Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Gotham City Breakout

The latest in the line of cute, goofy comedy superhero adventures was perfect viewing for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Gotham City Breakout splits up the teams in a creative way.

To celebrate Batman’s anniversary of becoming a hero, Nightwing and Batgirl take him on a vacation to see a former mentor, Madame Mantis. Of course, they stumble on a secret plot with a number of battles with other criminals involved.

Meanwhile, back in Gotham City, the League — Superman, Wonder Woman, and Cyborg — agrees to cover for him, helped by Robin. (Starfire and Beast Boy also briefly appear.) The villains are Joker, Penguin, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and the Scarecrow.

This Batman is the one I like second best in all the media. (My first is the one from the Brave and the Bold cartoon.) He’s dry and brusque and lacking much of a sense of humor, but he’s still funny to watch, saying things like “A green thumb doesn’t make up for your black heart” to Poison Ivy and “Harley, you’re wanted for grand theft, receiving stolen property, and egregious prop comedy.”

Superman doesn’t do so well in Gotham, needing help after the Joker outsmarts him. Of course, there are lessons conveyed over these 80 minutes. Like listening to someone with experience, even if they’re younger than you or have less obvious abilities. (Superman learns that one when it comes to underestimating Robin.) Or letting go of past jealousies (Deathstroke has history with Batman) and realizing that power for its own sake isn’t rewarding.

The voice cast is good, featuring

• Batman: Troy Baker
• Nightwing: Will Friedle
• Batgirl: Sarah Hyland
• Superman: Nolan North
• Wonder Woman: Grey Griffin
• Cyborg: Chary Payton
• Robin: Scott Menville
• Joker: Jason Spisak
• Penguin: Tom Kenny
• Harley Quinn: Tara Strong
• Poison Ivy: Vanessa Marshall
• Deathstroke: John DiMaggio
• Bane: Eric Bauza

What I like most is that these heroes are friends. They throw parties for each other. They like hanging out when they’re not fighting bad guys. That’s fun.

I also appreciated the credits, which show each hero in the style of famous comic covers, complete with logo. You can see those as part of this teaser clip:

For a limited time, the Blu-ray and DVD editions come with a Nightwing minifigure. There are no special features. (The studio provided a review copy.)