DC continues to churn on some great animated features with some of them based on iconic properties including The Killing Joke and The Dark Knight Returns. Back in 2007 DC released the film Superman: Doomsday focusing on the famed story arc that including the death of Superman. Now they are giving a bigger scope to the story with a two part series starting with The Death of Superman and followed by Reign of Supermen in 2019, but does it fully capture the essence any more than the previous film on the subject or will it fall once and for all?

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​The Death of Superman follows Superman in a fight to the finish when the Man of Steel becomes the only hero who can stand in the way of the monstrous creature Doomsday and his unstoppable rampage of destruction. This new entry into the ongoing DC Universe films features the voice talent of both returning and new cast members including Jerry O’Connell, Rebecca Romijn, and Rainn Wilson as the voices of Superman, Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, Jason O’Mara as Batman, Rosario Dawson as Wonder Woman, Shemar Moore as Cyborg, Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan, and Christopher Gorham as The Flash. While this version of the story is altered from the source material it does manage to capture the original story pretty well. I was a bit bummed they didn’t go the more classic route to use the original Superman look for this story, but get it in and it is interesting to see the ongoing universe they have built.

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There was way more down time and story than I had expected as they build towards the full unleashing of Doomsday, but it made for a better film once things hit the fan. Where the story is obviously more focused on the big fight between Superman and Doomsday they give plenty of screen time to other members of the League including letting each of them get in on their own one on one brutal fight. All these fights are great, but once Superman enters the fray things really pick up with a no holds barred fight that more than live up to the hype. There is a brutality to the fight all around that really gives you the sense of the danger that Doomsday really brings leading to the ending that while we all know is handled really well with all the emotions it deserves.

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​The ending is obviously setting up for the next chapter of the story with the Reign of Supermen that looks like it will just further enhance what this film already set in motion. Hardcore fans of the source material might have some issues with the changes and direction of some of it, but still think it worked pretty well.

 

This release not only includes this iconic story, but also bonus content including a featurette, a sneak peek at the second chapter Reign of the Supermen, bonus cartoons and a collectible figure with the collector's set.  Grab your copy of The Death of Superman when it hits 4K Ultra HD,    Blu-ray and DVD on August 7th from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.