Hello, my friends. Even within humanity’s darkest hour, they still find a way to fight back against impossible odds and with a determined ferocity that runs at the speed of light. On that note, I welcome you all to another entry of my main review series known as…
In 2021, I only tackled one feature-length entry from this line. Now, I aim to rectify that as I once again venture from the modern age and travel back in time to talk about a tale of old-school heroism. Not only that, but the Scarlet Speedster will be leading the charge. As such, he’ll be finding himself alongside several unlikely heroes while they deal with several kinds of global terrors in a venture called…
Originally released on April 27, 2021 for digital download before coming out onto physical media on May 11, this particular piece was written by Meghan Fitzmartin & Jeremy Adams, while Jeff Wamester took care of directing duties. So, in what way does our familiar fast-man find himself in this unusual predicament and how will he handle this grand situation? Let’s unite to face this potential infamy and find out.
We open at the White House as a private briefing is being held within the Oval Office. Steve Trevor (voiced by Chris Diamantopoulos) explains that the Nazis have marched their way through Poland while they stood by and did nothing. As a result, the Axis Power has spread its overwhelming terror throughout most of Europe. Not only that, but Hitler has been sending excavation teams out to find notable and “magical artifacts” ever since 1933 in order to help secure his party’s diabolical grasp upon the world. From there, Steve introduces some notable individuals who can help them fight back.
First up, he presents a top-notch scientist named Rex Tyler a.k.a. Hourman (voiced by Matthew Mercer) who’s invented a chemical called Miraclo, which gives him superhuman capabilities for an hour. Next up, there’s Dinah Lance a.k.a. Black Canary (voiced by Elysia Rotaru) a fierce woman who can omit a supersonic Canary Cry, but has been “shunned by her community” as a result. From there, we have a super-speedster named Jay Garrick (voiced by Armen Taylor) who recently became a fully-committed crime-fighter and is willing to help out America’s military. Last up, there’s Carter Hall a.k.a. Hawkman (voiced by Omi Abtahi) who’s described as “an ancient Egyptian in a modern Egyptian’s body” who also has his own wings and is on his “fourth incarnation”.
Upon the conclusion of the briefing, U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (voiced by Darin De Paul) asks if these notable individuals will be able to fight back against the Nazis and their gathered artifacts. Trevor assures him that they’ll be capable of doing so and that he has someone in mind to lead the team. From there, she makes her way inside as it’s revealed to be Diana a.k.a. Wonder Woman (voiced by Stana Katic).
Following the opening credits, we shift to modern day as Barry Allen a.k.a. Flash (voiced by Matt Bomer) is visiting Metropolis alongside his girlfriend Iris West (voiced by Ashleigh LeThrop). In order to take advantage of his temporary break from superhero business, they’ve made their way into Centennial Park in order to have a picnic. She soon discovers that she forgot to bring sunscreen, to which he quickly rectifies it by dashing off and getting some in swift fashion. Barry then starts racing about several other things before Iris steps in to stop him. He then notices that something’s bother her before he gets asked why they’re here, to which he says that they’re taking some time away from his “other job”. She then tells him that while she really does appreciate him for that, they’ve been together for several years without making any significant advancement on their relationship. Allen says that he truly loves her, but that he’s trying to keep her safe by making sure that no one else discovers his secret identity. West then tells him that if he truly believes that, then they should just end their relationship. She then reminds him that just because “life is dangerous”, it doesn’t mean that they can’t live it together. Just then, they hear a distant explosion before she tells him to go take care of it. He then promises to make up their picnic day tomorrow before he speeds off.
Over within the main municipality, Kal-El a.k.a. Superman (voiced by Darren Criss) is in the middle of a fight against Brainiac (also voiced by Darin De Paul). He proceeds to take on some opposing drones, but they ultimately capture him. Just then, Flash dashes in and kicks Brainiac’s hovercraft, causing him to crash into a nearby building.
Barry then attempts to free Superman, but he gets shocked the moments he grabs one of the drone’s robotic tentacles. After getting back onto his feet, he then grabs a rock and hurls it with enough momentum to take one of them out. As a result, it allows Kal-El to free himself.
Shortly after our two heroes agree to team up, Brainiac reemerges and fires a powerful beam at them. While Flash manages to evade the destructive shot, Superman tries to use this distracting opportunity and fly right at Brainiac. However, the fiend recovers in time and blasts him.
He then takes out a glowing green bullet while Kal-El grabs a car and flies right back at the fiend. However, he starts to feel weakened as the object turns out to be Kryptonite. Brainiac then loads the bullet and prepares to fire it. Flash then heads towards Superman, who tells the speedster to avoid the beam and take their foe out.
From there, Barry makes a mad dash for Brainiac who proceeds to fire the Kryptonite Bullet. However, Allen quickly realizes that the shot is meant for Kal-El. As such, he turns around and runs right towards the lethal projectile. With Superman picking up the car and thus becoming a potentially fatal target, Flash picks up his pace and attempts to grab the Kryptonite bullet. Just as he closes his hand upon it, he suddenly finds himself running through a cosmic zone. From there, he hears the voice of Dr. Fate (voiced by Keith Ferguson) who tells him to keep running while he guides him through this otherworldly dimension.
Over within the war-torn Europe of the past, the Nazis have continued their ruthless advance. As they make their way through a ravaged village, a war vehicle flies in and blocks their path. They’re soon met upon by Wonder Woman who easily deflects their bullets with her bracelets before she leaps in and proceeds to easily beat them.
However, she’s soon met upon by the opposing cannon fire from another group of Axis soldiers. Not only that, but several more are hiding out within a nearby house as they proceed to shoot away with their machine gun. Fortunately, she uses her shield to protect herself before leaping inside to also make short work of those fiends.
Back outside, the Nazi soldiers fire their cannon at the building. Thankfully, Diana evades their shot by leaping to a nearby house while taking out another enemy soldier. From there, she jumps onto the roof and runs towards the opposing men. They manage to load their cannon in time and get their shot off, but she easily dodges it before slamming her sword onto their weapon, destroying it and taking the soldiers out in the process.
Afterwards, she’s met upon by Hawkman as she says that they haven’t found “him” yet. He then mentions that they’re running out of time, especially with Hourman’s current Miraclo consumption nearly running its course and that they’re risking the lives of several innocent civilians if they don’t head out soon. However, she says that they’ll continue waiting before telling him to check “the left flank” and report back with any finding. Shortly after Carter flies off, she soon notices a electrical build-up nearby as a portal opens up and Flash dashes right out of it, bumping into Wonder Woman along the way before slamming into a desolate building. She then picks him up and notices the symbol on his uniform, believing that the Nazis have their own speedster.
After they evade some enemy gunfire from a squadron of Axis planes, Black Canary comes in and asks for their plan. Diana tells her that they must regroup, while Hawkman deals with the opposing planes in order for them to get more time to operate. She then interrogates Barry and asks if President Roosevelt sent him to their location, but he doesn’t know what they’re talking about. As such, she tells Dinah to keep a sharp eye on him before she heads out. Soon after he learns that they’re in France, Flash and Black Canary soon hear a somewhat-nearby conflict. Realizing that some innocent people are in trouble, he easily dashes away from Lance in order to intervene.
It turns out that a small group of Nazi soldiers have some French civilians surrounded, while a lone infantryman stands in their way. Just as the Axis soldiers are about to gun them down, Barry arrives and unintentionally gets their attention. They proceed to shoot at him, but he easily speeds around their shots before he swiftly makes some precise hits upon them. Even when he stops his own punch from connecting with the group leader, the shockwave from his fist is still able to ultimately knock him out as he and his fellow goons are easily defeated. Afterwards, Allen finds himself out of breath as he wonders why this is happening.
Suddenly, he’s met upon by Wonder Woman who picks him up while the rest of her teammates also arrive. Shortly after Hawkman says that he can’t possibly be working with the Nazis, Flash gets a realization. After he’s let down, he tells them that he’s from the future. While Diana & Dinah don’t believe him, Jay & Carter do mention that it sounds rationally possible. Before they can continue with their interrogation, a nearby building explodes as Hourman says that they still have a fight to finish and that his current consumed batch of Miraclo is nearing its end.
Afterwards, they’re met upon by an Axis fighter plane that opens fire on them. Suddenly, it gets shot down as our super group soon discover that Steve has arrived and saved them.
However, another Nazi plane flies in and fires back, crippling Trevor’s aircraft and causing him to falls towards a fiery descent. Hawkman files off to go save him, but Barry makes some quick mental calculations and realizes that he’s not going to reach Steve in time. As such, he dashes off to help.
Back with Trevor, the extensive damage to his airplane begins to take its toll as the engine gives out on him, forcing him to prep for a rough landing. Meanwhile, Flash is struggling to keep up as he finds himself panting along the way. Suddenly, he finds Jay running in to help. They manage to reach a certain distance from the approaching plane before Barry proceeds to rapidly spin his arms in order to create an air cushion for Steve’s aircraft. Garrick also joins in with the same method as they ultimately provide a smooth landing for Trevor.
Shortly afterwards, he’s met upon by Wonder Woman and Hawkman before she thanks Allen for his noble act. Just as Hourman and Black Canary also arrive, Diana gives the order to head out to their extraction point. However, Steve informs them that he saw an approaching division of Nazi soldiers heading towards the village, especially since they’re trying to hunt him down. With several innocent civilians in newfound jeopardy, Diana tells Rex & Jay to join her for some groundwork, while Carter and Dinah deal with some aerial trouble. Barry offers to help out, but Garrick says that they can’t risk him complicating their own timeline through his involvement. As such, Wonder Woman tells him to escort Trevor to their extraction point.
Shortly after our heroes head out, Allen asks why he’s never heard of them. Steve explains that the Justice Society of America is purposefully kept a secret to the American populace, especially with their war correspondent intentionally keeping them away from the major media headlines. Barry then wonders why they’re being kept a secret, to which Trevor says that the team still has its own human flaws and that it’s best that they’re left out of the regular civilian consciousness in order to deprive Hitler of any of their known weaknesses.
Back in the village, another division of Nazi soldiers have finally arrived. Thankfully, the Justice Society is able to intervene, especially with Hawkman and Black Canary taking the enemy planes out.
Back on the ground, Dinah manages to take out a few enemy soldiers before Jay dashes in to save her from the opposing gunfire. He then swiftly heads in and disarms them, but an Axis tank is lining up its shot onto him. Fortunately, Hourman runs in and lifts it over before he tears it apart.
Over with Wonder Woman, she easily manages to smash the remaining tanks before the battle ends with the Nazi soldiers defeated and captured.
Later that night, our heroes are at the extraction point as they discuss with their correspondent on the details of their recent scuffle. Diana tells him to report how “an experimental prototype” took down several Axis planes instead of Hawkman and that their regular, human soldiers deserve every last ounce of their credit. When he then asks what he should write about concerning their newest ally, she simply tells him “Nothing”, especially since they don’t know his name. Barry then introduces himself as the Flash, but since the Justice Society already has Jay filling that role for the team, they decide to call him “Future Boy”. Diana then introduces Allen to their war correspondent named Shakespeare, but Barry gets a suspicious feeling that he’s seen him before.
Afterwards, Steve approaches Wonder Woman and attempts to propose her with his offer of marriage. However, she calmly declines. Barry then asks what that whole scene was about, to which Jay says that this has been a regular event between them. Trevor then says that he’s not being a cad, especially since it doesn’t bother Diana and that she promised him that she would accept his offer someday. Shortly afterwards, their extraction finally arrives as our heroes head out.
Later on at a base, Wonder Woman argues how despite the group’s two-year endeavor with this conflict, they still must bring it to an end, despite Hawkman arguing that it’s not their call. Black Canary says that Allen could help them out, but Rex & Jay mention that it would cause a paradox and that he wouldn’t be able to go back to his time period as a result. However, Diana agrees with Dinah in that they need every superhuman help in order to protect innocent civilians from harm. Steve then steps in and say that their regular human soldiers are capable of looking out for themselves, especially since they have a new mission to deal with. He explains that they’re unable to decode their recently-acquired intel, further explaining that the Nazis are attempting to find a game-changing artifact. Fortunately, Trevor knows a guy who has “mystical abilities” who’s not mentally sound, but can help them decode the intel. However, the Axis forces have already captured him and he’s being held within a highly-guarded castle over in Bavaria. When Carter asks what they’re going to do with Barry, Rex & Jay ultimately deduce that he should stick with them. As such, Allen gets officially enlisted onto their team.
Later, the Justice Society sets their plan into motion as they sneak their way to the outskirts of the Nazi-fortified castle. After an initial observation, Wonder Woman tells her teammates to stick to their plan. From there, they receive some ear-coms that Garrick & Hourman created in order for them to receive each others’ messages via Morse Code. However, Barry doesn’t get one since Diana tells him that he’s sticking with her. From there, they proceed to make their way towards the castle.
Wonder Woman then bursts in and takes out several Nazi soldiers. During her takedown of one particular infantryman, she ends up within another fiend’s line of fire. Thankfully, Allen protects her with a Nazi shield before he takes the gunman out. Afterwards, Barry expresses concern over the fact that their approach lacked any kind of stealth, especially when they mention an earlier comment from Steve on how they “all die sooner or later”. Allen says that unlike her quippy mentioning of said phrase, Trevor doesn’t view it as a joke, especially when it comes to his constant marriage proposals. Suddenly, they hear a shrilling scream in the distance before Diana receives a Morse Code message from her earpiece. Realizing that Steve is requesting them to see something important, they proceed to head out.
Meanwhile, Jay and Rex are pinned within the main dining hall while several Nazi soldiers attempt to gun them down. Hourman asks his fellow speedster if he can simply dash around and relieve them of their weapons, but Garrick says that he’s unable to, explaining that his superspeed has been somewhat affected by Barry’s sudden arrival. As the Axis infantrymen begin to surround them, Tyler considers taking another batch of Miraclo, but Jay tells him that he hasn’t completed his full-day of recovery from his last consumption yet. As such, Garrick decides to take matters into his own hands as he systematically takes down the opposing soldiers with a precise series of sonic shockwaves.
Over in the storage area, Hawkman and Black Canary are in the middle of their extensive search. He then notices that something’s bothering her and decides to ask her about it, to which she says that Allen didn’t even know who they were. Carter says that they’re supposed to be a secret, but Dinah asks why they’re doing all of this if they’re not even going to be historically remembered once this whole conflict ends. She then mentions that death doesn’t feel as grim when there’s “someone waiting” for each of them, to which Hall asks her about her detective boyfriend named Larry. However, she’s unsure if he’s truly the one. Hawkman then says that even though they’re in a dire situation, this will all eventually pass and they’ll “need to live again”, especially since he looks forward to “finding that other half”. Suddenly, they hear a guy screaming in pain from the other side of a nearby door.
Back with Barry and Diana, they’ve joined up with Steve as they make their way through a Nazi torture chamber. After mentioning that their war correspondent Shakespeare is currently looking for the mystic codebreaker, Trevor says that he was unaware of this horrid activity. Despite that, Wonder Woman says that they must continue their search as they proceed to head out.
Over with Shakespeare, he searches through the various dungeons before he comes across two particular cells. While one contains the rotting corpses of some unfortunate prisoners, he then hears someone coughing from the nearby holding chamber. Shortly after he heads inside, he discovers an imprisoned young man who’s been expecting him. From there, he takes out a package from underneath his pillow and gives it to him. Shakespeare is puzzled as he takes it, which turns out to be a Superman outfit, and tries to ask the prisoner who told him about his arrival. Suddenly, he’s met upon by a Nazi soldier who proceeds to shoot him. As he heads over to investigate, he’s soon surprised as Shakespeare manages to get up and is completely unharmed by the bullets. Wonder Woman, Steve and Barry arrive shortly afterwards as she knocks the guard out, to which they’re also stunned by the fact that their war correspondent withstood the opposing gunfire.
Meanwhile, Black Canary and Hawkman are struggling to break down the reinforced cell door. Thankfully, Hourman and Jay arrive as Rex assists Carter in smashing their way in. From there, they finally reach the imprisoned codebreaker. As they approach their subject, Hall realizes that he’s seen him before from a previous life as he frees the man from his shackles and examines him. The weakened prisoner (who turns out to be Dr. Fate) then mumbles about how they’ll all be dead and that they “should know”. Afterwards, Jay gives Carter the code before he asks their code master for some help in deciphering it. After a few groans, he begins to glow as the whole room gets swarmed by some mystic lights.
Meanwhile, Steve expresses his confusion over their war correspondent’s ability to withstand bullets before he heads over to free the prisoner. From there, Shakespeare says that his actual name is Clark Kent (also voiced by Darren Criss) as Barry recognizes him as Superman, but Clark doesn’t know that codename. As she wraps her head around Kent’s nearly-invulnerable skin, Wonder Woman frees the prisoner while chastising him for not getting involved in their fight against the Nazis. Trevor then asks why he’s even here to begin with, to which Clark says that it’s to get the story. However, Allen says that he remembers him as the most selfless person he’s ever known. Unfortunately, Kent says that he doesn’t know him and that he’s been exposed to the human race’s need to only look out for themselves. Barry then asks him about his parents, to which Clark says that both Jonathan & Martha Kent lost their lives in an accident when he was only three years old and that he wound up in an orphanage afterwards. He then takes the prisoner and says that he’ll make sure that the captives are let out of the castle before taking his leave. Afterwards, Allen makes a startling realization and figures out that he’s not in his own past, but that he’s on “a different Earth” before he dashes off to meet up with Jay.
Back with the rest of the Justice Society, the weary Dr. Fate reveals where they need to go: the Bermuda Triangle. From there, he proceeds to ramble again as it’s revealed that he was the one who gave the imprisoned young man the package that he ultimately gave to Clark, despite him not knowing “what it means”. Afterwards, Barry arrives as he also discovers that the code breaker is Dr. Fate. From there, he asks the guy if there’s some way that he can get back to his universe, while Jay and Rex are stunned by this multiverse-sized realization. Dr. Fate then tells Allen that he’ll be able to go home, but there’s a grand task that he must deal with first, as well as “a lesson” that he has to learn. Afterwards, he tells Hawkman that he’ll “see her again soon”. From there, he tells the group that they must go and that “it’s starting” before he vanishes in a flash of light.
Later, the Justice Society reassembles outside of the castle as Steve & Diana learn about what their mystic code breaker has told them. After informing her fellow heroes that Shakespeare is “on his own”, Wonder Woman learns from Hawkman that they’re supposed to head to the Bermuda Triangle before she asks Trevor for a ship that can take them there, to which he says that he’s got something better in mind for her and their teammates.
Later, the Justice Society and Steve are being transported by submarine towards their destination. Suddenly, the crew’s radar detects three enemy ships above them as they attempt to evade the opposing sea crafts. However, the Nazi ships proceed to drop some depth charges as the submarine gets pounded by the various blasts, resulting in the engine room’s outer wall getting punctured while the ocean water begins to leak into it. Thankfully, Barry manages to zip around and swiftly fix the damage.
Unfortunately, the main engine was already affected by the blast and becomes disabled. Jay says that they’ll be forced to surface, but Hawkman says that they’ll become easy targets for the Nazi ships as a result. Steve then asks if the engines can get restarted, to which Garrick mentions that they don’t have a way to do so. Once again, Allen gets an idea. Once he and Jay reach the main engine, they open it up before Barry vibrates his hand at an accelerated rate in order to create enough static electricity to jump start it back to full power.
Meanwhile, Wonder Woman makes her way towards the torpedo room in order to head out and deal with the Nazi ships. After Trevor makes some romantic banter towards her, she climbs into the tube and proceeds to get fired out of it. From there, she swims around, grabs every descending depth charge and throws them all back at the opposing sea crafts, causing enough severe damage to them that they’re forced to retreat.
Just as Diana is about to head back into the submarine, she spots several more approaching depth charges. Before she can head back out to deal with them, she’s suddenly met upon by a pair of Atlantean soldiers who proceed to blast the descending bombs with their advanced laser guns. Afterwards, they reach Wonder Woman and point her towards where they need her to go as she soon sees an underseas port.
After Steve lets her back inside, she tells him and Hawkman that they’ve received some unexpected help. From there, our heroes and the crew are led into the underseas base before they ultimately come to rest at a port.
From there, the Justice Society disembarks as they’re met upon by an Advisor (voiced by Geoffrey Arend) who tells them that they’re in an Atlantean outpost where they can be informed “about the irrational behavior” from the surface-dwellers. From there, he proceeds to lead our heroes towards his king. Ultimately, they meet up with the King of Atlantis himself: Arthur a.k.a. Aquaman (voiced by Liam McIntyre). Wonder Woman then steps forward and asks him & his Atlantean armada to help them fight back against the Nazis. However, Arthur says that his rule is limited to his own kingdom before he asks why he should deal in this surface-level affair, to which Diana says that the Nazis won’t rest until the whole world, both “above and below”, is in their tyrannical grasp. Just as Aquaman agrees to help them, he’s met upon by his advisor who whispers a private message into his ear. From there, Arthur proceeds to lead the team towards something that could potentially help them win this war.
Eventually, the Justice Society is led into a massive chamber. Suddenly, Aquaman does a heal turn as he traps them inside a cage made of Atlantean magic. Not only that, but he also reveals that the Nazis reached him first and managed to sway him onto their side. The advisor then explains that he used to be a surface-dwelling pirate before his ship was capsized during a fierce storm. However, he was rescued by the Atlanteans before he reveals that he has the ability to mind control others. With Arthur under his mental sway and now working with the Nazis, the advisor then reveals that he was the one who gave our heroes the cryptic code in order to lure them here in the first place. Now that the Justice Society is imprisoned, he and Aquaman proceed to take their leave.
Once they reach the main command center, Arthur manages to break free from his mind-controlled state before he questions why he had to imprison those heroes. The advisor lies to him by saying that they’re the enemy and that they wish to ravage his kingdom before taking it for themselves. He then convinces Aquaman that they must help the Nazis win the war before they eventually turn against them as well, thus allowing them to claim the world as their own. With Arthur back under his mind control, they prepare to head out and ravage the surface world.
Back with the imprisoned Justice Society, Hawkman tries to break through the magical barrier with his mace to no avail. Just as Jay says that they need an escape plan, he’s soon lead over to Barry. Allen then says that ever since his arrival, he hasn’t been able to run as fast as he normally does. Garrick then realizes that they’re both tapping into the same Speed Force at the same time, thus preventing both of them from being as swift. Fortunately, they realize that if they combine their energies together, then it would allow them to get back to their normal speeds. Wonder Woman asks how this will let them bypass magic, to which Jay explains that it would allow one of them to phase through a solid object. From there, Barry places his hands on the floor and begins to rapidly vibrate them. Garrick then puts his hands onto Allen and also proceeds to vibrate at an accelerated rate. Ultimately, this plan works as Barry manages to phase through the ground.
He then lands into the command center as the Atlantean guards notice and attempt to capture him. Thankfully, he defeats them with ease before he subdues the head guard and demands to know where Aquaman has gone to. When he refuses to talk, Allen then delivers a swift series of punches to his face before he submits.
Afterwards, Barry returns and frees the Justice Society before he informs them that the Atlanteans & the Nazis are about to launch a surprise attack upon America’s Eastern Seaboard. Not only that, but Arthur is on his way towards the trench in order to open an underseas cage. As such, Wonder Woman tells him that he’ll be joining her in order to prevent those underseas terrors from getting out while the rest of her teammates have to head towards the Eastern Seaboard in order to intercept the incoming assault. Steve then tells her to be careful before she and Allen take their leave.
Soon enough, they manage to commandeer a mini-sub and make their way towards the trench. Just as they’re about to reach their destination, the underseas craft produces a seashell as Barry heads over to investigate it. As soon as he touches it, it proceeds to cover him within an Atlantean pressure suit.
Back at the Atlantean sea base, the submarine crew had already been captured. Thankfully, the Justice Society managed to defeat the Atlantean guards as Jay frees his fellow comrades before they depart for New York City.
Over in the trench, Arthur arrives at the underseas cage as the advisor takes control over his mind and orders him to open it up. As such, Aquaman uses his trident to unlock the gate. Suddenly, Flash swims in and punches him into the depths. As for Wonder Woman, she goes after the advisor as she easily breaks into his mini-sub. However, he managed to get his deep sea pressure suit on in time as he grabs Diana’s face and proceeds to take control of her mind.
Back with Arthur, he recovers in time as he evades another attack from Barry before he grabs the Scarlet Speedster and throws him onto the ocean floor. Afterwards, his head begins to ring as he once again breaks out of his mind-controlled state. However, he’s soon met upon by the mentally-compromised Wonder Woman who swims in and punches him. From there, a fight break out between them before Aquaman manages to throw her into some underseas rocks where she gets buried underneath. Afterwards, he notices that the trench’s gate is opening up. Before he can react to it, the advisor returns and reclaims control over his mind. With the various underseas terrors now unleashed, Diana can only watch as they head out to cause some topside destruction.
Later, the civilians of NYC’s Coney Island are met upon by the Atlantean soldiers who proceed to unleash their surprise attack upon them. With buildings getting destroyed and people either fleeing for their lives or getting decimated, the police attempt to stop them, but are easily overpowered.
Suddenly, they’re met upon by Black Canary, Hawkman and Jay who proceed to engage their underseas foes. In particular, Garrick manages to intercept some Atlantean grenades from harming a couple before he places them inside the cannons of some Atlantean tanks, causing those war vehicles to get destroyed.
Hourman and Steve also manage to join the fight before the latter notices that an Atlantean tank is about to set its deadly sights upon Dinah. Thankfully, Trevor manages to take out the opposing soldiers before commandeering their vehicle.
However, the fight is far from over as the trench’s fierce creatures finally arrive. While one of the beasts manages to disable Steve’s tank, Aquaman and the advisor arrive to cause some more destruction.
Jay and Carter manage to save some innocent civilians from the titanic creature’s wrath, but another crustaceous monster pops up and begins to devastate the city. Shortly after our heroes regroup, Hawkman says that he’ll take Black Canary in order to smite the massive monster, while Garrick, Hourman and Steve deal with the remaining creatures.
As such, they put their attack plan into motion as Dinah engages the massive monster with a series of Canary Cries. She even manages to athletically leap across its series of tentacles in the process, but she ultimately fails to leap back onto its limbs and proceeds to plummet. Thankfully, Carter flies in and saves her. Unfortunately, another creature catches up and manages to stab him with its tail. From there, Hall and Lance ending up falling towards the ground as he manages to shield her from the impact.
Afterwards, Black Canary discovers his fatal wound as she tells her injured teammate to hang on. With his dying breath, Hawkman tells her that she’s spent a lot of time building emotional walls in order to not get hurt, but he wants her to not give up on both life and love, since both are good reasons to keep going. From there, he succumbs to his wound and passes on as Dinah mourns for his demise.
Just as she’s met upon by a group of Atlantean soldiers, she emotionally responds with a powerful Canary Cry and leaves a devastating impact upon the nearby beach. Afterwards, she spots the creature that killed her teammate and proceeds to run off after it.
Meanwhile, Jay is being pursued by the massive crustacean. He takes out a few Atlantean soldiers before he takes one of their guns and gets several shots upon the mobile beast to no avail.
Meanwhile, Flash & Wonder Woman have finally arrived in their mini-sub as she leaps up and punches the mind-controlled Aquaman, causing him to smash into an office building before they proceed to fight.
Over with Hourman, he manages to take out several Atlantean soldiers. However, he’s soon met upon by another squadron and gets ordered to surrender. Rex responds by saying that as an American, he’s not going to comply.
Despite taking out a few more enemy soldiers, he ends up getting shot as he falls over in pain. Before they can carry out with their execution, Steve intervenes with some timely gunfire before he reaches his injured teammate and begins to apply pressure upon the wound.
Back at the nearby office building, Diana and Arthur continue with their tussle. They manage to swap several blows between each other before their fight makes its way onto the street. However, Aquaman manages to pin Wonder Woman down before attempting to stab her in the face with his trident. Though she managed to evade his strike, she still received a cut on her cheek. With his Amazonian girlfriend in deep trouble, Trevor heads out to intervene.
Meanwhile, Black Canary finally catches up to the aerial creature. After getting its attention with another Canary Cry, she takes off her domino mask off before the beast responds by charging right towards her. However, Dinah responds by unleashing her fiercest Canary Cry as it manages to tear the monster apart. Afterwards, Lance gets consumed by the immediate exhaustion and collapses.
Back with Garrick, he continues to get swiftly pursued by the massive crustacean. After spotting some more Atlantean soldiers, he proceeds to lure the beast into ramming the underseas infantrymen. Not only that, but he managed to swipe several of their grenades. From there, he finally engages the creature in a standoff as he runs towards it. He then suddenly slides underneath it while throwing the active bombs into its mouth. From there, the various explosions proceed to severely damage its inner organs as it finally collapses in deadly defeat.
Meanwhile, Diana is struggling to hold back Arthur’s attempt at stabbing her with his trident. Suddenly, Steve arrives in a police car before he rolls out while the vehicle rams into Aquaman and crashes into a building. While Wonder Woman wearily tries to get up, Trevor notices that Arthur has easily recovered from the ambush. As such, Steve proceeds to fire away with his machine gun. However, Arthur’s thick Atlantean skin is able to resist the opposing bullets before he grabs Trevor and slams him onto the ground.
Just as Aquaman is about to stab away with his trident, Diana arrives and uses her bracelet to protect her boyfriend from the lethal strike. After she punches him across the street, she picks up his trident and says that she aims to help the civilians claim their rightful freedom.
However, Arthur begins to summon his weapon as she struggles to prevent him from reclaiming it. With one final strike, she manages to slam her fist onto the trident and smashes it as the resulting shockwave knocks both her and Aquaman down.
Afterwards, Arthur is finally freed from his mind-controlled state as he oversees the carnage that he unintentionally caused. Just as Steve gets back onto his feet, Aquaman telepathically has the massive creature pick him up as they and the Atlantean armada retreat back into the Atlantic Ocean.
However, Trevor is soon met upon by the advisor who picks up the shattered trident and tells him that he & his fellow heroes are unable to stop Hitler’s reign. Just then, a distant buzzing noise begins to grow louder as Steve sees a squadron of Nazi fighter planes approaching the city. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it distracted Trevor long enough in order for the advisor to stab him. As Steve falls over in pain and is about to be finished off, Flash runs in & rams into the advisor, causing the fiend to slam into a nearby wall and get knocked out.
Afterwards, he checks up on his wounded comrade as Trevor says that he’ll be fine before he also spots the incoming Nazi warplanes and gets told to “go”.
From there, Wonder Woman also recovers and see the aerial terror that’s approaching New York City, unaware of her boyfriend’s critical condition. As the team regroups, they can only stand in horror as the Nazi bombers continue with their approach. Just as Diana asks her teammates where Hawkman is, Barry soon notices something else up in the sky.
Suddenly, the Nazi warplanes begin to blow up. It turns out that Clark has finally decided to embrace the role of Superman as he leaps between the aircraft and takes them out one by one. With this surprise attack squashed, he hops down onto the ground before he’s met upon by his fellow heroes. He then says that while he’s still a reporter, it was finally time for him to get involved.
Afterwards, Hourman gets Diana’s attention as she finally notices Steve in fatal condition. She rushes to his side and says that they’ll get a doctor, but Trevor says that it’s too late for that. She then tearfully says that this can’t happen, since they were going to end up together once the war ended. From there, he tells her how unlike today, “Tomorrow is never guaranteed”. Despite that, he still appreciated all of the time that he spent with her. He then proceeds to take out the engagement ring and once again asks for her hand in marriage, to which she finally accepts. Just as Steve is about to place it on her finger, he finally succumbs to his wound and passes on as the ring falls onto the ground while she tearfully mourns him.
Later on, Trevor’s body gets taken away by the army while Allen tells our heroes that the advisor has somehow escaped. Black Canary assures him that they’ll find the fiend before Hourman says that they must help him get back home. Wonder Woman then thanks him for his help before she also gives him her engagement ring, reminding him to not make the same mistake that she made.
From there, Barry and Jay take their places as they proceed to dash away. Soon after they enter the Speed Force, Garrick gives Allen one final push as the Flash begins his trek back to his world.
He soon arrives at the moment that the Kyptonite Bullet is on its way towards Superman. Just as his past self vanishes, Barry makes it back in time as he grabs the lethal projectile and throws it back towards Brainiac, taking the fiend out with a precise headshot.
Despite his initial confusion, Kal-El thanks the Flash for his help before he attempts to fly off. However, Barry stops him and says that Brainiac won’t be the only adversary to show up & threaten their world. As such, he wants them to find several other heroes like them and form a team in order to combat those future threats, to which they both agree.
Later in Centennial Park, Allen and Iris finally have their picnic as he shares the details of his recent otherworldly adventure with her. He then says that he forgot something before he surprises her by helping her on to her feet. From there, he tells her that no matter what the future has in store, he wants to face it alongside her. From there, he takes out the engagement ring and asks for her hand in marriage. She gladly accepts his proposal as the film ends with him placing the ring onto her finger before they share a tender kiss.
Now that this humble trip across the multiverse has ended, let’s get to my character analysis. Kicking things off is our fastest man alive himself, the Flash. When we’re first introduced to Barry, he’s an established superhero who’s been going steady with Iris for a long while, but he hasn’t been able to get comfortable in fully-integrating her into his costumed crusading life. Once he finds himself within the past of an alternate Earth and also when he’s able to establish a basic level of trust with them, the Justice Society begins to mold him into becoming a far-more confident person. In particular, Jay Garrick, Steve Trevor & Wonder Woman end up becoming his biggest influential figures. Jay’s wisdom & father figure-esque guidance helps him be more level-headed and in return, Allen rewards him with a few modern speed-related techniques, thus allowing both of them to become better speedsters in their respective worlds. As for how Steve Trevor & Diana influence him, Barry learns that the future is uncertain and filled with various dangers. If he truly wants Iris to be a part of his life, then he must ultimately suck it up, take the risk and start working towards a better tomorrow as a couple. Not only does this mean that West will potentially face some of the mortal perils that he’ll come across in order for them to achieve complete happiness, but thanks to the united influence the Justice Society have placed onto him, he inspires his universe’s Superman to help lay the foundation for what should ultimately become their version of the Justice League. In the end, Allen started out as being far-more put-together while he’s fighting crime. Once this whole venture finally ends, his out-of-costume self becomes stable with some old-fashioned structure and he becomes a better person who’s able to face the world in those moments when he’s not required to don his iconic outfit. In terms of his performance, Matt Bomer does a nice job in capturing the fast-talking wit, personal concern and overall likability of the character. He’s definitely done a lot of projects in the eight years since his portrayal of the titular hero in “Superman: Unbound”, with him even taking on the role of Negative Man in “Doom Patrol”. As such, his effort as the Scarlet Speedster is filled with the right amount of energy to help him stand out as the central protagonist while he fights and grows throughout this entry.
As for Wonder Woman, Steve Trevor and the rest of the Justice Society, they each make themselves useful in various degrees. As the dedicated and superpowered field general of the team, Diana is headstrong with completing the mission. Even though she does care about Steve, she puts her professional duty over her personal desire to romantically settle down with him. In a somewhat similar vein to Gal Gadot’s portrayal of the character in the famed 2017 film, this version is somewhat naïve in the fact that she thinks that nothing too severe will happen to either of them during this ordeal. However (and for different reasons), neither version gets to end up with their man once this conflict finally ends. Because she’s too concentrated with trying to end the Nazi’s horrific reign, she doesn’t take enough time to appreciate what she’s got with Trevor until it’s too late. Unlike her, Steve values his relationship while he’s embroiled in this vicious combat. To him, he sees this as an eventual reward that they’ll share once this war finally ends. Also, he takes advantage of his downtime in order to soak up every single humble and loving moment that he can enjoy with her. By the end, he’s gotten the most out of his relationship since he was able to make every single second that he had with his Amazing Amazon count. For this entry, Katic & Diamantopoulos turn in some nice performances while also sharing some decent chemistry with each other. Stana brings a strong presence to Wonder Woman, especially while she’s presenting a Greek/Israeli accent in the process (no doubt a nod to Gadot’s presence in her live-action portrayal of the character). She brings some good range to her role and presents some professional-level interactions with her fellow castmates. As for Chris, he gives a cool and confident presentation to his performance. He also delivers a nice range as he goes from charming to concerned, depending on what the scene requires him to deliver. As such, both of them come through in order to work off of each other while interacting with their fellow actors. Moving on, we have the team’s own version of the Flash with Jay Garrick. Even though Diana & Steve each interact with Barry in their own unique ways, Jay’s encounters feel more caring and guiding. His father figure approach to helping Allen presents him as being incredibly wise, very knowledgeable and absolutely valuable towards helping our main Flash establish a firmer foundation for him to work on once he gets back to his universe. If given his own group to work with, then he could potentially prove himself as a worthwhile leader in his own right. However, there’s not much else in terms of other major character traits or arc progressions for Garrick. Unlike Wonder Woman & Trevor, he’s not as impactful towards Barry aside from his mentor-guided knowledge. Despite that, he still manages to leave a positive impact upon our main hero, especially with a good performance from Armen Taylor. His vocal delivery is very effective in presenting Jay as a wise figure who has many facets of life figured out in addition to being a reliable speedster towards his teammates and his country. Continuing within the team, we have Black Canary and Hawkman. They’re connected in the fact that they both have a loved one that’s waiting for them in some degree. For Dinah, she’s uncertain if Larry truly is the one for her. This could’ve been connected to Barry in the fact that both of them are hesitant with making a full commitment to their respective relationships. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any connection at all and the movie never really does much with Lance’s arc until Carter’s death scene, where she’s convinced to eventually give her man a chance. As for Hall, his true love exists to him in another life due to his multiple reincarnations. Sadly, he also remains somewhat in the background and doesn’t get to do much outside from converse with his teammates and take part in action scenes. Despite my complaints with their characters, Elysia Rotaru and Omid Abtahi still put in the effort to make their parts work within the story. If this iteration of the team gets to come back in a future installment, then maybe they can get more to do there. Alas, the same can also be said about our final team member in Hourman. Aside from sharing his scientific knowledge during team meetings and demonstrating his Miraclo-powered feats during fights, he doesn’t go through any kind of character arcs. In fact, the only challenge that Rex deals with is the fact that he’s limited in his ability to properly contribute towards the team’s overall fight. Aside from that, he doesn’t have room to grow and somewhat remains stagnant for the feature. As such, Matthew Mercer does a fine job with his role. He brings enough energy to help Tyler stand out just enough for him to fulfill his part of the story. Maybe the character could stand out more in a DC Showcase short, but he’s good enough with what’s provided here.
The story starts off simplistic enough, but gets some meaty complexity as it progresses. What begins as a modern-age hero somehow finding himself in a Golden Age venture alongside classic figures ends up becoming a small-scale multiverse story about the value of relationships. As I mentioned earlier, Barry, Diana & Steve (and to a lesser extent, Dinah & Carter) each deals with the film’s predominant theme of valuing their significant other and the grave danger of procrastinating with potential love. As Doc Brown essentially tells Marty & Jennifer at the end of the Back to the Future trilogy, the future is uncertain. As such, we should do what we’re able to do in order to make it as good as we can be. Flash, Wonder Woman and Black Canary are each sitting upon potential relationships. While Barry and Dinah are unsure with how they should progress, Diana is comfortable with going steady until the war is over. Unlike Hawkman however who has the benefit of reaching his true love once he’s reincarnated, Wonder Woman’s romance with Steve ultimately serves as the gravest warning of not taking your life-changing opportunity when you had all the time in the world initially. As such, it makes sense that the Flash takes what he’s learned from the team and finally applies it to his potential partnership with Iris. Not only that, but the Justice Society’s inspirational (yet somewhat secretive example) is what inspires him to set up a team with his fellow newbie hero in Superman. As for our villainous Advisor, there’s a bit to say about him. Apparently, this mainly-nameless character is based off of the Charles Halstead version of Psycho-Pirate, who was a criminal mastermind that used to work for a newspaper called the Daily Courier, but got revenge on it through some emotion-themed schemes. Even though his comic counterpart had no superpowers of his own, he seems to have been given some kind of influential control over others like the Roger Hayden version. Either way, his scheme of Atlantis ultimately ruling the world is nice enough. It does put a neat twist upon that age-old villain ploy by having both the Allies and Axis powers weaken each other before the Atlantean armada wipes out the remaining side and proceeds with conquering Earth. However, his backstory (while given) is a bit muddled and his motivation felt weak. With some tweaks here and there, he would’ve been a better-regarded baddie by the end. Finally and in terms of Aquaman, there’s not much to say about him since he’s under the Advisor’s control for most of the film. When he’s actually in control of himself, he’s potentially a noble ruler over his kingdom. Alas, he’s mostly a highly-skilled pawn and not much else. As such, Geoffrey Arend gets a better chance to shine over Liam McIntyre. The initially tender and caring tone that Arend starts off with successfully delivers a false sense of sensation before it morphs into a more confidentially sinister sound throughout the rest of his performance. While the sound and intonations work for the Advisor, it’s still a shame that it’s not connected to a much-more developed villain. As for McIntyre, he’s perfectly fine and gives a decent range for the King of Atlantis, though it’s far removed from his time as Captain Boomerang. The animation is just like in “Superman: Man Of Tomorrow”, though not as directed-inspiered like the TV show “Archer”, as it looks a little more refined. The action scenes are thrilling enough and while the narrative is fairly-paced, there are a few moments where it feels like some of its pauses linger on for a second too long. Despite its small hiccups, it still works as an entertaining romp and can even properly introduce younger viewers to these iconic characters from DC’s past.
Overall, this is an enjoyable Golden Age romp with modern sensibilities. The characters are engaging, the animation is mainly solid, the action is thrilling and the story’s main theme is pretty strong throughout its run time. While the pacing and villain motivation isn’t as tight as it could’ve been, this is still a fun flick that combines the classic feeling of yesteryear with the narrative structure that makes this entry as tightly-written as it is. If this peaks your interest, then take a personal time time and check it out, since you’ll be glad that you made a dashing effort to do so.
Next Time: We’re staying put within this universe as we make a return trip to Gotham City. This time around, the most celebratory days of the year are being filled with bloody murder and it’s up to the Caped Crusader to bring this mayhem to an end. Just like “The Dark Knight Returns”, we have a legendary tale that’s too big for one movie to handle. As such, our next entry will see us sleuthing through both parts of “Batman: The Long Halloween”.
Justice Society Of America (created by Gardner Fox, Everett E. Hibbard & Sheldon Mayer) and all related characters are owned by DC Comics.
