My Adventures With Superman Season 3 Review: Happiness and Heartbreak Hit Hard

My Adventures With Superman‘s take on the “Reign of the Supermen” storyline was bound to happen at some point, given how the Superfamily is nearly complete. However, what I didn’t expect from My Adventures With Superman Season 3 was how intense, and almost intimate, the narrative was going to be.

What fans only know about Season 3 so far is that Superboy and Cyborg Superman are arriving and will cause trouble for Superman. This is certainly a fact, but the way that they’re developed throughout Season 3 will make you believe they’re not all that they seem.

This is because the creative team behind My Adventures With Superman focus on a decision-based narrative through Clark, Lois, Jimmy, and Kara. Each character has their respective role in this grand story of love and bittersweet heartbreak.

What My Adventures With Superman Season 3 focuses on is the hesitancy of making those leaps of faith.

Through Lois’ eyes, she’s unprepared for living a simpler life with Clark, who’s already preparing for their familial future. Through Jimmy’s eyes, he’s unprepared for fully embracing Kara as he believes there’s a better person who can live to Kara’s potential.

In its first five episodes, Season 3’s story plays out similarly to Season 1, looking back on the more lighthearted side of things. We get to see the same whimsical adventures, like Clark and the gang attending a Comic Con-esque event to Jimmy finding himself in love with Giganta.

It’s more of a calmer slow burn, but once Superboy gets involved, things get just a tiny bit more intense. Unlike what I previously thought, this Superboy isn’t unlike what comic fans know. He pulls on many other iterations, most notably the two main modern takes.

However, in the context of Season 3’s story, Superboy confidently fits himself into later episodes, getting to spend some much needed time with his “family”. He’s got the charismatic, playful charm Clark once had with Lois’ investigative instinct, making him a joy to watch.

When Cyborg Superman gets involved further into Season 3, the show takes a much steeper, more serious turn akin to Season 2. It honestly feels like this season is a culmination of certain cliffhangers and events from My Adventures With Superman‘s past, but still leaves room open to do more.

This feels especially so when My Adventures With Superman Season 3 takes a precarious route in adapting the “Death of Superman” storyline. Unlike how other shows and films brought this story to life, it has a much more personal inclination to rebuild Clark,  metaphorically speaking.

This shows on Season 3 Episode 6 “Party Animals”, which takes an intriguing turn on how Clark and his friends confront situations head-on. This episode is truly a needed test for Clark as it does a good job in capturing a side to Superman that’s never been really seen before.

Furthermore, all of these vulnerabilities really show on Season 3 Episode 7 “Ex-Games” in gratifying ways. Not only does Mr. Mxyzptlk make a comeback, along with his soon-to-be-divorced wife, but it allows Clark, Lois, Jimmy, and Kara to come to terms with the future.

That said, the last three episodes of My Adventures With Superman Season 3 get into some heavy action and emotional territory, but that would be ruining the surprise.

As for Lex Luthor, he does feel more like a minor side villain as he was in previous seasons. Although he has more involvement in bringing Cyborg Superman to life, he doesn’t necessarily interact with Superman as much. In fact, much of his interactions are done with Lois, Slade, and Amanda Waller.

It also feels like My Adventures With Superman Season 3 wants to incorporate more characters from the Superman mythos despite how big it already feels. This is because of Bizarro’s debut, who makes a shocking introduction in the first episode alone. However, the show’s approach to Bizarro adds a heartfelt note to the overall story.

Rather than making Bizarro another villain, he’s made out to be a nearly blank slate that can be molded into something new. Bizarro’s role almost has similar undertones to that of the character in Superman and Lois, but with more empathy and understanding.

That’s the thing with My Adventures With Superman Season 3. It wants to be a story about why it isn’t the abilities that make Superman, but the morals and emotional connection that makes the character who he is. This message has been resonant since Season 1 and it continues to show great potential here.

My Adventures With Superman Season 3 is still a whimsically exciting adventure, but it never hesitates to take a leap of faith into emotionally heartbreaking territory.

The cast and creative team continue to do a wonderful job bringing their all to this action-packed animated series. Hopefully, this show gets one last season to truly show what this Superfamily can do.

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My Adventures With Superman Season 3 premieres on Saturday, June 13, on Adult Swim and HBO Max.

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