REVIEW: ‘My Adventures With Superman’ Season 2 Episodes 1–2

My Adventures With Superman Season 2 Episodes 1–2 waste little time reestablishing the series’s tone and characters. Created by Jake Wyatt, the first two episodes, “More Things in Heaven and Earth” and “Adventures With My Girlfriend,” confirm that the charisma of Season 1 is here to stay. Along with said charm comes a healthy dose of drama, action, and suspense that suggests Clark won’t be having an easy go of it in the upcoming episodes.

The premiere episode beautifully casts these tonal shifts. Clark (Jack Quaid), Lois (Alice Lee), and Jimmy (Ishmel Sahid) are all adapting to their new roles at The Daily Planet. Clark and Lois are now official reporters, while Jimmy leads his video division following the success of his supernatural gossip channel Flamebird. However, these changes only add to the hilarity of their workplace shenanigans, as Lois and Jimmy, in particular, try to acclimate to their new roles. Lois embraces the challenge, while Jimmy is reluctant to be in charge.

But this reintroduction is just one small part of My Adventures With Superman Season 2 Episodes 1–2. The story throws us quickly into the action as the trio leaves to explore Clarks’ ship after another Kryptonian piece of machinery has been spotted. They need answers, especially with the looming threat of another Zero Day situation. After the footage of an alternate universe of evil Superman, Clark carries a weary trepidation for all he doesn’t know. He seeks to be human, but there’s so much alien about him, far from understanding who he is and where he came from.

This is rectified when he can speak to the vestige of his father, Jor-El. After a season of the two being unable to communicate, Jor-El can now speak English, adapting to Clark’s world. Their conversation and how they navigate their relationship is patient and moving, both wanting to understand the other more than simply the words they’re saying. Their reunion is well-timed. Because by the end of the premiere, Jor-El is no longer able to speak with Clark, having used up his power. The episode revels in the bittersweetness, as the ship soon transforms into the Fortress of Solitude.

Jor-El can at least erase Clark’s concern that Kryptonians are on the way to destroy the world, though it comes with the devastating caveat that Clark is the last of their kind. Or one of two. His cousin, too, was spared.His cousin is an extensive narrative plot point in the first two episodes as Clark navigates, debating whether or not to tell Lois about her.

As we know from any piece of media, these types of withholding of secrets never go over well with the party being withheld from. It makes for a frustrating plot convenience, even if we understand that Lois is busy with her own thing. With fatherhood being a central theme throughout the series, Lois, too, is contending with familial issues.

Episode 2 deals mainly with Lois’s attempts to rescue her father, the General, who was the main antagonist in Season 1. Clark agrees to help her locate him as Amanda Waller and her followers hold him. My Adventures With Superman Season 2 Episodes 1–2 find levity in these family moments. From Jor-El’s inability to comprehend why Clark would bring fragile, breakable humans to a Kryptonian ship to the General’s exasperation at Lois’s rescue attempt. These comedic moments don’t lessen the tension but allow for greater character development. It’s playful, a reminder that our relationships with our parents are layered and complicated.

The comedy shines in the relationship between Lois and Clark too. They’re navigating their new romance, confident in their feelings but stumbling still in some of the fundamentals. Clark stresses about crafting the perfect Valentine’s Day date for Lois, mocked by anyone who hears his plans. Meanwhile, Lois doesn’t even realize that it is Valentines Day. Clark’s overplanning and Lois’s disinterest are both perfectly in character.

Each episode builds on what is going to be an overarching story as threats against Superman pour in from all sides, even if they’re not presently there. From the tease of Brainiac to Waller continuing to work with Slade Wilson and the looming presence of Supergirl, there’s plenty of drama surrounding Superman and his friends. What makes it exciting is to see how he will deal with it. For all his power, My Adventures With Superman is dedicated to the notion that this version of the Man of Steel isn’t a fighter. He’s nearly impenetrable but wants to help people and not cause harm. His fight scenes and the hurdles he faces buzz with kinetic energy.

My Adventures With Superman Season 2 Episodes 1–2 strikes a similar atmosphere to the start of Season 1. The main difference is that there’s no need to hold the audience’s hands. Instead, we’re immediately thrust into the action and storylines without waiting too long to reacclimate. The show develops these characters well enough and their relationships are so intrinsically tied to the stakes that we don’t question their motives (aside from secret keeping) or actions. Instead, we’re happy to be along for the ride.

The animation continues to be a central selling point, too, especially due to how it differs from so many contemporary superhero animated series. Compared to the stark lines of X-Men ’97 and Harley Quinn, My Adventures with Superman prioritizes soft edges. The architecture blends into the skylines without losing its definition. The Kryptonian ship manages this effect while still delievering a cubic design that is beautifully futuristic. The kryptonite that appears in Episode 1 also maintains its infectious aesthetic, eating away at Superman with its sickly greens.

There’s tremendous fluency in the animation and presentation that speaks to the passion and creativity behind the scenes. A scene where Clark and Lois hover in an empty elevator shaft speaks to this beauty. At the surface level, it’s simplistic and has a central point backlit. But the way the light shines through manifests into something that harkens back to a timeless romanticism. Through the artistry and how the characters are written, the series demonstrates its ability to honor its source material without ever feeling dated.

My Adventures With Superman Season 2 Episodes 1–2 beautifully remind us of why this series became a must-watch while introducing new, crucial narrative threads. With the promise of greater threats inching ever closer, the story conjures up something claustrophobic without diminishing the light needed in a Superman story. Even with the tension, the series’ optimism shines through.

My Adventures With Superman Season 2 Episodes 1–2 are out now on Max.