Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam Review

This was a real treat for me to watch, as I’m both a Superman and Captain Marvel fan.. It really seems ridiculous that he cannot even use his own name in 2010, and is reduced to Shazam even now. Still, he has Shazam when I was a lad, and I do revel in saying the word still . . . when applicable. While I’m not a fan of watching Superman being smacked about for any length of time, the animation, story, and voices were good so that I enjoyed the short in spite of Superman being a punching bag, yet again.

Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam

The story is a hodge-podge of Captain Marvel’s origin and his first meeting with Superman (from Superman & Shazam: First Thunder). It was also good to see Clark Kent (George Newbern voices both roles) actually being a reporter, and just seeing him at all; too many times Clark is regulated to being a non-player when he is just as important as Superman, since he is Superman. The wizard Shazam ad Black Adam are also present, but Marvel’s origin is cheapened by putting him on a regular subway rather than the fanciful locomotive that he usually takes to meet Shazam. The decision to use Black Adam as the catalyst to create Captain marvel and have Superman in the picture is a smart decision for a short feature such as this, as it justifies Superman being in the picture as all, since Billy, as an amateur, would need some assistance against a veteran like Adam. Black Adam comes across solidly: he’s powerful, wicked, and voiced much as I’ve imagined his voice to sound by Arnold Visloo (the Mummy). The same should be said for Billy and Captain Marvel (Zach Callison and Jerry O’Connell), as they really do a good job making the characters real. James Garner sounds a little in the grave as Shazam, and could have put a little more effort into making Shazam speak with a wee more grandeur that a wizard should. Still, with the characters in place, the story flows very well from start to finish in no small part due to the animation.
For those of you familiar with Samurai Champloo or the Boondocks, then the animation of this short will seem very familiar. The exaggerated expressions, the plastic face of Black Adam when Marvel lands a solid right cross, the sequence with Marvel running full speed for the first time, you’ve seen them before if you’ve seen the aforementioned. If not, then you’ll probably find the work solid, with some off-putting sequences. Superman may seem too lean as opposed to Marvel and Adam, and Shazam a big mass of hair, but these instances aside, the images are tight, yet fluid enough to render the action, which is delivered high speed all the way through.
If there is any problem I have with the feature, it’s Superman’s useless vulnerability to magic, coupled with his seemingly superhuman stupidity. When Adam strike him with lightening, Superman recognises it as magic. So, since Superman has faced magic before, does he not have any contingency for dealing with magic power villains and situations? Superman’s susceptibility to magic also needs some clarification. Superman is no more vulnerable to magic than anyone else; magic effects him like it would another person. However, where I would be dead after a lightening bolt, Superman, should only be annoyed. The magic should be of a nature than can effect him. For instance, if I conjure bullets, they’re still lead bullets and Superman’s not susceptible to them, but if the bullets are made from Excalibur, that’s a different story. The best scene was watching Superman withstand Adam’s attack, until he was just overpowered by it. That scene could have been better if Adam realises Superman is vulnerable to magic, but only if Adam turns it up.
All in all, it was a good showing, and Superman fans shouldn’t feel too badly, if they remember that he’s a guest star in this feature. It could have been a longer showing, but why give us a full length feature involving anyone with Superman aside of Batman. I mean, who would by that?
This was a real treat for me to watch, as I’m both a Superman and Captain Marvel fan.. It really seems ridiculous that he cannot even use his own name in 2010, and is reduced to Shazam even now. Still, he has Shazam when I was a lad, and I do revel in saying the word still . . . when applicable. While I’m not a fan of watching Superman being smacked about for any length of time, the animation, story, and voices were good so that I enjoyed the short in spite of Superman being a punching bag, yet again.
The story is a hodge-podge of Captain Marvel’s origin and his first meeting with Superman (from Superman & Shazam: First Thunder). It was also good to see Clark Kent (George Newbern voices both roles) actually being a reporter, and just seeing him at all; too many times Clark is regulated to being a non-player when he is just as important as Superman, since he is Superman. The wizard Shazam ad Black Adam are also present, but Marvel’s origin is cheapened by putting him on a regular subway rather than the fanciful locomotive that he usually takes to meet Shazam. The decision to use Black Adam as the catalyst to create Captain marvel and have Superman in the picture is a smart decision for a short feature such as this, as it justifies Superman being in the picture as all, since Billy, as an amateur, would need some assistance against a veteran like Adam. Black Adam comes across solidly: he’s powerful, wicked, and voiced much as I’ve imagined his voice to sound by Arnold Visloo (the Mummy). The same should be said for Billy and Captain Marvel (Zach Callison and Jerry O’Connell), as they really do a good job making the characters real. James Garner sounds a little in the grave as Shazam, and could have put a little more effort into making Shazam speak with a wee more grandeur that a wizard should. Still, with the characters in place, the story flows very well from start to finish in no small part due to the animation.
For those of you familiar with Samurai Champloo or the Boondocks, then the animation of this short will seem very familiar. The exaggerated expressions, the plastic face of Black Adam when Marvel lands a solid right cross, the sequence with Marvel running full speed for the first time, you’ve seen them before if you’ve seen the aforementioned. If not, then you’ll probably find the work solid, with some off-putting sequences. Superman may seem too lean as opposed to Marvel and Adam, and Shazam a big mass of hair, but these instances aside, the images are tight, yet fluid enough to render the action, which is delivered high speed all the way through.
If there is any problem I have with the feature, it’s Superman’s useless vulnerability to magic, coupled with his seemingly superhuman stupidity. When Adam strike him with lightening, Superman recognises it as magic. So, since Superman has faced magic before, does he not have any contingency for dealing with magic power villains and situations? Superman’s susceptibility to magic also needs some clarification. Superman is no more vulnerable to magic than anyone else; magic effects him like it would another person. However, where I would be dead after a lightening bolt, Superman, should only be annoyed. The magic should be of a nature than can effect him. For instance, if I conjure bullets, they’re still lead bullets and Superman’s not susceptible to them, but if the bullets are made from Excalibur, that’s a different story. The best scene was watching Superman withstand Adam’s attack, until he was just overpowered by it. That scene could have been better if Adam realises Superman is vulnerable to magic, but only if Adam turns it up.
All in all, it was a good showing, and Superman fans shouldn’t feel too badly, if they remember that he’s a guest star in this feature. It could have been a longer showing, but why give us a full length feature involving anyone with Superman aside of Batman. I mean, who would buy that?

Tags: Black Adam Comic Book Movies DC Animated Movie Shazam! Superman