Welcome to the Couch Club, our recurring column devoted to all things #DCTV! This week, Jules Chin Greene looks at My Adventures with Superman’s not-so-secret superpower—it’s characters.
Watching My Adventures with Superman has been one of the greatest joys for Superman fans since its debut in 2023. I grew up watching Superman: The Animated Series as well as lots of anime during the ‘90s and early 2000s. My Adventures with Superman gives a playful wink to this pop culture ecosystem that I and many other fans were forged in while also carving out its own unique interpretation of the Man of Steel. As a result, Superman and his compatriots have never felt more hip or more accessible to a new generation of fans.
The show is now back for its second season, introducing a gaggle of characters from Superman comics and beyond. I’ve written before about my own love of Amanda Waller despite her ruthless nature, and I was instantly charmed by the show’s depiction of her morning routine. As much as I’ve sat down and thought about Ms. Waller and her actions, I’ve never stopped and wondered what her morning rituals might be. Watching her wake up in a silk bonnet at 6:00 AM sharp and recite a motivational mantra humanized her in a playful way. This makes her terrible actions with Task Force X on the show even more difficult to reconcile with, which all points to exactly why I love her character to begin with. She’s not a kind person by any stretch, but it’s impossible for me to not be compelled by her!
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But the Wall isn’t the only character we’ve really gotten to know this season. I have good news for my fellow ‘90s Superman fans—specifically my Reign of the Supermen comrades. Steel and Hank Henshaw are in this season! In case you’re not familiar, Reign of the Supermen was a crossover story in ‘90s Superman comics that took place after Clark was killed by Doomsday. In the wake of his death, four replacement Supermen—Cyborg Superman, Superboy, Steel and the Eradicator—rise up to become Metropolis’s next hero. The storyline was adapted wonderfully as an animated film, which you should absolutely watch. While Henshaw isn’t Cyborg Superman yet, John Henry Irons gets plenty of time to shine as Steel, but not in the way that you think. Irons mentions his niece, Natasha, who also becomes Steel in the comics, and I’m looking forward to when the show brings her into the fray.
With folks like Steel on board in My Adventures with Superman, it was only a matter of time before Clark’s cousin, Kara, joined the action. For me, I’ve never met an adaptation of Supergirl I didn’t like (Sasha Calle is the highpoint of The Flash for me), and this season’s version of Kara is unlike any you’ve seen before on television. She’s got lots of angst and sharp edges, but Jimmy Olsen brings out a softer side to her character by introducing her to ice cream. It’s adorable.
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Speaking of Jimmy Olsen, the guy is the real MVP of this season. As Metropolis descends into xenophobic, anti-alien hysteria thanks to Lex Luthor (in all of his shonen anime villain glory), Jimmy remains a steadfast friend to Clark. While Jimmy in the comics is usually depicted as much younger than Clark, it’s refreshing to see this dynamic duo reimagined at the same stage in life on the show. In one scene, Clark reveals how Jimmy made him realize that being his true alien self wasn’t a bad thing, that it was good for him to live authentically. The two aren’t without their problems, but the foundation of their friendship is so rock solid that I have no doubt that they’ll smooth things over.
While I have confidence for Jimmy and Clark’s friendship getting back on track, my girl Lois Lane has been in the trenches. Her father General Lane is being hunted by Amanda Waller and her Task Force X (including a frighteningly enjoyable Deathstroke), and this turn for the General provides some much-needed time to reflect on his relationship with his daughter. Things haven’t always been easy for Lois, no matter how much of an effortless front she puts on. This season shows the strain Lois has felt from the loss of her mother, and the constant moving from place to place based on her father’s deployments.
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Sadly, this insecurity has made its way into Lois’ relationship with Clark. Just like her husband-to-be, Lois has a tendency to take on more than she can bear. It’s one of her most defining, relatable qualities, but I do hope for her sake that someone in her life can see the burden she’s been carrying before it puts any more of her relationships at stake or damages her romance with Clark past the point of repair.
In its second season, My Adventures with Superman continues to be an irresistibly charming look at what it means to be Clark Kent and Superman. While the series doesn’t shy away from addressing heavier topics, like Krypton’s legacy of imperialism and genocide, it strikes an important balance between levity and serious emotional beats. In effect, that’s part of what makes Superman so relatable to begin with, his mix of tragedy and self-aware comedy is just like life itself.
My Adventures with Superman is now streaming on Max.
Jules Chin Greene writes about comics for DC.com, and his work can also be found at Nerdist, Popverse and Multiverse of Color. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @JulesChinGreene.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Jules Chin Greene and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.