My Adventures with Superman 1×1 and 2 Review: “Adventures of a Normal Man” Part 1 and 2

The latest Superman animated series debuted with a two-episode premiere. And I don’t know about you, but I’m here for the amount of fun, action, and character development My Adventures with Superman is serving!

I was provided with free digital screeners of My Adventures with Superman season one for review. The opinions I have shared are my own.

‘Adventures of a Normal Man’ Part 1 and Part 2 basically shared a narrative you would expect from stories as they introduce the timeline, characters, overarching plot, etc. This iteration of Clark Kent (Jack Quaid) is a young man looking forward to starting his first day as an intern at the Daily Planet alongside his best friend and roommate, Jimmy Olsen (Ishmel Sahid).

And as someone who is still trying to figure out who he really is, I liked how Clark’s emotions made him lose control of his powers during certain moments. There’s just something adorable about this version of Clark. I couldn’t get enough of him. The creative team has done an impressive job of giving the iconic Superman IP a shonen-inspired vibe while still staying true to its core.

With Clark being adorable and Jimmy being a supportive friend who is into alien conspiracy theories, Lois Lane (Alice Lee) is ambitious in the manner one needs to be if they are to one day become a famous investigative journalist. She’s still got a lot to learn about the industry, but she’s on the right track.

I liked how sparks flew between Lois and Clark even before they knew they were going to work together at the Daily Planet. Those sparks continued to intensify as the episodes progressed. My Adventures with Superman is quite a romantic animated series. The scene involving the donuts is so cute!

I’m actually surprised to find myself so invested in a show about Superman. While I respect the Kryptonian as an iconic comic book character, I never felt myself drawn enough to keep up with his comic books or make it a mission to buy his merchandise. However, for some reason, My Adventures with Superman just does it for me. This is the version of Clark Kent I can fully get behind.

‘Adventures of a Normal Man’ Part 1 had Lois lying to Clark and Jimmy to have the two help her uncover a story. Even though she managed to make progress in the case, I liked how Clark stood up to her when he found out she had lied to them. Having a crush on someone doesn’t mean you have to go along with their lies (especially the type of lies that put you and your friends in danger). So, kudos to Clark for putting his foot down.

Also, yay to Lois realizing her mistake and apologizing. If Lois expected him to work with her, she needed to be honest with him. Clark is a very good boy. But that doesn’t mean he can be pushed around.

I really enjoy this kind of relationship development as the leads are figuring out their dynamics as a team.

The first episode also had Clark using his still-developing superpowers to save Lois and Jimmy from some powerful robots. His emotions seem to be fueling his powers. You can tell that Clark’s going to grow into a powerhouse. However, until then, it made sense for Lois to also play a role in saving him.

The main villain in Part 1 and Part 2 of ‘Adventures of a Normal Man’ was Leslie Willis (aka Livewire from the comic book world). Seeing Leslie be confused about what was happening and whom she should trust made me chuckle. Things are only going to escalate from here.

Basically, there are currently three sides on the playing board covering Metropolis. There are people like Leslie who are into stealing alien technology for nefarious reasons, young good guys like Superman and his crew who are coming into their own, and the third “mysterious” party being overseen by… drumroll… freaking Amanda Waller.

I can’t wait to see a young Superman getting to interact with this version of Amanda Waller and listen to her take on what it means to protect humanity and the acceptable costs.

Now, if I were to share a complaint about the two-episode premiere, it would deal with the pacing. From what I know, each episode is going to be approximately 20 minutes long. So, while it makes sense for the writers to rush through certain narratives, I think the pacing could have still been handled a bit better.

The flashback sequences featuring a kid Clark manifesting his powers to save an out-of-control car and learning about the space-tech he came to Earth in felt undercooked.

Kid Clark was emotional about finding out more about his heritage, but the rushed nature of those scenes made it look like the writers were checking boxes instead of allowing those emotions to occur naturally.

Having said that, the premiere did give us a magical girl transformation sequence for a young Clark Kent. So, yay!

Also, whoever decided to have Clark clench his butt during the transformation… thank you!

As for the tech that unlocked Clark’s Superman costume and the fact that the tech grew and how it seems to be linked to the visions he’s getting… I don’t trust it!

Talking about the animation, the Voltron Legendary Defender and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power vibes are evident. The character movements are smooth and the action sequences were choreographed well. From the robots punching Superman to Leslie’s tech overheating and emitting a whole lot of electricity, the action had an onscreen impact that I enjoyed.

And while such a style of animation isn’t my go-to, I do realize that it lends itself quite nicely to fanart. So, it’s no surprise that My Adventures of Superman already has tons of fanart being posted online, especially the type that focuses on Clark being adorable. 

All in all, while My Adventures of Superman isn’t bringing anything revolutionary to the animation or superhero medium, it sure has a heart and likable cast of lead characters that will, hopefully, keep viewers turning in every week!

For those who might not know, new episodes will air every Thursday at midnight on Adult Swim. Encores will follow on Fridays at 7:00 pm ET/PT on Adult Swim and at midnight on Saturdays on Toonami. New episodes will be made available on Max on Fridays.

Did you watch the two-episode debut of My Adventures with Superman?

What did you think?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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