My Adventures with Superman Season 3, Ep 1 Review
It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since we last saw My Adventures With Superman, but I’m happy to say that the show is back! And better than ever, I might add! The show is going to have a tough act to follow, considering how season two wrapped things up in a way that could count as an ending for the show. But we all know that there are more stories worth telling about Superman, Lois, Jimmy, and now Kara. And with this season set to adapt the famous “Reign of the Supermen” arc from the comics, things are going to get bizarre. Though I think Bizarro might be the most appropriate term for this episode as we look as the new world after Brainiac.
I love Jimmy and Kara so Much!
It’s been some time since Kara and Kal-El defeated Brainiac, and their lives are slowly changing. The old fortress that Clark, Lois, and Jimmy found in season two has transformed into the Fortress of Solitude, and this might be the most opulent version of the iconic structure to date. Unfortunately, its appearance is somewhat marred by the reveal that Brainiac is still alive, albeit reduced to a state where he can’t do any harm…physically. As Kara leaves him to rot, he’s still trying to gaslight her into thinking she’s not a good person. Even worse, it’s implied that he has some influence over the robot caretakers of the Fortress. In other words, he’s going to remain a problem!
In the meantime, though, it’s Halloween, and the gang is happily celebrating at the Kent farm before heading back to Metropolis. Seeing Clark and Lois do a couple’s costume is just so adorable, but the real highlight has to be Jimmy and Kara doing the same thing! Indeed, this entire episode continues to push the Jimmy and Kara ship, with both clearly being into each other. Much like Lois before him, though, Jimmy is hesitant to take the next step since he thinks he’s not good enough for Kara, and it’s incredibly frustrating to look at.
To be honest, I had to pause my reaction video of this episode so I could go on a tangent about why Jimmy is more than worthy of Kara. He shouldn’t let the fact that she’s got superpowers stop him from shooting his shot! If anything, I think dating a beautiful, superpowered alien would be a big boost to my self-worth! I just pray that Jimmy takes Lois’ advice and doesn’t wait a whole season.
Not that Lois is one to talk, though. Now that she’s got her life working out for her, she’s nervous when Clark wants to take the next step and start thinking about the future. Moving in together, starting a family, that sort of thing. But Lois is so nervous about it because she doesn’t know if she can raise a family thanks to her own childhood. It’s sad, really. She would be an awesome mom!
Bizarro Cometh!
The main plot of the episode, though, centers around the gang investigating an abandoned military project, Caliban. Built concurrently with Project Cadmus, Caliban was focused on genetics research related to the Kryptonians. In other words, they were trying to clone them! At the moment, it’s unclear if Superboy, who is due to debut this season, is related to Caliban, but the group does find at least one clue that succeeded: Bizarro.
Now, in the comics, we know Bizarro as the mutated clone of Superman. He’s often a villain, but he’s not really evil, just misguided and having a thought process that doesn’t make sense to most people. The MAWS version of Bizarro, though, might be the most human variant to date, though. In terms of appearance, he looks like Superman, but buffer and with longer hair. In terms of personality, he’s incredibly kind, thanks to the late director of the project teaching him that rather than raise him as a weapon.
While Superman spends the second half of the episode fighting, and then protecting, Bizarro, the emotional crux is Kara seeing the videos the late director left to teach the clone about the world. Despite initially calling him an abomination, after seeing how he was raised, Kara sees a kindred spirit in him. She knows that Bizarro could have turned into a weapon, but instead, his father chose to raise him to be…human. And ultimately, that decision pays off, as when the base’s self-destruct goes off and they have to flee, Bizarro saves Superman’s life.
Uh oh
The episode ends on a very wholesome note for the heroes as Clark wears his Superman outfit to give out candy, much to a kid’s enjoyment. Bizarro goes out into the world, and hopefully, the lessons he learned will inspire him to do good in the world. Yet the bad guys are not resting, because it’s revealed that the drone that attacked Caliban was sent by Lex Luthor, trying to find something useful. Worse, the episode sets up that Luthor plans to turn the still-alive Hank Henshaw into a clone of Superman. And if you know what Henshaw was like in the comics, then you know that’s bad news for everyone!
The reign of the Superman arc has begun, and it’s off to a good start, in my opinion. Let’s hope the show can keep the momentum going, as with DC back in theaters and a spinoff getting greenlit, this could be the start of a new animated universe. Maybe even the second coming of the DCAU?
