How 'Batman' & 'Superman' *Failed* to Set-Up The Justice League Cartoon

 With all of this attention on Justice League with *ugh* the Snyder Cut, I thought we should look back at how another Justice League was formed.

The short version now: Batman got a Cartoon, which led into a Superman Cartoon.  That one introduced elements and characters that would become a part of the center piece of the DCAU that was so good- the Justice League Cartoon.

The real version, however, is not that simple or exact.

In Season 2, we got the Episode 'Speed Demons.'

In it, Flash appears as part of a Charity Race, but it's all a scheme against both by the Weather Wizard, in his first Animated appearance.  This would, of course, follow the Justice League TV Pilot.

The next attempt at major world-building was done with a Season 3 Episode 'A Fish Story.'

Aquaman shows up and has a battle of sorts with Lex Luthor over his bombing of the Ocean floor near Metropolis.

A bit of a weird connection: the late Miguel Ferrer would voice 'Weather Wizard' and 'Aquaman' in this pair of Episodes!

The next one would come in the Episode 'In Brightest Day...'

A new Green Lantern- called Kyle Rayner, but clearly a mix of Rayner and Hal Jordan.

He's introduced, teams up with Superman and fights Sinestro.  All good stuff.

This would all come at the very end run of the Series- just 4 Episodes before the end of it, to be exact.

As such, that's all we get.

Fast-forward to Justice League and we get Batman & Superman flanked by the following members...

Martian Manhunter

Wonder Woman

Hawkgirl

The Flash

Green Lantern (John Stewart)

So, um, what happened to Aquaman and Kyle Rayner?

Well, Rayner wouldn't show up until an Episode of Justice League Unlimited (aka Season 3) with a throwaway line about 'being stuck on Oa in training.'  That's it!

As for Aquaman, he'd appear in Guest Spots, but never really joined the Team.

Meanwhile, Wonder Woman, Manhunter and Hawkgirl just appear in the Pilot and go from there.
Yes, the same thing that we got with Cyborg, Flash and Aquaman in the Film.

As the World braces for the 4-Hour Cut of a Film rejected by the Studio, let's just remember that even the great Shows didn't *quite* set things up right either.