Scan barcode
raccoonrae's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
djmcewen's review
5.0
Really fantastic book. I love how it links racism with his own origins of a person not of this world. It’s all the same and it’s all about being yourself.
One other think I liked is how his behavior in fighting the clan is consistent with his roots from Superman’s earliest appearances. Among the people he fought were corrupt politicians and wife beaters. That’s the kind of Superman we need to see more often.
One other think I liked is how his behavior in fighting the clan is consistent with his roots from Superman’s earliest appearances. Among the people he fought were corrupt politicians and wife beaters. That’s the kind of Superman we need to see more often.
faeriekit's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A solid read.
From what I understand, portions of the original Radio Show of Superman Smashes the Klan are lost media; I was wondering if this would be a reconstruction of the lost portions in an effort to stay as faithful as possible to the original, but it's in fact a rather fresh story about what it means to be American, what it means to be an immigrant, and, in both uses of the term, what it means to be an alien. I think that the visual allegories used for Clark confronting his own past and the prejudice he underwent were really striking, although that might have been due to the period-accurate clothing they put kid!Clark into during the scenes. The main-line story was nuanced and appropriately complicated for younger kids; the underlying message was strong, and the backmatter at the end tackled both the author's personal history with Anti-Chinese racism, the state of American prejudice, and the history of Superman, all in little bursts that entwined into a larger picture of how the book came to be.
It is a solid, YA-level read on Superman, Racism, and domestic terrorism on the home front. I think I'll start recommending it as a Historical Fiction title when kids come up to the desk.
From what I understand, portions of the original Radio Show of Superman Smashes the Klan are lost media; I was wondering if this would be a reconstruction of the lost portions in an effort to stay as faithful as possible to the original, but it's in fact a rather fresh story about what it means to be American, what it means to be an immigrant, and, in both uses of the term, what it means to be an alien. I think that the visual allegories used for Clark confronting his own past and the prejudice he underwent were really striking, although that might have been due to the period-accurate clothing they put kid!Clark into during the scenes. The main-line story was nuanced and appropriately complicated for younger kids; the underlying message was strong, and the backmatter at the end tackled both the author's personal history with Anti-Chinese racism, the state of American prejudice, and the history of Superman, all in little bursts that entwined into a larger picture of how the book came to be.
It is a solid, YA-level read on Superman, Racism, and domestic terrorism on the home front. I think I'll start recommending it as a Historical Fiction title when kids come up to the desk.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Violence
sanyu_reads's review against another edition
3.0
I got this from my librarian as a gift since they had a bunch of extras. I thought this was really good I liked how superman's story was incorporated into the book along with the plot of the KKK and how everyone was on a journey of self discovery that ended well.
chlschn's review
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Bullying and Antisemitism
alext78's review
4.0
Very engaging read! I appreciated the history of the comics, race relations, and the personal background at the end, it made the comic much cooler to have read knowing that information.
pastelsux's review
5.0
(Read as part of the Eliot Rosewater nominee reading list challenge.)
I don’t know very much about superheroes or comics, but I did know some about Superman’s history— that he was the creation of two Jewish boys from immigrant families, that he himself was an immigrant, and that he’d always been a fighter for justice and equality between all people. I remember seeing a poster of Superman instructing students that if they heard someone insult another based on “their race, religion, or national origin, don’t wait— tell them that kind of talk is UN-AMERICAN!”
Superman doesn’t necessarily represent ‘America’, per se— like the section at the end of the book says, we are still in the long fight for equality in America. But he does represent many Americans’ hopes for what America could and should be, even if we haven’t met that standard as a nation yet.
I really loved this graphic novel, even as someone who wasn’t into Superman before reading it. I knew the basics of his story, but not much else, but whether you’re a huge Superman fan or a beginner like me, I think you’ll love this book too. I think its spot on the Eliot Rosewater nominee list is well deserved, of course, and I’m glad this is the kind of thing high schoolers are reading, enjoying, and appreciating this year, especially in a time when hate crimes against Asian-Americans have become more frequent. It also mirrors the writing and art of superhero comics flawlessly, and I love how the female characters of the story really took the lead— a divergence from the radio serial the book was based on. This is a great, quick, and important read and I’m glad I picked it up.
I don’t know very much about superheroes or comics, but I did know some about Superman’s history— that he was the creation of two Jewish boys from immigrant families, that he himself was an immigrant, and that he’d always been a fighter for justice and equality between all people. I remember seeing a poster of Superman instructing students that if they heard someone insult another based on “their race, religion, or national origin, don’t wait— tell them that kind of talk is UN-AMERICAN!”
Superman doesn’t necessarily represent ‘America’, per se— like the section at the end of the book says, we are still in the long fight for equality in America. But he does represent many Americans’ hopes for what America could and should be, even if we haven’t met that standard as a nation yet.
I really loved this graphic novel, even as someone who wasn’t into Superman before reading it. I knew the basics of his story, but not much else, but whether you’re a huge Superman fan or a beginner like me, I think you’ll love this book too. I think its spot on the Eliot Rosewater nominee list is well deserved, of course, and I’m glad this is the kind of thing high schoolers are reading, enjoying, and appreciating this year, especially in a time when hate crimes against Asian-Americans have become more frequent. It also mirrors the writing and art of superhero comics flawlessly, and I love how the female characters of the story really took the lead— a divergence from the radio serial the book was based on. This is a great, quick, and important read and I’m glad I picked it up.
woodlarks's review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0