The standalone animated movies released by DC over the last 8 years have had it's share of highlights. From comic book moments made alive on screen to wholly new and original badass moments. Moments of action, reflection, loss and inspiration.
And having watched all of them, from Superman Doomsday to Flashpoint, I give to you, in my opinion, the ten best moments of the series upto now.
10. Batman to Owlman in Justice League:Crisis on Two Earths
Yes, Batman was pummeled by Owlman, but that one final sentence captured
the thin line the two costumes vigilantes walked. James Woods as Owlman was
brilliantly unhinged. And that really helped in getting the point across.
“We both gazed into the Abyss. But when it gazed back, you
blinked.”
09. Batman enters Falcone’s mansion in Batman:Year One
“You have fed.”
You always fear the dark, because you don’t know what may
come out. But what happens when something terrible comes out. Really conveyed a
great ‘horror’ vibe as Batman appeared from the shadows, his face lit up by the
smoldering dinner. Gotham would never be the same.
08. Superman’s ‘Death’ in Superman:Doomsday
Another apparent gimmick. But when it was released,
something died inside us. Superman can’t die. He’s a god, an ideal, the
ultimate superhero. But he does. And his last words are not that of a god, but
of a human.
“Is everyone safe?”
“Yes.”
“That’s all that matters.”
07. Hal Jordan in the cave in Justice League:Doom
Nathan Fillion knocked it out of the park in this one. It’s
not often that a comic book hero gets moments of introspection and he captured
all of Hal’s fears and beliefs in one go.
Although you may need a little back-story
on this (especially why Carol is so mad at him) but in itself, that piece
itself belongs in the hall of voice acting.
06. Batman faces off against Darkseid in Superman/Batman:Apocalypse
Most people complain why a normal man is in a team of
demigods and super-humans. Well, this answers it.
Of all people, Batman
threatens Darkseid, someone who went toe to toe with Superman, and Darkseid
relents. And the irony is that Darkseid bases it all on humanity’s destruction
of itself when the man threatening him values every life in the universe.
05. Superman ‘cutting’ loose in Superman vs the Elite
I don’t kill. Man of Steel has been cutting a lot of flak
for breaking that rule apparently. Well, this scene was a significant factor in
that. Superman’s bloodshot eyelids and tattered costume really made me feel
Superman had gone mad for a while.
The ending may have descended into
cheesiness a little but the way in which Supes ‘educated’ the Elite in how
dangerous he can be will always remain in my memory.
04. Wonder Woman killing Ares in Wonder Woman
There’s a great difference between Superman, Batman and
Wonder Woman. The two men are heroes first and warriors later while Diana has
always been the reverse. Her valuation of life is no less than the other two
but she knows when taking a life is better than sparing it.
For all intents and
purposes, Wonder Woman was a very violent film. But there is probably nothing
more violent than seeing her decapitate Ares. Yes, you read that right. A
superhero killed a supervillian. And Wonder Woman gained a unique place in the
superhero pantheon.
03. Batman beats the hell out of Superman in The Dark Knight
Returns Part 2
First of all, forgiveness to any Superman fans. I love
Superman and Batman (okay, I admit it, Batman more). But there’s something
uplifting about seeing a normal man take it to a Super-powered alien under
government leash. Yes, Superman was holding back. But so was Batman.
The message was that bullies weren’t allowed in the park.
No, not even good natured ones.
02. Superman-Lois Lane Conversation in All Star Superman
If there’s one thing really human about Superman, it’s his
love for Lois Lane. One of the most emotional scenes ever as Superman is
changing (evolving) into a being of pure energy and as he takes Lois is his
arms says,” I have only one chance to save the Sun.” The response is truly fitting
for both Lois and Superman as an ideal, “That’s all you’ve ever needed.”
Forget everything changed from book to screen. Just see this
scene in isolation and you’ll understand the magic. From the hope-spreading
background music, to the Superman-Lois Lane embrace and his declaration of love
(which could have easily descended into cheesy territory, but didn’t), you get
everything Superman is and ever will be.
Makes me really hate the new direction New 52 Superman has
taken (but not Man of Steel).
01. Jason Todd’s Death in Batman:Under the Red Hood
The forgotten Robin. Jason Todd’s dark chapter had been
totally obliterated in all Batman on-screen adaptations before this (through
Timm hinted at this in Return of the Joker). Maybe because getting a hero
killed, and that too under Batman’s watch may have been too much. The storyline
itself was a gimmick with votes being polled to see if Jason died or not. But
the ripples this did to Batman’s own personality can’t be easily ignored. While
the Dark Knight Returns started the dark trend in Batman, this led to it
peaking.
And you can see why.
Joker crow barred the life out of the kid. And if you weren’t familiar with the
storyline before watching, you could never see it coming. How many times had a
hero been driven to ‘near-death’ and then left unattended by the villain only
to escape? How many times has his sidekick or someone come in and save him?
Well, both scenarios went out of the window in this one. And the scene of Bruce
cradling Jason’s lifeless body felt like something both sad and inevitable.
The
rationality of taking ‘kids’ and molding them into soldiers to fight crime, and
letting madmen like Joker live, were serious issues in Bruce’s life and this
scene heralded true introspection.
Well this is my list. What did I miss? What the hell did I include? Give me all your opinions, folks!
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