Justice League: Doom [Blu-ray]

The Justice League are Earth's finest super heroes and protectors of humanity. But in the mind of the Dark Knight, they are potentially the most dangerous people on the planet should any of them go rogue. Over time, Batman has compiled top-secret contingency plans in the event he is forced to neutralize one of his fellow Justice League members such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Cyborg, Martian Manhunter or the Flash. When these files are stolen from the Batcave by the evil Vandal Savage, the Justice League faces its gravest challenge yet. Weaknesses exposed and rocked by betrayal, the League must band together against Savage's Legion of Doom and its master plan of world destruction while Batman is left with one final decision that could ultimately leave him standing alone.

Justice League: Doom, another feature-length animated project from DC Universe, pits the League against a cadre of supervillains intent on not only destroying them, but humanity itself. But there's also a second threat from within the JL's own ranks, and one that knows their deepest fears and hidden weaknesses. Based on Mark Waid's story arc "Tower of Babel" (of which part is included in this set as a digital comic book), Justice League: Doom attempts to dig into the psychological landscape of its heroes, though the feature's relatively brief running time (75 minutes) doesn't allow it the luxury of exploring the moral and ethical ramifications of the apparent betrayal within the Justice League. The story is well populated by some of DC's most favored figures on both sides of the good/bad table, including Superman (Tim Daly), Batman (Kevin Conroy, returning to his iconic voice role), and Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) for the forces of right, and Phil Morris (Vandal Savage), Olivia D'Abo (Star Sapphire), and Alexis Denisof (Mirror Master) as their opponents. Action is plentiful, and the voice cast, many of whom are veterans of both the Justice League series and previous DCA outings, handle the material with skill. For casual viewers, Justice League: Doom is a fast-paced, appealing actioner with a cast of characters familiar to even DC novices, but for longtime JL fans, especially those familiar with Waid's original arc, the story streamlining takes away much of the dramatic resonance, leaving a well-crafted but unfortunately truncated project, not unlike DCU's Batman: Year One.

Extras are plentiful, with the 36-minute documentary A League of One: The Dwayne McDuffie Story leading the pack; it's a heartfelt tribute to the writer-producer, whose love and respect for the DC milieu led to his stellar work on the Justice League series (and many other titles) before Justice League: Doom marked his final screen credit prior to his death in 2011. The 20-minute featurette Guarding the Balance attempts to address the moral issues touched upon by the film, while Cyborg, a supporting player in Doom, gets his own short showcase as an apparent launch pad for his own future status as a lead hero. There's also a pair of JL episodes and a preview of the next DCU feature, Superman vs. the Elites. The extras are definitely worth a look, while the feature itself will either intrigue or leave viewers wanting. --Paul Gaita