by Eric Berry, Guest Reporter

Truth. Justice. And the Remnant way? It’s a crossover of epic proportions as Rooster Teeth’s super popular animated series RWBY teams up with DC’s Justice League to solve a virtual mystery that spans worlds in Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen – Part One; now available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital. Based on the comic mini-series by Marguerite Bennett, JL x RWBY expands the story from the comic crossover in an original way.

In this story, Superman wakes up in a world completely foreign to him. He is dressed in differently-styled clothing, laying in the woods in the middle of a battle. He runs into Ruby and Yang from Team RWBY and, while trying to help them fight Grimm, he discovers his powers are defective. There are more scenes like this as the movie continues to open up. Members of the Justice League encounter the rest of Team RWBY, who are also experiencing flashes of memory. It seems that not all is right in the world of Remnant. Blake is paired with Wonder Woman who was captured by the White Fang and Wiess meets Bruce Wayne at a party her father is throwing. Bruce is gathering information about what is happening to their memories, as if Batman could resist a good mystery. The goal is clear: get to Beacon Academy to regroup and discover the answers they need. At the Academy they find the rest of the Justice League: Flash, Green Lantern, Vixen and Cyborg with Team JNR: Jaune, Nora and Ren.

Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen – Part One stars Chandler Riggs (The Walking Dead) as Superman / Clark Kent, Lindsay Jones (Red vs. Blue, RWBY) as Ruby Rose, Nat Wolff (The Consultant, The Stand) as Batman / Bruce Wayne, Kara Eberle (RWBY) as Weiss Schnee, Natalie Alyn Lind (The Gifted, The Goldbergs) as Wonder Woman / Diana Prince, Arryn Zech (Red vs. Blue, RWBY) as Blake Belladonna, Barbara Dunkelman (Red vs. Blue, RWBY, Rooster Teeth Shorts) as Yang Xiao Long, Jeannie Tirado (Soul, FriendZSpace) as Green Lantern / Jessica Cruz, Miles Luna (Red vs. Blue, RWBY, Camp Camp) as Jaune Arc, Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as Cyborg / Victor Stone, Samantha Ireland (RWBY, Camp Camp) as Nora Valkyrie, Neath Oum (RWBY) as Lie Ren, Ozioma Akagha (Runaways, Half-Life: Alyx, Delilah) as Vixen and David Errigo Jr. (Ridley Jones, Redfall, Phineas and Ferb the Movie) as The Flash / Barry Allen.

And yes, I did organize the cast list by pairings in the movie! The cast of RWBY, who have been performing as these characters for a decade, mesh well with the Justice League voice cast. Chandler Riggs, who I didn’t recognize until I was looking up the cast, is perfect as a young Superman. There is a confidence in his leadership within the story, but a vulnerability that comes through his performance. His pairing with Lindsay Jones’ Ruby Rose is the cornerstone of the movie’s themes. All of the acting is well directed with a mix of humor, drama and intense battles. Seriously, there is not a weak performance in the entire cast. My favorite has to be Nat Wolff’s Bruce Wayne as Batman contends with having actual powers for the first time.

JL x RWBY is the first animated RWBY film that was produced by the same team behind the series. Director Kerry Shawcross (Red vs. Blue, RWBY, RWBY Chibi) is one of the main creators of RWBY and the showrunner / director for most of the series, so it’s no surprise that he directed this special too. The animation style is what people come to expect from the series, but even more polished and exceeds the just concluded ninth season. Writer Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II) balances character pairings with grace and brings out the best in both teams. There are quite a few twist surprises that drive the story and keep viewers guessing.

Art direction by Matthew Girardi (Birds of Prey, Young Justice) and Erin Winn (RWBY, Gen: Lock, Red vs. Blue) is flawless, combining the aesthetics of both teams. The Justice League’s costumes have been changed to fit Remnant’s world style and they are fun variants from the standard comics. The action scenes are intense, from the small battles with two or three characters to the large set piece battles that highlight every hero coming together. One of the best battles is an aerial fight right in the middle of the movie that is just a small taste of what is to come. I can’t spoil the details, it has to be seen to be appreciated. The fights would be nothing without the intensity of the music by David Levy. He is no stranger to RWBY, being the series’ sound designer, mix engineer, voice over recordist and more. David also composed the scores Red vs. Blue and DOOM: Eternal. The quiet moments between characters are ethereal, while the battle themes are adrenaline pumping.

Special Features

– NEW – Justice Comes to Remnant – When the Justice League find themselves on Remnant, they’ll have to deal with more than just their powers being altered. In this featurette, the filmmakers behind the film explore the world of Remnant, the Huntsmen that fight for it and how Earth’s mightiest heroes are forced to adapt.

– NEW – You Look… Different – Remnant, the world of RWBY, isn’t like Earth. The people are different. The powers are different. And the Justice League? Their entire appearance is different too. In this featurette, the creators of the film reveal the story behind the new look they’ve given to some old friends.

– From the DC Vault – Justice League Unlimited – “Kid Stuff”

– From the DC Vault – Justice League Action – “Plastic Man Saves the World”

The inclusion of the JLU’s third episode “Kid Stuff” is especially appropriate because the Justice League is also turned into children, like how JL x RWBY deals with them becoming teenagers. Similarly, JLA’s “Plastic Man Saves the World” is another great choice as it features characters and themes close to JL x RWBY.

As a lapsed fan of Rooster Teeth, I have been aware of RWBY over the years but never got into it. My wife has watched the first few seasons of the show and has tried to get me to watch it. She’s collected the Funko Pops and the comic series (and sequels) that this movie is based on. Going into this movie to write this review with very little knowledge of the world of Remnant, I felt like Superman waking up in the middle of the woods. Thankfully, the movie does a great job of showcasing the characters and introducing both worlds to both longterm fans of these franchises or newbies. In fact, because of this movie I want to completely dive into the world of RWBY.

Overall, Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen – Part One is an intensely emotional and action packed movie that highlights the struggles of leadership and being young. There are plenty of rewarding Easter Eggs and story elements that will appeal to fans of both Justice League and RWBY.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Justice League x RWBY Super Heroes and Huntsmen Part One – 4.5 out of 5 animated crossover adventures.

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