My Adventures with Superman
My Adventures with Superman | |
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Genre | |
Based on | Characters from DC |
Developed by |
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Showrunners |
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Voices of |
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Music by |
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Opening theme | "Up and Away" by Kyle Troop & The Heretics |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 20 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producer | Josie Campbell |
Animator | Studio Mir |
Editor | John Allen Soares |
Running time | 22 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | Adult Swim Cartoon Network |
Release | July 7, 2023 present | –
My Adventures with Superman is an American animated superhero television series based on the DC Comics character Superman. The series is developed by Jake Wyatt, produced by Warner Bros. Animation and animated by Studio Mir in South Korea.
The series premiered on Adult Swim on July 7, 2023,[a] with each episode releasing on Max shortly after broadcast.[2] The second season began broadcasting on May 26, 2024,[b] shifting its premieres to the network's Toonami programming block, which originally encored the first season.[3] A third season was announced in June 2024.[4]
Premise
[edit]The story follows Clark Kent, as he builds his secret identity as Superman and explores his mysterious origins, and Lois Lane, whom Clark develops a crush on and vice-versa, who is on her way to becoming a star reporter. Teaming up with photographer and Clark's best friend Jimmy Olsen, the trio break the stories that matter and save the day against many villains in the city of Metropolis, while also contending with Task Force X and Brainiac, as well as encountering Clark's Kryptonian cousin, Kara.
Voice cast
[edit]Main
[edit]- Jack Quaid as Clark Kent / Kal-El / Superman
- Alice Lee as Lois Lane
- Ishmel Sahid as Jimmy Olsen
Recurring and guest
[edit]- Joel de la Fuente as General Sam Lane
- Laila Berzins as Rory / Heat Wave
- Darrell Brown as Perry White
- Andromeda Dunker as Vicki Vale
- Michael Emerson as Brainiac
- David Errigo Jr. as Mister Mxyzptlk
- Zehra Fazal as Leslie Willis / Livewire
- Lucas Grabeel as Kyle / Mist
- Jake Green as Dr. Anthony Ivo / Parasite
- Azuri Hardy-Jones as "Flip" Johnson
- Jessie Inocalla as Brain
- Kiana Madeira as Kara Zor-El / Supergirl
- Jason Marnocha as Jor-El, Ethan Avery / Damage
- Melanie Minichino as Cat Grant, Silver St. Cloud
- Max Mittelman as Alex "Lex" Luthor, Hank Henshaw, Joseph Martin / Atomic Skull, Thomas Weston
- Byron Marc Newsome as Dr. John Irons / Steel, Silas Stone
- Chris Parnell as Slade Wilson
- Kenna Ramsey as Ronnie Troupe
- André Sogliuzzo as Monsieur Mallah
- Reid Scott as Jonathan Kent
- Rhea Seehorn as Lara
- Catherine Taber as Siobhan McDougal / Silver Banshee
- Vincent Tong as Albert / Rough House, Steve Lombard
- Kari Wahlgren as Martha Kent, Young Clark Kent
- Debra Wilson as Amanda Waller
- Michael Yurchak as Winslow Schott
Episodes
[edit]Series overview
[edit]Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
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First aired | Last aired | |||
1 | 10 | July 7, 2023 | September 1, 2023 | |
2 | 10 | May 26, 2024 | July 21, 2024 |
Season 1 (2023)
[edit]No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [5][6] | Prod. code [5] | Viewers (millions) | |||||||
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1 | 1 | "Adventures of a Normal Man" | Jen Bennett | Josie Campbell, Brendan Clogher & Jake Wyatt | July 7, 2023 | 101 | 0.21[7] | |||||||
2 | 2 | Diana Huh | Cynthia Furey | 102 | ||||||||||
Part 1: In Smallville, Kansas, a young Clark Kent awakens the power of flight and super-strength to save a woman and her baby from a car accident. Years later, in Metropolis, Clark and his roommate Jimmy Olsen, a photography student and alien conspiracy theorist, start their first day as interns for the Daily Planet. Assigned to senior intern Lois Lane, she deceives them into helping her investigate a military-grade technology theft. With a lead from Flip Johnson's Newskid Legion, the trio finds the thieves loading military robots at the docks. The thieves' leader, Leslie Willis, unleashes a robot to attack them. Clark gets out of view and returns in disguise to destroy it. As Willis activates the remaining robots to battle Clark, Lois successfully deactivates them while he awakens his super-speed to destroy the final robot. Despite their efforts, editor-in-chief Perry White refuses to publish the story based on Jimmy's blurry photos without real proof of the new metahuman that Lois dubbed "Superman". Once the trio become friends, Lois invites the boys to help her get an exclusive interview with Superman. Part 2: While Lois doggedly follows up on the robot theft for a lead to Superman, Clark returns to Smallville to investigate his past and understand his new powers. Digging up the space pod that delivered him to Earth, Clark activates an alien hologram and sees visions of an alien planet amid a space war being destroyed. After Clark gains new alien clothing from this, his mother Martha Kent adds a belt and shorts to complete the look. Meanwhile, Willis is hunted by the organization she stole the robot technology from called Task Force X and arranges a meeting with leading agent Slade Wilson. When Willis threatens to detonate explosives across the city sewers if they continue hunting her, Lois and Jimmy's surprise interruption turns the meeting into a scramble for the detonator. Willis reveals her electrical super-suit to fight Wilson until Superman arrives to subdue her. Wilson damages her suit's power crystal, leading Superman to destroy it after it gives him another vision of the space war. Though Jimmy's clear photos convince Perry to publish the story, he gives the byline to uninvolved staff reporters. Later, Wilson tortures Willis at a black site for information about Superman. | ||||||||||||||
3 | 3 | "My Interview with Superman" | Jen Bennett | Aman Adumer | July 14, 2023 | 103 | 0.17[7] | |||||||
While Lois attempts to interview Superman, Clark struggles to figure out how to help her while protecting his secret identity. However, the interns must also contend with the Daily Planet's established "Scoop Troop" reporters, who Perry credited for their Superman story—Steve Lombard, Cat Grant, and Ronnie Troupe. Meanwhile, Mist and his friend Rough House use technology they obtained from Willis to break his sister Siobhan McDougal out of prison and equip her with sonic tech to rebuild their small-time crew Intergang. Despite Clark's misgivings, the interns impersonate the Scoop Troop to investigate Siobhan, discovering a clue to Intergang's next heist. When Intergang attempts to rob the Metropolitan City Bank, their ice cannon's power crystal malfunctions and begins to freeze everything in proximity. Seeing Lois and Jimmy in danger, Superman awakens his heat vision and destroys the crystal, granting him a vision of an invading robot army. While Wilson poses as an EMT to secretly take the defeated Intergang into custody, Superman accepts Lois's interview and discloses he is still figuring himself out, but is committed to saving people. However, to his dismay, Lois later tells Clark that she suspects Superman is lying. | ||||||||||||||
4 | 4 | "Let's Go to Ivo Tower, You Say" | Kiki Manrique | Josie Campbell & Brendan Clogher | July 21, 2023 | 104 | 0.18[7] | |||||||
Perry assigns the interns to cover the AmazoTech gala held by CEO, Doctor Anthony Ivo. Lois is snubbed by attendees for her invasive questions while Clark stumbles upon an argument between Ivo and his chairman, Curtis, regarding the board of directors voting out Ivo. Ejected by Ivo's security, Lois sneaks Clark back inside. They open up to each other before discovering a secret technology room connecting Ivo to Willis and Intergang. An angered Ivo demonstrates the Parasite 1.0 armor and attempts to kill Curtis. Clark becomes Superman to save Curtis while Ivo traps the attendees in the Amazo Panic Room to make them witness him overpowering Superman. Realizing the armor absorbs energy from his attacks, Superman stops fighting Ivo directly as Lois and Jimmy deactivate the Panic Room. With the suit depowered, Superman removes it from Ivo, who became deformed from the suit's side effects. With Ivo under EMT care, the interns return to find the secret room empty. Lois kisses Clark, considering the night a date. Later, after submitting her exposé on Ivo, Lois finds a torn tabloid article involving Kansas miracle sightings in Clark's coat. After reworking her evidence board, Lois concludes Clark is Superman. | ||||||||||||||
5 | 5 | "You Will Believe A Man Can Lie" | Diana Huh | Story by : M. Willis, Cynthia Furey & Aman Adumer Teleplay by : M. Willis | July 28, 2023 | 105 | 0.20[8] | |||||||
Hoping to confess his burgeoning feelings for Lois, Clark asks for her help in developing a story about the stolen military technology spreading throughout Metropolis and a mysterious individual kidnapping anyone using them. However, she sees it as an opportunity to expose him as Superman. Using an old dispatch scanner, she chases down Superman as he foils various crimes before eventually meeting him after he defeats Heat Wave, another criminal empowered by the stolen technology. While Superman is distracted, Heat Wave escapes, believing he is behind the kidnappings. After he drops off Lois at the Daily Planet to keep her safe, he re-confronts Heat Wave and discovers the true culprit behind the abducted criminals is an armored Wilson aided by similar robots that Willis used. Their subsequent fight soon endangers civilians, leading to Wilson's superiors, the General and Amanda Waller, ordering him to withdraw so Superman can save them. After returning to Lois, she forces Clark to reveal his secret identity to her and is left distraught. Meanwhile, Jimmy is disappointed to learn Clark and Lois failed to attend a pre-planned camping trip to investigate Bigfoot sightings with him. He goes alone, but a large gorilla kidnaps him. | ||||||||||||||
6 | 6 | "My Adventures with Mad Science" | Kiki Manrique | Story by : Aman Adumer, Angela Entzminger & Cynthia Furey Teleplay by : Angela Entzminger | August 4, 2023 | 106 | 0.21[7] | |||||||
After failing to locate Jimmy, Clark reaches out to Lois for help. Despite still being mad at him, she agrees. Scouring the woods, the pair find an abandoned military installation called Area 52, but upon crossing the fence, Clark's powers falter due to the area being exposed to red solar radiation before they are chased by OMAC robots. Meanwhile, inside Area 52, Jimmy meets and befriends the gorilla Monsieur Mallah and his partner the Brain. The pair reveal they originally worked for Project Cadmus, a branch of Task Force X that focused on developing futuristic technology, before the latter organization betrayed them and raided Area 52. Ever since, the Brain and Mallah have been attempting to create a wormhole to access other dimensions where they will be accepted. Eventually breaching Area 52, Clark and Lois reconcile with each other and Jimmy, who reveals he knew of Clark's secret identity, before joining Brain and Mallah in defeating the OMACs. Successfully opening their wormhole, the Brain warns Clark that Task Force X is after him before leaving with Mallah. Sometime later, the General recruits Ivo to help him use Cadmus' technology to kill Superman. | ||||||||||||||
7 | 7 | "Kiss Kiss Fall in Portal" | Jen Bennett | Story by : Paul Chang, Cynthia Furey & Aman Adumer Teleplay by : Paul Chang | August 11, 2023 | 107 | 0.19[7] | |||||||
After Clark shows Lois and Jimmy his spaceship and clarifies his incomplete alien origin, Clark and Lois plan their first date. However, he is interrupted by Mister Mxyzptlk, a multiversal imp who deceives him into helping him steal a recorder from a museum on Earth-1, revealing Clark is from the planet Krypton in the process. Meanwhile, Lois and Jimmy are recruited by the multiversal "League of Lois Lanes" to help them stop Mxyzptlk and Clark. Suspicious of their intentions, Lois searches their files, stumbling onto the redacted "File X". Upon finding them, the League attack Clark while Mxyzptlk hijacks the League's vessel and travels to their headquarters with the recorder and Lois' help. As she steals the original File X, he retrieves his hat, regains his full strength, and causes chaos until Superman distracts him, allowing Lois to depower him and Jimmy to restrain him. While the League arrest Mxyzptlk, Jimmy's counterpart, Jalana, secretly brings the interns back to their native Earth-12, where Clark and Lois finish their date. Following this, she opens File X and finds recordings of evil alternate universe Supermen and a sample of a green crystal, later identified as Kryptonite, the League used to injure Superman. | ||||||||||||||
8 | 8 | "Zero Day" | Diana Huh | Cynthia Furey | August 18, 2023 | 108 | 0.18[9] | |||||||
9 | 9 | Kiki Manrique | Aman Adumer | August 25, 2023 | 109 | 0.20[10] | ||||||||
Part 1: The General uses shock collars to forcibly recruit Willis, Intergang, and Heat Wave into assisting Wilson and Ivo capture Superman. Meanwhile, after developing super-hearing and hearing everyone in Metropolis crying for help, Clark runs himself ragged helping everyone and soon becomes sleep-deprived and weakened. When Gotham Gazette journalist Vicki Vale arrives to cover his activities, Lois is starstruck to meet her. Lois becomes disappointed when Vale interviews Ivo's former assistant Alex to run a biased story defaming Superman as a menace. Superman saves an invisible Mist from being hit by a truck but accidentally causes an accident, turning public opinion against him. Mist says Task Force X kidnapped Siobhan, and Superman offers to rescue her, only to be led into a trap and attacked by the group. Though he holds his own despite his weakened state, Superman is eventually knocked out by Willis and Ivo via his upgraded Parasite armor. The General stops Ivo from killing him as he wants to interrogate Superman. Mist regrets luring Superman into the trap as Lois and Jimmy rush to the scene, but arrive to see the group carry Superman away. Part 2: In flashbacks to "Zero Day", the General, Waller, and their forces were attacked by an alien army led by an armored Superman-like figure codenamed "Nemesis Omega" before a mysterious event forced the army into a retreat that left their technology behind. In the present, the Newskid Legion helps Lois and Jimmy search for Superman while the General interrogates him for information on Zero Day. From Superman's anguished reaction, the General doubts his connection to it while a displeased Waller secretly helps the prisoners escape. A vengeful Ivo attacks Superman, but inadvertently frees him. Flip eventually finds and takes him to safety. Clark believes he was sent to Earth to destroy it, but Lois assures him otherwise. Upon learning Ivo is siphoning the power grid and going on a rampage, Lois and Jimmy use social media to petition Metropolis' citizens to turn off their power, weakening Ivo so Superman can use his newly-awakened X-ray vision to locate and remove Ivo from his suit. As Superman and Lois declare their love, Jimmy finds File X. On Checkmate's behalf, Waller demotes the General from Task Force X's leadership and gives him Ivo's last invention, the Omega Cannon, with orders to kill Superman. | ||||||||||||||
10 | 10 | "Hearts of the Fathers" | Jen Bennett | Serena Wu & Jake Wyatt | September 1, 2023 | 110 | 0.20[11] | |||||||
Haunted by nightmares about Zero Day, Clark swears to halt any invasion. After Perry officially promotes Clark, Lois, and Jimmy to reporters for their article on Ivo's defeat, they have Thanksgiving dinner with Clark's parents. Lois also invites her father, General Sam Lane, who fails to recognize Clark. When Jimmy tries to talk with Lois and Clark, he drops File X, revealing the Supermen recordings to a devastated Clark and exposing him to the Kryptonite. Clark's pod also reacts, sending a signal that prompts an invasion similar to Zero Day. While Superman and Sam battle the invaders, Jimmy deduces that the crystal also hurts them. A weakened Superman takes the crystal to destroy the mothership, halting the invasion as a hologram of his biological father helps return him to Earth. Sam prepares to kill him, but Lois pleads for his life and reminds him that Superman had saved them, causing Sam to leave. At dinner, Jimmy reveals he sold his Flamebird channel to the Daily Planet, becoming a millionaire. Across the universe, Brainiac informs an armored Kryptonian warrior of the rebellious Earth as a new planet to conquer. The undeterred warrior vows humanity will kneel. |
Season 2 (2024)
[edit]No. overall | No. in season | Title [5][6] | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [5][6] | Prod. code [5] | Viewers (millions) |
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11 | 1 | "More Things in Heaven And Earth" | Diana Huh | M. Willis | May 26, 2024 | 201 | 0.22[12] |
As Clark struggles to plan the perfect Valentine's Day date with Lois, they and Jimmy head to S.T.A.R. Labs to interview Hank Henshaw regarding a strange meteoroid that disappeared over Antarctica. While there, Jimmy convinces Alex to find a new job after being denied from S.T.A.R. Labs for his involvement with Ivo. Deducing that the meteoroid is Clark's missing spaceship, the trio head out to find it. After being separated by malfunctioning Kryptonian technology, Clark encounters another hologram of his biological father Jor-El, whose translation program has finished updating. He reveals more of his origins and that he has a cousin, Kara, who was also sent away from Krypton, before realizing Kryptonite is affecting the ship. Meanwhile, Lois and Jimmy discover Waller, Wilson, and Agent Ethan Avery are there to commandeer the tech and have taken Sam prisoner. While fixing the ship, Superman fights Avery and Wilson until Jor-El uses the spaceship's power to purify the Kryptonite and convert it into a fortress. Before shutting down, Jor-El tells Superman to find a beacon to locate Kara. Afterward, Lois asks Clark to help her rescue Sam while Task Force X absconds with the tech they acquired and Kryptonite samples. | |||||||
12 | 2 | "Adventures with My Girlfriend" | Kiki Manrique | Angela Entzminger | May 26, 2024 | 202 | 0.15[12] |
As Task Force X establishes a new base underneath Stryker's prison, Waller interrogates Sam for the location of his share of the organization's arsenal. Meanwhile, Clark and Lois agree to help a boy named Billy find his father, a volunteer librarian at Stryker's who went missing while investigating other missing persons' cases. With Jimmy busy wrangling Lombard and the Newskid Legion, the pair infiltrate the prison themselves and stumble onto Task Force X's new base. While rescuing Sam and Billy's father, they discover Waller has been kidnapping inmates unable to post bail for use as test subjects to empower her agents before they are attacked by Waller and Agent Joseph Martin. As the Lanes evacuate the inmates, Superman struggles against Martin, whose radioactive armor allows him to bypass Superman's invulnerability. Nonetheless, Superman defeats Martin, recovers the beacon Jor-El asked him to find, and rejoins the Lanes and inmates before they are rescued by Jimmy and Lombard, who saw the chaos from afar. Afterward, Sam agrees to stay with Clark and Jimmy while Alex, now referring to himself as Lex Luthor, rescues Waller from an escaped Ivo and offers to help her. | |||||||
13 | 3 | "Fullmetal Scientist" | Jen Bennett | Cynthia Furey | June 2, 2024 | 203 | 0.17[13] |
While rescuing AmerTek scientist Silas Stone from a burning building, Clark unlocks another new power, a "super aura" force-field. After Clark leaves however, Willis threatens Silas into remotely deleting all records of a project he was working on. The next day, Clark struggles to balance his work and social lives with his work as Superman and housing a paranoid Sam. Concurrently, Lois, Vale, and Jimmy's new intern Flip separately uncover a mystery surrounding missing scientists Silas and Dr. John Irons, AmerTek's CEO Thomas Weston, and his line of Metallo robots. As Lois and Vale compete to out-scoop each other, Superman, Jimmy, and Flip locate Irons, who reveals Weston forced him and Silas to rush production on the Metallos and create an unstable "Amer-Fusion" reactor to power AmerTek's Metropolis facility before firing them. After repelling Willis, who Weston hired to kill Irons and intimidate Silas, Superman and Irons join forces to stop Weston before he destroys Metropolis, with Irons using his "Steel" mech suit to fend off the Metallos. Afterward, Weston is arrested, Vale offers Lois a job at the Gotham Gazette, and Luthor's new company LexCorp buys out AmerTek and confiscates the Steel suit and Metallos for Task Force X's use. | |||||||
14 | 4 | "Two Lanes Diverged" | Diana Huh | Sari Cooper | June 9, 2024 | 204 | 0.18[14] |
In flashbacks, Sam trains Lois in finding the North Star, though they gradually become estranged due to his military work. In the present, Sam fears Waller has found him and leaves for a safehouse to prepare, but Lois gets involved against his wishes. While evading Task Force X's agents, who intend to kill Sam, the Lanes convene with an old contact of his, Winslow Schott, but he betrays them. All throughout, the Lanes argue over Sam's methods driving them apart. Meanwhile, Jimmy learns he has been invited to serve as a guest speaker at a S.T.A.R. Labs symposium and invites Clark. However, they learn the topic is whether aliens like Superman do more harm than good. Complicating matters, Jimmy debates unsuccessfully against Luthor regarding Superman's trustworthiness and how powerful he is compared to humanity, among other points. When Task Force X and the Lanes' battle brings them to the symposium, Superman intervenes to help the pair escape. As Task Force X retreats, Luthor uses the aftermath to turn the attendees against Superman. Later that night, Clark sends a message to Kara, Sam disappears, Luthor and Waller gain support from S.T.A.R. Labs and the Pentagon, and the Kryptonian warrior approaches Earth. | |||||||
15 | 5 | "Most Eligible Superman" | Kiki Manrique | Josie Campbell | June 16, 2024 | 205 | N/A |
Perry assigns Clark and Lois to interview Superman upon learning he was named a finalist in Metropolis' most eligible bachelor and bachelorette contest. Ignoring Perry's orders, Cat forces Lois into letting her join so she can uncover Superman's secret identity. Amidst the contest, Superman's fellow finalist Silver St. Cloud develops an interest in him while Cat dismisses Lois' affirmation that she is dating Superman, causing her to doubt her relationship with him. Meanwhile, Jimmy struggles to determine how to apologize to Clark after what happened at the symposium. Along the way, he encounters Kara, who has come to Metropolis to search for her cousin. After Jimmy offers to help her, they bond over touring Metropolis before eventually heading to the contest, where Jimmy learns Kara was searching for Superman, who is named the winner. Seeing Lois leave, he tries to reconcile with her, but she reveals her stress over Sam's disappearance, Vale's offer, and their frayed relationship. Suddenly, Kara assumes an armored form and attacks Superman, believing he is unfit to join the Kryptonian Empire. Despite Superman unlocking the power of ice breath in their ensuing fight, Kara defeats and captures him on Brainiac's orders. | |||||||
16 | 6 | "The Machine Who Would Be Empire" | Jen Bennett | M. Willis | June 23, 2024 | 206 | N/A |
Superman mounts an escape attempt until Kara claims there are other living Kryptonians. Using a thought-projector device, she explains that before Krypton fell, it was the most advanced society in the galaxy and invited less fortunate planets to share in their utopia. He attempts to explain why she cannot conquer Earth, but she questions why he limits himself around humans. After stumbling onto her secret collection of alien memorabilia, he asks her to show her a planet the Kryptonian Empire conquered. She takes him to Thanagar, but they find it in ruins, briefly causing Kara to question Brainiac's intentions before his robots bring her and Superman to his base Kandor. Sending Kara away, Brainiac reveals he is a warmonger willing to kill those who refuse Kryptonian rule before detaining Superman and brainwashing Kara for disobeying him. However, Kara's memorabilia helps her remember her doubt towards Brainiac and discovers the destruction she committed while under his control. While trying to determine what to do next, she encounters a spaceship piloted by Jimmy, Lois, Mallah, and the Brain. | |||||||
17 | 7 | "Olsen's Eleven" | Diana Huh | Story by : Paul Chang, M. Willis, Angela Entzminger & Cynthia Furey Teleplay by : Paul Chang | June 30, 2024 | 207 | 0.18[15] |
Following Superman and Kara's battle, Waller announces the formation of the Human Defense Corps (HDC) and places Metropolis under martial law in preparation for an impending alien invasion. Meanwhile, Jimmy and Lois plan to break into S.T.A.R. Labs and steal an experimental spaceship so they can find Superman. To help them, they hire Willis, who agrees over her girlfriend Heat Wave's apparent protests, and recruit Mallah and the Brain, who had returned due to trouble with their multiversal doppelgangers. Complicating matters, Jimmy discovers Lois intends to use her Kryptonite sample on Kara. Moreover, security proves tighter than expected due to Waller and Wilson overseeing Luthor while he upgrades the Metallos with Kryptonite power cores. Quickly discovering their presence, Waller sends Wilson to capture Lois and Jimmy's group. Despite the chaos of evading Task Force X, Mallah and the Brain successfully launch the spaceship while Willis and Heat Wave, who were enacting a separate scheme, fend off the Metallos to ensure the group's escape. As Waller deems Luthor's work successful and allocates more resources for him, Mallah and the Brain use a newly constructed portal device to send them, Lois, and Jimmy into deep space, where they encounter Kara. | |||||||
18 | 8 | "The Death of Clark Kent" | Kiki Manrique | Angela Entzminger | July 7, 2024 | 208 | N/A |
Brainiac uses the "Black Mercy" device to invade and manipulate Superman's memories, intending to transfer his AI to the latter's body before Kandor falls apart. Despite his best efforts, Superman fails to stop Brainiac from learning of Lois and Jimmy, using his connection to them against him, and eventually trapping his mind in a simulation of his birth family and a restored Krypton. Meanwhile, Kara and Jimmy reunite before they and Lois devise a plan to save Superman. While Mallah and the Brain stay behind to repair the spaceship, Jimmy and Lois infiltrate Kandor while Kara attempts to reason with Brainiac. Frustrated with her perceived rebelliousness, Brainiac confirms that he brainwashed her to serve his interests. Kara damages his current body, but Brainiac successfully possesses Superman's body. Jimmy tries to use the Kryptonite on Brainiac, but he ejects him, Lois, and Kara into space before teleporting Kandor away. After Mallah and the Brain rescue the trio, Lois reveals she stole the Black Mercy and uses it on herself in an attempt to save Superman. | |||||||
19 | 9 | "Pierce the Heavens, Superman!" | Jen Bennett | Jake Wyatt | July 14, 2024 | 209 | 0.16[15] |
As Kara and Jimmy return to Earth to stop Brainiac, Jimmy attempts to warn Metropolis. Though the pair are separated from Mallah and the Brain and apprehended by Task Force X, they are rescued by the Daily Planet staff and Vale. With the odds against them, Kara starts to lose hope, but Lombard and Jimmy help her choose who she wants to be like Clark did. As Brainiac launches his invasion of Earth, Kara tries to stop him, but he overpowers her and Task Force X. Meanwhile, Lois successfully enters the simulation that Clark is trapped in, but is captured by Jor-El and his wife Lara, who know she does not belong and attempt to delete her due to the Black Mercy being unable to support multiple minds at once. However the simulation resets itself to when she first arrived every time they do so. Over the course of several resets, she gradually reaches out to and reconciles with Clark before they join forces to destroy the simulation. Forced back into his previous body, Brainiac retaliates by hacking the Metallos to defeat Kara and a restored Superman for him while he attempts to use Kandor to destroy Metropolis. | |||||||
20 | 10 | "My Adventures with Supergirl" | Diana Huh | Josie Campbell, Brendan Clogher & Jake Wyatt | July 21, 2024 | 210 | 0.21[15] |
As the HDC fail to destroy Kandor and Luthor flees, Waller fails to reach Henshaw or her agents. Nonetheless, she continues fighting back and reunites with Sam, who recruited Irons, Willis, Heat Wave, and Intergang to help them and Superman. With the group's aid, Superman and Kara recover, reach Kandor, and confront Brainiac, who reveals he destroyed Krypton in the face of peace talks that would have led to his shutdown, and attempts to brainwash Kara once more. In the ensuing fight, Superman, Lois, and Jimmy help her break Brainiac's control over her. As she and Superman push Kandor away from Earth, they use the sun's energy to strengthen themselves and destroy Kandor before Kara destroys Brainiac's body and salvages his core. Afterward, Clark, Lois, and Jimmy bring Kara to Smallville to recover and meet Jonathan and Martha. Over the next week, Mallah and the Brain rebuild Cadmus with Kara and Jimmy's help, Vale dubs Kara "Supergirl", Waller becomes a fugitive after her crimes are exposed, Luthor establishes LexCorp's headquarters and hires Wilson, Lois turns down Vale's offer, and Kara joins Clark, Lois, and Jimmy in protecting Metropolis. |
Production
[edit]Development
[edit]In May 2021, it was announced that a two-season order had been placed for My Adventures with Superman, with the series initially planned to air on Cartoon Network and stream on HBO Max. It was revealed that Jack Quaid and Alice Lee would voice Clark Kent / Superman and Lois Lane respectively.[16] Jake Wyatt and Brendan Clogher were onboard as co-executive producers, and Josie Campbell was a producer. Sam Register was also an executive producer.[17] Wyatt, Clogher, and Campbell served as showrunners.[18] No major updates were given until March 2023, when it was announced that the series would no longer air on Cartoon Network, but rather on its nighttime block Adult Swim, despite the series not necessarily being produced to target a young adult demographic.[19] Following the formation of DC Studios, the production crew showed the series' opening sequence to co-CEO James Gunn, who reportedly "liked" the series and allowed it to continue production without interference.[20]
Writing
[edit]The team behind the show wanted to explore the early years of Clark, Lois, and Jimmy Olsen and their jobs at the Daily Planet, something that Campbell felt had rarely been touched in previous Superman media. Campbell described the three characters as the heart of the show, adding that their bond and time with each other drives "the series and the character arcs for both season one and two." She also expressed the romance between Lois and Clark as being very important to the team and something that would unfold as the series progressed.[21] They also wanted to emphasize on Superman's humanity by exploring his personal relationships.[18]
Campbell cited the original Richard Donner Superman (1978) film as a huge influence for the series, especially for the interplay between Margot Kidder's Lois and Christopher Reeve's Superman: "We loved their chemistry; we loved how smart and feisty Lois was, and loved the heart and altruism of Reeve’s Superman / Clark Kent. The movie was clever, fun, and modernized Superman in a way that felt organic to the time period, while also respectful of what came before. It truly is one of our favorite pieces of Superman media." Just like the film, they sought for My Adventures with Superman to have a "wide co-viewing audience, where kids, teens, and adults can all sit down and watch together." Influences for the series include the 1986 comic book limited series The Man of Steel, as well as the works of Dan Jurgens, Jon Bogdanove, and Louise Simonson.[21] Additionally, Superman's transformation sequence is inspired by Pretty Cure, specifically Cure Mermaid from Go! Princess PreCure.[22][23]
Casting
[edit]Producer Josie Campbell greatly enjoyed working with Jack Quaid. Campbell said that Quaid had great comedic timing as Clark but was also able to "sell the kindness, strength, and dignity of Superman."[21]
In June 2022, Michael Emerson announced that he would play Brainiac.[24] In April 2023, it was confirmed that Ishmel Sahid would play Jimmy Olsen.[25]
Release
[edit]My Adventures with Superman premiered on Adult Swim on July 7, 2023, with a 2-episode special, and also released on Max shortly after its televised airing.[26][27] It then encored on the network's Toonami programming block on Saturday nights with additional reruns on Cartoon Network's ACME Night block.[28] The first season consisted of 10 episodes.
Marketing
[edit]A teaser trailer was released in April 2023.[29] A full-length trailer announcing the premiere date released on June 5, 2023.[30] A promotional clip of season one was revealed on June 29, 2023.[31]
International broadcast
[edit]My Adventures with Superman aired on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim in Canada and on Cartoon Network and HBO Max in Latin America.[32][33] In the United Kingdom, the series was made available for streaming on Channel 4 on October 17, 2023, and later premiered through linear television on E4 on October 20, 2023.[34] The series became available for streaming in Europe on December 11, 2023, on HBO Max, in countries where the service is available.[35] The series also premiered in Quebec on Télétoon on September 28, 2024.[36] The series aired on Cartoon Network in Japan from November 23, 2024.[37]
Home media
[edit]Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment released the first season of My Adventures with Superman on DVD in the United States on May 14, 2024.[38]
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]The series received positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the series has a rating of 98% based on 30 reviews, with an average score of 8.20/10.[39] The critics consensus reads, "Seamlessly transposing Superman into the style of shōnen anime, these Adventures give the character a refreshing paint job while retaining his quintessential charm." Polly Conway of Common Sense Media rated the show 4/5 stars, describing the show as "a lighthearted and fun fresh start for the classic superhero," and adding that "kids who aren't quite ready for serious superhero movies will be thrilled with the battles and challenges the crew must face."[40]
Samantha Nelson of IGN rated the show an 8/10, saying it "fuses DC Comics canon and shonen anime tropes to put a fresh and charming spin on the Man of Steel," and adding that "while there are a few weaker characters, the show's first seven episodes show huge potential driven by weird villains, complex fights and a tight ensemble."[41] Lauren Sarner of the New York Post described it as "nothing revolutionary, or especially clever, but it's lighthearted and peppered with some amusing moments."[42] Michael Thomas of Collider stated that "while the series does have a few pacing issues, and a lack of a strong supporting cast, it more than makes up for it with its slick art and strong leading trio."[43]
Accolades
[edit]Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Saturn Awards | Best Animated Television Series or Special | Nominated | [44] | |
TCA Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming | Nominated | [45] | ||
The Women's Image Awards | Animated Program | Nominated | [46] | ||
Actress Animated Program | Alice Lee | Nominated | [46] | ||
Annie Awards | Best TV/Media – Limited Series | Nominated | [47] |
Comic book series
[edit]A comic book miniseries based on the My Adventures with Superman TV series was released in June 2024, written by series producer and comics writer Josie Campbell and drawn by artist Pablo M. Collar. The comic series picks up from the end of season one and serves as a bridge to season two of My Adventures with Superman animated series. Campbell stated that the comic series is an unproduced story in season one,[48] and that it would connect "emotionally" with the second season.[18]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Dominic Lewis & Daniel Futcher Scoring Adult Swim's 'My Adventures with Superman'". Film Music Reporter. June 27, 2023. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- ^ ""My Adventures with Superman" Premieres July 6 on Adult Swim" (Press release). June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (April 30, 2024). "Trailer: 'My Adventures with Superman' Renews the Fight for Justice on May 25". Animation Magazine. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Gajewski, Ryan (June 14, 2024). "Anthony Bourdain-Penned Graphic Novels to Become Adult Swim TV Show (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "My Adventures with Superman – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c "My Adventures with Superman Episode Guide". TV Passport. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "My Adventures with Superman". USTVDB. September 2, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
- ^ Rebecca Bunch (August 4, 2023). "Thursday Cable Ratings 7/27/23: Shark Week Slips, What We Do In The Shadows Rises, The Five Takes Cable News Lead". The TV Ratings Guide. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
- ^ Rebecca Bunch (August 18, 2023). "Thursday Cable Ratings 8/17/23: Gutfeld! Stays #1 in Cable News, Project Runway and What We Do In The Shadows Rise, NFL Preseason and Superstar Racing Experience Slip". The TV Ratings Guide. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
- ^ Rebecca Bunch (August 27, 2023). "Thursday Cable Ratings 8/24/23: CNN Leads Coverage of Latest Trump Arrest, NFL Preseason Wins the Night, What We Do In The Shadows and Project Runway Decline". The TV Ratings Guide. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
- ^ Rebecca Bunch (September 1, 2023). "Thursday Cable Ratings 8/31/23: What We Do In The Shadows Ends on a New Low, College Football Dominates, CNN Edges Out Fox News to Lead Cable News". The TV Ratings Guide. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
- ^ a b Rebecca Bunch (May 30, 2024). "Saturday Cable Ratings 5/25/24: NHL Playoffs Lead the Night, On Patrol: Live Stable, On Patrol: Live Declines". The TV Ratings Guide. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
- ^ Rebecca Bunch (June 6, 2024). "Saturday Cable Ratings 6/1/24: Total Drama Island Revival Starts Low, For Love & Honey Decent on Hallmark, WNBA Remains Strong". The TV Ratings Guide. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ Rebecca Bunch (June 13, 2024). "Saturday Cable Ratings 6/8/24: Savoring Paris Respectable on Hallmark, Total Drama Island Stable, On Patrol: Live Slides". The TV Ratings Guide. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ a b c "My Adventures with Superman". USTVDB. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ Dar, Taimur (July 3, 2023). "INTERVIEW: The cast & crew of MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN cartoon discuss working on a rom-com with punching". Comics Beat. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ Rosario, Alexandra Del (May 19, 2021). "'My Adventures With Superman': Jack Quaid-Fronted Animated Series Gets Two Season Order From HBO Max & Cartoon Network". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
- ^ a b c Gomez, Manny (May 22, 2024). "My Adventures with Superman | Josie Campbell Talks Season 2 and New Superman Comic". Muse TV. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- ^ Bonthuys, Darryn (March 29, 2023). "My Adventures With Superman Now Coming To Adult Swim". GameSpot. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ Thompson, David (July 24, 2023). "Superman Producer Addresses Concerns Over James Gunn Interference on New Show". The Direct. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Exclusive Interview with "My Adventures With Superman" Animated Series Co-Producer Josephine Campbell". Superman Homepage. November 4, 2022. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ Huh, Diana (July 7, 2023). "Not sure if this would be interesting to anyone, but these are some thumbnails of plussing the transformation scene that Jessica Zammit boarded from way back when! Sometimes when I cannot figure things out on computer i gotta go back to pencil and paper". Twitter. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
- ^ Huh, Diana [@dihuh] (July 7, 2023). "It was Cure Mermaid, specifically the part in her transformation when her back ribbons and hair were formed! I watched it on repeat for inspiration haha" (Tweet). Retrieved August 14, 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Michael Emerson is Brainiac in "My Adventures With Superman" Animated Series". Superman Homepage. June 22, 2022. Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ O'Rourke, Ryan (April 6, 2023). "'My Adventures With Superman' Teaser Shows Clark Kent Coming to the Rescue". Collider. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (June 5, 2023). "My Adventures With Superman Gets Adult Swim and Max Release Dates". TVLine. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
- ^ Good, Owen S. (June 5, 2023). "My Adventures With Superman looks like the best summer of your life". Polygon. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ Legacy, Spencer (April 1, 2023). "My Adventures with Superman to Premiere on Adult Swim This Year". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ Dinsdale, Ryan (April 6, 2023). "My Adventures with Superman Gets First Trailer, Premieres Summer 2023". IGN. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ Legacy, Spencer (June 5, 2023). "My Adventures With Superman Trailer Previews Jack Quaid-Led Series". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ Dominguez, Noah (June 30, 2023). "My Adventures With Superman Clip Shows Clark Discovering His Origins". SuperHeroHype. Archived from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ^ "'MINHAS AVENTURAS COM O SUPERMAN' estreia dia 7 de julho no Cartoon Network e na HBO Max". cebolaverde.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved July 14, 2023.
- ^ ANMTV (July 6, 2023). "Minhas Aventuras com o Superman: animação terá transmissão pelo Cartoon Network". ANMTV (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved July 14, 2023.
- ^ ""My Adventures With Superman" UK Premiere Date Announced". Superman Homepage. October 11, 2023.
- ^ "Estos son los estrenos de HBO Max en diciembre". mundoplus.tv (in Spanish). November 30, 2023.
- ^ "Un Automne des Plus Divertissants Grâce Aux Chaînes Spécialisées Francophones de Corus".
- ^ ""Adventures with Superman" premieres in Japan from 11/23! Episode 1 will be broadcast on 11/3 (free on SKY PerfecTV! CS.331) and will be available for a limited time on 11/4 on CN's official YouTube Cartoon Network". October 29, 2024.
- ^ "My Adventures With Superman: Season 1 (DVD)". amazon.com. May 14, 2024.
- ^ "My Adventures with Superman". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ Conway, Polly (July 7, 2023). "Parents' Guide to My Adventures with Superman". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ Nelson, Samantha (June 26, 2023). "My Adventures With Superman Review". IGN. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- ^ Sarner, Lauren (July 1, 2023). "'My Adventures With Superman' is a youthful, energetic spin on the hero's tale". New York Post. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
- ^ Thomas, Michael (June 26, 2023). "'My Adventures with Superman' Review: The Man of Steel Soars to New Heights". Collider. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (December 6, 2023). "'Avatar: The Way Of Water', 'Oppenheimer', 'Star Trek' Series Lead Nominations For Genre-Focused Saturn Awards". Deadline.
- ^ Longeretta, Emily (June 10, 2024). "'Baby Reindeer,' 'Ripley' and 'Shogun' Lead 2024 TCA Awards Nominations: Full List". Variety. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ a b "The 26 Women's Image Awards nominees". September 15, 2024.
- ^ "The 52 Annie Awards Nominees". Annie Awards. December 20, 2024.
- ^ Brooke, David (March 7, 2024). "'My Adventures with Superman' gets new comics series starting June 2024". AIPT.
External links
[edit]- Quotations related to My Adventures with Superman at Wikiquote
- DC page
- Adult Swim page
- My Adventures with Superman at IMDb
- My Adventures with Superman at Metacritic
- 2020s American animated television series
- 2023 American television series debuts
- 2023 animated television series debuts
- Adult Swim animated television series
- American animated action television series
- American animated adventure television series
- American animated superhero television series
- American English-language television shows
- Animated Superman television series
- Animated television shows based on DC Comics
- American anime-influenced animated television series
- Television series by Studio Mir
- Television series by Warner Bros. Animation
- LGBTQ-related superhero television shows