Justice League Action has a massive roster of heroes and villains

If there’s any one cartoon from my childhood that I can easily slip into and still have a blast watching, it’s Justice League Unlimited. A rocking series with single-episode stories that took the structure of the more dated Justice League series that came before it, and threw an entire pantheon of heroes at viewers every week. Also, that kickass intro. Oh man, I can still hear that guitar shred as if it were yesterday.

It’s been quite a while since Justice League Unlimited wrapped up however. Years have passed, times have changed and just about every movie studio sees the idea of a shared universe of spandex-clad vigilantes being the biggest money-making scheme since Scientology burst onto the scene. But finally, a new Justice League series is on the way: Justice League Action.

As opposed to the longer narrative structure of previous series, Justice League Action will focus on 11 minute episodes to tell a story. Something that works actually pretty damn well for that other series and guilty pleasure on Cartoon Network, Teen Titans Go. And that’s a format I think could work wonders. Look, Marvel may have conquered the big screen, but their animated efforts usually pale in comparison to what DC and Warner Bros. Animation can cook up.

I mean, I’d rather watch Teen Titans Go any day of the week or the surprisingly awesome DC Super Hero Girls than have to watch old jokes recycled over and over again in Avengers Assemble or wonder why Deadpool is wearing a Spider-Man costume in Ultimate Spider-Man. DC and WB Animation know what they’re doing.

And for Justice League Action, what they’re doing is creating a massive cast for a series that will be built around the DC Trinity of Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman. Here’s a rough look at the cast, via Bleeding Cool:

That’s quite the roster. If you can’t see it properly, then let’s enhance and pretend that we have those fancy pixel-defying computers as seen on a CSI TV series:

Still have no idea who’s present? Well let’s make a quick list then:

• Batman
• Superman
• Wonder Woman
• Joker
• Harley Quinn
• Lobo
• Martian Manhunter
• Shazam
• Blue Beetle
• Green Arrow
• Zatanna
• Dr Fate
• Mr Terrific
• Swamp Thing
• Firestorm
• Big Barda
• Jynx?
• The Riddler?
• Dr Light

And I’m loving the designs here. They feel like a hybrid version of Bruce Timm’s signature style from the 1990s and 200s, mixed in with the more modern look created by Phil Bourassa for Young Justice and other DC animated universe films. It should be a joy to see these legends in motion, when Justice League Action debuts later this year.

Last Updated: June 7, 2016