DC's latest animated effort attempts to recreate one of the biggest comic book stories ever written, The Death of Superman.
The Death of Superman story arc originally hit shelves in December 1992 spread over several different publications, ending in October 1993. The basic plot consisted of a near indestructible monster known as Doomsday killing everything that crossed it's path. Doomsday and Superman fight to their deaths. Following his death many heroes attempt to fill Supe's big red boots, but none quite measure up, finally four individuals all claiming to be Superman show up. Some good, some bad.
It's not the first time the DC moviemakers have dipped their toe into this story. In 2006's Superman Returns the Last Son of Kypton sacrifices himself to save the day, although he doesn't die he does end up in a coma for some time.
In 2007 DC released the aninated film Superman: Doomsday, a largerly condensed version of the original story arc, with plenty of big changes added to the mix. For instance following Superman's death a doppelganger shows up with a very different attitude towards crime. The doppelganger is a composit of three of the supermen from the original story arc.
Although 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice focused on the two heroes playing fisticuffs, in the finale they come together with a show stealing Wonder Woman to battle a new version of Doomsday, this time a combination of DNA fromLex Luthor and General Zod as opposed to the usual alien creation story.
But DC/Warner Bros. bungled that movie just as they have with most of the DC Cinematic Universe.
...and now they're giving it another go, and rather than condense it into one movie or cherrypick pieces they're spreading it out over two movies, first with The Death of Superman and concluding with The Reign of Superman coming in 2019.
While The Death of Superman follows the original comic arc more faithfully it is also part of the on going DC Animated Movie Universe, which started back in 2013 with Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox and is largely based on the rebooted New 52 comic line.
Enough of the background and preamble what's the verdict? How does it stack up against the other Doomsday devices and DCAMU entrants?
Well it's certainly better than the live-action efforts, but not even close to Superman: Doomsday which is easily in the top ten of the 65, and counting, movies DC have produced over the years. While TDoS has a more realistic aesthetic that fits in with the other films in the series, it actually makes Doomsday less scary, the simpler design in S:D gives Doomsday less expression and in turn gives him far more menace.
Of course viewed along side the forthcoming The Reign of Superman it'll become a very different animal, in Superman: Doomsday the man of steel was dead before the half way mark, the rest concentrating on people dealing with the loss, the ever erractic doppelganger and Superman's inevitable return. The problem here is you know exactly how the movie will end.
Have you seen The Death of Superman yet? What did you think? and how does it rank against the other DC animated movie? Let ne know in the comments below