Superman: The Last Son of Krypton (1996)

Superman: The Last Son of Krypton (1996)

Dirs. Dan Riba / Scott Jeralds + Curt Geda / Bruce Timm + Dan Riba

The Last Son of Krypton — not an adaptation of Superman: Last Son of Krypton, which is a 1978 novel by Elliot S. Maggin — is episodes 01-03 of Superman The Animated Series merged together into a one-hour TV Movie. The join could've been better, but the pacing is pretty good.

It's the now-familiar origin story of Krypton's finest son, but familiarity doesn't dull it. In fact, the scenes on the doomed planet are the best part. So too is the voice work; the Earth cast are good, too, but not as impressive as Krypton's.

Clark / Superman's (Tim Daly) adolescence feels a little hurried, but the key players do each get some time in the spotlight. So too does the main villain of the series proper, Superman's nemesis, the bald billionaire Lex Luthor (Clancy Brown).

Being sold as a pick-up-and-watch movie makes the open ending feel a little awkward, so you might want to get TAS afterwards for the rest.

Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000)

Superman: TAS (1996-2000)

Dirs. Various | 54 episodes (split over 3 seasons), approx 22 mins each [1]

Devised and produced by many of the same creative team that made Batman: TAS (1992–95), Superman's animated series looked familiar but also different. Metropolis is brighter than Gotham, with a different kind of art deco influence, one more inspired by Streamline Moderne. Giving each city its own visual identity is a positive change, but the less textured aesthetic of Metropolis looks cheap and sparse by comparison.

Likewise, and the first indication that what you're watching might be a step down in quality, the opening credits, which are a montage of episode scenes in roughly chronological order, feel tawdry and lazy compared to the dramatic excellence of Batman's. Superman's are spoilery, too, for anyone who's not seen the series before.

And subjectively speaking, Shirley Walker's accompanying theme music is also less memorable.