Superman is a lot of things in the world of DC Comics. In its cinematic universe, he is an overly serious hero still learning the ropes, as is evident by the massive amount of destruction seen onscreen and the death of Zod at Superman's hands.
In DC's ongoing Action Comics, Superman is a recently de-powered everyman who has adopted a new identity.
However, Superman used to be one thing and one thing only: the definition of superhero. Superman was bright and colorful. He always did the right thing. He always looked out for the helpless, and he always did it with a smile. He was what we, as humans, couldn't be, but Superman could because he wasn't human at all. He was something more.
That has been lost in some recent stories told about the Man of Steel, but writer Max Landis looks to try and return the character to his pure boy scout form in the first first issue of the newly-released Superman: American Alien.
Landis is certainly qualified for the job. He wrote the down-to-earth, found footage superhero film Chronicle and is also responsible for the hilarious (yet informative) Death and Return of Superman short film. Shortly after Superman fans were up in arms over the character's portrayal in Man of Steel, Landis released a video going in-depth about what makes Superman special as a character. In short, Landis says what makes Superman so special is this:
"He's just a guy from Kansas who has the best superpowers," Landis says. "He's unstoppable. And instead of absolute power corrupting absolutely, absolute power has absolved him from fear and greed and hate and all the weaknesses that stem from human insecurity. What is special about Superman is that he will always make the right choice."
With that in mind, it's clear how Landis approaches the character in American Alien. Here, Clark Kent is still a young boy in Kansas. He and his parents still don't fully understand the extent of his powers or what he truly is. All they know is that they love him and that Clark is afraid of his own power and is struggling to control it.
In this issue, Clark's main problem is flying. He doesn't know how to descend or control himself. Sometimes, he just floats up into the air and can't come down. When a movie night with friends (and a girl Clark has a crush on) goes sour thanks to his inability to control his powers, Clark has a moment of weakness in which he punches a mirror in a bathroom out of the frustration and knocks a massive hole in the wall.
Papa Kent later tells Clark he shouldn't act like a jerk, and it's later that Clark begins to understand how his actions affect those around him. Somebody built that mirror. Then, somebody sold it to the movie theater. Then, people had to hang it up and keep it clean. In Clark's one selfish action, he affected the lives of multiple people.
It's that moment in which it becomes clear what American Alien is all about. Landis, in this seven-issue miniseries, is seeking to establish the selfless can't-do-wrong superhero Clark Kent eventually becomes, showing in bits and pieces how a young boy from Kansas with the best superpowers in the world would grow up to be a shining beacon for the world.
Landis most definitely succeeds in his endeavor, helped by the vibrant artwork of Nick Dragotta. Dragotta's exaggerated characters make every moment in the issue feel alive, adding a sense of childlike wonder to Clark in particular.
It's hard to say how this series will hold up after six more issues of Clark learning what it means to be a hero. There is definitely potential for this origin story to wear out its welcome if Landis can't find interesting lessons and scenarios for Clark to learn from. Even if it's well-done, this first issue does have a hint of "been here before" to it. With that in mind, Superman: American Alien is still a charming reminder of what makes Superman one of the most enduring characters of all time and well worth checking out.
Story
★★★★☆
Art
★★★★☆
Overall
★★★★☆
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