Recently DC Comics released their latest direct to DVD movie, Justice League Doom.  It is loosely based on the JLA Tower of Babel graphic novel.  But how loosely?

To refresh your memory, or tell you for the first time, both stories involve the Justice League being attacked and picked off one by one with the big reveal that it is all Batman’s fault.  That really is where the two mediums end their similarities.

In the comic the Justice League consists of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Plastic Man.  The movie leaves out Aquaman and Plastic Man, but adds Cyborg.  The loss of Plastic Man is significant as in the comic his decisions after defeat reveal much about the character.  Sure he jokes and is a walking pun, but there is a man under all that rubber armor and his reactions to this betrayal were an instant classic Plas moment.  Aquaman’s torment is brilliant, but the overall story loses nothing for his absence.  Cyborg’s addition in the movie could be seen as, for lack of a better term, a token.  In a less skilled writer’s hand it would be but this script came from Dwayne McDuffie.  Dwayne can (well could) write whoever he wanted however he wanted, and it was wonderful.  So I’ll call the casting even.

Vandal Savage, and the Legion of Doom (What a rush!) run the show in the flick but Ra’s Al Ghul is behind it all in the books.  While super heroes vs super villains is always a good time, the comics are much more dramatic.  Ra’s acolytes take out the heroes one by one.  Not arch enemies, not gods or mentally controlled heroes.  No, they are regular people with resources.  Those resources being Ra’s tech and money, and Batman’s ideas.  However its still regular people taking out the biggest super heroes on the planet.

How do they take out these heroes?  It varies between the formats but each one has genius ideas to defeat the world’s greatest heroes.  The Manhunter uncontrollably bursts into flames in both stories, but the set ups are unique and the damage is intense.  Superman is struck with a kryptonite bullet, or an altered piece of greek kryptonite turned red.  Flash and Green Lantern are also different.  The only one that is the same is Wonder Woman’s but it is a much more dramatic and interesting fight in the movie.  It really shows the brilliance and creativity of comic book writers to come up with different takes on the same premise.

 

Batman is the biggest change between the two.  In the comic his parents caskets are stolen by Ra’s Al Ghul and the Detecitive is manipulated with the fear of losing their bodies (or gaining them back from the Lazarus Pit).  Meanwhile Bane steals these same caskets in the movie.  This would imply that Bane knows Batman and Bruce Wayne are one in the same, which makes him a far larger threat.  Such a horrible villain with this level of knowledge would merit a more intense reaction from Batman.  Before, during and after the events of the movie, Bane should be Batman’s biggest threat with this information.  It is a very slight issue with an otherwise great movie but once noticed its hard to not question all of Bane’s and Batman’s actions.

The only negative part of the movie is that it does not show the ramifications of Batman’s actions.  The comic features more debate, more insight, and the idea that these issues will not go away anytime soon (or until the New DC 52).  The movie ties it all up a little too nicely with the other heroes accepting if not agreeing with Batman’s choices.

All of this being said, both the comic and the movie are two of my favorites.  The comic is reread at least once a year and this movie will join the yearly viewing list.  It is at least as good as New Frontier and I fluctuate over which one I love more depending on the day.