Lucas Blogs About Superman Smashes the Klan

Uh-oh, better keep this book away from Green Lantern!

So, what's this book's deal?

Well, hypothetical reader, Superman Smashes the Klan is a collaboration between Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru (the work name of the Japanese artist team Chifuyu Sasaki and Naoko Kawano) who previously worked together on several volumes of comics about the continuing adventures of Aang et al. in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Though, as you might have guessed from the title, this comic book is about Superman.

The Man of Steel Superman? The Man of Tomorrow Superman? Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound Superman?

The very same. And specifically that version of the character. See, it's loosely based on a storyline from The Adventures of Superman radio serial from the forties, where Superman takes on the Clan of the Fiery Cross. As you may be aware, the Ku Klux Klan experienced a resurgence following the release of The Birth of a Nation in 1915. Anyway, the story (in the real world, that is) goes that the writers of the show were provided with details about the Klan's secret codewords and rituals and that this exposure helped break their influence and turn public opinion against them. It's hard to say how much of the Klan's decline was due to a children's radio show, and it certainly wasn't permanent, but you know, it never hurts to clown on these racist ghouls.

It certainly doesn't.  But the comic book?

Right. We start with Superman battling the Atom Man, a Nazi scientist who wears what amounts to Iron Man armor. However, when Superman defeats Atom Man, he discovers that the suit was powered by a strange green crystal that makes him feel ill and hallucinate a couple of green-skinned, antennae'd aliens. Meanwhile, the Lee family is moving from Chinatown into a suburban neighborhood following Dr. Lee's promotion at the Metropolis Health Department. Dr. Lee is very concerned with fitting in (he chides his wife for speaking Cantonese, even when it's just with the family) meanwhile his daughter, Roberta (Lan-Shin) is suffering from generalized anxiety about change which manifests in the form of a gurgly stomach. Meanwhile, her brother Tommy finds it a lot easier to get along with other kids because he ignores their casual racism and is good at baseball. However, Tommy does get on the wrong side of Chuck Riggs whose uncle is a Grand Scorpion in the Klan of the Fiery Kross, and also not happy about a Chinese American family moving into the neighborhood. As the story unfolds, Clark Kent finds himself haunted by memories of a not quite normal childhood in Smallville, KS, and increasingly frequent hallucinations featuring the aliens who attempt to communicate with him. And, I think I'll leave it there because this is a pretty good comic and wouldn't want to taint this blog post with TEH SPOILARZ!

Fair enough, so is Superman Smashes the Klan any good?

Yeah, it's real good. As with their Avatar collaborations, this book finds Yang and Gurihiru using an established universe and characters to tell personal stories that tackle weighty social issues without talking down to the intended young adult audience. Superman Smashes the Klan focuses on racism and the ways it impacts people's lives. There's Roberta's discomfort at seeing a racist caricature as the villain in a Flash Gordon-like movie, Dr. Lee's reluctance to accept assistance from black men to help put out the burning cross in his yard, Chuck's inability to stand up to his uncle when he's initiated into the Klan, and Superman's self-revulsion upon confirming that he's not a human being. Of particular interest is the way that Yang ties together the character arcs of Roberta and Superman, each of them struggling with their dual identities (as the child of immigrants and an extraterrestrial, respectively) and feeling that they have to hide a part of themselves to fit in. Without getting too into SPOILER territory, by the end they've both learned to accept themselves and worry less about whether they're accepted by others. There's also a neat parallel where Superman gives Roberta his cape, and her mom makes it into a jacket.

Like how Martha Kent made Clark his suit out of the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby!

Exactly.

Well, that is neat.

I thought so. In any case, Yang also shows how racism and bigotry are used to manipulate people. Whether it's Chuck quietly accepting his initiation into a hate group, his mother casually repeating racist talking points, the Klan's efforts to drive the Lee family out of their home, or the fact that the Klan leadership are as invested in collecting membership dues as in perpetrating racist attacks. The Klan's racism isn't portrayed as an end in itself but a means for exerting control and exploiting people, including its members. Yang even has the Klan infiltrating the Metropolis PD and the Health Department, as all too often happens in the real world.

That does sound timely.

Yeah, although I will say that if there's one failing in the book's presentation of the pervasive effects of racism on society it's a lack of characters dealing with unconscious bias. Like, for example, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are opposed to racism (that's good), but it's the 40s, so you'd expect them to also have some biases that they aren't aware of that sometimes trip them up. It's important to teach kids that even when you mean well you can make mistakes and learn from them. But on the whole, I think the book discusses the nuances of race relations in America in a way that kids can relate to.

What about the art?

So, anyone familiar with Gurihiru, will be unsurprised to learn that the art is quite good. Their style sort of splits the difference between American comics and manga, with expressive, slightly stylized faces, and fluid lines that render action cleanly. Though, I do think they they went a little overboard with Superman's S-curl.

You mean the serifs on his chest emblem?

No, the lock of hair that hangs down his forehead in the shape of an "S."

Oh, okay.

Anyway, I think we're done here. Oh wait! I forgot, there's also an excellent essay by Yang at the end of the book detailing the history of Superman, the Ku Klux Klan, his parents' experiences as immigrants, and his own experience as the child of immigrants. So, anyway, this was a really good read and I would definitely recommend it.

Superman Smashes the Klan written by Gene Luen Yang with art by Gurihiru, DC Comics trade paperback edition, 2020, 239 pages, pairs well with summer afternoons

Links:

Both the writer and the artists have websites, if you're into that kinda thing.

The entirety of the original serial has been posted to YouTube. I meant to listen to it before I posted this, but I didn't, so I can't really comment on it's quality or how it compares to the new comic version.