JLU Review - "Ancient History"

Hello, my peeps. It's your favorite blogger back with her weekly review of Justice League Unlimited. I had been waiting for this episode to air in the U.S. after reading about it over at Ain't It Cool News. And while I'm still sad and peeved that JLU will be ending after this Saturday, I'm happy that the love triangle between Hawkgirl, Hawkman and Green Lantern has finally been dealt with in surprising fashion.

Title: Ancient History
Story: Dwayne McDuffie
Script: Geoff Johns
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos

If you're even in the least bit familiar with Hawkman and Hawkgirl, you know that present day DC continuity has established them as reincarnated soulmates who are destined to find each other throughout time. I love the tragic romantic nature of their story and some of this is incorporated into the JLU version of their story. The big twist? John Stewart a/k/a Green Lantern is also part of the story.

In past seasons of Justice League, Hawkgirl and Green Lantern became romantically involved, and it was even revealed that they have will have a son who goes on to become a hero in his own right (this was revealed during Batman and GL's trip across time a few seasons ago). Ever since returning from the future, John has been quite distant toward Hawkgirl and has started a relationship with fellow Justice League member, Vixen. And these are the circumstances that surround this story. Oh yeah, Hawkman is there, too, with full knowledge (or close to it) of his past life with Hawkgirl. Of course, Hawkgirl is a bit put off by this, and for good reason, as we find out.

The episode opens with GL chasing after The Gentleman Ghost, who he apprehends with Hawkman's help. GL is suspicious of Hawkman (or maybe jealous) and feels the need to make a few comments about him to Hawkgirl (who was in the midst of a workout with Vixen). It's obvious that there is still some sort of bond between GL and Hawkgirl, but he is fully committed to his relationship with Vixen.

In the midst of all of this, the Shadow Thief shows up, but this version of the Shadow Thief is different that the criminal who uses Thanagarian technology to turn into a living shadow. When it all comes out, his true origin not only makes sense, it also brings the whole story together, but more on that later.

So, as Vixen is about to leave on a photoshoot (right after a very nicely written scene between her and GL), Shadow Thief shows up and kidnaps GL, despite Vixen's attempts at stopping him. Before I continue, I would be remiss if I didn't commend the creators of JLU for making me care about Vixen, who is pretty much a non-entity in the comics, despite her standing as a Justice League member. It also helps that the wonderful Gina Torres provides her voice.

Vixen seeks out Hawkgirl and the two of them trace GL to Midway City. A battle ensues between our heroines and the Shadow Thief, but even with Hawkman's help, Vixen ends up injured and the Hawks end up as captives themselves. And here's where things start to get interesting.

The Shadow Thief forces the Hawks and GL to touch the Absorbacon (a piece of Thanagarian tech that unlocks past lives or some such), and upon doing so, all three learn of their past lives together in Ancient Egypt when Katar and Shayera Hol came to Earth from Thanagar and set up a utopian society with the help of John Stewart's ancestor. You can pretty much figure out the rest from here...John and Shayera have an affair...Katar finds out and wishes them dead...Hath Set kills them...and Katar commits suicide. It's your classic doomed lovers scenario. But the real twist is that the Shadow Thief is actually the embodiment of Hawkman's inner most desires, given life when he touched the Absorbacon years prior. Carter Hall wanted to be a hero and reunite with the woman he believed to be his lost love, and the Shadow Thief has been doing everything in his power to make this come true. This was a great twist that I did not see coming.

Eventually, the Hawks and GL team up to defeat the Shadow Thief (who is "reabsorbed" by Hawkman), and Hawkman finally realizes that he and Shayera are not meant to be together.

The ending is very poignant as GL finally reveals to Hawkgirl that they have a son in the future. However, he "won't be fate's puppet" and decides to remain with Vixen. Hawkgirl then goes to Batman to find out about her son, though we never do find out what (if anything) Bats tells her.

This was just an astoundingly good episode from beginning to end, offering more twists and turns than I was expecting along with a very adult storyline. I was made to care about the characters and what happens to them, and that's what you want from any show, cartoon or otherwise.

Geoff Johns was responsible for the cleaning up of Hawkman's very muddled continuity in the DC Universe, and his fingerprints are all over this episode. This was definitely one of the stronger episodes as of late, and my only complaint was that it was not told sooner. It would have been nice to see more of Hawkman in the series, but that won't be happening now.

My rating: four stars out of four

Saturday will spell the end of Justice League Unlimited with a two part episode that will tie up all of the loose ends from this last season. And if the previews are any indication, it's gonna be doozy.

Okay, peeps, rack me, I'm out!

~Sara