Movie Review: Death of Superman/Reign of the Supermen - A Superior Adaptation

When the DC Universe Original Animated Movie line began in 2007, the inaugural film was "Superman: Doomsday", an adaptation of the classic Death and Return of Superman storyline from the 90's. Now we have come full circle with yet another adaptation, though this time it was given the two-part treatment, with "Death of Superman" and "Reign of the Supermen". While the "Doomsday" version was more condensed, the new version allowed for the story to be more faithful to the comics and include various characters that originated from the storyline. When this was announced, I wasn't too keen on DC redoing an animated film they already produced; if it wasn't for it being part of the DC Animated Movie Universe that began with "War", I may not have been interested. "Death" had come out at the end of last summer, but I wanted to wait until "Reign" came out to get the full story at once. Then special double feature screenings of both films were announced, which meant I could get the most out of it by seeing it for the first time on the big screen. The wait was definitely worth it as I had an epic time viewing these films, as they succeed on many different levels.

If anyone is going to get the most out of these movies, it's fans of Superman. I know that probably goes without saying, but these are the first animated Superman centered movies since "Unbound" in 2013. After so many Justice League and Batman movies, it's honestly nice to see DC branching out like they have recently with Teen Titans and Suicide Squad and finally giving Superman the spotlight again. And while Superman has been present in the DC Animated Movie Universe, he hasn't actually had much focus having to share the screen with others in the Justice League movies. The most we've gotten out of him is his romance with Wonder Woman. Though other Justice League heroes are present here, this story is all about Superman. Being a two-parter gives them plenty of time to flesh out Superman's world than ever before in this universe, as we're given proper introductions to characters like Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, who are voiced fairly well by Rebecca Romijn and Rainn Wilson, respectively. It was also nice for them to include both Jonathan and Martha Kent. In my opinion, it's the best dynamic when it comes to the Kents. I enjoy seeing Clark have two parental figures to look to for guidance, instead of just his mother or both of them being dead. All these factors tie in to what is the most important theme of the movie: Superman himself. We see how vital Superman is to Metropolis, the world, and the Justice League. When the moment of his death occurs, it's a real emotional moment, with Lois, Jimmy, and the League at the scene while the rest of the world watches on their TVs and devices. In my view, this adaptation succeeds in capturing what made the original storyline so memorable to people.

While this is a closer adaptation of the original storyline compared to "Doomsday", much like "Judas Contract", there are several changes made to have it fit within the DC Animated Movie Universe, though it is mostly faithful. Though being part of this animated universe lends itself to one of the elements I loved about this film: the callbacks to continuity. The films build upon and refer to several events and characters from the previous films in this universe, going all the way back to "War". It's like "Infinity War" and "Endgame" in a way that it's pay off for following the universe since the beginning. Coupling that with watching "Death" and "Reign" as one long story really helps with the epic scale they set up here.

The action is top notch and some of the best to come from the DC animated movies. When it comes to Doomsday, it gets downright brutal. It's definitely a lot more bloody compared to the original animated adaptation, but it helps build up how deadly Doomsday is. When the League attempts to fight him, there's a real sense of dread. From breaking through Green Lantern's force field to shattering Wonder Woman's sword with a punch, even though you know they'll make it, you're still scared for them. Then of course, it's the showdown between Doomsday and Superman. This is a fight for the ages, outdoing every adaptation of their fight that came before, both animated and live action. The fights between all the various Supermen are also entertaining as well with how destructive they can be.

Of all the new characters introduced, the breakout star to me was Superboy, a clone created by Lex Luthor. Steel is always a fun character, Cyborg Superman was an interesting villain with a good motivation, while Eradicator was kind of meh to me. Compared to all of them though, Superboy really stands out. While he's trying to be his own Superman, he's still just a teenager who wants to find his place among the heroes and be liked by the public. It's clear he needs proper guidance, and he's sure to find it with Superman and his family. I hope to see him more in future films, especially if he joins up with the Titans; just imagine the interaction between him and Damian.

Much like my "Spider-Man: Homecoming" review, I'm including a spoiler section that you can skip if you don't want to read it.

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Bringing Darkseid back and being the mastermind behind both Doomsday and Cyborg Superman was a stroke of genius. Not only does it help tie everything back to "War" like I've been saying, but they do his character a lot more justice, since I had a bit of a problem with him in that first movie. He shows a lot more personality and the ability to plan things, rather than just "I'm evil and taking over your planet just because". It also helps that he's now being voiced by Candyman himself, Tony Todd (who also did Zoom's voice on the Flash TV series). Darkseid should have a booming dark voice, and Todd is a good choice. The post credits scene of "Reign" also hints that we may be getting an adaptation of the "Darkseid War" storyline soon, especially with Lex Luthor asserting himself onto the Justice League like he did in the comics prior to that. Though they may have to call it something else so people won't get it confused with "War".

I had a feeling it would happen beforehand, but they finally retired the New 52 look Superman has had since this universe began. Now he's wearing his second Rebirth suit.

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Considering they went back to the classic suit in the comics, I figured the movies would follow suit. It doesn't have the red underwear, but honestly, this is a better fit. And comic wise, I wish they stuck with this look, since it still looks like classic Superman sans the underwear and works as a modern take. I know people make a big deal about the underwear, but I can take it or leave it.

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Overall, "Death of Superman" and "Reign of the Supermen" not only creates an epic story on par with its source material, but also plays to the strengths of being part of a larger universe between having build-up from the past and good set-up for the future. It's a must see for current Superman fans and I see it as a way to make new Superman fans out of people.