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4.55 AVERAGE
4.55 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
sorry superman i didnt know u were chill like that
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
hopeful
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"When you do that...when you soften your landing by actually defying gravity, is it still called leaping? Isn't it more like FLYING?"
"Maybe you're not even doing it consciously...but you're limiting yourself! I could feel it!"
"I have a theory...you want to fit in better. You want everybody to believe that you're just a better version of a normal human. Humans run. You just run faster. Humans jump. You just jump higher. Humans lift stuff. You just lift heavier stuff. But the truth is, you can do things that are entirely different from humans can do right? Like fly! And you hold back because you're afraid that if people find out, they'll stop calling you superMAN..."
Oh. The retcons make sense now.
I mean, other than the hot take by David Carradine in Kill Bill Vol. 2 about Superman mocking humanity by being mild-mannered, constantly slouching, golden-retriever energy Clark Kent in his off time, this is an incredibly great perspective on why the old-timey Supes seemed so limited. And it is ALWAYS appreciated when lil Clark or even grown-man Clark has to fully grapple with what it means to be alien, both to this country & to this planet, and ultimately coming out on top as just a guy from the Midwest USA who wants to help others, regardless of what people think of him. (Also here's hoping J'Onn never reads his mind about he accidentally pictured his parents & himself in "greenface.")
But you ain't here for that; you wanna know how satisfying it is to see a superhero beat up white supremacists.
VERY satisfying.
Since this was set during a time when violence is more frowned upon, the Big Blue Boy scout does a lot more to disarm & humiliate than actually SMASH the KKK-expies into paste.
And as is always the quandary when it comes to supporting cast, how much they help vs how much they hinder is the fine ratio which makes good writing. And brother, they did a LOT of helping. In particular the focal point character of Roberta has a keen mind big on observations, which helps in several situations, mainly spurring the Man o'Steel to where he needs to go.
The artstyle is bloody brilliant since the only other exposure I've had to Gurihiru are their work in the "Avatar: the Last Airbender" comics, so it's very cool to see them draw things a little more in the modern aesthetic as opposed to the fantastical setting of the Avatar world. The pseudo-anime style is pretty great since the only other time we've had Supes in a more anime style is the TV show My Adventures with Superman and I've been ITCHING for season 3 of that to come soon; this satisfied that itch pretty well. Could just be a coincidence, but the main bad guy (THE GRAND SCORPION OF THE KLAN OF THE BURNING CROSS!) when unmasked looks a little like the Evil Faker All Might from the 4th My Hero Academia movie. Certainly helps since All Might's been compared as the best Superman expy Japan's ever made, so American Superman fighting a villainous version of himself is a win in my book.
While not perfect, (Chinese dad refuses help from Black neighbors...why?) this book is truly a winner and sometimes you just want a book of the side of good winning over a cartoonishly evil, yet sadly very familiar, threat to America.
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m not well versed in Superman content so that might be my problem. I really liked the first two chapters, but the third took a real nosedive for me content-wise. I wasn’t wild about the idea of a hate group being a secret money-laundering scheme, it feels like it diminishes the actual hatred some of these folks hold with them and how deep it really runs.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Yang's take on Superman comes straight from the 1940s-era radio episodes where Superman after WW2 takes on the KKK thinly disguised as the fictional Fiery Cross. Chinese immigrants settle into a suburban community but are immediately harassed and threatened by race purists in Metropolis. And, explains one of them to Superman: "You can't beat my beliefs out of me." The Man of Steel is also horrified to discover that many of the Order revere him as the "ultimate white man" to which they aspire.
The graphics and setting are all nostalgic of the 1940s: simple drawings and dialogue; idyllic Americana; historically ironic for what is also happening beneath the happy neighborhoods. Set in the early radio era where Superman's powers were far more reserved than what we know him for today, Yang plays on that early version of the superhero to draw out his larger theme: who belongs to community and what do they change to fit in?
All along, the family's young daughter puts together her intuitions to see the parallels between her family's situation and Superman's. Ultimately, amidst all the adventures and close calls, it is her insights which help Superman understand how to beat the Fiery Cross and reconcile his own childhood issues.
Timely for today's readers, tense without being scary, this is a fine read for younger readers and teens, especially those who want too much to "fit in."
The graphics and setting are all nostalgic of the 1940s: simple drawings and dialogue; idyllic Americana; historically ironic for what is also happening beneath the happy neighborhoods. Set in the early radio era where Superman's powers were far more reserved than what we know him for today, Yang plays on that early version of the superhero to draw out his larger theme: who belongs to community and what do they change to fit in?
All along, the family's young daughter puts together her intuitions to see the parallels between her family's situation and Superman's. Ultimately, amidst all the adventures and close calls, it is her insights which help Superman understand how to beat the Fiery Cross and reconcile his own childhood issues.
Timely for today's readers, tense without being scary, this is a fine read for younger readers and teens, especially those who want too much to "fit in."
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a really fun change for a non-comic book reader, and I was surprised how invested I got in it. I don’t usually care about Superman as a character, but he was great here. The art was gorgeous and I had a good time with it.
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
A great way to introduce to children how terrible and deep racism can seep.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Kidnapping
challenging
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes