While many comic book franchises have stumbled on their way to becoming live-action blockbusters, few have been so consistently troubled as DC Comics long-running superhero mash-up Justice League.  Hollywood has been trying to bring this most super-of-superhero crews together for years, and there's been no end to the drama (and cancellations) that the various animated television and home video projects have faced.  Such was the face with the last animated effort, the rather mediocre Justice League: New Frontier that was released a few years ago.  Apparently, Warner Bros Animation felt the same way, and have outdone themselves with the excellent, action-packed Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths.  Finally, this is the team that I've been waiting for, and definitely worthy of the name.

The story starts when Lex Luthor (Chris Noth of Sex in The City and Law & Order) from a parallel earth arrives on our Earth seeking the Justice League’s help in fighting back against the evil Justice League from his world called the Crime Syndicate.  Of course Superman doesn’t like the idea of helping Lex, even if he's a doppleganger version from an alternate universe.  But the League decides to help, being the collection of heroes they are, and you can imagine all sorts of action and intrigue follow as this united front try to save both worlds from destruction.

I love how Warner Bros went all out on this film, with an incredible mix of action and a truly compelling storyline that brings everyone together in one exciting package.  The action sequences alone are worth watching out for, and writer Dwayne McDuffie (a true Justice League treasure if there ever was one) handles a storyline that's both funny and dramatic when it needs to be, really bringing out the best in each character's personality.  The artwork is detailed and extremely well animated, thanks to great direction by longtime handler Lauren Montgomery (Wonder Woman, Green Lantern), with help from co-director Sam Liu, does really great work here.

The real joy of any good Justice League adventure is seeing so many familiar heroes (and villains) together in one space, and Crisis on Two Earths only doubles the fun.  Just collecting Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and other DC Comics favorites would have been good enough for most fans, but having their universal counterparts like Ultraman, Owlman, Power Ring, and Olympia join the party almost approaches nerd-nirvana.  It's fairly obvious that much thought and consideration was put into crafting a storyline that cared about their various interactions, and while this may make the film impenetrable for some newcomers to the franchise, it does allow longtime fans to jump in and enjoy the established history of Justice League.

While fans are sure to debate some of the voice-over casting decisions, I thought Mark Harmon (NCIS) did quite well as Superman, and while William Baldwin (of the Baldwin Brothers) played a fine Batman, I did miss Kevin Conroy's work.  Vocal fans will be delighted to hear Nolan North (the Uncharted games) voice Green Lantern, and the rest of the cast is usually spot-on.  James Woods is particularly impressive as Batman’s evil counterpart Owlman, who is even more powerful and detached than Batman, easily making him one of the greatest foes Batman and the League have ever faced.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is definitely my favorite Warner Animation movie so far, and that's big praise considering their considerable output recently.  It’s not perfect by any means, but I enjoyed seeing the old gang back together since the Justice League series.  The pace moves nicely, the action / fight sequences are well done, and the story is big in scope without being overly complicated.  Perhaps one day we’ll finally get to see the live-action Justice League movie that’s been in the works forever.  Until then, we'll always have the animated films to enjoy, and this one will certainly appeal to comic fans and those looking for something cool to watch.