About Heroes

Superman: The Animated Series Volume 3
Writers: Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Rich Fogel, Hilary J. Bader etc.
Voices: Tim Daly, Dana Delany, Clancy Brown, David Kaufman, etc.

I’ll admit, by now you all realize that Spider-Man is my favorite hero. But when someone asks me who inspires me to be a better person and realize my potential, it is Superman who always comes to mind.
Superman isn’t your run of the mill spandex clad crime fighter; Superman is a symbol of hope and heroism. He makes everyone feel special and safe. Let’s face it; Superman is the definitive hero and a true role model to people of all ages.

With Superman’s return to theaters this Wednesday, Warner Brothers pleased fans around the world with a plethora of both live action and animated adventures of the man of steel. I picked up this final installment of the Superman animated series first, and I have to say I couldn’t put this down! The 18 episode set presented here shows Superman at his finest. The set includes some incredible team up episodes featuring Batman, Robin, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Lobo even stops by for a brief appearance. The episodes that really shine in this set are the Darkseid episodes. Hinted at in season 2’s “Father’s Day” episode, Darkseid and his followers finally attack Earth and place the man of steel in challenge unlike any he has ever experienced before.

Before I start blabbering about the Darkseid episodes, I want to comment on “Little Girl Lost”, a two part adventure introducing Kara Zor El, AKA Supergirl. I had only seen Supergirl from her appearances on Justice League Unlimited, so seeing her appear on this set was a real treat. Kara and Jimmy are both enthusiastic teenagers who are often ignored when they speak of a threat of something worth looking into. Pairing these two together in this two parter was great, and when Kara first appeared in her Supergirl outfit, well, it was defiantly a WOW moment!
Guess what? This two parter also featured Darkseid! That guy just can’t leave Superman and his cast alone can he?

I loved the episode “Knight Time”. I’m sure you have all seen it, and it is one of my favorite episodes from the entire Superman series. When Superman puts on the Batman costume and attempts to help Robin find Bruce, its classic. Clark hates “sneaking around” and being mysterious. Its brilliant watching Clark as Batman takes down Bane. The Mad Hatter had this major “holy shit” look on his face when Bane fell. The Green Lantern Team Up episode “In Brightest Day” was incredible. I love John Stewart, but I wish Kyle was used as GL in the Justice League series. Kyle and Jimmy’s friendship was great (Kyle got rejection letters from DC comics about his artwork he sent in!) and Sinestro was a major foe. This guy was nasty, but Superman and Kyle finally brought him down.

OK, now onto Darkseid. In the two parter, “Apokolips Now!” Darkseid and his minions invade Earth. Superman literally gets the shit beaten out of him. Thanks to the bravery of Dan Turpin, the people of Metropolis still defy Darkseid when Superman is his captive. This episode was stunning and gave a huge feel on danger and uneasiness. The scene when Darkseid appears with Superman (who is beaten and his costume is ravaged) literally had me jumping off the couch! Plus, I never saw that ending coming. Darkseid fries Dan Turpin and leaves, leaving Superman and all of Metropolis in shock and grief. (I also got teary eyed, I admit to
it!) This was a huge storyline that was dark and full of despair and misery. But damn if it isn’t beautiful and amazing.

Alright ladies and gents, this is the episode you have been waiting for. The series finale, “Legacy” has got to be one of the most beautiful and moving cartoons of all time. Darkseid captures our hero and messes with his mind, making Superman think Darkseid is his father! What’s worse, he orders Kal-El to invade Earth as his own planet. Thanks to the love of Lois Lane, our hero realizes who he is. To bad that Lex Luthor has supplied the military with a Kryptonite bazooka! Lois saves Superman in part two, and when Superman realizes the world hates and fears him, he goes off to Apokolips to finish Darkseid once and for all. I won’t ruin the ending if you haven’t seen it, but let me say it gave me Goosebumps. A beautiful and dark ending to the world’s greatest hero’s animated series.

So get up off that couch, race to your favorite store and pick up this DVD set. There are four commentaries on selected episodes (one commentary is an easter egg, it’s not hard to find) trailers for upcoming DC DVD’s, and a fantastic look at Superman season 3 with producers Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and Alan Burnett. I give this DVD set a solid A+. You will laugh, cry, and have a great time watching the man of steel in some of the best episodes of a comic book hero ever!