"Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth!" DC Showcase Animated Short Talkback (Spoilers)

[Yojimbo]

From the creative forces behind the DC Universe Movie line, DC Showcase puts the spotlight on favorite characters from throughout the annals of DC Comics in fascinating, short-form tales sure to entertain longtime and new fans alike. DC Showcase Presents...Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth!

DC Showcase: Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth!
Included On: Justice Society: World War II Home Entertainment Release
Release Date: Digital HD - April 27, 2021; Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray - May 11, 2021

Synopsis: Jack Kirby's beloved DC comic creation features the last civilized teenage boy on a post-apocalyptic Earth ruled by talking animals. In this short, Kamandi and his friends Prince Tuftan of the Tiger Kingdom and humanoid mutant Ben Boxer are kidnapped by a gorilla cult dedicated to finding the reincarnation of their god, The Mighty One. Golgan, the cult's leader, puts Kamandi's team through a series of deadly tests to find if any of them know the secret of... The Mighty One.

Comments?

Please post all discussions and comments about the Kamandi animated short in this thread! Please discuss the other aspects of the home video release of Justice Society in the proper talkback, as linked below.

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Note: Remember, this talkback thread is for discussion of the animated short only. If you wish to talk about the home video release, please click on the appropriate link (s) above. We appreciate and encourage discussion, but please keep your posts civil, relevant and insightful. Please do not post any improper or inflammatory material, as we will issue warnings if we believe it necessary. And remember to keep the discussion ON-TOPIC!

 

[Spider-Man]

I forgot to comment on this but I thought this was pretty underwhelming. While the designs were amazing I don't think they translated well here. It didn't help that the animation was mediocre and the story was kind of boring. The animation made this look more like something from Spider-Man Unlimited or the 90s X-Men cartoon (ie: bad) and didn't really translate the Kirby look well. It's a nice tie into JSA but it's the weakest of the recent DC Showcase shorts.

 

[Yojimbo]

From what I remember, this does capture the tone of the Kamandi comics but may not reel in today's audiences. I thought the use of the Kirby art for the b.g. was an interesting touch and the reveal they were in Metropolis and not New York City, the savior was Superman, and the shocker that the ending is seemingly picked up on in Justice Society, making it a 3 way crossover.

It was a pretty simple story highlighting Kamandi's character for the indoctrinated. But the lack of a really big battle took the air out of it though. Sure there was the rescue turned chase, a set of trials that required thinking, a creature but no real fight. And to make Kamandi the 'chosen one', that came at the expense of Tuftan and Ben Boxer coming off as lesser (i.e. breaking his leg, the acid).

Not too sure what was going on with NE4U's animation this go around, maybe they were trying to hard to retain Kirby's style. Character designs by Andy Chiang, Steven Choi, and Zak Plucinski. Cast was Cameron Monaghan as Kamandi, Steve Blum as Golgan and Tuftan, Adam Gifford as Zuma, and Armen Taylor as Ben Boxer. Definitely knew it was Blum once Tuftan spoke.

 

[Medinnus]

I wish it was included in the electronic release

 

[Yojimbo]

I wish it was included in the electronic release

That's a shame. Where did you get your digital version from? I think Amazon doesn't. Or was it iTunes?

 

[Medinnus]

That's a shame. Where did you get your digital version from? I think Amazon doesn't. Or was it iTunes?

I have most of my electronic copies in my Amazon Prime account.

 

[Yojimbo]

I have most of my electronic copies in my Amazon Prime account.

Ah yeah, they scrimp. Don't have a clue why. Unless it all unlocks on the physical date?

 

[Medinnus]

Ah yeah, they scrimp. Don't have a clue why. Unless it all unlocks on the physical date?

I checked - and no. It may simply be that Amazon hosts what takes the least time; I doubt the SMEs are animation fans. /shrug But I simply don't have the physical room for all the media for all the things I like to have handy, and for the most part Amazon Prime is a good solution to "live anywhere and not haul six dozen boxes of books and DVDs around..." when I move.

 

[Palin Dromos]

I have most of my electronic copies in my Amazon Prime account.

If you link your Prime account to Movies Anywhere does that get you access to the extras? WHV is a Movies Anywhere partner and the extras do show up there for other DC animated releases. MA is free, might be worth a shot.

 

[Fone Bone]

DC Showcase: Kamandi: The Last Boy On Earth!

I am about to pay that one of the highest compliments I can give a piece of fiction: That was interesting.

So interesting, and SO irresistible that I think it's the first DC Showcase short I've EVER seen that I think should be spun off into its own series. After that ending I sure as heck want to know what happens next in this continuity.

I am a little confused about Kamandi's place in DC lore. Is he set in an alternate apocalyptic timeline? Or is this set after Legion Of Super Heroes? If it is, that's kind of a bummer.

I loved the art design and especially the background. Very pulpy stuff.

No cursing whatsoever, which was VERY refreshing.

The best DC Showcase Short I have ever seen. I want more of this. *****.

 

[Yojimbo]

I am a little confused about Kamandi's place in DC lore. Is he set in an alternate apocalyptic timeline? Or is this set after Legion Of Super Heroes? If it is, that's kind of a bummer.

First, yes, it is confusing. Two, a bit of both. When Kamandi and Earth-AD first came out, it was the imminent future of DC in the main timeline set to happen during Halloween 1986. But of course, we caught to that in real time. Crisis on Infinite Earths wiped it out of existence and it was absent for awhile then I think then it became a parallel universe Earth-51. But the confusing part is that right now, there's 2 versions: the Earth-51 and it's now back to being a possible future in the main timeline. I think it was an alternate version of the 30th century/Legion of Super Heroes era but now it precedes the 30th century. Did I say it was confusing?

 

[ShadowStar]

First, yes, it is confusing. Two, a bit of both. When Kamandi and Earth-AD first came out, it was the imminent future of DC in the main timeline set to happen during Halloween 1986. But of course, we caught to that in real time. Crisis on Infinite Earths wiped it out of existence and it was absent for awhile then I think then it became a parallel universe Earth-51. But the confusing part is that right now, there's 2 versions: the Earth-51 and it's now back to being a possible future in the main timeline. I think it was an alternate version of the 30th century/Legion of Super Heroes era but now it precedes the 30th century. Did I say it was confusing?

This is almost as confusing as Donna Troy's plethora of origins.

 

[Heeroyuy_Batman]

First, yes, it is confusing. Two, a bit of both. When Kamandi and Earth-AD first came out, it was the imminent future of DC in the main timeline set to happen during Halloween 1986. But of course, we caught to that in real time. Crisis on Infinite Earths wiped it out of existence and it was absent for awhile then I think then it became a parallel universe Earth-51. But the confusing part is that right now, there's 2 versions: the Earth-51 and it's now back to being a possible future in the main timeline. I think it was an alternate version of the 30th century/Legion of Super Heroes era but now it precedes the 30th century. Did I say it was confusing?

The new continuity is meant to clean the mess up which I think it does. Now, DC needs to not change it again and things should be fine.

As far as the short goes, I can't wait to watch it when I get the JSA bluray.

 

[khuddle]

Best thing on the JS:WW2 Blu Ray.Everything about it from the story to the slick animation was great.

 

[Fone Bone]

Best thing on the JS:WW2 Blu Ray.Everything about it from the story to the slick animation was great.

I was a little shocked at the lukewarm reception in this thread. It's the best short DC Showcase has ever done. By far.

 

[-batmat-]

Just watched this. I am too very shocked at the "bad animation" comments here. This was one of my favorite pieces of animation EVER as far as animation goes. It just looks like a comic book brought to life, never feeling like it's not a comic, if that makes any sense.

The story was good enough, I personally would have left

Spoiler

Superman

out of it so it could be more of its own thing, but it's a good drive for an eventual series this feels like it's a pilot for. I completely agree that it just leaves you wanting more and having a series continuing the story.

I was a bit confused with the timeline aspect, the apes talk of "the great fall" as if it happened ages ago, but Kamandi was still alive then , and he's still supposed to be fairly young, so that confused me. I wish I knew how these cat-man , ape-men and such came to exist, but it already felt a bit exposition heavy so I don't mind the mystery, again, something that could be explain in the "potential series" that would follow haha.

Great stuff!

Note aside, how awesome is that DC Showcase intro? I never get tired of that. Do they reshoot it everytime? Im amazed it looks so similar everytime, but with those little differences.

 

[Yojimbo]

I was a little shocked at the lukewarm reception in this thread. It's the best short DC Showcase has ever done. By far.

I disagree, for me that title goes to Death.

Just watched this. I am too very shocked at the "bad animation" comments here. This was one of my favorite pieces of animation EVER as far as animation goes. It just looks like a comic book brought to life, never feeling like it's not a comic, if that makes any sense.

I was speaking in terms of consistency. Some of the characters seemed off in one scene and normal in the next. Backgrounds were dope.

The story was good enough, I personally would have left

Spoiler

Superman

He had to be in it for the continuity with JSWWII. If they didn't plan that, I'm sure it still would have been a nod to someone else like OMAC.

I was a bit confused with the timeline aspect, the apes talk of "the great fall" as if it happened ages ago, but Kamandi was still alive then , and he's still supposed to be fairly young, so that confused me. I wish I knew how these cat-man , ape-men and such came to exist, but it already felt a bit exposition heavy so I don't mind the mystery, again, something that could be explain in the "potential series" that would follow haha.

I think it was a combo of some cosmic energy wave, a mutagen by a Dr. Forest that de-evolved everyone, spread by a viral outbreak, and mass panic/sudden nuclear war that happened in succession that rapidly altered Earth in the mere amount of time Kamandi lived so far in that timeline.... Huhn. In retrospect, it makes the plot Gorilla Grodd almost pulled off with a de-evolution ray in JLU using a magic totem containing a monastery's worth of souls and an advanced force field generator in a city of super smart apes sound like duck soup... So I think you can see why they skipped that part in Kamandi's animated appearances so far.

Note aside, how awesome is that DC Showcase intro? I never get tired of that. Do they reshoot it everytime? Im amazed it looks so similar everytime, but with those little differences.

I'm curious how they do that as well.

 

[-batmat-]

@Yojimbo how do you figure this and JS:WWII are in the same continuity? I don't see that at all, what did I miss?

 

[Fone Bone]

I disagree, for me that title goes to Death.

I think Death was great. This was better.

 

[Yojimbo]

@Yojimbo how do you figure this and JS:WWII are in the same continuity? I don't see that at all, what did I miss?

In JSWWII, when "Shakespeare" finds the blonde teen boy in the prison cell and the boy insists on giving him his satchel. That is Kamandi giving him the Superman suit he won in this short. Which is what he dons at the end of the movie. Implicitly, Dr. Fate also brought Kamandi to his Earth like Flash to change the timeline.