The Program

Here's where I get long-winded and try to establish my Geek Credentials... again... so please bear with me.

In the mid/late 1930s, in the midst of the Great Depression and as the storm clouds of war were assembling in Europe, two Jewish kids from Ohio culled their creative energies to create one of the most endearing popular icons ever conceived. Ostensibly an extension of their love of science fiction, comic strips, and pulp heroes of the day, writer Jerry Siegel's and artist Joe Schuster's creation was the ultimate realization of the American Dream, the epitome of teenage wish-fulfillment. In contrast to the prevailing Aryan ubermensch ideal of purity and supremacy, their character was a dark outsider, an immigrant who could never be just a "normal American" by birth and heritage, but only through deeds, character, courage, and patriotism. A champion of the common man who rallied against injustice, corruption, and oppression, who could never be just like everybody else but always retaining the innate ability to be better than the norm. And for all his greatness, his powers, his potential, and his promotion of absolute truth and justice, at the end of the day he had to hide behind a pair of glasses in order to protect his identity.

Superman premiered in 1938, in the pages of Action Comics #1, and immediately captured the attention of the entire world. Acknowledged as the world's first comic book "superhero", Superman ushered in the Golden Age of Comics. He was soon joined by Bill Kane's and Bob Finger's Batman the following year, Robin in 1940, Wonder Woman in 1941, and a host of other characters like the original Green Lantern, Hawkman, Flash, Captain America, Human Torch, Captain Marvel, and many others.

Over the years, Superman's powers and abilities changed and adapted to suit his stories. When he was introduced, Superman couldn't even fly; he simply had the ability to jump really far, his strength was impressive but severely limited, and his vaulted invulnerability was limited to being able to withstand a single mortal shell explosion. Later on, he gained the abilities of flight, super-strength, complete invulnerability, x-ray vision, heat vision, super-speed, super-breath, and even... um... super-ventriloquism. He could fly so quickly, he could break the light speed barrier and travel through time or visit other galaxies. Eventually, it got to the point where it became exceedingly difficult to tell exciting stories about the character. How many challenges can you throw at a man who could juggle planets or vaporize electrons on a piece of space debris floating in a neighboring dimension? As a response, DC Comics de-powered and rebooted the Superman legend in 1986 to make him more human, relatable, and accessible, a move which was seen as blasphemy by many but succeeded in bringing new readers and attention to their flagship character.

What I find so fascinating about Superman is that he has not only become a pop-culture icon, but a legend of our era whose character has continually become fit for re-examination and re-interpretation, like Robin Hood, King Arthur, or Nipsy Russell. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, The Man of Steel captured the world's escapist fancies, not only in his own comic magazines but in radio shows and pulp serials as well. In the 1950s, George Reeves brought the legend to life in the popular and well-received "Adventures of Superman" television show. The 1960s and 1970s kept the Superman legend alive and thriving through a series of television cartoon programs, up to and including the beloved "Superfriends" Saturday morning show. But the landmark 1978 Superman film probably presented the finest, most popular, and most endearing iteration of the legend ever. Richard Donner's direction and Christopher Reeve's sincere and genuine performance captured the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere. In the midst of a popular "malaise" (as former President Carter put it), in a time just after Vietnam, Watergate, and oil crises when national pride was at an historic low point, here came a hero that stood for all that was good, not in himself, but in all of us. I mean, only Reeve as Superman and Margot Kidder as Lois Lane could ever have made this particular exchange work:

Superman: I'm here to fight for truth, justice, and the American way.
Lois Lane: You're gonna end up fighting every elected official in this country!

Corny and obvious? Perhaps. Genuine and believable? Absolutely.

The late 1980s sparked a renaissance of Superman's return to television. The syndicated Superboy television show detailed the adventures of Clark Kent's college years, as he began his costumed career under the "Superboy" moniker. The 1990s series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman brought a snappy, yuppie, and urban vibe to the legend, focusing on the burgeoning relationship between Clark Kent and Lois Lane rather than superheroic exploits. And finally, 2001 brought Smallville to the fray, a popular and extremely entertaining show which looks at the Superman legend by presenting Clark Kent's pre-cape boyhood existence in Smallville, Kansas.

I would also add the 1990s animated series Superman (or Superman: The Animated Series, as it is also known) to the list of successful interpretations of the character. Produced by Paul Dini and Bruce W. Timm, the pair who created the amazingly wonderful Batman: The Animated Series, Superman was a straightforward, action-packed, and well-written examination at the legend of The Man of Steel. Utilizing a similar style from their Batman series, but brighter, more colorful, and more upbeat, Superman took full advantage of Superman's recent comic book history, employing his vast array of supporting characters, villains, settings, and storylines. All of the legendary regulars and newer characters from the Superman continuity are represented throughout the series. The voice cast is wonderful to the last letter, featuring Tim Daly as the title character, Dana Delaney as a feisty Lois Lane, Clancy Brown as cool and menacing Lex Luthor, Malcolm MacDowell as the sadistic Metallo, and dozens of other solid voice-over actors. Superman is probably the most fully realized interpretation of the character ever produced outside of the comic books. The pilot episode entitled Superman: The Last Son of Krypton has finally been released onto DVD, and one can only hope that seasonal box sets will soon follow.

The DVD

Video:

The video transfer is presented in its original full-frame 1.33:1 aspect ratio. For the most part, the video presentation is good, but some faults are noticeable. The colors on this disc simply pop off the screen, with an astonishing vibrancy and lushness. Black levels are rich and deep, with sharp contrasts and shadow delineation. Image detail is varying, with alternating shots of sharp detail and annoying softness. Edge-enhancement and jaggies are also visible throughout the transfer. The transfer is mostly clean, with only some occasional marks and wear and no evident compression noise or pixellation. Overall it's a good transfer, but could have been much more impressive.

Audio:

The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0, and the soundtrack is mostly delivered in a front stage presentation. That's not to say that the audio isn't impressive; indeed, there is fairly notable amount of dynamic range and warm tonality. Surrounds get occasional utilization to enhance the orchestral score and add depth to the environment, but again this is in sparse supply. While the soundtrack does open up on occasion, and there is slight but noticeable LFE activity, your center channel will get the strongest workout. Occasional and discernable separation in the front gives the soundfield slightly greater depth, and dialog levels display acceptable levels of brightness and clarity.

Extras:

Superman: Family, Friends & Foes is a five-minute video of the various players and characters represented in the pilot. These include: Superman, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Jonathan & Martha Kent, Lex Luthor, Brainiac, and Jor-El & Lara. You view any individual clip or use the "Play All" function.

Portrait of a Hero: How To Draw Superman is five-minute interview with character designer James Tucker, who discusses the physical and emotional appeal of the character, as well as his approach to artistically conveying Superman onto paper. He then gives tips on how you - the viewer - can draw Superman for yourself. I tried, and ended up with a really abstract version of Diaper-Man from the 1960s Mighty Heroes cartoon. Boy do I suck!

Rounding out the extras are the game Escape from Planet Krypton, your typical cute but uninspired DVD game, and trailers for Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman and More DC Comics Super Heroes.

Final Thoughts

I wasn't blown away by the video presentation on Superman: The Last Son of Krypton. Not that it was bad or disappointing, mind you - it mostly looked very nice - but compared to the recent work put into other Warner animation titles like Scooby-Doo, Justice League, and Mucha Lucha, I was just hoping for a stronger look to the show. Nonetheless, I recommend the disc for Superman fans. The episodes included here are enjoyable and entertaining, and constitute a more-than-worthwhile examination of the legend of the Man of Steel. The "pilot" was really the first three episodes packaged together and sold as a unit, although it is one complete story. Let's hope the disc sells well enough so that we can see further seasons released as box sets. I for one cannot wait for the many great episodes featuring Timm and Dini's interpretations of other classic DC icons, including Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash, Darkseid, and many others.