Rating:  -
As I said in my review for volume one of this series, I think Superman's cool, and I think this animated series is cool. The second volume introduces a few new baddies into Superman's universe, among them Metallo, Bizarro, and of course, my personal favorite, Mr. Myxyespitlik (forgive me if I mispell that). The extradimensional elf makes his first appearance in a great and funny episode. But there's still plenty of action in this set.
It's also got the three part story "World's Finest" where Batman of Batman: TAS and Superman of Superman: TAS meet for the first time, one of my all time favorite superhero movies. And yes, that includes those big budget Hollywood blockbusters.
Why? Writing. It's all in the writing, and S: TAS has it in spades. Great stories, cool characters, and eye-catching animation.
Now if they'd only release Justice League Season One on DVD. Oh well, at least I get to enjoy this set while I wait.
Rating:  -
I'm surprised no one else mentioned but one person that these are not all of the episodes from the series. They are leaving out two of the best "mini-series" from the show. Someone else mentioned the Apokolips three-parter, and they also left off the "ending of the show" "LEGACY"? Those were some of the best episodes, why are they not on any of the Superman:animated series boxsets??? Will they release them later, or are they just LOST FOREVER??? That's what I don't understand, I was finally looking forward to seeing those on dvd. That's the only reason I give this set 3 stars, not 5. Its not COMPLETED. WB has done a poor job of marketing BTAS, AND S:AS. If anyone has information on this write an updated review.
Rating: -
My favorite episode on volume 2 is undoubtly "Mxyzpixilated". The most (probably only) humorous episode of the series. I love the "robot building montage", w/ the "George, Relish, & Pants being months" gag. There's also a VIDEO commentary on this episode (way better than the one on "Batman: TAS Volume 3", which happens to be recorded in Paul Dini's apartment). Other great episodes include the shocking story "The Late Mr. Kent" & the fan-favorite "World's Finest". I totally recommend this set, along w/ "Superman Vol. 1" & "Batman: TAS Vol. 1-4"
Rating: -
Volume Two of Superman: TAS is a pretty good set though it tends to fall into the same cases of lack of plot, reliance on fights and overall lack of character development.
Again, Superman: TAS can best be summed up by the following two things: Laser Beams and Fighting! Though probably fun & exciting for a 6 year old, those of us in our twenties crave more story development.
Stand out shows include: The Late Mr. Kent (which has a rather breath taking finale), Brave New Metropolis and Father's Day. The rest however generate a sense of "been there, done that."
Parasite turning on Live Wire..what a tired plot device that is. Inclusion of World's Finest (a prior release), serves only to take up space. Etc etc etc... The villians suffer from not having strong enough development. Though I must say the introductory episode of Darkseid is amazingly great!
Darkseid is given a huge build up complete with menacing theme music, the Omega Beams! and even the Stargates he uses to travel between worlds! Very exciting!!!
What shame that the producers of the vastly superior Batman: TAS abandoned their vision to essentially copy the Superman show, thus pushing it to be cancelled.
Rating: -
While this may not be the best compilation of episodes from this marvelous series, a product of years of perfecting the incomparable Batman the Animated Series, and even though the best is yet to come [and babe wont it be fine] in the last set as such wonderful climaxes in storytelling such as Apokolips Now! and Legacy are released, this set represents as a whole one of the best single television series ever to grace the small screen. Most each and every episode is so self-inclusive of itself from the group It is marvelous how one of the more shunned foms of medium, the comic books, have become the vehicle for some of the greatest storytelling of all time, and even more a shame they have not received the public attention they deserve, simply because they are animated. In "studying" [watching mindlessly, hehe] hours upon hours of the DC animated series, and paying special attention to such details as the music, and the synchronization between the action on screen and the music cues, there are no finer shows that pay attention to the full scale of controls in storytelling than these animated gems. While true, some of them are strictly for the sci-fi among us, and while I have an innane scorn for things done strictly for the sake of telling whacked-out stories with characters who can take it, in most if not all instances of the Superman Animated series, they are so humanized by the limitations placed upon the protagonist that there is always a level of inherent relation between the audience and the most powerful being in the DC universe. In the later series, such as JLU, when Superman has matured in strength and intellect, he seems less and less this naive farm boy, and all that remains is the firm fertile ground of Kansas in which his morals are planted, the true strenght behind Superman being his motives. I like to think of these series as the "pueberty" years of Superman's superhero career. He is still assimilating both defeats and victories into the hero he will one day become. The great part about this is that he can still be threatened by very real world situations, and these represent the best forms of writing; not catering a story to a superhuman character, but conforming that character to a situation that tests more than what makes him superhuman, but what makes him human, and exempliary in all those aspects. "The Late Mr. Kent" represents this best. If all stories could've been THIS well planned, and theatrical, the series would've been the best television show ever to be created. Yet, then again, that single episode wouldn't stand out. I will not divulge too much, and simply implore you to see it for yourself, but the collaboration of innovative storytelling and music in a real world situation in which the variable is not some mutant villain, but the Boy Blue himself, and put into a situation that is beyond his superhuman strengths to correct, in which he is reduced to the same confines as a normal human being, proves to the watcher that he truly is a superhero without his strengths and powers. THIS is Superman, the way he deserves to be represented, as the icon of strength and power towards good will. Of course, there is struggle on this path, even for one so powerful, but the eventual outcome, even if by the intervention of good friends, is always the toppling of evil.
P.S. I am wishing to start a petition online to support the release of ALL the scores concerning Batman and Superman animated series, and all related titles [including orchestrations of the synthesized scores to Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited, both chock full of great musical ideas bound by a slim budget to being synthesizers]. This music is some of the most incredible music ever composed, with Shirley Walker being the new queen of leitmotif [move over Johnny] and being both incredibly effective in and of itself, and complementing the cues on screen. No finer film and television music has been composed.
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