Home Video Review: 'Superman/Batman: Apocalypse'

The latest direct-to-video PG-13 from Warner Bros. Animation/DC Entertainment, Superman/Batman Apocalypse is a pretty solid adaptation of the comic book story arc and graphic novel Superman/Batman: Supergirl. So why all the dislike? No, it's not quite spectacular, but it's certainly engaging and for fans of Jack's Kirby's Fourth World, a definite treat.
First, a little background for those perhaps not firmly entrenched in DC Comics and character history.  First, we have the "Silver Age" Supergirl, who first appeared in the late '50s and then gave her life to save all during DC's epic Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985. The issue with Superman holding her dead body is one of those iconic images in comic book history. As Superman's origin was rebooted, there was no Supergirl, until the arrival of an eco-plasmic being from another dimension merged with an angel (what?? you say. Yes, so did fans, though some liked her much). But she went away, too. Then, writer Jeph Loeb with late artist Michael Turner brought her back in the pages of Superman/Batman comics.  And that story is adapted for the animated film.

The end of Silver Age Supergirl

Much of the movie pulls scenes right out of the comics, down the dialogue. And if you were a fan of the original story, then it works very well - a meteor containing a ship with Kara Zor-El inside crashes into Gotham City Harbor. She wanders the streets starkers, lost.  Batman finds her, takes her to the Batcave and then Superman arrives.  The Kryptonese speak is there. The pithy, sharp exchanges between Bruce and Clark (with them it's almost never Batman and Superman" voiced by Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly is spot on, as with all their animated work together on the DC characters, going back to the mid-90s).  There are some added scenes of Clark and Kara, dressed as an earth girl, shopping in Metropolis that's all new and kind of cute, really and Summer Glau pulls off teen emotion push-and-pull as Kara/Supergirl. The arrival of Wonder Woman, voiced by Susan Eisenberg from Justice League, completes the "Big Three."
When Darkseid (Andre Brougher), lord of the hellish plant Apokolips and without a doubt the greatest DC Comics big bad of the past 40 years finds out about "the girl who fell out of the sky" he wants her and is going to have her at his side and lead his Furies, overseen by the sinister Granny Goodness (Ed Asner reprising his past voice role as the evil witch-type).  Again, most of it follows the comics closely: Former Apokolips denizen Big Barda (but no mention of husband Mister Miracle, just a view of his outfit), plus the perhaps the greatest dramatic moment of all,  Batmans face-off against Darkseid, human versus New God.

Superman/Batman Supergirl
Graphic Novel

The biggest flaws come at the very end and really, only for those who have read the comics or graphic novels.  it all still works quite well. In the film, and sorry *spoiler* time, Superman brings down Darkseid in a giant slugfest with the help of Supergirl instead of his utter furty unleased taking the massively powerful evil one through a "Boom Tube" to be imprisoned in the mysterious (and Kirby-created, of course) "Source Wall". Instead, Kara uses a "Mother Box" to reprogram the Tube to send him somewhere floating in deep space. Also, in the comics ending, Supergirl is officially introduced to a gathering of the JLA, JSA, Teen Titans, and Outsiders. That many characters too much for the animators?  Too bad. Instead, her audience is just the Amazons of Paradise Island, plus the rest of the main cast in the film.
There are a few other quibbles - Clark's parents returning to the Kent farm from Smallville in their truck to find things demolished and Clark and Kara sheepish about it. It's a touch of comedy, though not as endearing as repairs by some Justice League members (J'onn J'onzz shown in the comics with a hammer and nail); Also Bruce telling Clark his feelings for Kara are not unlike his attachment, perhaps, to Dick Grayson when he left the role of Robin to become Nightwing. But again, those are small points.
In addition to plenty of bonus material on the Two-Disc DVD Special Edition and Blu-ray, the release also features the latest DC Showcase short, spotlighting Green Arrow and a certain pretty bird lady. It's fast-moving, captures the spirit of the emerald archer right away and is just terrific.
So, it's hard to fathom why this feature film has been met by some in comics and mainstream media with thumb's down. It's actually a step up from the Superman/Batman Public Enemies animated versioin of that graphic novel, which was fun enough, but lacking from too many characters cut out, plot points lost. Most of all, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, makes a genuine comics fan hope for a DC Universe animated tale about that Kirby-verse within it, bringing us more of Darkseid and the New Gods, such as Orion, Lightray, Mister Miracle and maybe even the Forever People, too. Now that would be quite, well, super.

Check out these still images from Superman/Batman Apocalypse.