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Country: USA Release Date: November 3, 2009 Distributor: Warner Home Video Related Sites: ·IMDb: Ruby-Spears Superman
Grade: B-
In the late 1980s, Ruby-Spears developed this seldom seen treatment of Superman that blended the movie treatment with the current comic book incarnation, with about an 85/15 blend of Richard Donner and John Byrne. Lex Luthor was now a business tycoon with grand designs, just like in the comics; but his plots (and his mannerisms) were the Gene Hackman villain all the way, and it was just one of the many things that detracted from the overall enjoyment of this series. Lois Lane maintains a romantic relationship with Superman, having dinner with him in the clouds and sharing many a moonlight flight, while she remains blissfully unaware that her co-worker, Clark Kent, is the object of her desire.
As to the artwork, anyone who has had the good fortune to catch glimpses of these episodes can attest that this is probably the most true-to-comics realized form of Superman ever brought to animation. The animation itself was sometimes off in terms of perspective and overall action, but for actual representation of the image, this series came really close to giving us a sort of simplified Neal Adams style of comic art.
The plots, on the other hand, were decidedly cringeworthy. Despite the involvement of comic book veteran Marv Wolfman, who had by this time already given readers The New Teen Titans, the stories often verged on the silly. Never mind Supes' nonsensical battle with the Prankster and his theft of the World Series -- stories involving the Prankster were generally jokes to begin with. But to have Lex Luthor purchase the Great Wall of China so that he can own the rights to a hidden chamber of treasures beneath it absolutely beggared credulity. "Fugitive from Space" and "Cybron Strikes" were both examples of extra-reality type threats that relied on luck, coincidence, and writer's intervention for Superman to discover the means to defeat the foe.
Man of Steel, Woman of Myth. Superman and Wonder Woman
team up to battle an escaped sorceress.
But there were some bright spots. "The Hunter" -- despite its many (many, many) flaws of shortcut storytelling, served as a precursor to the Doomsday storyline that later rocked the comics world. And on the second disc, Superman finds himself teaming up with another DC Universe hero, Wonder Woman, to tackle an escaped sorceress. This is, to my recollection, the only animated appearance of Wonder Woman to occur between Super Friends and Justice League, and my previous statements as to the quality of the artwork still stand. Fans of Diana will want to pick up this set for this episode alone.
A highlight of the series was the backup feature that accompanied each episode, scenes from the "Superman Family Album." In chronological order, these shorter vignettes showed viewers fragments of young Clark Kent's life, from arrival up through his first appearance as Superman. What was interesting was that these stories showed Clark as being a very human child, with all the foibles that come with childhood: eagerness, petulance, willfullness -- traits one would never have thought the purehearted Man of Steel might ever exhibit, and it was a refreshing idea to have these experiences explored.
Bonus features with this two-disc set include the already seen preview of "Green Lantern - First Flight" as well as a newly-filmed documentary, "Corporation of the Corrupt: The Rise of LexCorp," which takes a historical look at the role of business and how it changed going into the 80s to create a backdrop for the reinvention of the Luthor character.
Ruby-Spears Superman
The Complete Series
Disc 1
Disc 2
01. Destroy the Defendroids / The Adoption
02. Fugitive from Space / The Supermarket
03. By the Skin of the Dragon's Teeth / At the Babysitter's
04. Cybron Strikes / The First Day at School
05. The Big Scoop / Overnight with the Scouts
06. Triple-Play / The Circus
07. The Hunter / Little Runaway Bonus Features:
- Corporation of the Corrupt: The Rise of LexCorp
- "Green Lantern: First Flight" - Animated Movie Trailer
08. Superman and Wonder Woman vs. The Sorceress of Time / The Birthday Party
09. Bonechill / The Driver's License
10. The Beast Beneath These Streets / First Date
11. Wildsharkk / To Play or Not to Play
12. Night of the Living Shadows / Graduation
13. The Last Time I Saw Earth / It's Superman
