By Drew Dietsch
| Printed 1 hour in the past
It’s Superman week and aside from some disingenuous dimwits doing their finest to wreck 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 sequence 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 keen 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 may be one episode that goes to an excellent grimmer place than a fascist Superman. And it reminds us why Clark Kent is an important 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 dying 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 freely giving his secret identification.
It’s a stable premise for a Superman story that enables reflection on why Clark Kent is such an necessary a part of this world. Not solely is he a official investigative journalist attempting to do the precise factor, however his supposed dying additionally reveals simply how a lot he means to his coworker, Lois Lane.
There’s additionally a small however essential second when Clark is again dwelling along with his dad and mom. 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 task he performs. If he needed to play him endlessly, he wouldn’t truly 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.
Unhealthy Cop, No Donut
It seems that Detective Bowman on the Metropolis police drive is the actual killer and has been doing every thing in his energy to cowl his tracks, together with sentencing an harmless man to dying. Simply the concept that an animated sequence aimed primarily at children 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 stunning 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 gained’t go off on the dying penalty for this piece, however I’ll say that even concerning this type of subject material is darkish materials for a children present, particularly for the reason that final moments are Bowman realizing Clark Kent is Superman and the executioner throwing the swap.
“The Late Mr. Kent” is rightly celebrated as one of many best episodes of Superman: The Animated Collection. It offers extra focus than normal to Clark as an alternative of Superman and argues why there is no such thing as a Superman with out Clark Kent. Then, it goes off the deep finish with an ending that needs to be seen to be believed.
