The Justice Friends was one of two alternating backup features in support of Dexter's Laboratory (Dial M For Monkey was the other), but didn't last very long. Methinks that certain sensitive types at Marvel might've had something to do with the feature's shorter-than-expected lifespan.
I suggest Marvel, rather than Hanna-Barbera's corporate sibling, DC, because the trio of heroes in this sitcom, Krunk, Val Hallen, and Major Glory, correspond to Hulk, Thor, & Captain America, respectively, although DC did create a General Glory character for their late 80's reincarnation of the Justice League. As such, it's safe to suggest that this was a cross-parody of Marvel's Avengers and the then-white hot primetime sitcom, Friends (which was a WB property, anyway). Rare was the time when these guys actually fought someone. Could you picture Genndy Tartatovsky trying to reboot the Super Friends the same way, and getting denied? I think that might've been the case, but I can't prove it.
[As it is, some enterprising soul has dubbed over some Super Friends toons using material from Friends, but it is not worth discussing any further than that, since it amounts to blasphemy rather than parody.]
Smashlilman uploaded the open:
The quibble I had was in the development, or lack thereof, of Val Hallen. I get the heavy metal rocker riff, but most metalheads aren't surfer dudes, at least the last I checked. Seems to me that this concept should've been pitched---or, maybe, it was---to Mad Magazine first. It sounds better on paper.
Rating: C.
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