Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman have all encountered several otherwise law-abiding citizens committing heinous violent crimes, while claiming to be defending themselves from demonic monsters. Unfortunately, this epidemic is magical in origin, but Batman is skeptical, until Boston Brand, a.k.a. Deadman, sends him an unsubtle message, suggesting he seek out Constantine.
Of course, the comic and animated Constantine is considerably more British than Keanu Reeves. He might even be more difficult to deal with. Fortunately, he quickly enlists Zatanna, the magician with actual magical powers, who helps moderate the supernatural detective’s prickliness. Constantine also helps facilitate communication by casting a spell allowing Batman to see Deadman, the deceased acrobat granted the ability to possess bodies.
Together, they take a wild tour of DC’s occult underbelly, starting with Alec Holland, a.k.a. Swamp Thing, who would obviously be quite an informed source regarding happenings in Gotham and Metropolis. Frankly, it is not always clear how all the dots connect (or if they even do) in JLD, which is somewhat ironic, since it is an original story rather than an attempt to condense a multi-issue story-arc into less than 90 minutes.
However, it is highly entertaining to watch DC’s darker heroes “assemble.” Clearly, JLD must be fun, since it was the first animated DC film to carry an R-rating. Even if the causal relations are murky, it is very cool to watch them plum the occult depths, which Oliva and the animators render with surprising clarity. The fiercely materialistic Batman (voiced with utter dead seriousness by Jason O’Mara) makes a perfect skeptical foil, due to the darkness of his soul.
Indeed, Zatanna’s stock has risen considerably since its release (at least in the LCS world). Fans will also appreciate hearing Constantine’s English snarkiness, the way his creators intended, but those who really dig the film will be happy to hear Jeremy Davies reprising his role as Constantine’s creepy friend Ritchie Simpson.
