[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and DC Entertainment in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are on the scene when Superman takes down The Atom Man. No one seems to really notice his sickly reaction to the green crystal that powered the villain’s transformation.
Roberta’s family is moving from Chinatown to Metropolis proper. Her dad has a new job which comes with a new house, more money – and hostility from one of his colleagues. Jimmy Olsen lives nearby. On the day they move in, Roberta even gets to see Superman run across the telephone wires above the neighborhood.
Not everyone in the neighborhood is as nice as Jimmy. Roberta and her brother Tommy run into trouble with a bigot on the youth baseball team. But the racist teen is small time compared to the hate rising in Metropolis.
The Lee family is targeted by the Klan of the Fiery Kross. Time and time again they are attacked. The places important to them are in the line of fire. Thankfully Superman is always there to lend a hand.
But while Superman helps the Lees, he has problems of his own. Ever since he encountered that green crystal he’s been hearing a strange language and seeing beings no one else can see. What is happening to Metropolis’ hero?
Review
This was excellent! It’s a meaty story with a TON of things going on. Roberta and Superman tell most of the story. Between the two of them they wrestle with the obvious racism, Roberta tries to fit in with the kids in their new neighborhood, Clark remembers parts of his childhood, and then deals with his new visions. Both Roberta and Clark are dealing with identity issues and questions. I loved that Superman wasn’t just the guy swooping in to save the day – he had a character development arc, too. I definitely got my “money’s worth” out of this book. There’s so much to this story! It’s excellent.
I got to see about 60% of the artwork, and I loved it. The art style is one I enjoy, and the color was beautiful. The story was so easy to follow.
Stories about racism are hard to read – the hate, the duplicity, the name calling. But I think it’s good for readers – kids, teens, and adults – to wrestle with the issues, the language, and the hate. And to try to recognize the fear that runs underneath those other things. It’s subtle, but the feeling of desperately grasping for power and security is definitely there in the bigoted characters. There are even moments of racial tension between minorities, like when the Lee family resists interacting with some African American men who try to help them. Those more subtle pieces in the story add to the richness of the graphic novel. I feel like I could read this again and again and discover more depth each time.
I can’t recommend this highly enough. There’s great historical context in the back matter – for Superman the character as well as for racism in America and also personal stories from the author. The story is enjoyable, but readers who are willing to go deeper will find lots to think about here.
DC has graciously shared some of the interior art from this book. You can check it out here:
