Superman Destroyed?

There’s controversy in fandom over the new Blu-ray release of the 1940’s Superman cartoons.

One pre-release review says the remastering is awful…

https://thedigitalbits.com/item/max-fleischers-superman-bd-2023

… and another says it’s even worse than awful…

https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/115440/maxfleischerssuperman.html

… while another praises the image quality.

https://13thdimension.com/sneak-peek-behold-the-majesty-of-the-remastered-fleischer-superman/

The pre-release listing on Amazon has been pulled…

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BXQM8FTK/

… but Superman isn’t missing, because my copy should be here on Wednesday. I’m going to assume Amazon deleted the listing because they can’t fill any more pre-release orders.

Something that can’t be debated is the Blu-ray is not part of the Warner Archive Collection, which has a reputation for absolutely impeccable quality. Color is corrected, and blemishes are cleaned, but they prefer to leave film grain intact, out of concern that removing it will result in a softer image.

Animation expert and historian Jerry Beck has been involved with many video releases, going back to VHS and LD. On Facebook, Beck seemed to imply the Archive Collection team would have done a better job of mastering the Superman Blu-ray.

Take your pick – but remember, if it doesn’t say “Archive Collection”… its not “Archive Collection”. Just saying… — Jerry Beck

For 25 bucks, I will decide for myself whether the cartoons look fantastic or if they suck royally.

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