I just saw a couple of episodes of Bruce Timm’s Justice League cartoon series. The series had been recommended, and you generally hear good things about Timm and his shows. But, on the other hand, I’ve never actually enjoyed any episodes I watched of these series. The same with this weekend’s Justice League episodes (“Paradise Lost” 1 & 2, about Felix Faust bossing around Wonder Woman because he’s turned her mother to stone). Nice animation work, as far as I can judge, pleasing colors, well-done sound, okay cast of voices. But the writing is dumb. I mean, in its way I’m sure it’s as professional as everything else about the shows, but that way is very limited. The characters don’t do or say interesting things, they just hop around until the plot’s requirements have been fulfilled, and the plots don’t seem that remarkable. My impression is that the stories are pretty much the sort of thing modern-day DC stories are, but telescoped and without any smutty stuff.
Justice League: Flat
I don’t know if others agree about the writing and accept it as part of the deal — maybe the look of the shows can make all else worthwhile, if you’re so inclined — or if the writing strikes others as being better than it strikes me.
Personally, I wonder if there’s much any writer can do with 22 minutes to tell a story to kids, not unless he/she is being funny and/or dealing with some very particular moment, as opposed to writing about a bunch of people milling about and pursuing various complicated and very serious aims. When that’s the subject, a writer’s doing his job if she/he just lines up the story elements and keeps them clear for the audience. But I sure don’t find the results interesting.
On the one hand, I think you're right that there's only so much a writer can do within 22 minutes, or even 44 minutes. And nobody will ever mistake Justice League for a complex, character-driven drama.
On the other hand, I thought the show was quite entertaining at its peak. The first season (including Paradise Lost) was a little flat, but it improved significantly in its second season and stayed that way when it transformed into Justice League Unlimited. Some of the improvement was due to the writers getting a better handle on an ensemble cast, and they also set up long term subplots that would payoff down the road. From what I remember, there's was also quite a bit more humor worked into later episodes as well.
I guess if it's not your thing then it's not your thing. But the show pretty much delivered exactly what I want from superhero adventures, which is more than I can say for 99% of what DC Comics publishes.
Yes, season one was relatively weak. I think the show was at its best during JLU season… three, it was? The one with the overarching Cadmus storyline. That was very entertaining, absolute cop-out ending aside. The Question was easily the best character on that show.
You should watch the Unlimited seasons. I watched and liked them, then saw season 1 and couldn't even get 1/2 way through. Unlimited is also full of awesome "i never thought I would see that character animated" moment. And the Question at his best.
I must echo the previous comments; it was the rare show that improved as it went along. Also, i thought Wonder Woman's characterization was one of their weaker efforts. (In many instances their take on a character would seem quite definative.)
Fair enough about the series. I was theorizing based on one example, always fun but usually a bad idea.
"Personally, I wonder if there's much any writer can do with 22 minutes to tell a story to kids, not unless he/she is being funny and/or dealing with some very particular moment, as opposed to writing about a bunch of people milling about and pursuing various complicated and very serious aims."
Of course its possible to do multi-episode arcs in that format.
The best superhero genre writing I've seen on tv is from the 90s show "Gargoyles". It puts pretty much all the DC stuff I've seen to shame in terms of ambition and complexity.