Static Shock – Dvd Thenewkid

Sound Quality:
English: Stereo 2S
Francais: Stereo 2S
Espanol: Stereo 2S

Edition Details:
– Encoding: Region 1
– Animated, Color

Special Features

– Biographies: Dakota High’s Newspaper – character bios in the form of the school paper
– Documentary: Map of Dakota – birds-eye view of town of Dakota
– Featurette: Static’s Gadgets – closer look at Static’s walkie-talkies, shock box, etc.

Official Synopsis: Exposed to a mutagenic gas, Virgil is charged with electromagnetic abilities allowing him to fire bolts from his fists and propel objects in the air. As Static gains confidence, he embarks on a series of adventures to discover inner meaning. Static Shock: The New
Kid contains six episodes from the first season of the animated TV series: Shock to the System, Aftershock, The Breed, Grounded, They’re
Playing My Song, The New Kid.

Review

Fans of the show were delighted to hear that they’d be getting a six-episode collection of Static Shock. The fact it was titled “Volume 1” was also more reassuring that they’d get the entire show, eventually; as of this writing, Volume 1 has been out for almost a year and there has been no murmur or mention of a second volume, despite sales for the first being strong.

This disc collects the first six episodes in production order. Ranging from Static’s debut episode to the introductions of many of the shows major Bang Babies, this disc packs a nice little wallop for the price.
I’ll admit I found most of the episodes boring and “Grounded”‘s animation was especially painful to watch, due to Top Draw adding a little too much “flow” to the animation, making it look a little strange. The black outlines on the characters are also laid on a bit thick by the studio—but, that’s not anything that the DVD can be faulted for.

In fact, there’s not much this DVD can be faulted for, except the lackluster special features. The video and audio is amazingly strong on this release; I’ve never seen the show look so clean and clear. No ghosting, colors are strong and vibrant and there’s very little interlacing going on. This is definitely an amazing transfer.

The menu interface is simple and generic. No animation, music only over the title menu and not too much eye candy to dwell on. Point, shift and click and you’re watching the episodes.

Special features? Nope. Not the kind DVDs should be known for, anyway.
There’s nothing original here; recycled animation made into “special” features that take you “deeper” into Static’s universe. You know what I want? A documentary about the show with the cast and crew. We half-got one for the Teen Titans DVD that hit alongside this one, why can’t we get one for Static? Hopefully Volume 2 will contain a bit more than these redundant and pointless features.

Packaging is just your generic “snap” case; cardboard jacket in a plastic tray. In an odd twist of not paying attention, the back cover and chapters insert features Static’s second costume, not the first that’s pictured on the front and the disc (and what’s featured in everyone of these episodes). It’s not exactly the all-black suit he wears in the third and fourth seasons, but it’s not the first and second season outfit either.

Overall it’s a mixed bag. I really didn’t enjoy any of the episodes or special features…or, for that matter, much about the DVD. The video and audio transfer is superb, however, so fans of the show will undoubtedly be pleased—especially if they keep it up in future releases.