My Adventures with Superman: All The Reveals

My Adventures with Superman: “Zero Day” is where the pieces finally start coming together for the overarching plot of the series. Comprising of two, half-hour episodes, “Zero Day” takes this series into some uncharted territory. While most of this show focuses on the interpersonal relationships that Clark is slowly building, these episodes choose to focus more on the villains and how they plan on taking on the Man of Steel. While it is nice to finally get some answers, there seems to be something lost by taking such a hard turn into this style of narrative. These two episodes are still a lot of fun and full of action, yet they are missing a lot of the charm that has made this series so unique thus far.

The most positive aspect of this two-parter has to be the animation. Since there is an increase of action here, the need for high tear animation is a necessity. Thankfully “Zero Day” takes that challenge in stride, delivering the best action that this series has had so far. These scenes also blend well with the more relaxed moments, delivering a great level of consistency. This ties right in with the redesigns for much of Superman’s rogues gallery, who have a lot more to do here than in their earlier appearances. These redesigns actually work perfectly with this anime influenced style of animation. While some folks may still prefer the original designs, there has to be some level of public consensus regarding how well everyone looks when their abilities or equipment crackle with energy.

For being a two-parter “Zero Day”’s episodes feel drastically different from one another. Whereas part one is primarily setup and intrigue, part two is almost entirely exposition. This is likely because the episodes are directed by two different people, but it will definitely feel unusual for anyone who tries watching these back to back. Oddly enough, it’s the much darker tone from part two which holds most of the charm, highlighting the humanity of Superman in the face of his biggest test yet.

The big reveal here is that Krypton had previously invaded earth in some way, which is the cause for the fear behind General Lane. This is a huge departure from the comic source material, but does add another level of depth to this original show. The even bigger twist actually is General Lane’s questioning of his entire motives for taking down Superman. It is Superman’s humanity that almost makes him change his entire philosophy. This ties back to this show’s core themes in a delightful way.

By the end of these episodes, there is definitely a fully rounded theme about alienation and destiny. While these are some of the weaker episodes in this introductory season, they do tie back well to those themes and build on them in inventive ways. Whereas many would fear the dramatic changes done to Superman, My Adventures With Superman leans into them in ways that are constantly surprising.