Superman Smashes the Klan
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- $18.99
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
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
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When the Chinese Lee family moves from Chinatown to the Metropolis suburbs in 1946, siblings Roberta and Tommy face overt and subtle racism as they settle into their new community. While Tommy joins a local baseball team and uses self-deprecating remarks to make friends (referring to his family as "wontons" to his white peers), Roberta struggles to fit in. Yang (Dragon Hoops) manifests racism variably and authentically one of their father's colleagues implies that the family eats dog, and things escalate: the Klan of the Fiery Kross (a KKK analog "motivated by love love of our nation") sets a cross ablaze in the Lees' front yard and threatens to drive the family away. Adapted from a 1940s radio drama, the story draws clear parallels between the Lee's Chinese family and Superman's interstellar one; as Superman discovers his heritage, he gives Roberta the confidence to embrace her identity. Japanese artist duo Gurihiru's style blends manga-esque features with a western approach, creating a hybrid aesthetic that captures Superman's larger-than-life presence and renders baseball as exciting as high-octane fare. Engaging back matter reveals helpful context about immigrant families in America (including Yang's own) and the history of white supremacy. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 12 up.
