Is Superman giving up on America?
In the latest issue of Action Comics, the Man of Steel angrily renounces his U.S. citizenship. What gives?
Though Superman has long stood for "truth, justice, and the American way," we may have to scratch that last bit now that the cape-loving hero has renounced his U.S. citizenship in the historic 900th issue of Action Comics. In a storyline by David S. Goyen — a screenwriter for the Batman film, The Dark Knight — the U.S. criticizes Superman, whom it sees as a representative for U.S. policy, for taking part in a nonviolent anti-government protest in Iran, and a fed-up Superman quits America. (See key panels below.) Should America be offended?
You go, Superman! When a superhero originally envisioned as "an American heartland warrior" ditches the American part, "it's a sobering moment," says Scott Thill in Wired. But it's also a heroic and obvious one. "The genius of Superman is that he belongs to everyone," not just America. And at a time when America is "rife with immigration paranoia," it's refreshing to see an alien refugee like Superman reject narrow nationalism.
"Superman defies God, USA in... landmark 900th issue"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Why does Goyen hate America? The "small minds" who came up with this storyline clearly "hope to peddle more of their ware by adopting anti-Americanism," says Don Surber in the Charleston, W.V., Daily Mail. Instead, they're just draining the last drop of fun from the increasingly dour Superman franchise. Seriously, we're talking about "a cartoon of a man who can somehow fly through the air and withstand atomic bombs." Lighten up, guys.
Superman will embrace America again: I actually think the storyline makes sense, says Steven Taylor in Outside the Beltway. But anything that smacks of America-bashing will "create a firestorm of outrage" in comics-land. Remember how people griped that the new Wonder Woman outfit wasn't sufficiently patriotic because it dropped the stars? Anyways, as any comics collector knows, these dramatic plot twists "have a way of being impermanent."
"Let the super freak-out begin"
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com