Review: Superman/Shazam! Return of Black Adam Blu-ray

Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Home Video have a new release in stores today. This goes beyond the normal DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 movies. This is part of the DC Showcase which highlights the animated shorts focusing on the less mainstream characters that comic book fans love. The highlight here is the never-before-seen Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam (which has a running time of 24:32).

Black Adam makes a dramatic entrance and looks pissed off. Billy looks a little older than I would've liked but there's a great portrayal of his lack of strength and the fact that he's just a kid. Billy is meeting with Clark about a story when Black Adam seeks him out, detecting the power within him. Soon there is an epic battle with lots of destruction. George Newbern from Justice League reprises the role of Superman, Jerry O'Connell is Captain Marvel, Arnold Vosloo is Black Adam and James Garner is the Wizard.

The animation is smooth and crisp. The colors are vivid without being too colorful. There is something about seeing this on Blu-ray. The story is a great introduction to Captain Marvel and Shazam. There's some sweet effects during fight. One complaint is during the fight in the city, there wasn't many people in the city. It felt like the whole place was immediately evacuated as soon as Black Adam arrived. The funny thing is, when I noticed this, a few cars showed up providing innocents as a distraction in the fight. I have to wonder how many people will pick up this release since it the other 'shorts' have already been released. 
 
As far as the other shorts, they are "extended" versions. For example, The Spectre had a running time of 11:51 on the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths release and runs 12:52 here. Green Arrow has a running time of 12:13 and Jonah Hex is 13:03. Even though I watched the Green Arrow short not that long ago, I can barely remember what was different. It seemed like there was more fight scenes.

Special Features include Commentary on all four shorts. Bruce Timm's Picks (four episodes; one from Batman: The Animated Series, one from Batman: The Brave and the Bold and two from Justice League Unlimited). There is also one trailer for Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

I did dig the Superman/Shazam! feature but I've already seen and own the other three shorts. While they are slightly extended, it's hard to argue if that little difference is enough to warrant a new purchase. If you have skipped or missed any of the last releases, that could make a more convincing argument for you to purchase this. I definitely wouldn't suggest paying full retail price (buy it on sale or online). It would be great if this was a success and we did see more releases with more obscure characters. I understand the reasoning behind this packaging but I would have preferred more new content. The Blu-ray is a nice presentation and all the shorts are top notch so I'd give this a 3.5 out of 5. Here's a couple clips to help you make your own decision.