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My Adventures With Superman S3 Ep 10 Review

It’s all come down to this. The Eradicator is a threat to the entire multiverse and Superman’s family and it needs to be stopped! But the only way to stop is for Clark to get his powers back. And while we all knew he would get them back, I can’t help but feel like he had to sacrifice something that’s going to come back to haunt us in the future. That is, if MAWS has a future!

That is what makes Superman strong

When we last left off, the Kryptonian android known as Brainiac was trying to kill Clark in a fit of rage over his refusal to conform to his people’s brutal ways. But then Bizarro stepped in and saved him, and actually managed to put the fear of death into Brainiac. And then, Clark managed to calm his cloned cousin down, stunning Brainiac, who can’t understand why Clark would risk his life like that. But that moment makes him finally see what Clark’s real strength is: the strength of mercy and compassion.

It sounds corny when I write it, I know. But it’s the truth. Superman’s not the greatest hero because he’s the strongest or the smartest. He’s the greatest hero because he’s willing to help anyone, even if they’re his enemies. And while the heel-face turn feels a little rushed, I’m not complaining. Especially since we learn that the Fortress is powered by the living offspring of Rao, Krypton’s sun! It’s Rao Jr. that has the power to restore Clark’s powers, but there’s no guarantee that it will do so if it doesn’t consider him worthy.

To make a long story short, it does. But that’s the thing: we never actually see how Rao restored Clark’s powers, beyond a brief scene of him being covered in its flames. In addition, at the end of the episode, Clark says that he had to give something up to get his powers back. He plays it off like it’s no big deal, but…I can’t help but fear the worst. What if he had to give up a huge chunk of his lifespan or something else? Something that will come back to bite him in the future? Lois and Jimmy would be heartbroken about that.

The House of El Stands

Meanwhile, the House of El and Task Force X’s last stand against the Eradicator is…well, it’s a massacre. The Eradicator tears through them all like it’s nothing. The Kryptonians are barely able to put a dent in him or his clones. And to make matters worse, the monster (voiced by the incomparable Steve Blum) boasts about how he’s done this across multiple timelines. Who knows how many versions of Superman and his family he’s killed by now?!?! And the best reaction that we get out of him is that he’s irritated that someone always gets away.

And the reason why the Eradicator is doing all of this? Why he’s so driven to kill Clark and his family? Because he’s afraid. He’s the living embodiment of Lex’s fear of that which he can’t control. In fact, fear and dealing with it seems to be the main theme of this entire season. Jimmy’s afraid of taking the next step with Kara. Lois is afraid of the future and how that will change her. And Lex? He’s afraid of something he can’t control or trust. But at least Lex tries to redeem himself by stopping his creation. It’s no use, though. No one is strong enough to stop him.

No one, that is, except for Superman.

Well, just like people on Reddit said, if MAWS was fighting it before, they can’t now: the show’s staff took inspiration from Dragon Ball. Because what’s more Dragon Ball-esque than for the heroes to have to wait for Goku? Or in this case, Superman. He shows up clad in this new golden armor, and just starts beating up the Eradicator. It’s glorious. In fact, the fights in this episode are all glorious. Even more glorious, though, is how Clark calls the Eradicator out for having such a lame motivation! It’s just so pathetic! And in the end, the Eradicator chooses to die rather than accept help from the one he fears the most.

So lame.

Darkseid has to be coming.

So, I’m just going to come out and say it: I don’t think that this season finale was as amazing as the one from Season Two. The Eradicator felt less like a foe that needed to be stopped and more like a reason for Clark to want his powers back. The fight against Brainiac was personal because he destroyed Krypton and killed Clark and Kara’s parents, and it made for an epic final battle. This wound up being not as bad as it could have been, at least for this timeline.

But even now, MAWS is sewing the seeds for what comes next. As Lex is put in prison, Waller asks him why he did all of this. The answer: after Kandor’s destruction, he saw something out in space. Something that terrified him. It’s not confirmed, but with all the hints that have been dropped throughout the show, most fans have guessed that he’s talking about Darkseid and his hordes. Considering what Darkseid can do, I don’t blame him for being scared. Sadly, we may not see what happens if MAWS doesn’t get renewed. Or it might not happen anyway and end up being the focus of a future series in the same universe. Come on, DC! Give us the second coming of the DCAU!

OMG, CLARK AND LOIS ARE GETTING MARRIED!

With that, everything goes back to normal. Jon and Lara return to their time to await the future. Oh, and Kara friendzones Jimmy. She decided that as punishment for what he did to her, she’s going to make him work for a relationship. Honestly, I think it’s for the best. Neither of them was ready for a romantic relationship yet. If we get another season, maybe that will be the payoff. But that means we can focus on the real OTP of the series, Clark and Lois.

Having come to accept what the future may or may not hold, Lois isn’t afraid of settling down anymore. And, in a moment that I wasn’t expecting but is totally in character for her, she’s the one who asks Clark to marry her! SQUEE!

To the people in charge of this show at DC, I swear to all that I hold holy, if you do not give us another season with Clark and Lois’ wedding, I WILL RIOT!!!

Seriously, DC. Just give season four. I don’t care when. I need more of the House of El!

I Give “The Return” a 4/5

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My Adventures With Superman S3 Ep 9 Review

Well, this is quite the mess, you guys! Thanks to Lara and Jonathan, the children of tomorrow, and Lex, there is a MENACE to the space-time continuum now loose in the universe. Kara is in a coma, the kids have PTSD, and everything is going to hell. The one good thing is that Clark has returned to the Fortress of Solitude to try and regain his powers. The bad news? He has to go through a trial that will have him go full barbarian warrior to do so. Well, that’s not bad in and of itself, but it’s the lesson he’s supposed to learn.

Oh, and Brainiac is back.

How did it Get to this?

In the aftermath of the Eradicator’s escape into the timestream, Amanda Waller has taken charge. I didn’t touch on it before, but we got to acknowledge the fact that Waller is now willing to see the Kryptonians as allies and protectors of Earth. She’s finally learning from her mistakes. However, she’s still Amanda Waller, a no-nonsense soldier. And even though she doesn’t know where Jonathan and Lara come from, she doesn’t hesitate to draft them into her anti-Eradicator plan. Except Lois isn’t happy about that.

Lois has spent this entire season trying to come to terms with her future with Clark. She accepted that she’ll be a mom one day, and now she’s learning that she could become the kind of parent her dad was to her, and it scares her. She also makes things worse when she rightly calls Jonathan and Lara for making Luthor wake up the Eradicator before it was ready. And for Jonathan’s disrespect to her in general. He tried to shame her for not actually fighting. WHAT DOES HE EXPECT?!? Unless there’s some tech lying around that can give Lois Kryptonian powers, or some power armor, she can’t do much!

She at least has better luck with her daughter. Through Lara, Lois learns that her future self does care about her kids enough to give her a pep talk. But it’s ultimately Kara who has to talk some sense into Jonathan.

KARA! YOU’RE OKAY!

Thank heavens, Kara is not dead. She’s left in a coma for several days, and when she wakes up, Jimmy is asleep by her side. He stayed there the entire time because he cares that much. I know that their relationship has been a problem this season, and we only have one episode left. But I hope they become an item in that time. And if we get a fourth season, I would love to see them act like a couple.

So, Kara finds Jonathan moping on the Moon, angsty about how he can’t live up to his dad’s reputation. So Kara tells him the truth: he’s not perfect. Everyone sees him like that because he never gives up. So Jonathan reconciles with his family and agrees to help. But, honestly? I don’t really like this version of Jon that much. I get why he is the way he is, but his personality gets a little grating. Hopefully, when Lois and Clark do have kids, they’ll have a better life.

So, everyone comes together to fight the Eradicator. The Kryptonians, Steel, Slade and the other agents of Task Force X. Even Luthor.

Yeah, when Luthor tries to duck and hide like a coward, Jimmy calls him out on it. He was the one who set Lex on his current path, and he is so disappointed in how he’s turned out. Especially since he’s seen that Lex can be a hero for himself. So he tells him to either shape up and be a hero, or just admit that he’s the bad guy. And it works!

But where does this leave Kal-El the Barbarian?

Kal-El the Barbarian

So, as many of us probably guessed, Brainiac is technically not dead. The version we met in season two is dead, but the version that helped run Krypton remains active in the Fortress of Solitude. And he is unimpressed with how Clark lost his powers and seeks to teach him a lesson on strength. Thus, to get his powers back, Kal-El has to relive Krypton’s ancient history and the start of their Empire. He has to be a barbarian conqueror.

From the second I heard what Brainiac was telling Clark, I saw the red flags. It’s obvious that that ship of invaders was just people who crash-landed. The Kryptonians told themselves that lie to justify their tyranny. And despite Brainiac trying to force him to give in to Krypton’s past, Clark isn’t playing his game. He stays true to himself, choosing to befriend the aliens and help them, because that is what real strength is like.

And Brainiac just loses it as we get the big twist. It turns out, Brainiac was one of those stranded aliens, forced to serve the Kryptonians until the day their empire collapsed while being converted into an AI. And he’s justifying the entire thing like it was right for Clark’s ancestors to do that! This was some insane levels of Stockholm Syndrome at work, and it made me sick to my stomach. How broken do you have to be to justify your terrible lot in life like that?!? Even worse, Brainiac takes Clark’s sympathy for the Coluans fate as an insult! He cannot compute the fact that things could’ve been different, and so tries to kill Clark. Thankfully, Bizarro is able to save him, but…what now?

Oh, no! He’s Voiced by Steve Blum!

The Eradicator returns from the timestream, and now looks like an anime version of General Zod, more dangerous than ever. We only have one episode left of the season, and possibly the series, and we have no clue how Kal-El can get his powers back, let alone stop the Eradicator! Can we please get a happy ending for the final episode? Please!?!

Hopes aside, I liked the barbarian aspect of this episode and I hope that we get more seasons of the show. That, and I think Lois would love the outfit!

I Give “Vae Victis” a 4.5/5

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My Adventures With Superman, S3 Ep 8 Review

So, the second we saw what the future looked like in “The Death of Superman,” we knew we were in for more time-travel shenanigans. Cyborg Superman may have been stopped, but that only led to an even worse future where Lex Luthor ruins everything. Granted, Lex Luthor tends to do that a lot, but this future is even more messed up. Not only does another version of Jon come back to the past with a sister, but they were there to basically…pull a Terminator. And…I think it may have cost everyone everything.

There’s two of them now?

Picking up right where we left off, Clark and Lois are stunned, not only by the apparent return of their son, Jon, but the fact that he is not alone. He now has a sister. In most iterations where Clark and Lois marry, they tend to only have the one son, so having a daughter is a big surprise. At any rate, her name is Lara Lane, emphasis on Lane being her and Jonathan’s last name.

The Kids were asked to Re-enact Terminator?

Right off the bat, the show confirms what many of us were afraid of: that by stopping Hank Henshaw and altering the future, Clark and the others overwrote it with an entirely different future. And, depending on whether multiverse theory is in effect for time travel here, that means the Jon Kent we came to know no longer exists. That alone is enough to scare Clark and Lois, but it’s nothing compared to how their kids are. Firstly, this other Jon goes by Jonathan and acts like he’s a 90s anti-hero, abrasive attitude and all. Even worse, though, is why they came back in time in the first place: to kill Lex Luthor. They were ordered by General Lane to go back and pull a Terminator on Lex Luthor. The scariest part, though, is that the “General Lane” in question is future Lois. She sent her own kids back in time to go Terminator on Luthor.

This revelation naturally has Lois shaken. She had just learned that she could turn out like her dad in the last episode. Now, a future version of her did turn out like that. For someone who’s just come to terms with the future, that is a scary prospect. And that’s not including the fact that her future self sent them back in time to kill Luthor.

The reason why Luthor is now marked for death is simple: he didn’t learn his lesson with Cyborg Superman. Instead, he’s decided to double-down on creating a Superman clone by creating an even bigger, badder, and meaner one called the Eradicator. In this bad future, he uses them to conquer the world. However, in an ironic twist, the siblings mission may not have even been necessary. In strolls Amanda Waller, who’s apparently no longer a fugitive and working for the Government again. Except this time, she’s actually learned her lesson about Superman being a good guy. Thus, she tells Luthor she’s shutting his project down, as well as Lexcorp.

Part of me wants to feel sorry for Lex in this scenario. All he wants to do is prove himself to the world, but he keeps being the worst version of himself. He’s the architect of his own undoing, hence why it’s ironic future Lois sent her kids back in time to kill him. All that manages to do is make Lex panic and wake up the first Eradicator before he can establish control over it.

What happens next feels like a nightmare.

Is this DOOMSDAY?!?

In keeping with MAWS Dragon Ball inspiration, this version of the Eradicator feels like an expy of Cell mixed with Doomsday. He’s smart, can regenerate at an alarming rate, and is just plain stronger than the Kryptonians. Lara and Jonathan are barely able to hang on in their fight against it, forcing Kara to step in. But not even she, a full-blooded Kryptonian with years of combat experience, is able to put a dent in the Eradicator. And then we get that moment where she recreates that iconic scene where Piccolo takes a ki blast to protect Gohan!

She doesn’t wake up after that. There is the very real chance that Kara may have just been killed, and that almost left me in tears! She and Jimmy were starting to patch things up, with Kara reiterating how she wanted to be more than friends. I haven’t liked how the show has handled their relationship this season, but now? Now it may never happen since Kara might be dead. And to make matters worse, the Eradicator steal’s Jonathan’s Time-Band thing and escapes into the timestream. In other words, there is a monster capable of causing castrophic damage to history loose in the space-time continuum! All because future Lois wanted her kids to pull a Terminator!

Ultimately, seeing what happens to his family proves to be the last straw. Clark needs to get his powers back to stop this madness! Which means he has to return to the Fortress of Solitude to do so.

No Terminator, You Guys! It Never Works!

This was a very dark episode, you guys. Brainiac invading the Earth was one thing, but now we have someone who could destroy history altogether on the loose. Which means that Clark is going to have to become Superman ASAP to stop this. That, and he needs to make sure his future kids don’t turn out like what they are now. No Terminator!

I Give “It’s Reigning (Super)Men!” a 4.5/5

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My Adventures With Superman S3 Ep 7 Review

So, where were we? Ah yes: Clark is having an existential crisis now that he’s lost his superpowers. Jimmy is in hot water with Kara for how badly he’s treated her all season. And before they can talk things out, they’re all abducted by Mr. Mxyzptlk for another one of his crazy schemes. And the entire gang is in swimsuits this episode.

This is going to be both fun and annoying!

Mr. Mxy is at it again!

So, after getting kidnapped by Mr. Mxy and changed into beach attire, the gang finds themselves in another dimension. The reason why is because he’s getting divorced from his wife, Glitzy! And according to him, their divorce proceedings are settled by a series of platformer-style games. Clark, Lois, Kara, and Jimmy play for Mxy, while alternate versions of Kara, Lois, Jimmy, and LEX play for Glitzy.

Now, the whole reason Mxy chose them, besides simply trolling, is that he thought Clark still had his powers. But for all his power, he didn’t know that Clark lost his, much to his dismay. And my amusement! All that power and he still doesn’t know that!

I don’t why exactly, but I like impish and chaotic characters like Mxy. Maybe it’s because I have a troublemaking streak of my own, or because they don’t care about the rules of reality, but they’re so entertaining to watch. But that doesn’t blind me to the fact that they are also super sus, and given our past experiences with this version of Mxy, I was on my guard. Especially when we saw what his wife looks like. I prefer personality over looks, but I think the best of both worlds can be ideal if necessary. Plus, Glitzy does seem like plenty of fun.

The Alternate Gang was Cool, I guess

In any event, I wouldn’t call this episode filler. There doesn’t seem to be any filler in this series, with every episode moving the plot forward a little bit. More importantly, seeing our heroes interact with their alternate counterparts is eye-opening at what their lives could look like. Given how the whole theme of this season is what the future can bring, it’s a source of great distress for them.

Firstly, we have Lois and her counterpart, General Lois Lane. It seems that in her timeline, things panned out similarly to what we’ve seen so far, with Clark eventually losing his powers. She, Jimmy, and Kara could handle that. But then, Clark died when Earth was invaded by enemies that, while I didn’t recognize them, I think the fandom should be worried about. Losing her lover led Lois to become just like her father: a cold-hearted soldier who hides their grief by throwing themselves into their job. It goes to show us that Lois always had it in her to be like.

Kara seems to be no better. Losing her cousin seems to have made her slide back into who she was serving under Brainiac, making our Kara fear the worst for herself. And alternate Jimmy? He became a tokukatsu-style superhero called Flamebird and is acting like everything is fine, but it’s isn’t. He’s just in denial about losing his best friend and, while he doesn’t say it, he never fully mended things with Kara.

The most interesting interaction, though, was between Clark and Alternate Luthor. Like in Jon Kent’s future, Superman’s death made him realize how pointless his hatred for him was. This is pretty telling, by the way. That makes it two times now that we’ve seen a Lex become capable of being a good person. It shows that it is possible for Lex to change, which only makes seeing our Lex fall down the rabbit hole of villainy all the more disappointing.

There is no One True Path

Ultimately, the contest comes down to the groups being forced to find their “one, true path” to the future. Lois and Clark stumble, and so do Jimmy and Kara. But then Jimmy, bless his heart, has a moment of emotional intelligence and apologizes to Kara for being an ass and promising to change. And then, it all clicks for her. The future is always changing and never set in stone. It is within their power to decide who they want to be! And that helps all of them stop worrying about who they are or what they might become.

For a moment, a part of me thought that this was all part of one big lesson that Mxy had for our heroes, but that would require him actually caring. He doesn’t, and neither does his wife.

In a twist that, I’ll be honest, part of me expected since it’s Mxy, the imps weren’t getting divorced. This was just them role playing for date night. And they were just using everyone to get access to the Cosmic Anvil, said to be capable of rewriting reality. They try to bribe everyone with the promise of changing their universes to whatever they want, but Clark is smart enough to not play their game. Instead, he lets the clock run out, meaning that no one wins.

Also, it led us to get this scene where Lex finally figures out that Clark Kent is Superman. The self-proclaimed smartest man ever, and he couldn’t figure that out. At least he had enough humility to take it with grace.

Keep Moving Forward

I know that this episode is going to feel a little like filler to some people, but in a show this tight-knit, filler isn’t really a thing. The whole point of the episode is having the gang get over their problems. Clark finally realizes that his powers don’t define him; Kara realizes that she can choose not to be what Brainiac wanted her to be; Lois learned to not fear the future as much. And Jimmy realized how much of a bonehead he’d been to Kara. But he’s going to have a lot of work to do if he wants to make things right.

Of course, the episode ends with us getting another curveball, as either Jon or another version of Jon appears before them. And there’s a girl with him that I’m pretty sure is his sister.

The future is still not safe!

I Give “The Ex-Games” a 4/5

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My Adventures With Superman S3 Ep 6 Review

What happens when you place your identity into one aspect of yourself and then lose it? You tend to have a serious identity crisis, that’s what. And right now, Clark Kent is having the biggest identity crisis of his life as he’s forced to contend with not having any superpowers. His powers and identity as Superman have been a part of him for so long that he has no idea who he is without them. And to make matters worse, his support group of his girlfriend, best friend, and cousin is too busy dealing with their own problems to give him the help that he needs. Especially Jimmy and Kara, whose own relationship problems threaten to sink the ship beyond repair. Good going, JIMMY!

Clark Hates Feeling so Useless

A month has passed since the defeat of Cyborg Superman, and Clark’s powers remain gone. Having had those powers since he was a kid, it’s understandable that he would tie a lot of his self-worth to his ability to help people. And without that ability, he is seriously depressed and doesn’t know what to do with himself. To add insult to injury, Lois and Clark are getting nominated for an award at a fancy gala, while Clark isn’t. Well, Superman was co-nominated alongside Kara, but he can’t show up as Superman.

I felt so bad watching Clark in this episode. I understand why he is so upset about losing his powers. All he’s ever wanted to do is help people; it’s his whole thing! And this entire episode, he’s basically trying to do his best to help others just to prove that he still can. And while he does end up helping, it’s not to the extent that he’s used to, so it doesn’t even register to him. And Kara and Jimmy are no help, either.

For the last month or so, Kara has been forced to fly solo as Supergirl to make up for her cousin’s absence. She doesn’t say it, but it’s heavily implied that the stress was starting to get to her. I don’t think she even had time to actually go on any dates as part of her plan to make Jimmy jealous!

It gets worse, though. Jimmy, as part of his contract with W.O.R.M.S., has to go on one last date. The upside is that this one is a princess from another country who’s attending the gala. The downside? She’s attending the gala that is meant to honor Kara.

Apparently, Kara’s previous claims of not being able to get jealous of Jimmy were inaccurate. The second she finds out that Jimmy brought a date, I could hear her mentally declaring nuclear war! I don’t think I’ve ever seen Kara this mad!

There’s a second downside, by the way. Jimmy’s date is a supervillain called Dr. Poison, who’s planning on turning everyone in Metropolis into animals as part of some ecoterrorist plan. I don’t know how that’s supposed to work or save the environment. The bottom line is that everyone gets caught up in it!

The most shocking moment of the episode, though, has to be this.

Clark Got Shot!

When the preview for this episode first dropped, I was genuinely scared that Clark had gotten himself seriously hurt. He could’ve died! Thank heavens I was watching this the morning after on Hulu, because I would have been freaking out during the commercial break!

Now, we as the audience know that what Clark did is truly heroic. Despite not having any powers, his first instinct had been to protect Flip and the other kids from harm. Not many adults would be willing to face down a gunman and do that! But from Clark’s perspective, he barely did anything. It’s sad, really. He’s still a hero with or without his powers, but he doesn’t recognize that.

Ultimately, Jimmy is able to rizz up Dr. Poison and foil her plans while Kara stops the rest (and Bizarro.) But while Lois wins the award over Vicki, no one is really happy. Clark still feels bad about himself and blows up at Lois despite her trying to compliment him. I was more focused on Jimmy and Kara, though.

Jimmy, get down on your knees and beg for Kara’s forgiveness!

We all knew that Jimmy was making a big mistake; there’s no argument about that. And we all knew that it was going to blow up in his face. However, it was still painful to see it play out as Kara confronted him about his jealousy. He may think he was doing this for her sake, but really, this was about his own insecurities. He’s been in love with Kara from day one, and she loves him. Some people just know they’ve found the one without any searching, and if I were Jimmy, I wouldn’t have blown things. But now, it might be too late.

Or it might not. Guess who’s back? Mr. Myx.

Uh-oh.

I Give “Party Animals” a 3/5

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My Adventures With Superman S3 Ep 5 Review

The Death of Superman has to be one of the most famous comics of all time. And why shouldn’t it be? After all, the idea of Superman, the OG superhero, dying in battle? It sounded unbelievable…which is why it worked so well. So when we have an episode whose title is “The Death of Superman,” that’s going to make me worry. And while the worst-case scenario didn’t end up happening, I think that the title remains appropriate.

Cyborg Superman Must Die

At the end of the last episode, the man formerly known as Hank Henshaw crashed out, broke free of Lex’s leash, and threatened to destroy Metropolis. Superman and Supergirl have flown in to stop him before anyone can get hurt, but they might be flying to their deaths. Because, as Jon belatedly reveals, Cyborg Superman kills his dad in this fight. After that, he turns his wrath on the rest of the world, killing everyone we know and love. Jon was sent back in time to stop this from happening, but he was so caught in seeing the parents he never knew that he put it off. It was reckless, irresponsible…and perfectly understandable.

Don’t get me wrong: Jon almost screwed up big time. But when you consider how he never knew his parents, you understand why he wanted to milk this. Especially since we’re not exactly sure if the multiverse theory is in effect for time travel in this story, since that means he would be going back to a future still ruined. But if the Future Trunks parallels weren’t already blatant, they get even more so when we learn what happened to Kara.

Kara Became Future Gohan?!?

I didn’t address it last episode, but it was apparent that Jon was actively avoiding Kara, despite how badly she wanted to bond with him. I saw the red flags going up and immediately thought, “Oh no, Kara is dead in the future, isn’t she?” Tragically, that was indeed the case. And for bonus points, it’s revealed that after Clark and Lois died, Kara raised Jon as her own. She was like the Future Gohan of this story, complete with the tragic and undignified death! Jon couldn’t bear to look at her because of this.

And that was when I knew that Cyborg Superman had to die. I know that not every hero will kill his villains, but the monster once known as Hank wasn’t going to stop until he destroyed the world that had rejected him. Even when Lois tried to talk her former friend down, he was ready to kill her. Thankfully, the series didn’t disappoint with how absolutely brutal this fight was. But even with three Kryptonian warriors fighting the monster, he was still able to get the upper hand thanks to his Kryptonite reactor!

And this is when we get the moment that can be called the death of Superman.

The Death of Superman

Depsite being on the brink of death thanks to Kryptonite poisoning, Clark manages to see his son being choked out by Cyborg Superman. Thus, his papa bear instincts kick in, and through sheer willpower, he forces himself to fight off the Kryptonite to save Jon. But Hank then threatens to self-destruct and take the entire city with him…until he learns that Jon is Superman’s future son. And for some reason, this makes him regret everything that he did. I think that it was because he realized that if Kryptonians and Humans can have kids, then that means that there’s a future where all of humanity will have superpowers and be safe. I don’t know. I’m just glad that Hank let himself die before he killed everyone else.

So, with the apocalypse prevented, Jon returns to his time with the hope that it will be a far better future than the one he knew. However, that’s the only good thing to come of this episode. In order to save his son, Superman pushed his powers so hard, he’s seemingly burned them out. He’s…powerless now. And without his powers, Clark Kent is just Clark Kent, meaning that Superman is technically dead. And the time couldn’t be worse, as while one bad future was prevented, another might be on the horizon. This time, though, it’s at the hands of Lex Luthor!

Okay, I have mixed feelings about this episode. On the one hand, I like how they managed to thread the needle regarding the death of Superman. On the other hand, part of me kind of wishes we could have gotten to see Clark temporarily die and then come back, but I guess we’ll have to wait for Doomsday, if he ever shows up. Plus, I know that Clark is going to get his powers back, eventually. This is just going to be a means for Clark to learn who he is without his powers. In the meantime, Supergirl will have to pick up the slack. The bad news is that the preview for the next episode shows that the drama between her and Jimmy is about to get even worse.

I give “The Death of Superman” a 3/5

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My Adventures With Superman S3 Ep 3 Review

Jimmy Olsen, my brother in nerdom, why must you disappoint me like this?

So, if you saw the last episode of MAWS, then you know that Jimmy managed to have a fumble of near-biblical proportions. Kara straight-up asked him to date her, and he turns her down. He says that she needs to expand her horizons and experience more before finding that special someone. And then he gets jealous when every man, woman, and child is lining up to date her! And it only gets worse in this episode as Jimmy shows he’s jealous by trying not to look jealous by going to a matchmaking company. Meanwhile, Lois is having a panic about the future, and it looks like Hank Henshaw is set on his path to becoming the show’s version of Homelander.

Really, Dating Apps?

So, after Jimmy dropped the ball with Kara by convincing her to date everyone that isn’t him (half of Metropolis), he’s not taking it well. He’s determined to make Kara just as jealous as he feels by going to this new, scientifically backed matchmaking service, W.O.R.M.S., that just started. And Lois just spoke for me with how disappointed she was in him! And frustrated!

This is one of the goofier episodes of the series, no doubt about it. Which, knowing what this series is like, can only mean one thing: something bad is coming. I’m not just being paranoid, either. The first season had Lois figure out that Clark was Superman at the end of episode 4. Last season had Kara arrive on Earth in episode 5. I’m telling you, there is going to be some kind of drama or threat that’s going to take place in the next episode or two. And the ending of the episode only seems to make that more obvious, but more on that. We first need to talk about Lois and Kara’s day out.

So, after telling Kara about what Jimmy is doing, Lois learns firsthand that his attempts to make Kara jealous are doomed to failure. Kara openly shows her self-confidence by calling herself “as strong as she is beautiful.” I have to respect that level of self-esteem! But Lois manages to find an opening when Kara sees it as a competition and decides to “win” and make Jimmy her boyfriend. Which also means that Kara was only taking Jimmy’s advice because she still wants him.

I dont know if I should take this seriously or not, but I like seeing this kind of romantic drama unfold for the laughs! This show really knows how to lean into the absurd comedy, and I thank it for wearing its anime influences on its sleeves like it is.

Lois Would be a Great Mom

So, Lois spends the day helping Kara set up a dating profile by going out into the city, and it somehow leads to them having a musical duet about their thoughts on the future. Admittedly, I skipped it, but I got the gist: Kara is excited about the promise of the future now that she can decide it. But Lois? She has spent the last three episodes listening to Clark come up with plans for their future. He even has a model of the farm he wants to buy for the two of them, with a baby crib to boot! And Lois is freaking out about it!

I totally understand why Lois is reacting this way. She’s still a young adult in her twenties, she’s finally feeling successful in her life. She doesn’t want this stage of her life with the adventures to end. And she’s worried that settling down and having a family will change that. That, and while it doesn’t say it, I think she’s worried that she might be a good parent or wife since she didn’t have a stable life growing up.

I wholeheartedly disagree. I’ve seen many variants of Lois, and even after getting married, she is still every bit as badass as ever. If anything, she’d be the super cool mom that every kid would want to have. I just really hope that she sees that for herself by the end of the season, because I don’t want to wait.

Jimmy, Why do you think like this?

Meanwhile, Jimmy’s time at W.O.R.M.S. is a disaster. It turns out that his date is the supervillainess Giganta. And she’s been using this chemical perfume to transform people in a quest to find love, and kidnaps Jimmy. So Superman has to save him with help of the girls who run the company. It’s all incredibly silly and it ends on an equally silly note as Superman doesn’t want anything to do with the dating app. Jimmy, on the other hand, doesn’t learn his lesson.

It looks like it will be a while before Jimmy finally sees sense and accepts that he’s good enough for Kara. The problem is that this might end up interfering with a new threat on the horizon.

Cyborg Superman is Really Channeling Homelander

So, amidst everything that’s happening, Hank Henshaw is trying to show he can be a superhero like Superman. However, I think the showwriters must have asked Jack Quaid about his time on The Boys, because Henshaw was really channeling Homelander this episode. Firstly, when he stops a thief from stealing a purse, he slams them into a metal pole, and from the looks of things, he might have broken their spine. For stealing a purse. It’s enough to make people afraid of him, which is the opposite of what Lex wants.

It gets worse. When Intergang robs Lexcorp, Hank zeroes in on Siobhan and starts brutalizing her trying to get what she stole back. And keep in mind that the Intergang in this series is pretty harmless in terms of being supervillains. Heck, Superman is on a first-name basis with Silver Banshee and gets her to return everything like a parent scolding a kid. But Hank? He tries to kill her because she knocked off part of his outer shell, revealing the cyborg he really is underneath. It takes Deathstroke intervening to get him to stand down.

If Cyborg Superman wasn’t already channeling Homelander at this point, then the next scene cements it when Lex reveals he has the man’s cybernetics under his control. And if The Boys taught me anything, it’s that you can’t keep someone like Hank Henshaw under control forever. He’s going to break free and likely become the monster we see in the comics. Actually, he might even be worse if the final moments of the episode reveal anything.

Superboy is Basically Trunks here!

So, let us make sure that we got this correct: the future is in ruins. Superboy is getting sent back into the past to stop this future from happebing. And we also saw Jimmy and Lex Luthor die as this happens. This is pretty much the story of Future Trunks from Dragon Ball, and I absolutely love it. At the same time, though, my mind is already trying to come up with an idea about how this could happen. My current theory is that Brainiac and Cyborg Superman either team up or one gains control over the other, and it leads to this apocalyptic figure. And now Superboy has to stop that from happening.

On the plus side, this version of Superboy is Lois and Clark’s son. Which means that, like it or not, Lois will be forced to come to terms with her potential motherhood.

I Give “All’s Fair in Love and W.O.R.M.S.” a 3/5

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Superman Review

It’s been twelve years coming now, but I can finally say it: we have a Superman movie that feels like a Superman movie!

I’ve always been a big Marvel fan, but I’ve also had a lot of respect for DC and its IPs. And while I got to see Marvel dominate the 2010s, I also had to see DC try too hard to catch up, only to largely miss the mark and crash and burn. Considering how DC had already done what they were trying to do in cartoon form a decade earlier, it was beyond frustrating. By the time The Flash came out (and I didn’t see it), I was glad to see the reset button get hit. It was time for DC to do what they should’ve done and start over. And while I didn’t care about who it was, I think putting James Gunn in charge was a good move.

His work on Guardians of the Galaxy was enough to give me a little confidence in him. And I am glad it did, because when I went to see Superman for its IMAX fan event at my local AMC, I was in for one of the best movies of the summer. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it was the best Superman movie since the 1978 film with Christopher Reeve. And I am prepared to die on that hill!

A Revised Universe

Since this film is a reboot of Superman on the big screen, one would think that this first film would reestablish his origins. However, since the DCU is a soft reboot of the DCEU, it chooses to start things with Superman already having three years of hero work under his belt. In fact, the opening crawl reveals that in this rebooted timeline, metahumans have been a part of society for three hundred years, meaning they’re already well-established as a part of society.

Some people might complain about the decision not to revisit Kal-El’s origin story, but to me, it feels like the right call. It’s like what Marvel did when they added Spider-Man to the MCU. They were betting that at that point, everyone already knew his origin story, thus making retelling it a waste of time; and they were right. We have had at least two films telling Spidey’s origins in the last fifteen years. We didn’t need a third!

At any rate, that’s not the most interesting aspect of the film’s opening. Remember that scene in the trailers where Superman’s lying bloody on his side in a crater in Antarctica? Normally, that would a scene reserved for the halfway point of a film. But here, it’s the opening scene, with the title crawl revealing Superman just lost a fight for the first time. And then he has to deal with Krypto’s doggy antics before being dragged home to heal.

A More Classic Superman

The trailers had already made it a point of emphasizing that this version of Superman, played by David Corenswet, would be different from Henry Cavill’s grimdark version. He’s kind, optimistic, and always wants to do the right thing, regardless of the consequences. The film manages to do a great job of continuing to demonstrate how nice David’s Superman is. At one point while fighting a Kaiju, he takes a moment to save the life of a squirrel that was in danger! That’s how much he cares about the lives of others! Superman has often been jokingly called the big, blue Boy Scout, but unlike Cavill’s version, he lives up to it! And while I know some fans, especially those who like Snyder’s films, are going to complain, I think it’s the right decision.

If you’ve read my blog, then you know how I’m a big fan of My Adventures With Superman. Part of it is because of the show’s overt anime influences, but another part of it is because it feels like such a breath of fresh air. Ever since Batman Begins came out twenty years ago, it feels like DC has largely been trying to recapture the grim and grounded aesthetics of the Dark Knight trilogy. Ultimately, that’s culminated with shows like The Boys and Invincible, each with their own corrupted version of Superman.

It’s no secret that Homelander and Omni-Man were inspired by Superman. Homelander was created to be his universe’s version of the hero, while Omni-Man seemed to share his alien origins. However, what I think some people have forgotten is the fact that the two are meant to be corrupted copies of the real deal. Omni-Man is a soldier from a militaristic culture like the Saiyans. And Homelander? He’s a product of what happens when a soulless corporation tries to raise a hero without the emotional support they need: a menace! And while there are versions of Superman that wind up being evil, they’re ultimately the exception rather than the rule. But that isn’t what who Superman generally is at the end of the day, and MAWS and James Gunn both seemed to want to remind of this.

James Gunn Just Gets Superman

See, James Gunn and My Adventures With Superman? They get it. They’ve looked at all the versions of Superman that have come before, and they understand the root of his character. A main theme of MAWS, in particular, seems to be the debate between idealism and cynicism. Superman serves as as the argument for idealism, while his enemies like Amanda Waller represent cynicism. Waller, in particular, is so quick to declare that Superman is evil that she sees his altruism as an act for something sinister he has planned. Whereas General Lane ultimately realizes that Superman is as nice as he says he is, Waller just doubles down on her beliefs even when everyone else is saying she’s wrong. And by the end of the second season, she’s been humiliated and forced to watch as Superman invalidates everything she believes to be right.

Gunn and the guys in charge of MAWS must have been doing their homework, because this is who Superman is as a character. It already shows in MAWS, but Gunn’s Superman film does it even better. He has David play who Superman is at his core: someone who wants to do the right thing.

Some, like Lois, may call his decision to stop a war to be reckless and violating rules and procedures, best shown in the trailer with their mock interview. But as that trailer showed and the film expands upon, he’s not doing it to flaunt his power. He’s just the kind of person who doesn’t waste time on red tape when doing so could mean more people dying. When he wants to do the right thing, he won’t let anything stop him. In other words, he has no tolerance for bs, and that’s something I think is a good thing.

Like a Shonen Protagonist

Beginning in my tween and teen years, I spent a lot of time reading Shonen manga like Naruto and One Piece. One of the reasons why I like them so much is because of how honest and straightforward characters like Naruto and Luffy are. They know they’re in complicated worlds with complicated problems that need solving. And while they recognize that they’re not the smartest people in the room and can’t always understand the complexities of what’s going on, they habe a different kind of wisdom to them.

They’re naturally good people at heart, and when they see something going wrong, they don’t take too long to think about what to do. They just go ahead and do it. Luffy, in particular, is smart enough to understand that the simplest solution can be the best one: finding the root cause of the problem, and beating it up. Superman is way smarter than Luffy, but at the end of the day, he does the same thing. And as shown in MAWS and this movie, that winds up not only being right, but something the world needs to remember right now.

Superman is an Immigrant

Besides criticism from people who liked Snyder’s version better, the new Superman film has gotten its fair share of flak for being “too woke.” A big reason for that is because a big part of the film is centered on the fact that Superman is a refugee and an immigrant. He came from another planet as a baby and has lived in the US almost his entire life. He is as American as they come, but critics claim Gunn put particular emphasis on that fact. And while I was a little preoccupied with enjoying myself, I can see where they’re coming from, and why that would get flak. Immigration has been a hot-button topic over the last few years, especially since we got our new/old President.

In the months since then, I’ve seen plenty of news about deportation and detainment of immigrants, and while the sources might be biased, that doesn’t change the fact that all of this is still happening. They just want to be entertained when they see a movie and not have to think too much about. But the thing about storytelling is that the best stories are often the ones that give their message without being too overt about it. And Superman does that.

I can’t possibly understand all the legal issues that goes into immigration rules and policies, and I doubt I will. But I didn’t see any of that in the Gunn’s Superman film. Maybe it was because I was spending too much time enjoying the story l, but I fail to see why people would complain about it being woke. Is it because some people dont like immigration being associated with an American icon, and thus America itself? News flash: Superman has always been an immigrant. America was founded by immigrants. Almost everyone in America is descended from immigrants.

Maybe the fact that Superman is bringing that up at such a volatile time in our history is Gunn’s way of trying to tell us something. That underneath all the fog and haze and politics, we should remember to treat each other with basic kindness and decency. Because at the end of the day, Superman is about being a decent person to everyone for the sake of it. If people think that’s woke or too political, that’s their opinion. It doesn’t change the fact that Superman is still a good movie, and a lot of it is thanks to the cast.

David Corenswet Owns Superman

There have been many people who have played Superman over the years, and many have their favorite. I’m partial to Tim Daly and Jack Quaid’s voice work, and I think Christopher Reeve is the definitive, live-action version of the hero. However, if I had to pick a close second, I think my choice would be David Corenswet.

David absolutely clinches it as both Clark Kent and Superman. He instills into the character a lot of the adorkableness found in Jack Quaid’s performance while also giving him the air of nobility that comes with being Superman. While some people like Cavill’s performance, and again, I appreciate his attempts to be more grounded and realistic, Superman is still Superman. He’s generally going to be a larger-than-life Boy Scout, and needs to reflect this. And David does this in spades. He combines the dignity and nobility that Christopher Reeve brought to the character with the adorkableness that Jack Quaid gives him in MAWS. Most important of all, though, he gives the character the sense of humanity that he should always have, and this is best shown in his interactions with Lois.

Rachel Brosnahan is Great as Lois. And Jimmy was unexpected!

At the start of this film, Lois and Clark’s relationship with each other is already well-established, with them already being in a relationship for three months. She’s the only one outside his parents who knows he’s Superman and serves as his anchor to humanity. However, that does not mean that they do not come to blows. This is best shown when the two have time alone together, with the interview from the trailer shown to be every bit as stressful in the actual film.

The two spend more time arguing the morality of what Clark did than answering the questions, and it ends poorly. Their relationship is really on the rocks for much of the film, really. But compared to other incarnations of Lois that I’ve seen in live-action, I think Rachel Brosnahan is the most in-line with what I’ve seen in the cartoons. She’s not Tomboy Lois, but she’s more like the Lois from the DCAU. She’s confident.

The real surprise, though, was how the film handled Supe’s best friend, Jimmy Olsen. I was surprised when I saw that the film had him as this chick magnet! Having never read the comics, I didn’t realize that he was popular with women in there! Though I do ship his MAWS variant with Kara!

Outside of David, though, I think the biggest stand-out has to be Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.

Nicholas Hoult Gave us a real Lex Luthor

With all due respect to Jesse Eisenberg, I hated how Snyder wrote Lex Luthor in Batman vs. Superman. The Lex I knew from watching Superman: The Animated Series was this bald, menacing, and egotistical evil billionaire. But Jesse? I don’t know what he was playing, but it was not Lex Luthor! If anything, it felt more like the Joker!

In contrast, though, Nicholas Hoult got Lex Luthor to a tee. The bald head, the ego the size of a planet, and the irrational hatred of Superman that gets him a spot in the hater’s hall of fame. All of it was there and on full display, as it should come as no surprise that Luthor is responsible for every threat that Superman faces in this film. He even goes the extra mile by kidnapping Superman’s dog and using monkeys to spew out hate for him on social media! And that’s not even the most evil thing he does! He kidnaps this one citizen in Metropolis, Malik, who gave Superman a falafel once. And then he kills right in front of a captive Superman just to hurt him! That is next-level hating!

Nicholas Hoult knocked it out of the park as Lex Luthor in this film. Whoever wrote his lines into the script knew what they were doing. And while the film ends with Lex getting what he deserves ad infinitum, there is no doubt that we have not seen the last of him. Hoult’s performance deserves an Oscar nomination, and his Luthor deserves a place in the haters’ hall of fame! Especially for kidnapping poor Krypto!

Ruff, Ruff, and Away

Krypto the Superdog, aka the best doggy in the universe…is what I would like to say. My only exposure to him was through the 2000s animated cartoon on Cartoon Network, but I know he’s one of the more campy elements in Superman’s mythos. So I was looking forward to seeing him as part of the rebooted canon. Unfortunately, for those expecting him to be a loyal and super smart dog, keep dreaming. Krypto is one wrong move away from obedience school!

This version of Krypto is the kind of dog that would make Marley from Marley and Me proud. He’s an embodiment of chaos, doesn’t really understand boundaries or how to do what he’s told. One of the clips shows him explicitly having torn up the Fortress of Solitude! He’s a very big source of frustration for poor Kal-El, and as someone who has had many dogs in his life, I feel for him. He’s also a big part of the film’s comedy, with his antics clearly designed to make people chuckle. It does help that things can be explained by Gunn being inspired by his own dog, who somehow managed to destroy his laptop. Write what you know, you know! Fortunately, when it comes down to it, Krypto is still a loyal dog who helps save Superman’s life several times.

Superman was Truly Amazing!

So, yeah. I loved the new Superman movie. It’s not perfect and it does throw a lot at us in its two-hour runtime. But it is trying to set up a new universe, and this time, it has to do things right. It has to make up for what was, whether we want to admit it or not, was decade long misfire on DC’s. And in that regard, it manages to do a great job!

Yes, there are people who are going to complain that it’s too woke or too corny, but in case you haven’t noticed, that’s what Superman often is. He’s an optimistic view on mankind meant to inspire us to do better! They want grim and gritty, then stick to Batman! I’ll take my Superman sunny with a side of optimism.

Judging by what people are saying about it, it seems like James Gunn made the right call, too. By the time the movie was over, everyone in the theater was clapping and cheering because of how good it was. That’s an encouraging sign! If the film can keep up this momentum until Fantastic Four: First Steps comes out, it might be a financial success! I may even have to go back for another round, because I don’t wanna wait until it comes out on streaming! This is what we should’ve gotten twelve years ago, and I’m glad that DC is starting to make up for lost time.

I Give “Superman” a 4/5

Rick and Morty S8 Ep 7 Review

Sometimes, the stars just seem to align for a TV show, enabling it to be incredibly relevant to current events. South Park is notorious for covering events as recent as the last few days thanks to its six-day turnaround, but they’re not the only ones to do that. With James Gunn’s Superman film set to release later this week (I have my tickets), the world is focused on the return of the Man of Steel. So what does Rick and Morty do? They have a laugh at the expense of the Gunn, AI scripts, and toxic fans all at once.

It’s no secret that Rick Sanchez can be a pretty toxic person, but now we can say that toxicity extends to being a fan of long-running franchises. After hating the latest entry in the fictional Velocitree film franchise, Rick gets so mad he decides to take matters up with the director, James Gunn himself. Then, because he thinks he can do better, he swipes the script for the next film so he can do things his way. That way, of course, involving him building a machine that can help him come up with the perfect film. This inevitably backfires on him when he and Morty get sucked into the film before they come up with an ending, forcing them to take part in the film itself.

AI, TOXIC FANS, and A Gunn, Oh My!

There is a lot about this episode that makes it incredibly relevant to the times that we are living in, and thus making it brilliant. Firstly, there’s how the episode represents the fans of long-running franchises. On the one hand, we have Jerry, the casual fan who will enjoy whatever is put in front of him. On the other hand, we have Rick and Morty representing the long-term fans who have been with a franchise for years, even decades. These days, more and more hardcore fans of franchises like Star Wars and the MCU are growing disillusioned with the way the IPs are being run. They can’t stand to see that which they love be turned into something they hate. This isn’t a recent phenomenon either. When the Star Wars Prequels released, the OG fans hated them, especially for characters such as Jar Jar. In this case, the Velocitree has their own Jar Jar in the form of the comic relief robo-tree Tannebaum, who Rick initially despises.

Secondly, there is the way the episode addresses the toxic fans themselves. Many fans are like Rick: when they see their favorite franchise in the toilet, they think that they can do better. I myself have often wondered if I could’ve done the Star Wars Sequels better than what Abrams and Johnson did. However, the events of the episode force Rick to acknowledge that just because you think you can do better doesn’t mean you can do better. His and Morty’s attempts to get the film back on track only make things worse, and by the time they hit the climax, they’ve got both heroes and villains out to get them. The only reason they manage to make it out at all is because they have to rely on Jerry’s help. Rick had previously disparaged Jerry for not being “a real fan,” and thinking he’d do a terrible job. Yet for all his talk, it’s Jerry’s slapped-together ideas that bring the film to a successful conclusion.

Lastly, there is the fact that this episode makes a jab at the concept of AI-scripts. AI like ChatGPT has gone mainstream lately, and people think that by using it, they can become great writers. As this episode proves, though, AI writing isn’t going to be any better than what humans come up with. If you want my opinion, the best option we’ve got is to find a way to work in tandem with AI rather than let it do everything for us. Otherwise, storytellers like James Gunn will be out of a job.

James Gunn Played Himself!

Speaking of James Gunn, this episode is especially noteworthy for the two guest appearances: James Gunn and Zach Snyder. The staff of Rick and Morty managed to talk both directors into guest-starring as themselves in the episodes. Granted, Snyder’s only in one scene that has him poke fun at the differences between his version of Superman and Gunn’s, but it’s all in good humor. Gunn, on the other hand, winds up serving as the overarching villain of the episode, as he doesn’t want Rick and Morty to succeed, since that will put him out of a job. Yet, in the end, they managed to do just that, though Gunn thinks he got the last laugh by getting the completed script. Unfortunately, it just puts him out of a job…and out of life.

I’ve been a big fan of James Gunn since the original Guardians of the Galaxy, and I think that his decision to reboot the DC films is a good one. So much so that I’ve already bought my tickets to see Superman later this week. Needless to say, I think the timing on this episode couldn’t have been better. Here’s hoping that when I get back, I will have something worthwhile to write about, as well as a cool popcorn bucket to sell.

I Give “Ricker than Fiction” a 4/5

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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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