This week the folks at Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment released the premiere set of graphic novel and original movie bundles to feature the cartoon adaptations of some of the DC Universe’s most iconic stories. Including the unyielding arrival of the greatest evil that brings together a force for good, the merciless assault of doom, to the origins of a dark knight detective and an Amazon princess in Man’s World, these packages are a collectors dream!
With a pantheon of characters that have become legendary in their over 75 years, DC has no parallel really in commanding the multimedia arenas of publication, animation and live entertainment. From the Emmy Award winning Batman: The Animated Series that sprouted forth from the fandom of Tim Burton’s blockbuster live-action Batman feature of the 90s, to the contemporary adventures of the Justice League Unlimited, and the television that followed from Smallville to The Flash DC heroes simply transcend.
One of the very first DC Animated adaptations realized for fans brought to the small screen one of the best-selling stories of all-time. Superman Doomsday has an all-star line-up of actors voicing a story by animation legend Bruce Timm, who co-wrote the script to this milestone moment in the Man of Steel’s mythology. It (literally) shook the foundations of comic-dom when the unstoppable force named “Doomsday” arrived on Earth and faced Superman in final combat.
Superman: The Death of Superman went on to become the best-selling graphic novel of its time; collecting the epic confrontation that tested the fate of Superman when he finally fell to the might of Doomsday. In the comics Superman and Doomsday pummel each other and take most of Metropolis with them while the Justice League of America witness the decimation and are helpless in midst of the titanic catastrophe of it all.
The animated film Superman Doomsday simplifies the tale some, creatively elaborating even on the epic “return” of Superman. Confining most of the action to Superman’s inner circle, it opens on the arrival of Doomsday and the climatic brawl that takes both of the titans down, but it’s how everyone else around the world is impacted by the loss of its greatest hero that’s at the core of the story. Even Lex Luthor (voiced by James Marsters) is shaken by the loss of his adversary.
Superman races to tempt the fates in the epic animated feature “Superman Doomsday” the adaptation of the classic best-selling graphic novel.
The animated feature was first introduced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2007, and was the first in the series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies released by Warner Premiere. With its more adult tone and theme, it received a rating of PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America. Even though it borrowed from elements and styles previously visited in the DC animation projects of the time, it mostly stood outside of established “cartoon continuity” which was fine by the fans.
Superman Doomsday was followed-up by the alternate-universe homage to the Golden Age of Heroes Justice League: The New Frontier. Without a doubt this animated film and graphic novel package is no doubt set for the second phase of combo releases, but in the meantime check out Justice League: War the modern-day first adventure bringing together the Justice League against Darkseid. The story which debuted The New 52 incarnations of the League is collected in the graphic novel Volume I: Origin.
The graphic novel collaboration from Geoff Johns, Jim Lee and Scott Williams re-introduced Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Cyborg for an entirely new generation of comics readers. These graphic novel, Blu-ray and DVD packages also come loaded with digital downloads of the book and movies for all your mobile life consumption. You can take your favorite books and movies with you anywhere!
The first series released features Justice League: War, Superman Doomsday, Wonder Woman, Batman: Year One, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, and Batman: Gotham Knight. These volumes are available in singular additions or in a all-encompassing one-volume gift set.
