Superman: Unbound is the newest offering from DC Animation. This time around Matt
Bomer (White Collar) voices the Last Son of Krypton with Stana Katic (Castle) as Lois Lane and Molly Quinn (Castle) as Supergirl. I have to say when I first heard that Bomer was taking over voice duties I was disappointed it wasn’t Tim Daly, but I now think that Bomer is a great successor.
Superman: Unbound tells the story of the first meeting of Superman and Brainiac (Fringe’s John Noble) and is based on the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank. When an alien probe crashes to Earth, Superman finds out that it is the precursor to a much larger threat and that Supergirl has seen this before, back on Krypton. Superman learns that the probe was sent by a being known as Brainiac; a being that travels from planet to planet absorbing knowledge and destroying worlds. In an attempt to stop Brainiac before he arrives on Earth, Superman flies into space to intercept him only to find Brainiac already in the process of destroying another world. Superman soon learns that not only does Brainiac destroy the planets he invades he also takes specimens from each world, including the city of Kandor from his homeworld of Krypton. Superman must not only save Earth but he must also save the last remnants of the the Kryptonian race.
Having never had read Superman, this story was new to me and very enjoyable. You don’t need to know much about the Superman lore to enjoy the story. Basically if you know who Superman is you can get into the story. Rated PG-13 for violence and “rude gesture” this Superman adventure should appeal to adults. The character designs are different from what I have seen in previous Superman adventures and I really like the direction they took. Then again I have never been disappointed in Warner’s animation.
I recommend Superman: Unbound not just for the hardcore Superman fan but also for the casual fan. If you are a fan of the Borg in Star Trek this storyline is right up your alley. Don’t let the PG-13 rating scare you if you want to show this to a younger fan, I personally feel that the violence isn’t that bad. I do hope that Matt Bomer is the new permanent voice for Superman. He does a great job. If Summer 2013 is the Summer of Superman this is a great way to start the season!
Superman: Unbound is available on Blu-ray and DVD. Special features include:
- Preview of the Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
- Episodes of Superman The Animated Series
- Audio Commentary
- Kandor: History of the Bottle City
- A Digital Comic Excerpt: Superman: Brainiac
- Brainiac-Technology and Terror
