DVD : Superman - The Animated Series, Volume One (DC Comics Classic Collection)

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- Superman the animated Series
Well done set. The two sided disk didn't really stike my fancy, but it did its job. The packaging could have been better, overall very good.

Rating:

- The animated Man of Steel
From the producers of the smashing Batman: The Animated Series, this DVD set includes the first 18 episodes of the all too short lived Superman animated series. Beginning with the three part "Last Son of Krypton" origin where the viewer witnesses the birth of the Man of Steel (voiced by Tim Daly), to the Superman 2-inspired "Blasts From the Past" two parter in which Supes dukes it out with two imprisoned Kryptonians (one of which is voiced by Ron "Hellboy" Perlman), and concluding with a nicely done charity race between Supes and the Flash; this animated series draws from it's source material very well by displaying the awe and wonder of the iconic character. Supes' supporting cast is nicely done as well, including Dana Delaney and Lois Lane, and his rogue gallery is here full blast as well, including Lex Luthor (Clancy Brown), Metallo (Malcolm McDowell), Brainiac (Corey Burton), Livewire (Lori Petty), and even intergalactic fan favorite Lobo (Brad Garett). It's not as dark or full of brilliant ideas as the Batman animated series, but Superman is still loaded with animated goodness that both kids and fanboys will admire.

Rating:

- Just Good
I'll make this short becuase there are many other detailed reviews. Superman: TAS is every bit as good as Batman:TAS. Don't listen to anyone who says otherwise. Personally I like Batman better as a character (He has more depth and is a more interesting character), but the Superman series was just done so right from the first season on. Because Bruce Timm and Paul Dini had already perfected the Batman cartoon after years of working on it, Superman didn't need 2 seasons to be perfected. The Voice acting, animation, villains, and plots were all fantastic. Buy the DVD. You won't regret it.

Rating:

- Good...but not Batman good
Superman is THE most overdone character in comics history. Movies, toons, TV shows, books, etc it is no wonder we are not sick of him by now... Which is why I give this show praise. It re-invented the character and made him more interesting than he has ever appeared before (until Smallville came along). From this first volume I enjoyed the episodes featuring LiveWire, Parasite, Metallo, Brainiac and the brief introduction to Darkseid. These episodes were all extremely well done and in the same mold as the much superior Batman: The Animated Series. However there are a few clunkers, too. The Prometheon is torture to sit through, as our the ones with the released Phantom Zone inmates and (I know I'm in the minority here) the Lobo episode.

I do have to give much kudos though for the Toyman! What an excellent and frightful interpretation of that character! Bravo! That face/mask alone would give any kid nightmares!

Again, I rate this beneath Batman because the writing and characters seem subpar. In the Batman universe you connect with his villians because each one has an emotional scar (much like Bats himself) that propels them to be who they are. Mr. Freeze and the love for his sick wife, Harley and her obsession with the Joker, Mad Hatter and his quest for love and Ivy and her inability to have children...all of these characters are so muli-dimensional that they make the Superman villians pale in comparison. Lex Luthor is a rich guy who wants power, Brainiac wants to collect information, LiveWire got shocked, Parasite got doused with toxic chemicals, etc. There is no human connection. The only one who remotely achieves this is Metallo.

In all, I cannot wait for volume two!

Rating:

- NEW LIFE FOR THE MAN OF STEEL
With the latest Big Screen Superman film stuck in seemingly endless mud, Warner at least had the good sense to follow their successful Batman Animated series by giving one to the Man of Steel, and its the best thing that happened to Superman on-screen since Superman 2, even if it is the small screen.

This set collects 18 episodes in all, 13 from season one and 5 from season two. It features the same great, yet simple animation that made the Batman series so popular, although it's strikingly brighter and the colors bolder than that grittier series. In the three part opener, We see young kal-El sent to earth before his some planet of Krypton is destroyed. We see him grow into manhood and go to Metropolis and assume his role as Superman. Tim Daly provides the voice of Clark/Superman with Dana Delany as Lois Lane and Clancy Brown (Carnivale) as Lex Luthor.

I'd be hard pressed to say which is my favorite episode but here are a few of them:

"A Little Piece of Home" Lex Luthor discovers Superman's vulnerability to Kryptonite, and attempts to exploit this weakness to rid himself once and for all of the Man of Steel.

"The Way of All Flesh" - Lex Luthor poisons a terrorist named John Corben and withholds the antidote until he has extracted a promise: that Corben will become Metallo, a flesh and metal Kryptonite-hearted cyborg with evil intent and no emotions. His only mission is to destroy Superman.

"The Main Man" - One of DC Comics most popular characters the Intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo is employed to capture the Man of Steel, but thanks to a double-,cross by the rare-species-collecting Preserver, both Superman and Lobo end up trapped in the Preserver's personal zoo.

"Speed Demons" The Flash guest stars as he and Superman team-up to battle 'The Weather Wizard' who holds Metropolis hostage with the threat of unleashing a killer hurricane.

"Tools of the Trade" Bruno Mannheim and his Intergang terrorize Metropolis with high-tech weapons supplied by Kanto, an agent of the Darkseid who strikes a devil's bargain with Bruno, leaving him deeply indebted to Darkseid yet well equipped with weapons that can destroy Superman.

The thing so great about both the Supeman and Batman cartoons is seeing guest appearances by so many other characters from the DC comic universe. This never used to happen in cartoons from way back when. The stories stick pretty well to comic continuity and really have the look and feel of golden age stories with a modern edge. Highly recommended!

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