Initially, I was not sold on Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch as Superman and Lois when they first appeared in Supergirl and during that big Infinite Crisis crossover event that ran through all the CW shows.
I am glad that I was so wrong.
If there is one problem with Superman, is how can you have him be threatened when he is so powerful? One answer is to give him a family. Now, given all his power, he can't be there ALL the time and he has to juggle between saving the world and his family. That struggle becomes very apparent early and often in this series. I think that choice makes Superman instantly more compelling. I won't rush to say relatable, but it gives him more real world problems that he can't punch his way through. The fact that I recently became a father also probably plays into why I love this take on Superman. It lines up with what I think was the best run of Superman in a long time with the volume that Peter J. Tomasi wrote about a years ago. It is now the status quo in DC Comics continuity.
There is enough Superman-like action to balance out some of the typical CW drama. Since he has teenage sons, you know that will be part of the package. Fortunately his kids are likeable. Not at first, but they each grow throughout the first season. For a TV show, the action is surprisingly good and they display his power set well. He also gets villains on his level.
Lois Lane is also equally strong here. This is going to be a bold claim, but I think this is one of the best portrayals we've ever seen. I just like her that much. She is kind of a bully when it comes to her news stories and that shines through here. Making her bulldoze her way into the local Smallville paper backs that up. She was played with equal amounts of "go get em" and humanity that she doesn't become instantly unlikeable, a balance that can be hard with her.
These CW shows tend to overstay their welcome with each season, so the fact this was only fifteen episodes is a blessing. I hope they show restraint and stick to this number going forward. There was a season long plot thread that builds and builds, but at least we had some short arcs in between.
I'm trying not to give too many spoilers here, but I did like the inclusion of John Henry Irons here. His origin is vastly different and that is okay. He has motivations that you see play out and I got excited when his hammer finally makes an appearance.
As first seasons go, it was one of my favorites out of all the CW shows. I don't believe I ever said this out loud, but Superman is my favorite DC character after Batman. It's just never cool to say that because he is corny. I can admit that. There has always been something about him other than his power set. I always felt he really does do things with the best intention and stands up for the little guy.
I absolutely recommend checking this show out.
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