Производитель: Warner Home Video
Страна: США
Aspect Ratio:  1.33:1
Регион: 1, DVD9

Формат: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC

Субтитры:English, Spanish, French

Количество дисков: 2
Эпизоды: 1-18
Продолжительность: 396 мин
Жанр: Супергеройский мультсериал
Цена по прайсу: 27 долларов США

In many ways, that is very true. Yes, it is difficult coming up with interesting ways to test a guy who can whack ballistic missiles into orbit, but that is not an inherent character weakness.Rather, it is a challenge of taking on the character. Under the right creator, or creators as the case may be, Superman is more than ready to soar... and then punch some laser beams.And what better creative team can you get than Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, and Bruce Timm? The same superstar team that made Batman: The Animated Series one of the best and most defining shows in the history of American cartoon television.With such a fantastic group, and such a well-known character, expectations are bound to be high, and you can't help but feel a bit let down when the show isn't as good as Batman: TAS. However, while Superman: The Animated Series isn't as excellent as its predecessor show, it's still one very enjoyable and very fun cartoon. Whereas for the Batman cartoon the producers were going for a gritty feel, here things are big, colorful, and imaginative. Superman fights robots, aliens and sci-fi monsters. And just as you'd expect, that dastardly Lex Luthor is usually at the root of the problem.Personally, I wouldn't have it any other way. Superman isn't supposed to be conflicted and his villains aren't supposed to be psychopaths. With the Man of Steel, it's all about fighting for what's right. And then punching the occasional laser beam, when it gets out of line.One of the best things about the show is its use of the Superman lore. Over the course of the series you'll see many of the characters from character's comic book history. If you're meeting them for the first time, you'll probably find them interesting, but if you're already familiar with them then you've got a lot of opportunities to geek out.The creative team did take some liberties with the origins of certain characters, but none of the changes are overly intrusive or unwelcome. Furthermore when they get a character right, they really nail it. For example their take on Metallo, who realizes he traded immortality for the ability to feel, is great stuff.Perhaps their most difficult task was getting Lex Luthor right. Luckily for us, they pulled it off. This Lex is a perfect mix of ambitious businessman and cunning strategist. He isn't flat out evil, but he is bad and watching the character get what he deserves is fun. The Lois Lane character is also great, a perfect mix of sexy, competitive, and charming.Much like the Batman collections, Superman: TAS isn't grouped by season since they were all so unevenly produced. That being said, I do hope that we get the rest of the boxed sets in installments of more than eighteen episodes.While it's not as serious or as artistic as its predecessor, Superman: TAS is still full of high-flying fun, adventure, and excitement. Whether you're a fan of animation or just a fan of the character, this show comes recommended. It holds a proud position in the wonderful Warner superhero animated era that we're currently enjoying.

The Video

Much like the Batman sets, this first volume, presented in 1.33:1, looks good but not great. The major problem is the flecks of dirt and bits of dust that pop up to mar the otherwise bright and solid frames. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the episodes are dirty, but they aren't exactly clean either.Another qualm I have is that the outlines on the characters, usually when they're drawn small and in the background, are a bit hazy. Then again, I'd attribute this more to the way the animation was photographed than to the actual transfer itself.Luckily the show doesn't seem to have any other issues. Interlacing isn't much of a problem, nor is dot crawl. The rainbow effect that seems to plague certain animated shows is not present.

Languages and Audio

Sound-wise, we've got English, Spanish, and French tracks, all in Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, with subtitles also available in each of those languages.

For an animated program, this show sounds great. What really impressed me was how crisp all of the sound effects are. From laser blasts to Superman's swoosh as he flies to ambient sounds, you get some very clear-sounding effects. Your sub will see some action too.Side-channel effects are used sparingly, and the sound mainly comes from all over. Music and voices come through very well and there isn't any hiss.

Packaging and Extras

The set comes with the show's first eighteen episodes which are spread across two discs, with the second disc being double-sided. The packaging follows the same general design of the one used for Batman:TAS, which I am happy for. While I do think the design is a bit too cartoony, this is a cartoon, it does have a certain charm to it.We get four commentary tracks on key episodes. Speakers include producers and animators. There's Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett, Dan Riba, Curt Geda, and Glen Murakami who speak on The Last Son of Krypton (Part One), Stolen Memories, The Main Man (Part Two), and Tools of the Trade. Overall the commentaries are nice, but not too great, with Bruce Timm bringing up the most interesting facts.On disc one we've got A Little Piece of Trivia, which is your basic pop-up trivia deal where facts pop up at the bottom of the screen during an episode, in this case, A Little Piece of Home. Half of the facts are interesting, but half are redundant: "Superman's only weaknesses are Kryptonite and magic." Well, yeah... you give and you take, I guess.On Side A of disc two there's the ten-minute featurette Superman: Learning to Fly, where the show's creators talk about the genesis of the show. You get some nice facts, and it's good to hear how much these people love the character. On side B of disc two, we've got Building the Mythology: Superman's Supporting Cast which runs for a little under ten minutes. It's always interesting hearing how they approached the designs of certain characters.All in all these featurettes get the job done, but I would really like to see them do something more dynamic or imaginative for future sets. Maybe dig up some old concept art or talk about story ideas that they gave up on, or go through the production of an episode. Anything, as long as it's fresher than this wishy-washy stuff. Complaints about variety aside, I'm happy with what we've got.