Reign Of The Supermen Gets The DC Animation Treatment

Last August, DC Animation brought one of the most notable comic book storylines of the 1990s to animated life with The Death of Superman (2018). For me, this particular animated outing was quite a satisfying adaptation of that story. (If you would like, you can read my review here) Of course, that movie was only half of the story and thus, was designed to be a cliffhanger. One which concludes with the follow-up in review today, Reign of The Supermen!

This sequel picks up shortly after the events of the previous film. Superman (Jerry O’ Connell) is dead, and Clark Kent is missing. Of course, Lois Lane (Rebecca Romijn) knows the truth as she grieves the loss of not only a hero but her significant other. Remiss to let the Justice League be the only superheroes around, mysterious heroes show up in The Man of Steel’s stead: Cyborg Superman (Patrick Fabian), The Eradicator (Charles Halford), Steel (Cress Williams), and Superboy (Cameron Monaghan). However, it seems a couple these heroes may not have Metropolis’ best interest in mind, as they are being backed by Lex Luthor (Rainn Wilson). Determined to get to the bottom of who these Supermen are and why they’ve come, Lois embarks on an investigation. All the while, humanity wonders, is the real Superman gone?

Like most DC Animation features, Reign of The Supermen is an exceptionally well-made movie. As expected, this follow-up employs the same animation style that Death of did. That is a nice mix of traditional animation, with a dash of anime influence. Seeing as Reign is the latter-half one story, the same voice cast returns from the previous film. In Death of, I felt some of the voice acting was a little weak. However, this time around, the vocal performances have improved. Well with the of Jason O’Mara as Batman, who I frankly feel is over-the-top.

Unfortunately, Reign of The Supermen suffers from being the second half of one big story. Despite being packed with action, and under 90-minutes, this movie felt like a slog to me at times. While the film is a relatively faithful adaptation, from what I recall, it’s been condensed for the medium of animation. As a result, Reign of feels like a barrage of action, with little story to back up such excitement. In the comics, this storyline took its time, unfolding over the course of six months; whereas this animated adaptation felt like a rush-job. In the end, Reign of The Supermen is a decent conclusion tale; but it leaves a lot to be desired from a narrative standpoint.