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Norwalk Reflector, Ohio, Cary Ashby column: ?Public Enemies' is a good timeOct 15, 2009 (Norwalk Reflector - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- If you're looking for an adventure with wallto-wall action, cameos galore, smart casting and a villain who is easy to hate, look no further than the "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies" DVD. Superman's biggest enemy, Lex Luthor, who is easily the slimiest villain out there, has managed to be elected President of the United States. Under Luthor, the economy somehow has stabilized and crime has taken a nose dive. Of course, you know there's a catch. Luthor has made superheroes one of his first agendas. By taking a stand on vigilantes, he has enlisted most of the costumed do-gooders to work for the government in order to create accountability. But knowing power-hungry Luthor, it's easy to see through the deception for what it truly is: A way for the elected leader to have more control. Naturally, Superman wants nothing to do with being Luthor's puppet. C-list heroes Captain Atom and Major Force try to persuade Superman to join Luthor's team, but the Man of Steel wants nothing to do with it. The fun truly begins after Luthor puts a bounty on his enemy when Superman refuses to work for the president to help stop a gigantic meteor hurtling toward Earth. This leads to cameos by many heroes and villains. While it's great seeing Captain Marvel, Hawkman and Solomon Grundy in action, I wanted to see even more DC Comics characters. My bet is the 2004 graphic novel by writer Jeph Loeb (whom fans can always can count on for engaging page-turners) and artist Ed McGuiness has more of these appearances, but I haven't read it yet. From the rave reviews I've read from fans, it sounds like the print version of "Public Enemies" is something the Norwalk Public Library should add to its growing trade paperback collection. Fans expecting to see the slightly angular artwork similar to previous DC animated projects will be slightly surprised. This artwork is more similar to McGuiness'. While comics have always featured idealized versions of muscular figures, sometimes even that is too much, as seen with Captain Atom's exaggeratedly massive shoulders and arms. Thankfully most of the other characters have the proper proportions and don't look quite as ridiculous. Those familiar with the animated "Timmverse" (named for long-time producer Bruce Timm) version of DC shouldn't be worried because the voices of the main characters are all familiar. Tim Daly (best known for the comedy "Wings") once again gives Superman his characteristically strong-sounding baritone, as he did in "Superman: The Animated Series" and "The Batman Superman Movie: World's Finest." And Kevin Conroy is back as the growling voice of the Dark Knight -- as if Batman animation fans could accept anyone else as easily. Once again, casting director Andrea Romano outdoes herself. Her most notable choices are LeVar Burton and Michael Dorn (both of "Star Trek: The Next Generation"), who respectively voice Black Lightning and Aquaman's enemy, Black Manta. Director Sam Liu and writer Stan Berkowitz know how to give fans what they want. There are some nice blink-and-you-miss-them homages throughout "Public Enemies." Presumably these same moments are in Loeb's original work. My favorite dialogue is when Batman attempts to retrieve a sliver of deadly Kryptonite from Superman's chest, saying he might not get to it before the wound closes. It's a moment that succinctly epitomizes how different both characters are. Superman, while in obvious pain, jokes: "Where's The Flash when you need him?," a reference to the speedy superhero. "Do me a favor and lose the sense of humor," Batman says. To which his friend says: "Do us both a favor and buy one." Grade: AStaff writer Cary Ashby ponders the comic book industry and action-adventure film genre in this twice-monthly column and his related blog at http://www.csa4batman.blog.com. Follow his tweets at http://twitter.com/csa4Batman. E-mail your feedback to [email protected]. To see more of the Norwalk Reflector or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.norwalkreflector.com/. Copyright (c) 2009, Norwalk Reflector, Ohio Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |