The big “S” is still on his chest, but the new Superman coming to the shelves of book stores is not exactly the chipper and bright-eyed optimist.
Instead, the kid from Krypton featured in Superman: Earth One that is going back for another print run to meet demand from buyers, sports a hoodie, a brooding brow and a decidedly less-muscular physique than his predecessors. In the novel, Clark Kent is portrayed as “young, hip, and moody”, just like any other emo kid.
The one-shot book, released in comic shops on Wednesday, was written by J Michael Straczynski and illustrated by Shane Davis.
It draws upon the Superman mythology but recreates it for a contemporary audience with a 20-year-old Clark Kent who's unsure how to use his super-strength, super-smarts and super-sentience as he seeks out a career.