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Two of the most obscure DC cartoon series get their DVD due.

DC Comics and Warner Brothers are really breaking out the obscure stuff now in their quest to get the entire DC animated catalog on DVD. Their two latest offerings are two of the most overlooked shows in that filmography: Plastic Man and the barely-remembered late-80s version of Superman.

Plastic Man came out in 1979 and didn’t last too long. To be honest, it wasn’t too different from all the other action-comedy shows that cluttered kids’ TV back then. Leaving the origins (as well as most other aspects of the character) behind in favor of a more mainstream-friendly generic-ness, this Plas was a super-hero with two sidekicks, the pretty Penny and the often-clueless Hula Hula. It wasn’t the same Plastic Man created in the 1940s, but it was what it was, and to be honest, it wasn’t all that bad. Penny and Hula-squared got to show some of their brains at times (and Hula’s ties to the criminal underworld were hinted at in at least one episode, which kind of changes the perspective on him entirely).

Okay, so the vehicles were dumb. And the villains? A giant talking clam? A half-man, half-gorilla named Half-Ape? Ugh. But it was harmless fun and it kept Plastic Man in the spotlight just a little longer. This 4-disc set includes a nice retrospective on the entire history of the character as well as a really awful “pilot episode” for a more recent attempt to revive the franchise.

Going even more obscure now, which is really hard to believe since it’s BLEEPing Superman, is the 1988 Ruby-Spears show of the same title. Only lasting one season, this version of Superman never got the acolades that the Fleischer, Filmation, Hanna-Barbara or Bruce Timm version received. It lasted one season and disappearead, which is a shame since it was really one of the best and most faithful adaptations of the character yet. With some great (for its time) animation and a healthy respect for continuity, Superman should be remembered more fondly.

This 2-disc set (of 13 episodes) includes only one extra, but it’s kind of interesting: It’s a look at Lex Luthor and how his various incarnations reflected the time periods they were from, from boisterous spandex-wearer to comedic mastermind to untouchable businessman.

Neither of these sets were the height of DC’s animated adventures, but both are fun in their own right and it’s great to see them both on DVD now.

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