The Movie
The "All-Star" concept over at DC Comics is a bold one: What happens when you assign your absolute best artist/writer team to some of the greatest fictional heroes the world has ever known? The answer, in the case of Superman, was, well, All-Star Superman. With words by Grant Morrison and art by Frank Quitely, the twelve-issue, closed-ended series presented a relaxed, god-like figure confident in his near-invulnerability, while expanding upon the timeless aspects of his character.
Leave it to his nemesis, Lex Luthor, to finally figure out a way to destroy The Man of Steel. He remotely sabotages a manned space mission to the sun, and when Superman is overexposed to its radiation during the subsequent rescue, he is at first imbued with the greatest strength of is life, but then sentenced to his inevitable doom.
All-Star is set outside of the strict continuity of the more established Superman books, and so Morrison had license to shake things up in a profound manner. As a single, epic storyline, it was ripe for dramatic adaptation, and so this animated movie (with a softer PG rating than this mostly PG-13 series) explores the surprising ways Superman chooses to spend his final days, with an emphasis on closure. It's a contrast to the recently popular dark and gritty superhero style certainly, exploring his classic roots in an almost philosophical fashion. I might have enjoyed a bit more action, but Superman purists will surely find a lot to like here.
Editor's note: In sad news, noted comic book pioneer Dwayne McDuffie, co-founder of Milestone Comics, and screenwriter of this film, passed away earlier this week. Find out more about his life on PopMatters.com.
The Picture
All-Star Superman was digitally created but with the look of traditional animation, an excellent fit (literally, at 16:9) for Blu-ray and HDTV. The colors are vibrant and the image is remarkably stable in most scenes. Even the ringing in soft glows, common to this series, appears reduced on this newest title, although I noted some strobing in fast motion. Text on the front page of The Daily Planet or on a computer screen is razor-sharp.
The Sound
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is highlighted by the multichannel whooshing and ample bass that are necessary for a proper Superman story. Trebles too are clean for a spacious overall soundfield, and the often-subtle 360-degree presence is marked by occasional discrete touches in the speakers in addition to the large-scale action of the major battles. As with the video, the audio here is well-suited to the Blu-ray medium.
The Extras
Fans and newcomers alike will find the pair of short documentaries fascinating "Superman Now" (34 minutes, HD) explores in detail the reimagining of the iconic hero, and "The Creative Flow: Incubating the Idea with Grant Morrison" shares his original sketches (ten minutes, in a low-bitrate AVC). Producer Bruce Timm joins Morrison, an endearing Scot with an unmistakable brogue, for the lively audio commentary.
The All-Star Superman Digital Comic allows us to flip through the first issue via our remote control. "Blasts from the Past Parts 1 & 2" from the Superman animated series, introduce us to a couple of power-drunk Kryptonians reminiscent of those in All-Star. The two episodes run 41 minutes total, in the same low-bitrate AVC we see on a lot of Warner Blu-rays.
Disc Two is a hybrid DVD containing the movie in standard definition as well as a Digital Copy for iTunes and Windows Media.
Final Thoughts
While not exactly what I was expecting, All-Star Superman is nonetheless a stylistically faithful representation of the well-received comic book series, technically well-produced and generously supplemented. Super-fans will want to pick it up, and curious outsiders would likely enjoy a rental.
Product Details
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