Rating:  -
Apokolips...Now! is one of the greatest episodes of television ever done, not just animation. I cry like a little baby at the end of it every time I watch it and I am 30 years old. I agree the third season of this series was the best and it was ended way too early just as Gargoyles, Batman Beyond, Batman, Spiderman and all the great late 1990's cartoon series' were ended too early. These are cartoons that adults can get into due to the use of real actors (Michael Ironside rules) and intelligent stories.
Rating: -
This was an excellent season for the final season of this show. Tim Daly was excellent as superman(voice) and this season was well written. The best part of this season was the finale, "Legacy". I would buy this season just for that alone. "Legacy" is a 2-part episode where Darkseid abducts Superman, brainwashes him, and makes him lead the Apokoliptic army. I wont mention anything else to spoil anything for anyone.
Rating: -
I won't go into plot and character details, you can read the other reviews for that. I will tell you that I am way too close to 50 years old and Superman is one of my dearest cherished childhood memories ... and still my Hero. This vision of Superman, as opposed to Smallville or other retellings of the comic mythology, is simply my favorite. Superman is a Good Guy. He has come to grips with his alter-persona and he IS what he IS. The directors, artists, writers, and voice actors of this series were always dead-on. A little humor, a touch of science-fiction, and ACTION! Rememeber, Superman was the product of ACTION Comics. Enjoy yourself and share these stories with your kids.
Rating: -
In this volume, it features the four eppys that made me a Superman: TAS fan for life! I'll point them out later! Right now, let's get to the volume:
Disc 1
Warrior Queen - A spoiled but skilled fighter from another world comes to Earth to challenge Superman and make him her husband! Ending is rather comical!
Apokolips...Now!, Pt. 1 - Darkseid makes his first push towards domination of Earth and its up to Superman, Orion and policeman Dan Turpin to stop him!
BIG NOTE HERE! THERE IS HIDDEN ALTERNATE COMMENTARY ON THIS EPISODE! HARD TO FIND BUT WORTH THE LISTEN!
Apokolips...Now!, Pt. 2 - A war rages in the streets of Metropolis! Superman and his side triumphs but pays a big price as one of his closest allies dies! Very shocking for a Saturday morning show!
Little Girl Lost, Pt. 1 & 2 - In this two parter, we are re-introduced to Kara, better known as Supergirl! As she goes through the growing pains of adjusting to Earth, Granny (one of Darkseid's flunkies) makes a bid to take down the Man Of Steel but doesn't count on Superman's pesky cousin to get involved!
Where There's Smoke - Volcana, a telekenetic with the power to manipulate fire, wants revenge on the government agents that imprisoned her!
Bonus Features:
Commentary on Apokolips...Now!, Pt. 2 by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, glen Murakami, Dan Riba and James Tucker.
Superman: Behind The Cape - David Kaufman (the voice of Jimmy Olsen) takes you behind the scenes with the show's creative team.
Disc 2/Side A
Knight Time - When Batman goes missing, Superman shows up in Gotham City to team with Robin (Tim Drake).........as BATMAN! Rather comical but slightly scary episode!
New Kids In Town - The Legion Of Super Heroes, a group from the future, goes back in time to stop Braniac from murdering a young Clark Kent!
Obsession - Toyman returns and stalks a famous model but all isn't what it seems as the model is one of his creations!
PERSONAL NOTE: My knock here is that I wished WB would've put the Static Shock episode where Superman shows up because its actually a follow up to this particular episode! Would've made a good bonus feature but I digress!
Little Big Head - Myzlyklik returns and riles up Bizzaro into a rampage on Metropolis.
Absolute Power - While studying a black hole, Superman discovers a new Krypton that is ruled by the two criminals that he imprisioned into the Phantom Zone in "Blast From The Past."
In Brightest Day - Kyle Rayner, an artist, is given the legendary power of The Green Lantern with Senestro hot on his heels!
Disc 2/Side B
Superman's Pal - Jimmy Olsen experiences new celebrity as a friend of Superman's! This ends up working against him as Metallo returns to use him in a new plot against The Man Of Steel.
Fish Story - Aquaman makes his first appearance in his more classic outfit as he takes on Lex Luthor with aid from Superman and Lois Lane!
Unity - Superman teams with Supergirl when an alien takes over Smallville and mentally warps them including Johnathan and Martha Kent!
The Demon Reborn - Batman returns to Metropolis to find Ras Al Gul and discovers a plot involving Superman! We also see a tense moment between Bats and Lois Lane, keeping with the continum from "World's Finest."
Legacy, Pt. 1 & 2 - Superman goes on a rampage as Lex Luthor manipulates a rather paranoid general to kill him. However, there is more to this than meets the eye and when all is said and done, Superman will regain his goodness but will nearly lose it all in his showdown with Darkseid.
Bonus Features:
Commentary on New Kids In Town by Bruce Timm, Glen Murakami, Dan Riba, Butch Lukic and James Tucker.
Look, Up In The Sky! The Amazing Story Of Superman - Excerpts from the new documentary. Produced by Bryan Singer & Kevin Burns. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY THE WAY BY THIS REVIEWER!
Commentary on Legacy, Pt. 2 by Bruce Timm, Glen Murakami, Dan Riba, Paul Dini and James Tucker!
Excellent end to the Superman series! The episodes that turned me to this show was Apokolips...Now! and Legacy! Very excellent story telling!
As I said earlier, I would've liked to have seen the Static Shock eppy where Superman appears and helps him fight Toyman and the rogue female robot from "Obsession" as a bonus feature but other than that, great buy!
Rating: -
Those who enjoyed Volumes 1 and 2 of Superman: The Animated Series will be blown away by Volume 3, which definitely features the best set of episodes to this brilliant series. This is primarily because of 7 specific episodes, six of which make up the enthralling Darkseid saga and the seventh episode being the clever Knight Time, the one where Superman travels to Gotham City and fills in for a missing Batman. The premise is certainly a gimmick, but the writers make the plot seem fresh and frequently hilarious, and it's easy to see why this episode has become a fan-favorite.
The highlight of this volume is the Darkseid saga, which is comprised of 3 two-part episodes, all combining for one epic story arc, beginning with the aptly titled Apokolips...Now!, which directly continues to Little Girl Lost, and eventually climaxes with the series finale Legacy.
The first 1/3 of this story arc, Apokolips...Now!, gives us the intriguing backstory to the warring planets of Apokolips and New Genesis. This serves as a build-up to Darkseid's invasion of Earth, which is easily one of the most grand-scale and exciting battle scenes I've seen (be it live-action or animated). The imagery in this episode is truly unforgettable, whether it's the sight of Superman drilling holes in and out of the Earth's surface or swarms of parademons turning Metropolis into an all-out war zone, Apokolips...Now! boasts no shortage of visceral or visual thrills.
The next segement, Little Girl Lost, is most notable for the introduction of Supergirl, whose cute face, adorable voice, and infectious sense of fun make her one of the most likeable and winning characters in the DC animated universe. The episode also finally takes the action to Apokolips, where both Supergirl and Superman battle it out with Darkseid's minions, resulting in plenty of epic and exciting action sequences. Since LGL comes directly after Apokolips...Now!, you're likely to need a breather after these four episodes.
Thus, the final encounter with Darkseid is saved for the series finale, the two-part Legacy, which is just as powerful and thrilling as Apokolips...Now! and Little Girl Lost. I hesitate to give away the plot twists, suffice to say the last ten minutes feature a truly vengeful Superman, who battles his way through Darkseid's army until he reaches the throne room, where he goes mano-a-mano with the ruler of Apokolips himself. The ensuing fight between the two foes is nothing short of spectacular, and its resolution is tinged with bitter irony.
Undoubtedly, I've been gushing quite a bit over these seven episodes. But this volume also boasts other highlights, including the first appearance of Aquaman and the return of Jax-Ur and Mala (this episode boasts a terrific fight scene set outside the edge of a black hole). As usual, the animation and voice acting is superb, particularly Tim Daly as Clark Kent/Superman, who would be missed since George Newbern took over the role in Justice League. Most definitely, Newbern doesn't have a patch on Daly. All in all, a great volume that should definitely be seen by any Superman fan or for anyone who enjoys epic sci-fi action.
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