By now, I certainly hope you’ve had the opportunity to view Justice League Dark: Apokolips War in all of its glory. As you may remember, I reviewed the incredible animated movie myself earlier this month. But since that was based on a press screener, I wasn’t able to incorporate the bonus features in my initial write-up. (Click here if you would like to read said review.)
Fortunately, a Blu-ray copy arrived on my doorstep this week, so I’m able to properly finish the job. I’ve received positive feedback over the years from readers complimenting me on giving bonus features their time in the spotlight, as I’m aware that a fair amount of critics out there actually just blow by them altogether. But to me, supplemental content is an important aspect of home video releases, therefore I prefer not ignoring them.
In most cases, I do my best to organically work such coverage into my reviews. But since this is a separate article, I’ll just assemble an accessible rundown for the benefit of the reader. So, without further ado, here we go:
- DC Showcase:Â Adam Strange:Â In the latest entry from the recent crop of animated shorts, the titular intergalactic hero finds himself voiced by Charlie Weber. It’s not an origin story as I’d expected, instead telling a rather grim tale that makes this a decent complement to Apokolips War itself – and it can be just as brutal at times. Personally, I enjoyed The Phantom Stranger and Death more, but this is still worth checking out.
- “Darkseid: New God, Classic Evil”: A decently informative featurette profiling the villainous Darkseid himself, while also giving viewers somewhat of a history lesson concerning creator Jack Kirby. I very much enjoyed watching this, as Darkseid is one of my favorite comic book villains overall.
- First Look at Superman: Man of Tomorrow: This is our first substantial peek at the next entry in the hallowed line of DC animated movies. Featuring Darren Criss as Superman and Zachary Quinto as Lex Luthor as part of an all-star voice cast, this flick features what I find to be an absolutely breathtaking art style. In all honesty, I’m incredibly pumped to see this picture after viewing the featurette.
- Three Bonus Cartoons from the DC Comics Vault: These added goodies often provide major bang for the buck, so it’s nice seeing the tradition continue. For this release, two episodes of Justice League Action – “Zombie King” and “Abate and Switch” – are included, along with Teen Titans‘ “Nevermore.” Suffice it to say, these were chosen because of their heavy focus on characters like John Constantine, Swamp Thing, Raven and Trigon.
Let it also be known that an audio commentary track for the feature presentation and “First Looks” (or “looks back,” in this case) for Justice League Dark and Batman and Harley Quinn were thrown in for good measure, but I don’t really feel the need to discuss these in detail.
Like I said in the past, it’s recommended that you pick up a copy of Justice League Dark: Apokolips War as soon as humanly possible. I’d have preferred for at least one more documentary-style featurette to be included, but what’s on hand is quite satisfying nonetheless.
Until next time…
