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WB Animation Announces Upcoming Slate, featuring two-part Death of Superman Film

As part Comic-Con weekend, Warner Bros. Animation, DC, and WB Home Entertainment revealed it's next set of movies. The first one, announced earlier, is Gotham by Gaslight:

First out of the gate will actually be Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, an adaptation of the popular 1989 tale that introduced us to a Victorian Era Dark Knight who was in pursuit of Jack the Ripper. Written by Brian Augustyn and drawn by Mike Mignola of Hellboy fame, BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT is largely considered to be the very first ”Elseworlds" tale. At 48 pages, the original comic is relatively slim, meaning the movie version will offer an expanded version of the story, something that's sure to delight fans of its cobblestone-paved world.

The next is a Suicide Squad feature, Hell to Pay:

"...The first Suicide Squad movie set within the DC Universe Original Movies' shared continuity. (Batman: Assault on Arkham, the 2014 movie that also featured the Suicide Squad was set within the Arkham video game continuity.) Hell to Pay will feature an original story and what's promised to be an amazing, though sadly not-yet-revealed, voice cast."

Lastly, for it's 25th anniversary, WB Animation is redoing the Death of Superman story:

Adapting the legendary story of Superman's fatal battle with Doomsday, this will actually be the second DC Universe Original Movie to adapt the material. The first, 2007's Superman: Doomsday, was the very first DC Universe Original Movie and greatly condensed and altered the original comic book event to fit within its 75-minute running time. The upcoming adaptation will be more faithful to the source material, much less condensed and will include many of the fan-favorite moments from the story that were left out of Doomsday.

As mentioned, it'll be in two-parts. The first - Death of Superman - comes out in 2018. Part two, Reign of the Supermen, will come out in "early 2019".

While we'll have to wait for an official synopsis to learn all of the details, that name should be a familiar one to Superman fans and suggests we'll be seeing the rise of the Superman alternates that took his place during the year after his death.
 
Worth it if they give us Mullet Superman and the Reign of the Supermen arc. Awesome comic book arc and I was disappointed in the lame rendition they did the first go around.
 

MMarston

Was getting caught part of your plan?
uh oh
giphy.gif
 
urrrggghhhh

death of superman is awful, doomsday is awful and it has one of the biggest jokes of a justice league ever in it

the *only* bright spot is that this was the era of the supermullet. if it doesn't have that I'm out
 

Savitar

Member
Didn't they already do an animated death of Superman? They didn't allow blood and when questioned said "Superman doesn't bleed."

This better mean leather jacket superboy

I can almost see them replace him with the son of Superman from the comics due to some misguided attempt to link everything up. But considering Connor is still in YJ maybe common sense still relatively exist.
 

Bronx-Man

Banned
Comics sure are obsessed with a garbage event that's notable for just cheapening death in comics.

Doomsday sucks. Mullet Supes sucks. Death of Superman sucks. 90s comics suck.
 
Didn't they already do a death of Superman movie?
Superman_Doomsday_logo.JPG

Yeah, but they changed a massive amount. This will apparently be more faithful.

Which means it will probably suck

Comics sure are obsessed with a garbage event that's notable for just cheapening death in comics.

Doomsday sucks. Mullet Supes sucks. Death of Superman sucks. 90s comics suck.

Mullet was awesome and DC had some of its best comics in the nineties. PAD Aquaman, Kyle GL, Emerald Twilight, Rock of Ages, DC One Million, World War Three etc.

Yes there was also crap like death of superman, but the good outweighed the bad, at least on the DC side.
 

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
I'm excited for all these. Death of Superman getting the same Part 1 & Part 2 treatment as The Dark Knight Returns is a good idea. And Assault on Arkham was great, so a sequel to that is welcome.

So have they just totally given up on their shared animated universe? These all sound standalone, which I'm more than okay with.
 
I assume it involves other DC characters. If the first part is only the Death of Superman, it'll be hard to limit to a Superman only universe like the last adaptation. You're gonna need Doomsday to smack around Booster Gold.
 
I'm excited for all these. Death of Superman getting the same Part 1 & Part 2 treatment as The Dark Knight Returns is a good idea. And Assault on Arkham was great, so a sequel to that is welcome.

So have they just totally given up on their shared animated universe? These all sound standalone, which I'm more than okay with.

Gotham by Gaslight is standalone, but Suicide Squad is mentioned as being part of the continuity. Death + Reign is probably standalone too, but we'll see.
 

gazele

Banned
So curious, what are the best recent DC Animated movies? Any of them really good? I heard Killing Joke wasn't so hot
 

Effect

Member
A 2 part Death of Superman story is great to hear. I think Superman: Doomsday is okay but that is so condensed and changed. Finally seeing a more faithful adaption is going to be great.
 
I assume it involves other DC characters. If the first part is only the Death of Superman, it'll be hard to limit to a Superman only universe like the last adaptation. You're gonna need Doomsday to smack around Booster Gold.

I wonder if they use it in their current universe, with the Justice League. I imagine they've at least considered it.
 

Penguin

Member
I like Superman: Doomsday but curious to see a fully faithful version. Wonder if they will get back one of the older Superman to do the voice.

Also kudos to WB, they announced 4 new movies and only one is Batman-centric which has to be a record for em.
 

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Gotham by Gaslight is standalone, but Suicide Squad is mentioned as being part of the continuity. Death + Reign is probably standalone too, but we'll see.

Oh okay, thanks. I misread the blurb.
 

Dysun

Member
Really excited to see 3 non Batman movies coming up. Even Gaslight will be a nice change of pace compared to the recent Damian ones.

Hopefully they get the Death of Superman right this time
 

Neophant

Member
I'm actually more intrigued by the mention of the Suicide Squad animated movie sandwiched in between the heavy hitters. Since it was mentioned being in the Animated Original Movies continuity, will this be (one of the last) New 52 movies? Are WB films going to be using the current Suicide Squad lineup from the comics? Does "Hell to Pay" imply that demonic (or magical, such as the Enchantress) forces will come to play? Heck, I'd even be happy with using the New Suicide Squad lineup (the one with Reverse Flash and Black Manta).
 
Didn't they already do an animated death of Superman? They didn't allow blood and when questioned said "Superman doesn't bleed."
Yes if you read the OP they actually address that directly. They say the original was hugely condensed to fit into 75 minutes and so they're going to do a much more faithful adaptation which will require two films.

I mean I'm not trying to be a dick but it's even bolded.
 
Please stop with the goddamn Death of Superman shit. They sell a million comics and we get that god awful storyline shoved down our throats for the next 30 years.
 
I haven't liked these in a while but Gotham by Gaslight and Reign of the Supermen? These fuckers sure know how to get my money. Don't care about Death though.

As for Suicide Squad... Eh. But I bet it'll end up being better than the live-action film.
 

Savitar

Member
Yes if you read the OP they actually address that directly. They say the original was hugely condensed to fit into 75 minutes and so they're going to do a much more faithful adaptation which will require two films.

I mean I'm not trying to be a dick but it's even bolded.

Yes I did read it, I missed the paragraph. I mentioned that earlier, if you had read the rest of the thread you would have read my reply earlier about the goof.

Not to be a dick or anything.
 

JCG

Member
...but Superman Doomsday cut out almost all of the really awful shit

And also some cool stuff. Or at least stuff that many of our younger selves thought was cool. I know, there is a difference.

They still won't have the time to include absolutely everything, so they can pick and choose.
 

Tizoc

Member
So what's Batman gonna do in this upcoming Superman duology? You know they're gonna shoehorn him in there somehow.
 

SpaceWolf

Banned
I'm so goddamn tired of DC's ongoing obsession with The Death of Superman.

It wasn't even a particuarly good story, it was just popular at the time on account of what it promised. And Doomsday is such a rubbish character.
 
I'm so goddamn tired of DC's ongoing obsession with The Death of Superman.

It wasn't even a particuarly good story, it was just popular at the time on account of what it promised. And Doomsday is such a rubbish character.

This.

All Star Superman is the best "death" of Superman.
 

JCG

Member
I'm so goddamn tired of DC's ongoing obsession with The Death of Superman.

It wasn't even a particuarly good story, it was just popular at the time on account of what it promised. And Doomsday is such a rubbish character.

I don't think I'll ever go back to read the original comic arc, but I do have more positive memories of the novel adaptation, The Death and Life of Superman. In any event, Doomsday was better when he was treated as an unstoppable force of nature and not over-explained.
 

timberger

Member
BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT is largely considered to be the very first “Elseworlds” tale. At 48 pages, the original comic is relatively slim, meaning the movie version will offer an expanded version of the story, something that’s sure to delight fans of its cobblestone-paved world.

Sure... just like it did with Killing Joke.
 
Hahahahahaha what the hell WB. "Let's remake our first DTV, and make it MORE of a straight adaptation than we did before. And let's split it in two, so we can sell it three times."

All it needs is a scene where Batman has grief-sex with Lois Lane.
 
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