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Justice League
“In Blackest Night” Part II
Air Date: November 30, 2001
Written by: Stan Berkowitz
Directed by: Butch Lukic
Guest Voice: Rene Auberjonois (Kanjar Ro), Dennis Haysbert (Kilowog)
For an American cartoon series, Justice League is incredibly violent. It’s pretty violent by any standard, but I digress. In the second half of In Blackest Night, John Stewart continues to be prosecuted for killing the three billion citizens of Abjuris 4. In one of the best parts of the entire episode, the Flash decides to step and defend John, prompting one of the funniest moments in the entire episode.
I have two main problems with IBN Part II. First is the length of the episode. Even though it’s a half hour long, just like Part I, it felt like fifteen minutes. Everything gets wrapped up so quickly that the whole second half of the story really only seemed like a third act round up. The audience learns what comic book fans knew from the beginning. That the Manhunter androids that captured John Stewart were the original constructs of the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Green Lantern Corps’ bosses. The Manhunters were relegated to second citizen status after the creation of the Corp, and now they’re out for revenge. For a group of bounty hunting androids hundreds strong, they were taken out awfully easily. Still, all that aside, hearing the Green Lantern Oath was almost orgasmically satisfying for this comic book nut.
The second gripe I have is really just a matter of personal taste. Last week, I gave this show credit for having the balls to kill three billion people and not flinch about it. After tonight, I have to take that back. The whole thing was an illusion set up by the Manhunters to smear the good name of all Green Lanterns. Now I know that this is was just the easiest way to clear John, but I feel this was just a big copout. I can accept it for story purposes, but I feel cheated somehow as a result.
The animation still pleases the eye, and if you listen you might recognize the voice of Dennis Haysbert, also known as Dr. Theodore Morris from CBS’s too-soon-cancelled Now and Again, as Kilowog. I love a show that can take long dead characters from the comics and make them cool again. The Corp’s been defunct in the comics for years now, but this show give them a whole new lease on life. Which is something I wish certain other writers over at DC could have pulled off as deftly. Tally up the board, and In Blackest Night Part II gets a sensible:
Episode Rating: 8 out of 10
Steven “drenball” Dougherty listens to Superman by Five for Fighting more often that is allowed by law in Arkansas. Fortunately he lives in Iowa.
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