"My Adventures With Superman" Season One Talkback (Spoilers)

[RoyalRubble]

A new Superman animated series premieres tonight on Adult Swim, with 2 episodes at midnight. The episodes will also be available on Max the next day. New episodes premiere weekly. Check local listings for re-runs.

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My Adventures With Superman

Synopsis: “My Adventures with Superman” is a serialized coming-of-age story catching up with twenty-somethings Clark Kent, the bright and driven Lois Lane, and their best friend Jimmy Olsen 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.

The show, produced by Warner Bros. Animation, and based on characters from DC, follows the action-packed, comedic and romantic adventures of Superman and Lois Lane. The series stars Jack Quaid as the voice of Clark Kent, Alice Lee as the voice of Lois Lane, and Ishmael Sahid as the voice of Jimmy Olsen. Sam Register (“Teen Titans Go!”) serves as executive producer. Jake Wyatt (“Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus”) and Brendan Clogher (“Voltron: Legendary Defender”) are on board as co-executive producers and Josie Campbell (“She-Ra and the Princesses of Power”) as co-producer.

My Adventures With Superman “Adventures of a Normal Man, Parts 1-2”
Episode debut - July 6/7, 2023

Clark Kent builds his secret Superman identity and embraces his role as the hero of Metropolis, while sharing adventures and falling in love with Lois, a journalist, who also takes Jimmy Olsen under her wing.

My Adventures With Superman “My Interview with Superman”
Episode debut - July 13/14, 2023

Lois wants to interview Superman and Clark must figure out how to help her while protecting his secret identity; criminal ring INTERGANG gets their hands on unstable weapons, and a mysterious organization plots in the shadows.

My Adventures With Superman “Let's Go to Ivo Tower, You Say”
Episode debut - July 20/21, 2023

Clark, Lois, and Jimmy cover a glitzy gala hosted by tech-billionaire Dr. Ivo, but while Clark and Lois wonder if this counts as a date, Ivo unleashes his newest invention: a creation that can bring down Superman.

My Adventures With Superman “You Will Believe a Man Can Lie”
Episode debut - July 27/28, 2023

Lois uncovers a secret in Metropolis and is determined to get to the truth; Superman tracks down dangerous weapons in the city and finds himself in the crosshairs of mysterious organization Task Force X.

My Adventures With Superman “My Adventures With Mad Science”
Episode debut - August 3/4, 2023

When Jimmy gets kidnapped, it's up to Lois and Clark to save him - but rescuing Jimmy will lead them into danger as they deal with mad scientists, military secrets, and relationship woes!

My Adventures With Superman “Kiss Kiss Fall in Portal”
Episode debut - August 10/11, 2023

Clark tries to plan a normal date without any Superman problems, but gets interrupted when Mr. Mxyzptlk sweeps him, Jimmy, and Lois into a high-stakes, multiverse-hopping chase.

My Adventures With Superman “Zero Day: Part One”
Episode debut - August 17/18, 2023

Lois meets her journalism idol, Vicki Vale, only for Vicki to make Lois question her loyalty to Superman; Superman hunts down Task Force X while dealing with a new power.

My Adventures With Superman “Zero Day: Part Two”
Episode debut - August 24/25, 2023

Superman finally gets answers to who he is and where he came from while coming face-to-face with The General, leader of Task Force X; Lois and Jimmy must find Superman before Dr. Ivo destroys Metropolis.

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[Fone Bone]

My Adventures With Superman "Adventures Of A Normal Man: Part 1"

Pure pleasure. A delight. A breath of fresh air. The diversity feels entirely organic and not a big deal so it feels NORMAL instead of something to complain about. I expect this show WILL get its share of complaints about the diversity. The thing is the show is so wonderful and refreshing and fun, those complaints will be roundly ignored. I think it's safe to say YouTubers are going to find this show as easy to pick on as it was for Ted Cruz to start a Twitter fight with Elmo. The openly loathsome vs the openly lovable is not much of an actual contest for onlookers.

Despite this airing on Adult Swim, the entire show IS kid friendly and could easily air on Cartoon Network. It's my understanding that Adult Swim is attempting to branch out into animation that appeals to both kids and adults since it's starting earlier than ever, but the truth is it still feels wrong for the block and wrong to be premiering at midnight. We thought the Saturday Morning 6:00-7:00 AM deathslots for Justice League Action and the last couple of Transformers cartoons were bad. Sheesh.

Seeing kid Clark discovering his powers and being equally amazed and confused by them as he enjoys inexplicably flying like the little kid he is shows me exactly how inferior an origin story Smallville actually was. The "no tights, no flights" mantra was basically that show deciding to leave out the best and most famous parts of Superman. And ten seasons of underwhelming nonsense speaks to that dumb decision for itself. We could have had THIS? Holy cow!

Lois is interesting because she's given notable faults, which is why the show feels wrong for Adult Swim. The precise lessons Lois learns were intended to be imparted to the kids watching the show... at midnight. Yeah, I don't get it either.

I don't enjoy much DC animation. Basically the three franchises I liked before this were the DC Animated Universe shows, Batman: The Brave And The Bold, and Justice League Action. Everything else, Teen Titans, The Batman, Young Justice, DC Super Hero Girls, Harley Quinn, I could take or leave. What was it about those three franchises that spoke to me so much? They were kid-friendly. They were fun. And they were well-written. And those three things are literally the only three DC animated projects where all three of those things were true. My Adventures With Superman is a much appreciated new member of that exclusive club and I am delighted to enjoy it. *****.

My Adventures With Superman "Adventures Of A Normal Man: Part 2"

I LOVE this version of Livewire. She really puts the loudmouth Superman: The Animated Series version to shame. She is such a badass. She's also shockingly competent at villainy, which is a nice (and rare) treat in a kids show.

Clark entering the spaceship for the first time as a kid has suddenly become terrifying for the first time ever. I love that little Clark instantly reburies it and then hugs his parents because they are what matter. That right there is good and EARNED drama. Surprisingly powerful and gripping stuff on such a light and fluffy show.

Any person who goes out of their way to describe their organization as "The Good Guys"? Are actually the bad guys. Without fail. That is some quality writing and voice acting on this show.

Speaking of quality, this is the first episode I've enjoyed being wowed by the anime inspired animation. It's the best animated DC TV project in years.

Lois is so freaking tiny! I can't believe Jimmy is taller than her.

I am already obsessed with the show. Fun, kid-friendly, AND well-written? I am in Heaven. *****.

My Adventures With Superman "My Interview With Superman"

Sophomore episodes are always disappointments. This show is no exception.

It felt kind of slight and low-stakes. I liked the animation on the heat-vision though. And it's interesting that although this version of Superman answered Lois' questions far more honestly than most versions wind up doing, she still thinks he's a liar.

The Superman premise of glasses being enough to disguise Clark remains ridiculous, but the show is fun enough that I don't mind it for once. Still, a step down from the first episode. But at least it turns out the show has a main title after all! After last week, I was worried we were stuck with a boring title card. ***1/2.

My Adventures With Superman "Let's Go To Ivo Tower, You Say"

If I had written the show, and knew I was gonna have Lois find out the secret SUPER early, I would have waited a couple of episodes. I thought the show had a brilliant subversion of the Lois / Clark / Superman triangle. She actually adores and loves Clark, and distrusts and is annoyed by Superman. It's always the other way around. It's a beautiful and original idea and they should have kept the status quo for a couple of more episodes at least. To more firmly establish that the problem with Clark telling her the truth is that because she doesn't like Superman, she'd like Clark less. I would have liked to have stewed in that conflict for a short while before going where this episode did.

Ivo is neither funny nor charming, but sociopathic businessmen lost ALL of their entertainment value after Trump and Musk, so I do sort of understand why they went and made Ivo so completely irredeemable. I don't like it, but it's the parallel that society says must now be raised. Don't blame the writers for how openly obnoxious Ivo is. Blame the voters. Same people ACTUALLY responsible for Flanderization by the way, while we are throwing stones. Just saying. Real life politicians and businessmen have become so cartoonishly unambiguously contemptible, this is how far you to go to have some of the audience say "Oh, this is a bad guy." If this sort of thing were more evident across a broader section of the public, we might not have these cartoon supervillain (or psycho Ned Flanders) problems.

I have something to bash. I love bashing things, and since I love the show, it rarely gifts me that. But this thing to bash leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Ivo naming the suit "Parasite" is bad writing. Period. No businessman would name their new superpowered endeavor that. As far as branding goes, it's so negative or borders on genocidal. And I mention branding because that's the only reason the show did it, to tie into the DC brand. But namedropping Parasite for this specific scenario, hurt the credibility of the narrative. I became very aware this isn't just a cute Superman show. It's a borderline commercial for the entire DC brand. And while I don't mind discussing that notion after I've seen an episode, it breaks the magic if I'm noticing it WHILE I'm watching an episode.

Normally, I be a little more delighted in a great show's rare screw-up. But this specific screw-up felt a bit cynical and commercial, which is just the worst thing to have to complain about when watching a cute Superman show. I wish they had given me something fun to bash instead of trying to convince me Parasite is a great branding name for a supersuit.

Still, the rest of the episode was strong. I particularly liked Lois and Clark's conversation about her estrangement with her father. Forget never learning Clark is Superman, Superman: The Animated Series never got that far with Sam Lane either! I love that the show seems to be setting up family elements for the characters to be explored later on.

I liked it, but the thing I didn't like, I REALLY didn't like. ****.

My Adventures With Superman "You Will Believe A Man Can Lie"

That was some great pathos. I also want to compliment the voice acting on the show, particularly Lois' actress. They hit the beats of the betrayal and the hurt perfectly. And I love that Clark actually argues back against why he didn't tell her. And his reasons are good. But really, if she has to jump off a building to get the truth out of him, the reasons simply aren't good enough.

One of the things I loved most about She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power is that it had a bunch of unknown voice actors in all the major roles, and they hit the beats as perfectly or better than any celebrity they could cast. And I feel that way about Lois' actress too, although I could be wrong, and I just don't recognize her from anywhere else. The animation industry is in dire straits based on how they treat creators, writers, and actors. But really, this is the only time in entertainment's history where you can get performances this amazing from people who work for scale. And the fact that it's so amazing is why actors deserve to be paid fairly for their work.

The General is obviously Sam Lane. He seems to have a bit more morality than Amanda Waller, but there is a definite cruel and evil streak to this version of the character. If it is him, I understand why he and Lois are estranged. He's a bad guy.

If Agent Wilson is Deathstroke like I think he is, I hate his costume and mask. And Deathstroke doesn't really possess the kind of powers that could be confused for Superman's either. But the fact that the dude had gray hair and the color scheme is orange and black says it's him.

Big Drama, and shocker of shockers, GOOD drama. It is not as hard as the rest of fiction makes it look. It especially lands as devastating and personal because we already like and care about the characters so much. Take note, other genre stuff. This is how a good guy betrayal in fiction is done right. It's literally the only example I can think of. ****1/2.

My Adventures With Superman "My Adventures With Mad Science'

This is my favorite version of Monsieur Mallah and the Brain! Like EVER! After one freaking episode!

I love that before they kill Jimmy, Mallah becomes concerned with his mental health problems. It turns out they're good guys, or at least misunderstood guys, which is totally refreshing. But the thing I love the most about them is that the love affair they had in the comics was played for sick laughs. You were supposed to be grossed out by it and roll your eyes. It's freaking sweet here and actually romantic! Why does stuff like this HAVE to be SUCH a freaking ordeal in every other project? I love this show.

So all three know and they all now know they all know. These kids are gonna be fine.

Refreshing Brain figured out the identity too. But since he's not really evil, he won't use it against him.

I loved this episode. I love Clark, Lois, and Jimmy. And I love Mallah and the Brain. This is definitely one of my favorite DC cartoons ever. *****.

My Adventures With Superman "Kiss Kiss Fall In Portal"

I'm not gonna spend this review ragging too much on Young Justice. Other than to say none of its various "plot twists" are ever actually any kind of real surprise. Greg Weisman spends his time rubbing the viewers' faces in how brilliant he is for his predictable storytelling. Weird brag, but that's why I don't like Young Justice. Justice League Unlimited however got me good a few times with its twists and turns. This show is the first real unpredictable DC cartoon since that one.

This Mxyzptlk is unlike any other and actually sinister. And while I kind of felt that because the show is mostly focused on lesser rogues and Intergang, that a LOT of the Superman mythos has so far been ignored (still no Lex, Brainiac, Metallo, or Darkseid, although that last one is probably coming) it did hit the Multiverse angle quicker than any other DC toon, firmly wedging itself into DC Animated Universe continuity with brief looks at DCAU Superman and Lois. Also the League of Loises is a complete shock and departure. And though Dana Delaney's Lois could be seen in the hologram museum, I was disappointed they didn't snag Delaney as a guest star and put her in the League themselves. In reality, the fact that the Lois we most know and love has nothing to do with them, proves they are misguided at best, and on the wrong side at worst. The sphere Lois views at the end suggests it's the former, but this is the most untrustworthy Mxy I have ever seen. The entire thing could be a con not just against OUR Lois, but the entire League too.

I still think this show is inappropriate for Adult Swim, and find it perfectly kid-friendly. But the thing is, if this were a show produced for Cartoon Network, there would be no romance. Certainly not a kiss and affirmation of love between Lois and Clark in Episode 7.

This is unlike any other DC cartoon. High praise from me for that reason. *****.

My Adventures With Superman "Zero Day: Part One"

I don't feel like this episode was very well-written. At least not compared to everything else. The story and dialogue felt a bit arch and hamfisted. And I HATE Vicky Vale.

That being said, the ending of Superman being ambushed and taken by the villains was legit dire and tense, and landed big. Maybe the characters talked a little too "big" in the episode to be believable. But the "big" ending? Landed and was totally effective and worrisome. Very good cliffhanger there. And yes, the General is both evil incarnate and almost certainly Sam Lane.

Trouble ahead. The episode was hit and miss though. ***.

My Adventures With Superman "Zero Day: Part Two"

The thing I love most about this show is how empowering it is not just to the heroes, but to the people of Metropolis too.

And what changes Sam Lane's mind? Evidence? No. It's meeting Superman up close. That guy's demeanor does NOT add up with the behavior of the invaders.

I feel like Superman beat and saved Ivo at the exact same time, which is great.

And I love that it's a kids show that gets a mutual declaration of love between Superman and Lois and a big passionate kiss. This is VERY outside of other kids programming, and it might be the reason Adult Swim seized the opening to poach it from the kids part of the network.

SO great. What a rare and wonderful show this is. Probably my favorite DC toon since Justice League Unlimited. *****.

 

[Otaku-sempai]

I'm pretty certain at this point that Ivo's technician, Alex, is Lex Luthor.

 

[Yojimbo]

I'll echo that I love this show, too. Breathe of fresh air.

Overview

"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.

Episode 1-2 Adventures of Normal Man

In the two part series premiere of "My Adventures with Superman," "Adventures of a Normal Man" audiences are introduced to Clark Kent as he builds his secret Superman identity and embraces his role as the hero of Metropolis, while he shares adventures and falls in love with Lois Lane, a fellow intern at the Daily Planet, who also takes Clark's best friend Jimmy Olsen under her wing. Clark just wants to have a normal life while secretly helping people with his powers, Lois wants to become a real reporter, and Jimmy just wants to prove his conspiracy theories are all right.

A unique feature of the series is Clark doesn't know the extent of his super powers nor his own origins and this will be an ongoing sub-plot. As seen in the opening scene and throughout this two parter, when Clark is in a desperate situation trying to save someone in need, his eyes flash blue and his powers kick into overdrive. Another new take on Clark's origins are the fact that the little ship he came to Earth in is now huge and the hologram recording of the one person that has the answers he wants is talking to him in an alien language he doesn't understand but as a consolation, he gets a cool suit.

Another ongoing sub-plot introduced in the premiere are military weapons stolen by Leslie Willis that seem to have a connection to Clark that he doesn't recognize. Easy money to bet these are all Kryptonian technology but how they got to Earth is another question. Did they once try to invade Earth but something went terribly wrong? Is was the military pulling an Area 51 and trying to integrate this tech into their arsenal in preparation for another alien incursion? We shall see.

The humor hits on another level. Clark and Lois's first meeting at the bodega and it descending into utter embarrassment for Clark sets the tone for the series. Another is Clark accidentally breaking stuff and making up explanations is also a fun bit that never gets old. The trio's interactions with their no-nonsense boss, Perry White is also delightful as is the magical cutaways to when they suddenly find themselves outside his office. One thing I've always loved about Lois in all mediums is her quick wit and here it is no different. As soon as Jimmy addresses it, she establishes she's the boss because of her seniority over him and Clark and that's that. I wonder if the producers and writers had a competition to see who could come with the funniest one liners for their assigned episodes. Clark's "Goodbye forever!" or Badger's "He looks like Brad" had me rolling this week!

But it's not all chuckles. There is some genuine drama and it usually orbits around the secrets and lies that Clark and Lois indulge in as they learn to work with and trust each other. I think I'm going to call things a lot of "welcome surprises" as I review this series but how about a Clark and Lois romance sub-plot right from the start? At this rate, one can only wonder how long Clark will be able to keep his secret identity a secret in this series and in theory if he can't, will that lead to more drama in Lois and/or Jimmy find out before Clark confides in them?

The first villain of the week turning out to be Leslie Willis was a welcome surprise. While not a breakout original creation from the Bruce Timm era of animation, Willis is still a memorable villain from Superman: The Animated Series and while her radio shock jock origins are omitted, her short fuse and electrical powers, with a twist, are still present. It's a a great hook that Clark's first day of work, Lois's latest story, and Leslie's failure to fence the tech all coinciding in one day is this series's equivalent to Pandora's Box and sets everything into motion. It is a welcome sight to see the staff has leaned into all walks of Superman mythos. Not just the staple Daily Planet cast but also the Newskid Legion, an update of sorts on the Newsboy Legion complete with a blink-and-miss hat tip to Guardian. Makes perfect sense Lois would utilize the kids who deliver the Planet's newspapers as her source on the streets but the Legion's leader Flip isn't just doing it for altruistic reasons, she's got her ideas on expanding on her business goals. One that came out of left field was Jimmy's stream being named after Flamebird who in the comics comes from Kryptonian legend. The X-T 00 robots, on one hand seems highly influenced by anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion from a design standpoint and on another, seems like a slight nod to the Fleischer Superman's battle against the Mechanical Monsters. And the staff has a lot of love for classic Superman writers and artists, like naming the military base Leslie Willis steals from after Louise Simonson.

On the flip side, it's intriguing and a welcome surprise that they're already hinting at the greater DC universe and not just mining the Superman mythos. Lois has a clipping of an article by Vicki Vale above her bed. Jimmy seems to allude to a so-called sighting of Starro in Germany and Monsieur Mallah in France. Or the presence of a company called AmazoTech. I'm rooting for Jimmy to meet Aquaman or realizing Mothman is really Batman in a hypothetical season 3. But the real white elephant in the room. Agent Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke in the comics is out to recover the stolen tech along with a military official and 100 percent someone who looks like Amanda Waller. Perhaps this is a take on Task Force X, as mentioned by Slade, or A.R.G.U.S. or any number of shady government operations from the DC universe. Josie Campbell, Brendan Clogher, and Jake Wyatt ain't pulling any punches with the content in this show and I love it!

"My Adventures with Superman" gets the party started in bold fashion and "Adventures of a Normal Man" is a perfect two-part premiere that introduces the cast, the ongoing threats and mysteries, the landscape and sets the pace, action, tone, heart, and humor in a masterful execution of 40+ minutes. Don't sleep on this show! Or you'll end up like Brad.

Episode 3 My Interview with Superman

The episode starts off with Superman saving a pilot from an AmazoTech blimp that crashed into a building and the people below who are in danger's path. Lois arrives to interview him but he's a bit skiddish to her chagrin. Next up, the villains of the week do a jail break and sets their comrade free from her cell at Stryker's Penitentiary. The episode is off to quick start and establishes the two main sub-plots. Lois being frustrated about not getting to Superman to agree to an interview is fairly part and parcel for a Superman series but in contrast, this series's take on Intergang is brand new. Far from the traditional hi-tech mob supplied by the most evil of evil alien despots, this Intergang is just a two-bit street gang of three friends who equip themselves with some of the stolen alien tech and a freeze ray device to knock off a bank and get respect. Instead of Bruno Mannheim and his ilk, we have 20-something takes on Silver Banshee, Mist, and Rough House. Instead of having meta-human powers, their powers are science-based courtesy of the tech. Mist's allows him to camouflage, Rough House's gives him super strength, and Silver Banshee's allows her emit sonic blasts.

Superman's conflict this episode is both an emerging new super power and getting Lois off his trail by convincing her to go after Intergang for a story. The dynamic between Clark and Lois continues to be entertaining especially when she vents her frustration over Superman to him. The episode also introduces the Daily Planet's star team of reporters: Cat Grant, Steve Lombard, and Ronnie Troupe whom Superman fans will recognize. Troupe has been re-envisioned as a woman this time around but is still the most level headed of the bunch. Grant and Lombard over-the-top in the news persona department. While their appearance is brief in this episode, would stand to reason they will be recurring this season and act as frenenemies and mirrors to our main trio of Clark, Lois, and Jimmy.

Aside from two new teams of characters introduced in this episode, there are also two stealth intros. The easier to catch of the two is the Channel 52 News reporter on TV at the Daily Planet who reports on the Stryker break out. She signs off as "Bethany Snow," a character associated with the 80s Teen Titans comics and was notably an acolyte of Brother Blood. The blink-and-miss intro is the warden of Stryker's Penitentiary. She's credited simply as "Warden" but if you watch and pause when her stolen key card is used, it reveals the warden is Agatha Zorbatos, who was the warden of Blackgate Penitentiary in the more recent Batman comics. Jimmy's intriguing conspiracy theory of the week mentions a secret government super soldier program. The poster child for that in the DC universe is Slade Wilson who is a recurring baddie already on this show so perhaps some things are being set up for the future? We'll see what goes down. So far, the show seems to be sticking to tech enhancement and aliens as those with powers. Perhaps a meta-human break out could be the subject of next season.

The real fun of the episode is Clark, Lois, and Jimmy... well, being journalists - trying to infiltrate Stryker's and imitating Cat, Steve, and Ronnie with their own twist was such a hoot. Kudos to Alice Lee doing a spot-on take on Melanie Minichino's Cat Grant dialed up a few notches. Or Jimmy's assessment of Ronnie. Or Clark's "enthusiasm" with taking part in the farce and overall being "corrupted" by Lois. The definition of "steal" was perfect. Then they snoop and quickly break down the clues and figure out Intergang's plan together but Clark's reaction to Lois's real plan is worth the price of admission.

As the episode sets up, Intergang's freeze ray malfunctions during the big bank robbery at the most crucial point then Rough House's usual save only makes things worse. Despite the danger, Lois and Jimmy evacuates the surrounding area while Superman manifests heat vision for the first time to destroy the freeze ray's alien component while also seeing another weird out-of-context flashback, this time seeing those same robots he fought in the premiere marching and blasting at something or someone. And during the mop up, no one notices Slade Wilson in the bank. Touched by Lois and Jimmy's heroic act, Superman finally agrees to Lois's request but since he doesn't have much answers about himself, he can't answer her questions very well. On the bright side, Lois apologizes to Clark about keeping her real plan a secret again and promises not to do it anymore. However, she thinks Superman is a big liar! Clark can't catch a break can he?

"My Interview with Superman" immediately addresses the dangers of low-level criminals getting their hands on the military tech dispersed by Livewire, the city encountering their new protector, Superman learning a little more about his powers and the Daily Planet interns growing a little stronger as a team. However, Clark learns Lois won't be so easily dissuaded from learning the truth about Superman. While the episode had a weird take on Intergang that strayed a bit too far, the dynamics of the main cast remain just as strong and entertaining as the series premiere.

Episode 4 Let's Go to Ivo Tower, You Say

Lois is still fuming about running into a dead end after getting her coveted interview with Superman last episode when Perry arrives in the newspaper morgue to summon his three interns for their first assignment: go to the investor gala at Ivo Tower and gather quotes and photos for Cat Grant's interest piece on Dr. Anthony Ivo, CEO of AmazoTech and the most eligible bachelor in the city. Amusing this is the "nice" side of Perry White and in that subtle mentor role, tells Lois what she needs to hear.

To Jimmy's delight, Lois agrees to start consulting tabloids to track down Superman. For us the audience, it's a stealthy way to learn more about Clark's past between the childhood flashbacks we saw in the two part premiere and the present. And it becomes an important turning point of the show. Clark sees the Metropolis Star reporting on the 15th anniversary of the "Kansas Flying Boy" and he rips the article out before anyone else sees it. Later on, Lois gathers a loose timeline of articles: Miracles in the Heartland from 10 years ago and Angel saves Professor 14 years ago.

The gala event also presents another layer of antagonists in this show's world. We saw street level crooks. Black ops military. This week gets a bit more white collar. The media: CEO of Galaxy Communications. The politicians, local and federal: Mayor Fleming, her rival, and Senator Sackett. Corporate: Dr. Anthony Ivo. Suffice it to say, you can't turn a corner in Metropolis without running into a baddie. These ones, however, are untouchable at the moment much to Lois's frustration. The main attraction of this episode is Dr. Ivo and almost immediately, the audience gets it. He's the worst. Extra. The young millenial CEO. Past the facade is a desperate man backed into a corner about to lose his own company. And desperate men of this ilk often make terrible decisions for the sake of profit.

This show is about Clark, Lois, and Jimmy in their early 20s interning at the Daily Planet. More so with Lois, this isn't the usual successful award-winning journalist we've come to be used to. In fact, we see Lois flat out fail at interviewing anyone at the party. And she admits to Clark to being a screw up. That she's been an intern for one year already. Luckily Clark is there to keep her head raised high but soon enough is unnerved when Lois outright blames Superman and his lies being the reason she feels so off lately. And in the final moments, stumbles on the story of the century. It seems some seeds were sown for Jimmy as well. Ditched not once but twice by his so-called two best friends while being adulated by complete strangers for his photography acumen. Perhaps we might see a blow up from Jimmy and the trio's friendship is tested as Clark and Lois get closer and closer. And perhaps, the most obvious send up would be his conspiracy theories turning out to be all true. Lois had I think the best line fo the series so far. Sucker punches Alex then, "Sorry, your life seems hard!" Alice Lee killed it with delivering that line!

Hat tip to the showrunners in totally subverting audience expectations about Dr. Ivo. I mean, we were all thinking A.M.A.Z.O. was going to show up and Superman would have to deal with an android with his powers. Nope. Instead a Ivo dons a suit of armor made from Kryptonian tech and inspired by classic Superman villain Parasite. And perhaps in a subtle irony, the prototype has a little problem with causing out of control aggression. Mix that with Ivo and you get a recipe for disaster. It's no surprise the megalomania goes into overdrive and he throws a member of his company's Board of Directors to lure Superman to the party so he can demonstrate the Parasite suit's energy absorption powers. Fortunate for Superman, Ivo didn't account on two meddling interns named Lois and Jimmy nor Superman's ingenuity. Despite this, it seems "the good guys" from the series premiere were still a step ahead of them and clean out Ivo's lab of the stolen tech before the trio can comes back to collect proof of Ivo's guilt.

In terms of trivia, some interesting tidbits were sprinkled around. The Gazzo Crime Family Clark singles out as a connection to Ivo and a whole neighborhood being displaced is indeed from the comics. First seen in Batman: Dark Victory #1 from the late 90s. The bigger name drop is Lois not answering her father's call and the unfortunate confirmation that her mother is already passed and it created a rift. From comic and media history, we've seen that Lois's father Sam Lane is often at odds with Superman. Hmm. The slickest nod to the comics is the final fate of Dr. Ivo in this episode. In the comics, Ivo became terribly disfigured after an encounter with the Justice League, fueling his hatred for the super-heroes. But let's talk about Ivo's assistant Alex for a second here. In interviews, the show runners have mentioned it was suggested they should avoid Lex Luthor this season because he's been done to death in other shows and movies. But Alex... works for the biggest tech company in Metropolis, has red hair, wears purple, scientifically inclined, moody. Alex as in Alexander "Lex" Luthor?! Did Josie Campbell, Jake Wyatt, and Brendan Clogher just try to stealth slip Lex into this show under our noses? And sidebar, Alex's voice actor Max Mittleman has voiced several Superman characters in other projects already: Jimmy Olsen, Parasite, Steve Lombard, and Superman.

"Let's Go to Ivo Tower, You Say" brings our trio closer yet further apart when their first legitimate gig puts them right in the cross hairs of the latest to benefit from the stolen military tech. Instead of going with the usual choice for the businessman supervillain, the show surprises us in a good way with another clever reinterpretation of not one but two classic comic book bad guys. If you didn't think this show was not pulling it's punches, it's clear in the last moments of this week's episode. For that to happen in just the fourth episode of the series?! Who knows what shockers we're still in for...

Episode 5 You Will Believe a Man Can Lie

With season one reaching its midpoint, it's a given we're starting to see a lot of story threads coming together. Thankfully, the episode doesn't hit the audience over the head with recapping the past events of the season with Livewire, Intergang, and Dr. Ivo and instead works it in naturally. Nor do we get inundated with reveals and shockers, just enough to satiate our curiosity and spur on our fan theories. Lois confirms the truth about Superman. Task Force X reveals itself and for some reason thinks Superman is the enemy. The bond between Lois, Clark, and Jimmy is being tested. But on the flip side, kudos to the producers not revealing its full hand just yet and we're given more clues about the tech, some vague notions of what's up with Task Force X and their opinion about Superman, and the general has some past encounter with the tech in the past but we don't yet know his identity. Perhaps somehow a bunch of Kryptonian tech got sent to Earth along with baby Kal-El but the U.S. military mistook it for an alien invasion and begun preparations to defend themselves against the next attack sort of like in the style of the ID4 sequel and adapting the tech into their arsenal? It's certainly intriguing that the big bad of the show is going to be DC's big black ops military operation and not some classic Superman villain. Or is this all a red herring and we've yet to encounter the big threat just yet and the two sides will eventually be forced to team up in the season finale? Rewatching all the flashbacks/memories again, the Krypton one from episode 2 in particular shows not only Krypton in its final moments but also what appears to be a Kryptonian fleet in space fighting someone or something. Plus, there's that every clear statement that Waller and Wilson don't care about casualties (even though the latter once again states they are the good guys) as long as the mission is completed but they answer to the General, who refuses to endanger any civilians. Hmm. The other big plot point is the schism between our three best friends. Suffice to say it's a foregone conclusion the show is going to milk this drama for, hopefully, just one episode and the trio forgives each other and it's all good again by the end of next week. If the ending this episode is any indication, the impetus will be Jimmy going MIA and Clark and Lois setting off to find him.

While the reveal of Task Force X and presence of characters like Slade Wilson and Amanda Waller connotes the presence of the greater DC universe in this show, it's interesting to see a few more references such as Jimmy's stream about Sub-Diego being proof of the existence of Atlantis. Or once gain referencing the Gazzo Crime Family which has ties to Batman comics and an even more direct nod to the Bat-Family, a highway sign name dropping Bludhaven. It was also nice to see a brief "cameo" from Flip Johnson, tipping Lois off about another Superman sighting. And the so-called "Bigfoot" who Jimmy encounters did seems a bit more of a gorilla. Diehard DC fans knows there's a small circle of gorilla villains like Monsieur Mallah, Gorilla Grodd, Gorilla Boss, and Ultra-Humanite. Wilson's full suit was also a great if not a little spooky look. Very much a further nod to his Deathstroke suit in the comics but definitely taking design inspiration from anime mecha.

The only nitpick I had with this episode was inconsistency with the show's timeline. The pilot established the show takes place in May and starts around May 9. At the start of the episode, Jimmy's calendar has the 17th and 18th circled. But Jimmy's phone is stuck on Monday May 9th. And Lois asks Jimmy about the day of August 3rd.

"You Will Believe a Man Can Lie" puts the friendship between our main cast at its breaking point as the recurring mystery of the stolen tech becomes just a little more clear and the antagonists reveal themselves. Rightfully so, there are still many more questions left to answer as we find ourselves at the midway point of the season. But before we can get those answers, Jimmy needs saving or does he even need it? And can Clark and Lois move past the secrets and lies and find a common ground? The story of the century is getting a lot more complicated and that's just how I like it!

Episode 6 My Adventures with Mad Science

After last week's cliffhanger, I was coming into this episode thinking it would be a simple bottle episode. Clark and Lois team up to save Jimmy, endure some hardship, but remember the redeeming qualities of each other and make up. Well, that happened. But the episode also gave a lot of context, history, and food for thought regarding the mysterious recurring threat of Task Force X! The sheer irony of Jimmy stumbling upon probably one of the biggest secrets of the series, Area 52, while looking for Bigfoot. Man! We got a range of the timeline. The Cadmus minefield seems to be the field from the flashbacks Superman has been seeing all season. Some 22 years ago, two divisions got the Kryptonian tech from the odd flashbacks Superman's been getting from touching them and Task Force X was the military side. Project Cadmus went against the parameters and were wiped out except for two scientists. The Brain has some important warnings about Task Force X's leader. Definitely feels like a big bad. Worse yet, now a vengeful Dr. Ivo is in the mix! What I thought was going to be a small one-off episode gave us a big puzzle piece in the ongoing series arc and I loved every second of it!

What I also loved and applauded was the parallel romance story arc going on. Clark and Lois's budding romance hit the wall with Lois forcing Clark to tell the truth. Brain and Mallah are a long-time couple who just want to be safe and accepted after living in hiding for decades. They love each other truly but know the other's nuances down pat to the point of quibbling. In the end, it made total sense that Clark's compassion and ability to put himself in danger to save another life without question is what Lois loves about him and Clark kept his powers a secret because he just wanted to be safe and accepted, too. At the core of both couples are people in love with the other and just want to come to a place of acceptance. Mallah and Brain literally want to find that place together. Clark and Lois figuratively reach that place with each other.

The sort of offbeat nature of this episode and the revelations as well as the humorous beats were a real joy. Jack Quaid really delivered Clark's wholesomeness with "Oh my gosh. Bigfoot kidnapped Jimmy!" Jimmy totally throwing Mallah and Brain off by thanking them before they killed him. Mallah sparing his life just because he wanted to socialize with someone new. Italian chef finger kiss to the crew on this episode. Andre Sogliuzzo gave such an entertaining performance as Monsieur Mallah and his deliveries. 'We lived a life of peace.' Is that a black hole. 'We lived a life of peace and opened a black hole.' Mutants? 'We got bored after a year okay. We made mutants, made a black hole, and lived a life of peace!' Or revealing the Loch Ness Monster was just a mutant they lost in Scotland? Oh, man, Mallah had me rolling. Just might be my new favorite character of the series. Jesse Inocalla perfectly complimented and augmented Sogliuzzo as Mallah's more perturbed half, the Brain, with his inclination to just eliminate everything. It goes without saying but this was a brilliant Jimmy episode. We all thought things were dire last week, but turns out Jimmy was fine and all his crazy theories were basically proved to be right. He was like a kid in a candy store and was just the pal Mallah was aching to hang out with all these decades. Even funnier all this time, Jimmy knew Clark was Superman! Even meta to a point, Jimmy recalled he figured it out because of Clark's recurring problem with reinforced door handles. The balance and execution of humor, drama, and action this week was just perfection.

It was mixed feeling of both satisfaction and sadness that not all the answers are spelled out this week. A lot comes out thanks to Mallah and Brain but there's still an equal amount more left to discover with just 4 episodes left in season 1. But it felt like just enough was revealed to allow us to start connecting the dots. Feels like my ongoing theory that a bunch of Kryptonian tech got mistakenly sent to Earth parallel to baby Kal-El but the U.S. military mistook it for an alien invasion and begun preparations to defend themselves against the next attack sort of like in the style of the ID4 sequel and adapting the tech into their arsenal. So fear and misunderstanding is the core of Task Force X's conflict with Superman. And to make matters worse, the General was there when it happened and he's colored by the experience – molding him into a hardened, merciless, and tenacious military official. There's still the question of how and why all this Kryptonian tech ended up on Earth at the same time Kal-El happens to arrive. Again, the Krypton flashback from episode 2 showed a Kryptonian fleet in space fighting someone or something. Maybe a wormhole was engaged for a last second escape attempt to Earth that was somehow known to Krypton? We learned one of the alien tech Cadmus got to work on was a black hole generator to make a wormhole. Maybe it's the equivalent of a warp drive on an interstellar space ship. The Kryptonians were probably explorers... or based on the range of tech, colonizers at the time Krypton got destroyed. But something struck back against them? Something they could not stop... hmm. There's definitely one classic Superman villain from the comics with that kind of power set. And if you paid attention to a bit of news that dropped before this show premiered, in a video interview, a certain actor mentioned his previously undisclosed role on this series. Hmm!

"My Adventures with Mad Science" vindicates Jimmy Olsen and everything he's been saying on this show but that turns out to be the tip of the iceberg. The episode also explores the ideas of true love and acceptance and being other with the introduction of Monsieur Mallah and The Brain and through Clark and Lois mending fences. Not only that but some big answers and clues about the current main villain Task Force X comes to light. All presented and executed brilliantly without bogging down the episode's main story, structure or pacing! Another week of perfection and peek entertainment from My Adventures with Superman as we get just a little more closer to the end of the season and undoubtedly even more answers and revelations.

Episode 7 Kiss Kiss Fall in Portal

Last week's "My Adventures with Mad Science" blew me away with the world building and character arcs but this episode cranked it up a notch and went to the Multiverse! Not only that but it was Brain and Mallah's wormhole that led to this episode's antics. And Mr. Mxyztplk! The new design took some getting used to as was the lack of his weakness with saying his name backwards but what a neat way to incorporate the tiny hat. And a League of Lois Lane. You'd think a League of Supermen but nope, so Silver Age for it to be Lois (and some Jimmys)! And of course. Of course, can't do a Superman Multiverse episode without paying homage to the classics: Fleischer, Filmation, and Superman: The Animated Series. Then throw in a crab Superman, Overman, Justice Lord Superman, and a Comet mention for good measure. But why stop at Superman, the Earth-Prime Space and Superhero Museum tipped its hat to the greater DC Universe with a what's what of famous objects, including a Mother Box, a Nth metal mace, Book of the Black, T-Sphere, Green Lantern battery, Helmet of Fate, Cosmic Rod, and Flight Ring. This show! Not to mention that wall where Mxy finds his hat is littered with anime, video game, and cartoon nods.

Now it could have stopped right there with just easter egg after easter egg but nah, this is the show that keeps on giving. We got the major move for Clark to show Lois and Jimmy his ship. But Mxyztplk let's it slip all Superman are from planet Krypton, a name our show's Superman hears for the first time. And Lois discovers she swiped something when she took the file but has yet to learn it is a sample of Kryptonite and very dangerous near Superman.

We know Lois revealed her issue with feeling inadequate because she is still an intern after being at the Daily Planet for a year. And it the League of Lois Lanes doesn't help the situation much. It is standard for a Lois Lane to win a Pulitzer Prize by age 21. Our show's Lois is 23. Ulp. And all the League needed was a strand of hair. Earth-52 Lois won multiple awards. Earth-24 Lois got the Key to the City at age 19. Way to humble a girl. But beyond that, once again, Lois gets itchy because she's got the feeling two things she hates have reared their ugly heads again: secrets and lies. And it's the other Lois Lanes to boot. And to learn the truth, Lois has the baddie of the week take her straight to the answers despite the fact he wants to go there to. To power up. No big deal. The episode ends on an almost eerie full circle moment. Lois learns about the existence of evil Supermen in certain universes and gets a hold of Kryptonite. All season long Task Force X has been adamant Superman is the enemy and needs to be put down. With just three episodes left this season, sounds about right they are sending Lois up a river of doubt only for her to see what no one else does, like this episode, and hopefully mend fences between Superman and Task Force X. Somehow.

"Kiss Kiss Fall in Portal" is a zany heist movie turned fugitive pursuit in the Multiverse filled with reverence and hat tips to the Superman mythos and the greater DC Universe but it's all leading to more shocking revelations for Lois. What she decides to do with her newfound knowledge and memento are yet to be seen. With the season closing in on its finale, a reckoning is definitely on the horizon.

Episode 8 Zero Day Part 1

My Adventures with Superman has always featured a Superman just starting out and who didn't have a full grasp on his powers or limits. "Zero Day" Part 1 revolves around that caveat. While Superman discovers he has super hearing, he begins to ignore his basic health needs and runs himself ragged saving people and searching for The General. And the gut wrencher is Lois's self-doubt from the aftermath the League of Lois Lanes incident is only exacerbated by Vicki Vale's anti-Superman agenda and it all manifests at the wrong time, pushing Superman away. To make things worse, Superman's naivete is exploited when he hears Mist's sob story and he heads right into the trap set up by Task Force X. Burnt out, he has to fight essentially every bad guy he's fought this season all at once in for form of the closest thing to an adapted version of the Suicide Squad. Recipe for disaster.

While things are suspiciously bleak just in time for the end of the season, there some puzzle pieces of hope laid out for the audience. Jimmy suddenly has 2 million followers. What this means is unclear but speculation hat on, Jimmy and Lois can now essentially use Flamebird to crowd source an all-out search for Superman. Superman saved Mist's life. Is Mist going to repay the favor? Superman's biggest challenge was Dr. Ivo in his Parasite armor and by the looks of it, Ivo is teetering on the brink of insanity and instability. Perhaps his obsession with revenge will lead Ivo to impulsively double cross Task Force X so he can have Superman to himself. Or all the bad guys for that matter. They're not loyal to Task Force X. If not for those shock collars, they could in theory overpower their captors and stage a jail break and in the chaos, Superman gets free, too. Even back to episode 5, recall the General and Waller weren't in total agreement and latter seemed pretty miffed at a missed opportunity to take down Superman. And traditionally, Waller is the head of Task Force X. Here, she is not. Yet? Or maybe The General is a sensible guy and starts to realize Superman isn't their target? Suffice it to say, there's a lot of wild cards in play and it's up in air how Part 2 will play out.

Once again, the timeline of this show is really wonky. One second, Jimmy's phone is still stuck on May 9 then it's November 18. Shrug. Naturally with everything wrapping up this season, there's a lot of references to past episodes and events. But there's a few eyebrow raising nods to the greater DC Universe. Namely Vicki's greatest hits – taking down the Falcone crime family and also a Queen Industries inheritance scandal. Based in Gotham, a Falcone reference is natural. But a Green Arrow reference? Hmm. Sounds like Oliver Queen has perhaps returned from his ship wreck to claim his rightful place at the family company? Superman meeting another rookie hero could be interesting and I certainly wouldn't have guessed it could be Ollie. As for the Superman references this episode, it seems the theme was All-Star Superman. The pawn shop is named after writer Grant Morrison and the end credits indicate the elderly woman who was interviewed was named after artist Frank Quietly. Then some of Jimmy's followers are some classic Superman characters like mermaid Lori Lemaris and long shoreman Bibbo.

"Zero Day" Part 1 signals the beginning of season one coming to a close. Superman overdoes it and finds himself between a rock and a hard place. Task Force X has Superman in their clutches and some bad PR makes the city afraid of him. While Lois is grappling with keeping her knowledge of evil Supermen in the Multiverse a secret from Jimmy and Clark, she and Jimmy are Superman's only hope granted the bad guys aren't banking on self-preservation and double crossing Task Force X at some point. The power of three best friends has saved the day all season, why doubt that now? It's always darkest before dawn...

Episode 9 Zero Day Part 2

Love or hate the idea that Superman did not save the city by himself but "Zero Day Part 2" carefully set up the people of Metropolis paying it forward and smartly drawing on everything that happened in the past season to culminate in a meaningful and relevant resolution. From the start, the show has always been about Superman, Lois, and Jimmy. None overshadows the other. It's the bond between these three friends that is the x-factor of this series and what saves the city's collective butt this week. At the top of the episode, Flip Johnson convinces Lois to let her Newskid Legion help in the search for Superman. Flip admits when she thinks of helping Superman, like he helped her, she doesn't feel so small anymore. Cut to the final battle between Superman and Ivo. Jimmy utilizes his Flamebird and Lois is inspired by Flip's admission to make a broader appeal to all the people of Metropolis, challenging them to compare Superman to themselves. Both are capable of causing hurt and pain because of things like fear of the other, but both are capable of greatness. They all see Superman out there trying to fight. Despite Vicki Vale's hit piece last episode and collateral damage Superman caused chasing Mist, the people of Metropolis ultimately side with Superman and do the right thing. And in doing so, Lois and Jimmy take themselves to the next level in their character arcs. Flamebird is no longer just some recurring joke and Jimmy uses it as his greatest weapon to aid his best friend and in doing so, abandons his anonymity. Lois, battling even more self-doubt after seeing many more successful Lois Lanes in the Multiverse, starts acting like the determined award winning reporter who can reach into hearts and minds of all and convince them to work together and save their would-be savior and protector. Whereas, all those fears about Superman using his power for his own gain and hurting others and deciding he's above the law are manifested in the true antagonist of the episode, Dr. Ivo who is the epitome of this false projection of Superman. It wasn't an alien orphan with super powers that was the monster that threatened their existence, it was one of their own all along.

Rewinding back to when My Adventures With Superman was first announced to the world, it was stated the show had a two season greenlight. With that in mind, it stands to reason the penultimate episode of the season does not leave everything tied up in a nice, neat bow. Task Force X alone goes through some stuff. Not counting Ivo, all the villains they rounded up are now back in the wild with the stolen tech. Waller engineered her ascension to leadership of the organization, ousting her own best friend from the top spot for the sake of the mission. Unlike The General, she's cold and lacks any empathy and is dead set on Superman being the ultimate threat that must be taken out. The General is now reduced to an assassin, troubled with the realization that Superman isn't the enemy he fixated on for the past 22 years. We'll see if he will be able to pull the trigger. Slade has lost an eye, just as his comic counterpart. While it's no surprise Task Force X is under the auspices of the U.S. government, it was a bit of an eye brow riser to hear "Checkmate" as well. Recounting the past 30 years of DC animation, this would be the first time Checkmate has come up. Whether that means we will see members of that group show up in future episodes to do what Task Force X fails to... we'll see. The main caveat is Task Force X is still around and doesn't look to be going away anytime soon on this show.

"Zero Day Part 2" also filled in a big gap in the mystery of what Zero Day was. So somehow, a Kryptonian scout ship found Earth and was on stand-by for three days then opened that portal we saw in previous glimpses. The lead Kryptonian, clad in armor, and the waiting armada attack with robots akin to the X-T 00 robots seen in the series premiere and on. But these original versions bear a very familiar symbol on their chests that DC fans instantly recognize. Brainiac. Oh, man. I think we got our big bad for season 2. Then something off-screen, the end of Krypton, disrupts the invasion and closes the portal, leaving a ton of Kryptonian technology on Earth in the U.S. military's hands. Sam, the man we knew as The General, and Waller are the only survivors of the skirmish. He founds Task Force X under the mission to utilize the technology to make sure they are ready when the armada returns to finish its invasion. A xenophobic general with the first name "Sam" on a Superman show? Things are going to get a lot more tangled and personal if he turns out to be Lois's estranged father, Sam Lane. As for the armored Kryptonian. Did he or she survive Krypton's end? Does it matter who his Kryptonian is? A military official leading an invasion seems to hint at Zod or Ursa. Or perhaps a twist is in store? Or it means squat and was a total red herring. We'll see. To me, it looks like the show is gearing up to force Superman, Lois, and Jimmy and Task Force X to ally against a common enemy next season.

Call it two crews being on the same wavelength but I definitely chuckled to see a gigantic kaiju Parasite show up. Almost three years to the day, Superman also dealt with a gigantic kaiju Parasite in the direct-to-video movie "Superman: Man of Tomorrow." Another borough of Metropolis is name dropped. At the beginning of the episode, Park Ridge is named. In the comics, Park Ridge is the oldest suburb and is usually in the northwest corner of the city. Also mentioned is Bakerline, teased in the opening flashback of the show, is in the top middle of the city and is home of Metropolis' middle class. As mentioned earlier in the review, the episode utilizes lot's of callbacks for its finale. Flip refers to when Superman saved her like in the opening of the third episode "My Interview with Superman" during the blimp accident. Lois is guilty about telling Superman not to fight the government, take a break from being Superman, and act normal in last week's episode. Ivo is angry about his deal being ignored, a deal verbally made at the end of "My Adventures with Mad Science" and claiming Superman took everything from him in "Let's Go to Ivo Tower, You Say" when in fact he was responsible for his company tanking long before Superman came into his life. Waller mentions the effectiveness of Project Cadmus's omega field, which previously weakened Superman in "My Adventures with Mad Science" akin to his red sun weakness in the comics. Livewire refers to Slade as "Black Ops," a callback to "Adventures of a Normal Man Part 2" when they meet at the cafe. Superman brings up to Lois when she first asked him who he was. She did so in the series premiere after all the robots were dealt with but he flew away without answering or showing his face. Jimmy's Flamebird followers bear some familiar names like last week's episode: Lori Lemaris, Peter Ross, Bibbo, and Lana. Jimmy sees the Superman File X video Lois accessed at the end of "Kiss Kiss Fall in Portal." Waller mentions Checkmate. In the comics, it started out as a small, quasi-independent branch of Task Force X under the command of Colonel Valentina Vostok (better known as Negative Woman of the Doom Patrol) to perform global operations considered vital to the security of American interest. And lastly, the Brainiac symbol on those robots. Suffice to say, Brainiac is one of Superman's greatest classic villains and him showing up eventually isn't a surprise and a connection to Krypton isn't unprecedented. In animation alone, he was also linked to Krypton in "Superman: The Animated Series" where he was an A.I. dedicated to monitoring the planet and serving multiple functions such as planetary defenses, aiding the High Council and cataloging information but chose to save itself over warning of Krypon's impending end.

"Zero Day" Part 2 is a near-perfect organic execution of a season's worth of story, arcs, and canon. Together, it is Superman, Lois, and Jimmy who saves the city from the real monster of the series, Dr. Ivo. The trio has stepped up, the whole city has seen it, and they are heading towards a new status quo but not everything is wrapped up. The villains who escaped, Task Force X, and a possible second alien invasion still looms over our three best friends. However, Superman's greatest enemy this season, The General, is now touched by doubt as he is tasked with killing Superman himself. And what timing, as there is after all, one episode remaining this season...

 

[Rick Jones]

I can't believe how fast this season has gone by. Even with everything that has happened, it feels as though its only just beginning. The response to the series has continually felt soo refreshing.

 

[Yojimbo]

​

Episode 10 "Hearts of the Fathers" - August 31/September 1, 2023

It's Thanksgiving, and Clark, Lois, and Jimmy are heading to the Kent farm to celebrate -- but the holiday turns into a fight for survival.

Comments?

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Discussion is encouraged, but please keep your posts civil, relevant and insightful. Feel free to comment as the episode streams, too, providing your own running commentary, though AVOID successive posting or posts with only three words and under. However, do not post any improper or inflammatory material, as we will issue warnings if we believe it necessary. And please remember to keep the discussion ON-TOPIC! Any mention or implication of viewing an episode through illegal means will not be tolerated - the post will be deleted and/or an infraction will be issued.

 

[Rick Jones]

That Season 2 production announcement at the end of the episode pumped me up so much.

That was such a good episode. The season went by so fast and I enjoyed every second of it.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[Neo Ultra Mike]

I am glad they are making it clear season 2 is happening... don't know when it's coming out but eh not like those of us who grew up on Adult Swim aren't used to shows having long gaps between seasons of the original half hour animated series. Like Venture Brothers had that nearly 20 years ago so I'm fine even if it takes like two years.

Admittedly this finale did have kind of a rushed feeling since yeah the entire season was building up the return of these robots and invasion but it just happening cause Kryptonite was shown around Clark by his alien ship and that also triggering the hologram of Jor El... felt a bit "yeah we do need to give this episode a major climax that pays off." However one thing I will give this that honestly is actually very fresh for this Superman series is the importance of truth and of NOT keeping these secrets even if you are trying to protect the ones you love because of how much damage hiding things can do. I mean yeah that typically seems to be the case but you also usually have this game of still trying to hide one's secret identity but that's not the case here; the whole thing started cause Lois was frantically trying to hide secrets for Clark's case and she finds her dad was going hard core general for the sake of protecting others and was able to talk him down by pointing out the truth is more important and that honestly worked well. I also liked the comedy bits of Pa failing to cook the turkey and everyone trying to talk to Jimmy and then him revealing he's rich selling Flamebird was a good ending joke. The teaser with I guess Zod wasn't the greatest (like they can't even show his face but they they do have the catchphrase which feels pretty eh) but the rest worked and made for a solid finale for this show. Like I admit I haven't been the most invested in a lot of recent animated DC shows sans Harley Quinn but this one is another keeper and glad it will continue with a new season of stories going forward.

 

[Yojimbo]

Yeah, someone was smart enough to know not everyone remembered or read the news and knew from the very first announcement for this show it was stated it would be 2 seasons from the start.

"Hearts of the Fathers" was the perfect balance of humor and heart and drama and action. The first half of the season finale was a quirky holiday family comedy that all of a sudden shifted to an emotional and action packed alien invasion third act. The tensions of Lois and Sam's relationship and the will-he-recognize-Clark were countered with the hilarity of Pa Kent's battle of wits against the turkey and the side bars into kitchen. Jimmy also shined as the audience surrogate, both in dismay at still keeping a secret from Clark despite everything they've gone through and quashing the Thanksgiving antics as the most emotional mature person. Then just from one innocent slip up, the episode gets serious. The very ship that Clark tried to keep under the surface for the most of the season, perhaps a metaphor for himself as well, literally rises up into the sky and puts a target on planet Earth. Wouldn't be a season finale if Superman saves the world even at the cost of his life. And the big solve of the season was that piece of Kryptonite from the datasphere Lois took home but didn't know about until later. You know in "Kiss Kiss Fall in Portal"? That episode that seemed like just a big DC-Superman-Lois tribute bottle episode. Wasn't for nothing. So I guess, Mr. Mxyztplk is really to thank for Superman being able to destroy the ship and close the portal...

But more to the core of the episode title "Hearts of the Fathers" and what it means. Despite allegiances and beliefs, love for their child reigns supreme in the hearts of this show's fathers – Jor-El and Sam Lane. Jor-El, repentant about his people, sent his son to another planet so he could live a different life until to be misunderstood and accused of being the enemy. In the end, he does the same that he did 22 years ago, saved his son from certain death. Sam Lane spent 22 years in fear of another alien invasion and sacrificed everything just to keep his daughter safe but in the end, disobeyed the system he followed all his life and spared "the enemy" for Lois.

When it comes to our main cast, the season ends with a new status quo. Yes, they've all been made full reporters. But I'm talking about Jimmy being a millionaire! The producers have really made a completely three dimensional Jimmy Olsen, a core of the ever loving photographer from the comics but expanded on with a bent towards conspiracy theorist and budding social media influencer. And it's been taken up a notch. Certainly, it seems this will be his new arc in season two. Lois finally achieved what she's been yearning to be: a reporter. Season two, will she kill it as a reporter or are there still some curve balls. The conflict with Task Force X is now a lot more personal with the revelation about her father. Maybe season two will delve more into her mother and entertain with a visit from sister Lucy. Perhaps now Jimmy's newfound fame and riches will affect his life? Lois and Clark are more closer and in love that ever.

Stands to reason, Superman will learn the truth about his father and more about Krypton next season as well as master his powers and using them strategically. Maybe we'll get more stuff like freeze breath. Superman can't keep flying off and sacrificing himself to save the day. And certainly they will be reeling from the revelation that Sam Lane was their adversary all along but will he remain that in season two when a bigger threat arrives? And for that matter Task Force X. This show's Waller is dead set on her mission but so was the Waller on Justice League Unlimited and she ended up an ally in the end.

And last but certainly not least, Brainiac and its master. If that wasn't an ominous tease for season two, I don't know what is. While I'm suspicious of Brainiac being the adjutant of the duo and I think it could secretly be the big bad of season two, the bigger question is the master. Appearance-wise, way different looking than the Nemesis Omega from Zero Day but to be fair if you were caught in the explosion of your home planet and spent the next 22 years conquering planets, how would you look? So there's that question, is that the same Kryptonian as Zero Day or is it someone else, like another survivor or could it be a ruse like a robot or AI puppet being manipulated by Brainiac to fulfill its corrupted programming: go forth and conquer for the Kryptonian Empire even though it no longer exists? Maybe. Whether it's the same or a different Kryponian, then of course that begs the question of it is a name DC character? Should be. Is the use of "kneel" a red herring for the audience and tricking us into thinking that could be Zod? The voice credits the warrior as being voiced by Kari Wahlgren. Maybe a gender-bent Zod? There is a long list of evil Kryptonian ladies like Ursa and Mala to name a few. This show could even give us an evil Kara Zor-El for all we know. And yes, there was some leaked concept art that might have spoiled who the warrior is but I'm not going to discuss that further for the sake of legalities. Still, we have a new mystery and threat for season two. Season one had a repentant AI of Jor-El who tried to explain things to Clark but was haggled by the language gap and we saw some flashbacks from the stolen tech but we still have a lot of back story gaps left to fill and things could get interesting if the only ones left that can fills those gaps are the villains.

"Hearts of the Fathers" is a fitting and satisfying conclusion to the inaugural season of My Adventures With Superman, filled with humorous antics, dramatic declarations, emotional gut-wrenching moments, and one more shocker of shockers from Jimmy. And while "Hearts of the Fathers" tied up a lot of sub-plots and brought our main cast to the next level, there's still a lot of problems left to resolve and answers to seek for season two. Task Force X is still gunning for Superman. A bunch of escaped villains armed with the stolen tech are still out there. They teased us with Brainiac in the final minutes of the season finale, people. Brainiac! Season two can't come quick enough.

 

[Rick Jones]

It's only AI but it is kind of sad to see how hard it was for Jor-El to connect with Clark already, and then now after Clark believes him to be an invading warlord. Not to mention that the ship had some kind of trojan that would have helped Brainiac and company come to Earth like they attempted on Zero Day. We saw what stopped them this time but I wonder what happened the first time.

It will be interesting to see how Clark will eventually learn the real truth of everything that happened. I never really thought of anything in Superman's life as being a mystery but this kind of formatting is keeping things fresh for me. They got the secret identity shenanigans out of the way early so we can deal with these higher stakes identity issues.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[Yojimbo]

Not to mention that the ship had some kind of trojan that would have helped Brainiac and company come to Earth like they attempted on Zero Day. We saw what stopped them this time but I wonder what happened the first time.

Wasn't Krypton blowing up near the armada off-screen what halted the first attempt on Zero Day?

 

[RoyalRubble]

I don't have any fancy episodic reviews but watched the entire season and enjoyed it a lot. It was a pretty unique take on Superman, I mean they did cover the basics but also brought in some surprises along the way. His Kryptonian heritage for example. They also covered quite a bit of stuff in only 10 episodes, it did feel a little rushed at times, but overall it was still entertaining enough for me.

The characters were likeable. I liked them since the first preview images came out, and seeing them interact on the show was even better. Even when they argued or where upset with each other or whatever, it still made sense within the story. The focus on Clark/Superman and Lois worked pretty well. It should be interesting seeing them as an actual couple from this point on. And Jimmy's rich, too. I was also a bit surprised they didn't drag out the secret identity thing for too long, we'll see who else might find out as the show continues. Some villains are bound to come across this info eventually.

I also liked how they handled most of the villains. The redesigns looked a bit odd at first but did kind of grow on me. Mxy for example, or Pinky Mallah & the Brain. Ivo creating the Parasite was a twist (what's next, a janitor named Rudy Jones builds a giant robot named AMAZO?). I liked how they avoided Luthor so far, well he made some minor appearances and had some typical comments in a couple of episodes, but that's about it. You can tell he doesn't like Superman and that's enough for now.

I knew Brainiac was going to appear since learning about the voice actor but the ending still caught me by surprise. I either forgot all about it or just didn't expect a teaser of things to come. So yeah, there's still more than enough stuff they can do on the show so hopefully it will last a few seasons more.

 

[Fone Bone]

My Adventures With Superman "Hearts Of The Fathers"

Here is why I value the show so much. Like all great superhero projects, there is life and death melodrama, and the characters are pushed to their emotional breaking points. The show is not afraid to lay down The Big Hurt on the characters, and explore every inch of their personal pain and conflicts.

What sets this show apart from the other stuff, and is the reason it's better, is that it also allows the characters good moments, and victories together. The show is an affirmation of the positivity of the character of Superman after so many projects are obsessed with telling us why he sucks deep down, and that somehow manage to turn the character's intended goodness and altruism into a cautionary tale about worshipping false Gods. I don't get that bit either, but the show is good because it raises the question without every violating the integrity of Clark himself. Whatever is going on, Clark is innocent and trying to stop it. And that may be a controversy and open question to some of the characters. To the viewer it's refreshingly obvious, and refreshing to see a take on Superman not designed to make the audience feel guilty for being impressed by, or even liking him. We're allowed to like him. His personality is very accessible too. Like the Timmverse Superman and the one from Superman & Lois, the producers of this show are very invested in making Clark recognizable as an actual person. With human hopes, fears, and dreams. And they are downplaying the alienness other takes seem to saddle him with to set him apart from, and even against, the other heroes.

I think the DC Animated Universe is the best DC project. Live-action, animated, OR comic book. But while some of it is to do with melodrama, very little of it went towards Superman himself. By the end of Justice League Unlimited they were making us question Superman's morals just like other projects. Was the DCAU actually fun and enjoyable while doing so? Yes. Did they manage to hit the right melodramatic soap opera notes with Batman, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl? Also yes. But this show is not just a humanistic take on Superman. It shows Superman can be a character the audience emotionally relates to. And here's the kicker. It's effortless. I would love to praise the show for supposedly doing the impossible, but the show is actually only taking the correct dramatic role other DC properties would be taking if they didn't have it stuck in their heads that Superman is the DC franchise that is supposed to be dull and unfun, and make you feel wary about him being out there. He wasn't always that, but once he became that, he essentially became nothing else. And this show is suggesting it can still explore those fears while saying Clark is good and won't ever hurt his friends. And this is all stuff I already knew by the way, which is a big reason most Superman projects frustrate me so much. The show giving the audience a Superman it can like, root for, sympathize with, and yes, even understand, is something DC would have been doing all along if I had been running it. This is not a revelation to me. A celebration of Superman and the power of love between Lois and Clark being great is pretty low-hanging fruit as far as great entertainment goes. And yet, DC still rarely refuses to pick it.

I speak of celebrating the victories? Jimmy is all of the sudden rich at the end of the episode, and it's all right, and doesn't change anything on the show. Different scenarios can and will be explored from it next season. But the Clark, Lois, Jimmy friendship hasn't changed a jot. Which suggests the writers not only know the characters and their relationships to each other. But they love and value them and only want to strengthen them. Again, this is actually not something the show should necessarily be celebrated for. Because it's actually pretty freaking obvious.

Michael Emerson as Brainiac? Good casting.

This is not as good as the DC Animated Universe. Yet. But I think it's the second best DC project after it, and truthfully IS actually better than the DCAU in many fundamental ways regarding the Superman mythos. The DCAU is the better all around DC project. This show is the better Superman take. *****.

 

[Nobodyman]

Didn't even realize the forums were back until just today. So here's my commentary on final episode of the season, which, by all rights, should have been posted here.

Woo! Season finale already!

I’m going to guess that this is a dream sequence.

Yep.

Calm down, Clark. You are not Omni-Man.

Okay, I guess that giant Kaiju husk is a permanent feature now.

So in the journalism industry I guess you just fail upwards.

Thanksgiving at the Kent house!

The father-in-law. More terrifying than any supervillain.

Wow. Father-in-law and supervillain. VHAT A TWEEST!

Man, this is shaping up to be the worst Thanksgiving ever.

Hurt like Kryptonite!

Ooh, the Venture Bros. movie. Seen it already, but I highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t.

Hey now, relax, I’m sure the robots just wanna give you a big hug.

Or not.

I don’t know what’s more intense, the threat to humanity or the family drama.

“Sorry Lois. Gotta do the noble sacrifice. It’s what heroes do.”

Ha! Jor-El’s a good daddy after all.

Wow. Second time he’s saved his son’s life by putting him in a pod.

Good dad, kind of a lousy general though.

Welcome to the 1% Jimmy.

“KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!”

That was pretty fun. Lookin’ forward to season 2!

 

[Frontier]

Adventures of a Normal Man Parts 1 and 2

I love that DC logo with Superman just flying through it. Also interesting that they're saving the OP for past the premier episode.

The animation is very lively and fluid, probably one of the better looking DC Animated projects in a while.

I wonder if the whole "blue eyes" for when Clark unlocks his powers is a bit much. Like, I'm a massive anime fan and can tell this is influencing the production and style a lot, but I wonder if it might get to be a bit too much. I also thought it was interesting we only saw him use speed, flight, and super-strength. No Heat Vision, X-Ray Vision, or even super-breath. Does he not have those yet? Is this going to be like Smashes the Clan where the more he learns about himself and embraces his Kryptonian heritage the more he unlocks his powerset? I'm wondering if he even has super-hearing, the only time he seemed to use it was when he heard Lois yelling for him while he was flying in the air.

Ha! Parallels between our main couple. That's cute.

Clark breaking stuff is kind of a fun gag but my takeaway was that it indicates yet again how he had no formal training in his powers up to this point. He basically is just winging it (and sometimes causing property damage in the process).

It's interesting setting up that our traditional reporter trio are interns just starting out rather than full-fledged reporters like they always are. I'm guessing their main character arc will be becoming official reporters (and Jimmy a proper photographer). Especially since they still basically do reporter stuff, especially Lois.

Jack Quaid is a very likeable, dorky, and endearing Clark. I'm just wondering if we're going to see him build up the Superman persona and voice.

They really wasted no time with Clois in this episode. Barely two minutes into meeting each other and their crushing hard and stumbling all over each other. It was really cute and sweet, but also felt like it moved really fast? I've seen anime romcoms with a little more build up than that. But I guess they've got 10 episodes and a lot of stuff to cover so they need to move at a bit of a rapid pace.

I can kind of see where they're going with Jimmy as a chill, cool, conspiracy nut, but I feel like he toes the line between being fun and being a bit grating. Him needling Clark and Lois was pretty fun, though. I hope one of his conspiracy bents gets him transformed into a turtle. Curious if they do more with the "Flamebird" thing.

Perry being perpetually frustrated by the trio's antics was fun but I hope we get to dive a bit more into him as a character and as a newspaper editor.

I had honestly completely forgotten about the Newskid Legion being in this show. Guardian cameo! It's funny how Big Words was the only one they didn't gender-bend (YJ basically made her Velma).

Nice tag team from Clark and Lois!

Lois Lane took down more giant robots than Superman did! Heck, Superman needed to get bailed out twice in both of his major fights, even if he was the one who resolved things in the end. I hope as Clark grows as a hero and grows into his powers he's able to resolve things more effectively and on his own.

I'm expecting Lois is going to throw it in Clark's face that he got upset with her for lying when she finds out he's Superman. Though the effect of Clark with just the glasses was surprisingly effective.

It's funny to me that Martha looked a lot younger than Jonathan here but while Martha actually aged in the present-day Jonathan looked...exactly the same. I also like how the one thing Clark and his dad have in common is faking being sick to bail on stuff.

So Lois likes Clark but admires Superman?

The universal constant of Superman adaptions is Lois Lane dragging Jimmy Olsen to take pictures for her.

So it seems the rocket buried itself underground and built the Fortress underneath? And while it's not in the arctic, it brings the decor of the arctic with it when you actually go inside?

Hardcore Big Boss Jor-El. I'm curious how long they'll keep up the language gap between him and Clark, because it'll keep Clark in the dark for a while. I guess that'll probably come to a head when Lara and Brainaic show up.

Clever job of splitting the difference for the Superman suit. It's Kryptonian from the Fortress as the base, but Martha adds the trunks and the belt...because you gotta break up the blue!

I feel like the weakest aspect of the premier was the villains. Like, what part of this character was Livewire other than when she starts shooting out electricity? She was a pretty generic criminal otherwise with no real backstory, motivation, or the kind of lively personality I expect from Livewire. I guess maybe they're building up to her transforming into a more comic-accurate look (which might be why they didn't have Slade say what her thief name was so they can make it a big deal when she's called "Livewire"), but so far I'm not too in love with it.

That's Slade Wilson? That scrawny, foppy, unremarkable guy? I guess maybe the white hair was meant to be the tell, but still. Maybe he'll get a serious makeover when he loses his eye and become Deathstroke.

I guess it wouldn't be a Superman show if the remnants of Krypton weren't giving Clark a headache. Seems like a lot of Kryptonian tech (or crystals) appeared to the government through a portal and they've been using that to develop dangerous tech like the robots and Leslie's suit. And that's before we even get to Kryptonite. Is this why Metropolis is so futuristic? Or is that Lex?

I kind of wonder what happened to Krypton. Seem like someone (or something) did something to their sun that caused the planet to blow up but there was also a space battle? Was this all Brainiac?

So Amanda Waller and General Sam Lane are running their own black ops unit trying to find and weaponize all the Kryptonian tech?

So Cat, Ron, and Lombard. I think Lombard is confirmed to show up so that just leaves Cat and Ron. It's kind of funny to think the Planet has three prominent black characters now. Superman is starting to settle into Metropolis and Lois Lane is out to interview him!

My Interview with Superman

Anime style OP goes hard.

"Waid cafe" - that's cute!

Red eyes mean Heat Vision! For a second there I was honestly wondering if he was unlocking it through his attraction to Lois, since that's sometimes the reason he first activates it when he hits puberty.

Bethany Snow and Channel 52!

The Scoop Crew! Did they just have Cat Grant do the Ojou-sama laugh!? Steve Lombard is as much of sports-obsessed jerk as ever. I guess since they race-bent two white characters into black guys that let them gender-bent Ron Troupe, who is still the most normal person in the Daily Planet cast. Their personalities are pretty in-line with how they're usually portrayed.

I love it when she calls him Smallville.

"Crazy woman" - Livewire? Was she selling Kryptonian tech? Feels weird that Waller would put that on the market if it was her.

Once again they reinvent a more flamboyant Superman villain into a low-level tech criminal, this time with Silver Banshee. I dunno, Banshee's look, powers, and even backstory stand out so much that this felt pretty lackluster in comparison, the only remnants of her comic look being the skeleton pants and the fur on her jacket, though at least they kept the accent. Also shave off a few inches and she was practically loli-height compared to everybody else.

Lois Lane will steal and impersonate her way to a story when she has to! And Clark can't help but love that about her. Though Lois Lane playing Cat Grant was a riot.

Intergang goes from the biggest crime family in Metropolis too...a trio of dorky and incompetent criminals. They basically took themselves out, too. I guess at least Superman wasn't a complete pushover against them?

It took me way longer than it should have to realize the criminal gang using a freezing machine was just to set up Superman unlocking Heat Vision to save the day.

So will rogue Kryptonian tech + Clark unlocking more of his powers + flashbacks make up the bulk of the next few episodes? Were those Brainiac drones?

So it seems like Quaid's Superman has a firmer voice with a lower register compared to his Clark, though it seems like he's slowly building up his Superman persona.

Superman was able to make Lois blush! And we get our first "Superman flies with Lois Lane" scene. Though this is probably one of the least successful interviews with Superman because this version knows the least about him at this point in his career. Which also just makes Lois think he's lying. Poor Clark!

Let's Go to Ivo Tower, You Say

Well Clark, the girl you like thinks your alter ego is a liar, but she also loves resting your head on your shoulder. Fair trade?

I guess it's not unreasonable somebody would've reported on Clark as a kid even if he didn't go full Superboy in Smallville.

"Don't call me chief!" Perry said the line! Now all we need is a "Great Ceasar's Ghost!"

They definitely leaned into Ivo being an evil version of Tony Stark, they even had someone call him "Tony." Actually felt like they were describing him a little like Luthor which makes me wonder how the show would approach him.

I was wondering if Lois' ethnicity would factor into the character at all, and I guess that was present in her fancy outfit, which she looked amazing in. Though a part of me wonders if we'll ever see her in a dress or skirt at some point.

I get Lois wants to be a hard-hitting reporter and chasing real news but she's not at a point where she can ambush people and expect them to answer her.

Clark Kent will not stand for anyone insulting Lois Lane.

"Take it off!" - What would a DC show be without sexual innuendo? And then after that we see how tight those pants hug Lois' butt, her taking her jacket off to show off her back and how much her top hugs her chest...not to mention Clark being the complete buff package, which Lois can't help but notice. Nice.

So it seems like Lois' main hangup is feeling emotionally disconnected from her dad and having a hangup about men who keep secrets or don't open up to her, which is why she was so frustrated with Superman and why Clark couldn't tell her then. Also sounds like her dad keeping her moms' sickness a secret didn't help matters. And maybe she's so focused on becoming a reporter becuase she doesn't want to seem like a failure? I wonder if they'll even mention Lucy.

Oh hey, Max Mittelman! He played Jimmy a few times!

Ivo and Parasite seem like a random combination but I guess both Parasite and Amazo have absorption powers. Weird to have it be a suit of armor instead of like a mutated purple man, but I wonder if Ivo internalized any of the absorption abilities from the armor and will turn into a more comic-accurate Parasite?

Lois kissed his cheek! They basically turned this into date! Clark walks her home! Are they official yet, or what? Though I guess the ending of the episode might complicate things. And Jimmy is really starting to feel like a third hweel.

"Clark Kent is Superman!" Wow, Lois figured it out by episode 4. That might be a record. Will she confront him about it or try to prove it Silver Age/Superman II style?

You Will Believe a Man Can Lie

I love how Lois has Superman with glasses plastered next to her bed. Girl can't help herself.

Poor Jimmy. Clark and Lois get caught up in their own drama and basically forget about him, he gets flamed online, and then gets stuck with Steve Lombard...who turns out to be the guy who was giving him online hate to begin with. Though Steve was also surprisingly genuine in trying to give Jimmy advice, even if Jimmy didn't want to hear it.

Even Superman tries to get his best friends' advice before confessing his feelings to his crush.

Surprise Sub-Diego first appearance!

Clark suddenly coming off surprisingly careless now that Lois basically knows, though maybe that's just how it looks when you start seeing all the signs.

I have to admit, that's the first time I've seen Lois straight up handcuff herself to Superman to figure out his secret identity. And then they end up "dancing" while fighting crime.

That was supposed to be Heat Wave? If you wanted a female flame villain, why not use Volcana? I guess because the show wants to avoid Metahumans and just use tech. Honestly Heat Wave felt kind of superfluous outside giving Superman an excuse to fight Deathstroke. I was half-expecting Clark to unlock Freeze Breath to beat her. Also gender-flipping Heat Wave...I mean, the character came off so masculine I wonder if there was even a point. Just felt really random to me.

So Deathstroke going all "terminator" on anyone with Kryptonian tech, with his own giving him reflexes akin to Superman's Super Speed. Honestly though Deathstroke feels reall out of place here, even his suit looks more like Bloodsport than Deathstroke outside the orange, but Deathstroke's mask isn't supposed to be a skull.

Honestly I get where Lois is coming from but why would Superman bring a civilian into harm's way?

Another episode of Superman getting pounded on. He's getting better but he's nowhere near as capable as he could be. Hopefully when he unlocks more of his powers and better understands himself he can hold his own more.

What a way to meet your prospective girlfriends' father! Seems like General Lane is anti-alien because there was some kind of alien incursion, "Zero Day," that lead to all the Kryptonian tech landing on Earth and probably proved pretty dangerous, but he's nowhere near as ruthless as Waller and doesn't want to endanger civilians. Lois will probably be instrumental in helping him accept Superman.

Never thought I'd see Amanda Waller get called "Mandy."

Making yourself fall so Superman will catch you is classic Lois Lane. Though what if he'd suited up in time to catch you?

Well, pretty much the darkest hour for the trio. Lois is mad at Clark for keeping being Superman from her, Jimmy is mad at both of them for ditching him, and the picture of the trio in the ED is even ripped up.

Next week is the Monsieur Mallah/Brain episode? I guess Mallah is "Bigfoot?"

My Adventures with Mad Science

I can't believe Lois is blaming Clark is for her ditching Jimmy. I mean, they're both to blame, but still. Bitter Lois is kind of rough.

Jeez Lois, the guy just wanted to live a normal life! Give him a break!

Cadmus. I guess when you get into crazy science in Superman's corner (that's not STAR Labs) it's got to be Cadmus. And it turns out they're more or less behind pretty much every crazy theory Jimmy's ever had.

The Brain and Monsieur Mallah are as as sickeningly sweet as ever, but it was weird that they were not at all evil. Brain's proclivity towards dissecting people aside. It just felt off and not true to the characters in that respect even if they were still both mad scientists. Also felt like Mallah kind of took charge here when he's usually secondary to Brain.

Is it really Monsieur Mallah without the beret? Also it's weird to see Brain's actual brain looking so small, his dome head was bigger than his cranium.

Clark still getting pounded on, although I guess whatever the Omega Field was limited his powers. Is it some kind of Red Sun field? Actually Clark barely did anything but protect Lois and open a door, huh.

I was honestly expecting Clark was wearing his suit underneath his clothes, but points for shirtless Clark I guess.

Jimmy knew! I mean, Clark was terrible at controlling his strength so I guess that tracks, but still. So now all three main characters know Clark's secret. Is there much value or plot relevance to the secret identity now? Although I guess Clark is still not great at hiding his powers so maybe he needs people to cover for him, but I'm not sure what they'll be doing now with Clark's civilian identity. I feel like the more people know the secret the less the civilian identity matters but I guess this Clark is more Clark than Superman so maybe it's a moot point.

So are Clark and Lois official now? That handholding seemed pretty definite.

Really setting up the General as this uber-bad before revealing he's actually Lois' dad, huh? Dude was hardcore enough to raid, destroy and possibly kill scientists for not making weapons. Guess he's not that different from Waller. And he wants to kill Superman.

I guess those collars are their equivalent to the bombs implanted in Task Force X's heads? Ivo's definitely still got some Parasite in him even without the suit.

Kiss Kiss Fall in Portal

I guess after everything Clark just revealed he may as well show them the Fortress. I'm surprised he didn't introduce them to the Kents either, but I guess he didn't want his parents to see all the blatant flirting going on between him and Lois. I'm surprised the Jor-El AI didn't pop up on them. Has Clark tried to communicate with him at all since episode 2?

Nothing says romcom like spending an absurd amount of time preparing the perfect date. Lois was also planning on helping Clark learn about himself but you know she's a pro at this because she doesn't seem anywhere near exhausted.

Mr. Mxyzptlk! They anime-ed him up design-wise but he's still the irreverent mischief maker who knows how to play Superman like a fiddle.

Fleischer Supes! Super Friends Supes! DCAU Supes!

They're so committed to tomboy Lois' that even her AU versions are tomboys...one is an outright dude! Heck, she even had a dress prepped for her date with Clark that she never wore. That's commitment.

Ha! Fleischer Lois (as Lois Prime) starting a Multiversal League of Lois' is so...Lois.

Poor Lois. She's the only Lois without a pullitzer (and she's also 23 so one year older than Clark?).

I was wondering why black Lois didn't get an introduction, but she was their Jimmy. And voiced by Kimberly Brooks. There was also a Jamilah Olsen on Black Lightning.

Look at all the Lois hairstyles! Finally a Lois with long hair. And the one that still gets along with her dad hurts most of all.

So are these Rogue Lois' who all had evil Supermen and banded together in solidarity over that? It seems like they're kind of their own contingent.

I saw Fleischer Lois and DCAU Lois but it didn't seem like there were other animated Lois', just references to her various ethnic transformations.

Helmet of Fate! Mother Box! Soultaker Sword! Green Lantern Power Battery! Legion Flight Ring! Cosmic Staff! A whole smorgasboard of DC Easter Eggs!

I get that he was robbing an Earth Prime museum of legendary DC items but a smash and grab feels so...mundane for Mxy. Though I guess it was all so he could get his full powers back.

I never expected Clark would learn about Krypton from Mxy or get hit with Kryptonite for the first time from a bunch of AU Lois' out to kill him, but there we go.

He may not have the weakness of saying his name backwards but he's still got a bowler hat and Chaos God powers.

Nothing says first real kiss like making out while a Chaos God is trashing the place!

I wish Superman had beat Mxy without help. Feels like shows always under-power or underutilize their protagonist so the supporting cast has more to do. But I guess Mxy wasn't really "beaten" anyways.

Ugh. I have had enough of evil Supermen. There's Justice Lords Supes, even. I don't really need Lois' head biased by seeing like three evil alternate Supes and giving her a sliver of Kryptonite when we know she's going to believe in Clark because he's one of the (many) good ones.

Next week: Super Hearing!

Zero Day Part One

Well, there's your Task Force X comprised of all the villain of the weeks now sporting identical bodysuits. Not very effective in terms of matching their comic looks, but it helps the team vibe. They're also functionally a Superman Revenge Squad.

Huh, most of Superman's powers have been awakened in moments of great emotion, but he unlocks Super Hearing naturally. But also because he didn't have years to hone it he of course overcompensates for hearing people in need and has to learn on the fly how to tune out the excessive sounds.

Being Superman's Pal is great for clicks, it seems.

Awww, it's their one week anniversary! Did he hand pick all of those bouquets himself?

It's surreal seeing Vicki Vale as this older, inspirational, reporting figure for Lois when Vicki wouldn't even exist as a character without Lois in the first place. I wasn't expecting her to be the sassy, mature, onee-san type either. I kind of wish they'd kept her red hair but I wonder if they wanted her to look like a more traditional version of Lois in terms of appearance and personality even if she ended up not having the true ethics and heart of Lois Lane.

Queen inheritance scandal? What is Oliver up to now? I guess Vicki taking down the Falcone family explains why we didn't hear about Batman in this episode.

I don't know if Alex is legit Lex or not but the way he bandied out how Superman isn't inhuman and just a force of destruction getting in the way of humanity and the average laborer is classic Lex propaganda. Also, his shirt was purple. Although I'm surprised nobody tried to rebuttal him that most of that was Ivo's fault, not Superman's.

That scene of Clark helping the little girl find her moms was too sweet for words.

Thanks a lot Mist, Clark ends up looking like a crazy person while trying to track you down and save you...but I guess that might've also been somewhat intentional since he was in on the Task Force X con from the start?

The irony that Clark thought he was helping them by freeing Task Force X before realizing that they were willingly going along with getting parole with the best incentive of taking him down.

What a betrayal. Vicki used Lois and Jimmy to get dirt on Superman for her promotion back in Gotham and basically screwing over the Daily Planet.

That was probably the most severe Superman beatdown yet, though it was basically just set up for when Clark got serious and showed he could pretty much take all of them down single-handedly except Parasite.

They are really dragging out the reveal that the General is Lois' dad. I thought for sure she'd at least see him here. I guess she'll find out when she and Jimmy bust Clark out.

Zero Day Part Two

General Lane sure has a thing against Kryptonians, huh?

Feels full circle to bring the Newskid Legion back into the fold to help the main trio out.

Poor Clark. He doesn't deserve getting chained up and tortured like this. Especially from his future father-in-law. Although maybe that tracks...

The irony that Sam Lane seemed to be more family man than soldier before he became so obsessed with stopping the Kryptonian Invasion that he sacrificed his relationship with his family, especially Lois. Whom Superman reminds him of?

Well, they're straight up showing people die so...Adult Swim appropriate!

Okay, that looks pretty bad, like they Kryptonians really were invading Earth before the planet blew up and Clark was like some kind of harbinger...but maybe it's more complicated than that. We never actually saw a face behind that helmet, could Brainiac have been leading an invasion of Earth after Krypton was finished? Or were the Kryptonians making a last ditch effort to find a home before the planet blew up? But Lara and Jor-El seemed like they would've been on those ships if that was the case instead of rocketing their son in a last desperate effort. Honestly the only way we're going to get any real answers is probably Clark talking to the Jor-El AI.

Buff Amanda Waller! And in the present-day she's still as dangerous and extreme as ever, basically screwing Sam over so she could release the Revenge Squad and make a mess so she could be put in charge. Though seems like Livewire was planning her escape the whole time.

I didn't expect Ivo to turn into the "absolutely obsessed with killing Superman villain," but okay. And we finally get full Kaiju Parasite.

Why didn't Slade use his suit against the prisoners? Maybe he would've kept his eye. Didn't expect Livewire to be the one to take it from him. Unless it was part of the "show" and Slade was working for Waller...I wonder if they recaptured the prisoners or if they're all out in the wind?

I respect Lois' restraint to not introduce herself as Superman's girlfriend, but good speech to rally the people of Metropolis around Superman again and give him an edge against Parasite. Though of course "Alex" still isn't convinced.

Wait, did I see Lana in one of the handles on Jimmy's Flamebird channel?

Never expected to see X-Ray Vision used to beat Parasite, but nice to finally see it. I'm guessing he'll unlock Super Breath/Freeze Breath in the finale.

Aw, they mutually said "I love you"! And passionately kissed in the sky! I hope nobody saw that...

How is Jimmy going to react to the evil Supermen? Immediately tell Clark? Is this how the Kryptonite gets loose in the wind?

So, making General Lane execute Superman personally? Just by himself? Or with Slade? Or with the re-formed Task Force X?

Hearts of the Fathers

Poor Jor-El. Clark finally visits him just to write him and his entire culture off as invaders.

Still keeping secrets even after promising not to? How very CW.

The irony that Lois finally reaches out to her dad so they can reconnect and he can meet Clark...for Thanksgiving...knowing this will be the moment when they all finally meet and find out the truth.

The trio are finally full-fledged reporters! With their own cubicles, even! Now Lois just needs to get a pullitzer and we're golden!

Figures they'd have to figure out something to do with Jimmy and Flamebird...and he sells it to the Planet and strikes it rich like the Matt Fraction Jimmy Olsen comics.

Cat Grant isn't a love interest for Clark here, but she still steals a kiss from his cheek!

I love how Martha just adores Lois. Considering Lois' mom is gone, Martha might fulfill a mother figure for her.

I see General Lane's less-than-sunny disposition extends beyond Kryptonians. Zero Day really did a big number on him. No wonder it's so hard for him and Lois to communicate.

Poor Jimmy stuck as the guy everyone opens up to about their problems...except Sam, who has no idea who he is.

They were really dumb enough to leave the device in the bag, huh? They should've just left it in Lois' apartment or something.

That girl in the picture with young Clark was totally Lana, right?

So Kryptonite effects Kryptonian tech too? How...convenient. I actually wonder what the explanation for Kryptonite is here becuase it doesn't just effect Clark biologically, it makes crystals sprout out of him and the Brainiac drones.

I didn't really need to see Clark need saving in the season finale of his own show (Super Breath and Freeze Breath would've been really useful) but I guess we got Clark stopping the ship and fighting with his dad for the first time, so there's that.

Still, poor Jor-El. Clark still doesn't know the truth, still doesn't understand him, and with the ship blowing up he might not learn the truth about his people or Krypton for a while. Unless that piece of the ship that was cut by the portal has another Jor-El AI. Also he has to rocket his son to safety for a second time.

So Sam gave up on hunting down Superman for his daughter, but probably still doesn't fully trust him, and still doesn't know he's her boyfriend. I'm betting there'll be more Sam Lane family intrigue with Task Force X in the middle in season 2.

Wow, that's...a very elaborate cranium on Brainiac. It's weird seeing him without any green or just full robot without any real human features.

"They will kneel" - I know they're trying to fool people into thinking that's Zod, but if you read the credits the "Kryptonian Warrior" was voiced by Kari Wahlgren. That's AI Lara. Kari Wahlgren is voicing both of Superman's moms. Apparently she got beefier in 22 years.

Aw, the credits now have a picture of Clark and Lois looking longingly at each other and the whole family together with Clark in his suit.

 

[Parker-Shepherd]

11/14:
Did anybody notice that some of the music sounded similar to Justice League Unlimited? Especially in the credits...

Also, it seems like unlike other DC animated series, even though this show had one of the highest ratings on adult swim, there seemed to be a lot of people complaining about it online.

12/06:
Can anyone believe it's been five months since the series premiered in the US?

 

[Medinnus]

Just started the series (well, halfway done) and I have to say, this is a very refreshing take on Superman, who has never been high on my list. I am very pleasantly surprised, even if I did see the General's reveal immediately (more from what Lois didn't say than anything else).