My Review of The Death Of Superman (2018)

Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Directed by Jake Castorena & Sam Liu

Lois Lane (to Superman): "I got your note. And I love you, too."

Ah, this feels a little familiar, doesn't it? This isn't the first time in the last decade we've explored this particular arc in movie and it's not even the first time we've done in animated form but if you didn't get enough of it in Superman: Doomsday and Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, then a third helping should suffice.

You know the gist - Superman (Jerry O'Connell) is living his best life in Metropolis, defeating Intergang members led by Bruno Manheim (Trevor Devall) while also keeping a look out on the recently house arrested Lex Luthor (Rainn Wilson) and being in a committed relationship with Lois Lane (Rebecca Romijn) while also being an active member of the Justice League. Things really couldn't be going any better for him.

Of course within this movie, things do get a little tense when Clark brings Lois back to Smallville to meet his parents and it's not long after some conversations with the likes of Batman (Jason O'Mara), Wonder Woman (Rosario Dawson), Cyborg (Shemar Moore), The Flash (Christopher Gorham) and Aquaman (Matt Lanter), Martian Manhunter (Nyambi Nyambi) and Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion) that he realises that he needs to be honest with the woman he loves.

At first, I had assumed Lois might have known given an earlier exchange with her and Clark in a supplies closet at the Daily Planet but her reaction to the news is still handled pretty well and of course, before she can really Superman how she feels, the big battle with Doomsday takes place in the middle of Metropolis with most of the League members getting their backsides handed to them royally.

While the animation in this feature did feel a little clunky at times, especially during the first half of the movie, the fight sequences do look neat enough. The big fight between Superman and Doomsday certainly didn't disappoint and the former's defeat still managed to be as heartbreaking as it was done in previous movies.

Of course while the world, the League, Lois and the Kents all mourn the loss of Superman, the last few minutes of the movie not only indicated that Doomsday still hadn't been dealt with properly as a threat but that other Supermen (and a boy) were about to step out of the shadows. Probably a good thing, considering this is the first part of a two part movie event.

- Also featured in this movie were Bibbo Bibbowski, Maggie Sawyer, Jimmy Olsen, Cat Grant, Hawkman, Mera, Kate Kane, Damien Wayne, Cheetah and Metallo to name but a few.
- We got a rundown of some of Clark's exes and this movie also implied that Superman and Wonder Woman were a thing in the past.
- I did have to laugh at The Flash's impression of Batman during the Hall of Justice meeting scene in the movie.
- The second movie is Reign Of The Superman and it's the first time they've done this story as a two parter in animated form.

The Death Of Superman I have to admit is a surprisingly more successful take on this particular story arc compared to a certain movie that came out a few years ago, even if this does seem more based on that movie than the comic itself. It's animation is not perfect but it does work where it's needed to do and I'll be interested to see how this one concludes.

Rating: 8 out of 10