"Superman vs. The Elite (Animated Feature)" News & Discussion (Spoilers)

[Yojimbo]

With the upcoming DC Universe Animated Original Movie title officially announced by Warner Home Video, welcome to the official pre-release discussion thread for the upcoming direct-to-video Superman vs. The Elite (currently-titled) animated feature! Look no further to discuss any upcoming home video and feature news concerning this upcoming release!

Superman vs. The Elite
Coming Summer 2012 to Blu-ray and DVD!

For the latest news, check out The World's Finest and the newest posts in this thread!

For other related news, check out the "DC Universe" Animated Feature News & Discussion Thread.

Note: The "Superman vs. The Elite" animated feature was officially confirmed by Warner Home Video on July 22nd, 2011 during Comic Con 2011 (details here). As a reminder, please use spoiler tags if posting graphic and detailed spoilers. Spoiler tags will not be required when the official talkback threads are created for the "Superman vs. The Elite" animated feature.

[Edgar]

Awe, man! ...if this is based on the story I think it is (written by Joe Kelly: circa 2001), that's some pretty dark territory for a Superman story ...much of what I imagine inspired the Justice Lords' version of Superman

Spoiler:

heat-vision labotomy, anyone?

...if so, I'd love to see where they're going with the art direction and character designs ...the character Manchester Black was kind of (to me) The Sex Pistols' Sid Vicious with super-powers (I wonder how much they'll have to tone him down ...prolly lose his chain-smoking ...?)

well ...I guess I'm getting a bit ahead of myself since there seems to be little information on this DTV (yet alone, anything confirming it is the story I'm thinking)

[Bobbywoodhogan]

This is great news but who are the Elite? I really have no idea

[theRedDeath]

Y'know, i liked this story in the comics and all. It was a great comic. But it was only ONE issue, with a very obvious point and moral. I really don't see how this would merit an entire film being based on it, rather than just being folded in to a larger story.

Hopefully Timm and co. will be drawing from other sources of inspiration rather than just the one issue.

---

[Bobbywoodhogan]

Y'know, i liked this story in the comics and all. It was a great comic. But it was only ONE issue, with a very obvious point and moral. I really don't see how this would merit an entire film being based on it, rather than just being folded in to a larger story.

Hopefully Timm and co. will be drawing from other sources of inspiration rather than just the one issue.

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Do you know which issue it was?

[Hero Supreme]

Do you know which issue it was?

Isn't it Action Comics #775?

[theRedDeath]

Action Comics 775 is the famous issue in question.
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What's_So_Funny_About_Truth,_Justice_%26_the_American_Way%3F )

though the "Elite" and Manchester Black had other appearances too, so the movie may or may not draw from beyond that one issue.

[Jacob T. Paschal]

If this is based primarily on just one issue then I foresee elements being borrowed from other stories or added in general to help the story along.

[Bobbywoodhogan]

Thanks guys much appreciated, Gonna buy it and check it out I didnt know it was this one on a podcast I listened to a guy said its a good read.

[Gold Guy]

I never read the comic, but most of DC's DTV films have been really good, so I think the more, the better.

[BigFatHairyDeal]

'Chester had two pretty significant stories, AC775, and also a series called "Ending Battle" (I think that was the old triangle number days, so we're talking about spanning multiple Superman titles, including two discontinued ones: Adventures of Superman and Man of Steel). I believe both could be combined into one solid movie.

Manchester Black's biggest contribution to Superman stories was as a guy who could really change Superman's values. If that would be the theme of this movie, I think I'd be happy.

[TemporalFlux]

Wow. Kind of an odd choice foe an animated feature. I would expect something like Mark Millar's "Red Son" or maybe even an adaptation of "Time and Time Again"; but the Elite was just kind of a throw away idea in my opinion. Maybe it's just me, but I think it's a waste of the spotlight offered by these animated features.

[Bat-Fan Beyond]

Yeah, I'm kind of scratching my head too with this choice of a story to adapt for Superman. The only thing I can think of is that I belive Bruce Timm said at one point that he would like to do an animated adaption of The Authority, so maybe this is as close as it'll ever get

[theRedDeath]

It's one of the single greatest Superman stories of all time, how is it an odd choice?

Besides the fact that it's just one issue, but the "Elite" and Manchester Black were both in other stories and I'm sure the film will be fleshed out. But besides the length issue, why should it be surprising?

I'd much rather see this than "Red Son" which isn't even a real Superman story anyway.

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[BigFatHairyDeal]

I was about to say that "Red Son" is an Elseworld just like "The Dark Knight Returns," but "Red Son" does change Superman's entire history whereas "The Dark Knight Returns" only changes part of Batman's career, so that probably makes a difference.

Anyway, if they work in parts of "Ending Battle" to add enough quality filler to get close to the 70-75 minute mark. I think this has the potential to be a very good movie, because "Ending Battle" was a pretty solid storyline in itself.

[Bat-Fan Beyond]

It's one of the single greatest Superman stories of all time, how is it an odd choice?

Besides the fact that it's just one issue, but the "Elite" and Manchester Black were both in other stories and I'm sure the film will be fleshed out. But besides the length issue, why should it be surprising?

I'd much rather see this than "Red Son" which isn't even a real Superman story anyway.

---

I'm familiar with its popularity -- I've never read it, but remember when it was originally released. It never appealed to me enough to pick up and read, but I've heard good things about it. But despite it being a favorite to many, it's only a single issue and I would never think that with the whole history of Superman to draw from that this would ever be one that's picked.

I recall making a thread (or maybe just a post) not long ago, posing the question of which Superman stories should be adapted, but I don't remember seeing anyone mentioning this one on there.

I agree, though, that it's probably a better choice than Red Son, since Red Son is an Elseworld and isn't really Superman, but an alternate version of him.

[Aaron]

Consider this fan extremely underwhelmed.
Of all the countless stories they could have picked. Of all the amazing tales to tell. Of all the original stories they could have concocted for another Superman movie...
we get this.

Yeah. I get it. It's well-received. A lot of critics and a lot of fans ate it up.
But it was also placed at #4 in the "Top 10 Overrated Comic Books" by Comics Bulletin.

Good job DC/WB. Looks like this will be the 2nd time in the history of Superman I'll be let down by an adaptation (1st being Superman: Brainiac Attacks).

[quigonkenny]

Consider this fan extremely underwhelmed.
Of all the countless stories they could have picked. Of all the amazing tales to tell. Of all the original stories they could have concocted for another Superman movie...
we get this.

Yeah. I get it. It's well-received. A lot of critics and a lot of fans ate it up.
But it was also placed at #4 in the "Top 10 Overrated Comic Books" by Comics Bulletin.

Good job DC/WB. Looks like this will be the 2nd time in the history of Superman I'll be let down by an adaptation (1st being Superman: Brainiac Attacks).

There are always a few gems on any "most overrated" list, mostly because there's always some critic trying to make a name for himself by "daring" to say he doesn't like something that's (usually deservedly) popular. No one talks about it if you like what everyone else does.

This is probably one of those cases. I wouldn't personally call it "one of the single greatest Superman stories of all time", and I certainly don't remember it generating that kind of buzz at the time, but it was one of the better Superman stories of the time, and definitely memorable, mostly because of the Elite and Manchester Black, and the "Justice League Elite" storyline and comic that developed from it.

And please don't even compare this story to Braniac Attacks. "SvE" may arguably be overrated, but Braniac Attacks was easily the worst thing to ever come out of the DCAU. And no, I didn't forget about The Zeta Project.

[BigFatHairyDeal]

Yeah, you can't make an "overrated" list unless a lot of people thought you were good at one point. Action Comics #775 was a generally highly regarded story in comics circles, and since no comic has ever had 100% universal approval, it was bound to make someone's most overrated list. Though I don't like quoting Wikipedia, I'll do so for convenience's sake:

That issue was called "the single best issue of a comic book written in the year 2001", was voted the #1 in the Top Ten Comics of the Decade, #21 in the list of "Top 100 Comics of the last 30 years"^[5] and named the "Greatest Superman Story of All Time" by Wizard Magazine.

I understand that a lot of people will have preferred other stories be chosen, but just going on reputation alone it's one of the more appropriate picks. I suppose I could say the same about The Dark Knight Returns, which I'm halfway dreading.

[Dorko]

I presume that the film will go into more detail on/with The Elite. See them rising to popularity, jump in on a few times before Clark can find a broom closet, etc. Build up more gradually to the big final fight.

I'm quite intrigued.