Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang

4.55 AVERAGE

cora_san21's profile picture

cora_san21's review against another edition

4.25
hopeful inspiring
laynemsheetz's profile picture

laynemsheetz's review

5.0
adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective 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
jacob_tsg's profile picture

jacob_tsg's review against another edition

4.0
hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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: Complicated
cici_supreme's profile picture

cici_supreme's review against another edition

5.0
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
jax102's profile picture

jax102's review

5.0
adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-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 absolutely adored this book. It's art, it's story and how the characters interacted with each other. It felt like everyone had a part in the story and I loved how this is a retelling of The Superman radio show and just in a modern media. If you loved Superman (2025) then I totally recommend reading this graphic novel too. Gene Luen Yang always writes amazing stories and the art from Gurihiru is amazingly done. I love Roberta and Tommy Lee and Superman and how they all deal with adversity and racism differently. When you read the small history lesson in the back the comic really shows much homage and love to the original superman and the journey he and the other immigrants went through. 

bookishmatt42's review

5.0
"We all share the same tomorrow."

Friend recommended this to me after I said I still didn't "get" Superman as a character. I obviously get it now. Love that this story is written for kids who aren't familiar with the character while also dealing with something as mature and knotty as the longstanding permeation of racism in the U.S. Also includes a stunning afterword/lyric essay that's part memoir part quick history on the relationship between the KKK, WWII, and the first superhero.
tsamarah's profile picture

tsamarah's review against another edition

4.0
adventurous challenging inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: N/A
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
The alternate history of Superman Smashes the Klan takes place in the 1940s, when segregation was still at an all-time high and the third generation of the Ku Klux Klan was just getting started. The limited-edition comic blends the recurring "Superman Saves the Day" plot with a story about immigration and racial injustice, which aptly encapsulates what it means to be Superman and how his presence could motivate people to fight for their rights. It's youthful and innovative, making it the ideal introduction for those who are unfamiliar with the well-known superhero.
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ajreads497's review

5.0
inspiring medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

heatherer's review

5.0
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: No

librarycard87's review against another edition

5.0
adventurous inspiring
Superman smashes the Klan! What's not to love?? So hopeful, so inspiring, so essentially Superman