Released a few short weeks before the premiere of Superman
Returns, the third and final collection of episodes of Superman: The Animated
Series is ultimately a mixed bag of highs and lows. While the show continues to
be entertaining overall, making this DVD set well worth buying, the creators of
the series unfortunately choose to have the Man Of Steel get bogged down in the
overly solemn Apokolips storyline. The evil Darkseid (ominously voiced by actor
Michael Ironside in a great choice of voice casting), the malevolent overlord of
the hellish planet Apololips, finally unleashes his legions of troops upon the
Earth in the two part Apokolips Now! But instead of
finally ending this overbearing storyline here, a truce of sorts is called,
which allows Darkseid to remain as a constant foil for Superman--which was
originally supposed to be Lex Luthor’s job.
In various interviews in this DVD set and elsewhere, the creators of S:TAS spoke
of the challenges they had in coming up with new villains and situations for the
Man Of Steel because of his powerful, God-like abilities. Indeed, this is not a
new problem. I recall back in the 1980s, when DC Comics did a major overhaul on
the character, Superman’s powers had actually been reduced at the time to make
him more vulnerable, and hopefully more relatable. The answer that the S:TAS
creators have come up to tackle this super-problem is to bring in Darkseid,
originally created by Jack Kirby in his Gods Of New Genesis comic storyline. But
the drawback is that while Darkseid is a mighty adversary, he’s so overwhelming
that Superman appears downright puny in contrast. In nearly every confrontation
in this DVD set, Superman is always captured and is placed at the mercy of
Darkseid, making one wonder if perhaps the Man Of Steel is out of his league.
And in the two-part Legacy--which winds up being the series’ finale--Superman’s
very reputation is dragged through the mud when Darkseid brainwashes the Last
Son Of Krypton into being his lieutenant who leads the armies of Apokolips in an
all-out invasion of Earth. Understandably, the people of Earth begin to question whether
Superman is truly a force for good. This type of storyline--the public mistrust of a
hero--works very well for the Batman, who manages to use
his scary reputation to his advantage, but to have the same thing happen to
Superman just doesn't work. Superman has often been referred to as being
an overgrown boy scout, but that is exactly what we need in this
character. Because he’s so powerful, he can potentially bend the people of Earth
to his will, and so it’s a relief to see he’s always on the side of the angels.
Where the Batman stalks the shadows as the Dark Knight of vengeance, Superman is
the ideal hero who stands for the hopeful optimism of being a man of pure integrity,
a defender of truth and justice. And that’s something which should not be
tarnished. Leave the darkness and angst to Batman, who’s better suited for it.
To be sure, there are some marvelous episodes in this set, such as the two-part
Little Girl Lost, which introduces Supergirl, and
Knight Time, which pairs
Superman with Batman once more in witty fashion. Fish Story introduces Aquaman,
while In Brightest Day... reveals the new Green Lantern. And three members of the
Legion Of Superheroes make their small screen debut in New Kids In Town.
There are audio commentaries on Apokolips Now! Part 2, New Kids In Town, and
Legacy Part 2. David Kaufman, the voice of Jimmy Olsen, hosts an interview
session with several of the creators of the series, and there’s an except from
the new documentary Look, Up In The Sky! Yet my favorite of the special features
was the trailer for the upcoming Superman Returns. The dreary Apokolips storyline
had cast such a pall over this entire DVD set that I kept playing and replaying
this trailer, which shows tantalizing snippets of Brandon Routh as the Man Of
Steel set to John Williams wonderful Superman music. Although I have not seen
the film as of this writing, the trailer alone was enough to renew my faith that
apparently somebody out there truly understands what Superman is all about. He’s
our guardian angel, our shining light to guide our way, our hero.
--SF
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