Last week (see “Confessions Of A Comic Book Guy -- It’s Not Easy Being Superman These Days”), I wrote about how Jon Kent was coming out as bi and that DC was “evolving” the final words in Superman’s famous “For” motto from “the American Way” to “a Better Tomorrow”. Well, the furor has pretty much settled down, but while it’s still just visible in social media’s rearview mirror, I still have some Superman-related news to report.
What’s important to me though is what impact they’ll have on Superman as a character as well as Superman’s character. Last year (see “Confessions Of A Comic Book Guy -- A Better World”), I quoted from a piece by Stephen Marche that appeared in Esquire, “Why Superman Sucks”. The author said it was because he was “boring, inhuman and probably a fascist”. Well, the Jon Kent version is at least partially human, definitely not a fascist (given his recent positions on immigration and the environment), and definitely isn’t boring. A spectacular sales spike is nice and all, but hopefully a lot of the people who read Superman: Son of Kal-El #5 will see him that way and come back for more.
I was well pleased when I read about the latest collaboration between DC and Japanese publisher Kodansha Superman VS. Food – Superman's Solo Dining. Written by Satoshi Miyakawa with art by Kai Kitago, the story features Superman traveling around Japan and getting in some meals between battles to save the earth. Some have been calling this Superman’s first manga, but that isn’t the case.
Back in 2020 (see “Confessions Of A Comic Book Guy -- Is The Future Of DC Digital?”), I wrote about the Superman manga series that ran in Japan from 1959-1960 written and drawn by Tatsuo Yoshida, the creator of Speed Racer. I’ve been waiting, impatiently, for DC to translate and collect this the way they did Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga. But so far, that hasn’t happened, but I’m ever hopeful.
It’s Gifts Week here at ICv2, and while I want do want to do my part once again, I find myself at something of a disadvantage seeing as how I’ve reached a point in my life where I want for nothing and need even less. But, as I was looking around Amazon I came across something I actually needed; a cutting board. I’ve done a lot of cooking over the past eighteen months and have made do with cheap, tiny wooden and plastic ones. They got the job done, but only just.
For all of the ICv2 Gifts Week articles on 2021 holiday merchandising, see "ICv2 Gifts Week 2021.
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.
