The DC Comics Animated Universe has certainly stepped up its game over its last several titles, bringing a combination of gripping action, great story arcs, and even some very adult-themed situations. These films continue to bring their A-game on a consistent basis and the new film Battle of the Super Sons is no different. It currently has that rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and for good reason. The delivery of these characters to this universe is stellar as it brings some real, modern conflict into this world that will not only satisfy veteran comic book fans, but also newcomers to the genre.
The Super Sons in question are the children of Batman and Superman respectively who first appeared back in the early '70s in World's Finest Comics. They were known as the bland, vague Clark Kent Jr. and Bruce Wayne Jr. But now in 2022, the DCAU team has rebranded these kids as Jonathan Kent and Damien Wayne, who are completely opposite in their personalities and must learn their lot in life. The story gives them and their fathers a bit of an origin story in a great way that features a young Jonathan Kent getting bullied at school and dealing with his dad (Superman) not being able to be there for his childhood moments, of course, due to saving the world.
This type of story arc is not featured with any Superman arcs, but here it plays out perfectly and with emotional heft. Once Jonathan is aware of his powers, his parents Clark and Lois decide to teach him and take him to Gotham to meet Batman and his son Damien, who is an out-of-control assassin who has a rather large ego. From here, it's a fun formulaic buddy cop film where two polar opposites must get along and find common ground and where everyone's favorite starfish from The Suicide Squad shows up and wreaks havoc.
The one small complaint here in its short 79-minute run time is that some of the pacing can be erratic and the balance of the Batman and Superman side of things is a little off, with the Supes family getting the most screen time. It could've been a bit more equal in the element, but still, it all works at the end of the day with some cameos from Green Arrow, Wonder Girl, Lex Luthor, Penguin, and more. Jack Dylan Grazer (IT, Shazam!) turns in a great voice performance as Jonathan Kent, whereas everyone else delivers the goods as well. Battle of the Super Sons is a well-told story in the DCAU and there is hope amongst fans that this isn't the last time anyone sees them.
Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Battle of the Super Sons fights its way to 4K + Blu-ray + Digital Code via Warner Bros. The discs are housed inside a hard, black plastic case with a cardboard sleeve. The phenomenal artwork features Batman, Superman, and their sons fighting the evil starfish. There is an insert for a download code inside as well.
Battle of the Super Sons comes with a wonderful 2160p UHD 4K image with HDR10 that looks amazing. It looks so good that this film might be the best-looking DCAU movie yet in 4K.
Usually, that's not really the case, whether it be the visual style of the DC animated universe or the darker colors that come with these films. But in this particular case, the color palette is brighter and bolder than those that came before it. The reds, neon greens, blues, purples, and brighter primary colors are all well-managed and in perfect sync. The HDR10 allows for those white and black levels to really stand out while the other colors of the rainbow pour over in the heavier action sequences. The 3D-like images in the background, especially in space, look breathtaking.
The animation lines are smooth and natural and never choppy like in those early DCAU films. There is also a fantasy-like glow to some of the film that gives this image a little depth and magic. The 1080p HD transfer looks great too, but it's those smaller, more nuanced colors, especially in the black levels and wider animated shots, that really drive this 4K picture home. There are no signs of banding, aliasing, or any other problems that creep up here.
This release comes with a wonderful DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio mix that brings sonic ferocity when it needs to. The sound effects are robust and provide some wide dynamic ranges with that low end of bass that never crosses into rocky territory. The surround speakers perfectly pick up all of the tiny starfish that fly around and land on people with their screams and yells. Other supernatural sound effects transition nicely through each of the speakers. Explosions and debris falling all sound fantastic as well. The score allows for those more intense moments to stick around while having those fun and energetic action sequences sing out loud. The dialogue is clean, clear, and easy to follow. This is a great-sounding audio mix with no issues.
There are 60 minutes worth of extras, but only 15 minutes of actual behind-the-scenes footage that doesn't really feature any voice actors or big comic creators, which is a letdown.
Battle of the Super Sons is perhaps the best DCAU film yet in this ever-going franchise. The characters are revamped and they bring a much-needed modern take on the heroes here. The video and audio presentations are both great, but the lack of bonus features is unsatisfying. Still, this film is wonderful on its own and comes Highly Recommended!
