As a comic book fan, I hold on to a certain set of truths. One of those truths is that the superhero genre and animation are a match made in heaven, and the past few years have only backed that up with shows including Invincible, X-Men ’97 and My Adventures With Superman. That last one stands out for how it manages to put a fresh spin on the Man of Steel’s origin, as well as his friendship with Jimmy Olsen and budding romance with Lois Lane. My Adventures With Superman now also follows in the footsteps of its predecessors by having a tie-in comic…and a really good one at that.
Taking place between Seasons 1 and 2, My Adventures With Superman #1 finds Christmas coming to Metropolis…and Clark Kent feeling lonely, as this will be the first Christmas he’s spent away from Smallville. While Lois and Jimmy plan to give Clark a Christmas he won’t forget, Superman winds up battling a menacing android that has the ability to replicate his powers. But this android may not be the menace that Superman thinks it is…
DC fans have probably pegged that this android is none other than Amazo; the android’s creator Doctor Ivo previously appeared in Season 1 of My Adventures With Superman. What makes this version of Amazo different – and honestly, more compelling – is the fact that he feels less like an engine of destruction and more like a lost child. It serves as a great parallel to Clark’s journey. Even though Clark is now Superman, he’s still trying to figure his place in the world and where Lois fits into that.
It helps that My Adventures With Superman #1 is written by showrunner Josie Campbell. You can’t get much more accurate than having someone who actually worked on the show writing this comic, and Campbell nails the Clark/Lois/Jimmy dynamic perfectly. Clark is still every bit the Boy Scout, Lois the intrepid reporter, and Jimmy is still a show stealer. She even brings up plot threads from Season 1, such as the lingering presence of Task Force X and Lois’s father attempting to kill Superman.
Pablo M. Collar manages to perfectly capture the anime-esque flair of the show with his art, especially in the way Superman and Amazo fight. The two zip across Metropolis, leaving blue-red and purple streaks in their wake respectively, and their blows land with the kind of force you’d expect from an episode of Dragon Ball Z. Collar’s facial expressions for characters have a bit of hilarity to them – case in point, when Clark is waxing poetic about Christmas in Smallville, his co-workers (particularly Cat Grant) look less than enthused. All of it is rendered in rich, vibrant color by Nick Filardi, with special attention paid to Superman’s iconic costume.
My Adventures With Superman #1 is a book I’d recommend to fans of the animated series, longtime Superman fans, and newcomers to the world of comics. It taps into the spirit of its source material, balancing action, humor and romance with almost superhuman ease.
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