I review Justice League Dark: Apokolips War to see if it is indeed a better bookend than Endgame. Bonus fight between Thanos and Darkseid included :).
Who doesn't love a good animated superhero film? Often the genre, along with videogame adaptations, give far better representations of characters and their respective stories than their feature film counterparts. This is due, in part, to the flexibility and range that artists have of depicting the characters in an accurate light, while also supplying more appropriate voices to the characters as a whole. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War is an exciting addition to the animated film archives, and was given high praise indeed by CBR.com who made the bold claim that the film was better than Avengers: Endgame. With that, I simply had to get my hands on it and make up my mind for myself.
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A Little Background
So why the title "Justice League Dark?" Some may be asking. While you may think this pertains to the gritty maturity of the content at hand, it speaks to an actual wing of the Justice League lead by our favorite British sorcerer, John Constantine. First appearing in Justice League Dark #1, John leads a group of darker anti-heroes into battle against enemies better dealt with by masters of the occult, part of his band of misfits included Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Shade: The Changing Man, and his girlfriend, Zatanna. While it appeared that not all would make the cut for the film, John and Zatanna would be a pivotal part of the story.
The Story
We begin in space, as the aforementioned John and his lover, Zatanna, make their way to a meeting with Superman, Batman, and the other members of the league. Having spotted scouts sent by Darkseid, Superman decides that action must be taken to quell even the slightest attempts at conquering Earth, the scouting party interpreted as a prelude to war and worthy of immediate action by the Man of Steel. Despite the concerns of the other league members, Superman seems to have the final say on the matter, and Earth's greatest defenders set off to Planet Apokolips to take down its tyrannical warlord.
Unfortunately, Superman and co. seem to have underestimated their opponent and would go on to be brutally decimated by Darkseid and his new minions, who were already powerful parademons who were given the same powers of Doomsday, just the solution for solving any problem that even Superman could provide.
Two years later and the Earth was reduced to rubble, the few survivors cowering in hiding places, while others, such as John Constantine, would find refuge in pubs, drinking away his sorrows. One faithful day, Superman and Raven managed to find Constantine and would attempt to gain his assistance in turning the tide and saving Earth from the fate which they brought upon it. The cataclysmic war claimed the lives of many, while Darkseid would serve the Justice League's most powerful warriors a fate worse than death. Superman's powers were taken away with liquid nitrogen, sending a clear message that even Earth's strongest warrior could be reduced to nothing. And even though Raven still possessed her powers, she spends most of it keeping her evil demon father chained within her subconscious.
With regret of his actions that cost him the love of his life, Constantine would decide to help assemble a team for one final mission to set things right. With the help of Louis Lane, the team managed to add the expertise of the Suicide Squad, lead by the amusingly unstable, Harley Quinn. While Batman's son, Damian, also decided to follow a duty to save his father, despite his hatred for Superman and his actions that brought about their doom.
Thoughts
Justice League already entices with characters such as Batman, Apokolips, and the Suicide Squad, not to mention how good it is to see John Constantine present his credentials and showcase his impressive skillset and sharp sense of humor. The title of the film is appropriate, given the maturity of the content and the evil intent of Darkseid, leaving the audience shocked, and yet strangely satisfied at the fates of our favorite superheroes.
Directors, Christina Sotta and Matt Peters, do a lot right with the limited time they are given, the film only running for an hour and a half, the story is strung together well with a good balance of emphasis on the different characters and their respective stories. There are surprises aplenty and a great deal of satisfactory action that is exciting, surprising, and exhilarating. One of my few criticisms would be of Darkseid's voice, which seemed far from fitting of the galactic despot. It failed to truly match his evil demeanor and aura, and should've been of the type that was low, serious, and presented with a gravitas that could reflect the personality of an ageless entity committed to a life of conquering. Aside from that, the repetitive line by, an admittedly more impressive looking King Shark, was no doubt meant to replicate Groot from the Marvel universe, but it was a small observation that didn't do much to take away from the entire offering.
Is Apokolips War indeed better than Endgame? In a sense, yes, but the question is an incorrect one, as it would be more appropriate to ask if the concept is better, in which case the answer would be a definitive yes. A feature film with a run time of that of Endgame, cannot be compared to an animated film clocking in at an hour and a half. But in terms of protagonists, antagonists and story, Apokolips War would certainly make for an epic film were it given more space to roam, The use of anti-heroes was a great addition in a story that batter our heroes with consequences of their failures.
I didn't like how weak Thanos came off in The Avengers, and was still more unsatisfied with the inability for some heroes to say that they were bested and to accept their defeat with a certain grace, really creating questions as to other less obvious qualities that a hero should have and how sometimes there are no, and ought not to be second chances. While Justice League Dark doesn't fare much better in this department, it will still resonate well with those who feel the opposite sentiment as to the fact that heroes always find a way. Justice League Dark: Apokolips War provides for both camps in my estimation, and makes for some great viewing. Here's to the heroes that dwell in the shadows J.
Bonus
As a bonus, check out this epic battle between Thanos and Darkseid to decide once and for all who the strongest tyrant is.
