The DC Comics partnership with Warner Bros. Studios has been a consistent treasure trove of media. To be fair, not all of it has been spectacular. Just hop on Twitter and start arguing the relative merits of the Justice League movie with Zach Snyder fans and see how fast the dialogue makes you weep for the future of humanity. But the painful inadequacies of many of the DC movies aside, the DC TV series have been quite solid overall. Starting with Arrow and leading us to the ‘Arrowverse’, it has been a wild ride in various series that have slowly become a cohesive world unto themselves separate from DC comics.
None of these was more surprising that Supergirl. When it first debuted in 2015, a lot of people tuned in, especially after Arrow and The Flash had gained a significant following. Not everyone knew what to expect when they tuned in to Supergirl though. As a less familiar character to all but a handful of fans, Kara Danvers was a relative unknown for viewers. The first season served both as a rather interesting introduction to the extended world of Superman’s family and to set up world-building for the rest of the series. Jimmy Olsen and J’onn J’onzz (Martian Manhunter) show up, Kara’s sister turns out to be a government agent working to curb alien incursions (irony much?) and a whole bunch of Phantom Zone villains that have been trapped since the death of Krypton show up. There’s plenty going on and the hits just keep on coming season after season for a whopping 126 episodes.
There’s no way to give a full and complete account of the entirety of the Supergirl series but that’s not really what you’re here for. What you’re really interested in is Warner Bros. new blu-ray set of Supergirl: The Complete Series. Warner Bros. has finally decided to release the entire collection in one massive blu-ray set and to be honest, it’s pretty phenomenal.
The first thing you notice about the Supergirl boxed set is that it’s massive compared to other blu-ray sets. Some fans may actually find this mildly irritating in terms of shelf presentation but the set is the same height as a DVD boxed set, towering above standard height blu-ray boxes. It was actually kind of surprising because in comparison, other DC boxed sets have maintained standard blu-ray box height but once you open the package, it makes sense.
Instead of wasting a whole stack of cases inside cases, Supergirl: The Complete series comes in a cardboard slipcase and uses a large vertical double disc orientation in a single huge disc tray that sits inside the oversized plastic case. Within that tray, 24 discs comprise the entirety of the series. Each layer has two discs on each side of the fold with the front and back also containing two discs. The hinges of the individual ‘pages’ of the tray just lock into tabs on the sides and so unless you’re careful, you can pop out the tabs and accidentally disassembling the tray. This review copy arrived well packed but had one loose tray clip which was easily reconnected.
As an added bonus, DC has thoughtfully included the whole five episode arc of Crisis on Infinite Earths which spans across Supergirl, Flash, Arrow, Batwoman, and Legends of Tomorrow. If you’re a comic book reader, you may already be familiar with the original comics but the DC TV take on the comics is quite fun as well, even if it’s not quite as comprehensive across the DC universe. It’s the little extras like this that make a good set into a great set. Included are a wealth of interviews, comicon panels, and outtakes from the show. Everyone loves a good outtake and it’s always interesting to see the various discussions that go on at the expensive and sold out conventions.
Even more goodies are included including a particularly notable special feature on Kevin Conroy: Bat-Legend who sadly passed recently. Several Crisis features are also included and there are even a few deleted scenes, none of which is particularly spectacular, hence their deletion. The assorted extras are spread amongst the seasons slotting in as various characters and plot points are introduced and easily accessible from the main menus.
The menu system for Supergirl is simple and easy to utilize with a clean, streamlined design and simple buttons and functions. Everything is clearly labeled and after the requisite copyright warnings, load times are minimal and it’s time to start watching. Supergirl is presented in 16×9 formant and full 1080p as it was originally broadcast. Sadly, there’s no upscaling to 4K but it’s still an excellent transfer no noticeable artifacting. With the inevitable onward march of technology, some of the special effects are of course rather painful here and there while others look fantastic. DC shows have always had a soft of B-movie charm to them and that has been part of their appeal, but once in a while, the CGI tends to show its age and the occasional slightly dated visual shows up. Overall though, the slightly hokey vibe of Supergirl, much like other DC shows, manages to give a timeless feel to the visuals and the clean and crisp transfer is an enjoyable experience throughout the series.
The audio is equally excellent in Supergirl: The Complete series. The entire series is in DTS 5.1 and if you have a decent surround system, the depth of sound is excellent. The sound mixing on the series is excellent aned even quiet dialogue is easy to hear, a refreshing change from some of the Hollywood movies we’ve been seeing come out lately. The music and theme songs are of course notably iconic in Supergirl and as the main theme comes up, it’s hard not to have a grin slip onto your face. That’s emblematic of the entire series of course. Supergirl is an interesting and complex show but at the same time, it’s also the story of a hero coming into her powers and learning to be more than she ever thought she would.
If there’s anything to really complain about with the blu-ray release of Supergirl: The Complete Series, it is the lack of a digital version of the series being included with the set purchase. Previous individual seasons of most DC shows have included digital vouchers so you can watch your favorite shows on the go and it’s honestly a shame that there’s not one for Supergirl. In fact, aside from the digital bonus material on the discs, there is literally nothing else included in this set. Inside the case you get an episode list for the series, and, well, nothing else. No stickers, no concept art booklets, no anything. It’s a bare bones set to be sure, but anyone who’s a fan of the series is likely not complaining because the show is the real star here.
There’s no question that Supergirl: The Complete series is worth the price of admission. Anyone that’s watched the show for more than an episode or two is likely to be hooked and as you work your way through the 90+ hours of content, the intricacies of the plot design and world building reveal a show that gets better as it goes on and becomes significantly more than the sum of its parts. At $135 for the set, you’re really only paying $22.50 a season for and that alone is a steal of a deal. But with the quality of the show itself to consider, there’s really no question that if you’re a fan of the Supergirl series, this is one release that’s worth picking up!
This review is based on a physical copy of Supergirl: The Complete Series provided by the publisher. It was viewed on a Sony blu-ray player using a Sony 55” 1080p TV. Supergirl: The Complete Series is also available physically on DVD and on digital platforms.