The Justice League If It Were More Unlimited, In Twenty Fantastic Seasons, 3: The Brave And The Bold

Finally, The Justice League gets together. The Big Seven (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and ... Hawkgirl? (take that, Aquaman) assemble and form one of the most important superhero teams in comic history (the original version, The Justice Society, won't show up until later in our continuity).

I didn't watch this show when it originally came out. After following several seasons of the Batman Animated Series, I stopped watching superhero toons for a while. It was in the early 2000s when a coworker in a comic book store told me JLU was worth the watch that I decided to go back and watch all of the Justice League cartoon. I was not disappointed.

While I've excised some episodes of the list because this is intended to be The Best Of The Best Episodes, I don't remember a single episode of either Justice League of Justice League Unlimited ever being boring. Preachy, maybe, but never at the expense of the audience.

Of course, we'll still be seeding Batman and Superman episodes in, as well as some later DCEU movies because the loose continuity of the DCEU is fun to play with.

Season 3: The Brave And The Bold

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Episodes 51 - 53: Batman Gotham Knight

A group of kids each claim to have encountered Batman, and tell their stories. Each story has a different animation style, a completely different looking Batman, and an enemy reminiscent of a Batman villain, but not quite the same. Its a visually cool set of episodes, and a fun way to start a new season.


Episode 54: Superman In Brightest Day

Continuity in this series is definitely squidgy, so please excuse the fact that Hal Jordan has appeared as The Green Lantern precisely once, and yet in this "Superman: Animated Series" episode we see the ring passed to Kyle Rainer, who battles with Jordan's nemesis, Sinestro.


Episodes 55 - 57: Wonder Woman

We didn't bother touching on Superman's origin, and Batman's origin has been told ad nauseum in flashbacks. Here we get the origin story for The Big Three of The Justice League. I'm not especially fond of this version of her origin, but she doesn't get as much screen time as the others, and I feel not as many people are familiar with her background.


Episodes 58 & 59: Batman Demon's Quest

Ra's Al Ghul shows up in the Batcave claiming his daughter was kidnapped, shortly after Batman believes Robin was kidnapped in the same manner. A Lazarus Pit and World Domination adventure follows alternating between Batman and Ghul working together, and being at odds.


Episodes 60 - 62: Justice League Secret Origins

An invasion from Mars sparks Superman to enlist Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl's help, thus leading to the founding of  The Justice League. (Finally, it's season three already, geeze.)


Episodes Justice League 63 & 64: In Blackest Night

How are we already on our third Green Lantern? John Stewart (not The Daily Show guy) ends up on trial for destroying a planet, and The Justice League must figure out how to prove his innocence.


Episode 65: Superman Demon Reborn

Ra's Al Ghul shows up in Metropolis and causes enough havoc that Batman has to come into town to save him.


Episode 66: Batman Read My Lips

Scarface and The Venriloquist head up the newest gang in Gotham.


Episodes 67 & 68: Batman Shadow Of The Bat

When Commissioner Gordon is framed for taking bribes, his adopted daughter Barbara goes to Batman for help, and thus we get the origin of original flavor Batgirl.


Episode 69: Batman Mudslide

Clayface is falling apart. Literally. And he believes the cure to his condition lies at Wayne Biomedical Labs. That ... can't be good for anyone.

Episodes 70 & 71: Justice League Injustice For All

Look, if the good guys are going to have an all-star team, it's only fair that poor Lex Luthor gets to create on of his own. 


Episodes 72 & 73: Justice League The Brave And The Bold

Why do all the team ups have to have Batman and/or Superman in them? The Flash teams up with Green Lantern (John Stewart) to take down one of the many ridiculous gorilla-themed hijinks of Grod.


Episodes Justice League 74 & 75: Legends

Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Martian Manhunter close out the season when they're whisked into the world of comic book superheroes (meta, right?) The Justice Guild Of America (based on DC's Justice Society from the Golden Age of comics). This is a fun dventure where, once again neither Supes nor Batsy is the focal point.