My Adventures With Superman #1 Review: An Excellent Tie-In for Any Fan of Superman

My Adventures With Superman #1 is both a solid tie-in and just a great Superman comic.

By Nicole Drum

One of the best and most charming installments of superhero television in recent years has been the animated My Adventures With Superman, with that hit television series offering a take on the classic trio of Superman, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen that is both familiar and fresh. Given that the series has been successful with both fans and critics alike, it is no surprise that DC brought the adventure from screen to page with a My Adventures With Superman comic book, but while tie-in comics can often be a mixed bag, My Adventures With Superman #1 manages to capture not only the fun of the series but offer an engaging story accessible to any Superman fan.

Written by Josie Campbell—who also happens to be the head writer of the television series—and drawn by Pablo M. Collar, My Adventures With Superman #1 is set between the first and second seasons of the series. The issue opens with Clark Kent/Superman spending his first Christmas alone in Metropolis with Lois and Jimmy planning to make what would otherwise be a sad and lonely first for their friend into something sweet and memorable. Of course, those plans go awry when Parasite attacks and then get tossed aside again when Superman realizes that this is a different Parasite and there is something much bigger at play.

While familiarity with the television series helps here, Campbell has crafted a story that doesn't really require the reader to have seen it. Instead of basing the issue in "the story to now," it's rooted in characters and their relationships. It's layered characterization work and beautifully done. We have the friendship between Lois and Jimmy that makes them great professional allies as well as a team when it comes to addressing Superman; there's the budding romance between Lois and Clark, and there's the friendship between Jimmy and Clark with each of the relationships blending almost seamlessly together on the page. These characters, while they may look a little different than longtime Superman fans expect, are written as iconically as ever which in turn bolsters the best qualities of any Superman story: something a little wholesome about truth, justice and, at its core, the importance of those you hold closest to you. (Bonus points for the story having just as much humor as heart and action.)

Also soaring across this issue is the artwork adapting the series' designs and style. The issue does a fantastic job of matching the television series' overall aesthetic but doesn't sacrifice the "comic booky" nature of things, either. While the issue does, at times, have a "young" look and feel, there is real sophistication to the character designs—particularly that of Parasite—that elevate the story into something that has both a narrative and visual appeal for a range of comics fans. This looks and feels like a classic Superman story just as much as more "serious" comics might be expected to deliver.

My Adventures With Superman #1 is not just a fine tie-in comic, it's a fine Superman story as well. With an interesting and engaging storyline, well-crafted characters, and art that feels new and classic all at once, the issue delivers the heart and charm that makes Superman so beloved. Fans of My Adventures With Superman will find a lot to love, while fans of Superman will just find more reasons to love the Man of Steel.

Published by DC Comics

On June 4, 2024

Written by Josie Campbell

Art by Pablo M. Collar

Colors by Nick Filardi

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Letters by Lucas Gattoni

Cover by Carli Squitieri

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