Superman: Doomsday - An Interview with Bruce Timm

Hey Shaman,

That "veteran" that your making fun of? He's the same guy that produced Batman: Gotham Knight. And if you're dismissing the Batman, Superman and Justice League series as "crappy blocky animation" then all I can really do is advise you to seek professional help and ask you to try not to speak. You're embarrassing everybody.

Hey Beau,

I don't care what that veteran "produced" other than Superman because this is what this thread is about. Having produced "Batman: Gotham Knight" sure as hell doesn't excuse the shit he produced before hand. Yes all those series you mentionned were "crappy animation" compared to:

-Spider-man
-X-men the animated series
-Batman: Gothiam Knight
-The Batman
-HBO Spawn series
-Spectacular Spider-man
-Ultimate Avengers movies
-Ironman: armored adventures
-Spider-man cgi series
-Ironman animated movie
-Doctor Strange animated movie
-Fantastic Four anime series
-Pretty much any "anime" ever made
-Christ, even the Thundercats had better animation and they're like 20 years old!

He had no excuses to make this movie as shitty as it is ESPCIALLY since he "produced" Batman: Gotham Knight!!! It just proves my point, there were no excuses. I'm not saying the script was bad, as it was better than the script for Superman Returns, but there was NO reason to not have made the "accurate" story line of the Death of Superman! It doesn't matter how many interviews about chalenges you pull out, THERE WERE NO EXCUSES!!!

It's sad that when the BEST version of a superhero flick, is still countlessly flawed. You know said superhero has had it rough, even being the greatest and original, he gets screwed over more than ANY other character out there. Now, i'm not an uber-superman fan, actually I prefer GL, Batman, The Spectre and several other DC characters over him any day, but he has been bruised and beaten in the movie realm, and it's time for someone with the ability to bring him to light in the proper way, to the screen. If they can't do it right, stop doing it. They're raping, killing, and raping again, a great opportunity to do THE EASIEST superhero out there. He's [frick]ing Superman for gods' sake, how can they get this wrong EVERY SINGLE TIME?! It's a conspiracy I tell you.

I totally get your point Beau, your right, these series were acclaimed but not for it's style. They were acclaimed first and fore most because they were the main superhero series on tv! If you research carefully, not many "superhero" animated series actually "weren't" acclaimed. Granted a select few of them failed(like Silver Surfer) but the only reason for that was the actuall scripts. And that is also the biggest reason that Bruce Timm's work was acclaimed is because of the kick ass scripts he worked with. I loved the Justice League Unlimited series for the scripts and also because it is "the only" time i ever saw so many cool DC superheroes grouped together on TV...EVER!!! It doesn't give us much of a choice now does it? If the same series was done in two different animation styles, one being the actuall Bruce Timm style and the other being the same as the "crossfire" part of Batman: Gotham Knight, it would be no contest! The best example out right now is Batman: Brave and the Bold. MAN does that animation ever freakin SUCK BALLS!!! Compared to the series "The Batman", it's so much of a downgrade it's not funny! Why go "old school" when there is obviously no purpose to it? When i look at what CAN be done in our day and age like BOLT or THE INCREDIBLES, and i turn my tv on and all i see is my favorite superheroes in an old school crappy animation, no wonder i'm not a happy camper! I just can't accept any excuses when there are so many well animated series out there.

The only two things i ranted about were Timm's crappy blocky animation and the storyline for Superman/Doomsday being a discrace. I grant you that Doomsday is a bit gratuitous BUT he represents THE DEATH of the INDESTRUCTIBLE without having to use any kryptonite no less! The FALL of the MIGHTY! That story line was the best ever made in the comics because it is something that NEEDED to be done! To show us all that nothing should be taken for granted! The actuall story line was amazing, it was as much the death of superman as it was the birth of Superboy, Steel, The Eradicator (although he didn't last long, he was the coolest) it even spawned PARALAX!!! This story deserved better. Not an "inspired by" script but the full story without any corners being cut! A good 3 hour movie animated in a style that would've actually complimented the characters. Looking at all the details of this movie, no one can actually know WHO they actually made the movie for. It wasn't for kids because of all the fighting and the "so called death" and it sure as hell wasn't for the fans of the actuall storyline. It's as if they made it for no reason at all. Well i always say, anything worth doing should be done right! And this story deserved the best but got the worst representation ever made.

You'r so right ION, Superman has been made everybody's bitch in the film industry time and time again. He's been more manhandled than Rose McGowan. I tell ya ION, you really got me there when you said "He's [frick]ing Superman for gods' sake, how can they get this wrong EVERY SINGLE TIME?!"... honestly my brain can't compute that one. Smoke's comin' outa my ears just trying to figure out a logical reason behind all this.

i thought this movie was enjoyable but i agree that they should have been more faithful to the source material. as far as animation goes, the best ive seen so far is wolverine and the xmen..in terms of style and content, its an awsome show. that and justice league unlimited are probably better than any live action movies that will be made with these characters..obviously animation allows much more to be done visually..but even in terms of getting the characters spot on and following great comic storylines

Wow.. there are a lot of strong feelings out there about Superman in general. I completely understand as I am a huge fan as well. Even before I was into the comic's I saw Christopher Reeve in Superman II and i was hooked. I really hope the suits who build the data on which properties are popular and with whom are following this thread.

My personal opinion is I must agree with Shaman for the most part. They jacked up a perfect chance to do something great by doing something mediocre at best. I can't fathom it really.. It seems kind of difficult to screw up a superman movie with so much material to choose from. Now.. why I agree with Ion.. It's simply because they are making attempts.. when you are a fan you'll take what they give you to an extent.. I thought Doomsday was entertaining and being that we'd not seen anything like it in animation or on the screen I didn't want to return the DVD. I hope as we keep complaining the suits will finally figure out they don't know best and listen to the fanbase and stop thinking about the marketing tie in's and the money they can make of the other stuff.. make a great movie.. "if you build it they will come"!