we're really in an amazing
time - who would have thought we'd see any of these
characters in a cartoon? I am so waiting for the episode
that focuses on Aztek.
While all this distracts us, the core League
has turned itself in until they can prove that somebody
took control of their satellite. All except Batman, that
is, who politely tears his teammates a new one, prompting
Wonder Woman to comment, "...that went better than I thought
it would."
And
so say we here at Fanboy Planet. Justice League Unlimited
keeps going better than we thought it ever could.
Derek's
Continuity Corner -- continued on next page
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