Superman/Shazam! : Le Retour de Black Adam

First off, I'm a huge fan of all things DC and have loved all the animated series and movies they've done. Some of the newer ones have had a noticeably different look or feel to them, which is kind of nice sometimes.

I'm going to mention the negatives of this movie first, since that might be of particular interest to some fans. The main feature is actually only about a half hour long, with three additional "DC SPotlight" shorts, about 20 minutes each, featuring Green Arrow, Jonah Hex, and The Spectre.

The Spectre short was my least favorite, simply because he is more of a supernatural entity rather than a superhero, and you don't have the same kind of conflict in this one that you do with the others. He's not really fighting anyone, but rather acting as sort of a physical manifestation of "karma" and making sure three criminals get their just rewards.

I was particularly pleased with both the Green Arrow and Jonah Hex shorts. I thought the western setting for an animated movie seemed particularly cool and natural, and I hope someone follows up with some animated work in this setting, since it's quite rare. Both shorts have some particularly visceral action, and the Green Arrow one has one of the best fights I've seen in any animated movie before.

This movie was animated very well and the character models were very good. The overall appearance, especially the backgrounds, had a slightly hazy, washed-out look to them at times, giving it an almost anime-style look. They do some really cool animation during the fights between Superman/Cap. Marvel and Black Adam, such as some slow motion effects during a couple of the really hard hits, that really punctuate the impact. The voice acting and choices of the actors were quite good (especially Arnold Vosloo as Black Adam), but my only complaint is they didn't use Tim Daly for Superman, again. George Newbern isn't bad, actually, but Daly is the original Superman voice and I just prefer him. I've always thought Black Adam was a really cool bad guy, and his personality and voice were pretty much as I've always envisioned them to be, and I thought the ending was particularly interesting and surprising.

If you haven't seen the other shorts before, as I hadn't, then this is a definite must-see. The main feature was pretty short, but it was still very good and I hope they give us more Captain Marvel in the future.

Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam (2010) is the first of four DC Showcase films on a DVD release with the same title. The plot revolves around Superman's initial encounter with a formidable villain whose magic-based power poses a threat due to Superman's vulnerability to magic. To overcome this adversary, Superman joins forces with a new ally, Shazam.

Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos (Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse), the film features the voices of Zach Callison (Steven Universe), James Garner (The Notebook), Jerry O'Connell (Stand By Me), and Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy).

The animation for this film is excellent and highly entertaining. The action scenes are impactful and well-executed, while Shazam's backstory is effectively conveyed. Every Superman vs. Black Adam fight scene is outstanding, leading to a heartwarming and worthwhile conclusion. The only drawback is the desire for this to have been a feature-length film.

In conclusion, Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam is a must-watch for DC comics fans. I'd give it an 8/10 and recommend seeing it at least once.

The young marvel, Shazam teams up with Superman and learns what it's like to be a hero when they battle Shazam's enemy Black Adam. A well done show that highlights the strengths and weaknesses of being Shazam.

Superman/Shazam! L The Return Of Black Adam is the fourth short in a collection of DC Showcase films, short adventures usually packaged with the direct-to-video DC animated films. Released as part of a four film collection which also contains three DC Showcase shorts previously on past releases, this short tells the story of Black Adam's return to Earth after being banished, and soon, he goes on the hunt down Billy Baston, an orphan in Fawcett City whom the wizard who banished him is choosing to inherit his power. However, Superman is there, as he is interviewing Billy on his situation in his guise as Clark Kent, and protects the youth, but struggles due to the new villain using magic, one of his two weaknesses, but soon gets help from Billy, who gains the power of the wizard Shazam and saying his name, can transform into an adult with the powers of the god that goes by the name of Captain Marvel (as this was before he was renamed to avoid legal problems with Marvel Comics, who got the rights to use the name for one of their superheroes).

For a short, it's pretty neat. Basically the same length as an episode of Superman: The Animated Series (under 25 minutes), the film wastes no time getting to the action as. George Newbern voices Clark Kent/Superman, a role he has performed in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited,and Jerro O'Connell voices Captain Marvel (with Zach Callison voicing Billy Baston). This short is notable for being James Garner's final performance before his death, as he voices the wizard Shazam. This is a good short that is exciting, and worth checking out.

Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam (2010) is a DC animated short film that was fun to watch.

Positives for Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam (2010): This short film gets to the point of the narrative without any filler and it works. I like the voice cast with George Newbern as Superman, Jerry O'Connell as Captain Marvel, Zach Callison as Billy Batson and Arnold Vosloo as Black Adam. I like the short interactions between Superman and Billy Watson before the action gets started. The animation looks amazing and it is very dynamic. The battle between Superman, Captain Marvel and Black Adam is very brutal and awesome. And finally, I liked how Kevin Michael Richardson's character helps our two main character with stopping Black Adam.

Negatives for Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam (2010): This short is one of those "blink and you'll miss it" type of experiences that requires your attention from start to finish and you'll easily get lost with the story if you lose interest in the movie.

Overall, Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam (2010) is a fun DC animated short film that you can kick back and enjoy.