When I heard the next DC animated movie would be based on the first arc of the Superman/Batman book, I was skeptical.  I did not like Batman: Gotham Knight or Superman/Doomsday, so I was hesitant about this movie, but Superman/Batman: Public Enemies turned out to be a fun watch.

There are minor spoilers throughout the review so read on at your own risk.  

Some of my hesitation was due to the fact that I didn’t enjoy the first two animated movies and was only slightly impressed with the new Frontier.  Based on those, and the choice between toys or DVD’s, I skipped both the Wonder Woman and Green Lantern movies. The more I read about this movie, the more it started to draw me in.  

The voice talent alone was worth the watch. I was about twelve years old when the Timm animated DCU was born, and from that moment on Kevin Conroy has been Batman to me, and in the same way Tim Daly and Clancy Brown have been my Superman and Lex, respectively. We also get to hear the return of CCH Ponder as Amanda Waller from JLU. Those four actors brought something to the characters, and for a loyal fan having them pick up these roles again was like catching up with old friends. There are also new additions to the cast by way of Alison Mac, Levar Burton, and John C. McGinley. While Alison Mac has a decent part as Power Girl, the other two one have limited roles in the Movie. To my disappointment Levar Burton as Black Lightning had the smallest part, and if you don’t know it’s him you would miss him in the movie. He has only one line, but many grunts.  

Though this movie was based on the art of Ed McGuinness, it has the feel of the Timm animated DC universe. From scene to scene I had to remind myself that I was not watching a JLU movie. The art is rich and colorful and the movie flows from one scene to another.  Most of the character designs were great, though Amanda Waller looks a little big for her character.  

I enjoyed the story when it was written a few years ago , and I was looking forward to see how it translated to the animated world.  In some ways I was disappointed, but overall I think the changes made did not hurt the story line at all. Though it was only about sixty-seven min including the credits, I think they could have made it amazing with about thirty additional minutes. The problem comes from leaving and changing details in the story, from leaving out most of the Superman and Batman families to changing the timing of the big fight with Shazam and Hawkman with Batman and Superman. The real compelling part of the story was the relationship between Superman and Batman. The two main heroes are always compared to the dark and the light in the DCU, opposites, but this story showcases how close the two are. In each situation they rely on each other and show how deep their friendship is, and the quips back and forth made me laugh out loud, Batman saying “It’s your funeral”  and Superman responding “Already had one”; to Toyman asking “Does Powergirl have big..”, and Batman’s response, “Just start it up”.

Extras:

This two disc DVD set is full of extras. On both discs there are previews and behind the scenes looks at the most recent DCU animated movies including Batman Gotham Knight, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern as well as the upcoming Crisis movie.  All of the previews give you interviews with the actors and insights to the making of the movies. There are also various trailers for WB movies in the special feature section.  Another interesting feature was the inclusion of two comic book trailer/discussions; one of the upcoming Blackest night, and one on the history of both Superman and Batman. I alway find it interesting to watch creators talk about the characters they write, and hear how they came up with some ideas and how the characters have changed because of their writing. One of the other little treasures is a dinner table talk with Bruce Timm, executive producer, Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman, Andrea Romano, voice/casting, and Gregory Noveck from DC comics talking about making this movie and other projects in the world of DC animated movies.  Of all the extras it was this one that held my attention through the whole thing. It was fun to listen to them all talk about their experiences thoughout the 18 year run of their work in DC animated movies. Rounding out the special features are two episodes of Superman: the Animated series. Both feature the team up of our two main heroes and it is interesting to watch just how much the animation has improved over the past 15 years. There is also a digital copy included for your computer or portable devices.  

Overall this was well worth the watch and even all the extras were worth the time.  If you have a chance pick this one up.  

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Gallery

Levar Burton Interview

John C. McGinley Interview

Clancy Brown Interview

Stan Berkowitz Interview

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Clip and Sweepstakes