Superman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Superman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Superman: The Animated Series is one of the best series in the DC animated universe. The adaptation of the beloved and iconic character created by Jerry Siegel, Superman soars through the skies and reaches new heights with this animated production. The series comes from the same creative team behind Batman: The Animated Series (with producers Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, and Bruce Timm). A must-see for DC enthusiasts.

When planet Krypton faces doomsday, Jor-El, a high-ranking scientist, decides to send his infant son, Kal-El, to planet Earth. Reaching Earth, Kal- El grows up as Clark Kent and eventually becomes a superhero to the world: Superman (Tim Daly). Working for The Daily Planet, Kent spends time working alongside smart-and-tough Lois Lane (Dana Delany) and geeky Jimmy Olsen (David Kaufman). Kent transforms in to Superman to save the world as a villainous threat looms: the diabolical Lex Luthor (Clancy Brown). Adventure soars...

Superman fans will find plenty to cherish about the animated adaptation. Producers Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, and Bruce Timm mastered the world of “The Dark Knight” with Batman: The Animated Series. With Superman: The Animated Series, the iconic “Man of Steel” is given a similarly impressive and meaningful treatment. The characters are at the heart of the animated series – with Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen given plenty of time to shine.

The adventures of Superman soar and the hero of the story is a bold champion of justice for audiences to look up to. There is much to love about Superman (and this adaptation is a shining example of Superman's immense worldwide appeal). As Superman dukes it out with Lex Luthor in Metropolis, the city of tomorrow, the series is full of exciting twists and turns. The fun action-packed adventures are endearing and were always worth tuning in for on the weekends – experiencing them on home-media is a similar joy.

One of the best elements of Superman: The Animated Series is the superb animation. The team of animators delivered a fantastic looking program that kept the iconic characters styles intact – while managing to imbue some unique creativity as well. Under the art direction of Glen Murakami (Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, The New Batman Adventures) and Minoru Nishida (Saber Marionette R, Princess Arete), Superman: The Animated Series is a gorgeous looking animated series – as bright and fun as Batman: The Animated Series was dark and grim. The tone is perfect for the adventures in Metropolis.

Another essential element: the music. The music helped make Superman: The Animated Series an iconic series. Featuring original scores composed by Shirley Walker (Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond), Michael McCuistion (Young Justice, Teen Titans), Lolita Ritmanis (Justice League vs. The Fatal Five, Batman: The Killing Joke), Kristopher Carter (Batman Beyond, Batman: The Brave and the Bold), and Harvey Cohen (Batman: The Animated Series, The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper), Superman: The Animated Series is a testament to the creativity in music found in the DCAU. The scores are just as exciting, moving, and relevant today as when the series first aired.

Yet nothing about Superman: The Animated Series would have worked so well without quality storytelling. The series was shepherded by head-writers Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series, Lost), Bob Goodman (Batman Beyond, The New Batman Adventures), Alan Burnett (Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Justice League Action), Hilary Bader (Batman Beyond, Star Trek: The Next Generation), and Stan Berkowitz (Batman Beyond, Justice League Unlimited). The storytelling was continually fun and full of exciting energy. The writers balanced action, comedy, and character moments. Superman: The Animated Series was a special effort in the DC canon – with remarkable charm.

The direction was stellar and enormously entertaining. Curt Geda (Batman Beyond, The Zeta Project) and Dan Riba (Batman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures) were the head directors for Superman: The Animated Series. The animated series balanced action and suspense with clear precision. Geda and Riba had plenty of previous experience in the DC Animated Universe.

Each director delivered fantastic visual flair – and excitement – throughout the series run. Superman: The Animated Series was also gifted with fantastic action sequences which helped it become a must-see-TV hit. Fans of Superman, the man of steel, will cherish the animated series and its endearing legacy.

Superman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Warner Bros., Superman: The Animated Series is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The series is beautifully animated and it is a joy to see the production in high-definition (for the first time on home media). Superman: The Animated Series looks impressive with these HD masters. Color reproduction looks true-to-the-source and the series has never looked better than it does here. Though the series has some occasional softness and the prints aren't as pristine looking as modern animated productions, the cell based animation still manages to look outstanding. The prints are also quite clean looking are there aren't significant examples of egregious dirt or debris on the source.

Superman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Superman: The Animated Series is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The lossless audio sounds clean and crisp during the presentation. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The music scores are well reproduced and sound engaging. The occasional sound effects are well balanced. A well-mixed and well-reproduced lossless encoding.

Optional Spanish and French Dolby Digital 2.0 audio tracks are also provided on the release. Optional English SDH subtitles (for the deaf and hard of hearing) are provided. Optional French subtitles are also included on the release.

Superman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc 1:

"The Last Son of Krypton – Part 1" Video Commentary by Bruce Timm, Dan Riba, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, and Glen Murakami (SD, 21:04)

"Stolen Memories" Video Commentary by Bruce Timm, Glen Murakami, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, and Curt Geda (SD, 20:33)

Disc 2:

"The Main Man – Part II" Video Commentary by Bruce Timm, Glen Murakami, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, and Dan Riba (SD, 21:16)

Disc 3:

"Mxyzpixilated" Video Commentary by Paul Dini, Jason Hillhouse, Bruce Timm, and Dan Riba (SD, 22:04)

Disc 6:

Superman: Timeless Icon (HD, 32:45) is a new featurette produced for the Superman: The Animated Series release. The featurette includes a host of interviews with Superman creatives discussing the impact of the man-of-steel. The extra is fun and well worth-a-watch for Superman enthusiasts.

Menaces of Metropolis: Behind the Villains of Superman (SD, 13:02)

Building the Mythology: Superman's Supporting Cast (SD, 9:37)

Superman: Learning to Fly (SD, 9:41)

A Little Piece of Trivia (SD, 21:29)

The Despot Darkseid: A Villain Worthy of Superman (SD, 16:57)

Superman: The Complete Animated Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Superman: The Animated Series is one of the best gems in the DC animated universe. The action-packed adventures of Superman are thrilling: taking audiences on an exciting trip. Created by the same team behind Batman: The Animated Series (including Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, and Bruce Timm), viewers won't want to miss the high-definition debut of the series. Superman: The Animated Series has received a worthwhile high-definition presentation. Highly recommended.