By Drew Dietsch
| Printed
It’s Superman week and apart from some disingenuous dimwits doing their greatest to smash the enjoyable, I’ve been having fun with revisiting a few of my favourite Superman media.
Certainly one of Huge Blue’s cornerstones in my upbringing was Superman: The Animated Collection, the follow-up to the game-changing Batman: The Animated Collection. Whereas that collection had a status for darker, extra tragic tales, Superman: The Animated Collection typically exemplified the brightest and better of the unique superhero and his world.
However the present was prepared to dip its toes into darker materials. Although most will in all probability title the alternate future episode “Courageous New Metropolis” because the present’s darkest outing, there’s one episode that goes to a good grimmer place than a fascist Superman. And it reminds us why Clark Kent is crucial a part of Superman.
“The Late Mr. Kent”
In “The Late Mr. Kent”, the episode opens with the funeral of Clark Kent. It seems that Clark was investigating a loss of life row inmate’s alibi and found proof that exonerated him. On his option to ship the proof, a automotive bomb explodes and Superman believes he’s put in a state of affairs the place he can’t reappear as Clark Kent with out gifting away his secret id.
It’s a stable premise for a Superman story that permits reflection on why Clark Kent is such an necessary a part of this world. Not solely is he a legit investigative journalist making an attempt to do the best factor, however his supposed loss of life additionally reveals simply how a lot he means to his coworker, Lois Lane.
There may be additionally a small however essential second when Clark is again dwelling together with his mother and father. They begin discussing how they will transfer ahead. Pa Kent says that Clark simply can’t be Clark anymore. “However I AM Clark! I have to be Clark. I’d go loopy if I used to be Superman on a regular basis!”
It’s right here the place the episode actually hits dwelling the significance and necessity of Clark Kent. He’s not some act being placed on solely for the advantage of others. He’s not a dressing up for Superman to put on. Clark Kent IS Clark Kent and must be him as a result of Superman is a job he performs. If he needed to play him endlessly, he wouldn’t really be true to himself.
Whereas that’s all good thematic meat to chew on, the darkness of the episode will get a lot inkier when the villain is revealed.
Dangerous Cop, No Donut
It seems that Detective Bowman on the Metropolis police drive is the actual killer and has been doing all the things in his energy to cowl his tracks, together with sentencing an harmless man to loss of life. Simply the concept that an animated collection aimed primarily at youngsters would create such a plot is darkish sufficient by itself. Nevertheless it will get nastier!
Not solely do we now have a corrupt, murderous cop because the baddie, however his final destiny is without doubt one of the most surprising in any superhero cartoon. After Superman stops the execution and saves the harmless man, the ending has Bowman on his option to his personal execution.
I received’t go off on the loss of life penalty for this piece, however I’ll say that even bearing on this type of subject material is darkish materials for a youngsters present, particularly because the final moments are Bowman realizing Clark Kent is Superman and the executioner throwing the change.
“The Late Mr. Kent” is rightly celebrated as one of many biggest episodes of Superman: The Animated Collection. It offers extra focus than ordinary to Clark as a substitute of Superman and argues why there isn’t any Superman with out Clark Kent. Then, it goes off the deep finish with an ending that must be seen to be believed.
