You can expect some big stuff to play out in the Man of Steel's life, with DC Comics bringing graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang on board as a writer for Superman this June.
Finding new stories for the god-like Superman has been a challenge for more than 75 years. How do you plumb the depths of an immortal alien's soul? How can you change and develop a character who's super-strong and always wins? How do you push him into new territory when you've got so much history behind you?
Yang and artist John Romita Jr. will attempt just that, starting with Superman #41, which picks up after DC's line-wide Convergence event. In a new interview with Hero Complex, Yang and Romita seem to drop some hints that Superman's life really is about to change in a profound and unprecedented way. Read between the lines, and it sounds like Superman's secret identity as Clark Kent is about to be revealed to the world.
We have no direct evidence, because no storyteller would give away such a mind-blowing plot twist in advance. But Yang has revealed that he identifies with Superman's life as an alien immigrant, and the foundation for his concept is the work of Geoff Johns in his recent run on Superman. Specifically, Yang wants to build on Superman's new power, the "Super Flair," and there's also the fact that Clark just revealed his secret identity to Jimmy Olsen.
Then there's the solicit for Superman #41, which Hero Complex reveals:
The epic new story line "TRUTH" continues with the debut of the amazing new creative team of new writer Gene Luen Yang and continuing artists John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson! What will happen when the big secret is revealed?
What bigger secret does Clark have than the fact that he's Superman? Lastly, there's the cover art for issue #41, which depicts Clark with a large portion of his street clothes burned off to reveal his Superman costume underneath. The staging and the ground beneath his feet makes it look like he's just used his super flair ability.
Imagine — what would it be like if Superman's true identity were exposed to the world? How would Lois Lane react? (In current continuity, she doesn't yet know his secret.) Perry White? What would happen when the media descends on the Kent Farm in Smallville? How would the Daily Planet deal with the public knowing that one of its star reporters is the world's most powerful superhero? How would Superman's enemies exploit this knowledge?
There's plenty of dramatic territory to mine there, and you can see how it would be irresistable for a creative team who really latched onto the idea. But for 75+ years, Superman's secret identity as an actual secret has been fundamental to the story. Being Clark Kent is Superman's refuge, allowing him to live in the world as a human. What would happen if you took that away? What if Clark can't be "Clark" anymore? If he has to be Superman 24/7?
Superman #41 will hit the shelves on June 24, 2015.
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