THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN Animated Movie

© by Gerald So | 4:45 AM

A mindless monster's killing spree reaches Metropolis, mauling the Justice League in its path. Only Superman (Jerry O'Connell) is powerful enough to stop the beast, but his unprecedented effort leaves him bloodily beaten as well.

I remember the spike in interest when DC Comics announced it was killing Superman in 1992. I wasn't the fan I would become with the 1993 premiere of TV's Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. My brother, not much of a Superman fan himself, bought the complete trade paperback, and I flipped through it but didn't get into the story.

In the years since the event, I've pieced together why it didn't resonate with me. I like a good match: equally complex and powerful opponents. Doomsday had no mind, no motivation. He was as simple as the idea of killing Superman.

That said, I can't say it failed as a publicity stunt. Similarly, Superman: Doomsday launched Warner Bros. Animation's PG-13 direct-to-video line in 2007. I bought and enjoyed it along with most of the line. The Death of Superman animated movie, releasing tomorrow, attempts a more faithful reflection of the comics event. As always, though, what hooked me was the portrayal of Lois and Clark's relationship.

Many of Warner Bros. Animation's New 52 Justice League voice actors rejoin O'Connell, lending their characters' chemistry. O'Connell's wife Rebecca Romijn debuts as Lois, but their real chemistry is just as clear, bringing out the authority and down-to-earth quality that I want in Clark and Lois and that must come through to deliver the impact of this story.

The movie ends with the discovery that Superman's body is missing, and the closing credits tease the four main characters in next year's continuation, Reign of the Supermen.