DC Heroes United Episode 1 Review & Game Overview

DC Heroes United is an interesting storytelling idea. It’s been done before in comics, but this is only the second time I’ve heard of a game influencing the story of the show. The fact that I can’t remember what the other one is tells you how successful that was over time.

Requiring an Apple or Google Android device, the audience makes choices based on what happens in the episode. Their decision at the end affects what will happen in the next episode, like a Choose Your Own Adventure style book, but instead of just you deciding what happens next you vote alongside the audience and the winning vote determines where the story goes next. I’m assuming this means the episode is either already done or Genvid, the company producing this project, has a method to get the next episode written, animated, voiced, and out in a week or however long it takes until the next episode.

The first episode dropped on YouTube and DC’s website. I wrote this the night before it went live and couldn’t find it on Tubi despite they’re also saying that it would be up there. Let’s watch the first episode, and then learn more about this interactive storytelling experience. There are some…interesting choices made.

Apparently YouTube considers this kid content, so they shut off the comments because they’re idiots. Admittedly, it isn’t something you’d be afraid to let your kids watch. There no graphic violence unless you count the statues being brought to life and being smashed or disintegrated. There’s no foul language, no “mature” suggestions. I’d be willing to call this “all ages”, though whether or not kids will watch and vote with older audiences I couldn’t say.

Like I said, there are some interesting choices here, and we’ll go over it in parts with each of the Trinity, the clear focus of the tale despite all the other characters.

Wonder Woman

She’s the closest to an expert as to what all the magical nonsense is given her origins. It makes sense. She doesn’t have the warmth of the Diana I grew up with but she isn’t immediately coming off as “Lady Kratos” because we’ve only seen one punch from her. Of course it’s on Superman because we’re going the New 52 route of heroes not trusting each other. Then again, she’s working for Amanda Waller. Even if they toned down her anti-superhero paranoia so that her decisions make something resembling sense given her perspective, she’s still a shoot first kind of order giver. Apparently she’s aware of metahumans and magic, which is why she recruited Diana as a consultant. At least that’s what Steve seems to be referring to her as, but she seems to see herself as an agent.

Whether or not Diana and Steve are a couple in this story or not isn’t clear. I’m not sure what her accent is but I hope they’re going for Greek. That should be the only thing the Paradise Island/Themyscira Amazons have with their mythological counterparts beyond the ability to fight. It doesn’t add to the lack of warmth and love in the vocal performance. I have no issue with Steve being part of ARGUS, and I can even accept Cyborg being there in this continuity. I do wonder why Steve is race swapped and buffer than he should be. Steve was fit but not heavily muscular. The moment where he instinctively goes for his gun, with Diana noticing, is one of those minor character moments that give you an idea what they’re personality is. Otherwise, this part of the story is more exposition than anything else. Luckily it’s important enough exposition to keep in. We’re also getting thin Waller, but she’s not as scummy as her comic counterpart. Yet.

Superman

Apparently we’re going for a version that has yet to go public, and yet somehow Clark is still dating Lois. Another odd choice and I’m not sure how I feel about that, but at least we can see his arc. Clark needs to gain the confidence to reveal himself, and yet when Fate Tower drops into downtown Gotham he heads out there as soon as he can. (Not sure how Lois got there so fast.) Depending on where votes take this story, it could work but we’ll wait and see. I’m willing to blame Lois gaining a few pounds on the art style, given the other three women in the story. It was the same error with the adaptation of All-Star Superman but at least she’s portrayed okay, if missing some of that sass. She’s closer to My Adventures Lois without her confidence. I’m not sure how I feel about her, either, but then how much will she be in this story? She’s only here for Clark’s character development.

Also strange is Lex. Here he isn’t any kind of villain, which just feels very wrong to me. Lex should be evil early on, and I’m not sure I’ve ever bought his reformed years in current comic continuity. Also, another race swap (seeing as Lex is canonically a redhead before going bald we have another redhead being turned black), a de-age, and the aforementioned altered personality. Now he just has an ego problem and fascinated with power. It’s just so wrong and my dad could hear me go “you’ve got to be kidding me” when he made his appearance. Lex, not my dad. He was downstairs and I was in BW attic HQ. He didn’t even feel like a Superman character. Batman had more to do with him. Speaking of which…

Batman

Oh joy, the “needs to learn to work with other people” arc again. We haven’t seen that in weeks. Also curious why Alfred, who doesn’t look like an older white guy, is now an AI, why Black Canary suddenly has short hair and is even here given that despite being a fellow Gotham guardian they barely interact. You could have had Ragman and just be missing the gender quota. This whole thing is taking place in his city but there isn’t a lot to say. That’s all the notes. Otherwise, he’s Batman.

The interactive angle is a curious decision, but not a bad one. Some of the writers worked at Telltale Games before it fell apart, and are now doing this project for Genvid, who have done a few of these “Massively Interactive Entertainment” experiences before. I, however, have opted not to take part in the game. That may surprise those of you who know of my love of the Choose Your Own Adventure style books, which I’ve mentioned here and at The Clutter Reports, but I kind of want to enjoy the story as is. Playing Lex’s simulators doesn’t look that interesting to me, and I know that if my choice doesn’t win I might not be happy, depending on what choices are even offered. Catching the end result will be more fun for me since it’s not my decision alone that will affect things. If they ever release a CYOA version of the story, I’d totally do that and review it, and I hope they do. As it stands I’m going to let others take the wheel on this one. So make the right choices, folks!

I will say that the voice acting is quite good, as is the dialog for what they’re going for. The quirky nature that seems to be flooding superhero stories is toned down to match the seriousness of the situation and the arcs of Superman and Batman (Wonder Woman getting the shaft on this one, as her role is to tell us stuff). The animation is not surprising for the budget but I do like all the character designs, swaps and Black Canary’s haircut aside. For the most part I like it, but let’s see where it goes.

Consider this part one of our discussion. Tomorrow I want to look at the interview with the showrunner and writers of DC Heroes United to get their take on what they’re doing. I actually like most of what they said. You can jump the gun and read it now, and then return tomorrow for my thoughts. Maybe Tubi will have it up by then. They’ve been slow on The Masked Singer and The Floor this year, too.