All Star Superman

The measure of a man lies not in what he says, but what he does.

RELEASED 1 Jan 20111h 16m★ 6.9 TMDB

Lex Luthor enacts his plan to rid the world of Superman, once and for all. Succeeding with solar radiation poisoning, the Man of Steel is slowly dying. With what little times remains, the Last Son of Krypton must confront the revealing of his secret identity to Lois Lane and face Luthor in a final battle.

Why it matters in DC

The prospect of Superman's death changes the meaning of his remaining time and his relationship with Lois Lane. This separate adaptation centres what he chooses to do with limited time, making it a character-focused counterpoint to stories built primarily around whether an enemy can defeat him.

Watch these first

4 titles to watch before All Star Superman — 21h 5m in total.

DC Super Friends: The Joker's PlayhouseOptional background0h 17m★ 5.2
A separate adaptation of Superman; useful for comparison, but unrelated to All Star Superman’s story continuity.
MADOptional background19h 4m★ 8.0
A separate adaptation of Superman and Lois Lane and Lex Luthor and Jimmy Olsen; useful for comparison, but unrelated to All Star Superman’s story continuity.
Superman/Batman: ApocalypseOptional background1h 19m★ 7.2
A separate adaptation of Superman; useful for comparison, but unrelated to All Star Superman’s story continuity.
Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black AdamOptional background0h 25m★ 7.0
A separate adaptation of Superman; useful for comparison, but unrelated to All Star Superman’s story continuity.

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How these titles are selected

Story prerequisites are curated. Likely prerequisites are inferred from sequel numbering or explicit synopsis references. Recommendations are earlier stories in the same continuity; background picks are separate adaptations. Series lists cover whole shows, not an episode-by-episode watch order.

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Where it fits in the DC universe

All Star Superman is title 15 of 118 in our Animated Elseworlds viewing sequence. All Star Superman is a self-contained animated adaptation centred on a particular period of Superman's life. It is not a sequel to Superman: Doomsday or a chapter in the connected animated movie universe. Approach its premise on its own terms rather than trying to reconcile it with every other animated version's fate.

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