Thursday, September 24, 2009

DVD Review: Superman/Batman: Enemies - 2 Disc Special Edition by Brian




They Are Truly The World's Finest!

On September 29, Warner Home Video with DC Comics will be releasing their latest DC Universe DVD:

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

I was fortunate be able to get a chance to review it before it his the stores.



The DVD is based on the Public Enemies storyline that was in Superman/Batman #1-6. Writen by Jeph Loeb and art by Ed McGuinness. This was a popular storyline among fans, so it seemed a natural to bring it to DVD.



The plot goes like this:

A desperate solution for a troubled country: Lex Luthor for President with the Justice League in the service of the government. Only Batman and Superman stand against the new regime – and their disloyalty proves to be exactly what Luthor intended. Using their outcast status to instigate a scandal against Superman, Luthor finally tastes a victory in his vendetta against The Man of Steel. From Executive Producer Bruce Timm and voiced by the cast from both hit Batman and Superman animated TV series including Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly and Clancy Brown, this DC Universe Original Animated Movie of Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness’s popular graphic novel seethes with political intrigue and action-packed battles between heroes all believing they’re on the right side of the law.



Stan Berkowitz does an amazing job adapting Loeb's story for the small screen. Very little from the books are left out. Though some prior knowledge of some of the supporting characters like Power Girl and Captain Atom would help a little. But other than that, the story is just plain great.

Once again, Andrea Romano does an excellent job on casting the voices. Kevin Conroy and Clancy Brown reprise their roles of Batman and Lex Luthor. Also returning, Tim Daly as Superman. Other voices are LeVar Burton (Black Lightning), Ricardo Chavira (Major Force), Xander Berkeley (Captain Atom) and Allison Mack (Power Girl). These actors really bring the characters to life.



Bruce Timm oversaw the animation and decided to use a style very similar to Ed McGuinness. At times I did feel that this didn't work in the film, but for the most part, it was just amazing.

The overall pacing is a quick build-up and then full speed, right to the finish. An amazing ride, that just has you gripping your chair, whether you've read the book or not.



Simply put, Warner and DC have once again done an amazing job on Public Enemies.

The 2 Disc Special Edition is also packed with a lot great extras:

A look at Blacknest Night, which is currently running through the DC comics as we speak.

A look at the dynamics between Superman & Batman.

A dinner with DC Comic and Kevin Conroy. Just a candid view of DC comics.

2 fan favorite Superman: The Animated Series cartoon, picked out by Bruce Timm.

And finally, a sneak peak at the next DC Universe animated film: Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. That just looks amazing.

I highly recommend this DVD for just about anyone.

It'll be availible on DVD & Blu-Ray on Tuesday, September 29.

Brian Isaacs
Executive Editor/Owner

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