When a spaceship splashes down in Gotham Harbor, Batman and Superman encounter a mysterious Kryptonian with powers as great as Superman’s. When Darkseid gets wind of this, he has the Kryptonian abducted and brought under his control on Apokolips. It’s up to Batman and Superman to retrieve the Kryptonian, forcing them to infiltrate Darkseid’s hostile world where superpowerful threats lurk around every corner. This story is based on Jeff Loeb’s popular mini-series from the Superman/Batman comic books.
Editorial review of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, courtesy of Amazon.com
DC Universe’s direct-to-DVD animated feature offers not just another team-up of its most iconic heroes, but an origin story for Supergirl, whose arrival on Earth is chronicled here. Picking up from where Superman/Batman: Public Enemies left off, a shard of the giant Kryptonite meteor that threatened Earth crashes in Gotham City, bringing Superman and Batman to the scene. A young girl is found within the wreck and is revealed to be Kara Zor-El, Superman’s niece, and his equal (or better) in regard to power. Being a teenager, she struggles to accurately wield those abilities, which requires the Man of Steel to call in Wonder Woman for some superhero training.
Unfortunately, Kara’s talents have also caught the eye of evil New God Darkseid, who wants Supergirl to lead his royal guard of Female Furies. With the assistance of former Fury Big Barda, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman must travel to Darkseid’s home planet of Apokolips and fight for Supergirl’s freedom. Though not quite the seamless blend of drama and action that was Batman: Under the Red Hood, Apocalypse is a solid adventure that delivers where it counts–most notably, the final showdown between the children of Krypton and Darkseid–while paying homage to its comic book roots.
Vocal talent, led by Tim Daly and Kevin Conroy as Superman and Batman, respectively, is top-notch, with Andre Braugher lending the right note of imperiousness to Darkseid and Summer Glau capturing Kara’s impulsiveness; Edward Asner is also on hand as Granny Goodness, with Susan Eisenberg returning as Wonder Woman. The animation style, inspired by the late Michael Turner, is visually striking, and the extras are typically first-rate: the DCU Showcase, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos (who pulled similar duties for Jonah Hex) here focuses on Green Arrow (Neal McDonough), who takes on Merlyn (Malcolm McDowell) to stop an assassination plot. There’s also a sneak peek at the next DCU feature, All-Star Superman, as well as featurettes on the complicated worlds of the New Gods, and parts one and two of — Little Girl Lost — from Superman: The Animated Series that were handpicked by Bruce Timm. —Paul Gaita
Movie quotes from Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
Superman: Her name is Kara Zor-El, from Krypton. She’s my cousin.
Batman: You’re cousin just torched $50,000 worth of custom hardware.
Superman: Send me the bill.
Batman: On a reporter’s salary, right.
Superman: [reading Zor-El’s message] — This vessel carries my daughter, Kara Zor-El from the now dead planet Krypton. Treat her as you would your own child. She will prove a treasure for your world. —
Batman: Treasure. You’re sure of the translation?
Superman: It says treasure. Not terror, not trouble. Always the cynic. You can’t help yourself, can you?
Batman: You know those tests I was running? Her cellular structure is a shade more dense than yours. She metabolizes sunlight more efficiently. It could be her youth. It could be something else. Bottom line, she might be more powerful than you. It makes me wonder. So does her sudden appearance.
Superman: Krypto’s just feeling a little overprotective. Aren’t you, boy?
Batman: I don’t know. I’ve always considered him a good judge of character.
Superman: Look, she’s been through a lot. Not to mention learning an entire language in less than a week. Why don’t you cut her some slack?
Batman: We don’t know anything about her. She claims to have no memory of anything prior to splashing down in Gotham Bay.
Superman: I’m not saying there aren’t loose ends.
Batman: Having no control over her powers is more than a loose end. She’s dangerous.
Superman: Which is why she’s in quarantine until she can gain control. She may be the only blood relative I have left. I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, at least for the time being. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?
Batman: No problem at all. But I can’t speak for the dog.
Kara: [to Batman] I sensed your presence earlier because I thought I heard your heartbeat. I was wrong. You have no heart.
Kara: Oh, my gosh. That was so much fun. I’m going to love being an Earth girl.
Clark Kent: You’ve certainly got the shopping part down.
Superman: What’s the point of this? Kara could level the entire island.
Wonder Woman: Having power and knowing how to use it aren’t the same thing. You of all people should know that.
Superman: She’s getting on my nerves.
Wonder Woman: I heard that too.
Batman: [about to fight an army of Doomsday clones] Well? Did you come here to sight-see or fight?
Big Barda: When I said drop in anytime, this isn’t quite what I pictured.
Wonder Woman: Hello, Barda.
Big Barda: Diana. You didn’t leave, like, an invisible plane in the driveway, right?
Big Barda: Seriously, Diana. When someone brings hope to another person, it’s a gift. And growing up in this hellhole — ¦
Granny Goodness: Where you grew up, Barda, is where you will die.
Big Barda: Well, well, the gang’s all here.
Gilotina: You should have never come back, Barda. Although, personally, I look forward to watching you die.
Big Barda: I’d tell you to go to hell, Gilotina, but given in the situation, that’d be redundant.
Granny Goodness: Surrender, Amazon.
Wonder Woman: Barda!
Gilotina: Surrender now, or the bitch dies.
Big Barda: No, Diana, let them kill me. Never surrender.
Granny Goodness: Imagine how pleased Darkseid will be. Why settle for some girl who fell to Earth when I can deliver to him the champion of the Amazons.
Kara: It’s so beautiful here. Not like that other city where Grumpy Ass lives.
Clark Kent: Grumpy Ass isn’t so bad once you get to know him.
Darkseid: [to Kara] You may feel powerless now, but soon you will watch the fear in men’s eyes. As captain of my Furies your fame will spread throughout the universe. You will see the fiercest warriors flee your presence. Armies brought to your knees. Entire nations crumble at the mention of your name. You will know power you would’ve never known on Earth. Never again will you be lost. From now on you will be at my side. Forever mine, forever Darkseid’s.
Superman: I know how busy you all are, but it’s only appropriate that you should be the first to hear. You, who would put your lives on the line for a perfect stranger. We’re all alike, for each of us, in our own way had to struggle to become who we are. But what better role for anyone to aspire to, than hero? So allow me to re-introduce you my cousin, Kara Zor-El. Or as the world will come to know her, Supergirl.
Supergirl: To be honest, I’m not sure I’ve earned the right to wear this uniform. But I will.
Superman: Darkseid. Kara leaves with me.
Darkseid: She’s free to leave, if that is what she desires.
[Kara appears next to Darkseid’s throne, wearing garb of red and black]
Superman: Kara?
Kara: Hello, Kal.
Superman: Kara — ¦
Kara: I’m fine, Kal, really.
Superman: I don’t know what he’s done to you, but the nightmare’s over. You’re safe now.
Darkseid: You’re right, she is safe now.
Superman: Let’s go home.
Kara: That’s the problem, cousin. I’m not sure where home is.
Superman: You’re just confused.
[Superman grabs Kara’s hand and starts pulling her away]
Superman: [to Darkseid] I’ll be back. You and I have some unfinished — ¦
Kara: [Pulls away from Superman] You didn’t listen to what Darkseid said.
Superman: Kara — ¦
Kara: You never listen to anyone!
[Punches Superman across the room]
Kara: He said I was free to go, if I wanted to!
[Kicks Superman]
Kara: And I don’t want to.
Darkseid: Good. Now kill him.
Superman: I won’t fight you.
Kara: Good. Makes my job that much easier.