Superpowered: The DC Story, directed by Leslie Iwerks and Mark A. Catelena (and scripted by a presumed group of anonymous writers), is a three-part documentary on (HBO) Max. Sadly, it essays the comic-book company's legacy through abject denunciation and unnecessary apology.
There are, in fact, many such derisive examples strewn throughout this three-hour overview, aimed in particular at Batman '66 (an irreverent, silly setback); Superman: The Movie (a hit, but also an inflated, big-business expense made by those who knew no better); The Flash (a speedster with a repudiated multiverse); and Aquaman (a pointless, extra-baggage outsider), all according to Rosario Dawson's glib narration.
The prime injustice falls on Wonder Woman, whose reimagined history rides on misinformation, much in the way of Angelica Robinson's Professor Marston and the Wonder Women: meaning we get a mostly fabricated genesis, marked by a blinders-on view of her fight against National Socialists, aka Nazis (Hmmm ... )
There's also a skewed portion on Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, which features Miller in several, intriguing clips, but the parenthesizing assessment of his Batman reinvention opposes his intent. But hey, rewriting history is the hip deal these days, as long as a socio-political agenda is dealt.
And that's the problem with Superpowered (and it's one that plagues most modern documentaries): a need to enforce a browbeating slant, as opposed to sincere, unbiased reporting. For Superpowered's sake, the angle seems self-defeating.
Now, don't get me wrong. Superpowered does have some good parts, some inspiring moments, as when it grazes upon Watchmen (the graphic novel), The Death of Superman, Kingdom Come, The Batman, Batman '89 and The Dark Knight Trilogy. In each instance, the material is handled with no-spin sincerity.
Superpowered also grants a staggering wealth of celebrity-commentary snippets, which spotlight such significant figures as Jerome (Jerry) Seigel, Joe Shuster, Marv Wolfman, Carmine Infantino, Barbara Friedlander, John Ridley, Mark Waid, Alex Ross, Neal Adams, Neil Gaiman, Joelle Jones, Bruce Timm, Jim Lee, Dan DiDio, James Gunn, Henry Cavill, Christopher Reeve, Richard Donner, Bob Kane, Michael Keaton, Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan, Matt Reeves, Robert Pattinson, Kaley Cuoco, Margot Robbie, Lynda Carter, Gal Gadot, Patty Jenkins, Jason Mamoa, Zachary Levi, Dwayne Johnson, et al. Yeah, quite a breathless queue, but it would have been more edifying if these individuals had been given more screen time. (Most appear in blink-or-you'll-miss-'em spurts.) Additionally, the fodder is rocked by unnecessary, narrative bridges, which counter what could have been a seamless, satisfying culmination with a one-track objective.
Like the excellent Moonage Daydream (the recent David Bowie bio-doc) Superpowered leaps among varied periods to tell DC's lineage, but as such, forges a juxtaposing clash of views, as opposed to cohesion. It comes out dirty on the whole, instilling an implication that DC's future hinges on a let's-please-everyone prerequisite to survive. That makes the documentary "woke" (much like when DC stripped Kal-El of U.S. citizenship), and enough so that even its Seduction of the Innocent condemnation flips on its head, besmirching most of DC's artistic endeavors as insensitive, ill-advised and/or out of touch.
I've always supported DC, even in light of its recent foibles, and I suppose Superpowered should be another such case in point. I enjoy the DC/WB movies and most of the CW-affiliated television shows, and let's face it, there'd be no Marvel or Image Comics without DC. That counts for something. But I refuse to support that which derides DC's traditional cause. Superpowered should have been a celebration of the highest order, with flagrant admiration for age-old creators, their characters and followers; but instead, it feels like a verbose funeral where the eulogy acknowledges its subject as not only deceased, but having lived a life that was anything but the best.
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