My Adventures with Superman

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, with each episode releasing on Max shortly after broadcast.

A second season began broadcasting on May 26, 2024, shifting its premieres to the network's Toonami programming block, which originally encored the first season.

Premise

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.

Voice cast

Main

• Jack Quaid as Clark Kent / Superman
• Alice Lee as Lois Lane
• Ishmel Sahid as Jimmy Olsen

Recurring and guest

The following recurring and guest cast are listed in order of appearance:

• Kari Wahlgren as Martha Kent, Young Clark Kent
• Reid Scott as Jonathan Kent
• Jason Marnocha as Jor-El, Ethan Avery / Damage
• Darrell Brown as Perry White
• Zehra Fazal as Leslie Willis / Livewire
• Azuri Hardy-Jones as Flip Johnson
• Chris Parnell as Slade Wilson
• Catherine Taber as Siobhan McDougal / Silver Banshee
• Lucas Grabeel as Kyle / Mist
• Vincent Tong as Albert / Rough House, Steve Lombard
• Melanie Minichino as Cat Grant
• Kenna Ramsey as Ronnie Troupe
• Jake Green as Anthony Ivo / Parasite
• Max Mittelman as Alex "Lex" Luthor, Hank Henshaw, Joseph Martin / Atomic Skull, Thomas Weston
• Laila Berzins as Rory / Heat Wave
• Debra Wilson as Amanda Waller
• Joel de la Fuente as General Sam Lane
• André Sogliuzzo as Monsieur Mallah
• David Errigo Jr. as Mister Mxyzptlk
• Andromeda Dunker as Vicki Vale
• Michael Emerson as Brainiac
• Byron Marc Newsome as John Henry Irons / Steel, Silas Stone
• Kiana Madeira as Kara Zor-El / Supergirl

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (2023)

Season 2 (2024)

Production

Development

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. Jake Wyatt and Brendan Clogher were onboard as co-executive producers, and Josie Campbell was a producer. Sam Register was also an executive producer. Wyatt, Clogher, and Campbell served as showrunners. 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. 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.

Writing

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. They also wanted to emphasize on Superman's humanity by exploring his personal relationships.

Campbell cited the original Richard Donner Superman movie 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. Additionally, Superman's transformation sequence is inspired by Pretty Cure, specifically Cure Mermaid from Go! Princess PreCure.

Casting

In June 2022, Michael Emerson announced that he would play Brainiac. In April 2023, it was confirmed that Ishmel Sahid would play Jimmy Olsen.

Campbell greatly enjoyed working with Quaid. She said that he had great comedic timing as Clark but was also able to "sell the kindness, strength, and dignity of Superman."

Release

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. It then encored on the network's Toonami programming block on Saturday nights with additional reruns on Cartoon Network's ACME Night block. The first season consisted of 10 episodes.

Marketing

A teaser trailer was released in April 2023. A full-length trailer announcing the premiere date released on June 5, 2023. A promotional clip of season one was revealed on June 29, 2023.

International broadcast

My Adventures with Superman aired on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim in Canada and on Cartoon Network and HBO Max in Latin America. 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. The series became available for streaming in Europe on December 11, 2023, on HBO Max, in countries where the service is available.

Home media

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment released the first season of My Adventures with Superman on DVD in the United States on May 14, 2024.

Reception

Critical response

The series received positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series has a rating of 96% based on 23 reviews, with an average score of 8.2/10. The critics consensus reads, "Seamlessly transposing Superman into the style of shonen 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."

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." 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." 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."

Accolades

Comic book series

A comic book miniseries based on the My Adventures with Superman TV series will be 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, and that it would connect "emotionally" with the second season.

Notes

References

External links

• Quotations related to My Adventures with Superman at Wikiquote
• DC page
• Adult Swim page
• My Adventures with Superman at IMDb