To start, I think the DCAU is the best representation of any comic book universe and these criticisms don’t diminish that. I’ve been binging Justice League and with a lot of great shows, binging reveals the flaws and repetition that I think we don’t focus on with time between episodes and seasons.
I either forgot or never realized how much they weakened and dumbed down the League across the seasons. A minimum of once per episode they turn their backs to the bad guy, watch a telegraphed hit come at their face, don’t use their powers (like Flash watching people get away) and attack one at a time. Yes, some is learning curve and becoming a team and that’s addressed in an episode but it’s more like manufactured drama because if the team operated at full potential the episodes would be about 5 minutes long. I know it’s just how these things work but binging really exposed it.
Also, Superman gets electrocuted approximately 100x per episode. They should have given him rubber gloves.
LOL
When that show started, and establshed box-office-draw Batman as one of the most heavily-involved members, that immediately meant things were getting to get implausible during fight scenes. I agree with the idea that that many heroes should demand an hour to tell the story, but they never quite pulled off the two-part format for my tastes.
I assume they did not extend the script due dates for them to paintstakingly figure out the physics of each brawl - who can do what at what speed, and what that means for every other character
I love these two animated series, and “The Great Brain Robbery” and “Wake The Dead” are pair of episodes that run the gamut of emotions that deliver two of the finest animated shorts in the history of the medium. But this series does firmly establish that Superman has three weaknesses: Kryptonite, Magic and AC/DC Current. There were embarrassing (on the part of the creators of this show) moments on this show when Superman was seemingly taken out by nothing more then an “exposed wire lying in a pool of water”.
But still a great animated series!