The Quarter Bin

In their latest animated effort, Warner Brothers and DC bring an adaptation of Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuiness’ “Public Enemies” arc from Superman/Batman. Knowing full well that they’ve already had an incredible year on the animated front, the WB brought in the big voice guns in Kevin Conrory, Tim Daly, and Clancy Brown to show they continue to mean business. I wasn’t sure Public Enemies was a strong enough story to hold its own against the year’s earlier direct-to-DVD animated features. After watching the movie, I was sad to find I was right.

Following up two of the best DCU animated films to date is hard enough, but trying to be as good as Wonder Woman and Green Lantern: First Flight by adapting Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuiness’ first arc of the Superman/Batman comic adds an extra burden. Not that I thought the original “Public Enemies” storyline was bad, there’s just not a lot of character development, as each issue was basically built around a huge fight. In the original comic, a kryptonite meteor is approaching Earth during Lex Luthor’s presidential term. Luthor blames Superman for the meteor, and places a one billion dollar bounty on his head. Superman and Batman team up to find a way to destroy the meteor and save the planet, while Luthor spends his time getting high on kryptonite serum, and trying to take Superman and Batman out of the picture permanently. Oh, and the Superman from the alternate future where Kingdom Come occurs travels back in time to try and kill his younger self. As far as plots go, it wasn’t the strongest, particularly when compared to Loeb’s other fantastic DC work like Long Halloween. Of course, this whole first story was merely a setup not just for the next arc, wherein Supergirl is discovered in the meteor remains, and thus returns to the DCU proper, but the conclusion of “Public Enemies” also alluded to the upcoming Infinite Crisis event. The action moments were fun, and when tied together with the second arc, the story itself wasn’t terrible. On its own however, “Public Enemies” wasn’t ripe for translation. Thankfully, Stan Berkowitz is able to make a solid story from the mishmash of plot points created by Loeb.

The film starts out with an explanation of how Luthor was able to become President by running as an independent during a US recession. He brings the country back from the brink of catastrophe, only to find that a giant kryptonite meteor on a collision course with Earth. Berkowitz takes some liberties with the story from that point forward, and they’re actually for the better. Originally, Superman tracks Metallo from Metropolis to Gotham, where the villain is trying to get his original body back. In probably the worst story decision he’s ever made, Loeb alludes to the fact that Metallo may have been the man that shot and killed Batman’s parents that fateful night. Supes, Batman, and Metallo all fight in a Gotham cemetery. Metallo shoots Superman with a fragment of his kryptonite heart, but Batman is able to best Metallo, and the two heroes narrowly escape with their lives. In perhaps the best change from the source material, Berkowitz ditches the Wayne murderer angle, and has Superman encounter Lex in Gotham, with Metallo in tow as one of his bodyguards. The rest pretty much happens exactly the same way, with the exception of the bounty on Superman’s head not coming because he’s from the same planet the meteor exploded from, but because Lex doctors the fight footage to make it look like Superman attacked the President unprovoked. It makes for a more believable plot point, as the idea that all the heroes of the DCU would try to track down Superman simply because he was Kryptonian never sat well with me.

The way Berkowitz molds Loeb’s original script into something that better suits a single sitting makes Public Enemies an interesting flick. All the major fights still occur, and the changes he has to make along the way serve to make the plot more concise, and less about how many cameos can be jammed into each page. Not that there isn’t an abundance of familiar faces in the animated movie. Just about every character that appeared in the comic shows up for at least a few frames, but when using the large frame of the television versus an 8½” x 11” comic page, the story doesn’t seem as cluttered. The movie proceeds at a very brisk pace, though that might be due to its rather short length. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies clocks in at just under 70 minutes, and Berkowitz does his best to convey everything he needs to in the time allotted. As far as the adaption goes, he does a good job squeezing each and every last bit into the feature. As a story on its own, Public Enemies succumbs to the same issues that many summer action films do; it’s all style over substance. Not always a bad thing, especially when you have the cast that this movie has, but when following up two animated films that did a phenomenal job melding action with characterization and solid stories, Public Enemies falls a little flat

Doing the best they can with what they’ve been given, Tim Daly, Clancy Brown, and Kevin Conroy reunite for the first time since 1997’s three part “World’s Finest” story on the Superman animated series, and boy do they have a good old time. Brown’s Luthor, like Conroy’s Batman, has become the voice I hear whenever I’m reading Lex in a comic. His ability to voice a man brilliant, tortured, devious, and completely out of his mind, not only says a lot about Brown’s ability as an actor, but of Andrea Romano’s ability to find the best person for the role, no matter what that role is. Her casting choices for any and all of the DCU animated projects, TV or feature-length, have been spot-on. The moments where Luthor is really losing it, you can see Brown having a bit of fun at the chance to let loose so freely. Having played a character that, for the most part, is completely reigned in and reserved in his madness, it’s refreshing to get a take on the character that pushes the boundaries of what we expect. It’s been quite a while since Tim Daly has lent his vocal talents to the DCU, but his return is spectacular. Daly’s Superman has a subtle sincerity in his tone that reminds you of just how human he is, despite not being from our planet. It’s a touch that not many actors bring to the character, and the way he’s able to play off Brown and Conroy makes his performance all the better. Kevin Conroy does what he does best, and brings a Batman that’s confident, brash, and at the same time concerned for a friend. Since he’s been voicing Batman for so long, and from different points in the character’s life, Conroy’s able to add a depth to Bruce with ease. Others have tried, but nobody does Batman like Conroy does. Both Daly and Conroy play off one another as perfectly as Superman and Batman do in Loeb’s original script. There are lines that so perfectly encapsulate what the characters mean to one another, and both actors deliver them almost as if they weren’t acting. Honestly, this is the best performed DC animated feature to date, and it’ll be interesting to see if any future releases can come even close.

Sam Liu’s DC directorial debut doesn’t “wow” you the same way that Lauren Montgomery’s Wonder Woman debut did, but it’s a solid effort nonetheless. Utilizing a streamlined version of Ed McGuiness’ original designs, characters look more natural. I love McGuiness’ style, but while it shines on the page, I’m not so sure it would work on the screen. Thankfully, Liu makes sure to find a look that fits in with what Warner Brothers animation has done in the past while staying true to the source material. Liu’s already hard at work on the next DCU film, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, which is a sign that Warner has faith in his abilities. Liu definitely delivers in the big action moments. His ability to know where to focus the viewer’s eye shows through, and it’s clear he’s learned a lot since his time working on Hulk Vs. Perhaps with the guidance of Bruce Timm, and the assistance of Montgomery, Warner Animation may have yet another burgeoning talent they can entrust with big projects. I don’t think he’s quite there yet. There are times when the lightheartedness of Public Enemies conflicts with the more adult themes, and the picture as a whole struggles to find itself. At times, it’s an action flick for all ages, and at other times it tries to appeal to a slightly older demographic, but doesn’t fully commit. Perhaps that’s indicative of the source material as well, but Liu could have done a better job focusing the picture.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is a decent movie. I actually think I’ll like it even more upon repeat viewings. Having to follow in the footsteps of two of DC’s finest animated features to date wasn’t easy, and it never quite lives up to the precedent set by Wonder Woman or Green Lantern: First Flight. It’s an enjoyable movie, despite the flaws, and is worth watching for the voice cast alone. It’s been an extremely busy year for Warner Bros. and DC, and even though Public Enemies isn’t as good as the films that preceded it, it’s still pretty entertaining. As a whole, this year has to be chalked up as a big success for DCU animated features, and they have their work cut out for them if they hope to repeat this success in 2010.