Historically, Superman has been a figure for truth, justice, and the American way. And in the tried and true story of his alter-ego, Clark Kent, that post was served under the cover of a mild mannered reporter for the Daily Planet.
But with DC’s new Black Label imprint, another chance to reinvent the origins of Smallville’s own personal superhero has been granted, and to legendary comic writer Frank Miller nonetheless. No stranger to exciting reinvention himself, Miller’s Superman: Year One is going to take the character to a place he’s never gone: Navy SEAL boot camp.
Released onto comic shelves today, the first of the three-volume limited series sees Clark Kent’s origins as a kid with unlimited power come alive on the DC page yet again. But this time, Clark’s childhood of holding back his abilities spurs him to eventually rebel, as well as join up with the elite fighting force known as the Navy SEALs.
By time we catch up with him in August’s second volume, we’ll see the young Kent going into boot camp, which means that in the final volume, Superman will finally debut. Only this time, he’ll be doubling down a little harder on that American way bit of his creedo; something that made the Military Times smile when they recalled the very different path Superman took in his previous departure from form, Mark Millar’s Superman: Red Son.
With DC’s Black Label imprint, traditional characters have seen radically different and more R-rated translations into the pages of comic series like Superman: Year One and Batman: Damned. Operating as a sort of Elseworlds for mature audiences, this new series has given Frank Miller to work his special brand of hardcore magic on a character that he’s been known to be at odds with. Or at least, that’s what the public story has always said, as in this same interview Miller stated that it’s not him who dislikes Superman, but rather his interpretation of Batman.
It’ll be interesting to see if this new Superman: Year One story finds its way into the hot hands of readers in large enough quantities that Warner Bros will be moved to either option the story as a big screen adventure, or even as a DC Universe original series. In either case, a reinvention could lead to some inspired casting, especially if Michael B. Jordan’s vote of confidence among the fandom sees him donning the blue and red suit in the name of defending American freedom.
We’ll have to wait and see if Superman: Year One is a hit or a dud with comic audiences, but as the book is launching onto comic shelves as of today, we probably won’t have to wait too long to see what the result turns out to be. In any case, if you’re looking for that book on your comic store’s roster today, or in the near future, look out for the awesome looking cover below:
If you’re already a DC Universe subscriber, you might be interest in checking out the Swamp Thing reboot, despite the fact that it’s recently been cancelled. And if you’re looking for superhero action at the movies, the 2019 release schedule is available to help you decide which hero to follow to the multiplex.
