Overview: In an alternative history Zod is Superman's father, Batman is a vampiric Man-Bat, and Wonder Woman is the child of Ares, God of War. When these dark heroes form an alliance, the question everyone asks is will they save the world, or rule it?

Blu ray Verdict: From animation legend Bruce Timm comes an all-new original movie, 'Justice League: Gods and Monsters.' A seemingly familiar skyline reveals itself, though upon closer inspection this is not the Metropolis we know. Journey to an alternate universe where the Justice league is now a trio of unchecked power. Employing methods of intimidation and fear, this Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman deal justice with brute force!

And these three are still not what you expect them to be, because there is even more alternate twists going on here: Superman is the son of General Zod, Batman is actually some version of Man-Bat, and Wonder Woman is Bekka from the New Gods!

After allowing this premise to sink in, the movie unfolds pretty much like most of the other DC Animated movies - which I still won't spoil for you. It pretty much means that the story is on par with earlier endeavors, however it seems like it has less scale or importance.

I'm a conventional guy when it comes to comics, so I was not really happy at the beginning with this set up. However, the character versions actually grew on me. For such a short movie, they actually developed a back story for each main character quite well, making their actions somewhat motivated and, to a point, something I could eventually relate to. The character designs worked for me (especially Superman). The voice acting (from stars such as Benjamin Bratt, Michael C. Hall, Paget Brewster, C. Thomas Howell, etc.) was very well done also, in my opinion, and is up there with most of the other DC animated movies I've watched thus far.

The animation is good quality - nothing breathtaking, but quite enjoyable. Choreography of fight scenes is lacking though - pretty much reminded me of the Justice League TV Animated Series and nothing compared to the likes of Wonder Woman, Crisis on Two Earths or Under the Red Hood. Oh, and the ongoing mystery of who the main villain is was, again, in my humble opinion, actually very well constructed - even if it was quite predictable, sorry!

However, the wrap-up at the end seemed quite rushed and the scale was just not there, but as much as it did not seem that "menacing", on the grand scale of things, 'Justice League: Gods and Monsters' is a delight to behold - and one that I think all fans of animated superheroes will hold dear to their hearts; eventually. This is a Widescreen Presentation (2.35:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

A Sneak Peak at DC Universe's Next Animated Movie
Alternate Realities: Infinite Possibilities Featurette
Calculated Risks: The Making of Gods and Monsters Featurette
The New Gods Vintage Featurette
From the DC Comics Vault - 2 Bonus Cartoons!

Own it on Blu-ray™ Combo, DVD & Digital HD 7/28!

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