SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN

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SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN by Gene Luen Yang

One of the books I wrote about towards the beginning of this Facebook Group was Dragon Hoops, the true story of author Gene Luen Yang in comic book form. (You can use the search to find that post.) Today I'm returning with one of Yang's Superman comic books, Superman Smashes the Klan. This is considered one from the series of DC Graphic Novels for Young Adults. I'm going to start off by saying I tread carefully in the world of graphic novels/comic books, and I tread carefully in YA. So the combo already had me a bit in hyper awareness mode!

Loosely based off a 1940s Superman radio serial called "The Clan of the Fiery Cross," Yang puts his own spin on it. I tried to read a little about the original. One of the main ideas was to show how the Klan had infiltrated the police and levels of government. In Yang's version the Klan is in a low level of the police department and a major area of a local business. They are committed to the idea of "One Race, One Color, One Religion." The main race that the Klan is after is Asian in this particular story. There is an African American character that they do go after as well, but definitely the focus is Asian persecution. (During COVID-19 we saw an upswing in violence against Asian individuals.)

Several of the characters in this story are struggling to "fit in" and be "normal" including Superman who keeps several of his abilities hidden, because they would reveal that he is actually alien.

Of course all Klansmen are white. At first I was thinking this was going to be an anti-white book. Yang balances this out with Lois Lane and Jimmy from The Daily Planet being white and okay characters.

We have a Unity House Community Center run by a priest, rabbi, and minister that is helping the community. I tend to get itchy when we talk about unity in religions, but it is realistic for these three to work together.

Overall, I find this comic book to be "okay." I find I am tired of division. As a Christian, I believe that all races came from Adam and Eve. Therefore we are all related. There is no true "white" or "black." There are only varying shades of brown.

HEADS UP- There are a couple of swear words.