Nice. About time.
Spoilers MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN Review Thread
- Thread starter Christopher
- Start date
Nice. About time.
What do you mean? Was there a demand for her to be Korean?
I don't know. I just mean it's about time we had an Asian Louis. It's a good thing.
Yeah, it's high time we got more diversity in the Superman cast. "About time" was my reaction too. (And it bugged me that Superman: Legacy apparently only looked at white actors for the lead roles.)
Though it should perhaps be noted that previously we've had an African American Jimmy Olsen, an African American Perry White, a Native American/Middle Eastern Lois and an Asian American Superman. So DC/WB does deserve some credit
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Really good one this week, with a nice revisionist take on the Brain and Monsieur Mallah as a loving, openly gay couple of "peaceful" mad scientists from Cadmus, hiding from an intolerant society. A very fun script.
Clark and Lois working through their issues as they try to save Jimmy went about as expected, but the best part was when Clark decided to tell Jimmy the truth and it turned out that Jimmy had known all along but respected Clark's privacy. That makes Jimmy a bit less annoying as a character, and it resolves a concern I had about whether he'd be left out of the loop. It's kind of fitting, too, in a way. At the time Jimmy debuted in the '40s radio show, Superman was portrayed therein as a secretive, mysterious figure who only revealed himself fully to the criminals he fought and was no more than an urban legend to the general public. Jimmy, who was created as an identification figure for the young boys in the target audience, was the first non-criminal that Superman allowed to really see him and talk to him, though of course he didn't reveal his secret identity.
I'd wondered if the shot in the main titles of Clark changing to Superman with Lois & Jimmy alongside him was just symbolic, or if it was a clue that they'd both be in on the secret. Now we know.
We're six episodes in now, and this is the second episode where we haven't seen Clark in his Superman costume at all. I'm surprised he wasn't wearing it under his shirt, but this show seems to relish opportunities to get him shirtless.
Clark and Lois working through their issues as they try to save Jimmy went about as expected, but the best part was when Clark decided to tell Jimmy the truth and it turned out that Jimmy had known all along but respected Clark's privacy. That makes Jimmy a bit less annoying as a character, and it resolves a concern I had about whether he'd be left out of the loop. It's kind of fitting, too, in a way. At the time Jimmy debuted in the '40s radio show, Superman was portrayed therein as a secretive, mysterious figure who only revealed himself fully to the criminals he fought and was no more than an urban legend to the general public. Jimmy, who was created as an identification figure for the young boys in the target audience, was the first non-criminal that Superman allowed to really see him and talk to him, though of course he didn't reveal his secret identity.
I'd wondered if the shot in the main titles of Clark changing to Superman with Lois & Jimmy alongside him was just symbolic, or if it was a clue that they'd both be in on the secret. Now we know.
We're six episodes in now, and this is the second episode where we haven't seen Clark in his Superman costume at all. I'm surprised he wasn't wearing it under his shirt, but this show seems to relish opportunities to get him shirtless.
I don't see that at all. The DCAU Superman was more of a stoic tough guy than Superman's usually been portrayed in modern times, something of a throwback to George Reeves's no-nonsense reporter and the Fleischer cartoons. This Clark/Superman is much more sensitive, open, and vulnerable, and obviously much more socially oriented, letting more people into his confidence.
I was honestly never that fond of Bruce Timm's approach to Superman; I felt he tried too hard to make him tough and macho at the expense of his kindness and compassion. This version goes much more in the direction I prefer.
Where on YouTube can I see this first episode?
It was on [adult swim]'s official YouTube channel at one point, but I don't find it now. Must have been a limited-time promotional thing. Sorry.
I much prefer what I've seen of My Adventures with Superman to Superman: The Animated Series, which I've always thought was overrated.
I do love me some tough-guy George Reeves, though.
Timm’s take is an older Superman…I never thought he was macho—-that’s Lobo 
Timm’s Superman has confidence now…but Batman has more of a problem.
By the time SuperFriends rolls around…everyone is mature.
We think of it as a kiddie show…but there is none of the angst…at least in my head canon.
William Blake said it best:
Innocence
Experience
Innocence through experience
Clark a bit wobbly…finds his legs…mellows with age.
Timm’s Superman has confidence now…but Batman has more of a problem.
By the time SuperFriends rolls around…everyone is mature.
We think of it as a kiddie show…but there is none of the angst…at least in my head canon.
William Blake said it best:
Innocence
Experience
Innocence through experience
Clark a bit wobbly…finds his legs…mellows with age.
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Timm’s take is an older Superman…I never thought he was macho—-that’s Lobo
Matter of degree. The DCEU tended to play up Superman as a fighter more than as a figure of compassion. They did the same with Wonder Woman, whose DCEU interpretation I liked even less (though she had her moments).
I always loved Timm's Superman, he really seemed to get Superman to me, plus in TAS Superman was the main character, which I appreciated. Almost every other TV incarnation either doesn't really have Superman (Smallville) or he's a supporting character (Lois & Clark, Superman & Lois, My Adventures with Superman). I think that, besides Superman TAS, possibly only the George Reeves Superman show, the live action Superboy show and a few of the mediocre 70s/80s cartoons (the Ruby Spears Superman cartoon, etc) had Clark/Superman as the main character, with the supporting cast doing what they're supposed to do, support his story. Its probably a consequence of bad writers not knowing how to really write Superman, so they write around him which just makes the shows worthless if you like the actual character of Clark Kent/Superman.
I personally don't want stories all about Lois Lane or Jimmy Olsen or Superman's brat kids, I want stories about and starring Clark Kent/Superman, and Superman: TAS is easily the best Superman project for that style of story outside of the comics. It also has a great supporting cast, who exist without taking over the show. The Superman TAS version of Lois Lane is probably the best version of the character period, even over the comics, and no adaptation has done Superman's villains better in my opinion.
I personally don't want stories all about Lois Lane or Jimmy Olsen or Superman's brat kids, I want stories about and starring Clark Kent/Superman, and Superman: TAS is easily the best Superman project for that style of story outside of the comics. It also has a great supporting cast, who exist without taking over the show. The Superman TAS version of Lois Lane is probably the best version of the character period, even over the comics, and no adaptation has done Superman's villains better in my opinion.
I want stories treating Lois and Clark as co-leads. She's every bit as important and interesting as he is as a character, and their relationship is the essential heart of the entire Superman franchise, IMO. Thankfully, shows like L&C, S&L, and MAwS get this (and hopefully Superman: Legacy will do so, as well).
I just watched the marathon of the first 5 episodes on Cartoon Network's "Acme Night" and I really enjoyed it. It's been a lot of fun so far, and I'm really liking their take on Superman, Lois, and Jimmy. Having all of the villains, so far at least, be based around Waller, Slade, and The General's tech has put an interesting twist on them, and is a nice way to connect them all together for the story arc that's building up. I love that they actually had Lois figure out that Clark was Superman so quickly, I've never been a big fan of the way most versions of her are either totally oblivious, or constantly gaslighted by Clark. Neither of those options tend to make the characters look good.
Well, I definitely disagree. I don't read/watch Superman stories for Lois Lane, just like I don't read/watch The Flash stories for Iris or Wonder Woman stories for Steve Trevor. Its not that I dislike those supporting characters, but they're just that, supporting characters.
Why can't Superman be the main character? Lois has been the main character in almost every Superman related show/live action project for years, its boring and completely played out at this point. Superman being the main star would be the unique angle to take with a Superman show at this point.
Lois being the focus has always seemed, to me at least, an offshoot of people who basically hate Superman, think he's "boring" because of his powers, so would rather watch tedious stories about a plucky news reporter who is literally just a random woman who occasionally has a Deus Ex Machina save her from trouble (usually of her own making) in the form of an alien who wears an S on his chest. We've seen it, in every possible variation at this point. We've seen it in romcom form (L&C), we've seen it in prequel form (Smallville), we've seen it in married with kids form (S&L), and now we're getting it in Gen Z form, which is pretty much just prequel form but Lois is a huge asshole now and all the heroes and villains are what boomers think that "the kids" are into nowadays.
I wonder if all these Lois Lane fanatics also argued that Supergirl shouldn't have been the main character of her TV show. I don't recall any "Jimmy Olsen should be the main character of the show called Supergirl" arguments when that show started, he was very much a supporting character/possible love interest when that show started and no body seemed to think that he should be the real main character.
Where even to begin?
Lois has never been "the" main character in any Superman show or movie. She is sometimes treated as a co-lead with Superman, or something close to it, which is always to those productions' enormous benefit.
Lois is never, ever boring. She wouldn't know how to be if she tried.
I certainly don't hate Superman, and I adore Lois Lane.
Calling Lois a "random woman" is really not even deserving of comment. It's intended as insulting, and it succeeds. Ditto calling MAwS's version a "huge asshole."
For my part, I believe that if you don't understand Lois Lane's importance to Superman, then you don't understand Superman.
Lois has never been "the" main character in any Superman show or movie. She is sometimes treated as a co-lead with Superman, or something close to it, which is always to those productions' enormous benefit.
Lois is never, ever boring. She wouldn't know how to be if she tried.
I certainly don't hate Superman, and I adore Lois Lane.
Calling Lois a "random woman" is really not even deserving of comment. It's intended as insulting, and it succeeds. Ditto calling MAwS's version a "huge asshole."
For my part, I believe that if you don't understand Lois Lane's importance to Superman, then you don't understand Superman.
Well, they did literally name a show Lois & Clark, putting her first. Granted, that was largely a pun on "Lewis and Clark," but it was also meant to suggest that the show was at least as much a romantic workplace comedy from Lois's POV as a superhero show from Clark's.
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