Taking it to the streets: Superman in the New 52

New 52 Superman in faster than a speeding bullet stride from Action Comics #1.

Alright, this is overdue by about two years, but I wanted to share some of my thoughts about the revamping of Superman for DC's New 52.  Back in 2011, DC Comics decided to jump back to the beginning and shake up the origins of their legendary characters.  This company wide revamp became known as The New 52; 52 titles, 52 monthly series that would re-explore the early days of DC's heroes and heroines from Animal Man to Young Justice.  As DC's flagship hero, Superman's makeover was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated.  The challenge lay in retelling the most well known of origin stories in a refreshing way that stood apart from previous interpretations yet still captured the essential spirit that makes Superman a universal symbol of goodness and decency. 
On Sept. 7, 2011, seventy-three years after Action Comics #1 exploded onto newsstands across America, a new Action Comics #1 burst forth with an instantly memorable cover showing The Man of Steel striding confidently over the roofs of police cars, bullets bouncing off him like spitballs. However, rather than the familiar blue tights, Superman wears a blue t-shirt emblazoned with his universally recognized symbol and his red cape along with a pair of jeans and work boots. Here is the working class Man of Steel, a DIY superhero.  I, along with almost everyone else I'm sure, was surprised by his homespun attire at first but upon reading, began to understand the purpose of his new attire.  The events of Action Comics #1 take place five years before Superman is established in Metropolis.  This is Superman in training, just getting his wings so to speak and just starting to clean up the streets by targeting the greedy parasites feeding off the common man.

The writer, Grant Morrison, famous for the monumental All-Star Superman pays homage to Superman's humbler 1938 roots as a social crusader while updating Superman's surrounding into a world that's very much a reflection of our own.  Like 1938's Superman, Morrison's Supes is radically powered down compared to past versions and is unable to fly initially, instead leaping from building to building.  I for one like the power down; it literally makes Superman more down to earth and provides him with a wider variety of physical challenges.  Artist Rags Morales showcases Superman's raw physicality in a unique way, emphasizing the Herculean quality of his early feats of strength.  This Superman has to struggle and break a sweat to stop an array of heavy machinery coming his way.  Not surprisingly, Superman's exploits draw the attention of the military, especially Lois Lane's father General Sam Lane who we find out has consulted Lex Luthor, earth's foremost scientist to find a way to stop this herculean kid.  That's another thing: because this takes place five years before Superman is really established as Metropolis's savior, he is much younger than we've seen him in past years.  He looks like a kid in his mid twenties, fresh out of college and writing online social pieces for The Daily Planet's rival newspaper, The Daily Star, a throwback to the Daily Planet's name back in '38. 
Clark is shown as a scruffy looking twenty something who wears baggy clothing to hide his Superman physique.  Clark appears to hide in plain sight in public so as not to be recognized as Superman in any way.  The detail of baggy clothes and big round glasses greatly adds to the believability in the distinction of these two characters.  The first few issues show the military's attempts to stop Supes with all manner of tanks, helicopters and cannons.  Finally Lex Luthor uses an out of control bullet train to subdue Superman against a wall.  At this point, the military escorts him to a base to conduct tests on his invulnerable body.  We then see Superman repeatedly electrocuted, gassed and tortured, all of which do nothing but weaken him temporarily.  It's interesting that Superman's most persistent enemy in these first issues is the U.S. military.  It's realistic to think that the military would act this way if they could manage to get their hands on someone with that much power.  In the issues that follow we learn details about Krypton's final moments and Clarks upbringing in Smallville, usually shown in flashbacks or dreams.  I enjoyed how the series kicks off with a bang and fills us in on the details of his origin later on.  We also learn how he acquires his official Superman suit, which forgoes the iconic if laughable red underwear and looks more like an alien uniform rather than a costume.  I for one love the new suit and dig the fact that Henry Cavill's Man of Steel uniform followed suit (pun intended).  All in all, I think The New 52 has reintroduced Superman to a new generation in style, blending the best elements of the classic Superman with new updates which make the character seem a bit more relatable and edgier without losing his trademark goodness.