Alright! Today I'm reviewing Adult Swim's latest programming and the first Superman television show since 1996: My Adventures with Superman. Updating and revising the Superman mythos to fit in a 21st-century technology-laden world, My Adventures with Superman focuses on Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen, three interns at the prestigious Metropolis newspaper The Daily Planet, and Clark's want to use his superhuman powers to make the world a better place as the kind-hearted superhero christened "Superman."
Part of the 21st-century contextualization includes some drastic redesigns for the characters involved. While most of them worked really well (Starscream, Parasite, Jimmy Olsen, Jor-El), the biggest fault of the show is that sometimes the animation works against it, even looking choppy. While Metropolis is lovely and vibrant, the angular animation and framerate occasionally dip in a way unbecoming of the studio that brought you Primal. Additionally, the animes the show takes inspiration from are worn on its sleeve, often helping differentiate it from prior Superman media but occasionally causing a major misstep like the Mister Mxyzptlk redesign (Which was just... odd).
During the course of its ten-episode run, My Adventures of Superman also features uneven episodic quality. Now, don't get me wrong - I'd take an episodic show over a "prestigious miniseries" any day, but some of the episodes ("My Adventures With Mad Science") aren't as funny or stimulating as others ("Adventures of a Normal Man"). It's like any other television show - some episodes are just more fun than others. But when the streaming era makes seasons last ten episodes instead of twenty-two, the bad apples become proportionately bigger.
However, almost everything else about the show is excellent. For starters? The red trunks on Superman. He needs them, and their inclusion is appreciated. For seconds? It's an interesting and well-thought-out reinterpretation of the Superman mythos - him not being The Last Son of Krypton, but rather an advanced scout from a warrior planet supposed to act as a secret agent before they invade Earth. It's such a fun twist on a story we've seen a million times that I can't help but love it, and I especially love how it makes his soft personality an even greater feat.
I also loved the depiction of Clark Kent. This series is distinctly on the "Superman is what I can do. Clark Kent is who I am" side of the fence and I love it. It's what Superman should be and the best understanding of the character since the DCAU. Here's a Clark who's adorable, nerdy, and a hulking farmboy out of place in a cityscape who falls in love with Lois at first sight. It shows that the beauty of Superman comes from how uncomplicated the character is - all he wants to do is help, with morals taught by the hilarious and loving Ma and Pa Kent. He's also wonderfully played by Jack Quaid, who captures the adorkable voice perfectly.
My Adventures with Superman also has, by a wide margin, the best Lois and Clark relationship. Instead of the traditional story where Lois falls in love with Superman while seeing Clark as a platonic coworker, this is a Lois that is first and foremost attracted to the person Clark is, not the powers Superman possesses (Which is how it comes off in a few key versions). While I do mourn the loss of her purple wardrobe, this is a Lois with the most believable and heartfelt chemistry with Superman, ever. Additionally, she's not wholly defined by her relationship or her career, instead becoming a well-rounded character through her interactions and drive for the truth. The inevitable minor nitpick is that the "overly cheerful go-getter tomboy" archetype doesn't exactly feel fresh after similar designs in The Owl House and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts.
With such a cheerful concept and levity in its execution, I suppose I have Zack Snyder to thank for this show in a roundabout way. It feels like Man of Steel gave every aspiring Superman writer such a clear idea of what not to do that we're now living in a renaissance of Superman content, that, between this show, Superman: Legacy, and various comic runs, are sure to reestablish the Man of Tomorrow's enduring popularity and help break the notion that he's a "one-dimensional boy scout." Even the most vicious of haters would walk away from this show with a fresh eye toward the character and what he stands for: Truth, Justice, and the American Way... and Hope, depending on what we're interpreting the "S" emblem as.
Luckily a second season has been greenlit, so there are no fears of premature cancellation. Among some things I would love to see in it are Krypto, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Bibbo, Steel, Batman (While we get enough Batman media as it is, this time it would be because the interactions between the two would be absolutely priceless instead of a vain attempt to boost ratings) and Supergirl (Who would be very interesting after being raised on war world Krypton). I'm also really excited to see where these plotlines go and how these characters evolve, particularly Lex Luthor, whose role here was so sparing but hilarious that he already ranks as one of my favorite interpretations.
My Adventures with Superman perfectly understands what people want to see from Superman. He's not tormented by his godlike status or ever made to be a Christ metaphor, but instead is just a jolly guy who rescues cats from trees, helps lost children find their parents, and above all else wants to help those around him. With some interesting power scaling and twists on the DC mythos sure to interest diehard fans (The redesign of Deathstroke was awesome), it's a must-watch for any Superman fan and an excellent introduction for future fans.
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| The into was surprisingly excellent. |
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