All-Star Superman DVD Announced With Digital Comic Bonus; Next DCU Animated Movie Green Lantern: Emerald Knights

All-Star Superman (Blu-ray) cover

Warner Home Video has followed up on the All-Star Superman video news that broke last October with an official announcement, including this box art. All-Star Superman is due out February 22, 2011, as the 10th DC Universe original animated movie at a 75-minute running time.

The voice cast will be James Denton (Desperate Housewives) as Superman, Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) as Lois Lane, and Anthony LaPaglia (Without a Trace) as Lex Luthor. The story, based on the comic by Grant Morrison (Frank Quitely isn’t mentioned), is being promoted as the “beloved, Eisner Award-winning vision of Superman’s heroic final days on Earth.” Additional voice casting includes Ed Asner (Up) as Perry White, Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under) as Ma Kent, Matthew Gray Gubler (Criminal Minds) as Jimmy Olsen, and Linda Cardellini (ER) as Nasty. Also included in non-specified roles are Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy), Finola Hughes (General Hospital), Alexis Denisof (Angel), Michael Gough (Batman), and John DiMaggio (Futurama).

All-Star Superman (Blu-ray) cover

As usual, the film will be available in three formats: single DVD (suggested retail price of $19.98), two-disc special edition DVD ($24.98), or Blu-ray combo pack ($24.98, which includes a DVD as well). Notice that there’s no price difference between the two special-edition formats, but the Blu-ray has additional special features, indicating another death knell for the standard DVD format. Special features include:

  • Sneak Peak at Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, the next DC Universe animated original movie
  • “Superman Now” featurette — the story of All-Star Superman: where it all started, and what it came to be. “In a moment of inspiration, Grant Morrison was provided an opportunity to revamp the Man of Steel into something modern, something more relevant for today’s audience.”
  • Blu-ray only: “Incubating the Idea” featurette, a conversation with Grant Morrison
  • Blu-ray only: Audio commentary by Grant Morrison and Bruce Timm
  • Two bonus animated TV episodes picked by Bruce Timm
  • Blu-ray only: All-Star Superman digital comic book
  • Digital copy of the feature film

I’m very curious about that digital comic bonus. Is it an issue? The whole 12-issue series run? And what kind of precedent does it set? Can it be read on-screen, or like the digital movie copy, is it intended to be downloaded to a handheld device? Is it a way to drive customers toward DC’s digital comics app and convert new readers? If so, that’s a really intriguing cross-promotion I’d like to see more of.



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