Reign of the Supermen
Review by Paul Fiander
Following on from the Death of Superman we are dropped into a world under siege from enemies they are not truly prepared for. Superman has always been something of a difficult character for me to get my head around his vast array of powers generally mean he has to be depowered to make a story have a real threat. However, the bold step of removing him altogether gives Metropolis a whole new problem to deal with. Thankfully we have a new batch of “Supermen” to help get avoid the growing crisis. Obviously, things move on from here but to say more would spoil what turns out to be a story with twists and turns throughout.
When it comes to Animated adventures DC is second to none. The vibrancy of the animation helps to give a balance between the lighter and darker moments that is often missing within the world of the main DCU movies (although with Wonder Woman and Aquaman things are a changing). This is reflected in the Supermen with The Eradicator (pictured above) representing the dark and intense side of things and the witty smug Superboy adding an air of humour to proceedings. Each new Superman also has a skill set that can rival aspects of Kal-El but none feel like the whole package creating a power struggle for control of the hearts of the people of Earth.
In regards to defenders of the earth, we also spend some time with the Justice league who with the presence of Green Lantern help to add a large dose of humour into proceedings. Their presence helps to answer that question of where are so and so when bad things happen. The inclusion of the Justice league does allow for a nice interaction between Diana and Lois Lane. They have a tension that is almost palpable and everything from the animation to the voice acting help to give the scene a memorable note.The character models and costume designs are intriguing as they make a move away from traditional costumes. The difference shows the changing times though still pointing towards the traditional strong person origins of the Superhero world.
As a modern take on the story Reign of the Supermen viewers will be pleasantly entertained I feel other entries into the DC Animation canon have eclipsed this in terms of story but that is no discredit as films like Batman Ninja and The Killing Joke to name two are simply fantastic. The good news is the DC Animation team are making more and more content that never fails to entertain and is well worth your time.
In regards to defenders of the earth, we also spend some time with the Justice league who with the presence of Green Lantern help to add a large dose of humour into proceedings. Their presence helps to answer that question of where are so and so when bad things happen. The inclusion of the Justice league does allow for a nice interaction between Diana and Lois Lane. They have a tension that is almost palpable and everything from the animation to the voice acting help to give the scene a memorable note.The character models and costume designs are intriguing as they make a move away from traditional costumes. The difference shows the changing times though still pointing towards the traditional strong person origins of the Superhero world.
As a modern take on the story Reign of the Supermen viewers will be pleasantly entertained I feel other entries into the DC Animation canon have eclipsed this in terms of story but that is no discredit as films like Batman Ninja and The Killing Joke to name two are simply fantastic. The good news is the DC Animation team are making more and more content that never fails to entertain and is well worth your time.
REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN is out now on Digital Download and available on
Blu-ray™ and DVD January 28th
PR supplied Review copy and Image.
