Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam – DVD Review
The Film:
One of the great things about these DC Showcase short films, is how they focus on lesser known (well to the mainstream) DC characters and give them a shot to shine. It harkins back to Showcase comics, a series that began in the 1950s that offered a few stories in each issue, which was a spot for some characters to debut or get a revival, like Atom, The Flash, and Green Lantern. This is no different for Shazam!, a character once forgotten until his late Silver Age revival in DC Comics in the 1970s.
Superman/Shazam!: Return of Black Adam is a great film. Mixed with marvelous animation and a great voice cast (like Arnold Vosloo as Black Adam), it’s everything that is sometimes missed in their full-length films. It’s tightly focused, action-packed, and it makes a character like Captain Marvel cool and interesting. Sure, this is a benefit of a condensed story (24 minutes here), but after each of the DC Showcase animated original shorts, the first thing out of your mouth is: more.
Could Shazam, or any of the other characters benefit and sell an animated film on their own? Well, if the writing on their full-length films are as strong and tight and these, why not? If anything, hopefully DC and WB will continue these short films with even more lesser known, yet cool characters. Deadman anyone? Shazam! indead.
The DVD:
Audio/Video: For a standard def release, The Return of Black Adam looks great. While not as eye-catching as a HD presentation, the colors are certainly bold and bright and the minor issues that have plagued the Blu-ray release transfer don’t seem as apparent in DVD. The audio is perfect. Loud, bass-heavy, and in constant activity, it’s a nice compliment to the film.
This disc also houses the other three DC Showcase films in extended versions.
DC Showcase: Spectre
First appearing on the two-disc DVD and Blu-ray of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, the film plays out like a crime noir. Moody, atmospheric, and old-fashioned, Spectre is certainly a nice introduction to the character that really demands a full-length animated film.
DC Showcase: Green Arrow
Appearing on the two-disc DVD and Blu-ray release of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, Green Arrow is all action, as the hero must protect a little queen from another worthy bow-and-arrow adversary. It certainly doesn’t go in the recent directions writers like Kevin Smith have taken, but it’s again, a decent re-introduction to the character. Would he benefit from a full-length film? Probably not, unless he’s teamed with someone else.
DC Showcase: Jonah Hex
Appearing on the Batman: Under the Red Hood two-disc DVD and Blu-ray, this is the crown jewel of the early DC Showcase line. A stark, gritty, western, far better than the feature film he just recieved, it’s a hard-nose take on a bad-ass character. You’ll be wanting more.
While the Blu-ray release has audio commentaries for these films, the DVD doesn’t. Both do have the below Bruce Timm picked episodes from his various produced series: Batman: The Animated Series – Jonah Hex: Showdown; Batman: The Brave and the Bold – The Spectre: The Chill of the Night; Justice Unlimited – Green Arrow Initiated; and Justice League Unlimited: Shazam: Clash.
All of those episodes are decent and fun, as those series are really good anyway. There’s also a trailer for Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
Conclusion: Great shorts. Must sees.
The Films: Rating: 
The DVD: Rating:
It’s Black ADAM, not ATOM. Read the DVD box!