The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 40 41

Little Girl Lost Part I and Part II

 

Supergirl finally joins the Superman team!  For some reason the creators weren’t allowed to make Supergirl Superman’s cousin so they had to setup her origin as being from a neighboring planet who was dying after Krypton’s explosion.  One of the scientists on the planet put her family in cryogenic freezing and Superman discovers her as the only survivor after all the other tubes were destroyed.  She’s another victim of a planetary genocide.  

 

One might argue Brainiac might have played a part in this planet’s destruction through his failure to help krypton save it’s people but it seems like these people were screwed no matter what.  Because if the Kryptonians decided to save themselves instead of ignoring the data, it’s unlikely they would have told their neighbors or even thought to warn them.  So the planet Argo was truly a victim of natural extinction.  It makes Supergirl’s origin a bit more tragic because no one did anything wrong to cause their planet’s destruction.  

Fast forward, Kara is thawed out, passed off as Superman’s cousin, living with the Kent’s on the farm.  She has the same powers as Superman and wants to get into some action packed adventure.  Superman advises caution.  

 

She comes to Metropolis to surprise Clark Kent and gets into a scuffle with Granny Goodness, who’s voiced by some old dude, and designed to look man(ish), which makes things super confusing.  Is Granny Goodness a tranny? Jimmy Olsen gets the hots for Supergirl because it’s a good reason to work him into the plot.  

 

Granny is going to destroy the Earth with an asteroid since Darkseid isn’t allowed to invade it anymore.  Darkseid is a total sore loser. Supergirl and Superman stop Granny Goodness who retreats back to Apokolips and stop the asteroid from destroying Earth.  Supergirl almost dies in the process but is ultimately fine.  

 

Such a fun character and her spunky attitude is a breath of fresh air compared to the more reserved Superman.  The Jimmy Olsen crush never goes anywhere, so waste of time, but a red head mulleted photographer really wouldn’t have a shot with a girl like that anyway.  Perhaps it’s too realistic…

It's a bit redundant to have Apokolipse centric villains in back to back two-parters but the story works so all is forgiven.

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 38 39

Apokolips...Now! Part I and Part II  

It’s the epic battle we’ve been waiting for. The invasion of Earth by Darkseid. Darkseid’s biological son Orion raised by High Father of New Genesis, arrives to warn Earth of his invasion plans. We get a nice backstory about Darkseid’s goals to find the Anti-Life Equation and how Orion and Kalibak were traded so New Genesis and Apokolips would have peace.  

Maggie Sawyer of the SCU is injured and on hospital rest which puts her partner Dan Turpin in charge of the pending chaos. We meet Maggie’s lesbian partner from the comic book which in the 1990s was super controversial. The show just says she’s a friend but anyone who knows the comic is fully aware of the relationship. The show just never outright states it. These things upset people in the 1990s, it’s tame by today’s TV standards. Great job pushing the envelope.  

Meanwhile, Darkseid uses Bruno Manheim to blow up a nuclear power plant and while Superman and Orion are distracted by another attack. Orion leaves Superman a call buzzer if Darkseid attacks again. Orion returns home. After Manheim succeeds in his mission Darkseid leaves him to die in the explosion. The bomb goes off and is going to burn through to the core of the Earth. It will create fire pits similar to the planet Apokolips because Darkseid has serious feels about planetary temperature. Superman tries to call Orion but the button is broken.  

Superman is able to cool off the explosion on his own and stop the catastrophe. Darkseid launches the invasion via Metropolis. Superman is tired from saving the planet so Darkseid shows up and captures him. Dan Turpin becomes the figurehead in a resistance against the invasion. Superman is in chains and Darkseid thinks it will break the people’s spirits. Dan Turpin rallies the people to resistance. Superman breaks free of his bonds and is about to go head to head with Darkseid when Orion and friends show up and say Earth is under the protection of New Genesis. Darkseid backs down but kills Dan Turpin before he lives. Superman is ultra pissed off and tries to attack Darkseid but he warps away so Superman destroys his tank.  

Some notable moments which probably don’t ring true in today’s society is how willing people were to fight against the invasion. Superman claims Earth doesn’t bow to dictators when there’s countless countries ruled by them. Humans would rather die quick in battle then slowly under Darkseid’s oppression, another statement which is questionable in this modern day. A solid sentiment for Superman though.  

The death of Dan Turpin is truly shocking. The creators wanted to kill Superman’s parents but the network basically said no, so the creators chose Dan Turpin. It’s the driving force in why Superman actually hates Darkseid. The only villain who actually gets him angry when stuff is going down. There’s two different versions of the funeral scene. One has a bunch of Jack Kirby (the creator of New Gods and a ton of other comic characters) creations at the funeral. Apparently there were legal issues associated with it so it was replaced with generic people. The HBO Max version has the original funeral. The DVDs have the corrected version. It’s unclear what the legal issue was. Lawyers like to make life complicated. Dan Turpin’s character design was similar to Jack Kirby who had died in 1994 but since the creators were using so many of his characters for their story and he was so iconic in comics, the dedication seemed fitting.

A great two-parter with a wonderful payoff. One of the best Superman episodes. It’s a shame the show isn’t as well loved as BtAS when it had some truly epic episodes in its own right.  

Written by Joseph Ammendolea

Owner/President

“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®

ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

 Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 38 39

Apokolips...Now! Part I and Part II

 

It’s the epic battle we’ve been waiting for.  The invasion of Earth by Darkseid.  Darkseid’s biological son Orion raised by High Father of New Genesis, arrives to warn Earth of his invasion plans.  We get a nice backstory about Darkseid’s goals to find the Anti-Life Equation and how Orion and Kalibak were traded so New Genesis and Apokolips would have peace. 

 

Maggie Sawyer of the SCU is injured and on hospital rest which puts her partner Dan Turpin in charge of the pending chaos.   We meet Maggie’s lesbian partner from the comic book which in the 1990s was super controversial.  The show just says she’s a friend but anyone who knows the comic is fully aware of the relationship.  The show just never outright states it.  These things upset people in the 1990s, it’s tame by today’s TV standards. Great job pushing the envelope.

 

Meanwhile, Darkseid uses Bruno Manheim to blow up a nuclear power plant and while Superman and Orion are distracted by another attach.  Orion leaves Superman a call buzzer if Darkseid attacks again.  Orion returns home.  After Manheim succeeds in his mission Darkseid leaves him to die in the explosion.  The bomb goes off and is going to burn through to the core of the Earth.  It will create fire pits similar to the planet Apokolips because Darkseid has serious feels about planetary temperature. Superman tries to call Orion but the button is broken. 

 

Superman is able to cool off the explosion on his own and stop the catastrophe.  Darkseid launches the invasion via Metropolis.  Superman is tired from saving the planet so Darkseid shows up and captures him.  Dan Turpin becomes the figurehead in a resistance against the invasion.  Superman is in chains and Darkseid thinks it will break the people’s spirits.  Dan Turpin rallies the people to resistance.  Superman breaks free of his bonds and is about to go head to head with Darkseid when Orion and friends show up and say Earth is under the protection of New Genesis.  Darkseid backs down but kills Dan Turpin before he lives.  Superman is ultra pissed off and tries to attack Darkseid but he warps away so Superman destroys his tank.  

 

Some notable moments which probably don’t ring true in today’s society is how willing people were to fight against the invasion.  Superman claims Earth doesn’t bow to dictators when there’s countless countries ruled by them.  Humans would rather die quick in battle then slowly under Darkseid’s oppression, another statement which is questionable in this modern day.  A solid sentiment for Superman though.  

 

The death of Dan Turpin is truly shocking.  The creators wanted to kill Superman’s parents but the network basically said no, so the creators chose Dan Turpin.  It’s the driving force in why Superman actually hates Darkseid.  The only villain who actually gets him angry when stuff is going down.  There’s two different versions of the funeral scene.  One has a bunch of Jack Kirby (the creator of New Gods and a ton of other comic characters) creations at the funeral.  Apparently there were legal issues associated with it so it was replaced with generic people.  The HBO Max version has the original funeral.  The DVDs have the corrected version.  It’s unclear what the legal issue was.  Lawyers like to make life complicated.  Dan Turpin’s character design was similar to Jack Kirby who had died in 1994 but since the creators were using so many of his characters for their story and he was so iconic in comics, the dedication seemed fitting. 

 

A great two-parter with a wonderful payoff.  One of the best Superman episodes.  It’s a shame the show isn’t as well loved as BtAS when it had some truly epic episodes in its own right.  

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

 Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 37

Warrior Queen

 

Here we are, with another base hit.  Maxima voiced by Sharon Lawrence at the height of her 90s career is looking for a husband.  Her qualifications are the guy has to defeat her in battle.  She’s shown footage of Superman, she heads to Earth, they fight, Superman wins.  She then uses some tech to knock him out and take him to her home planet.  When home she learns a coup has taken place and she’s sent to a dungeon with Superman.  He gives her a ton of lectures about how to be a leader, she agrees to change.  They team up and defeat her enemies.  Superman says he’s not the girl for her, she’s bummed out but moves on.  Lobo shows up at the end for a gag as if the creators were pointing out the similar plot of an alien coming to Earth just to fight Superman.  

 

There’s a timeless joke from an old lady about Superman’s opinion on marriage.  It still resonates in modern times.  

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 36

Heavy Metal

 

It’s not terrible but it’s not spectacular either.  John Henry Irons is working on his super suit after his appearance in Prototype.  Metallo shows up via Intergang resurrecting him and totally messes up Superman so Irons has to step in and stall for time while Superman regains his strength.   Superman appears to have met his match but Steel is able to pitch in and they defeat Metallo together.  It’s a by the numbers episode introducing a new hero to the DCAU.  Irons is a cool character and if you need Superman out of commission to introduce a new hero then you pull in the villain with a kryptonite heart. 

 

There’s an interesting moment during the car chase scene where a garbage truck is blocking the way.  Irons, his niece, and Superman clear the truck but Metallo who is hot on their tail doesn’t.  Metallo is impervious to such a collision but his goons are not.  So he hits the breaks instead of killing them.  Metallo is truly a bad guy and wants to kill Superman but he’s somewhat tempered in his approach.  We saw in the episode Action Figures he had good in him.  The show never really explored it well enough.  

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 35

The Late Mr. Kent

 

One of the best episodes in the series and the DCAU.  It’s the ending that really sells it as spectacular.  The show actually puts a guy to death via the gas chamber.  It starts out with everyone attending Clark Kent’s funeral including his alter ego Superman.  Then it flashes back to Clark Kent trying to save a death row inmate who was framed for murder. During his car ride to the governor to expose the frame and stop the execution, Kent’s car explodes along with the evidence, and he’s presumed dead.  He’s fine but cannot reveal that because of “reasons.”  

 

As Superman tries to find a way to bring Clark Kent back from the dead but also save the innocent man who’s on death row, he teams up with…wait for it…Lois Lane to solve the case.  Superman needs to find more evidence to prove the frame-up and debates revealing his secret identity.  Luckily for him Lois is amazing at her job and figures out Detective Bowman was the original murderer and the person that blew up Clark Kent.  When she confronts him, Bowman tries to kill her but Superman shows up and saves her. 

 

Clark Kent then entrust Lana Lang with helping come up with a decent cover story for how he survived.  Bowman who’s on death row keeps thinking about how Clark survived.  As the gas is released in the chamber he exclaims “he’s Superman.” Cut to black, he’s dead. How that made it into a kid’s show is as baffling as it is amazing.  It’s one of the bleakest endings for any DCAU episode, worthy of BtAS standards.

How Bowman was killed so quickly makes you worry about the DCAU justice system.  Most people sit on death row for thirty years.  Bowman was knocked off far faster.  Meanwhile all of Batman's rogues just get sent to the crazy house whenever they are caught. 

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 34

Prototype

 

While we never get the Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen comic stories in the DCAU we do the character John Henry Irons who eventually becomes Steel.  This is his early origin and what makes it so great is how he’s introduced little by little like Batgirl in BtAS.  By the time he’s fully realized in Justice League Unlimited it’s an amazing evolution of the character.  

 

There is a solid joke in the episode where Lois Lane needs a car to a newsworthy event but accidentally talks to a creepy dude instead of Clark Kent who already flew off to save the day.  

 

The origin story involves a cop getting a super suit funded by Lex Luthor and invented by John Henry Irons but eventually the cop goes crazy with power and causes problems.  Superman has to take him down.  Irons regrets his invention but Superman encourages him to keep working on it because he could use the help.  He just needs someone responsible doing it.  It’s a fun episode, and while Corey Mills is never a real threat to Superman, the possibilities of John Henry Irons appearing in Superman: the Animated Series are exponential.  Will we get a Death of Superman story?  No, but it was a nice character edition.

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

 Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 33

Bizarro's World

 

Bizarro returns and causes problems.  What doesn’t makes sense about this episode is how much time occurred between his first appearance and this episode.  Lois Lane goes though how many near death experiences before she tries to find Bizarro again?  Well Bizarro runs around causing havoc and Superman is around to clean up his mess.  Lois puts herself in danger in this one trying to help Bizarro.  Good intentions but she needs to use her brain.  Superman is able to knock Bizarro out with a gas canister and Superman takes him to an uninhabited planet that he calls krypton.  He also leaves him with a pet to take care of.  

Being able to knock Bizarro out with a gas canister seems like a big weakness which can be exploited to take out Superman.  The only logical difference might be Superman can hold his breath for an absurd amount of time and Bizarro is dumb and doesn't think to do that.

 

Superman basically banishes Bizarro but since he’s mentally challenged, sending him to the phantom zone would be too harsh.  A nice green planet with no life is the best option.  Ultimately it’s really just pushing your problems back another day.  Bizarro is destined bust loose again and cause problems but there is no real answer for someone as strong as Superman but dumb as a rock.

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 32

The Hand of Fate

 

Superman enlists Dr. Fate with help defeating a magical monster.  It’s a nice episode where we get to meet Dr. Fate and learn that Superman is vulnerable to magic.  There isn’t much to say about this except Dr. Fate doesn’t want to help Superman but then changes his mind and helps him.  It’s another Superman team up episode and hits all the points.  How Superman knows who Dr. Fate is, is never explained.  In the DCAU we see Dr. Fate appear again in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.   

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 31

Father's Day

 

Darkseid is back and causing more passive aggressive problems for Superman.  He sends a robot to cause some trouble and it fails.  His son Kalibak volunteers to go kill Superman but Darkseid says no.  Then Darkseid’s resident wizard lackey Desaad manipulates Kalibak into disobeying Darkseid and going anyway.  

 

Kalibak arrives as Clark Kent’s parents are visiting and of course Jonathan Kent ends up in grave danger during the death battle.  Superman keeps trying to rush and save his dad but Kaliback keeps being a huge jerk and getting in his way.  Eventually Superman disables Kalibak and is able to save his dad.  Then he goes to confront Kalibak but sees Darkseid blast him.  You’re left to think he was killed but I guess the creators decided not to go that far because Kalibak comes back again later on.  But it totally looked like he died.

 

Superman doesn’t like seeing anyone get killed (or blasted with a painful transport beam…) and has words with Darkseid.  Darkseid uses his blaster powers on Superman and hurts him but then just leaves.  Darkseid claims he can’t take Superman out in one stroke but it sure looked like he had the upper hand.  

 

Forgiving the strength inconsistencies with Darkseid and the fake death of Kalibak the episode is great.  Superman and Darkseid meet face to face and you get to meet one of the biggest villains in the DCAU.  He’s the only dude Superman truly hates.  Lex Luthor doesn’t even piss Superman off.  Superman can’t really hate Lex since he can easily kill him but chooses not to.  Darkseid on the other hand is a challenge of strength for the superhero.  Also Darkseid is a total jerk and does some real petty stuff in later episodes. 

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 28 29 30

World's Finest Part 1, 2, 3

 

It should have been a feature film! The three-part epic where Batman meets Superman is pure brilliance.  The joker steals a jade statue that’s actually kryptonite and solicits Lex Luthor.  Joker agrees to kill Superman for one billion dollars.  Luthor agrees to the deal.

 

Meanwhile Batman is on the case and Bruce Wayne travels to Metropolis to do some corporate team-up with LexCorp while doing Batman shenanigans at night.  Batman is causing havoc trying to track down the Joker.  In one of the most epic appearances ever, he crashes straight through a glass ceiling.  It’s the biggest F-you to the Fox censors the writers ever dreamed up.  Fox Kids were known for their restrictive rules in children’s programs, worse than government regulations.  One of the big rules was no crashing through glass.  Hence the weird animated sequence in the BtAS episode I Am the Night.  Since Superman was now on Kids WB that rule was gone and Batman crashed through glass in as epic a fashion as creators could ever imagine.

 

Superman arrives as Batman is interrogating a mobster for information.  Batman uses some judo moves and tosses Superman across the room.  That just pisses Superman off and he strong arms Batman and uses his x-ray vision to discover he’s Bruce Wayne.  A serious violation of the superhero code.  Batman whips out a small shard of kryptonite and messes up Superman’s mojo then tells him Joker is trying to kill him with a much larger piece.  

 

Superman returns home and discovers a homing device on his cape.  Batman is watching from a rooftop across the way.   Point to Batman!  They each know one another’s identities promising mutually assured destruction if either blabs.  

 

A few days go by, Bruce Wayne is dating Lois Lane because Superman never makes a move and she doesn’t even acknowledge Clark Kent exists.  The Joker shows up, causes problems, kidnaps Lois Lane because he knows it will draw Superman out.  Bruce Wayne is unable to stop it, he puts in a good effort though.    

 

Superman shows up after the excitement, while Bruce Wayne is giving a police statement.  Bruce warns Superman of the trap but Superman has to save his girl.  Superman traces them to a LexCorp lab but is wearing his toy selling lead suit.  Joker sprays it with acid because the suit is always destroyed when kryptonite is involved, (so why even have the suit? Oh yes, to sell toys).  The kryptonite is revealed, and Superman’s allergy acts up.  Batman shows up and destroys the kryptonite.  Superman gets his strength back and flies Lois and Batman out as Joker blows the building up.  

 

Lex is pissed Joker used a LexCorp location to attempt his murder and their partnership is crumbling.  An awesome chic fight between Mercy and Harley is happening in the background while Joker and Lex negotiate new terms.  

 

Batman pays a visit to Lex Luthor while he’s sleeping in bed trying to shake him down for information.  Mercy sneaks up behind him and Batman punches her out with the most awesome back hit you can imagine.  Batman makes some threats and leaves.  This freaks Luthor out so he ups his game.  

 

Joker creates a distraction for Superman while he sends the Wayne/Lex T-7 to kill Batman.  Batman is outmatched so he heads to the Daily Planet in hopes of finding Superman, only to find Lois Lane there.  At which point Batman is stuck trying to save both of them from the killer robot while trying to hold out long enough for Superman to show-up.  In the chaos Batman gets unmasked and Lois Lane learns his secret identity.  Superman arrives to destroy the robot.  While in Lois’ apartment she’s super pissed off but states she won’t reveal Batman’s secret because she’s in love with Bruce.  Batman is off to save the day again and Lois is upset because she doesn’t want to be with a guy who can die trying to save the world.  I guess Superman is exempt for some reason…The best part of their relationship is Dana Delaney was also the voice of Andrea Beaumont in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.  It’s as if her and Kevin Conroy are destined to be voiceover “tragic lovers.”  It’s a great dynamic between the two of them.

 

Once Luthor realizes the Joker failed again he goes to kill him but Joker and Harley are able to turn the tables and anarchy ensues.  We get more killer robots, a giant plane, the city is going to be wrecked.  While Lex and Joker’s relationship falls apart, Superman and Batman’s becomes stronger, they are able to team up and stop all the destruction and save the day.  Joker is presumed dead until he reappears again.  

 

Lois states she can’t be in a relationship with Bruce because of his nightlife and they part ways.  Bruce and Clark come to an understanding and depart one another’s company as friends.  

 

Everything about this is done right.  The entire meeting, the characters, the story, the epic battles.  The creators got it perfect.  It takes the two biggest characters in DC comics and tells one of the greatest stories.  They aren’t friends right away but they come to a mutual respect for one another.  If a live-action film just copied this story it would be the best comic movie ever made. A can’t miss even if you skip the rest of the DCAU. 

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 27

Ghost in the Machine

 

This has one of the most impactful moments in the DCAU and you’ll miss it if you blink.  Brainiac is back after uploading himself into LexCorp system before getting destroyed in his last appearance.  He screws up some test Lex Luthor was running and Superman saves the day. Lex is super pissed and starts investing what happens.  He discovers Brainiac is rebuilding himself and needs Luthor’s help for the final touches.  

 

Clark Kent grows wise to Luthor’s disappearance and uses his sleuth reporter skills to inform Mercy Graves, Lex’s bodyguard.  Then Superman is on the case and is working with Mercy to find Lex.  Superman tries to convince Mercy to ditch Lex because he’s a total douche.  Mercy makes a plea that Lex is awesome and brought her up from nothing.  

 

They find Lex in a closed off section of LexCorp.  Superman busts in and does his thing.  He fights an incomplete Brainiac.  While the structure is collapsing around them Lex and Mercy make a run for it.  Mercy gets trapped and Lex leaves her to die.  Mercy gives Superman advice on how to take out Brainiac, he uses some special weapon kills the robot in a horrifying fashion (since there are no standard and practice rules on the death of robots), saves Mercy from being trapped, saves Lex while climbing a ladder. 

 

Mercy goes back to work for Lex like someone trapped in an abusive relationship.  Lex learns nothing from his experience and is only concerned about harvesting all the Brainiac tech which was built with LexCorp supplies. 

 

It’s a great episode, one of the best. Lex gets shot with a blast from Brainiac.  It actually injects him with nanites that gradually influence his thinking until in culminates into some awesomeness in Justice League Unlimited. That’s years away though.  The main issues is how Lex left Mercy to die after being trapped.  Lex Luthor is far from a coward but he is callous and selfish.  This moment made him look more cowardly but one could argue he calculated her odds of survival and determined she was a lost cause.  Either way, Lex is a douche and the bitter ending of Mercy still working for him after that is so exponentially a Batman: the Animated Series ending, it is what makes the episode amazing.  

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 26

Brave New Metropolis

 

It’s a Lois Lane centric episode and a good one.  Lois gets sucked though a portal to another dimension where that Lois died and resulted in Superman teaming up with Lex Luthor to rule over Metropolis as a dictator.  The appearance of Lois Lane throws the entire world into chaos.  Eventually Lois comes across Superman and convinces him to become a good guy again.  They join forces and defeat alternate dimension Lex Luthor who is exactly like the real Lex Luthor.  

 

The “what if” scenario is a great episode, the world Lois ends up in is never explored again or really mentioned but the entire concept is recycled in Justice League with the Justice Lords.  Then Justice Lords is heavily referenced in Justice League Unlimited and drives the entire Cadmus plot.  

 

These alternate versions are always fun, especially when the traditional version is firmly established.  Not to drift into other Superman media but the problem with Zach Snyder’s DC film world was he embraced the “what if” scenarios too much instead of giving audiences a more traditional approach.  Snyder’s DC was too fanboy.  StAS (which appeared before Snyder’s work) makes revisions to Superman but it all fits with the narrative.  They kept the classic lore intact.  Outside of the comic, Max Fleischer’s Superman set many of the standards for Superman lore.  Christopher Reeves’ Superman did not alter those hard coded rules but told its own story.  StAS can have a “what if” episode but they can’t devote an entire series about Superman going bad.  This concept will be explored more in the review of the series finale.

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 25

Monkey Fun

 

This is another a good episode, it’s another Lois Lane central episode.  We get to learn about her childhood.  We meet her sister and father.   It’s lighthearted but still exciting.  As an eight-year-old child Lois had a chimpanzee named Titano that her military dad was caring for.  Titano is being used in the space program for testing.  Despite her dad’s assurances nothing would go wrong, something goes wrong and Titano is believed to have died in space.

 

Twenty years go by and we learn Lois Lane is 28 years old.  Superman is working with his buddy Professor Emil Hamilton to stop some asteroids from causing problems to a space station.  He discovers Titano in suspended animation.  They bring him to Earth, he’s bummed out, sees Lois and gets happy again.  Everyone accept Lois thinks it’s a good idea for her to care for Titano.  The chimpanzee wrecks her apartment, she scams Jimmy Olsen into chimp sitting while she gets a massage.  The chimp starts growing in size and becomes the size of a building. 

 

Superman and Professor Hamilton discover this is occurring during their research of Titano’s condition. Superman rushes off just in time to save Jimmy Olsen as he causes himself to fall out the balcony of Lois’ apartment.  Titano gets the blame for that but Jimmy was running away from the supersized chimp toward the balcony, slipped and fell. 

 

Titano runs around Metropolis causing problems and fighting with Superman.  Eventually the Special Crimes Unit (SCU) shows up along with recurring cops Dan Turpin and Maggie Sawyer.  They come up with a plan to gas the monkey.  A bunch more action occurs, Titano gets gassed, STAR labs stops his growing issue, and he is safely taken to an island where he can roam around with no issues. 

 

In the comic book it is based off of they had to kill Titano.  Since this is a cartoon for kids they couldn’t do that.  So Superman saves the day with a happy ending.  Apparently cartoons have no problem with the planetary genocide of Krypton and its billions of people but killing extremely large chimpanzees is not allowed.   

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 24

Solar Power

 

Edward Lytener bust out of prison and starts calling himself Luminus.  He turns the sky red via hacked LexCorp satellites to make the atmosphere like in Krypton and Superman starts losing the power he gets from the yellow sun.  That’s a brilliant plan; power Superman down.  Superman losing his powers still decides to help which is really what makes him Superman.   Anyone who’s invincible can fight bad guys.  A real hero does it when he isn’t invincible.  One of the rare occasions Superman is in actual danger and not just pulling his punches. 

 

The plot is stretched thin a little when it’s revealed Lex Luthor is in on the plot to depower Superman.  Lex had originally fired Lytener for being a whistle blower. It is likely Lex hates Superman more than Lytener and decided the enemy of my enemy is my friend.  So he hooks Luminus up with a bunch of tech, helps him bust out of prison, gives him access to the LexCorp satellites to take out Superman. 

 

Superman struggles through Luminus’ hideout, over comes the booby traps, eventually takes him out.  The episode ends with Superman getting his powers again.  This is the second time a villain in Superman starts out as a regular guy then ups the antagonist to get revenge on Superman.  Metallo started out as a regular guy then got super powers, Lytener was attacking Lois then enhanced his powers via tech to take out Superman.  It’s a logical concept that people who cross paths with Superman and lose learn from it and try to level up to take him out.  Very smart of the creators to keep raising the stakes when utilizing foes for Superman.

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 23

Double Dose

 

A fitting name for this episode, it’s the return of Livewire and she teams up with Parasite for revenge against Superman.  Livewire bust out of her holding cell due to janitorial incompetence.  She really shouldn’t have been locked up to begin with since she had a solid case for insanity in her debut episode.  Her rematch with Superman makes her realize she needs some more power.  Livewire tracks down Parasite and promises him a taste of her electric powers if he helps her kill Superman.

 

Parasite agrees and after he breaks out tries to molest her throughout their partnership, all told through allegory of course.  But it’s clear as day he keeps sexually harassing her and she’s thwarting his advances.  Superman covers himself in a clear rubber suit that is immune to their powers. Not sure if they ever made a toy out of it but it seems like they were trying to sell something.  

 

The villains destroy his suit and start roughing him up.  Parasite betrays Livewire and sucks her dry and takes her out of commission.  Superman then uses Livewire’s weakness against Parasite and fries him with some water.  Both villains are defeated, the day is saved.

 

It’s a nice follow-up for both villains.  The writers always felt the need to team parasite up with someone to fight Superman.  Perhaps they painted themselves in the box because Parasite doesn’t have much motivation to commit crimes.  He was a slow-witted crook who became a monster via a freak accident.  Livewire wants revenge against Superman for turning her into a freak but as stated in her origin episode her new look is a vast improvement and she can harness electricity.  

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

 Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 22

Mxyzpixilated

 

One of the few people that can truly mess with Superman is Mxyzptlk.  He’s a magical being from the fifth dimension who likes to annoy Superman.    The only way to get rid of him is to trick him into saying, writing, spelling his name backwards, Kltpzyxm.  Superman easily tricks him time and time again into doing this.  Eventually Superman is growing tired of being annoyed and makes a deal that if Mxyzptlk does the backwards thing twice in a row he’ll leave forever.  Superman tricks Mxyzptlk into doing that.  The episode ends.  Mxyzptlk is home and all pissed off but his wife Gsptlsnz convinces him to let it go in exchange for sex. Mxyzptlk embraces the exchange but still secretly holds a grudge against Superman.  

 

Mxyzptlk is beyond annoying in the comic.  The show get’s his introduction story spot on!  The episode is funny, clever, well made.  It’s a fun episode to watch. Gilbert Godfried was the perfect casting as the character. 

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 21

Action Figures

 

Metallo returns again.  John Corben in his third appearance and second as Metallo emerges from the sea with amnesia.  It’s actually one of the few amnesia storylines that make sense.  His memory got all foggy from wandering at the bottom of the ocean for so long.  His human brain was implanted in a giant robot so it makes sense an issue like this might come up without a lack of communication with humans.  

 

The news report intro summarizing his origin was way expositiony and unclear why that was included in the episode.  It’s a giant billboard stating who the villain is going to be.  Plot wise it is ridiculous a TV report would do a “where are they now” segment on a missing villain and an hour later the villain appears. 

 

Other than that, the episode is okay.  He shows up, saves some children.  The kids' parents are scientist who are on an island with a volcano that’s about to blow-up.  Dad is busy working but thinks his kids are staying out of trouble playing somewhere away from danger and plans to evacuate the island with plenty of time.  It basically works in terms of the plot.   

 

Metallo saving them, becoming their friend is nice.  It shows Corben isn’t inherently evil.  The kids have him save other people and that works too.  He becomes a giant douchebag when he gets his memory back and it doesn’t make sense.  Him hating on Superman and Lois Lane makes sense.  Giving the kids crap doesn’t make sense.  Metallo’s character is inconsistent in the story which might be blamed on the amnesia but his actions in the start versus his actions by the end are a stretch.  

 

The show missed a great opportunity to make the villain a tragic hero.  Instead of being defeated while saving his new friends or some variation on that, he fights Superman and loses, gets incased in lava, spends the rest of the episode training his mind to not get amnesia again.

 

It’s similar to the BtAS episode Sideshow.  That episode is truly a tragic episode, there Killer Croc had the potential to be a better person but Batman ruined it.  Here Metallo is just a jerk who accidentally did some good deeds.  

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 20

Target

 

This is a nice episode, a solid base hit.  Someone is trying to kill Lois Lane and Superman keeps saving her.  As an investigative reporter she’s made a lot of enemies.  Were introduced to the jerk Detective Bowman who has a payoff in a later episode.  There are some nice twists and turns over who’s actually trying to kill Lois Lane.  The culprit turns out to be Edward Lytener a former employee of Lex Luthor who got fired after whistle blowing on LexCorp.  He was angry because he had a thing for Lois Lane but she never noticed.  There are now whistle blower laws that would protect Lytener from getting fired for such actions.

 

It’s a nice change of pace.  Superman and Clark Kent are not the focus, neither is one of the villains.  We get a nice look at Lois Lane.  She’s an aggressive news reporter, strong willed, confident, etc.  This reinforces her character but doesn’t add anything we didn’t know from prior episodes.  It’s nice to see the spotlight directly on her as opposed to being just a side character or person Superman needs to save.  

There is an interesting dream sequence where Lois Lane is sleeping in her apartment, an intruder breaks in and throws her over the balcony.  It pushes boundaries, we see the fall, not the splatter, she wakes up at the last moment.  Her pajamas are the stuff of male fantasy.  She’s wearing this little black number and no woman is sleeping in something that elegant when she’s alone.  Her curtains are wide open which allows anyone in the nearby high rises to peep on her.  Maybe she’s hoping Superman will flyby one night.  It's unrealistic how completely exposed she is.  Especially since someone is trying to kill her.

Also, the place is fantastic. Well above her pay-grade.  Yes, she’s an award winning newspaper reporter but that place is well above her means.  Maybe Metropolis housing costs are incredibly reasonable but it’s one of the largest cities in the world, so that’s doubtful.   How does Lois Lane afford that nice place?  One would have to guess she subsidized her income with a book deal.  There’s plenty of money in the book industry, she must have an unmentioned best selling book under her belt. 

Once the villain is discovered, Superman saves her with relative ease.  Problem solved, the episode ends.

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com

The DC Animated Universe Weekly Review - Superman: The Animated Series

Superman: The Animated Series

Episode 19

Identity Crisis

 

Bizarro makes his first appearance.  His origin is different from the comics and much more logical.  He’s a Superman clone created by Lex Luthor in an attempt to have a Superman he can control.  Something goes wrong in the cloning process and Bizarro is the result. Bizarro isn’t truly a bad guy, just really stupid, and causing lots of problems in the process. 

 

A bunch of wacky and life endangering stuff happens.  Bizarro realizes he’s not the real Superman and sacrifices himself to save Lois Lane and a bunch of other people.  There isn’t much to critique in this episode but it’s still a fun watch.  It’s Bizarro’s best episode.  His follow-ups are far more annoying.  His origin story is spot-on.

 

Written by
Joseph Ammendolea
Owner/President
“I Like To Play With Toys” Productions®
ILikeToPlayWithToysProductions@Yahoo.com