It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s … not Henry Cavill, David Corenswet and even Tyler Hoechlin.
The brand new animated Adult Swim / Max series, “My Adventures With Superman,” premiering July 6 and seven (on Adult Swim and Max, respectively) is timely within the sense that Clark Kent has dominated recent headlines — be the late Christopher Reeve’s bizarre posthumous AI “cameo” in “The Flash” that outraged fans or the news that Corenswet will succeed Cavill within the big-screen DC movies,with “Mrs. Maisel” star Rachel Bosnahan replacing Amy Adams as Lois Lane.
For higher or worse, “My Adventures With Superman” is landing at peak “Superman” saturation.
The series follows Clark Kent (voiced by Jack Quaid, “The Boys”), Lois Lane (Alice Lee) and their friend Jimmy Olsen (Ishmel Sahid) as young twentysomethings coming of age.
Clark and Jimmy start work on the Day by day Planet, where they meet Lois. Clark builds his secret identity as Superman and probes into his origins. Lois – a plucky, pixie-cut journalist with a nose for a scoop – rises as a star reporter and sometimes teams up with Jimmy (as her trusty photographer). Sparks fly between Clark and Lois, at the same time as Lois gets near discovering Clark’s secret alter-ego.
“My Adventures With Superman” is an lively and youthful version of the story everyone knows by now. It’s got all of the familiar hallmarks — a joyful “first flight” sequence, when Clark launches into the air and asks, “How am I doing this? Who am I?” — and scenes where he struggles to cover his powers from the surface world with loads of sight-gags showcasing his strong physique.
It’s nothing revolutionary, or especially clever, but it surely’s lighthearted and peppered with some amusing moments. Each time Clark repeats his mantra to mix in (“I’m a standard man having a standard day!”) he by accident does something “super” to counter that, equivalent to reflexively saving a cat or ripping the handle off of a door that he’s attempting to open. The show’s animated format means there are not any distractingly shoddy computer graphics.
“My Adventures with Superman” appears like a show that doesn’t have to exist. Hoechlin is doing an excellent job of embodying the character in The CW’s “Superman & Lois,” which continues to be currently airing (albeit, his version is a married dad), and there are many recent movies on the massive screen, including “Man of Steel,” two different version of “Justice League” and the upcoming “Superman: Legacy.”
So, for those who’re sick of the guy, this show probably won’t rock your world enough to alter your mind.
That said, for those who’re not affected by genre fatigue, “My Adventures With Superman” is a rendition that’s full of solid writing and voice performances, an excellent balance of jokes and motion, and not one of the grim self-serious tone with which Cavill era was saddled.
It’s unlikely to knock your socks off, but it surely’s a nice enough diversion.
