Welcome to the game, DC universe.

With “Wonder Woman” and now “Justice League,” we may look back at 2017 as the year when DC finally turned the corner with the transition from comics to the big screen.

Continuing DC’s momentum from “Wonder Woman,” “Justice League” is a breezy, fun extension of “Batman vs. Superman” that finally feels like the event superhero movie that DC has tried to concoct since “Man of Steel.” It isn’t quite up to the same level as “Wonder Woman,” but it is still a pleasant surprise and is easier to defend than “Batman vs. Superman” or “Man of Steel.”

“Justice League” picks up shortly after Superman’s death with Batman/Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck, who seems to have settled nicely into the role) working with Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to recruit a team to stop an evil force known as Steppenwolf from combining three boxes capable of starting the apocalypse.

Batman and Wonder Woman enlist the help of Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller), Victor Stone/Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa) to stop Steppenwolf and save humanity.

“Justice League” may have the threat of the apocalypse as its backdrop (as Bruce Wayne so astutely observes in one scene the days of exploding penguins seem to be long behind us), but that doesn’t mean the film can’t have a lot of fun getting to its destination. The pleasant surprise is how much personality each character gets. Perhaps it was the influence from “Wonder Woman,” although more than likely the inclusion of Joss Whedon (who served as one of the co-writers and also filled in for director Zack Synder when Synder bowed out due to a personal emergency) is what brings these characters to life.

It’s no surprise that Gadot continues to dominate the screen with her glorious spin on Wonder Woman, but Momoa and Fisher also get to shine. The breakout though is Miller, playing Allen/Flash as this quirky kid who is just happy to be along for the ride. Miller nearly matches Gadot, making the prospects of a Flash spin-off movie very promising.

With so many characters in so many places, “Justice League” has plenty of balls in the air but manages to keep things moving along briskly in the two-hour run time. It’s a welcome change from the plodding pace of “Batman vs. Superman.”

Steppenwolf may not be the most memorable villain, with Ciaran Hinds performance basically CGI, but “Justice League” is more about the heroes than the villains this time. It mostly strikes the right notes this time, sending this franchise into a promising direction.

Be sure to stay for a pair of scenes during the credits (including one post credits that drew a wildly positive response from the audience at my screening). It shows the promise of a franchise that has finally found its voice, and the sky’s the limit for future projects.

Starring: Ben Affleck, Gal Gardot

Directed by: Zack Snyder

Rating: PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action

Playing at: Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Highland Cinemas (Glasgow), Franklin Drive-In

Grade: B