Justice League was one of the most highly anticipated comic book movies ever, bringing together the DC universe for the first time in a film, hoping to give The Avengers a run for its money. However, it was by most measures a misfire. Part of the problem was that Zack Snyder was replaced by Joss Whedon, and the two styles clashed, with the former being grim and brooding and the latter being bright and funny. Fans have finally gotten their wish to see Snyder’s cut, but maybe for a great Justice League film they should have been looking somewhere else all along.
While live action movies garner most of the attention amongst fans, some of the best comic book films have been made into animated movies, and that’s especially true for DC. The animated Justice League Dark: Apokolips War goes beyond what the live action DC universe has given. It was the 38th film in this run of DC animated films that have come out since 2007, and what makes it great is that it does not just emulate the comics, but does its own thing, and being in a more niche position in the marketplace means they don’t have to pander to audience demands and can focus on telling a great story that is intended for adults. While the animated series may not be as broad in its appeal as the live action films, fans who have been disappointed with the direction recent films have gone in would do well to check out Apokolips and the other films in the series. They may find what they have been looking for in Justice League all this time.