TGWTG User Blogs

 

  Alright so I finally got Superman TAS Volumes One and Two today, man I love that show, but fucking Netflix doesn't have Volume Two so I've never seen Volume Two, and I barley remember the episodes I saw as a kid! Phew! Well within the next month or so I'm going to be compiling a Top 20 list of my favorite episodes, but for now let's review Superman-The Last Son of Krypton!

 

  Originally broadcast as an epic three part pilot for Superman TAS, our good friend The Man decided to suck some money out of people by repackeging the three parter as a "Full Length Animated Movie", but I'm going to be reviewing it as the three parter, as that's how I've only seen it, and that's the way it was inteneded to be broadcast!

 

 

  I'm... I'm sorry this episode always makes me cry... I need a tissue... alright I'm back. So Part I of this three part epic takes place entirley on Krypton. We start off in the arctic where Jor-El is collecting data to support his theroies that Krypton indeed will be destroyed. In the meanwhile he gets attacked by a monster which in the commentary Bruce Timm said he can't exactly say what the monster is, and he's surprised it got past The Man. I think it's clear it's a giant sperm monster, and I am honestly not being my usual wisecracking self. I just went back to high school today, and that sucks a lot of energy out of yours truly.

 

  So Jor-El returns to his walking spider ship thingy when Brainiac, Krypton's all knowning computer insists Jor-El send it his findings. Brainiac has been spying on Jor-El! That asswipe! So Jo-El, Lara, and Baby Kal-El return to the capital city, and oh God! Krypton is a planet teaming with life, art, culture! I always hated Richard Donning's interpertation of Krypton as a cold, yet intellegent world. I've always envisioned Krypton as an intellegent, peaceful world booming with life. The team did a great job showing the human side of Krypton and made it's destruction even more meaningful. Most Superman renditions just so Krypton explode yadda, yadda, yadda, but the team made this much more heart whrenching. The scenes with Baby Kal-El, and his parents looking on knowing what's going to happen while he doesn't have a care in the world. 

 

  Jor-El in the meanwhile is having quite some trouble getting the council to accept his theory, because Brainia their all knowing computer says no. The tremors are just part of a pole shift. Jor-El knows Brainiac is lying, and he goes to Brainiac's core to find the truth. Brainiac shuts out Jor-El and calls the cops. Turns out Brainiac knows of the impending doom, but if anyone knew he'd be put to work on formulating an escape plan, and he doesn't feel like it. Plus as long as Krypton's knowledge is preserved everything is a-ok. That asswipe. So Brainiac finishes downloading the information and escapes via satallite. Damn, Brainiac is one badasswipe. Brainiac is to Superman as Scarecrow is to Batman. One fucking badasswipe. What's also interesting is that by tying Brainiac into Krypton so well it creates a unique situation. Lex Luthor is Superman's arch enemy, but Brainiac is the ultimate bady guy. 

 

  So in the end Kal-El is sent into hyperspace to Earth, and Krypton explodes as Jor-El and Lara share one last kiss. The effects of Krypton's destruction are nicely done, and it's a great scene, but where are all the people? Fucking censors.

 

  Part I ends with Kal-El entering hyperspace as chunks of Kryptonite fly around him.

 

 

 

  Now things kick into high gear. Baby Kal-El lands on Earth, and is promptly found by the Kents. John and Martha decide to name him Clark Kent. Fast forward some years later to Smallville high (also I hate the show Smallville, it's a teen drama with Superman and it sucks kthnxbye) where Clark and Lana Lang are chatting about Clark's new found abilities. Lana no beleive Clark :( Anyway an RV looses a wheel and Clark leaps into action! When Lana discovers he escaped the accident without even getting burned, then she beleives him.

 

  Clark decides to discuss this over with his parents, and see what's really up with him. They show him the ship, and give him some box thingy that creates a holographic/hallucengenic version of Jor-El and Lara tell him that he has these powers because of the energy from the Earth's yellow sun. Clark flips out and then runs off and flies! This makes him feel better.

 

  Cut forward to the present time, Metropolis now, where reports of an "angel" saving people are coming in by the dozens. We go to the Daily Planet where we meet Lois Lane who is quite pissed about the angel story. She worked her ass off to get a story about Kaznian (Fictonal country, political corectness peoples! Now I assume they'd probably use Iran instead of Kazniaif they were going for a real country, and hey I'm part Iranian and I can never understand why my fellow Iranians always get so pissed about everything. I'm open for racial comments if you want to insult me, kthnxbye.) gun smugglers. Anyway Perry introduces Lois to Clark Kent, the Daily Planet's new star reporter. Now I like how they used the Post-Crisis Superman here (Clark being the real person, and Superman the mask), and one can tell Lois doesn't take kindly to having "Smallville" around, because as we soon see, he gets a lot of stories. Lois no likey. Also Lois thinks Superman has a nice "S". We also meet Jimmy Olsen.

 

  Anyway Lois and Clark go to report on LexCorp's new battlesuit project, but when some Kaznian terrorists steal the suit, and holy shit! They fire a missile and it hits a plane!

 

 

 Part III

 

   Anyway Superman saves the plane, but it takes some energy. I like how they used the powered down Superman that doesn't have god like abilities, and Superman can be killed.This helps make things more tense and exciting, and frankly a little more realistic.

 

  Now Kent suspects some shady business involving Luthor soLois and Clark go to interview Luthor about the theft, and Kent casually slips the fact that with the battlesuit stolen the government will want Luthorto build a new, more powerful suit and pay him a lot more. Luthor also hates Superman, and he decides that he's going to use his suit powered by Australian mercenary John Corben who will soon enough become Metallo. Lois is held hostage, and Corben and Superman duke it out. It's an intense fight and Superman almost gets his ass handed to him. 

 

  Afterwards Superman pays a visit to Luthor, and tells Luthor that he's watching him...

 

  Meanwhile somewhere out in space, some alines pick up the Brainiac satallite, and that badasswipe comes on and massacres the aliens, purple blood splatters the walls. Brainiac reconnects, and now the time has come...

 

  Overall this is a great three part intro to a great series. It boasts some great action, animation, and a wonderful story!