Fresh from a TV Party all night, Max lays down a review for the WB Animated DC Universe film, DOOM. How does this stack up against the Mark Waid “Tower of Babel” story it’s loosely based on? What’s more, is it any good?
Super-Fly Comics & Games’ plucky sidekick Max Lake has embarked on a journey to read his collection of DC & other comics! Join Max each week every Friday as he takes on his Library! Titles reviewed by this blog do not necessarily reflect what the store has in stock, but you can always email the store to special order something that you’ve seen here at superflycomics@gmail.com. You can also call Super-Fly at (937) 767-1445 or just ask someone at the store next time you’re there for special orders. You can read past entries of the blog here. Any questions or comments for Max should be sent to maxdlake@gmail.com or feel free to comment in the comments section below. Check out @maxdlake to follow Max on Twitter. The things Max writes do not necessarily reflect the views of Super-Fly Comics & Games, and Super-Fly Comics & Games is not responsible for what Max says—especially anything that bugs you.
Written 3/30/12
DOOM was alright. I liked it for the most part, but watching it with my pals Aaron and Loren, it quickly turned into a MST3k riff fest. It’s only loosely based on Mark Waid’s JLA: Tower of Babel storyline with the main plotline being lifted is that Batman’s contingency plans against League members are used against them—that and the coffins of the Waynes are hijacked. Everything else is different however, including almost all of the contingency plans. The villain, instead of Ra’s Al Ghul is now Vandal Savage, and Savage’s plans, while similar to Al Ghul’s, are far more cataclysmic. Plus, instead of teams of assassins carrying out the dirty work, now a super villain enemy of each hero carries out the trap for their respective hero. This villain team is called the Legion of Doom, but is a much different version than seen in the Super Friends cartoons. Cyborg is included in the League lineup too, no doubt planned as part of the character’s inclusion in the DC New 52 Justice League.
Justice League DOOM DVD, part modified Mark Waid Justice League story, part re-imagining of the Legion of Doom super villain team!
It had a lot of cool stuff happening, including a fight with the Royal Flush Gang, and the villains who make up the Legion of Doom are pretty formidable. It’s just that some of the traps are overly elaborate or in one case almost silly just so real people aren’t killed or put in danger, only the heroes are—like real super villains would care about civilian lives! One of the traps was so demoralizing to Green Lantern that my pal Aaron guessed it was “crybaby gas.” It turned out to be Scarecrow Fear Toxin, so he was half-right! So it suffers at times but the fights and super heroic displays are very nice though and make the DVD worth purchasing. It’s well acted too, with almost all the original voice cast from the Justice League cartoon stepping in, with the exception of Nathan Fillion jumping back into the role of Hal Jordan as he did in Green Lantern Emerald Knights instead of Phil LaMarr reprising his John Stewart role. I guess Cyborg was the token black guy here.
I have to be nitpicky and mention that I was disappointed that the Mirror Master in DOOM wasn’t McCullough, the Scottish one from Animal Man and who has been the DCU’s Mirror Master since Morrison created him for that book, but another character in the movie had an accent (I’m blanking), so it’s understandable.
It’s worth mentioning that this is almost definitely the last animated projected we’ll see written by the now late Dwayne McDuffie. It’s so tragic his life was cut so short and while the film had its silly moments, its overall quality is still admirable.
That’s about it for now. Gotta gear up for the Gem City Comic Con tomorrow!
NOTES FROM NOW (9/16/12): Although I was disappointed by the lack of a Scottish accent in DOOM’s Mirror Master, the recent Robot Chicken DC Comics Special made up for it with a quick sketch of the McCullough Mirror Master and the Riddler trying to convince Sinestro to shave his moustache. Sinestro nearly cuts off his lip, and Mirror Master freaks out and dives into a mirror. Hilarious.