I was quoted recently as saying that the Cartoon Network's Justice League is "...a kid's show. And a poor one at that...". What I meant was there's very little food for thought in your average episode. The beauty of Batman/Superman: The Animated Series is that they were aimed at kids, but designed so that adults could enjoy them too. The stories had meat on their bones. That's just not so with Justice League. JL seems more geared towards the short-attention span crowd. It certainly moves at a faster pace. Most cartoons do that nowadays. Watch the early episodes of The Simpsons and then watch a current one. There's a noticeable change in pacing, style, and overall storytelling techniques. What a difference a decade makes. I suppose this change in style is not so unusual. As a matter of fact, I've seen it all too often. In the comic industry right now, the average reader fits into the 18-34 years old demographic. Young kids used to be the prime audience, but things change. It's the "chicken and the egg" paradox: "Did comics get serious because kids stopped reading, or did kids stop reading because comics got too serious?" It's a mystery for the ages. One universal truth is that comic books have always reflected the times. The post-Depression era "Golden Age"; again with the "Silver Age" in the 60s; then again with "Crisis" in the late 80s, and now most recently post-9/11. The Ultimates, The Authority, and a no-nonsense Captain America, those are all the current buzz-worthy books. I find it truly wonderful that Cap has come full circle. He, like Superman, embodies everything about super-heroism and the American spirit. He's a man out of time, and it's fitting that he adapts so well with the changing culture in our "real world".

But I don't feel, in general, there is animosity between comic fans and cartoon fans. I certainly don't question why people are enjoying these cartoons. And just to let it be known up front, my main beef is with Justice League. I adore the Batman/Superman: TAS cartoons from the 1990s. I feel JL is an inferior product when compared to its predecessors. Some say I shouldn't compare them. Some would also say you shouldn't compare Pierce Brosnan's "James Bond" to Sean Connery's, or Star Trek: The Next Generation to the "Original Series". The fact of the matter is, a comparison is unavoidable, especially when taking into consideration the greatness of Bruce Timm & Paul Dini's (and others) previous work. It's difficult to subdue your fondness for the classics, be it a book, TV show or movie.

To site an example; I went to see Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes with my father, and as the ending credits began to role he said to me: "It wasn't as good as the original." And I agreed with him. I still do. Burton's film wasn't very good, but I found myself entertained during some parts. The reason for this was a rare instance where I was able, for a brief moment, to forget Charlton Heston's version of POTA. It took a great effort, but by doing so I was able to enjoy Burton's reimagining.

Maybe if I could just forget the Batman/Superman: TAS ever happened, maybe then I could enjoy JL for what it is. But I'd be asking myself to forget stories like "Heart of Ice", "The Late Mr. Kent" and "Never Fear". To forget Adam West's wonderful performance as the Gray Ghost. To forget the day Dan Turpin gave his life for Metropolis and the planet Earth. To forget the day Superman cried. That's a feat I just cannot do.

A great example of animosity that exists between fans of two different mediums can be seen with Lord of the Rings. The films are modern classics, loved by a legion of moviegoers, yet there are Tolkien purists who look down on the work Peter Jackson has done and ridicule any poor soul who could possibly prefer the movies over the epic novels. Take me, I'm the exact opposite. I hated the books, but I love the films to death. Those Tolkien purists I mentioned simply don't feel Jackson's vision is faithful to J.R.R.'s original story. One could say that I'm no better than they are, since that's how I feel about Justice League. That's how I also feel about the new "He-Man", the latest Bond films and Metallica's newest album. It's true, I don't believe JL is faithful to the extensive comic history and more importantly, the earlier WB cartoons. But I don't look down on anyone. That's the difference between me and them.

In my opinion, I don't feel the writers and producers are making Justice League work properly. That's the gist of my entire argument. Batman: TAS and Superman: TAS got everything right about these characters. I credit those two shows for bringing me back after abandoning comic books for more than five years. I, like many others, turned my back on the comic industry during the early 90s. In the later part of that decade, it was the WB cartoons that reminded me why I fell in love with comics in the first place. They brought me back into a larger world. And that's precisely what I feel these shows SHOULD be: A doorway into the wonderful world of comic BOOKS. And not just superhero books mind you, (the fact that superheroes dominate the industry is another argument altogether, one I won't get into here), but comic books. That's exactly how it worked for me when I was a kid. I saw Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie, and that got me READING the Superman comics. I watched the reruns of Superfriends and the 60's Spider-Man cartoon, and then the Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends/Incredible Hulk cartoons, and those got me READING more books. It was comic books that triggered my love for reading everything I could get my hands on, magazines, newspapers, novels, you name it. And most importantly, this led to my love for writing and drawing, a "hobby" that I have continued to pursue day-in/day-out ever since I could hold a pencil. A similar thing happened with mainstream novels. I saw the Lonesome Dove TV mini-series, and that inspired me to read Larry McMurtry's tetralogy. Again this happened with Anne Rice's "Vampire Chronicles". I saw the movie first, and read all the books second. In these cases, Hollywood introduced me to another, larger universe.

These cartoons should be a taste of what comics have to offer. "Like what you see? Then head down to your local comic shop!" Inspiring people to READ about these characters should always be the ultimate goal. Most current Hollywood reimaginings of comic books, and this includes both animation and live-action, are failing to get people interested in learning more about these characters and their rich history (on the printed page).

Some see these cartoons as nothing more than entertainment. Maybe those people are right. Maybe JL is not supposed to be anything more than a 44 minute thrill-ride. I simply believe those working in Hollywood have a responsibility, not just to entertain, but to enlighten as well. In animation, Batman/Superman: TAS achieved both those goals. G.I.JOE/Transformers did too. And Iron Giant did it big time. Justice League has not (for me), based on the 30 episodes I have seen. The only time it came close was in "Legends". That's what makes it so sad, to see the brilliance that JL developed from, and then to see the disappointment it has become. It's just wasted potential in my opinion. It has been reported that Bruce Timm never wanted to do a JLA cartoon. He didn't like the idea, too many characters to fit into a 22 min story. Same as Frank Miller never wanting to do a DKR sequel. But money and persistent fan grumblings are powerful catalysts. Despite all this, I do not believe JL is a lost cause. It's salvageable, it's not too late.

Again, maybe Justice League is not SUPPOSED to do anything. But I think it should. Superman changed my life, as a child, then as a teenager, and again as a man. I like to think that future generations will continue to be shaped by the ideals that Siegel & Shuster's creation stands for. He's an icon, a fictional one, but a representation of everything that's good and right in this world. He's more than a punching bag. He's much more than that. Maybe he has proven his worth in the handful of episodes I missed. I'd like to be proven wrong in that regard at least.

Frank Miller once said, in reference to comic book movies, "...they have never helped [the comic book industry]. They never will." Frank was wrong in my case, but for the most part his words have echoed truthfully.