With James Gunn’s Superman movie hitting theaters nationwide today, I decided I was gonna do a little bit more of a super deep dive. So today, I finally began watching the highly acclaimed TV series, Superman & Lois.
Thus far, I’ve only watched the pilot episode, and I must say that this is one of the better series premieres that I’ve ever seen. This is a remarkably different take on the Superman mythos. Not different in that they do not tweak his origin or anything like that. He is still Clark Kent. He still wears the big blue suit in the red cape. But Tyler Hoechlin plays a Superman who has real world problems. He and Lois Lane are married. They have two boys. One of whom is Johnny football, the other is your stereotypical, emo kid who socially withdrawn and taking prescription medicine to cope.
The impetus of the series is the death of Martha Kent. Lois, Clark, and the boys Jonathan and Jordan had a Smallville for her funeral. There, they ultimately make the decision to move to a small little permanently.
Along the way, we discover that Jordan, Lois and Clark’s youngest son, it’s starting to manifest his own superpowers. This comes as a little bit of a surprise as both parents assumed that their older boy Jonathan had powers, thanks to his outstanding athletic abilities.
The idea of Lois Lane and Clark Kent being married has been played out both in comic books and on TV for decades. In recent years, we’ve also seen a Jonathan Kent, the son of Superman and Lois Lane, who has manifested his own powers. But even in the comics, readers never got the chance to see John’s abilities manifest or see him struggle with the enormous burden of being a superpowered to being. Superman and Lois shows us that dynamic with both Jonathan and Jordan. We see both of them, at opposite ends of the adolescent, social spectrum, dealing with this extraordinary knowledge.
I’m on board. I’m in. One episode in and I am hooked! I think this is the most refreshing take that we’ve had on the Superman mythos in decades. The character is still the same. His supporting cast in situations are the same, for the most part. But here, Superman has… Frankly, some every day that issues. He’s coming to the realization that he doesn’t have all of the answers. Who says you can’t tell new stories with an 85-year-old pop culture icon?
As far as the superhero stuff is concerned, Superman is dealing with someone who is likewise apparently superpowered, knows about Superman’s alien origin, and appears to have a power and skill set that at least rivals instead of Superman himself. The very last line of the episode gives a very big reveal which I won’t get into here.
It’s interesting because in some ways, Superman & Lois is considered the final chapter of the CW’s “arrow verse”. But in both tone and in setting, it is a distinctly different show. If you are a fan of either superhero movies, superhero television shows or comic books in general, I highly recommend checking out Superman & Lois.
Superman & Lois is currently streaming on HBO Max
Superman is currently playing in theaters everywhere.
Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, 👍 comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts
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- The Moment I Walked Inside a Hallmark Movie
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