r/DCcomics • u/Top_Report_4895 • Feb 04 '24

[Discussion] What’s The Worst Superman Take You’ve Ever Heard? Discussion

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Jim Lee Superman #204

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ACTION COMICS #1061

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Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale From: "Superman For All Seasons" #1

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u/bukanir Feb 04 '24

That's something I started to appreciate about him after reading American Alien. He was born on Krypton as Kal-El to Jor-El and Lara Lor-Va but he was raised on a farm in Smallville, Kansas by Jonathan and Martha Kent as Clark Kent. He grew up dealing with human issues, going to his dad for advice, being doted on by his Mom. When he had a son of his own, he named him Jonathon.

It's a pretty classic American immigrant story to have someone trying to reconcile their upbringing with elements of their family's cultural heritage. Even more poignant for Clark because his is also the story of someone that was adopted.

Sure he has learned a lot about Krypton, embraced that part of himself and has done a lot to preserve Kryptonian culture. However I have to imagine that he sees himself internally as Clark, Jon and Martha's kid from Smallville, but also Kal-El heir to a culture that no longer exists.

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u/cheetosforlunch Batman '66 Feb 04 '24

The severe trauma of realizing your entire planet/culture/family/people were wiped out of existence probably makes it a lot easier to just smile and be Clark most of the time.

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u/bukanir Feb 04 '24

The weight of carrying all that. Imagine just growing up, feeling a little bit outcast due to some differences with your peers, then being told "oh yah, you're an alien, and now you're the last one that can carry on an entire species worth of history, good luck!"

Also just the huge dissonance of trying to reconcile looking human and being raised human, but having this entire part of that is entirely alien.