This Friday at San Diego Comic-Con, DC Comics’ premiered The Death of Superman. The film, which stars Jerry O’Connell as the voice of Superman, is one of the most satisfying DC animated films in the New 52 line up. Let’s jump into why.
The Death of Superman
The film is an animated adaptation of the iconic comic book Death of Superman. Like many of these adaptations, the movie takes some liberties with the source material to fit the New 52 animated film continuity.
In The Death of Superman film, Lois Lane doesn’t know Clark is Superman: a major change since at this point in the comics the couple is engaged. But unlike some other deviations that DC animated films have taken from the source material (looking at you, Batman: The Killing Joke), this change becomes an emotional tether for the audience to latch onto.
Clark, I Love You
At the beginning of the film, Lois knows Clark is hiding something and she desperately wants her boyfriend to be honest with her. The rest of the Justice League encourages Clark to open up to Lois, which leads him to tell her that he’s Superman. Lois has no time to process this information before Clark is called to battle a monster destroying Metropolis. Lois is forced to watch the man she loves, one whom she truly knows for the first time, face mortal danger.
The Death of Superman comic book is adapted because it’s such a human story: it shows that even Superman can die. Lois’ reaction to Clark’s death and the emotion that leads up to this moment has different details, but the film still embraces the same emotional beats you feel when reading the original.
An Emotional Gut Punch
We are fully invested in the Doomsday and Superman fight not only because of the great action sequences but because of the story that comes before the battle. We feel the pain that the people of Metropolis experience as they witness the loss of their hero, and the pain of the Justice League as they lose a friend. But, most importantly, we identify with Lois.
It’s these emotional moments that make The Death of Superman one of the most satisfying DC animated films in the New 52 line up.
The Man of Steel meets his ultimate match when Doomsday comes to Earth – hell bent on destroying everything and everyone in his path, including the Justice League – in the all-new, action-packed The Death of Superman, part of the popular series of DC Universe Movies.
Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment, you can own The Death of Superman digitally on July 24, 2018 bring it home on August 7, 2018.
