It’s funny how Warners and DC are making me feel déjà vu.  If you check out my review of Wonder Woman, the last offering, you can just insert the first paragraph.  So let’s go the personal route…

Growing up, I had 5 superheroes that I identified with:

• Thor – Blonde hair and strength with a cool hammer
• Hulk – Strong, but scary temper that could not be controlled
• Spiderman – Brainy nerd becomes a hero to all
• Batman – Able to do anything he wanted without any extra powers
• Green Lantern

What I liked about Green Lantern is that, while he had a power ring, it was his will-power that made things happen.  By having the will to overcome any problem is how one becomes super.

First Flight is an origin story that follows the comic storyline fairly well.  An alien crash-lands on Earth and is found by Hal Jordan, a test pilot.  A ring changes hands and Jordan finds himself the protector of our universe.  What follows is Jordan’s introduction to OA, the Green Lantern Corps, and of course, Sinestro.  What I liked most is that this became an origin story of two characters, GL and Sinestro, as well as how their relationship changed forever.  it reminded me of how I felt when I found the comic book storyline of how Superman and Lex Luthor first met.

As with all DC/Warner efforts, the voice-casting and art is spot on.  I bought the Blu-Ray version, so I can not review the added features.  I watched this via the digital copy provided.

My advice: Watch a great origin story, even on the Blackest Night….

Warner Brothers and DC have enjoyed an 18-year relationship in producing quality superhero animation.  With the release of Batman:The Animated Series on TV, it was shown that good stories and superheroes could mix.  That success was followed by Superman, some Batman movies, and the Justice League series.  With the winding down of the JLU series and the rise of live-action, DC took a step back to figure out where to go next.  That step back yielded two highly-praised efforts: Justice League: The New Frontier; and Batman:Gotham Knight.

Enter their latest offering:  Wonder Woman

This is an origin story, adapted for today.  While some of the details have been changed, the spirit of the story remains.  An island exists, shielded from the rest of the world by magic and populated only by Amazons, frozen in time.  A US pilot crashes onto the island and is found by Diana.  Through competition, Diana is selected to escort the pilot back and to track down an escaped Ares, god of War.  Action ensues and the world is graced with the heroine, Wonder Woman.

Much like New Frontier, DC and Warners relied on traditional animation versus anime or digital to tell the story.  While the animation is beautiful, it is the story and voice-casting that stands out.  Andrea Romano once again, as she has for over 20 years, delivers a cast filled with recognizable names who are able to craft their voices in such a way as to sound familiar, yet not let their celebrity overpower their character.  Bruce Timm, as producer, ensures that the story holds true to the spirit of the origin and that what is delivered is top-quality.

I bought the Blu-Ray version since it had a digital copy included.  As such, I can not review the extras included on the Blu-Ray part, but there are a number of documentaries on various aspects of Wonder Woman.  The digital copy disc included a copy for the PC, as well as a copy for a portable device.

My advice:  Give this one a whirl – no golden lasso needed to verify that I speak the truth…