The DC Universe returns to the Silver Age in the all-new, feature-length animated film, Justice League: The New Frontier. Featuring an all-star roster of voiceover talent (David Boreanaz, Kyle MacLachlan, Brooke Shields, Neil Patrick Harris, Lucy Lawless, etc), and some decidedly adult content, the very PG-13 release brings together the world’s greatest superheroes to face both a cosmic foe, as well as the prejudice and paranoia of the McCarthy-era America.

The world’s super heroes are a divided lot, some of the persecuted by the government (Batman, The Flash), others their pawns (Superman, Wonder Woman), and, others still, forsaking their abilities lest they incur the wrath of an ever-increasingly paranoid public who are terrified by the gods that live amongst them. When a cosmic power known only as “The Center” threatens to destroy life on Earth, however, both gods and men must set aside their differences and work together if they are to survive.

Justice League: The New Frontier is based on the fantastic mini-series released by DC a short while back, and, while it may look very much like the television series, this film isn’t one for the kiddies. The movie opens with a suicide, followed quickly by a bloody scene in which Hal Jordan (Boreanaz) is forced to shoot an enemy soldier in the head. Another scene has Superman, assigned by the government to “ease suffering” in the Indochina conflict, happening upon a stack of rebel bodies burning in a bonfire, and discovers that they were put there by woman they’d held captive – women that Wonder Woman set free, and sat back as these women had their revenge. This is a very mature film despite the day-glo colors and retro style animation. Sadly, it’s the quality of the animation that prevents this from being a truly great movie, as it’s not much better than that of the television series. Still, the stellar voice cast and engaging plot go a long way toward making up for the film’s visual shortcomings.

Justice League: The New Frontier is presented in a 1080p VC-1 transfer that is very vibrant and sharp, save for the occasional banding (inherent in HD animation). This particular animation style isn’t very detailed, but what’s here is presented with great clarity and depth, with deep blacks, cool blues and greens, and rich, warm reds that pop off the screen.

The audio fares better as JL:TNF offers a Dolby TrueHD track that is positively booming, with a vigorous surround mix, and crystal clear dialogue. The sound effects are actually quite impressive, with rumbling explosions, gunshots, and the roar of the prehistoric beasties spewed forth by The Centre making great use of the subwoofer.

Extras are plentiful, including two feature length commentaries, and three great featurettes (all presented in standard definition). First up is “Super Heroes United: The Complete Justice League History”, which is exactly what it sounds like; an exhaustive history of the major players in the DC universe, featuring interviews with various artists and writers. “The Legion of Doom: Pathology of the Super Villain” is the yin to the latter feature’s yang, offering up a bevy of insight into the roster of DC’s resident baddies. “Homage to the New Frontier” is a short look at the original graphic novel and its translation to film, narrated by “DC: The New Frontier” writer, Darwyn Cooke. Rounding out the extras are a trio of episodes from the television series (which, when compared to the HD feature, look washed out and flat in SD), and a look at the upcoming Batman: Gotham Knight, which is a very cool looking series of Batman anime shorts created in the tradition of The Animatrix.

Justice League: The New Frontier delivers all of the action and excitement one would expect from any gathering of “the world’s greatest superheroes”. Still, while I enjoyed the film, I found myself wishing that the animation was a little more sophisticated, especially given the sophisticated nature of the material. Still, this is a really fun flick, and the Blu-ray release offers up enough by way of extra goodies to please even the most fastidious of comic book geeks.