Justice League Crisis on Infinite Earths Pt 2

• Directed by Jeff Wamester
• April 29, 2024
• Based on the 1985 to 1986 crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez

Voice Cast

• Batman/Bruce Wayne-Jensen Ackles
• Superman, Earth-2 Superman-Darren Criss
• Supergirl, Harbinger-Meg Donnelly
• Wonder Woman-Stana Katic
• Monitor-Jonathan Adams
• Batgirl, Kryptonian Voice-Gideon Adlon
• Psycho Pirate/Charles Halstead, Hawkman-Geoffrey Arend
• The Joker-Troy Baker
• Earth-2 Robin, Robin/Damian Wayne-Zach Callison
• Solovar-Darin De Paul
• Mr. Terrific, Anti-Monitor-Ato Essandoh
• Dr. Fate, Atomic Knight-Keith Ferguson
• Batman Beyond, Kamandi-Will Friedle
• Alura / Hippolyta-Jennifer Hale
• John Stewart-Aldis Hodge
• Hawkgirl, Amazon Soldier-Jamie Gray Hyder
• Doctor Light/Dr. Hoshi, Huntress-Erika Ishii
• The Question, Satellite-David Kaye
• Blue Beetle-Matt Lanter
• Aquaman-Liam McIntyre
• The Spectre-Lou Diamond Phillips
• Constantine-Matt Ryan
• Vixen-Keesha Sharp
• Brainiac 5-Harry Shum Jr.
• Green Arrow-Jimmi Simpson

The Anti-Monitor (the Monitor’s evil counterpart) makes his presence known.

Unlike Justice League Crisis on Infinite Earths Pt 1, Justice League Crisis on Infinite Earths Pt 2 is not a self-contained story. Rather it is an explanation for the Monitor’s involvement in the events of Crisis along with setup for the final movie. Barry Allen was the central character of the last film. It was his romance with Iris against a backdrop of Armageddon. This time it is the Monitor and the story of his change from distant observer to active participant. Supergirl, his protégé, is a supporting character in that story, but not in the way that Iris was. Supergirl goes off and does something against his wishes and he must look at himself in an effort to understand why.

In that vein we also meet Psycho Pirate. I do believe this is the first time I’ve ever seen Psycho Pirate appear in animation or even seen the character. I’d heard the name and knew something of it but with a name like ‘Psycho Pirate’ he felt a little bit too silly. I was wrong. Devious and manipulative. His ability is to take emotions and feed them back to others. There instances it is more like control than manipulation like when he flips a figurative switch in a Blue Beetle and has the guy like him and believe he has always liked him. Strikes me as a little inconsistent.

Another inconsistency are shadow creatures in this that are supposed to be vulnerable to only light attacks or those attacks that generate light. Makes for some cool battle sequences, but when you announce something like that it becomes a rule that must be followed. I would’ve taken anything that glows harming them, but there is one very noticeable moment to me when a Wonder Woman is on one of the Earths and she a creature into dust with a blow from her sword. 

While being the second arc of the Crisis Trilogy, it is also a bit of a prequel to the previous film as well as Legion of Super-Heroes. If you recall in that movie Supergirl was already on Earth with the implication though not statement she arrived like Clark but older. This sets up Kara’s life before joining the Legion of Super-Heroes, and what occurred after the end of the story. At the minimum you need to know what happened otherwise a line in this movie makes little to no sense. 

There’s a lot going on in this movie. Psycho Pirate is feeling out his options. The Anti-Monitor is upping his attacks. Most serious of all the characters are coming to the realization that their efforts may not be enough. They are fighting a losing battle. The story is tinged with a bit of despair.

Beyond Psycho Pirate, to longtime comics fans or even those appreciative of DC there are many treats lingering in the background. Numerous characters that have been around since the early days of comics get non-speaking cameos. It adds to the richness of this fictional world.

Maybe my general enjoyment of the movie overcame my issues. Maybe this style is growing on me, but the animation just seems to work here better than it did previously. I admit to being a sucker for a disaster movie and this is a disaster movie with a HUGE disaster.

Despite being largely set up, Justice League Crisis on Infinite Earths Pt 2 satisfying. It ends on a good cliffhanger and manages a level of excitement mixed with some more weightier elements. Psycho Pirate is set up as a very good villain. What I don’t understand is how is he so long lived. He appears immortal to an extent.

This is quite possibly one of the most downbeat DC animated movies I’ve ever seen. Character relationships fray. The destruction becomes greater with fewer survivors left. Everything is on the line. The overarching threat for all three movies is identified. The issues that will be concluded are set up. And the most useful thing to fight the threat is possibly taken out of commission.

I greatly enjoyed myself. For me, Justice League Crisis on Infinite Earths Pt 2 is a continued upswing for the DC animated catalog. It’s good set up for what I anticipate will be a satisfying conclusion to the story.