We’re only one issue into the New Super-Man, but writer Gene Luen Yang has definitely delivered in re-envisioning the classic superhero. Here are some of those differences.
(Warning: Contains spoilers!)
(DC Comics)
His race
Let’s start with the obvious – New Super-Man is not an alien baby, who happens to look like a white human man, raised in small-town America. This time around, he is a Chinese teen from Shanghai.
Kong Kenan has a lot to learn about fighting and heroics in the preview of NEW SUPER-MAN #2! https://t.co/k31HlahxME pic.twitter.com/2GCV9ovryb
— DC (@DCComics) August 8, 2016
His secret identity
Kenan (that’s pronounced keh-nahn) Kong is a teen, not a reporter – and an obnoxious bully at that – in his introduction in the first issue, a far stretch from the paragon of morality we know in Clark Kent. It’s clear Kong’s story arc will include lessons in humility.
(DC Comics)
His age
Comics cite Superman’s age around 29 to 35. Kenan, on the other hand, looks to be in high school. It will be interesting to explore how Kenan juggles his powers and life before adulthood, and to see how he grows and matures as a superhero.
DC’s Shanghai (Screenshot)
The setting
If Clark Kent had the fictional city of Metropolis, New Super-Man takes place in the real city of Shanghai. This makes for an interesting cultural backdrop, and it’s sure to bring on new challenges for the new Superman.
(DC Comics)
His motives
Speaking about humility, Kenan makes it clear he is not helping people for justice – he takes money from a citizen he saves from one of China’s supervillains. When the media shows up, he brags about his heroism and hits on the female reporters.
Then there’s this self-introduction the first time we meet him: “In the whole history of China, there are maybe three other people as important as I am: the first emperor, chairman Mao and Yao Ming. … This is me. Broad-shouldered. Handsome like a movie star. Tall, but not in a freaky way like Yao Ming. This is what somebody important looks like.”
(DC Comics)
His costume
The original Superman wears a blue-and-red suit with yellow details, as well as that iconic red cape. Kenan dons a red suit with the five yellow stars of China’s flag on his shoulder. He has also been pictured with a black cape and gloves.
How he obtains his powers
Clark discovers his powers while growing up, which he’s had since birth. Kenan’s powers are not innate and come from original Superman himself, meaning they are a variation of Clark’s.
What do you think about the New Super-Man?
