We look back on the DC Animated Universe movie where Batman and Superman met without it being awful…
Even then, I knew the series romanticized much from a bygone age.
However, the series had stopped producing new episodes after only three since Warner Bros.
Animation had moved on to the more efficiently top-down synergeticSuperman: The Animated Seriesat the WB online grid.
All theyre after is a green carving that has been mistaken as a Jade ornament.
Its short, to the point, and entirely what Warner Bros.
In other words, fans liked seeing a mutual disdain and weariness expressed by each hero for the other.
It makes coming up with reasons for them to start hitting each other more acceptable.
During that first encounter, Superman has extreme reservations about the Batmans tactics.
He comes across the Dark Knight sweating a suspect for information.
Clearly, there is an obvious friction between the two superheroes and their different methods.
Batman does pull out Kryptonite for his requisite power-move moment, but it isnt to humiliate or harm Superman.
From that point on, Batman and Superman are not at odds, but are rather tentative allies.
Similarly, their reason for teaming up is streamlined Saturday morning cartoon logic, but it still makes sense.
In many ways, the Joker actually performs a similar narrative function to his role in NolansThe Dark Knight.
He then turns out to be more insane than said crime boss realizes, and almost destroys the city.
Fortunately, Amy Adams did not go wide-eyed for Ben Affleck in this years film.
ButWorlds Finestis still a childrens cartoon.
Much likeBatman v Superman, this animated film jump-started a connected DC universe in a different medium.
But even then, hes still the Batman….
Otherwise, the movie represents the benefits the DCAU enjoyed for being separate from the comics.
Much like Marvels Cinematic Universe, Warner Bros.
Animation was free to cherry-pick its own streamlined path with little concern over which crisis was being adapted.
This article first published on March 26, 2015.
