In the “So Awesome It Hurts” category, a just over two minute animated short chronicling the history of Superman that premiered recently at the New York Comic-Con in celebration of the character’s 75th anniversary is now available online here. The short, which is set to also be included on the upcoming Man of Steel Blu-ray and DVD release, is a collaborative project between Man of Steel director Zack Snyder and WB Animation legend Bruce Timm. The tribute video pulls from more than just the comics, touching upon many of various incarnations of the last son of Krypton across TV, film, and video games.
The short begins with the iconic cover to Action Comics #1 which then leaps into motion in grand old Superman style. Snyder initially wanted to do the short with no cuts and while this was not achieved the number of cuts are very low.
Of course any project trying to cover the 75 years worth of history is going to have gaps. For instance, neither Brandon Routh or Dean Cain make an appearance. Oddly enough they choose to include the Blue and Red electrical Supermans from the 90’s, a point considered by many to be a low point for the character and best left forgotten. The duo is only on screen for a second, so it isn’t jarring. What is jarring is the New 52 and Man of Steel versions of the character. Placing these two in the video just goes to show poorly the new design looks when placed right next to the classic.
No matter where your introduction to the Man of Tomorrow’s mythos was, this short has a bit that will fill every Superman fans’ heart with joy.
That moment for me was seeing the Superman: The Animated Series version, the one that I most remember from my childhood. I tried to be all cool, but at that moment I squeed.
What was your favorite bit of the short or just your favorite version of Superman? Let us know in the comments below!