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Jan 22, 2016 By Zach Hollwedel DC Comics

Marvel’s The Avengers have dominated cineplexes and the box office for a number of years now, but my friends, the Justice League is closing in. The powerhouse DC Comics superhero team took one step closer to the big screen this week in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, a new series. And it was awesome.

Legends of Tomorrow is the latest addition to the ongoing string of primetime cape and tight thrillers from the CW network and co-creators Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, and Marc Guggenheim. Following the success of both Arrow and The Flash (Geoff Johns co-created the latter), the creative team clearly has a plan, and boy, does it work. It’s actually pretty simple, really. Arrow raises the maturity bar for DC’s primetime treatment of its masked vigilantes, and then introduces The Flash. Barry Allen (Flash) disappears for a little while, and then reappears, this time in his own series. Ever wise, DC and CW brass prompt numerous crossovers between the two, building anticipation on the small screen for the ultimate prize (a Justice League movie). They then simultaneously introduce second stringers and fan favorites (Firestorm, The Atom, Black Canary) and patiently await the Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman trifecta big screen box office blowout this March with Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (even though the two universes aren’t technically connected, with different actors playing the roles on TV and in the movies). Yet, none of the small-screen offerings feel anticipatory; they’re all fully realized and very well done productions with lives of their own. Legends is no exception.

Legends of Tomorrow is a rollicking adventure through time. Immortal villain Vandal Savage (if you don’t recognize him from the comics, hopefully his name rings a bell from the fantastic Arrow/Flash crossover earlier this season) destroys the world in the 22nd Century. Unwilling to let that happen, time-traveler Rip Hunter (played by time travelling veteran Arthur Darvill, a former Doctor Who companion) goes back to 2016 and assembles a team to stop the rogue before he dooms the Earth. There’s a lot of meat in Legends for fans to sink their teeth into. For one, there’s the team itself (in addition to Hunter): Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Firestorm, The Atom, White Canary (Sarah Lance, formerly Black Canary), Heat Wave, and Captain Cold. Their banter is fresh and fun, and even though I personally don’t love the two villains, I dig the team a lot (and recognize the popularity of Heat Wave and Captain Cold, as they appeared in The Flash). Second, the producers are smart to get right into the action. Let’s face it; any premise involving time jumping is going to be a lot to accept. Berlanti and his collaborators wisely embrace that; they dispense with the exposition as quickly as possible, and within 10 minutes, get right to the action.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow promises a high-flying, time-traveling, fantastic hour of fun each week. A super hero team chasing one of their universe’s most dangerous bad guys across the globe—and the time stream—with occasional appearances from the Green Arrow and The Flash? Yes, please. (www.cwtv.com/shows/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/)

Author rating: 8/10