For me, access to the internet around the early part of the decade made TV in general, and Cartoon Network in particular, one of those things that fell by the wayside. But just recently I found something that was not in my teenage subconsciousness: Justice League.
When confront with this artifact of a past era it is difficult to say what effect it would have had if I watched it back then, but I definitely appreciate watching the show now. Perhaps I am just becoming capable of appreciating these things.
The most surprising part is how much I enjoyed watching a series that is almost a decade old, and with decent - not great - animation. It wasn't a breakthrough in technique by any means, but the story telling is quite compelling.
When I think back on what meant so much to me as a child, as a teenager, and even as short a while back as one year ago, I can comfortably say I have come to ridicule many of them. This is somewhat of a reversal.
The series is well written with some surprising characters. In watching the Justice League I've gain a sense of appreciation for the American canonical superhero characters who always uphold the same ideals, and sometimes, fight the same supervillains. In the past I've mocked this aspect of DC comics as stagnant, preferring instead the more fast paced anime (perhaps I would not have appreciated this back then after all). But as time passed, many of these new animes felt hollow - because style is no substitue for substance. And plus, one can only withstand so much the confused philosophical meanderings and misogyny of their 'autuers'.
What came across as uplifting in Justice League is the exploration of themes such as love, redemption and renewal amidst the backdrop of characters that we thought we knew. And of some surreal existentialist themes...
(to be continued...)
