Don’t worry--the nation’s oldest comic book publisher is not planning a Batman/Magnum P.I. crossover.  The title of this article refers to a collection of animated short features that have mostly accompanied recent direct-to-DVD PG-13 DC animated features.  The DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection (MSRP $19.99, Blu-ray $29.99) contains a quartet of adventures all directed by Joaquim Dos Santos (Justice League, Avatar: The Last Airbender) including the never-before-seen “Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam.”

In an article on Wired’s Underwire blog, Scott Thill finds the DC Original Shorts Collection, which clocks in at 62 minutes, too light on content to justify the price.  But in comparison with other collections of “original” short films that for the most part have appeared on other DVDs such as the Pixar Short Film Collection, which includes just 54 minutes of animated bliss, the amount of material on the DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection doesn’t look so bad.

Three of the four DC shorts, “The Spectre,” “Jonah Hex,” and “Green Arrow” have accompanied (or will accompany) DC animated features, so consumers who have purchased Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (“The Spectre”), Batman: Under the Red Hood (“Jonah Hex”), or the upcoming (September 28th) Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (“Green Arrow”) will already have acquired some or all of this trio, though the versions included on the DC Showcase Original Shorts disc are “presented in extended formats.”

But the reason to buy the disc is not any “extended footage,” it’s the quality of the shorts themselves (see mini-reviews of “The Spectre” at “DVD Round-Up: Week of February 23rd” and “Jonah Hex” at “DVD Round-Up Week of July 27th”).  This quality starts with good writing-- “The Spectre” short was written by Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), while novelist Joe R. Lansdale penned the “Jonah Hex” tale—and also results from Joaquim Dos Santos’ solid direction, which captures the “mood” of the story as well as the action. 

Also the “Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam,” which, at 22 minutes, is the longest of the “shorts” on the disc, is not currently slated to appear along with an animated feature, so this Collection may be the only timely way to see this animated saga, which features the vocal talents of Jerry O’Connell (Captain Marvel), George Newbern (Superman), Arnold Vosloo (Black Adam), and James Garner (The Wizard). 

Of lesser interest are four episodes from DC’s animated TV series handpicked by producer Bruce Timm and the estimated two-and-one-half hours of bonus content included on the Blu-ray—though the commentaries by writers Steve Niles, Joe Lansdale, Greg Weisman, and Michael Jelenic could be very interesting for those who love these sorts of extra features.