My Adventures with Superman brings a fresh start to an iconic comic book character
For the past decade, the entertainment industries have frowned upon retelling origin stories. A general census is that they are overplayed. Usually, someone says, “How many times do I have to watch Batman’s parents die?” And honestly, My Adventures with Superman answers that question. The answer is; as many times as it takes as long as it is innovative. My Adventures with Superman is new and creative and tells the story we know in a different format than we are used to; animation in the style of Japanese anime. Let’s talk about these episodes in depth.
Episode One
In the first episode, we see Clark use his power right away to save a mother and her daughter from crashing into a tree. It begs the question: was this Clark’s first use of his powers? If so, that means Clark’s heroic actions sparked his speed. During this episode, Clark and his roommate Jimmy Olsen are starting at the Daily Planet, and it’s Lois Lane’s job to show them the ropes, but instead, in a Lois Lane fashion, she gets them both to follow her to chase down the latest crime story. Clark had to save them both while going unnoticed, but it gives Lois her latest story, “Superman.”
Editor’s note: Episode 1 is free on Youtube! Watch it here.
Episode Two
In the second episode, we get a bit more backstory on our little alien. The episode opens up with Martha and Jonathan Kent showing Clark his spaceship that crashed and landed on their farm. When Clark steps on the ship, a projection of Jor-El appears and scares Clark, so much so that he covers the ship with dirt. Flash forward to Clark, Jimmy, and Lois in their new office (technically the newspaper morgue and the boiler room). Lois then begins to talk about the previous episode’s crime and wonders how they can follow it to Superman.
With all the questions being asked, “Who is Superman?” Clark begins to question that himself, so he does what Clark does best; he returns to Ma & Pa of Smallville and tries to reconnect with his roots. Ultimately he realizes he has to dig up the spaceship; it transports him inside a dimension where he is standing with Jor-El, where he discovers that he is his biological dad. Understanding who he is and where he comes from starts a sailor moon-like transformation. In the end, when he is dressed as Superman in the cape, his mom realizes it’s missing something… Martha Kent then adds a pair of red trunks to complete the classic Superman outfit.
In Metropolis, Jimmy and Lois find the criminal from the last episode; this goes sideways when the criminal meets Task Force X. This causes a battle between the two, with Jimmy and Lois caught in the middle. That is until Superman saves the days and makes his grand appearance in Metropolis.
Additional Thoughts
Now, there was so much story wrapped in that two-episode premier we haven’t even talked about the animation or tone. The modern anime-like animation sold the show, and the tone is so whimsical-like, almost childish, anybody of any age can start watching this show. Young or old, anybody should be able to sit down and enjoy Superman being Superman.
That’s how you do Superman, though; he is a character everyone should be able to enjoy in any format. Overall, a strong premier and another win for the DC’s animation team.
Once again, My Adventures with Superman is available on Adult Swim at midnight on Fridays, and you should be able to watch the episode on the Max app the next day.
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