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Earlier this week saw the debut of the first episode of Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett‘s Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles, a prelude series of webisodes that will lead up to the full-length film being released towards the end of July (and my guess, probably debuting at SDCC).

The first episode was a pretty dark affair that focused on Michael C. Hall‘s vampire Batman as he tries to take out Harley Quinn. The newest entry, released yesterday, takes a look at the new Superman, voiced by Benjamin Bratt, as he battles Brainiac.

Witness a divergent reality where the Justice League protects the planet – but answers to no one but themselves. Employing methods of intimidation and fear, this Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman deal brute force in the name of justice. From the creative genius of executive producer Bruce Timm and co-producer Alan Burnett comes an original story where the world’s greatest triumvirate of super heroes has distinctly different origins. Superman was not raised by the Kents in Smallville, the Caped Crusader is not Bruce Wayne, and Wonder Woman is not an Amazon warrior of Themyscira. They are as likely the world’s saviors as Earth’s despotic rulers. When a group of famed scientists experience untimely “accidents,” a government task force follows the trail of clues to the Justice League – but is there a more powerful player operating from the shadows? It’s a high stakes game of intrigue, mystery and action that asks the question: How do you serve justice to those above the law?

We’ve reported in the past week or so about Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett‘s upcoming original animated feature, Justice League: Gods and Monsters, which posits an Elseworlds-esque take on the classic DC trinity.

Today, it’s been announced this newest DC animated film will hit stores on July 28th, and will feature a cast that includes Michael C. Hall (Dexter) as Batman, Benjamin Bratt (Law & Order, 24) as Superman, Tamara Taylor (Bones) as Wonder Woman, Paget Brewster (Criminal Minds) as Lois Lane, Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter films, Dig) as Lex Luthor and C. Thomas Howell (E.T., Southland) as Dr. Will Magnus.

That’s a pretty enticing cast, and I for one will be fascinated to see Hall’s take on the Caped Crusader.

Here’s the official summary of the Timm and Burnett-written story:

Witness a divergent reality where the Justice League protects the planet – but answers to no one but themselves. Employing methods of intimidation and fear, this Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman deal brute force in the name of justice. From the creative genius of executive producer Bruce Timm and co-producer Alan Burnett comes an original story where the world’s greatest triumvirate of super heroes has distinctly different origins. Superman was not raised by the Kents in Smallville, the Caped Crusader is not Bruce Wayne, and Wonder Woman is not an Amazon warrior of Themyscira. They are as likely the world’s saviors as Earth’s despotic rulers. When a group of famed scientists experience untimely “accidents,” a government task force follows the trail of clues to the Justice League – but is there a more powerful player operating from the shadows?  It’s a high stakes game of intrigue, mystery and action that asks the question: How do you serve justice to those above the law?

Sam Liu (Batman: Year One) will return to direct, and Timm and Sam Register the Co-Executive Producers.

While the deluxe edition of the Blu-ray will come with the Wonder Woman figurine seen above, the standard blu-ray set will include the following special features:

• ALTERNATE REALITIES: Infinite Possibilities – Justice League: Gods & Monsters falls into a category of storytelling where our well-known characters and the worlds they inhabit are re-imagined. This documentary explores the various attempts by writers to have a little fun and tinker with the characters, resulting in exceptional storytelling that posed thought-provoking questions to audiences.
• CALCULATED RISKS: The Making of Gods and Monsters – Justice League: Gods & Monsters was an idea that pushed the boundaries. It began with that challenging question writers face: “What haven’t we seen before?”  Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett audaciously answered that challenge, resulting in a fresh and exciting film that forces us to think differently about the DC Universe.
• The New Gods – Encore presentation of 2010 documentary about Jack Kirby’s New Gods.
• A Sneak Peak at DC Universe’s Next Animated Movie – An advance look at the next DC Universe Original Movie.
• Bonus cartoons from the DC Comics Vault

And, just if you need the reminder of how enticing this feature is looking, here’s the latest trailer: