Superman vs. The Elite

Superman vs. The Elite (2012) is Michael Chang's animated action feature, and you can watch it online on iFILM. It builds the whole story around one uncomfortable question: is saving the world enough, or should a hero just kill the people who keep threatening it?

Enter The Elite, a four-member crew of superhumans led by the cocky, foul-mouthed Manchester Black. Their method is brutal and final. They don't lock villains up, they execute them, and crowds love it. Against that, Superman and his old-fashioned no-kill rule start to look like a naive relic. What begins as a clash of philosophies turns into an outright fight, and Clark has to prove that restraint isn't weakness. George Newbern voices the Man of Steel.

Joe Kelly adapted the script from his own celebrated comic, "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way?" Part of the DC Universe Animated line, it runs a lean 74 minutes but lands a surprisingly grown-up argument about morality and what a hero becomes once he crosses the line. Good pick if you like your superhero stories with an idea underneath the punches. Stream Superman vs. The Elite (2012) online on iFILM.