Superboy – The
Complete Second Season (1989 – 1990/Warner Archive DVD Set)
Picture: C Sound: C Extras: D Episodes: B-
PLEASE
NOTE: Superboy is
only available from Warner Bros. through their Warner Archive series and can be
ordered from the link below.
I would love everything that comes out of the DC Universe to be solid
gold, but that simply is not how the Krypton crumbles. Superboy was a series that lasted for 4 seasons running from
1988-1992 for a total of 100 episodes.
Unfortunately, even after that many episodes most people don’t remember
the series as series like Lois &
Clark, Superman the Animated Series,
and Smallville have a much stronger
following.
Superboy (later renamed The Adventures of Superboy in Season 3) cataloged the adventures of
Superman in his early years as he made his way through college. Interestingly, by the time this series made
it to the small screen DC Comics had already ousted the ‘Superboy story’ from
its ‘Man of Steel’ continuity and did not consider Superboy to be canon. John Haymes Newton (Beverly Hills 90210) played Superboy for Season One, but was replaced in Season 2 by Gerard Christopher (known
mostly for his Soap Opera roles) with Stacy Haiduk (also known mostly for her
Soap Opera roles) still playing his love interest Lana Lang. Superboy wasn’t the only replacement as
Sherman Howard stepped into the role of Lex Luthor, replacing the less than
stellar Scott Wells.
So, yes, after near cancellation due to a poor performing, campy Season One, Superboy returned revamped and rejuvenated for a much better Season Two. We got a more sinister, evil Lex Luthor and
even appearances from more well known Superman villains like Mr. Mxyzptlk, Bizzaro
and Metallo. The Second Season seems a bit dated in terms of hair styles, clothing,
and special effects but the writing is actually pretty good; holding up to
today’s standards. Even with much of the events in this series not being
considered canon, I found it enjoyable and totally worth a look.
The technical features are subpar for this DVR release. The picture is a 1.33 X 1 Full Screen presentation
that has dull colors and black levels; while also looking a bit
dingy/unrestored. The sound is a Dolby
Digital 2.0 lossy Stereo that comes mostly from the front without much
life. Though dialogue is clear and
concise, as more action/special effects were added to this 26 episode season I
was hoping for more.
No extras are available on this set.
Audiences have waited a very long time for the Second Season of Superboy to
arrive so now is not the time to miss out on this lost fan favorite.
To order Superboy, go to
this link for it and many more great web-exclusive releases at:
http://www.warnerarchive.com/
- Michael P. Dougherty II
