By Jerry Stout
Comic Con 2006 brought us the panel by Bruce Timm where he announced that a direct-to-DVD movie covering The Death of Superman, World Without a Superman, & Reign of the Superman would be his next undertaking. And while the film is not a complete retelling of the comic books (the battle between Superman and Doomsday is different, Supergirl is not in this movie, and we deal with Lex Luthor instead of Lex Luthor II), the film does capture the essence of Superman and is up to par or even surpasses the DCAU (DC Animated Universe) in quality and story-telling.
The best analogy I can draw with this movie is the parallel between Frank Miller’s 300 and the actual battle itself, for in this movie, it is an artistic re-imagining of Superman #75 and its aftermath. Of course, this cartoon captures the same sort of brilliant story-telling, faith in the original art work, and accuracy of depth to the characters that gives this movie a sort of carriage that supplies the 75 minute format.
It is an imaginative and beautiful piece of art, one that is littered with icons of genre television (Adam Baldwin from Firefly and Independence Day is the voice of Superman), and one that lives up to the quality we have come to expect from Bruce Timm. There are flaws to be sure but the essence of this iconic story is present in this re-telling, and hence, the death of a hero is given it’s just due.
The movie begins with Lex Luthor (voiced by an incredibly well cast James Marsters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame) who opines that “there comes a time when even Gods must die”, and what a rich and powerful opening the movie presents. From the beginning, this movie stakes out territory that few if any cartoons outside of Japanese anime have before, and with this in mind, the movie earns it’s pg-13 rating in record time. It is as if Bruce Timm and his team, the creators of the cartoon DC universe that includes Batman, Superman, The Justice League, and Batman: Beyond, understand what a seminal story The Death of Superman was back in 1993 and were determined to do justice to a story-line that enthralled not only comic book readers but casual fans who had no idea of the difference between DC and Marvel. And it is this opening that makes me yearn for this kind of passion and love for comic books from those who produce, write, or direct, comic book movies, for the thought of a live action Justice League or Superman movie that stays true to the essence of the characters fills my geek heart with optimism and pure glee.
The film itself ably draws parallels between Superman’s battle with Doomsday and his battle with the Superman produced by Lex Luthor as a product of advanced cloning techniques, but more than that, the real meat of the movie is the character of Superman himself. When the real Superman faces off with Lex’s Superman, we are faced not only with an incredible battle but a true character study into the very nature of Superman, and these parallels help create depth in a movie that could have easily been bereft of any deep meaning.
The movie is incredibly violent as well with more than one brutal murder seen within the cartoon itself (both by Doomsday and Lex Luthor), but as I said, the emotion and power of the movie is derived from the characters; Lois, Superman, and surprisingly Lex Luthor, drive this movie to the depths it reaches, and whether we mourn Superman, are fascinated by Lex Luthor, or empathize with Lois, this movie is quite successful in provoking emotion and bringing us into the world these characters inhabit. With a villain that is truly terrifying and a real threat to Superman, a tight story, and some of the most moving characters in the DC universe, Brice Timm does justice to a truly iconic hero.
As I said, there are a few problems here: the voice acting of Ann Heche (Lois Lane) is not sub par but lacks a certain forcefulness and emotion that the character could have benefited from, the synching of the voices and movements of the characters mouths is awkward at best, and the music seems lackluster at times. However, I think the biggest problem for this movie is the constraints placed on it by time because the mourning of Superman and the aftermath of his battle are quickly glossed over, to the point where it becomes noticeable and briefly takes the viewer out of the story.
I am not willing to say that including the entire trilogy from the comics in this undertaking was a mistake, but I believe that more time was needed to develop the story-line and characters. However, these problems are soon placed far in the background as the characters and amazing battles of the movie unfold, and as the blood of Superman falls across the face of Lois Lane, you begin to realize that this is not your friendly neighborhood type of hero or story.
I’ll be honest – I have always been more a fan of Batman than Superman, of DC than Marvel, and though I am hoping for Batman v. Bane in the near future, Superman: Doomsday is a wonderful adaptation worthy of Superman and of DC comics. Lets hope the movies can be this good…
8.5/10
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Lisa Fary's earliest influences are Princess Leia, Rainbow Bright, Astronaut Barbie, and her 6th grade teacher, Ms. Palmer. She's angry that it's 2011 and she still doesn't have a hovercraft, but will accept a jetpack as consolation. That jetpack had better be pink with a rhinestone monogram. 
Thanks for the review. I’m eagerly awaiting for this one to be available on Netflix (Very Long Wait… ugh). I’m sure this one will serve as the litmus test for all the other ones to come.
No matter what, though, I’m buying the animated New Frontier as soon as it comes out.