Justice League: The New Frontier

Based on a graphic novel published only a few years ago, DC’s feature animation department goes old school with this release that, in the timeline of the comics world of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, takes place between the "Golden Age” of comics and the dawn of its "Silver Age” - approximately the late 1950s, early ’60s. In fact, then Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy’s campaign speech about reaching for "new American frontiers” gave writer/artist Darwyn Cooke a framework for his inspired revision. Without getting too far into the details, The New Frontier essentially is a prequel that leads up to the first-ever adventures of the Justice League, DC Comics’ all-star team. It’s the character-driven storytelling, the internal conflict and the beautiful art that separates this from yet another retelling - Cooke’s limited series is indeed a classic. Newcomers won’t be lost though - the history of the JLA, from Golden Age to modern day, is told in a comprehensive featurette. The single-disc DVD also gets an informative commentary from Cooke on the comics side, and the animation team on the filmmaking side; if you splurge for the two-disc deluxe, it nets you an homage featurette to Cooke’s book, as well as an interesting, but entirely irrelevant in this context, look at the pathology of the super villain — New Frontier doesn’t have one. Add in three more episodes of the Justice League animated TV show and you just might find yourself tracking down some of this in old school form: you know, on paper with words and pictures. Plus: Batman Gotham Knight preview, more.