by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor
It was the year 2023.
It is the dawn of a new age for Mankind.
The name of the place…is Babylon 5: The Road Home!
The hit series Babylon 5 returns in a new incarnation for its 30th Anniversary, as Warner Bros. Animation releases Babylon 5: The Road Home. Harkening back to one of the best arcs from the original series, The Road Home features an exciting story made for fans new and old.
Taking place shortly after John Sheridan and Delenn have departed from Babylon 5, our heroes find themselves in a surprising situation when a new power system goes online. Surely nothing bad will happen when tachyons are involved…right? The President finds himself transported through time and alternate realities, where nothing is exactly as he remembers. With help from some old friends, he must try and find his way back to his reality…and avoid the destruction of the multiverse in the process.
Babylon 5: The Road Home features original series regulars Bruce Boxleitner as John Sheridan, Claudia Christian as Susan Ivanova, Peter Jurasik as Londo Mollari, Bill Mumy as Lennier, Tracy Scoggins as Elizabeth Lochley, and Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander. The animated adventure also features Paul Guyet (World of Warcraft) as Zathras and Jeffery Sinclair, Anthony Hansen (God of War) as Michael Garibaldi, Mara Junot (Green Lantern: Beware My Power) as Reporter and Computer Voice, Phil LaMarr (Futurama) as Dr. Stephen Franklin, Piotr Michael (Hogwart’s Legacy) as David Sheridan, Andrew Morgado (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) as G’Kar, and Rebecca Riedy (Magic: The Gathering Arena) as Delenn. This new chapter in the franchise was Written and Executive Produced by series creator J. Michael Straczynski, Directed by Matt Peters (Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons), with Supervising Producer Rick Morales (Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind) and Executive Producer Sam Register.
After years of waiting, fans were treated to a wonderful story and stellar performances from the original cast of Babylon 5. All of the returning players seamlessly stepped back into their roles, making it feel like no time at all has passed since we last saw them on screen. They each received a fun moment in the spotlight while getting a chance to play in this particular sandbox once again. While many of our friends have passed on, the creative team handled each of their characters with the utmost respect and care. Some of the new cast provided pitch perfect matches, while others were more in the spirit of the original actors.
I’ve always been a big fan of the “What If” comics and the potential of alternate realities (see Sliders). The narrative framework for this adventure was pretty clever, allowing viewers the chance to explore familiar sights and unseen possibilities. Despite the fact that we are seeing the concept of the multiverse used regularly in pop culture these days, this particular story was a unique and delightful way to delve back into the franchise. It was also an intriguing way to reintroduce fan favorite characters in a new context, and allow for interactions that didn’t break pre-established canon.
The animation for Babylon 5: The Road Home was sleek and fresh, providing an upgraded modern look for our heroes and their corner of the universe. The character and setting designs remain in the vein of what came before, but the new stylistic approach took this story to the next level.
The only minor comment I have was that it felt like there were a few glaring character omissions. One series regular character appears and says one single line, a few other major players don’t appear at all. JMS has said that although a few characters were missing, they couldn’t find a way to organically include everyone. It wasn’t meant to be a reunion episode. Should this release spark a new resurgence for Babylon 5, more people would be included in future animated installments. The story came first, a fact that I truly appreciated, and that was apparent throughout the experience.
Special Features
-Babylon 5 Forever (New Featurette) – join the cast and filmmakers as they reveal the process behind creating the first state-of-the-art, animated adaptation of Babylon 5.
-Audio Commentary with creator/writer/executive producer J. Michael Straczynski, actor Bruce Boxleitner, and supervising producer Rick Morales.
-Digital Copy
Overall
Babylon 5: The Road Home opens with the familiar and ends with something new. The possibilities from the final act are endless, and we might be seeing the first chapter in an unexplored version of the B5 Universe. We highly recommend that you go get your copy of The Road Home today so that you can experience this one for yourself. Time will tell, but the future looks very bright for a return to Babylon 5!
ComicsOnline gives Babylon 5: The Road Home 5 out of 5 blue socks.
Make sure you check out our SDCC Interviews with J. Michael Straczynski and Matt Peters for more insight into the creation process for The Road Home:
