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

Black Circle - Hashpipe

Another Cuculi sponsored show. The sound and lights are bad because the venue was horrible.  Don’t blame the band.

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

Black Circle - Heaven

Another Cuculi sponsored show. The sound and lights are bad because the venue was horrible.  Don’t blame the band.

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

Black Circle - Machinehead

Another Cuculi sponsored show. The sound and lights are bad because the venue was horrible.  Don’t blame the band.

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

Black Circle - Punk Song

Another Cuculi sponsored show. The sound and lights are bad because the venue was horrible.  Don’t blame the band.