The new Max TV show starring Superman (voiced by Jack Quaid) releases Clark Kent from the need to be just a nice guy as he tries to date Lois Lane. Now he’s complex.
As comic book mythology, Superman is pretty much chiseled in stone. He is the last son of the doomed planet of Krypton and was raised by a pair of hardworking farmers in Smallville. From there, he moved to Metropolis to be a reporter and use his extraordinary powers for the good of humankind. With such a foundation, it becomes easy to take his character for granted. Even when recalling the most respected on-screen take on the character (that of Christopher Reeve in the original 1978 Richard Donner film), we typically focus on Superman just being kind of a good guy as his most alluring attribute. Why wouldn’t we like him? He’s… nice.
But just “being a good guy” does not make for an interesting character, something that even Reeve knew as he imbued the Man of Steel with a cheeky sense of charm. And it’s something that the creators behind My Adventures With Superman, the new cartoon on Adult Swim and streaming on Max, seem to know as well. Creating a Superman is easy; the blueprint has been laid out for almost 90 years. Creating a Superman that is an actual great character is a bit tougher.
The series takes place in the early years of Clark Kent — he’s a new intern at the Daily Planet with his pal Jimmy Olsen. (The series sees them still living in the same room in their 20s, a reflection of the dismal pay inherent even in fictional media industries. In this essay, I will…) He’s getting used to life in Metropolis and also life as a guy who wants to help people while wearing a primary-colored costume.
