Superowered: The DC Story streams all three parts on Max in the US from July 20, 2023.
Synopsis
Narrated by Rosario Dawson, the series takes an unprecedented look at the enduring and influential legacy of DC, allowing fans to rediscover the universe of characters, as well as the iconic comic book company’s origins, its evolution and its nearly nine-decade cultural impact across every artistic medium.
Review
In the age of comic book movie domination it has become all too easy to forget that our favourite super heroes didn’t begin life on the big screen. Whilst rabid fans devour each new appearance by characters like Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman. How many fans really know the stories of how each of these characters came to exist?
Max, Warner Bros. and DC are taking a closer look at their past in brand new three-part documentary series Superpowered: The DC Story which streams for US fans from July 20. The series, effortlessly narrated by the lilting tones of Rosario Dawson, takes a deep dive on the history of DC from its earliest days right through to the present day. Each of its three episodes takes a slightly different approach, looking at DC through the lens of the past, its dedication to its characters and finally, how the company has weathered the storm of the digital age and cultural reform.
Unsurprisingly, we start at the very beginning in episode one with the humble beginnings of the comic book. Dawnson walks us through a history lesson of the genre and the invention of the super hero and how this influenced the inception of DC in its earliest form. In doing so Superpowered tackles the histories of its first original characters: Superman and Batman. The Man of Steel and The Dark Knight take the lions share of the runtime as the filmmakers pick apart the inspirations and stories behind the World’s Finest duo. Then, of course, it’s time for the First Lady of DC, Wonder Woman.
Superpowered is charmingly honest. In-house documentary like this have a tendency to shy away from major controversy but Superpowered breaks with that tradition. From Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s falling out with the publisher, to Bob Kane’s erasure of Bill Finger from early history, even through to William Moulton Marston’s polyamorous lifestyle. No subject is entirely off-limits in putting across this honest portrayal of a company striving for success.
The structure of Superpowered also helps to keep the series fresh. It doesn’t simply start at the beginning in episode one and work through to the present day by the end of episode three. Think of each episode as being broken in to chapters, focussing on a spectici aspect or character from DC’s history. Discussing the creation of Wonder Woman leads to a delightful interlude with Joëlle Jones as she discusses the genesis of the newest Wonder Girl, Yara Flor.
A touted in its synopsis, the docuseries features over 60 new and archival interviews with the industry’s most prolific creators, actors and executives, including: Melissa Benoist, Greg Berlanti, Tim Burton, Mike Carlin, Lynda Carter, Henry Cavill, Kaley Cuoco, Gal Gadot, James Gunn, Patty Jenkins, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Jim Lee, Zachary Levi, Damon Lindelof, Tom Mankiewicz, Jason Momoa, Christopher Nolan, Robert Pattinson, Christopher Reeve, John Ridley, Margot Robbie, Bruce Timm, Michael E. Uslan and Mark Waid, among others.
Many of the contributors appear through older press junket interviews whilst others sat down with filmmakers Leslie Iwerks and Mark Catalena. In particular actors from DC’s big screen movies appear in the stock footage. But given the series looks more closely at the comic book beginnings of DC it’s refreshing to see candid interviews with writers and artists discussing their love for these characters.
In episode two Superpowered moves on from DC’s humble beginnings to illustrate how the company diversified its roster of heroes with the introduction of Black Lightning. All the while ensuring to keep the focus on creative driving forces at the company like Jim Lee and Dan DiDio. The series continues to jump across the companies sprawling timeline to follow characters genesis from page to, in many cases, screen.
Then in its final episode, Superpowered looks at the culture climate in the 2020s to show how DC has kept with the times. In what is a brilliant middle finger to its critics, DC grabs the opportunity to mock those who mocked the company for its commitment to diversity and its ability to move with the times. Using footage of news reels deriding DC for the announcement of Jon Kent’s bisexuality as a watershed moment in comics really left me feeling proud to be a DC fan.
A wonderful through line in the series is the hope DC’s characters bring and the love their creators have for them. At times it really choked me up seeing the fandom that has shaped my own life being show so much adoration by the very writers and artists I’ve grown up idolising. The refreshing honesty is also admirable. No misstep is left unmentioned. Whilst they are never focussed on in great detail, any admittance of imperfection just seeks to show DC’s real heroes, the Tom Kings, Mark Waids and Phillip Kennedy Johnsons are as human as the rest of us.
Verdict
Superpowered is an honest and in-depth look at the history of DC Comics. Each episode looks at the company through a different lens, taking us from an expansive look at its history, to its hopeful nature and through the trials and tribulations of staying at the forefront of pop culture. A fascinating, honest must-watch for DC fans.
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