The Movie
Several years ago, the small screen delivered a steady stream of well-produced animation based on the enduring stable of heroes from the vast DC Comics library. Superman and Batman each had their own regular animated series, which inevitably crossed over. They also served as a forum to introduce visiting second-string heroes, but when the various Justice League series arrived, the writers plumbed the depths to bring us genuinely obscure good guys (and bad), much to the delight of the fans.
Teen/adult-skewing animation is in a bit of a lull right now, and so Warner has taken to serving up new short subjects on their recent line of direct-to-video features. Now, for the first time they are using one of these shorts as the main attraction on a Blu-ray release, namely Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam. This disc is also known as the DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection because it brings together in one place all of these mini-adventures, three of them previously released.
The new Return of Black Adam is the longest of the bunch, with voice stars George Newbern and Jerry O'Connell reprising their roles from Justice League Unlimited. Here, a plucky down-but-not-out orphan is being hunted by a powerful supervillain. While The Man of Steel runs interference, the teen is whisked away to fulfill his destiny as a mystical new protector, Captain Marvel. Interesting fact: For legal reasons, DC can't use the name "Captain Marvel" in any of their titles.
This; like the accompanying Green Arrow, Jonah Hex, and The Spectre, all in slightly expanded cuts; is rated PG-13, a smart choice as it preserves the more grown-up edge that comic book fans have come to expect.
The Picture
The 1.78:1 master of The Return of Black Adam reveals crisp line art, with impressive color and clarity in some background alleyway graffiti. In fact, all of the bright, bold hues really shine, although there is a definite digital ringing in soft glows. The Spectre deserves a special shout-out for all the work that the creators did to make it look like a movie from the '70s, with simulated grain, scratches and peculiarities of contrast.
The Sound
This is a generous mix, all of the channels working together with lots of sonic detail. The high crackle and low boom of Captain Marvel's all-important lightning bolt are well-represented, and the track has an overall power that really serves the city-wide two-on-one clash of titans. Green Arrow is also notable for some pretty daring action effects, well-realized. Every short is now in the lossless high-resolution DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 format.
The Extras
All of the shorts now have an audio commentary, specifically by the writer of each, a bonus exclusive to the Blu-ray. In addition, producer Bruce Timm has selected a past animated episode from various series highlighting each of the four featured heroes. These are presented in a low-bitrate VC-1, akin to standard definition. There's no Digital Copy for this set, a shame since the length and the style would travel well, and since the block is available on iTunes.
Final Thoughts
Many fans have already picked up the three older DC Showcase Original Shorts, since the direct-to-Blu-ray PG-13 full-length movie franchise has proven quite successful. But completists who want Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam, the extended cuts and the commentaries will want to pick up this solid if curious new Blu-ray.
Product Details
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