"Last Son" Re-Watch: "Fun and Games" & "A Little Piece of Home"

 Superman The Animated Series

One of the many things that "Batman: The Animated Series" excelled at was the music. "Superman: The Animated Series" is following suit. The main theme of the show is a re-interpretation of John Williams' classic score from the 1978 original movie. It is similar enough to the original to give you those same feels, but different enough that it's not a carbon copy. 

The Toyman: "I'm so glad you decided to stay, Ms. Lane. We're going to have a whole lot of fun."

Lois Lane: "Why me, Toyman?"

The Toyman: "Because of those lies. you wrote about me in your little paper. This time, I want you to get it right."

Metropolis gangster Bruno Mannheim is being terrorized by a villain and former accomplice known as the Toyman. When Lois writes a less than flattering article including psychological profile about Toyman, he kidnaps her to set the record street. Can Superman stop Toyman or will this game be the Man of Steel's last?

Do you want to read me a story?

"Superman: The Animated Series" introduces a classic Supes villain in this episode. Is it Brainiac? We did get him in the premiere? How about John Corben's transformation into Metallo? Maybe Parasite? It's a no for all of those. Nope, instead we meet the Toyman and it's not the Winslow Schott that we all know and... love? Nope, Schott died in prison after working for Bruno Mannheim so his son has taken up the mantle and is looking for revenge.

I do think it's a little strange that Toyman is the first Superman villain that gets introduced after Lex Luthor and Brainiac. Toyman isn't what I would consider an integral, classic Superman villain, but he acquits himself very well in this episode. The design of Toyman is creepy as fuck. He's a dorkily dressed ventriloquists dummy and when he walks out of the shadows, I audibly said, "Gross." Very few people find ventriloquist dummies cute or endearing so this is a great choice.

The different toys they use in new and deadly ways are pretty great and very enjoyable. The opening super destructive bouncy ball was super cool. I'd highly recommend watching in surround sound if you can because it really gave an immersive feeling, like that ball really was bouncing around my basement. I was a big fan of the giant, bulletproof, missile equipped rubber ducky, too.

A struggle with Superman is making these villains that are kind of below him due to his powers actual, viable threats and I think the episode does a great job of that with Toyman. The "Dopey Doh," a take on Play Doh, is great and is a challenge for Superman. His solution of spinning at top speed is great and thematically on point. Then, there are the toy bombs that are actual bombs.

There is a lot of exposition dumps in this episode and they try to make them interesting, but it doesn't take away from the fact we are just getting talked at. Though, I thought the pop up book during this major exposition sequence was pretty cute. The other thing is Lois getting kidnapped again. It feels like a lazy way to get Lois involved in the action. I love that Lois, even when she's kidnapped, is not a damsel in distress, but there has to be a better way to involve her. Also, did anyone else think about that Toyman had to dress her in this dolly outfit after kidnapping her in a towel? Creepy.

Grade: B

Lex Luthor: "As long as I have the rock, you can't stop me. But it is bothersome to have you always trying, so, the deal is this: you leave me and my operations alone, and I and my little green rock will leave you alone."

Superman: "I don't make deals with criminals."

Lex Luthor: "I control everything in this town, Superman. Your cooperation is not really necessary. The offer was merely a courtesy."

Superman: [glaring[ "You will *never* control me, Luthor. Never!"

[flies off]

Lex Luthor: "Well, then, I guess I'll have to kill you."

Lex Luthor opens the Lex Luthor Museum of Natural History and while he is holding a press conference it is robbed. Superman attempts to stop the robbery, but a rock in a display case, takes the Man of Steel out. When, Luthor sees this while reviewing the footage, his scientists find that these rocks are not from our galaxy. Luthor plots out a plant test them out on Superman. A Lex Labs informant gets Lois a small shard that is analyzed by Dr. Emil Hamilton of S.T.A.R. Labs, who deduces that these are irradiated pieces of Superman's homeworld, which is why the impact him like they do. Can Superman get this rocky trump card from his mortal enemy before it's too late?

My precioussssss....

This episode introduces a vital piece of the Superman mythos: kryptonite. The one thing that can truly hurt Superman. We only get the green version in this episode. Here's hoping we see the other types and their impacts on the Man of Steel in future episodes. 

It's very on brand for Lex to do something seemingly altruistic, like open up a museum, for completely selfish reasons. Sure, it is good for Metropolis, but it is a way to not only try to raise his popularity but it will serve as a tax shelter, which I love Lois pointing out immediately as soon as reporters are able to ask questions. It's a great gag to have Lex prattling on and on about the high tech security of the museum at the same time two low level criminals are tunneling in. 

We haven't really seen Superman not in control in these first five episodes, so it's nice that the tables have turned. It's clear no one really knows what to do when Superman, clearly weakened, stumbles out of the museum after not being able to stop those two crooks. And, for this rock, to be in the hands of the one person in Metropolis who unabashedly hates the Big Blue Boy Scout is the worst case scenario and it's really what creates the most tension in this episode. 

Mercy Grave, Luthor's assistant and bodyguard, gets a lot of face time in this episode and she's badass. My favorite moment of the episode is when Luthor's douchey gun-for-hire, Joey, is flirting with her and she kicks off his punching bag, inches from her head. That dude is the worst and I loved Graves owning him. it's heavily implied a few times that Graves "takes care of" aka kills people who have angered Luthor, like the two crooks from the museum heist and poor Lex Labs scientist, Peterson.

Lois is great in this episode. Of course, she has an informant in Lex Labs. Her breezing in and stealing Clark's waitress to order a speedy lunch to go is classic Lois. Even her seemingly throwaway trash can basketball playing is key to the climax of the episode when she tosses the Kryptonite into a lead goblet to block the radiation. She evens gets an Superman exclusive with the caveat that there be no mention of the Kryptonite. 

The only real downside to the episode is that the climax kind of feels rushed and super convenient. I'm not sure I buy that Hamilton would have been able to deduce the lead connection that quickly but I'm willing to suspend disbelief I guess. And, the main action set piece where Superman is foiling the fake robbery is cool, but basically pointless. I feel like some of the episode real estate could have been used better. But it's clear we haven't seen the last of Kryptonite. The episode ends with Lex's museum archaeologists searching for more of the radioactive rocks.

Grade: B+

Next up, janitor Rudy Jones has a really bad day, John Corben regrets working for Luthor and Brainiac makes it to Earth.

I have only seen like a handful of these episodes so re-watching them is a real treat. I love how Timm and Dini et al have such a clear idea of who Superman is, just like they did Batman. Are you all loving it? Anything you'd change so far? Let me know in the comments.