With Warner Bros.’ eagerly awaited Superman Returns coming to theaters next week, retail shelves are being flooded today with all sorts of DVD releases based on DC Comics’ Man of Steel. I addition to live-action offerings such as the third and fourth seasons of the classic George Reeves TV series from the 1950’s and the first season of the obscure 1980s Superboy series, we get season two of Warner Bros. Animation’s Justice League, volume three of Superman: The Animated Series from the 1990s and the all-new animated feature Superman’Brainiac Attacks, featuring the return of Tim Daly and Dana Delaney, who voiced Clark Kent and Lois Lane in Superman: The Animated Series.
Justice League Season Two from the DC Comics Classic Collection features Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter as the leaders of the ultimate crime-fighting syndicate. Villains encountered this time around include the Joker, Amazo, Despero, Dr. Destiny, the Justice Lords, Vandal Savage, Darkseid, Deadshot, Lobo, Eclipso, Giganta, Clayface, Sinestro, Shade, Ultra-Humanite, Parasite and the Royal Flush Gang. All 26 episodes of the 2001 season are included on four discs, along with commentary by the show’s creators on three episodes and a behind-the-scenes documentary titled Justice League Declassified, hosted by Green Lantern voicer Phil Lamarr. The show’s many devoted fans can pick it up for the suggested retail price of $44.98.
Superman’The Animated Series, Volume 3 is a two-disc set featuring the final 18 installments of the show’s 54-episode run. Storylines include three two-parters featuring villain Darkseid and the introduction of Supergirl. Extras include audio commentary on select episodes with creator Bruce Timm and directors, a never-before-seen deleted scene Easter Egg with an introduction by Timm, and a featurette titled Superman: Behind The Cape, in which David Kaufman (voice of Jimmy Olsen shows viewers how an episode comes together. The Warner Home Video release lists for $26.98.
Superman: Brainiac Attacks is a brand-new, feature-length extension of Superman: The Animated Series. The Warner release sees Supes going toe-to-toe with old enemies Lex Luthor and Brainiac, while also wrestling with his desire to disclose his identity to the lovely Miss Lane. While Daly and Delaney reprise the lead roles, the seies’ Lex Luthor, Clancy Brown (HBO’s Carnivale), has been replaced by Powers Boothe (HBO’s Deadwood), and the role of Brainiac, voiced by Corey Burton in the series, has been turned over to Lance Henriksen (Aliens). This latest adventure carries a list price of $19.98.
The super fun gets a bit more humorous with Krypto the Super Dog, Volume 1’Cosmic Canine. Geared to younger kids, this cartoon throwback debuted on Cartoon Network last year, introducing tykes to Superman’s dog, who jettisons to Earth after orbiting countless years in space as a test-pilot aboard a malfunctioning rocketship built by Jor-El. Having landed, the super pup finds companionship in a young boy named Kevin Whitney and together they combat threats to the safety and well-being of the people and animals of Metropolis. The disc offers five episodes, plus a guided tour of Krypto’s spaceship and an unaired promo introduction to the series. Also from Warner Home Video, the rekease lists for $14.98.
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