Yes, whether we Superman fans like it or not, “Smallville” is on its ninth season and continues to stagger on like the mummy. You know it’s falling apart, but nevertheless it just continues to shamble on and on. “Smallville: The Complete Ninth Season” on DVD only signifies that the series has done every single thing imaginable to stray away from the true Superman mythos in an attempt to not only keep the general fans of the show interested, but to dodge the continuing lawsuit DC is enduring from the Shuster family.
Tag Archives: DC Comics
The All New Wonder Woman #601
Do you remember a time where comic books were just about being comic books?
You went in to a news stand, picked up some comic books, read them and awaited the next issue with your favorite characters fighting their arch nemesis? Well now with the death of the printed word looming, comic books are no longer about entertaining us. They have to serve much more of a purpose and as such most of the comic books you’ll read that are out now are custom made to be movies, are just blueprints to be movies, tailored to fit a movie adaptation, and are being drastically altered to fit the needs of a parent company anxious to turn the star of the comics in to a film heroine.
Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)
You really do have to give Warner Brothers credit for putting together rather fantastic all star casts for Direct to DVD feature films that will never get the same treatment as their theatrical properties. For films that are obviously just there to keep the cash flowing, the Batman titles have been consistently top notch; especially “Under the Red Hood,” a movie that’s slightly flawed, but still very entertaining. I’ve never actually read the mini-series from the comic books, but word of mouth indicates it was all one big build up leading to a massive cop out, so “Under the Red Hood” compiles all of the best moments and brings it together for a ninety minute action flick that involves a brand new quasi-crime boss in the city named the Red Hood. I had about one reason to see this: Jensen Ackles, the star of the best show on television at the moment “Supernatural.”
Superman/Batman Annual #4
As a big fan of the “Batman Beyond” series from the late nineties, I have to say that this fourth annual for the “Superman/Batman” comic series was a breath of fresh air and a wonderful re-visiting in to the old series with a more mature approach added. If you didn’t see the show you will have no idea what some of the references here are, but I caught on quickly.
I loved the fluid continuation from Terry McGinnis’ throwdown with Superman after being controlled by Starro, which has now turned him in to the only hero left. Superman has decided to quit fighting crime after his possession under Starro which has allowed Lex Luthor to conquer Metropolis once and for all.
Turkish Superman/Supermen Donuyor (1979)
I make no allusions about my passion for Superman. I love the character, I’ve followed him since I was five, and I’ve seen everything I could get my hands on involving him. I even brag to people about it and gladly welcome their mocking. Most recently I was able to grab a copy of “Turkish Superman” a cult classic that has managed to remain an underground joke among movie collectors for decades since its release. A cinematic embarrassment up and down, it’s tough to really hate this when you consider all the quirks behind the production.
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010)
Comic book geeks like yours truly are at a definite cross roads. Marvel continues to churn out animated series and live action movies like it’s going out of style yet their animated movie gallery has been severely hit or miss, while DC has only released big films from Batman and Superman and yet their animated movie gallery has promised quality almost all the time. I’m just curious when we can get a movie from them that’s longer than eighties minutes. That aside “Crisis on Two Earths” is another graphic novel that I haven’t read and thankfully I went in blind. I consider that an advantage because in the end it allows me to judge the material more objectively.
Justice League: The Complete Series (2009) (DVD)
Though marketed as “The Complete Series,” the Justice League complete sets provides fifteen DVD’s that actually boasts two highly different television series’. I say that because the creators eventually reached a limit to what they could do with one version of their show and eventually provided a second series that was obviously an extension of the show but approached the source material with a different tone altogether. So while reviewing the show I had to take in to consideration that I was reviewing two series based on a single idea stuffed in to a very beautiful boxed set that is protected by a dazzling tin display case.
With the plethora of special features we get to see “Justice League,” a show based around the comic books dressed in Bruce Timm’s signature art style and storytelling. Here we follow seven of DC’s flagship heavyweights who take hold of the first series through epic storylines based around two parter episodes that are often more epic than most of the animated series ever made.