When it comes to animated DC television properties, there is a lot of love for classic properties such as Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series. Newer series such as Teen Titans and Justice League are still excitedly discussed to this day. Then there is Legion of Super Heroes, which ran for two seasons from 2006-2008. This is a show that has largely gone under appreciated for the last decade plus as it was prematurely canceled during a network transition and has been mistreated on home entertainment. The show drew upon the nearly fifty years of stories from the original comics to craft a show that stood apart from the other animated properties in the DC universe. While not incredibly well known, Warner Archive has rescued this gem of a series for a new generation to appreciate.
The series begins with the members of the Legion of Super Heroes traveling back in time to present day Smallville where a teenage Clark Kent is gearing up to move to Metropolis. Clark is aware of his powers, but he has no idea of the greatness that is in store for him when he takes up the mantle of Superman. The Legion are from the 31st Century and in desperate need of help from the greatest superhero of all time: Superman. While they slightly missed the mark on the time travel, and a fresh-faced Clark Kent is not exactly who they envisioned, Brainiac 5, Bouncing Boy and Saturn Girl convince Clark to come back to the 31st Century to help them combat the villainous Fatal Five. When he arrives, he meets some of the other core members of the team including Phantom Girl, Triplicate Girl, and Lightning Lad, whose ego causes him to have a bit of an antagonistic relationship with Clark. The first season is overall pretty light in tone as Clark is figuring out how to be a hero while helping out his new friends. One of the series strengths is how it balances developing the backstory of the core characters while simultaneously picking up new characters that you will love just as much.
The second season takes the unexpected road of jumping forward in time by a few years. This meaningfully impacts both the story and the characters, as they have grown up and changed a bit during the intervening years. This season has a much darker tone that suits the series incredibly well. We begin with the introduction of Kell-El, a hero from the 41st Century created from the DNA of Superman and Kryptonite. Kell-El is in need of the Legion’s help to defeat a seemingly unstoppable foe named Imperiex. This season offers a lot of additional backstory for fan favorites such as Brainiac 5 and Saturn Girl, while continuing to add to the deep bench of heroes in the Legion. One of the most fun portions from each season is when the Legion holds tryouts for new members. Fans of the comics will be shocked at some of the deep pulls they are able to execute on this show. Throughout the season, Imperiex is proven to be a ruthless foe, but by the time you get to the end of series you will be shocked at some of the turns in the story.
Legion of Super Heroes should have been a show that survived longer than it did. While these characters outside of Superman may have not been A-list to the general public, they were lovingly crafted into fascinating individuals. The show proved its noteworthiness in the way it was constantly evolving. Nothing ever felt stale during the course of these 26 episodes, and you can only wonder how much better the show would have been creatively if it had been allowed to continue. Praise should also be given to the series in the way they established real stakes to the proceedings. As much as it hurt, sometimes we would lose heroes or they would be maimed in some way that was not magically retconned. Legion of Super Heroes is truly a thrilling watch from beginning to end. You have a lot of laughs mixed in with some dazzling action sequences and genuinely heartfelt moments. If you love animated properties based on comic books, do yourself a favor and check this one out ASAP. You will not be disappointed.
Video Quality
Legion of Super Heroes honestly looks quite stunning on Blu-Ray with its 1080p transfer. Warner Archive allows plenty of room for these 26 episodes as they are spread over three discs. This means no nasty compression artifacts or digital nuisances of that nature. Colors are incredibly vibrant and bold throughout the entire room. When comparing this to some of the standard definition clips in the special features, this new presentation blows it out of the water. The animation style lends itself to giving some extra texture to character outlines, but this is a stylistic choice rather than an issue with the disc. There is no visible damage or dirt that was spotted while checking out these episodes. Everything looks sparkling new and crystal clear. Black levels run very deep with no crush detected. This presentation really dazzles.
Note: During my viewing of “Dark Victory: Part 1” there was minor irregular framing that popped up for a few seconds. After contacting Warner Archive, it was determined this was a production issue likely due to WB Animation shifting from 4×3 to 16×9 during this period of production. This is not a problem with the disc itself, and it is only a very minor distraction.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that is really lively and exciting. From the classic, big band sound of the first season theme to the slightly techno, more danceable theme of the second season, the intro always fills your speakers with thrilling notes that get you into the perfect headspace for the show. Dialogue is rendered crystal clear at all times without ever being clipped by sound effects or score. Sound effects carry a real weight within the mix with some decent activity in the low end. For a Saturday morning cartoon show, it is pretty dynamic sonically. The disc provides optional English (SDH) subtitles for all 26 episodes.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: The two-part series finale “Dark Victory” is given a commentary track featuring the Warner Archive podcast team of D.W. Ferranti and Matt Patterson interviewing producer James Tucker, director Brandon Vietti, and voice actor Kari Wahlgren (Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet). This track is filled with interesting tidbits and recollections from making the show. You get some insight into some of the limitations that were put up by the executives during the development along with how they developed certain plot lines during the second season. The hosts ask insightful questions and the creative team seem really excited to be discussing the show. This was a lot of fun.
- We Are Legion: A nine-minute promotional featurette from the first season of the series. The cast and crew discuss some of the history of the comics along with favorite characters from the series. Not incredibly in-depth, but it is fun to see these people on screen discussing the show with such passion. This special feature is listed as being on Disc 1, but it actually appears on Disc 3 with the above audio commentary.
Final Thoughts
Legion of Super Heroes is one of the most interesting comic book shows you may have never heard about before. The show utilized fifty years worth of characters to craft an exciting show that appeals to children as well as adults. The way in which the show continued to get better throughout its run makes it hurt even more that the world did not get to see a third season. Thankfully, Warner Archive has rescued this show and given it a truly marvelous Blu-Ray release replete with a wonderful A/V presentation and some fun special features. This is a must for any self-respecting DC fan. Highly Recommended
Legion of Super Heroes: The Complete Series can be purchased directly through Warner Archive or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
