I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I didn’t know this was Superman’s 75th anniversary.  But now I know, and I’m happy to report that DC Comics and Warner Bros. will spend the next year honoring the iconic superhero.  Zack Snyder‘s Man of Steel is obviously the biggest part of the 75th anniversary, but there are plans beyond the summer blockbuster.  Most notably, Snyder and Bruce Timm (Superman: The Animated Series) will be creating an animated short film honoring the character’s history.  According to Heat Vision, details are being kept under wraps, but sources says Snyder envisions the short as “one continuous shot, without edits, that’s an homage to the Man of Steel and his many iterations over the past 75 years” all the way through Man of Steel.  I wonder if the short will all be done in Timm’s art style.  Man of Steel storyboard artist Jay Oliva, as well as DC’s Geoff Johns and Mike Carlin and WB Animation’s Peter Girardi will also participate, and the short will debut at Comic-Con.  Warners and DC will also continue honoring the Last Son of Krypton with a series of comic books throughout the 75th anniversary, at which point they’ll turn to honoring Batman’s diamond anniversary.

To keep your Superman fix going, hit the jump to check out a new behind-the-scenes featurette, which contains new footage.  Man of Steel opens in 3D on June 14th.

The Blu-ray release date for director Jay Oliva’s animated feature Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Part 1 is rapidly approaching.  We have a new clip from the movie to tide you over until then.  If you missed it, here’s the trailer and first clip from Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Part 1, which features Frank Miller’s take on the aging Caped Crusader who returns after a ten-year hiatus to take down a ruthless street gang, the Mutants.  In this new clip, the leader of the Mutants (voiced by Gary Anthony Williams) has a few words to say about Batman and Commissioner Gordon.  Hit the jump to check it out and be sure to pick up a copy of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Part 1 when it’s available starting September 25th.

Last year, Warner Premiere released an animated adaptation of Frank Miller‘s popular graphic novel, Batman: Year One.  However, the popularity of that book pales in comparison to one of the most influential comics of all-time, The Dark Knight Returns.  Along with Watchmen, Returns was a major deconstruction of the superhero genre, and pushed it into a more violent and gritty direction.  Miller’s take on the Batman universe showed Dark Knight as more of a fascist than a hero (you can skip Miller’s atrocious sequel series, The Dark Knight Strikes Again).  Although Christopher Nolan has eschewed a comic-book tone with his Batman movies, he has retained the themes of Miller’s 1986 comic.

Today, THR reports that WP is moving forward with an animated adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns, and that they will split the feature into two-parts.  Hit the jump for more including the film’s voice cast.