Superman: From Page to Screen

In March of 2001 Joe Kelly wrote a Superman comic that is remembered to this day as one of the best representations of what makes Superman so great. His moral fiber. His unwillingness to buckle or surrender to anything. I'm referring to Action Comics #775; "What's so funny about truth, justice, and the American way?" And today, that influential work of art has been adapted into an animated movie called "Superman vs. The Elite"



I really liked this film. Other than a few inconsequential changes and additions, it's by far one of the most faithful adaptations the DC Animation department has done. There are quite a few scenes and lines of dialogue lifted straight from the pages, and it's a really nice touch to the fans of the source material. I had very few nitpicks with the changes, and it mostly had to do with the characterizations of the villains.

The antagonists of this movie are the eponymous "Elite", a group of international "heroes" that are not afraid to slaughter the bad guys in order to get the job done. They call themselves the future of crime-fighting. In the original they were quite mysterious. They didn't have a definite origin and it merely hinted about the tragic events that caused them to believe they were in the right when committing their acts of murder.

In the movie however, they were made to be a former task force for the UK government. The main Elite member, Manchester Black, was given an altered origin and a sister that worked with Lois behind the scenes to help Superman out. It all seemed a bit unnecessary and was most likely padding  in order to give Lois more lines (she's voiced by NCIS star Pauley Perrette). They also turned the female Elite, Menagerie, into a bit of promiscuous comic relief because she was always hitting on Superman. I wasn't a fan of that, but she didn't do much of anything in the original comic anyway.

Other than that, it was a good film that managed to take the story of a one-issue comic and expand it into a full-length movie. The expanded running time allowed for a build-up of a lot of pivotal scenes and made each battle spark with life in a way that a comic book just can't do. One particular punch was very different than the comic version, but I rather like the change; it makes it seem more important. I won't go into details for fear of spoiling a rather awesome moment.

Many people consider the art a bit too cartoon-ish for subject matter this dark, and I'd have to agree. You do get used to it though, and it doesn't really detract from the quality of the film. In final thoughts it's one of the best DC Animated movies to date, and definitely the best one featuring Superman. I know a lot of people that don't like Superman because he's too perfect; making him boring. I urge all those nay-sayers to sit down and watch this movie (or read the comic). It's the perfect depiction of all of Superman's emotional strength and brings forth a lot of moral and philosophical questions to keep people busy. All in all, it's a great way to dig deep into how Superman ticks, and it's also a great way to spend an evening. It's out today on DVD and Blu-ray, go pick it up! Check out the trailer below:

Until next time comics fans, stay golden.