MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN S3 Review: Come Fly With Me and My Friends

Change is always good. Right?

My Adventures with Superman S3
The first episode of Season 3 premieres the evening of Saturday, June 13 at midnight ET/PT on Adult Swim, next day on HBO Max. New episodes in the 10-episode season will premiere every subsequent Saturday. I've seen all 10 episodes of Season 3, as well as all 20 episodes of Seasons 1 and 2, which are also streaming on HBO Max.

The core three of the first two seasons -- Clark Kent (aka Superman), Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olson -- has expanded to a gang of four, now including Kara Zor-El (now also known as Supergirl), which is reflected in the opening credits.

The first episode of Season 3 is a splendid jumping-on point for newcomers to the series. Season 1 dealt with Clark's identity issues and origin story, and his developing romance with Lois, which blossomed into love, all while the two of them, plus best pal Jimmy, served internships at The Daily Planet under the stewardship of a scowling Perry White. (BTW, Clark's secret identity as Superman is confirmed to both Lois and Jimmy fairly early in the season.) In Season 2, their journalism careers at The Daily Planet, developed further, the season also saw the introduction of Superman's cousin Kara, who makes a connection with Jimmy, and then has a profound change from an adversarial role to an allyship with her cousin and the humans. And she is still charmed by Jimmy.

Season 3, Episode 1 begins with Superman (voiced by Jack Quaid) and Supergirl (voiced by Kiana Madeira) in the Fortress of Solitude. Saying goodbye to the core of her "father," Brainiac, whose body was destroyed by the superpowered duo, Supergirl asks the same question that Superman asked at the beginning of Season 1: "Who am I?"

Despite Supergirl's obvious attraction to Jimmy Olson (voiced by Ishmel Sahid), and kind encouragement from Lois (voiced by Alice Lee) to pursue the relationship, Jimmy is asking himself a similar question: 'Who am I to be considered a romantic interest for her?'

For her part, Lois is feeling secure in her burgeoning romance with Clark; it's the cusp of Halloween, and everything looks beautiful to the happy couple. Until, that is, Clark starts sharing with Lois his uncomfortably detailed plans for their future. She expresses her need to take it slow.

And then her father, General Lane (voiced by Joel de la Fuente), now retired from the Army but working at the Pentagon, gives her a hot tip to pass on to her friend Superman. In the blink of an eye, the team is off on a new adventure.

The voice acting by the ensemble remains strong. Jack Quaid, who has also played the only human among superpowered creatures on Prime Video's super-NSFW The Boys, adds a warm, plaintive tone to Clark Kent/Superman's resolute voice of reason. Alice Lee gives Lois Lane a great tone of confidence, even when she experiences self-doubt, and sounds very convincing as an action character.

Very often, Ishmel Sahid is called upon to use his elastic voice to reinforce Jimmy Olson as comic relief, yet he can also dial it down to make his firm friendship with Superman entirely convincing. Kiana Madeira may be the stand-out, though; her diction sounds very much like someone speaking English as a second language, which can be funny, but she also can flatten that voice in small measured tones to make it sound determined and even menacing.

Speaking of menacing, Michael Emerson voices more than one role, each more evil than the next, and sounds like a machine that is revving up to full power. Chris Parnell voices antagonistic Slade Wilson only on occasion, though whenever he appears, he uses his 'distinctively creepy' voice to distinguish himself.

Season 3 includes a number of new adventures in its 10 episodes. The initial core of three are seldom seen working at The Daily Planet or in any way connected to journalism or its related pursuits, though Jimmy's Flamebird video channel, which he sold to The Daily Planet at the end of Season 1, has a continual presence in the narrative.

While some of the adventures take the gang of four to far away places in the universe and/or multiverse, several of the early episodes keep the team at home. A couple of the episodes could even be termed primarily comic adventures, filled with witty dialogue and LOL visuals, much more so than any episodes in the first two seasons, which makes for a refreshing change of pace.

Yet when new threats arrive, they are still as game-changing as any of those in the past. The series often veers gently into danger, which, when it arrives, is more momentous than ever. When old threats reappear, or characters return, it's always with new twists to their characters and/or their intentions.

What makes My Adventures with Superman continually enjoyable to watch is the high quality of the pop art-flavored animation, the high quality of the voice cast, and the high quality -- and variety -- of scenarios that are schemed up, featuring new villains manifesting and new heroes proving themselves.

Summary: Highly recommended. (P.S. The theme song, embedded below, continues to rock.)