An underrated superhero epic that delivered what ‘Shazam!’ and ‘Black Adam’ could not earns honor among DC fans

For all the woes DC fans have had to put up with on the big screen up to now, one may be forgiven for forgetting that Superman and company have an uncontested monopoly on top-tier animated superhero projects. Indeed, where Marvel has historically soared above its counterpart in live-action, DC has done the same in the animated department — from Justice League Unlimited to Static Shock and Young Justice, the on-screen struggles that plague DC’s live-action projects are nowhere to be found.

The most recent site of such struggles is Shazam! Fury of the Gods, whose rapidly declining box office campaign is all but indicative of the limited time left for the DC Extended Universe, to say nothing of the egregious misstep of not including Black Adam in the latest plight of Billy Batson.

Luckily, where the DCEU has failed, the world of DC’s animated projects has more than made up for over a decade earlier, thanks to director Joaquim Dos Santos’ Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam.

Part of the DC Showcase collection of short films, which also includes the likes of The Spectre, Batman: Death in the Family, and Jonah Hex, Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam follows a down-and-out Billy Batson who, with the help of Superman, finds himself facing off against the insatiable Black Adam after the wizard Shazam declares him as his next champion. Complete with Tawky Tawny in a pivotal role, it was one heck of a ride.

Hoping to avoid thinking about the current debacle going on in the land of live-action, DC fans came out in droves to celebrate this animated gem that, in just 25 minutes, managed to accomplish what the DCEU couldn’t do in three feature-length movies.

Among the film’s standout qualities was its ability to nail the characterization of its leads in a way that’s both faithful and entertaining.

We have faith that James Gunn’s incoming reboot will finally do the live-action DC library the justice these characters deserve, but while we wait for Superman: Legacy to usher in such an era, it would be wise to explore DC’s backlog of animated content in the meantime; it just might scratch the itch the DCEU only seems to want to worsen.