The world of the 1940s was ripe for the Max Fleischer Superman animation collected in this 2-DVD set. The Superman character had only been out a few years, but was popular enough to have generated some success in both comic and radio form. Animation was Disney and everybody else, with smaller studios like the Fleischers' (Max and his brothers) coming up in Walt's rear-view mirror. Nothing about the Max Fleischer Superman series was subtle, though. It was a smash sensation that thrilled audiences and the larger studios, spawning endless imitations that are still being churned out almost 50 years later. The impact of the Max Fleischer Superman series was partly its audacity, but technical execution also played a big role in why it worked then, and now.
Fans of comics and animation will feel a sense of deja vu while watching that is actually the byproduct of a legion of imitators and artists on which the Max Fleischer Superman had a profound impact. The easiest comparisons would be some segments of the classic Heavy Metal animated feature and almost any form of Saturday-morning hero cartoon in the last 30 years. The Max Fleischer Superman formula at 30,000 feet is ridiculously simple: Bad guy threatening Manhattan or America or Lois Lane is summarily dispatched by Superman, with some interstitial Clark Kent bumbling, Lois Lane strong-arming, and Uber Bad-Guy teeth-gnashing. Getting closer to the source, you'll notice amazing things being done with camera and pacing that people are still trying to get right. The Fleischers, later known as Famous Studios, completely overturned any presumption of what an animation short would/could/should be and created a new genre of superhero animation as surely as Superman himself did the same for comics.
Aside from 17 episodes, there are some nice features previewing the upcoming Green Lantern feature, the history behind the Max Fleischer Superman series, and a general overview of the Superman character and predecessors in myth and legend. A cynic (especially a cheap one) might argue that these episodes have been in the public domain for some time, so why pony up cash to buy a new collection? The quality here is likely the best yet, since these are mastered from original vault copies. The extra features covering the origin of the series help to place Max Fleischer Superman in its proper historical context, part of a continuum that includes great revival shows like The Animated Series, whether for Superman or fellow heros like Batman and the JLA. A possible gripe from new viewers is the inappropriateness of these shorts for kids, where parents object to depictions of smoking, but there just wasn't much social stigma around the habit at that time. The propaganda use of Superman as battling "Japs" and Nazis may strike modern fans as odd, but there wasn't anything more important to Americans in the '40s than winning the war against Japan and Germany. Take it as part of the historical record of the time, and screen it for your kids first. In any event, this is a great chance for fans to own the definitive edition of a milestone in animation history.
