Superman - The Animated Series

***Superman: The Animated Series*** is an American superhero animated television series based on the DC Comics character Superman. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and originally aired on Kids' WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. It was the second series in the DC Animated Universe after *Batman: The Animated Series*, and was acclaimed for the thematic complexity, quality animation and writing, faithfulness to the source material, voice acting, maturity and modernization of the title character's comic-book mythos.

## Overview

Premiering ten years after the 1986 reboot of the Superman comic-book character, the animated series paid tribute to both the classic Superman of old and the newer "modern" Superman. For instance, the depiction of Krypton reflects the older idealized version in the Silver Age of Comic Books. The scope of Superman's powers reflects the more restrained contemporary concept as developed by John Byrne, in that the superhero has to struggle to perform spectacular feats. However, Clark Kent is shown to be open, if quietly, self-confident, without jeopardizing his secrets. This is similar to the depiction of Batman's alter-ego, Bruce Wayne, in *Batman: The Animated Series*.

Midway through the series' run, it was combined with *The New Batman Adventures* to become *The New Batman/Superman Adventures*. The characters of Superman and Batman were then spun off into a new animated series, *Justice League*. This series also featured other popular DC Comics characters, including Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Hawkgirl. It spawned a sequel series entitled *Justice League Unlimited*.

Several episodes involve Superman encountering other superheroes in the DC universe. Batman appears the most often, along with several of his allies and antagonists from *The New Batman Adventures*, including The Joker, Robin, Alfred Pennyworth, Harley Quinn, Bane, Commissioner Gordon, and Ra's al Ghul, among others. In addition, other episodes feature The Flash (alongside the Weather Wizard), Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner) (with Sinestro and the Green Lantern Corps), Aquaman, and Doctor Fate (along with his wife Inza and Karkull).

## Development and production

Originally producer Bruce Timm wanted the show to have a more classic 1940s Fleischer Studios *Superman*-cartoon feel.[*citation needed*] Another original character design sheet showed the characters in a stylized 1950s style (not unlike that of the live-action *Adventures of Superman* TV series), suggesting that the producers also considered setting the series during that period, or possibly ending up like *Batman: The Animated Series* (set during modern times, but with an Art Deco feel) or as the producers said Gotham was Art Deco with Gothic elements, Metropolis was "Ocean Liner Deco".[*citation needed*] As with the first season of *Batman*, the opening theme sequence of *Superman* lacked an on-screen title. Also like *Batman*, the opening theme for *Superman* lacked any lyrics, instead of being an instrumental piece played over various scenes from the series.

Koko Enterprise Co., LTD., TMS-Kyokuchi Corporation, Dong Yang Animation Co., LTD and Group TAC contributed some of the animation for this series. During the series, Timm and his crew began using TMS-Kyokuchi Corporation as an outsourced pre-production unit as well as an animation unit, and TMS storyboarded and directed episodes themselves. TMS also did the digital black hole effects in the episode "Absolute Power," although Koko and Dong Yang did the background and character animation. Like the previous shows, the animation on the series was done in traditional cels. The latter series *Batman Beyond* used cel animation in the first 26 episodes, it was then switched to digital ink and paint in the second half of season 2.

One noticeable aspect of the series carried over from Byrne's work was Superman's powers were significantly downplayed compared to his comic book counterpart. Whereas in the comic he could lift millions or billions of tons effortlessly, this version struggled lifting trucks, construction equipment, roadways, etc. The writers admit that he was made as strong as the story permitted. His durability was also considerably less than while bullets bounced off him, heavier ordnance like high caliber bullets, cannons, and missiles caused him pain or discomfort (but it is often due only to the recoil, such weapons are still rather inefficient, only slowing him down). He's also recurrently shown being sensitive to electricity, high-voltage electric currents being able to cause him a great deal of pain (for this reason, Livewire is one of his most formidable enemies in this animated series), and in one episode lasers proved capable of blinding him temporarily. Despite this greatly reduced durability, he's very rarely shown injured or bleeding. His lung capacity seems also quite limited since he needs special equipment to go underwater or in outer space.

In addition, the ship that carries the infant Kal-El to Earth is designed to have a pilot, and the autopilot used instead was programmed to land smoothly upon reaching its destination. This was done so that the ship is in perfect working condition during Superman's adulthood and could be used as his mode of long-range transportation in space.

Season two was originally scheduled to run 26 episodes, but it was extended to 28 episodes in order to accommodate a two-part story introducing Supergirl.

While the series adapts many villains from Superman's rogues gallery in the comics, the primary antagonists that he faces throughout the show and the DCAU continuity as a whole are Lex Luthor, Brainiac and Darkseid.

In the series, the writers decided to alter Brainiac's origin by making him an artificial intelligence supercomputer from Krypton, instead of the planet Colu like the comics, to give him a more personal rivalry with Superman. While the producers of the show found Brainiac's character and abilities interesting in the comics, they disliked his original design so they drastically altered his appearance; his green artificial skin was replaced with an icy-blue coloration, and the rest of his outfit became a mix of purple and grey rather than pink and black. Corey Burton's vocal performance as Brainiac was done in a cold, low-affect style similar to HAL 9000 in the *Space Odyssey* films and the 'Control Voice' heard during the opening narration of *The Outer Limits*.

To pay tribute to Jack Kirby's Fourth World creations, the show introduced the New God Darkseid as Superman's archenemy. In contrast to the character's less than faithful adaptations in *Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show* and *The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians* in the 1980s, *Superman: The Animated Series* portrays Darkseid as the evil and omnipotent cosmic dictator originally envisioned by Kirby in the comics. Michael Ironside's vocal performance was initially lowered for Darkseid's first two appearances in the series, though this modulation was later dropped in favor of Ironside's natural voice. The character is notable for being the only villain the DCAU's version of Superman is willing to kill, and Darkseid's actions in the series finale in addition to their rivalry become a recurring staple throughout subsequent spin-off shows.

## Comic adaptation

Main article: Superman Adventures

As with the majority of shows in DC animated universe, *Superman: The Animated Series* received a comic adaptation taking place in the same universe, that ran from 1996 to 2002, with 68 issues, an annual and a special issue featuring Lobo. Paul Dini wrote the first issue of the series, followed by Scott McCloud, Mark Millar and Evan Dorkin. Among the artists that contributed to the series are Ty Templeton, Rick Burchett, Mike Manley, Aluir Amancio, Min S.Ku and Neil Vokes.

## Episodes

Main article: List of Superman: The Animated Series episodes

### Supporting Characters

* Ron Perlman – Jax-Ur
* Christopher McDonald – Jor-El
* Finola Hughes – Lara
* Dorian Harewood – Ron Troupe
* Gilbert Gottfried – Mister Mxyzptlk
* Sarah Douglas – Mala
* Malcolm McDowell – John Corben / Metallo
* Michael Dorn – Kalibak & John Henry Irons / Steel
* Robert Morse – DeSaad
* Sherman Howard – Steppenwolf
* Ed Asner – Granny Goodness
* Steve Sandor – Orion
* Diane Delano – Stompa
* Andrea Martin – Mad Harriet
* Diane Michelle – Lashina
* Michael York - Kanto
* Lori Petty – Leslie Willis / Livewire
* Bruce Weitz – Bruno Mannheim
* Brad Garrett – Lobo & Bibbo
* Thomas F. Wilson - Joey
* Dean Jones – Colonel Sam Lane
* Peri Gilpin – Claire Selton / Volcana
* Jason Marsden – Teenage Clark Kent
* Nicholle Tom – Kara In-Ze / Kara Kent / Supergirl
* Bud Cort – Winslow Schott / Toyman
* Brion James – Rudy Jones / Parasite
* Sharon Lawrence  – Maxima
* Miguel Ferrer  – Weather Wizard & Aquaman
* George Del Hoyo  – Kent Nelson / Doctor Fate
* Ted Levine  – Sinestro & Karkull
* Brian Cox - Earl Garver
* Michael P. Greco  – Kyle Rayner / Green Lantern
* Charlie Schlatter  – Wally West / The Flash
* Melissa Joan Hart – Saturn Girl
* Chad Lowe – Rokk Krinn / Cosmic Boy
* Frank Welker – Titano
* Scott Menville – Trouble & Kenny Braverman
* Jason Priestley – Reep Daggle / Chameleon Boy
* Kevin Conroy – Bruce Wayne / Batman
* Mark Hamill – Joker
* Arleen Sorkin – Dr. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn
* Paul Williams – Oswald Cobblepot / Penguin
* Bob Hastings – Commissioner James Gordon
* Efrem Zimbalist Jr. – Alfred Pennyworth
* Robert Costanzo – Detective Harvey Bullock
* Mathew Valencia – Tim Drake / Robin
* Charity James – Roxanne Sutton / Roxy Rocket
* David Warner – Ra's al Ghul ("The Demon Reborn")
* Olivia Hussey – Talia al Ghul ("The Demon Reborn")
* Roddy McDowall – Jervis Tetch / Mad Hatter
* John Glover – Edward Nygma / Riddler
* Henry Silva – Bane
* Stephen Root – Reverend Amos Howell
* Robert Hays – Edward Lytener / Luminus
* Jennifer Lien – Inza

## Home media

Much like *Batman: The Animated Series* and other Warner Bros. cartoons adapted from popular DC Comic books, *Superman: The Animated Series* was released on DVD January 25, 2005, though it did not receive the same disc transfer as *Batman* did (the second disc of each volume was given the Side A/B treatment). The DVDs present the series' episodes in their airing order along with special features. Volume Two was released on December 6, 2005, and Volume Three was released on June 20, 2006. On November 24, 2009, Warner Home Video released *Superman: The Complete Animated Series*, a 7-disc boxed set that includes all 54 episodes of the series as well as extensive bonus features. On October 26, 2021 Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released *Superman: The Complete Animated Series* on Blu-ray, also including all 54 episodes and bonus materials.

A direct-to-DVD feature, *Superman: Brainiac Attacks* was released in 2006, although it is not considered to be part of DCAU continuity, despite featuring the same character designs as *Superman: The Animated Series*, as well as both Tim Daly and Dana Delany reprising their voice roles as Superman and Lois Lane, respectively.

* Superman: Learning to Fly Featurette
* Building the Mythology: Superman's Supporting Cast
 Superman: The Animated Series – Volume 2
* Audio Commentary on "Brave New Metropolis" and "World's Finest Part 1" with Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Glen Murakami, James Tucker, Dan Riba.
 Superman: The Animated Series – Volume 3
 Superman: The Complete Animated Series
* Superman: Learning to Fly – Explores the creation of the series
* Building the Mythology: Superman's Supporting Cast – showcases the supporting players in the Superman Saga
* Menaces of Metropolis: Behind the Villains of Superman – the origins and evolutions of Superman's adventures
* Superman: Behind the Cape – David Kaufman (the voice of Jimmy Olsen) takes you behind the scenes with the show's creative team
* Look, Up in the Sky! The amazing story of Superman – excerpt from the new documentary produced by Bryan Singer and Kevin Burns
* Selectable Pop-Up Trivia Tracks
* Bonus Disc Featuring the all-new Documentary The Despot Darkseid: A Villain Worthy of Superman

The original mourners attending Dan Turpin's funeral.

The mourners attending Dan Turpin's funeral in the edited version.

### Altered sequence in "Apokolips...Now! Part II"

"Apokolips...Now! Part II" was later altered from its original airing on February 7, 1998. Originally the Dan Turpin funeral at the episode's end was a true homage to late New Gods creator Jack Kirby and featured several of his comic creations as attendees to the funeral including Nick Fury, the Fantastic Four, Big Barda, Scott Free, Orion and others, alongside Kirby's friends and fans Mark Evanier, Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Alex Ross, his father Norman Ross and Stan Lee. These characters and persons were later removed and the scene pacing was re-edited for subsequent airings and its DVD release on *Superman: The Animated Series* Volume 3 Disc 3. The original sketches for this scene can be found at Michael Eury's book *The Krypton Companion* published by TwoMorrow's Publishing (ISBN 1-893905-61-6). Neither DC nor Warner ever commented on the decision to alter this particular scene, but it has been speculated that copyright issues regarding the use of the likenesses of Marvel Comics characters and the long-time rivalry between the two companies might have motivated the deletion. On March 17, 2021, *Superman: The Animated Series* was made available in high-definition on the streaming service HBO Max. They used the original broadcast version of this episode, reinstating the original mourners at Dan Turpin's funeral.

## Music

As with *Batman: The Animated Series*, Shirley Walker was in charge of the series' music. Walker wrote the series theme and composed themes for various characters, as well as scoring six episodes herself – "Father's Day," "The Hand of Fate," "Obsession," "Absolute Power" and the two-parter "Legacy." Unlike the previous series, only four other composers worked on the series – Kristopher Carter, Harvey R. Cohen, Michael McCuistion, and Lolita Ritmanis. Almost every episode had a completely original score; very few reused music from previous shows, and only one episode ("Superman's Pal," credited to Carter, McCuistion, Ritmanis, and Walker) was entirely "scored" with tracked material.

On January 28, 2014, La-La Land Records released a 4-disc compilation of music from the series, collecting 20 complete episode scores, including those of the "World's Finest" three-parter, the "Apokolips... Now!" two-parter, the "Little Girl Lost" two-parter and "In Brightest Day...". It is a limited edition release of 3000 units and can be purchased through the label's website.

If sales of this release improve significantly, La-La Land Records will produce a second volume.

### Track listing

**Disc One (Total Time 78:59)**

1. *Superman: The Animated Series* – Main Title (Shirley Walker) 1:07

* The Last Son of Krypton Part I (Lolita Ritmanis)

1. Krypton Opening/Monster Attack 2:37
2. Family Theme 1:12
3. Earthquake/Jor-El Appeals\* 1:59
4. Brainiac Confrontation\* 2:14
5. Jor-El Escapes Arrest/Jor-El Outside 1:52
6. Decision to Send Kal-El 3:01
7. Brainiac Leaves Krypton\*/Kal-El Leaves Krypton\*/\*\* 1:43

* The Last Son of Krypton Part II (Michael McCuistion)

1. Recap (The Last Son of Krypton, Part II)\*1:07
2. Kal-El Lands on Earth/Couple Find Kal-El 2:09
3. Clark's Abilities/Clark Meets His Parents 3:19
4. Clark's First Flight\*\*\* 2:24

1. *Superman: The Animated Series* – Video End Credits (Shirley Walker) 2:37

* THE LAST SON OF KRYPTON, PART III – Bonus Music-And-Effects Track

1. Superman Destroys Robot\*(H. Cohen)/Superman Spurns Lex\*(M. McCuistion)/Brainiac Returns\*(L. Ritmanis) 3:07

**Disc Two (Total Time 78:59)**

1. *The New Batman/Superman Adventures* – Main Title (Shirley Walker) 1:05

* World's Finest Part I (Michael McCuistion)

1. Closing Time\*/Joke in the Box Source\*/ Batman Takes Evidence\* 1:37
2. Terrorists on Plane\* 1:11
3. Lois Talks to Superman/Lois Beats Herself Up :58
4. Joker Abducts Lex 1:20
5. Lex & Joker Make a Deal/Lois Meets Bruce 1:42
6. Joker Undoes Carlini 1:27
7. WayneLex T-7 :52
8. First Dance 1:11
9. Batman Shows Up/Binko's Bad Night\*/Batman Bugs Superman\* 3:29

* World's Finest Part II (Michael McCuistion)

1. Recap (World's Finest, Part II) :38
2. Bruce and Lois Go Out/Joker Crashes Date/Joker's Plan 2:23
3. Batwing Takes Off\*/Superman Meets Joker\* 1:39
4. Batman Saves Superman\* 3:08
5. Batman Makes His Exit:29
6. Harley Cheers Up Joker/Lex Meets With Joker 2:01
7. Batman Pays Lex a Visit/Superman Flies By\* 1:14
8. Jet Pac Transportation\*/Joker Uses Robot 1:12

* World's Finest Part III (Michael McCuistion & Lolita Ritmanis)

1. Recap (World's Finest, Part III) (M. McCuistion) :35
2. Ship in Distress (M. McCuistion) 1:45
3. Batman Drops In/ Batman Unmasked/ Superman Stops Robot (M. McCuistion) 1:30
4. Batman Has to Leave/Lex Sets Up Joker (M. McCuistion) 1:28
5. Arrival at Lab\*/Robots Battle Superman\*/Batman Gets to Lexwing\*(L. Ritmanis) 6:04
6. Lexwing Crashes\*(M. McCuistion) 2:22
7. Bruce Returns to Gotham\* (M. McCuistion) 1:08

1. *The New Batman/Superman Adventures* – End Credits (Shirley Walker) :35

**Disc Three (Total Time 78:36)**

* A Little Piece of Home (Kristopher Carter)

1. Break-In at the Museum\* 2:14
2. Lex Sees Superman Weak\*/Waiting for a Reaction:51
3. Lois Gets a Phone Call/Steal Treasury Plates\*/No Deal with Lex\* 5:31
4. Lois Visits S.T.A.R. Labs/Superman vs. Dinosaur\*/Superman Throws Rock\* 4:26

* Livewire (Harvey R. Cohen)

1. Wake-Up Source 1:30
2. Construction Crane/Prevents Crane Accident\* 2:42
3. Centennial Park Source 1:15
4. Leslie Becomes Livewire\* 1:37
5. Livewire Checks Out :59
6. Metamorphosis Complete 1:07
7. She Turns Off the Light/Tower of Power Is Back 1:31
8. Superman Averts Planes\* :59
9. Livewire Gets Recharged\*/Caution Sign 3:41

1. *The New Batman/Superman Adventures* – Twenty-Second Promo :26 (Shirley Walker)

**Disc Four (Total Time 79:00)**

1. *Superman: The Animated Series* – Ten-Second Promo (Shirley Walker) :16

* Little Girl Lost Part I (Lolita Ritmanis)

1. Journey Through Space 2:43
2. Superman Enters Chamber/Kala's Story/Superman Finds Kara 3:02
3. Kara Flies 1:17

* Feeding Time (Michael McCuistion)

1. Toxic Waste\* 2:28
2. Rudy Becomes Toxic/Goo on Superman's Finger\* 1:24
3. Parasite Saps Police\* 1:16
4. Parasite Visits LeBeau\*/Parasite Saps Superman's Energy\* 2:23
5. Parasite Can't Rob Bank :32
6. Parasite Attacks Clark/His New Meal Plan\* :49
7. Jimmy Gets Idea 2:19
8. Superman Saves Jimmy/Saved by a Bug\* 2:25

* *Superman: The Animated Series* – End Credits (Shirley Walker) :35

## External links

* Official DC comics Site
* Template:Webarchive
* Template:IMDb title
* *Superman: The Animated Series* at The World's Finest