Ruby Spears' Superman - DVD Review

Ruby Spears' version of the Superman cartoons take a more canon approach to the Man Of Steel a year after the first series of films ended. The key with Superman is balance of both cool and the ideal of the man which is at odds with the times. The new age represents a interest in superheroes with troubled backstories. Superman was raised correctly with almost no recollection of the destruction of his homeworld. Something like a Bizarro storyline would go too much against that until a reboot is established. This interation of the stpries takes some liberties but keeps the thoughts in range of the original comics.Disc 1 Hearing the Superman theme over an actual cartoon actually gives it much more depth. This seems to one of the newer possibilities that took the lore into account as well as the beginnings. "Defend The Defendroids" has Lex Luthor creating do-good robots which makes Superman obselete. It seems interesting that the people of Metropolis would set him aside so quickly. The earthquake scenario is very similar to the first movie but nonetheless works, especially with Superman diving into lava. "Fugitive From Space" has the Man Of Steel uncovering two aliens looking to wreck havoc on Earth/ Hopwever they assume that bad looking is out to cause more destruction when he is in fact try to save the humans from the other, sort of like a galactic bounty hunter. "By The Skin Of The Dragon's Teeth" takes a more mythological approach with a giant treasure hidden underneath the great wall of China which Lex Corp just happens to buy. The coincidence of Clark, Lois and Jimmy coming there is a little far fetched. The best part of the episode is at the very beginning when the ship blows up. There is an artistry within the animation that really works well. In "Cybron Strikes" a cyborg energy monster tries to conquer Earth. The first show of his impending doom when the sky turns orange when Supes and Lois are celebrating her bnirthday in the clouds almost feels like something out of Flash Gordon. The grid aspect tends to bring to mind elements of "Explorers" and "Tron" so alot of this might have respective homages. The eventual turning of Lane and Olsen against Supes creates the episode's dramatic drive. "The Big Scoop" has Luthor thinking that he has revealed Clark Kent as Superman. He traps him while setting off other disasters to see if he can be in two places at once. Superman is able to fool them by placing his dad in disguise as a decoy while he is battling kryptonite armed robots in orbit. "Triple Play" has Superman going up against The Prankster who hijacks the World Series. He forces Supes away to an island where he plays off against robots which has a inkling of the master machine. Supes just has to wait for his moment. "The Hunter" has General Zod and his mavens ordering a creature under their command from the Phantom Zone to kill Superman with all of the powers he possesses. The hulking monster is able to corner him on his own turf disguising himself as his mother and causing him to go almost into kryptonite poisoning. Supes fakes his death and has Lopis unknowingly bring him back. The writers took liberty from the Zod storyline in Superman II and created an interesting play on the angle.The second part of these episodes is origin stories which tell of Superman growing up. The first is "The Adoption" which shows Ma & Pa Kent having to give Supes up for adoption. He however makes sure that they are the ones that get to take him home. "The Supermarket" has young Clark getting all sorts of candy but using his super speed to create a mess , albeit in a good natured way. "At The Babysitter" motivates the element that kids will be kids even if they're super. These small little homages are sweet but speak to the psychology of the young Kal-El. "Overnight With The Scouts" has young Clark on a getaway. Some of the other kids are afraid of snakes especially when Clark picks one up. Ultimately roughing it almost seems too easy for the guy. "The Circus" has Ma and Pa Kent taking young Kal-El to see a circus. He is not sure what is real. He ruins a Spider Woman's costume and ends up part of a high wire act when he goes to get sodas for his family. "Runaway" has Clark running away from home when he thinks Ma & Pa Kent aren't letting him do anything he wants because they want him to act like a normal boy. A couple hours on his own seeing what the real world is like like having his lunch stolen and experiencing a run-in with a hobo changes his mind."Corporation Of Corrupt: The Rise Of LexCorp" takes a live action view in representing what this version of Luthor that was inspired withi this series comes from. In the 80s, the bad guy was the corporate titan who smashed down everyone because of greed. Like Gordon Gekko in "Wall Street" which this featurette refers to, Luthor saw himself as a white collar criminal just doing his part to get ahead. He knew he was bad but realized that it was within his power to do so and ultimately reflected the thoughts of the time wrapped in pop culture. The other bit in the special features is the Warner Premiere trailer for "Green Lantern: First Flight" which reflects the thought of the development of that property towards a feature film.Disc 2 "Superman & Wonder Woman Vs. The Sorceress Of Time" has the duo teaming up. Lois seems a little jealous but gets over it. The Sorceress on Paradise Island wants to take a globe from Athena that has limitless powers. Superman just happens to be there despite a small troll causing problems. "Bonechill" is a little more diabolical and makes one think of the Legion Of Doom. His ultimate end is perhaps a little bit overstated but his "Ghost Rider" vision provides an adequate foe to Superman's foil. "The Beast Beneath These Streets" has Metropolis unearthing its old ruins not realizing that a hideous creature who tried to take down the city before has been lying in wait. He finds a way to steal Superman's powers but the Man Of Steel uses his own weakness to Kryptonite against the creature with resounding effect. "Wildsharkk" has the reporters going to Bermuda after a cruise ship up and disappears. It turns out to be the work of an undersea criminal organization. Superman is able to do most of his damage as Clark Kent before taking down the secret base. Lois gets in some good angles as a dancer but surprisingly enough the bad guys fall for it. "Night Of The Living Shadows" has Luthor in business with a man who created a shadow suit which Superman cannot hold onto. As a result Lex goes on a citywide thieving spree. His ultimate goal in the Metropolis Mint. Lois somehow manages to become one of his henchmen (which doesn't make sense) and ultimately has to reveal herself when Luthor threatens Supes with Kryptonite before the evil bald one escapes unscathed. "The Last Time I Saw Earth" has Lois and Jimmy going up to a space station prepping for the first mission to Mars. Some pesky aliens seem to think they will be good in soup and steal them away through hyperspace. Superman follows after them trying to take down the snakelike head of the corporation. The space bar sequence is pretty trippy like a mix between Star Wars and Heavy Metal.The second part again focuses on the Young Superman's formative years in a very brief but specific way, sometimes bypassing canon but working within certain structures. "The Birthday Party" shows a young Clark sneaking a look at his presents with X-Ray vision before he is supposed to. Lana, his childhood love, is teased by the boys but he uses his powers to turn the tables on them. "The Driver's License" shows the beginning of Clark using his powers for good in an overarching method in order to prevent actions instead of causing them. His biggest trouble is parallel parking but at least he doesn't blow the cones out of the way. "First Date" has Clark taking out Lana and working out all the things that can go wrong on a date, especially a band not showing up. He rights the wrongs and Lana is none the wiser for it. "To Play Or Not To Play" has Clark trying out for the football team and everyone being amazed by all he can do before his father reminds him that he can't do everything because he can. Clark instead works as team manager proving his worth. "Graduation" has Clark messing up his graduation gown and then racing to be with Lana for the final moment. There is a major storm coming in but he blows it away. It starts to make you think about him messing with the timeline in the movies. "It's Superman" shows the Ruby Spears version about how Superman was revealed to the world in broad daylight saving Lois. It is an interesting idea but the origin in the original Superman film was infinitely more dramatic in its testament.The trailers include one for a new DVD game optimizing Harold Potter but other than that there is not much extra. The animation though speaks for itself, having been optimized by Japan's Toei Animation which you can definitely see. This Superman series is definitely another step in the canon but a welcome one that respects its elders considering its production date. Out of 5, I give it a 3.