Originally Published: March 2, 2010, on 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

The folks at DC Animation are constantly thinking up new ways to put some twists on classic comic book storylines and their latest undertaking is a new look at the classic alternative universe, or “multi-verse”, storylines that have been a staple of the DC Universe (DCU) since the 1960s.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths sees the Justice League visited by an alternative universe Lex Luthor where everything is opposite to our beloved Justice League’s universe. So, Lex Luthor and the Joker (called The Jester) are heroes and Superman, Batman, and the rest of the Justice League all has villainous mobster-type counterparts (Ultraman to Superman, Owlman to Batman, etc.). It is now tasked to our Justice League to rise to the challenge of adapting to this new world and to take down this nefarious group of super villains (called the Crime Syndicate) for the sake of the entire multi-verse!

If you’re a DCU fan and you are expecting to see a single comic story arc represented in this latest straight to DVD movie, then you will be sorely mistaken. A die-hard DCU fan will immediately recognize that this is more of a compilation of elements from all of the multi-verse stories of the 1960s all the way through to the first DCU Crisis. From adding a few original elements and using the Crime Syndicate of Earth-3 storylines, to the idea of a multi-verse and its possible destruction, this DVD was able to tie together all those concepts very well to create a never-before-seen, enjoyable storyline involving all of our favorite superheroes. Of course, it didn’t take a lot of reworking from the brain trust at DC Animation since most of these pieces were already in place almost a decade ago when this was originally supposed to be a bridge between the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons, but I still liked it.

Although the movie is just 75 minutes, there are also plenty of DVD features on the special edition to make this a worthwhile purchase instead of a simple rental. The special features include a short documentary feature on the advent of the multi-verse in the DCU and how they inspire storylines even today, which was brilliantly done and features the usual powerhouses behind the scenes of DC. Along with this, you get a preview of the next big DC Animation project (Under the Red Hood), a special animated short featuring the original Spectre done in the style of a 1970s crime drama, and two episodes of the Justice League cartoon from the early 2000s that, of course, features an alternative universe Justice League. Right there you have probably another 75 minutes of bonus content, not to mention it comes with an Owlman figurine if you get the 2-disc special edition.

Even with all these great features and an original plot, there were a couple of drawbacks. I thought the animation style was a little sub par to what I’ve come to expect from DC Animation. There was just something that rubbed me the wrong way and it had to do with the characters’ faces. They almost looked a little too unrealistic, like they belonged more in a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Along with this, the voice acting was only average. I was severely disappointed with William Baldwin’s portrayal of Batman and Mark Harmon as Superman and Chris Noth as Lex Luthor really ground my gears as well. I did love James Woods as Owlman, though, and Nolan North, a voice acting veteran best known for several of his video game roles, played Green Lantern and his evil counterpart, Power Ring, very nicely.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths could be a nice addition to any DC fan’s DVD collection with some great special features and a good plot based on some classic storylines, but I wouldn’t put it above Batman/Superman: Public Enemies or the Wonder Woman animated feature that came out last year.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths gets 3 out of 5.

-Ray Carsillo