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Summary: Truth and Justice- what a true Superman is all about
Review: I can't praise this collection by Bosko Video enough. The picture quality is amazing- before I bought this DVD I actually thought that these cartoons were inherently murky, dark, and fuzzy. It amazed me to find that the original prints were sharp, detailed, and bright. Plus, the DVD menu makes it quick and easy to skip around and find exactly the title that you want. This is a quality production and not some slapped together compilation of public domain material. Plus you get ALL the cartoons from both Fleischer and Famous studios.I remember back before the mid 60's when there was NO animated super-hero material available. Then a relative told me that she remembered Superman cartoons from WW2. I thought that she must have been kidding me. I simply couldn't believe that if such films existed that they would not be on television. Yet that was the case- no one saw these cartoons for over 30 years. I wish they had been available because they would have been my hands-down favorites. Super-hero animation of this high of quality didn't appear again until the '90's. The quality of the artwork is amazing. The colors, shading, and shadows are magnificent. And the overall art deco/ film noir look is pure class. There is something more about these cartoons. I personally believe that they were some of the best propaganda to come out of the WW2 era (the first two were actually made BEFORE Pearl Harbor.) I mean, a lot of youngsters must have seen these films before going off to war. The fascists were spewing all sorts of propaganda about Aryan "supermen." They were claiming that "superior beings" had a natural right to enslave and rule the world. Well, here was a superior being whose only reason to BE was to help those who needed his help. He defended the weak and helpless. He fought for truth and justice. That must have been a powerful example for young men who were about to go off and do the very same thing.....
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Summary: Definitive!
Review: Of all the collections of Superman Fleischer cartoons available, THIS IS THE ONE TO GET! Audio and picture quality of these classic cartoons that is leaps and bounds ahead of the others.
Rating: 
Summary: Bosko Does Justice to the Man of Steel
Review: Produced during 1941-42, the classic Superman cartoons of Max and Dave Fleischer remain among the finest works in animation history. Unfortunately, their public-domain status has resulted in several DVD compilations of variable quality. At this writing, Bosko's "Diamond Anniversary Edition" is the best Superman disc available -- all 17 cartoons are uncut and presented in the order of their original theatrical release. However, it should be noted that the Fleischers were responsible for the first 10 Superman cartoons (including "Japoteurs"), with the remaining shorts produced by Famous Studios during 1942-43. Despite a few memorable efforts, such as "Jungle Drums" and "The Underground World," the Famous animators were unable to duplicate the Fleischer magic -- and the decline in quality is obvious. Since the cartoons were expensive to produce, it was no surprise that Paramount and DC Comics agreed to end the series after two years. Still, the best Superman shorts -- notably "The Mechanical Monsters" (1941) and "The Bulleteers" (1942) -- are mini-masterpieces that evoke the comic-book spirit better than any live-action film. The print quality of Bosko's Superman disc is excellent, even though a first-generation master of "Terror on the Midway" has yet to surface.
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Summary: Bad sound editing.
Review: Stay away from this version. It has "enhanced sounds and effects" which drown out the dialog and sound very much out of place. It sounds as though someone were constantly playing with the volume control...very distracting. The picture isn't that great either.
Pick up "The complete Superman collection diamond anniversary edition" instead. The picture is clear and the sound is crisp. Plus it has all 17 episodes where the inferior "Superman The Lost Episodes" only has eight.
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Summary: Mighty Good Stuff!
Review: BOY! These cartoons are GREAT STUFF! I read about them as a child when I saw a 1942 ad for the cartoons and it whetted my appetite for them. For the most part, they tend to tell the same story evey time with few exceptions, but the visual quality is WONDERFUL and even though the tales are somewhat predictable, they are imaginative and fun to watch. My favorites are "Terror on the Midway," where Supe comes to the rescue when a wild gorilla wreaks havoc at a circus (check out the "elephant dance" early on in this film). "Underground World" is quite fascinating, as Supe and Lois get lost in an underground kingdom ruled by hawk-men (check out the ending)! "Showdown" has Supe face off against a crime-committing Superman pretender. Some of these cartoons are not for the politically correct crowd. "Japoteurs" has Supe stop a Japanese crook from sabotaging a US warplane (remember, this was wartime). "Jungle Drums" has Lois burning at the stake while Africans with bones in their noses dance around her. You have to leave your brains at the door and remember the times to enjoy these. But either case, get some popcorn, bring the kids (and skip the politically incorrect stuff for them), and you'll have a ball from ages 8 to 80.
Rating: 
Summary: Superman cartoons great, watch out for DVD editions
Review: I've bought complete collections of these Superman cartoons 5 times now. Twice on VHS and now 3 times on DVD. The cartoons themselves are great, but look out for which DVD edition to buy. Since these reviews seem to come up no matter what DVD edition is selected on Amazon, this should be helpful. The set from Win Star Home Entertainment (1998/99)features all 17 original cartoons in very good picture quality. The drawback is that the audio has been remastered to surround sound (!) with added sound effects. While to some this may enhance the enjoyment of these cartoons, frankly I find it annoying. The enhanced sound is quite obviously fake and not original, and it was certainly not how these cartoons were meant to be viewed/heard. A similar set was put out by GoodTimes Home Video in 2002. It also features audio restoration with added sound effects. Video quality is generally very good. However, some openings and closings are missing. The third DVD set is from Bosko Video and I believe it is the best one. It (thankfully) does not feature any unneeded jazzing up of the soundtrack, and the picture quality is superb. IT IS THE DEFINITIVE SET TO GET!!!!! To sum up, most DVD versions offer good picture, but if you want the cartoons the way they were truly meant to be seen, get the Bosko Video version.
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Summary: Spectacular collection of all 17 classic Superman cartoons
Review: THE COMPLETE SUPERMAN COLLECTION contains all 17 of the Superman cartoons produced from 1941 to 1943 by Paramount Pictures. After years of bad public domain video copies of these same cartoons, the visual quality of the prints seen on this DVD is breathtaking. (All were transferred flawlessly from original 35mm Technicolor prints.) It should be pointed out that the first nine of the Superman cartoons were produced by cartoon pioneer Max Fleischer (creator of Betty Boop) and directed by his brother, Dave Fleischer. The remaining eight cartoons were produced after the Fleischers left Paramount and were made by house directors at the revamped Paramount/Famous Studio cartoon unit. There is no discernible loss in quality. In fact, the remaining eight all break free from the formula established by the Fleischers and offer some of the real surprises on this disc. All the cartoons boast incredibly beautiful and imaginative imagery. A few notes on some of the individual cartoons: "Billion Dollar Limited" (1942)
Almost nonstop movement and action as a robbery gang tries to derail a train carrying a billion dollars in gold to the mint. Lois Lane even picks up a Tommy gun at one point to fire at the attackers.
"The Arctic Giant" (1942)
Features a giant dinosaur on the rampage in Manhattan (not Metropolis!). Visible landmarks include the Museum of Natural History and Yankee Stadium. Looks forward to both THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS and GODZILLA.
"Electric Earthquake" (1942)
Interestingly, the mad scientist villain is an American Indian who demands the return of Manhattan to his people. When his demand is dismissed, he sets off earthquakes on Manhattan by using giant electrical connectors plugged into the island's bedrock underwater.
"Eleventh Hour" (1942)
An astounding wartime cartoon as both Clark Kent and Lois Lane are held prisoner in Yokohama by the Japanese. Clark breaks out every night, as Superman, to sabotage Japanese battleships. Lois Lane is even taken before a firing squad at one point.
"Secret Agent" (1943)
A straight-ahead crime thriller with car chases in the streets of Metropolis and shootouts with police as a beautiful blonde undercover agent tries to get to Washington with a list of spies and saboteurs. The last of the Superman cartoons and one of the best. If only other American animation producers had taken the lead established by these cartoons and begun doing serious, comic book-based action and science fiction-themed cartoons. As it stands, it took about 30 years for Japan's animators to take up the cause and give us exemplary action and sci-fi animation on a par with the Superman cartoons.
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Summary: Truly impressive, and a steal at this price
Review: I considered myself a lukewarm Superman fan.. I'd read some of the comics, and I really liked the first movie. I picked up this DVD mostly because it was very inexpensive, and seemed like something worth having in the back of a DVD collection somewhere. Man, I did not do this DVD justice at all. It deserves a central place in any collection. The cartoons are truly amazing. They're all clever, well-voiced and crafted, and developed in a very cool art deco style that seems these days restricted to faux Italian cafe posters in your downtown Starbucks. The most pleasant aspect of all was how surprisingly modern the cartoons feel. Created mostly in the early 1940s, they do have a certain jingoism to them, particularly the post-Pearl Harbor ones, but otherwise I was amazed to see how robust Lois Lane's characterization was. Not only is she cast as an independent career woman, her grit and style actually outpace that of the later movies. Perhaps that's just my own 1940s-1950s bias speaking, but nonetheless it's interesting to see how her repeated 'damsel in distress' status necessary to bring out Superman is really much more nuanced and flattering.
The DVD itself also shows the films with little fanfare aside from an opening scrawl and a subtitle at the start of each indicating its original release date. The cartoons are so good and of such high production values that one can almost believe it when the distributor gushes about their pleasure at providing them to the public. You won't find a better bargain than this collection.
Rating:
Summary: Oh No! Kryptonite!!
Review: I first saw these classics on horrible video versions, purchased as "impulse buys" at my local mega-store check-out. I bought them for my 4 year old nephew to watch. I ended up watching them with him and was struck by the cool stories and awesome animation. Now they're all here on DVD! I love every episode! This is essential for any superman fan, animation buff, or comic book addict! Highly recommended...
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Summary: The original is the best
Review: These are some of the best cartoons ever made. The attention and understanding to detail, shadowing, color, and story are truly amazing. I won't get into details about specific episodes, as others have already done so, but I am glad that I bought this DVD, as it was worth every penny. To call these 'cartoons' seems to trivialize how good these shorts really are. Funny how some of the most spectacular cartoons where made over 60 years ago....I have seen some of the newer Superman cartoons put out by Warner, and I think they're pretty good, but they can't compare to the original.
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