RJ Writing Ink

For Superman, life couldn’t be better right now. He’s got a fantastic girlfriend, and he’s proven to most of Metropolis that he’s a true hero. The only issue left is the fanatics of Task Force X, who remained convinced he’s an alien invader, but they haven’t tried anything since Parasite’s attack. However, Superman’s happy life takes another turn on Thanksgiving. What should be a simple dinner with Lois and Jimmy becomes a catastrophe when they invite Lois’ dad over. AKA, the General.

The Daily Planet Trio’s Finally Getting a Windfall

In the aftermath of Parasite’s attack on Metropolis, life couldn’t be better for the Daily Planet trio. Having managed to prove their worth time and again (and because they’re bad at being interns), Perry White promotes them to full-fledged reporters. They even get their names on their article about how Superman saved Metropolis! 

Having seen them start the series at the bottom of the barrel, the fact that they’re finally getting the recognition they deserve is immensely satisfying. Even the Scoop Troop respects them! As for Vicki Vale, it’s likely her career will take a massive hit due to her libelous lies. In addition, Jimmy reveals at the end of the episode that he sold his Flamebird account to the Daily Planet, making him a millionaire. 

Life couldn’t be better for Superman and his friends, yet there’s still the spectre of Task Force X and what he learned hanging over about Zero Day hanging over his head. As a result, Lois and Jimmy opt to keep the sphere from the Legion of Lois’ a secret. It’s less because they don’t trust him, and more because they know the revelation would emotionally destroy him.

Alas, the universe works against them, as Thanksgiving proves to unravel everything.

The General Who Came to Dinner, and the Giant Spaceship

Clark invites Jimmy, Lois, and her dad to his parent’s house for Thanksgiving, wanting to help mend the rift between his girlfriend and her father. To his horror, though, he discovers what the audience already knew: Lois’ father is the General of Task Force X. 

This revelation was a whole season coming, and it works wonderfully. Everyone’s on edge when they realize who Mr. Lane is. Clark’s horrified and suffering from PTSD. His parents can’t understand how someone like Lois could have him for a father. It’s Lois’ reaction that is the most extreme, though. Not only does this explain why her Dad kept so many secrets growing up, but her own father tried to hurt and kill the man she loves. And things only get worse when Clark finds the sphere with the footage of his evil counterparts…and the rock inside.

Kryptonite has always been Superman’s greatest weakness, but the series cranks it up to eleven. Instead of severly weakening him here, merely being exposed to it comes close to killing him. Worse, it also activates his ship. Unlike most iterations, this ship isn’t a simple, single-person vessel. It’s a warship the size of a Star Destroyer, filled with machines of war. What follows is a repeat of Zero Day as they run amok and open a portal to allow another armada to come through.

Superman’s Toughest Battle is Yet to Come…

In the end, Superman only manages to stop the invasion by destroying the ship, an act that almost costs him his life. It’s only thanks to the AI of Jor-El that he survives at all. Worse, the event leads to General Lane likely burning his bridges with his daughter. When he has Superman in his sights and is prepared to kill him, Lois stands up to her father and chews him out for all the neglect and lies he’s had her deal with over the years. Ultimately, General Lane stands down, but he vanishes before the pair can speak any further. 

Things end with the remainder of the group enjoying Thanksgiving, but the episode doesn’t end there. It cuts to another world currently under attack by the same machines that tried to invade Earth, and their leader. Their face isn’t shown, but the fact that they say that the people of Earth “Will kneel,” says it all. It’s General Zod.

This opens up so many avenues for the next season. Was Krypton ever destroyed in this universe? Why was the first attack thwarted? These are genuine mysteries that most iterations of Superman rarely deals with, and it’s exciting, and terrifying. In other words, a great way to end the season.

I have no idea when the next season will come, but if manages to improve on what we got here, then I know I’m going to watch it. This was easily one of the better animated series to come out of 2023, and I wish it had only gotten more attention. Until then, though, we have the fanart.

I Give “Hearts of the Fathers” a 4.5/5

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My Adventures With Superman Ep 9 Review

Superman is, without a doubt, one of the strongest characters in fictional history. He’s capable of bench-pressing planets, traveling across the universe, fighting gods. When people create corrupted copies of him like Homelander, Omniman, or the Plutonian, they tend to be terrifying. Despite all of his power, though, Superman remains as human as anyone else. And like any human, he’s capable of being hurt emotionally. As Superman’s held captive by Task Force X, he almost gets emotionally broken.

It’s painful to watch in every sense.

Why the General Sucks at His Job

Last week, Task Force X managed to capture Superman thanks to him being exhausted from saving people non-stop, and the place they took him isn’t good. The first we see of him, he’s restrained in stocks and fitted with a shock collar that hurts him whenever he tries to move. So he’s forced to sit and listen as the General interrogates him about “the invasion” and what’s coming. Naturally, Superman doesn’t know what he’s talking about, so the General decides to reveal the truth in the worst possible way.

Twenty-two years ago, the General and Amanda Waller were the only survivors of an attempted invasion by what appeared to be Kryptonians, only for them to mysteriously stop, most likely with Krypton’s destruction. They’ve spent all that time studying their tech preparing for what they think will be a second invasion. In other words, they’re convinced Superman is the vanguard for something that may never happen.

The General (all but confirmed to be Lois’ father)…really sucks at his job, and this episode makes it apparent. If he stopped and considered the fact that Clark’s only twenty-three, he’d realize it’s impossible for him to be involved. He’s just a refugee trying to do the right thing, and they’re blaming him for everything. Worst of all, learning everything leaves poor Clark in tears. All he wanted to do was help, and now he thinks he’s a weapon meant to destroy. 

Good going, General. You made Superman cry. Not. Cool.

Lois and Jimmy are True Friends

During all of this, Lois and Jimmy are frantically trying to look for Clark, with Lois being especially heartbroken. The last time they spoke, she wasn’t there for him; she even doubted him thanks to the manipulations of Mr. Myx. So she, Jimmy, and the Newskid Legion are running around the city trying to find him, which they do. However, when they see him again, he’s absolutely broken. 

I applaud the show for handling Superman’s emotional issues in a mature manner like they do in this episode. The look on Superman’s face as he admits that he was sent to destroy everything is haunting. It’s looking into the face of someone who wants to die. And the last time I saw a fictional character look like that, it was just as heartbreaking. 

Thankfully, like with Luz, Superman has friends that make him see that all his haters are wrong. He’s not a weapon, and he’s not a monster. He’s a good person, and the world’s better with him in it. And together, they manage to convince Metropolis of this, as well.

I found this scene where Jimmy and Lois rally Metropolis to help Superman fight Parasite inspiring. Besides getting to help out a godlike character like Superman, Lois also makes good points in her speech. Humans are quick to judge things they don’t understand; it’s a part of us that helped us survive. However, it often comes at our detriment and leads to fear and hatred. Thankfully, not everyone’s like Waller or the General or Alex, and when given the chance, most people will do the right thing. 

Truly inspiring.

Waller Is Still too Stubborn to Listen

By the end of the episode, Superman does it again. He takes down Ivo and his Parasite armor (which grows to the size of a Kaiju), and saves Metropolis. Now all but his most stubborn haters will distrust him. And, this is just a nitpick, but I’m hoping that Vicki Vale gets fired since her report’s been proven incorrect. 

The problem is, the prisoner’s that Task Force X captured escaped during Ivo’s rampage. Worse, Amanda Waller, who’s too bullheaded to even see sense, is not only still out for Superman, but she’s now in charge of Task Force X. And she wants the General to take him out. If the General is Lois’ dad like everyone thinks, then he better get his head on straight soon.

This was such a good episode and it shows why Superman remains such a great hero. For all his power, he’s not a god; he’s human, and he can be hurt like one. That’s the thing most people forget these days about him, and Jack Quaid’s done a brilliant job of conveying that. With only one episode left, I’m eager to see how they’ll end things. Especially since Jimmy’s discovered the sphere that Lois had.

I Give “Zero Day, Pt. 2” a 4.5/5

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