Based on the first six issues of Superman/Batman by writer Jeph Loeb and illustrator Ed McGuinness, Public Enemies finds Lex Luthor (Clancy Brown) taking advantage of a poor economy and launching a third-party bid that wins him the Presidency of the United States. One of his first acts mandates superheroes must serve the government rather than act on their own as vigilantes. While some agree to serve Luthor and the country, Superman (Tim Daly) and Batman (Kevin Conroy) refuse.

When a large meteor of kryptonite is discovered heading towards Earth, Luthor uses it to suggest its effects are making Superman unstable. He frames the Man of Steel for murder and places a $1 billion bounty on him. Not only do Batman and Superman have to figure out how to deal with the impending meteor, they have to clear Superman of the charges, which is difficult with the number of villains trying to collect the bounty and the heroes trying to serve a federal warrant. All the while, Luthor continues to scheme.

The art looks good for the most part. Apparently, Superman and Batman do the same amount of crunches considering how equally ripped their abs are. However, the worst is the depiction of Power Girl, whose bosom is embarrassingly ridiculous. It makes no sense for her costume to have an opening to show off massive cleavage unless she only fights young, immature men who the producers think this appeals to.

The video is presented in 1080p High Definition 16x9 with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The colors are brilliant and pop off the screen, as demonstrated in the opening title sequence. Blacks are rendered well for the most part, but sometimes get lost when black appears on black. One costumed character looked like The Venture Bros.' Phantom Limb because his black gloves disappeared into the darkened background. The use of focus creates depth in this two-dimensional world and the artists have done a great job adding texture to the drawings.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio makes good, not great, use of the surrounds for ambience and music, slightly augmenting the scenes but not immersing the viewer. The subwoofer comes alive during the action scenes, from the fights to the rocket, but not as much as expected. The treatment seems more in line with what you might expect from a television show than a movie.

Article Author: El Bicho

This writer is a member of The Masked Movie Snobs, a collective that fights a never-ending battle against bad entertainment. Follow at twitter.com/ElBicho_MMS

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