Why I Adore ‘My Adventures With Superman’ (Seasons 1 & 2)

*This article contains spoilers minor and major for both seasons of MAWS. If you haven’t seen the show, please give it a chance before reading. Thank you.*

‘Superman & Lois‘, ‘My Adventures With Superman‘, and the extremely promising upcoming ‘Superman Legacy‘. We’re getting good Superman media again! Nature is finally healing!

Wish I could say the same for the comics, but let’s not look into the gift horse’s mouth.

I had intended to review ‘My Adventures With Superman‘ back when the first season wrapped up. But life did the life thing, and I found myself without much time or energy to watch or rant about superhero cartoons for kids. Still, I kept it on the back burner, waiting for the day I found a good enough reason to pick the show back up.

Then season two happened. Ain’t no better sign than that. So I set some time aside to binge the first season and catch up with the second.

That was a mistake. Because now I’m angry at myself for dropping the show to begin with. Stupid life and it’s stupid nonsense…

You all know the drill. Mild-mannered Clark Kent has super powers, gets a job as a reporter for the Daily Planet in the bustling city of Metropolis, becomes Superman, and goes on wild adventures with his buddy Jimmy Olsen and the love of his life, Lois Lane. Bad guys, Krypton, secret identity, government conspiracies, Kryptonite, saving cats from trees, etc. These stories have been around for over eighty years, you get the gist.

Only you might not. Over eighty years of the character’s history, the core pillars of Superman and his stories have changed a lot. To the point where a lot of people don’t understand why the character became so iconic in the first place. The Man of Steel has had something of an identity crisis over the years, particularly this last decade. You don’t need to look any farther than the disastrous DC Snyderverse to see that.

‘My Adventures With Superman‘ is a direct response to that crisis. Clark literally has an identity crisis in the show! More importantly, this series aims to bring back everything that made the character and his world so special in the first place. As such, it serves as the perfect introductory point to the Superman mythos.

MAWS has given us one of the best versions of Clark Kent we’ve had in a long time! He’s gentle, he’s kind, and he’s downright adorable! Jack Quaid does a phenomenal job in the part, perfectly capturing both the soft-spoken bumbling reporter and the calm confident superhero hidden beneath. Guy went from trying to kill not-Superman to being one of the best voices of actual Superman!

More than anything: he’s relatable. While his powers are larger than life, his problems are the same as you or I might face in day-to-day life. His girlfriend’s dad doesn’t like him. He misses dates and work deadlines because of his superhero life. He’s socially anxious, afraid his friends will push him away because of what he is. This show addresses the idea that Superman is boring and unrelatable by giving us a down-to-earth and human version of Clark!

Also, the animators apparently had a mandate to make him as hot as possible in any given scene, and I respect the hell out of that. No wonder Lois is always calling him beautiful. Just look at this man!

In most cartoons I’ve seen, Superman is used as the Goku character. The strongest guy who shows up to fight the strongest bad guys because we need a big bombastic fight scene in our kid’s show. But not here. MAWS gives us a Superman who hates violence in all its forms. He only fights when all over avenues are lost to him, and when he does, he tries his best to minimize the harm done by his awesome strength. Half his fights are solved not by his might, but by his kindness.

The way this show handles his powers is really cool. One power in particular stands out: his super hearing. When the ability first develops, Clark naturally uses it to do as he always does and saves as many people as he can. But he goes too far; he stays up for days a time, pushing himself to the point of absolute exhaustion. As his mental and physical state continues to spiral downwards, the voices in his ears get louder, the cries for help and condemnations of Superman constantly buzzing around Clark like anxiety made manifest.

This culminates beautifully season one, episode nine. As an exhausted Superman faces against a city-fueled Parasite, Lois and Jimmy send out a heartfelt plea to the people of Metropolis. In that moment, the voices crying out in fear and anger vanish, and in their stead, Clark hears the people he’s protected all this time lending him a hand, cheering him on. With this push, Superman finds the strength to save the day, and as the sun rises, his super ears are filled with the triumphant cheers of the populace.

I’m getting chills just writing about it, dudes! This show is so good!

I’d be remise not to touch on two of the most important characters to the mythos: Ma and Pa Kent. They play a more minor role in the story this time around; no death of Pa to drive Clark’s development along or anything like that. But the few scenes they do have are as sweet as honey! They’re equal parts wise and hilarious.

One of my favorite moments of the series comes at the end of season one. When Clark discovers that Lois’ dad is in fact the General that wants him dead at a shared Thanksgiving dinner, Clark pulls his parents aside to ask them advice. When Clark asks what they’d do if they had an enemy, Pa’s response is immediate and simple:

Am I getting too excited over a single line of dialogue? Maybe. But the last time I saw Pa Kent was in ‘Man of Steel‘, when he told Clark to let a bus full of children drown. Why wouldn’t I be excited about getting the taste of crap out of my mouth?

Of course, you can’t have a Clark Kent without a Lois Lane. Luckily for us, this version of Lois is fantastic! She’s a perfect mirror of Clark, with a deep insecurity hiding beneath her fiery exterior. You can tell that Alice Lee is having the time of her life in this role; her performance is full to bursting with energy and personality!

Plenty of people got mad at Lois in season one, and partly in season two, because she gets mad at Clark for hiding his secret identity from her. To which I ask: why? Lois’ trust issues are not a symptom of her being a bad character; in fact, it’s just the opposite. Her father hid important secrets from her for her whole life. Her having trust issues, hiding things from others while demanding the absolute truth from them, is only natural. It makes for a compelling character flaw, one that plays well into the series’ overarching themes.

We’ll get to those in a bit. First, we gotta talk about Clark’s best buddy: Jimmy Olsen. I didn’t care much for him at first, but as the series went on, he quickly became my favorite character! He’s a loyal friend, a passionate paranormal investigator, and a sweetie with a heart of genuine twenty-four karat gold! Ishmel Sahid is one of the best voice actors in the show; he perfectly balances the excitable conspiracy theorist with the compassionate and loyal friend, bringing the character to life in every scene.

Did I mention that he’s absolutely hilarious?

Most impressive: they made him a live-streamer and it wasn’t absolutely embarrassing. It actually plays well into the character and plot without seeming out of touch. Never thought I’d see the day.

No signal watch, though. Hopefully we’ll see that in season three. If only to see poor Clark and Kara gradually lose their minds because of the damn thing.

Speaking of: come season two, our main cast was further expands with the introduction of Clark’s cousin, Kara. Who has quickly become one of my favorite versions of Supergirl ever. Turns out, making her a badass gluttonous warrior tsundere with a heart of gold was all it took to make the character perfect. Odd how it took them nearly seventy years to figure that out.

Her dynamic with Clark is one of the cutest things in the show. They feel less like cousins and more like siblings. They bicker, tease each other, play games, and push each other to be better. Every single scene they share is an absolute delight to watch.

I’m still stunned by how they handled her backstory. For a fun and upbeat kid’s show, this is one of the darkest versions of the Supergirl origin I’ve ever seen. Seeing what Brainiac did to this innocent well-meaning kid is horrifying to behold. Kiana Madeira is a solid voice actress all around, but in that moment, she truly went above and beyond!

Also, her costume? Ten out of ten! The scarf/cape combo is a huge upgrade over the usual revealing comic book outfits! Can’t wait to see more of it, and her, in season three!

Surrounding our leading trio/eventual quartet is the grand city of Metropolis. While it isn’t the most interesting depiction of the city to date, it is still every bit as colorful and magical. The golden globe of the Daily Planet shines in all its glory. Holographic screens gives the setting a semi-futuristic flare. I may not think it’s the best version of Metropolis, but it’s still a setting that I desperately want to live in.

Even if the rent is probably a nightmare. Granted, Lois made enough money to pay for a high rise penthouse on an internship salary, so maybe not? I guess her dad must have paid for it all.

One of my favorite tricks the show employs is the use of lighting. In the daytime, the show is bright and fun, the city beautiful. But when the story takes its darker turns, the sun is blocked out by clouds or the cover of night. It’s a clever bit of visual flare that incorporates the source of Superman’s power into the tone and tension of the story.

More important than the city are the people living in it. ‘My Adventures With Superman‘ takes the time and effort to bring the denizens of Metropolis to life. From Perry and the larger-than-life reporters of the Daily Planet to Flip and her crew of golden hearted mischief makers, everyone has their time to shine, be it in a small way or a big one. This show returns Superman to his ‘champion of the little man’ status that made him so iconic back when the character was first conceived.

Of course, Superman is far from the only hero within the DC universe. But unlike other series, which rush to establish its greater world and characters at the expense of its story, ‘My Adventures With Superman‘ takes its time. It takes little pieces and characters from other DC properties and integrates them into its narrative not as setup for another thing, but simply to add to the current narrative. Vicki Vale, Star Labs, we even see a really cool Green Lantern martial artist! It leaves the door open for more without leaving you wanting for what you already have!

On the subject of larger universes, let’s talk about how this show handles Krypton. Unlike most other Superman adaptations, Kal-El’s homeworld is not treated as a fallen heaven. Rather, his home planet was a ruthless galactic empire. It spread across the stars like a plague, conquering and subjugating every world it came across. Until the day it bit off more than it could chew, facing an enemy who definitely isn’t Darkseid, who brought the empire to its end. At which point, brothers Jor-El and Zor-El sent their children Kal and Kara away in their standard backstory.

Now seems like a good time to address the series themes. At its core, ‘My Adventures With Superman’ is a classic Superman story about hope, love, and optimism. On top of that, the series plays around with some interesting new ideas. Namely: trust.

Despite Superman only ever trying to do good, the people of Metropolis don’t welcome him with open arms. All of them are wary of the all-good divine savior, waiting for the catch. Even Lois Lane, the apple of Superman’s eye, initially takes him for a liar. It feels like a direct argument against Superman detractors who think the Man of Steel, if realistically written, would end up more like Omni-Man or Homelander.

Not only does this play well into the series’ themes of trust, it also adds to another of the series core ideas: choice. Though Clark is born from an empire of conquest and evil, he chooses to use his powers for good. He was made to be a weapon, but he chose to be a man. On the other hand, the villains who hate Superman for what he is choose to use their powers, resources, and intellect to become the monsters they claim that he is.

On that note, it’s finally time we talk about our antagonists.

The most common critique leveled at this show is the villain designs. That they’re generic anime robots or armor. For the most part, it’s a point I agree with. The CGI robots don’t look great, and they get stale really quickly. I don’t think the villain designs are bad, but most of them don’t hold a candle to the source material. New things are good, but I do miss the comic designs. Just look at Brainiac in the comics vs MAWS. The show’s design works, but it doesn’t hold a candle to its source material. At least not in my opinion.

In terms of writing, however, I think the villains are a slam dunk! The main antagonists, at least. The villains-of-the-week we got early on in the series are fine, but not impressive. But our leading badies? Now they’re something!

Except Deathstroke. I don’t like his design or how he’s written. I can’t even take him seriously because he’s voiced by Chris Parnell. He does a good job in the part, don’t get me wrong, but all I can hear whenever he speaks is Jerry from ‘Rick & Morty‘. Besides, I’m sick of the character in general. Why couldn’t we get a more obscure DC villain, like Bloodsport or someone like that?

Tangent over, let’s get back on track.

Season one throws out the “American Way” aspect of the character by making the US military the main antagonists. Which makes for a fun twist of another classic Superman character: General Lane, Lois’ father. This time around, the good General is brutal and paranoid, loathing all that Superman is and could be. But beneath that harsh exterior beats the heart of a good man, a loving father and a noble patriot. Joel de la Fuente is perfect for the part; he’s gives the General an intimidating presence as well as a deep emotional vulnerability that makes the character deeply engaging in every scene!

The stand-out antagonist of the series so far is the main villain of season two: Brainiac. This dude is menacing as hell! He doesn’t challenge our heroes physically, but mentally, exploiting their deepest insecurities while emotionally manipulating and abusing them. Michael Emerson is perfect for this role! Every line out of him is cold, brutal, and iconic! Such as:

Ayo, why is this kid’s show going hard as hell?

Normally, I can’t stand Amanda Waller. I get that she’s supposed to be completely unlikable, but I feel like she makes most DC stories worse by being there. Not this time. This version of Waller is cold and calculating, concealing a fiery wrath beneath. While she’s not sympathetic, you do come to understand how she became the woman she is. She’s loathsome without becoming insufferable. Debra Wilson returns to voice the character once again, and surprise! When you give a good voice actress an actually good script, she makes magic happen!

Finally, we need to talk about Superman’s most iconic nemesis: Lex Luthor. I loved every single scene with Lex! A young entrepreneur rising to power from the very bottom, poisoning the world against Superman not with weapons, but with words and logic. While Clark brings out the best in people, Lex brings out the worst in them. Max Mittelman knocked it out of the park, making his take on Lex equal parts petulant and menacing. It’s like the Batman V Superman version, but actually good!

Low as that bar is…

Also, the team behind the show apparently wasn’t allowed to use Lex in season one. So they introduced a new side antagonist, Alex. Then come season two, when they finally had the go-ahead, they just dropped the A and made him one of the main villains. “Ask for forgiveness, not permission.” I love it.

Plus, he’s going bald in season three! We are eating good! I can’t wait to see where the writers take him next!

I could go on and on about how good this show is. The humor, the fun fight scenes, the awesome music, the solid animation, there’s still so much left to talk about! But if I keep going like this, I’m gonna end up writing a full-length novel, and you’ve already been reading this article for long enough.

Much as I love it, I can admit the show isn’t perfect. Being a kid’s show, the series can handle its themes with as much subtlety as a brick through a window. Moments that were supposed to come across as cool are too cheesy and silly to take seriously, such as Clark and Lois escaping from Brainiac’s mental prison with the power of love. There are a few rough edges in regards to both the pacing and the animation, and as I stated earlier, the villain designs aren’t always great.

Even so, I adore ‘My Adventures With Superman.’ This show is definitive proof that the Man of Tomorrow still has a place in the cultural landscape of today. It manages to carve its own path while still being a love letter to everything that made the Superman mythos so special in the first place.

If you haven’t seen the show yet, if you think that Superman is boring or overdone, then I’d highly recommend you give it a chance. Fun, wholesome, and uplifting, it’s a prime example of why so many people love these characters and this world so much.

For those of you that made it this far: thank you for reading this article. I was originally intending for this to be a much shorter and simpler review, but then I got a bit carried away. Turns out, I had a lot to say about this silly little superhero cartoon. I appreciate you sticking with me up until the end.

On that note, it’s finally time I wrap this up. Take care, friends.