The DC animated universe is experiencing growing pains. While its television series, beginning with Batman: The Animated Series in the early ’90s, have always attracted older viewers as well as the kiddies, the producers are now focusing their efforts almost exclusively on teenage and adult fans. The PG-13 rating for Justice League: The New Frontier and Superman: Doomsday (released last fall) are the most obvious indications of this new target demographic. Additionally, both DVD features based on cult-favorite, limited-run comic series.

The initial appeal of the DC animated series, which grew from Batman to include Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League and Batman Beyond, is that no prior comic knowledge was required to enjoy the stories. While the cartoons did create their own continuity, they remain accessible and straightforward, something DC’s current superhero comics can’t claim. However, Superman: Doomsday and Justice League: The New Frontier are self-contained and appeal to those who have read their source material or would pick up more sophisticated books. Nothing wrong with this strategy - except when the final products are weak and juvenile. This was the case with Superman: Doomsday. While Justice League: The New Frontier is a far superior effort in terms of animation, voice work, story, and character building, the film suffers from rushed pacing and underdeveloped elements.

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Starring: David Boreanaz, Miguel Ferrer, Neil Patrick Harris

Directed by: Dave Bullock

Written by: Darwyn Cooke, Stan Berkowitz

Based on 2004’s DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke, the film follows the members of the Justice League as they move into the Silver Age (the late 1950s to mid ’60s). It’s a new world where the values of wartime America are challenged by social conflict in its own borders, and the Communist terror beyond. Racism, women’s liberation, and McCarthyism are touched on but not explored in any great length, since superheroes have more literal monsters to fight. We follow two groups of heroes as they face the Center, an omega-level threat to be sure. One is the Golden Age heroes: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman (voiced by Lucy Lawless in a cosmic inevitability), who learn to leave citizens to their own affairs; and the new Silver Age heroes: the Martian Manhunter, The Flash, and Green Lantern, who are more grounded in day-to-day struggles.

It’s exciting to see the most famous Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, finally appear in an animated feature that treats him with due respect. (Super Friends being a travesty to all involved.) A fearless, cocky alpha-male with fine sense of personal honor, Hal is likable and believable as he faces the trials of becoming a space pilot (a novel twist on his origin story, since he is simply an ace test pilot in the comics) and Green Lantern of Sector 2814. Since he assumes the latter mantle in the climax, it would be great to see more of his early adventures - something we can hope The Powers That Be will observe.

The Martian Manhunter (a.k.a. J’onn J’onzz) and The Flash (a.k.a. Barry Allan) are portrayed in ways viewers of the Justice League TV series will recognize: the aloof but tender-hearted alien and the easygoing but self-doubting superhero, respectively. J’onn’s evolving relationships with Batman and King Faraday help connect him with the human world and realize it’s worth protecting.

Dozens of heroes of the Golden and Silver age comics appear in cameo roles: the Losers, the Blackhawks, Green Arrow, the Atom, Wildcat, and more. Since these are blink-and-you’ll-miss-them depictions, beefing up their dialogue and screen time would convey further “team spirit” and nods to longtime DC fans.

Of course, giving more characters more to do would mean increasing the running time to perhaps 90 minutes or - gasp! - a couple of hours, a true feature-length release. The bang-up climax and main character arcs would remain effective. Surely teenage and adult viewers have the patience for this, and there’s enough on-page material to adapt.

The production’s slightness aside, it’s a reasonably faithful adaptation of an inspired book. No viewer will fail to be moved by the epilogue: still images of the Justice League members united and protecting the world as we hear John F. Kennedy’s 1960 Democratic nominee acceptance speech about facing the New Frontier. In the 21st century, we face our own “uncharted areas of science and space, unsolved problems of peace and war, unconquered pockets of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty and surplus.” And while the Superman doesn’t have our backs, he and the Justice League can still inspire strength and prevalence in ordinary folks.