Superman: The Animated Series
Series, 1996, The '90s, Set in Metropolis
Superman: The Animated Series is #4 of 24 in release order and #4 of 24 in chronological order in the Kids' WB Classics.
The story
Superman, an incredibly powerful alien from the planet Krypton, defends Metropolis from supercriminals. Superman hides his identity behind the glasses of Clark Kent; a mild-mannered reporter for the newspaper the Daily Planet. At the Daily Planet Superman works with fellow reporter Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen.
Superman: The Animated Series recap
The series opens on Krypton, where the scientist Jor-El fails to convince the council that the planet is about to explode and sends his infant son to Earth. Raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent in Smallville, Clark Kent becomes a reporter at the Daily Planet in Metropolis alongside Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and editor Perry White, and secretly works as Superman. His main enemy is Lex Luthor, a billionaire businessman who hides his crimes behind LexCorp. The show reworks Brainiac as a Kryptonian computer intelligence that helped destroy Krypton, and makes Darkseid, the tyrant of the planet Apokolips, Superman's greatest foe. Other villains include Metallo, the Parasite, Livewire, the Toyman, Bizarro and Mr. Mxyzptlk. Supergirl arrives in season 2, and Batman teams up with Superman in the three-part "World's Finest". Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett developed it as a companion to Batman: The Animated Series, with Tim Daly as Superman, Dana Delany as Lois and Clancy Brown as Luthor. It aired on Kids' WB from 1996 to 2000, for 54 episodes.
Superman: The Animated Series ending explained
The two-part finale, "Legacy" (2000), has Darkseid brainwash Superman into believing he is Darkseid's adopted son and send him to lead an invasion of Earth. Luthor stops him, and the government sentences him to death, but Lois helps him escape. Superman confronts Darkseid on Apokolips and beats him, then returns to an Earth that no longer fully trusts him. The story continued in Justice League (2001), with Superman and Batman among its founding members.
Where to watch Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series is streaming on HBO Max in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 8.1/10
Where it fits
- Release order: after Pinky and the Brain, before The New Batman Adventures.
- Chronological order: after Pinky and the Brain, before The New Batman Adventures.
Cast
- Tim Daly as Superman / Clark Kent (voice)
- Dana Delany as Lois Lane (voice)
- David Kaufman as Jimmy Olsen (voice)
- Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor (voice)
- Lauren Tom as Angela Chen (voice)
- Victor Brandt as Professor Hamilton (voice)
- Joseph Bologna as Dan Turpin (voice)
- Corey Burton as Brainiac / Councilman / Cop (voice)
- George Dzundza as Perry White (voice)
- Brad Garrett as Bibbo (voice)
- Joanna Cassidy as Maggie Sawyer (voice)
- Lisa Edelstein as Mercy Graves (voice)
Created by Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett.