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My Adventures With Superman S2 Ep 8 Review

What’s the best way to take down Superman? Besides the obvious answer of kryptonite, there are few things he could be more robust against. Not many beings in fiction can go toe-to-toe with him in a fight, but his mind can be just as vulnerable as anyone else’s. And it’s that vulnerability that Brainiac seeks to exploit. By destroying his mind, the maniacal machine intends to take his body for his own to build a new Kryptonian Empire. And the worst part? Lois, Jimmy, and Kara may be too late to save him as Brainiac descends to new levels of depravity.

How We Got Here

In the last two episodes, Kara, Jimmy, and Lois went through the following:

• Kara bonded with her cousin but brought him to Brainiac and learned that he’d been lying to her about the planets she conquered for the “Empire.” IE, he forced her to destroy them.
• Lois and Jimmy saw Waller turn Metropolis into an anti-alien police state, hire a group of criminals (who broke Jimmy’s bank), and steal a spaceship to rescue Superman. Oh, and Mallah and the Brain helped them.

So, now, the five must work together to rescue Clark from the evil Brainiac. Much to the delight of Jimmy and Kara…and Lois’ dismay.

I Ship Jimmy and Kara SO HARD!!

When this show started, I was okay with shipping Lois and Clark, even if we knew they would inevitably end up together. However, many fans began shipping Jimmy and Kara together after seeing how adorable they are. This episode adds more fuel to that fire, as once the two reunite, they can’t stop blushing and being awkward around each other. What makes them even sweeter is that, despite knowing Kara kidnapped his best friend and probably did all sorts of awful things, Jimmy doesn’t hate her. He sees the best in her and understands that she’s not evil, just misguided. It has nothing to do with the fact that she’s his dream girl!

Lois, on the other hand, is still not happy about working with Kara. She still sees him as the enemy who kidnapped Clark. However, Kara points out that Lois did break up with him over her fears and insecurities. While she doesn’t learn what Kara did under Brainiac in this episode, that would not help. Sadly, this episode doesn’t give the two much to clear the air. Their focus is saving Clark from a horrible fate.

Brainiac’s Insane Plan

I said last week that the MAWS version of Brainiac is among the most evil versions of the character I’ve ever seen. Abusing his “daughter” and wiping her memories is bad enough, but what he does in this episode is a new low. With his own body and station falling apart, Brainiac plans to possess Clark’s body!

For the record, this is far from the first time that I’ve seen this “body-jacking” trope play out. However, that doesn’t make watching what unfolds any easier. Throughout the episode, Brainiac tries to kill Superman inside his mind, forcing him to relive all his memories. Thankfully, the mental projections of his foes remain no-sells. But that’s when Brainiac notices Lois and Jimmy, and the true torment begins.

Brainiac Must Pay!

Brainiac might be a cold AI, but their years of raising Kara have taught them how to emotionally and psychologically manipulate someone’s mind. Thus, Brainiac starts praying on Clark’s fears and insecurities. He shows him all the times Jimmy and Lois weren’t there for him. He tries distorting his memories to make him think Lois always hated him. And the cherry on top? He reminds Clark of how Lois broke up with him.

I honestly feared that Superman would give into his negative thoughts and let Brainiac win, but he doesn’t. Somehow, he manages to regain control of everything and defeat the machine…or so he thinks.

I don’t know how Brainiac trapped Clark inside a fake version of Krypton, but it is absolutely despicable to watch. And it also makes sense. After spending an entire season thinking he had no place on Earth, Brainiac gave him the illusion of a Krypton where he thought he would be accepted. It’s truly despicable of Brainiac, and it ends up giving the AI what they want.

Having arrived too late to stop Brainiac, Kara finally realizes how much of a monster Brainiac is, and breaks free from his control. However, it’s too late. Brainiac now has full control of Superman’s body and wipes the floor with Kara. And the whole time they keep telling Kara how they’re weak and worthelss, and how they’ve always disappointed them. And the true “kick the dog” moment? When Kara visited all those planets he forced her to conquer, she had the same reaction to them that she did to Earth. Brainiac saw them all as trash!

Lois, Go Save Your Boyfriend!

*takes a deep breath*

The Kryptonian Empire needs to go down for good. Brainiac is a lot like The Core from Amphibia. They think they’re the best of their civilization, but in truth, they’re the worst aspects of Krypton personified. And Lois, Jimmy, and Kara can’t do anything when Brainiac ejects them out of Kandor and teleports it away. Mallah and the Brain save the three, but that’s the only good thing.

So, to recap: Superman has been possessed by an insane AI and is probably headed to Earth to conquer it. As satiifying as it would be to see Brainiac prove how worthless Waller’s efforts are, it would come at the expense of the Earth. They have to stop Brainiac. And Lois, being Lois, has an insane plan: she’s going to dive into the virtual mindscape to pull Clark out.

I repeat: Lois, a human, is heading into a virtual landscape built for Kryptonians.

In the time we’ve come to know this version of Lois Lane, she has done many reckless things. However, this might be her most reckless one yet. And the most necessary. It sounds a little cliche, but Lois’ love for Clark could be enough to save him from this horrific fate. That is, if she can remember what she’s supposed to do inside the Black Mercy.

Hoping that she can pull this off before Brainiac makes it to Earth and only fuels Waller’s paranoia. Other than that, though, what a terrific episode! This is why I love this show so much!

I Give “The Death of Clark Kent!” a 4.5/5

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My Adventures With Superman S2 Ep 7 Review

At the end of the last episode of My Adventures With Superman, Kara was left grappling with the fact her entire life was a lie. Then Jimmy and Lois showed up in a starship! But how did they manage to get there in the first place? That is the question that the follow-up episode seeks to answer as Lois and Jimmy try to find a solution without Superman there to help them. In doing so, not only do they find some surprising allies, but they also start to address Lois is issues while stealing a spaceship from S.T.A.R. Labs.

Amanda Waller, Why Are You So Dumb?

Of all the versions of Amanda Waller throughout the multiverse, I think the MAWS version might be among the dumbest. In the aftermath of Kara’s rampage/abduction of Superman, Waller says this proves that Superman’s an alien invader sent to conquer Earth. So she has her men march into Metropolis and declares martial law, turning the city into a police state.

If the writers behind this series were looking to make a version of Waller that we would hate with a passion, then they’re succeeding. This woman is no longer refusing to believe that Superman’s a good guy; she’s rejecting that reality entirely. Even when a TV show host points out the blatant footage of Superman fighting Kara to protect Metropolis, she refuses to acknowledge it! The woman is just so ignorant and doesn’t even realize it! And Lois and Jimmy aren’t having any of it.

Mallah and the Brain are Back!

Rather than wait for Superman to get home, Lois, spiraling from the fact that their last conversation involved her breaking up with him, comes up with an insane plan. They will break into S.T.A.R. Labs, steal their spaceship, and rescue Clark! This also means hiring Livewire to help them (and finally breaking Jimmy’s bank), Mallah, and the Brain.

Yes, Mallah and the Brain are back. And as it turns out, they are indeed an anamoly in the multiverse. Every other version they’ve met has been evil! So it’s nice to see them return, and for the show to lampshade how unique they are.

Lois is Spiralling Out of Control

This plan is reckless, even by Lois’ standards, but makes sense given her mental state. She’s heartbroken that Superman might be gone. She’s ashamed of herself for letting her insecurities lead her to break up with him. And she’s bent on making Kara suffer for taking him away from her. You want to know the irony? In most iterations, it’s Lois who helps keep Superman grounded. Here, it’s Clark that keeps her grounded, and without him, she’s spiraling and close to crossing a dangerous line.

Thank heavens Jimmy is there to talk some sense into her.

Jimmy Has Emotional Intelligence

This episode does a good job of making Lois and Jimmy foils to each other regarding Kara. Having only seen her at her worst, Lois assumes the worst, unintentionally mirroring the mistakes of her Dad. Conversely, having gotten to know Kara as a person (and gotten the hots for her), Jimmy realizes she’s not evil; just misguided. And it’s thanks to that that Jimmy insists on talking things out and solving things diplomatically. And it works. Thanks to his quick thinking, Jimmy manages to get the crew into the lab. More importantly, though, he makes Lois see that she’s close to being like her father, something she desperately wants to avoid.

And between them, they win over Livewire and Heat Wave, who arrive just in time to save them from Luthor’s newest toys.

I didn’t pay as much attention to it, but it seems that Lex and Slade are competing against each other for Waller’s approval. And depsite Lex’s new toys, drones known as Metallo, failing to stop the heist, Waller is still impressed. They were operating at 10% of their power, and they came close to winning! Meanwhile, Slade was made to look foolish. Thus, Waller gives Lex’s project top priority. The Metallo’s are going to be a big problem shortly.

Lois, Play Nice With Your Boyfriend’s Cousin

In the end, though, Lois and her merry band of accomplices manage to steal the ship, and Brain and Mallah modify it for interstellar flight. And that’s how they wound where Kara is.

Lois agreed to discuss things with Kara, but I’m still worried. They didn’t start on the right foot, and I don’t want to see Jimmy choose between his friend and his crush. Plus, they will all need to work together to save Clark. The title for the next episode “The Death of Clark Kent!” does not bode well, and the preview for next week’s episode makes me even more worried.

If Brainiac got control of Superman’s body and invaded Earth, then that would destroy his good name and only make Waller even more reckless and stupid! Or it could humiliate and embarass her. I’m hoping it’s the latter.

I Give “Olsen’s Eleven” a 4/5

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My Adventures With Superman S2 Ep 6 Review

When I think My Adventures With Superman has hit rock bottom, the show goes deeper. Having been kidnapped by his cousin, Kara, Superman wakes up to find himself in the middle of deep space. Worse still, Kara takes him before the self-proclaimed leader of the New Kryptonian Empire, Brainiac. Brainiac is always bad news no matter what version it is across the multiverse. However, as the episode reveals just how abusive he’s been to Kara, the MAWS Brainiac might be one of the most evil versions I’ve ever seen.

If this episode had come out just a week ago, I would’ve put this Brainiac on my list of worst dads in animated history. That’s how bad he is!

Kara is So Lonely!

After coming to Kara’s starship, Superman is understandably mad at his cousin. Especially when Kara insists and keeps insisting that she did him a favor, she thinks Earth being such a nice place to live has corrupted Clark’s brain and wants to show him what it means to be a true Kryptonian. First by showing him holographic images of their home and then by trying to bond with him over their powers. In her defense, Clark enjoys himself. However, he also realizes that she’s in denial over how unhappy she is with her life.

Case in point: she keeps mementos from the planets she’s visited and helped annex into the Empire, including her photos with Jimmy, something that Clark can’t help but tease her over. It’s sweet…but it also hides a very disturbing truth. One that becomes apparent when she shows Clark first-hand Thanagar, one of the world’s annexed into the Empire. Instead of the beautiful civilization she remembers, though, Kara and Clark discover a dead planet. And the reason for the inconsistencies becomes apparent by the end of the episode: Brainiac.

Brainiac is AN EVEN BIGGER MENACE!!!

Taking a page from the DCAU, I see that this version of Brainiac is also an AI that helped run Krypton. Unlike DCAU Brainiac, though, MAWS Brainiac looks straight out of Evangelion, making him look far more sinister. In addition, Brainiac’s idea of an empire consists of wiping out all life on planets he has Kara conquer. The reason she doesn’t remember this is because he keeps erasing her memories and controlling her like a puppet. And on top of this, we see how Brainiac hurls verbal abuse at Kara whenever she steps out of line, no matter how little it may be! And now he wants to do the same thing to Superman!

Oh, and if we need any more proof of how evil Brainiac is, He’s saving the memories of those that he’s slain as AI programs, and they remember all of the pain and horror that Brainiac made Kara inflict on them! That’s one of the most messed up things I’ve ever heard!

If you’ve read my reviews of The Owl House, then you know how much I loathe abusive parents. Even calling Brainiac a parent is an insult to parents everywhere! This version of Brainiac might be among the most vile I have ever seen in all of fiction! And thankfully, Kara begins to realize this for herself. Despite erasing her memories again, the mementos she got from Earth bring her memories straight back. Once that happens, she realizes that everything Brainiac has told her is a lie. He’s been using her to destroy planet after planet, a weapon in the name of his sick concept of an empire! And just as Kara realizes how badly she has messed up, another ship appears, carrying the Brain, Mallah, Lois and Jimmy.

And that’s where the episode ends.

Waller is Gonna Make Things Worse

We have yet to learn how Lois and Jimmy managed to travel to space, but I’m guessing that this will be the main focus of the next episode. And from what the previews have shown us, things are getting worse in Metropolis. Waller, being the paranoid fool she is, is looking to seize control of Metropolis and turn Superman into the enemy of humanity. And I’m just shaking my head at how ignorant Waller is. She may be right about Brainiac planning to invade Earth using Superman as his weapon, but she’s still wrong about Superman. Jimmy and Lois can help Kara save Clark before that can happen. I don’t know if that’s possible, but I’m praying that it is.

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I Give “The Machine Who Would Be Empire” a 4/5

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My Adventures With Superman S2 Ep 5 Review

The Daily Planet Trio can’t catch a break, can they? In the last episode, Superman was made to look bad in front of the leaders of the US government thanks to Task Force X. Lois had her father run out on her for the umpteenth time, right when she needed him most. And worst of all, Jimmy discovered that his friendly advice to Ivo’s former assistant made him become Lex Luthor. Everyone’s in the wrong place, and it’s about to worsen. Superman gets so desperate for people who understand him that he calls his cousin, Kara, to Earth. And once she shows up, a series of unfortunate events only worsens things.

The worst part? We got a ton of ship-tease between Kara and another character, only to go nowhere!

Superman is an Eligible Bachelor?

So, the episode’s crux centers around Kara’s arrival on Earth and the annual “Most Eligible Bachelor and Bachelorette Contest” in Metropolis. And as the episode title shows, Superman is one of the people who got nominated.

This…causes a lot of tension for Lois and Clark. They can’t tell people that Superman’s not single without outing Clark, so they must act like he’s single. That means Superman has to lie to everyone, which is bad enough. However, that awkwardness is nothing compared to what Lois is feeling.

Lois’ mental state is already at a low point thanks to the job offer in Gotham and her dad leaving (again), and now she has to watch while her boyfriend gets hit on by other people. Not helping matters is snooty reporter Cat Grant, who strong-arms Lois into letting her come. The woman’s convinced Superman’s already dating one of the contestants, which only worsens Lois’ insecurities. And the whole time I was watching, I wanted to scream at Cat to shut up. Lois’ insecurities and feelings of inferiority are nothing new; they’ve been examined since day one. However, seeing events conspire to hurt her like this is heartbreaking. By the end of the episode, I don’t know if Lois and Clark are still a couple anymore.

And that doesn’t even include what happens with Kara and Jimmy.

WHY MAKE US SHIP JIMMY AND KARA, THEN DO THIS?

While all this is happening, Jimmy’s so guilty about events at the symposium that he’s ghosting Clark. Then, when he saves someone from getting hit by a truck, it turns out to be…Kara. As many people have pointed out on Twitter, her design and outfit are the spitting images of Android 18 from the Dragonball franchise. I already knew that anime fans were on the team making the show, but this is just a new level of calm! And the show is trying hard to make people ship Jimmy and Kara.

And it’s working. Jimmy uses Kara’s request to find someone (Superman) to have the two enjoy themselves around Metropolis. And the two click so well together! Knowing the Internet, there’s probably already artwork of the two as a couple!

This only makes things all the more heartbreaking when things come to a head.

Kara Has Been Manipulated by Evil

I didn’t expect Kara to be an agent of the New Kryptonian Empire. The show made it clear that the Empire still existed in some form, but the fact that Kara served it caught me by surprise. And judging by the person she speaks to during their fight, she’s been raised by a version of Brainiac. That’s not good!

By the time the episode ends, things have hit a new low, and that’s saying something for the show. Jimmy’s new crush ended up kidnapping his best friend. Lois and Clark’s relationship is more fractured than ever. Task Force X will probably use this incident to fuel their crusade even more. And did I mention Superman’s been kidnapped?!? And I don’t know if he’ll return to Earth by the end of the next episode.

This isn’t Going to Be Good!

No, seriously. The preview for next week’s episode shows that he has no idea where he is in the cosmos. However, the new outro, depicting Lois and Jimmy but not Clark, is an even bigger hint. Things are going to get even crazier from here on out!

Man, I love this show! I don’t even care if we can never catch a breath! This is too good!

I Give “Most Eligible Superman” a 4/5

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