REVIEW: ‘My Adventures With Superman’ Season 1 Is A Triumph

Developed by Jake Wyatt with animation from Studio Mir, My Adventures with Superman Season 1 is not just one of the best superhero adaptations in ages, it’s also one of the best series of 2023, period. The series makes the radical choice to pull back from the recent creative decisions that have pushed Superman into darker territory, with films seeing kindness and general goodness as a character flaw, something boring. This version of Superman doesn’t possess a superiority complex and isn’t looked at as a god despite his godlike powers. Rather, he’s as content, more so, as Clark Kent. For all of the elements that make My Adventures with Superman Season 1 an extraordinary depiction of the character it’s the decision to allow him to prioritize rescue, rather than combat — making the final three episodes of the series more emotionally potent.

The series brings with it an inherent level of charm due to two specific creative elements. The first is allowing this version of the Superman story to begin with Clark in his early twenties. He’s still learning about all that he’s capable of. The two-part premiere deals with his want to be seen as “normal” as he attends his first day interning at The Daily Planet, a goal that is quickly undermined by the alien tech weaponized by the first main baddie, Livewire. That story and Clark’s subsequent desire to balance both sides of himself continues throughout the season and creates some of the most dynamic moments of the series.

The second element of charm is the artistic style the animation team works with, appearing closer to anime-stylized character designs than what we’ve come to expect from DC animation. Even Harley Quinn still possesses some of those hard lines. There’s no hyper-masculinity in Clark’s design, with the animation often instead imploying simplified facial expressions for his reactions that adopt a cuteness to them. Lois, meanwhile, is also given an update with a sportier design and Korean heritage.

These two aspects alone were enough to make the series a worthwhile watch, and the animation in general is superb. It may not possess the same level of kinetic fight sequences as a full-on action series, but why should it? That said, in moments of combat such as in Episode 8 and Episode 9, the direction is fluid in marking the action-packed sequences. The show’s priority might not be the fighting, but it makes sure that when it takes place it’s given the necessary level of weight and impact so that every blow is felt. Instead, some of what makes the series such a visual treat is the background animations that allow for softer lines and focus, creating a dreamier aesthetic. The single shots are as strong as the ones filled with motion and movement as Superman flies across the city.

Jack Quaid, Alice Lee, and Ismel Sahid star as the main protagonists, Clark, Lois, and Jimmy, and from Episode 1 deliver voice performances that allow them to become synonymous with the characters they’re playing. These are lovable protagonists and by allowing Lois and Jimmy (but especially Lois) to have so much screen time as their own stories unravel, the show as a whole is more impactful. My Adventures with Superman is as much Lois’s story as it is Clark’s.

But where the series surprises, and perhaps it shouldn’t, is the writing, which surpasses a simple hero’s journey. Yes, this is about Clark embracing who he is, but it’s also about Clark learning to process who he might’ve been born to be and who he is actively working against. He worries he was made to be a weapon, that he’s an object of destruction and while the Kryptonians are militaristic and cruel, Clark is the opposite. He hopes to save people when others can’t, from helping a little girl find her parents, to rescuing cats out of trees, to flying to catch a helicopter that’s broken down mid-flight.

The dramatic stakes are raised further throughout the season as Clark struggles with his lineage. An emotional moment at the start of the series shows Clark realizing that he can’t communicate with the hologram of his father, neither of them speaking the other’s language. That inability to communicate further drives his opposing sense of self. He wishes to do good and to use the powers he has to save others, But he fears their unknowable qualities and the vacancy of his history.

My Adventures with Superman Season 1 wields an abundance of heart, humor, and introspection with classic characters who’ve been revitalized. They’re familiar, yet new, making them all the more enjoyable. The series’ ability to understand that Superman can be interesting as an optimistic, kind, figure bolsters the storyline as you watch the world try to undermine that compassion. So many villains and naysayers doubt him because they can’t understand someone who’d risk life and limb with no expectation for anything in return. The series understands the power of Superman isn’t just in the muscle and might he holds, but in his ability to be a beacon of kindness and humanity.

My Adventures with Superman Season 1 is available now to stream on Max.