Superman Smashes the Klan: Issues 1-3

Gene Luen Yang

May 2020 · DC Comics

About this ebook

The year is 1946, and the Lee family has moved from Chinatown to Downtown Metropolis. While Dr. Lee is eager to begin his new position at the Metropolis Health Department, his two kids, Roberta and Tommy, are more excited about being closer to the famous superhero Superman! Tommy adjusts quickly to the fast pace of their new neighborhood, befriending Jimmy Olsen and joining the baseball team, while his younger sister Roberta feels out of place when she fails to fit in with the neighborhood kids. She's awkward, quiet, and self-conscious of how she looks different from the kids around her, so she sticks to watching people instead of talking to them. While the Lees try to adjust to their new lives, an evil is stirring in Metropolis: the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan targets the Lee family, beginning a string of terrorist attacks. They kidnap Tommy, attack the Daily Planet, and even threaten the local YMCA. But with the help of Roberta's keen skills of observation, Superman is able to fight the Klan's terror, while exposing those in power who support them-and Roberta and Superman learn to embrace their own unique features that set them apart. Multi-award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Gene Luen Yang and artist Gurihiru tell a bold new story based on a classic Superman radio serial! Collects Superman Smashes the Klan #1-3. DC Graphic Novels For Kids

Ratings and reviews

Superman must not want to smash evildoers too badly. How hard could it really be for him? Mere mortals are no match for the Man of Steel. Swamp Thing could feed the whole planet. The Flash could alter all of reality without anyone ever knowing it. So are these people really "good guys"? Could it be that they are actually in league with evil secret societies like the triple K??

I just finished Superman Smashes the Klan and was blown away by Yang's ability to weave together complex characters (e.g. Chuck Riggs, Dr. Lee), important themes (e.g. the Model Minorty myth), and a seamless retelling of Superman mythos! I loved how the same book can tackle both the complex relationship between Chinese immigrants and African Americans AND a retconing of Superman's evolving powers... And it's all wrapped up in a seemingly simple '40s style cartoon! Amazing work!

This is a truly spectacular book. Please buy this Superman book. You won't regret it.