My adventures with Superman beautifully captures why the man of steel has been beloved by fans for 85 years!
If I were to ask you, who is Superman? You might shout with your chest, the man of tomorrow! However, the majority of people would say Clark Kent, correct? Well yes, Clark Kent is Superman, however, Clark Kent is a also a soft hearted, caring and naive farm boy from the fictional town, Smallville, Kansas. He follows the rules and tries his best in everything he does, he is far from evil…or is he?
My adventures with Superman does an impeccable job in retelling one of, if not the, most well-known superhero origin story of all time, while also adding slight variations to plot points and well known adversaries that even diehard fans can appreciate and begin to anticipate as the Last Son of Krypton agonisingly develops new powers under the earth’s yellow sun in increasingly stressful situations.
This new series highlighting the Metropolis Marvel is packed to the brim with intense moments of peril, super-powered beatdowns from classic Superman villains and unthinkable odds, the large brunt of which, the Blue Boy Scout is on the receiving end of during his crime fighting, planet saving infancy. However, although super speed; super strength; flight; bursts of electrical energy; freeze breath; heat vision; super hearing, etc are cool, the series is very much centred around the day to day struggles and relationships, Daily Planet intern reporter, Clark Kent, has to endure and create, alongside fellow interns, Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane, both of whom may look slightly different from the classic depictions throughout the pages of DC Comics, then again, so does everyone apart from Supes, Pa Kent and Martha Kent.
We see, through the use of a more eastern Asian animation style, kin to Japanese anime and Korean ani, a plethora of exaggerated expressions, movements and creative camera placement to make the mundane feel extraordinary. Moments of admiration, attraction and astonishment are heightened, and each episode is full of goosebumps, hair tingles, plus, the warm and fuzzies.
Clark and Lois’ romance waxes and wanes throughout the series in cute and hysterical ways, as they experience an unrivalled amount of life threatening situations and secret lives to strain any blooming love. All the while Jimmy, the budding conspiracy theorist, attempts to alert enough of Clark’s attention to the spooky and scary goings on throughout the city.
I assume you have heard the rhetoric that Superman is boring due to his vast array of abilities and very minuscule number of weaknesses, well, I am here to tell you that his perceived invulnerability and inability to lose, is what makes the Man of Steel so interesting and captivating to all generations, for if he loses, all hope is lost.
From episode 1 to episode 10, we see Clark’s list of abilities grow to unrivalled heights, however, as they do, so does the weight of the planet upon his shoulders. Superman, as well as saving the world from inter planetary threats, will put himself in the crosshairs of any bullet, led or kryptonite. He saves cats in trees; helps old people cross the road; stops bullies from stealing kids lunch money and he takes the time to talk someone off the ledge. Superman does these acts of kindness, not just out of the goodness of his heart, but because he can not ignore a cry for help…literally.
My adventures with Superman will inspire hope within a new generation, as they tilt their heads to the sky and see a blur of red and blue, carrying an air of inevitability, breaking the sound barrier, darting through the clouds. Warm in the knowledge he is there, they will simply go about their day.
Reading Recommendations :
All Star Superman (2006) – Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly’s Superman run is the definitive collection for all Superman lovers. It is full of hope, love and ultimate sacrifice, as all Superman stories should be.
Superman : Secret Identity (2004) – Like My Adventures with Superman, this perfect 4 issue mini-series focuses on a farm boy from Smallville beginning to accept his responsibility as the greatest hero to ever live, while also realising how important his true, yet secret, identity is to protecting himself and his family. Written by Kurt Busiek, with art by an emerging Stuart Immonen.
New 52 Superman by Grant Morrison (2011) – The new 52 era of DC tends to get a bad wrap, as in an attempt to revitalise and bring their heroes into the new world, DC took quite a few swings, swings that most fans were not happy with, whether that be due to the costumes, continuity or character relationships…That being said, Grant Morrison's Superman, in my opinion, is the best depiction of the Man of Steel in the modern era, as we follow a confident Kal-El, who shows incredible amounts of power, leadership and intelligence when dealing with new takes on old threats. Now, I may be bias due to the new 52 Justice League being the first comic series I collected upon each release but trust me, you wont regret reading any of Grant Morrison’s work.
Superman : Son of Kal-El (2021) – I asked during my review, “who is superman?”, well in this brilliant and enlightening run by Tom Taylor, Superman is Jon Kent, Clark and Lois’ son. We follow Jon as his father is off world and he tries his best to live up to the mantle of Superman, all while honing his skills and discovering new ones. This is beautiful character driven story that I highly recommend. Enjoy!
