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Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is a 2010 animated superhero film based on the Superman/Batman comic book storyline "The Supergirl from Krypton" and is a standalone sequel to Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. The art style is partly based on that of Michael Turner, who penciled the Superman/Batman comic book arc. Released on September 28, 2010 by Warner Premiere and Warner Bros. Animation, it is the ninth film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. The film stars Andre Braugher, Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly and Summer Glau. Despite the title, the film focuses primarily on Supergirl and Superman, with Batman playing a supporting role.
The two-disc special edition and Blu-ray also includes an animated short featuring Green Arrow.
Weeks after the events that led to Lex Luthor's arrest, the impeachment of his presidency, and Superman and Batman's success in saving the world from a kryptonite meteor, a spaceship crash-lands in Gotham City Harbor. While Batman investigates the sunken craft, a young girl emerges from the water and accidentally wrecks Batman's boat. She is naked and has no knowledge of Earth languages or customs. On the shore, she encounters three longshoremen, one of whom tries to advance on her. She attacks two of them out of self-defense, while the third one gives her his coat to cover herself. As the girl progresses into the city, she inadvertently wreaks havoc with her strong Kryptonian powers (with Batman in pursuit) until Superman arrives to correct the damage, allowing Batman to eventually expose her to a piece of Kryptonite which weakens and injures her mentally.
With Superman's help, they discover the girl is Kara Zor-El, the niece of the late Jor-El and Lara, making her Superman's biological first cousin. She has been in suspended animation for decades due to her rocket crashing off course, resulting in Kara being physically younger than her younger cousin. While Superman welcomes Kara, teaches her English, and helps her adjust to Earth's society, Batman remains suspicious, even considering the possibility of Kara being an enemy. Kara states that she would never hurt her baby cousin. Tipped off by Batman, Wonder Woman and Lyla ambush Kara and Clark Kent, Superman's alter ego, in a park and suggest they train Kara at Themyscira, the only place where she can learn how to control her powers. Superman reluctantly agrees to let them train Kara, but still prefers to watch over her himself; however, Batman and Wonder Woman advise Superman to steer clear of Kara, criticizing his care of her.
The World's Finest said that it was "not something I'll be coming back to any time soon," and specifically targeted Andre Braugher's performance of Darkseid as lacking in any presence. Batman-on-Film gave the film a D, the lowest grade they have given to a DC animated film.
IGN gave the film a positive review with a score of 8 out of 10. The reviewer forgives the misleading title, recognising the story is all about "Supergirl of Krypton" and once you know what you're in for the story is not bad. Glau is praised for giving depth to what could have come across as a whiny beautiful teenager girl, and her story is a complete journey but unfortunately the other characters are not given much to do.
The film earned $6,370,838 from domestic DVD sales and $1,883,591 from domestic Blu-ray sales, bringing its total domestic home video earnings to $8,254,429.
The Blu-ray presentation received an overall score of 8 out of 10 from IGN
