It’s weird that after “Battle of the Super Sons” that DC and Warner would choose to adapt “Legion of Super Heroes” as their new feature. It feels like one of their least consequential animated movies in years. It doesn’t take place during the timeline of the Super Sons, and it rushes through the entire introduction of Supergirl. Plus, there seems to be a whole chunk of story missing as Superman seems to have a boom tube device that can warp in to the future to visit the Legion of Super Heroes. When did he get that? How exactly did he get that? Why did he assume Supergirl would have an easier time in the far future than she would in present Earth?
Kara aka Supergirl is devastated by the loss of Krypton and is struggling to adjust to her new life on Earth. Her cousin, Superman mentors her and suggests she leave their space-time to attend the Legion Academy in the 31st century, where she makes new friends and a new enemy: Brainiac 5. Meanwhile, she must contend with a mysterious group called the Dark Circle as it searches for a powerful weapon held in the Academy’s vault. There isn’t a lot of a graceful segue in to the main narrative, and it’s pretty sloppy all things considered. That hinders an otherwise solid animated film surrounding one of the more classic storylines involving Supergirl melding in to the Legion of Super Heroes.
This is a storyline frequently used in past Supergirl animated iterations and it’s the same thing here. She’s not properly adjusted to modern Earth after a few years in the planet, and now she’s become something of a hazard for the planet. At the behest of Batman, Superman has to rein her in, and he figures the best solution is to basically palm her off to the Legion of Super Heroes. In the comics the joining of Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes amounts to some pretty entertaining fodder, and here the writers seem to be propping up future films, at least. I really wanted to know so much more about the Legionnaires, and the way that they operate.
As well, I loved the dynamic between Brainiac-5 and Supergirl, and how their romantic tension added to their tension when fighting against the film’s central villain. The new animation style is also still working for me, as I like the mix of anime and Western style. I also have gotten used to the bold outlines of the characters that punctuate the amalgam of styles. I also enjoyed the majority of the performances, especially from Meg Donnelly as Kara aka Supergirl. Darren Criss and Jensen Ackles are also very good as the elder superheroes Superman and Batman, both pushed in to a tough corner when facing the guidance of Supergirl. I wouldn’t say “Legion of Super Heroes” is a gem of the newest direction from DC and Warner, but it amounts to a pretty solid film that hopefully will lead to better sequels.
The Legion Behind the Legion is a four minute piece featuring producer James Krieg, writer Josie Campbell, and voice actors Meg Donnelly (Supergirl) and Yuri Lowenthal (Mon-El), who speak about their work on the film; there’s also a peek at concept art and test animation. Down to Earth: The Story of Supergirl is a featurette including additional comments from the aforementioned cast, offering an overview of the character’s history for newcomers and thoughts about her place in this film. Meet the Legionnaires is a nine minutes look in to the supporting characters of the film with the same cast and crew from the aforementioned segments.
Braniac Attack: The Intellect Behind the Super-Villain is an eight minutes look at the film’s primary “villain,” a look at the family line of the infamous villain, and more, all with the same four participants. Finally, there’s the always good From the DC Vault, which includes the two part episode “Little Girl Lost,” from “Superman: The Animated Series.” It officially introduces Supergirl to the DCAU, and is a banger two part episode with a larger focus on Superman’s cousin, who would play a larger role in upcoming DCAU series’.