DC's direct-to-DVD animated films have been getting a fair amount of love on this site, and for good reason. Far from being a cynical grab for comic geeks' cash, by and large they've been well-made films based on classic DC storylines.
However, Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam is a serious mis-step: not only does it compress Captain Marvel's origins story into a 20-minute short but it also does a disservice to Black Adam, who was voted #16 on IGN's Greatest Comic Book Villains of All Time.
Warner Home Video Presents Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam Blu-Ray
A sinister figure who calls himself Black Adam (Arnold Vosloo) arrives on Earth and starts wreaking havoc, hunting for young Billy Batson (Zach Callison). Naturally, Superman (George Newbern) shows up to do battle with this stranger but soon finds himself outmatched: Black Adam wields magic, something Superman has no defense against.
Meanwhile, young Billy has discovered a kindly wizard (James Garner) who informs him that he is the Chosen One who must right wrongs, combat evil and generally be a nice guy. Granting him unbelievable powers courtesy of the word "Shazam!", the wizard sends him out to help Superman battle Black Adam . . . but Captain Marvel has no idea how to use his new powers.
If you're seeing parallels between this tale and DreamWorks Animation's 2008 hit Kung Fu Panda, you're not alone. The difference is that the Wizard doesn't get a chance to face up to his mistake in creating Black Adam in the first place. While the animation is up to Warner Premiere's usual standard, the story feels rushed: this would have made a great 90-minute feature. Of course, that would have meant calling in a better voice actor for Superman, such as Tim Daly.
So why did WP keep The Return of Black Adam so short? It may have something to do with the addition of 3 previously released DC Showcase shorts on this disc.
There's the Jonah Hex short that appeared in the fine Batman: Under the Red Hood Blu-Ray, the Spectre short that was a part of the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Blu-Ray, while the Green Arrow short – featuring Oliver Queen taking down a gang of kidnappers – was an extra in the Superman/Batman Apocalypse Blu-Ray. Sure, WP has added new scenes to all of these additional shorts, but there's good reason to call 'double-dip' on this set.
Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam Blu-Ray Extras
The writers for each animated short offer audio commentaries that are long on information but short on interest. Their insights are cool, but it is a bit of a slog to get through.
Producer Bruce Timm also picked 4 episodes from various recent-issue DC superhero cartoons: there's a substandard episode from Batman: The Animated Series featuring Jonah Hex, an episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold where Phantom Stranger and The Spectre make a wager on Batman's soul and a pair of Justice League Unlimited episodes featuring Green Arrow (funny how Black Canary also makes a cameo in here) and Captain Marvel.
Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam Not Worth the Double-Dip
If you already own the original DVD's or Blu-Rays that these shorts appeared as extras on, then double-dipping for this new set is a waste of time, especially considering The Return of Black Adam isn't worth the cost of the disc.
However, if you don't have those DVD's, Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam is an all-right introduction to DC Comics' lesser known heroes. It gets a 2.5/5.
Dominic von Riedemann - Dominic is the Animated Film Feature Writer, and winner of 11 Suite 101 Editors' Choice Awards.
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