Superman/Batman (and Wonder Woman): Apocalypse

By Don M. Ventura

I think the reason the last two Superman/Batman movies have been adaptations of Jeph Loeb-penned stories is that they are big action-adventure stories with great guest stars and wonderfully evil villains.

In Superman/Batman: Public Enemies we were treated to the first arc of the Superman/Batman comic book series in which the heroes bring down President Luthor after battling it out with what seemed like every hero and villain in the DCU.

DC Universe Animation succeeds again here with this story, originally told by Loeb and the late Michael Turner, in which Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El arrives on Earth after several years in suspended animation. As well, the animators are to be complimented on their adaptation of Turner’s character designs. The animation is as strong in this film as viewers have come to expect from these films.

All the beats are there: Kara crash lands in Gotham, Batman serves up a heaping serving of mistrust, Superman and Kara bond, more mistrust, Wonder Woman takes Kara to Paradise Island, then Darkseid steps in. Screenwriter Tab Murphy includes all of the important plot points without everything feeling rushed; a feat for a 78-minute film.

The voice-acting is what we have come to expect from the leads. Kevin Conroy is, and always will be, the best animated Batman. Tim Daly returns as Superman, a role played for two seasons of the animated series plus a few animated movies. But it is Ed Asner who steals the show as Granny Goodness, one of Darkseid’s most sadistic cronies. Asner goes over the top only when required. Otherwise he brings a quiet creepiness that we have come to appreciate in producer Bruce Timm’s villains.

Summer Glau is fine as Kara. I read some rumblings about her work, but there was nothing that bothered me about her acting skills here. Andre Braugher is perfectly cast here as Darkseid. His voice, a deep baritone, is devoid of any humor and he is well suited to take on the role of the ruler of Apokolips.

One small qualm is that this movie could have used one more name in the title: Wonder Woman (voiced here by Susan Eisenberg from both series of the Justice League). She is as much a lead in this as Superman and Batman and her character is treated excellently here. I’m an enormous fan of watching Wonder Woman kick some ass, and there is plenty to be kicked in this film.

Green Arrow takes center stage in his own ten-minute short that immediately grabs you and only lets up for the remaining 30 seconds before the credits roll. I could have done without an extremely brief appearance by a C-List villain near the end, but it doesn’t take much away from another winning featurette.

Once again, DC Universe proves to be a force to be reckoned with in the animation field. Now let’s see those live action ventures!