Series Review
"My Adventures with Superman" is the newest animated series from Warner Bros. Animation and DC. The official series description portrays it as a "serialized coming-of-age story catching up with twenty-somethings Clark Kent (voiced by Jack Quaid), the bright and driven Lois Lane (voiced by Alice Lee), and their best friend Jimmy Olsen (voiced by Ishmel Sahid) as they begin to discover who they are and everything they can accomplish together as an investigative reporting team at the Daily Planet. The story follows Clark as he builds his secret identity as Superman and explores his own mysterious origins. Lois, on her way to becoming a star reporter, teams up with photographer Jimmy Olsen to break the stories that matter. All the while, Clark and Lois are falling in love… as Lois gets closer and closer to uncovering his secret identity! Our trio share adventures, take down bad guys, stumble over secrets, and discover what it means to be heroes in their own right." Sam Register serves as executive producer. Jake Wyatt ("Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus") and Brendan Clogher ("Voltron: Legendary Defender") are co-executive producers and Josie Campbell ("She-Ra and the Princesses of Power") is a co-producer. Season one consists of ten 22-minute episodes. The first two episodes will premiere on Thursday, July 6 on the Adult Swim block of Cartoon Network at midnight then on the Max streaming service the next day. After the premiere, one new episode will release every Thursday on Adult Swim, next day on Max.
If you think everything in DC animation from the past few years was just okay, this show will reignite your love and passion for it and takes it to another level or three. If you don't think so, you might want to check your pulse. I'm usually not one to hype a series but "My Adventures with Superman" is the real deal! I admit I was in a malaise in reaction to the radio silence towards Young Justice after the "Young Justice: Phantoms" finale and the "Young Justice: Targets" comics concluded, but the small teases of "My Adventures with Superman" had my interest piqued. I was provided with the first seven episodes of season one. I was instantly blown away. I couldn't get enough of it. I watched it all at once, multiple times. There's no if, and, or but about it. It's right up my alley. Episodic but there's a season-long mystery (or should I say mysteries) that slowly unravels episode to episode and connects things and people. Studio Mir did some really amazing animation and put in their a-game. It probably helps they were able to lean more into a direct anime style and it was only a 10 episodes total rather than 26 or even 13. The action is intense and inventive. The three leads Clark, Lois, and Jimmy share a lot of heart and humor on-screen. The chemistry is instant. There's no shortage of surprises, crazy revelations, fights, tension, humor, romance, hard lessons, and growth. If you thought it was going to be your garden variety Superman characters showing up, get ready. And don't expect them to be your grandpa's version from the comics. The core of these characters are recognizable but some are reinvented and upgraded in new ways sure to keep audiences engaged and excited. Josie Campbell, Jake Wyatt, and Brendan Clogher have crafted a very exceptional series. A once in a generation epic. They didn't play it safe. They took some risks and created a truly brand-new and endearing take on Superman and what we all know and love about Big Blue.
I instantly was reminded of "Superman: The Movie" as I watched the interplay between Clark and Lois. So much like Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve, "My Adventures with Superman" has a smart and feisty Lois and a Clark Kent who is so pure and altruistic. Jimmy has the biggest starring role he's had in animation in ages. Arguably the most. He's a fully developed character that doesn't just pop in and out like past media appearances. He is a starring character. But this Jimmy also comes with an entertaining... let's say passion. This is truly about the three of them as they establish their identities, reach out for their dream career, and forge an unbreakable friendship against the back drop of secrets and lies and a conspiracy that will no doubt lead to a spectacular nail biting season finale. Campbell, Wyatt and Clogher are definitely kids of the 1980s and 90s. There are sprinkles of John Byrne, Dan Jurgens, Matthew Bogdanove, and Louise Simonson's run on the Superman comics but also the energy and style of anime and animation from that era like Miyazaki, Lupin, Ranma, Voltron, and Thundercats and the awe and spectacle of the older classics like 1940s Fleischer Superman.
When this series was first announced in May 2021, it was revealed this would be on HBO Max and and Cartoon Network. Now, it's Max and Adult Swim. Adult Swim might have certain connotations, but make no mistake, this is a series meant for all-ages, where young children, teenagers who don't want to be near their family, and adults can all sit down and watch together. When "Superman: The Animated Series" premiered in September 6, 1996, it was a revolutionary update to Superman. "Legion of Super-Heroes" did the same on September 23, 2006 by plopping a teenage Clark Kent into the 31st century with a whole army of super-powered peers and having him grow and learn about himself on the front lines of a future he had a hand in influencing. "My Adventures with Superman" is the latest to carry that torch and does that torch shine brighter than ever. Be there on July 6 at midnight and then stream "My Adventures with Superman" as many times as you can in a day everyday. This is a series I hope and pray that will go on for many seasons and even if not, it will still be an experience to be cherished.