Ahh it pains me to say that I did not enjoy this as much as I hoped I would! This was a very exciting Rebirth Title as it brought a new superhero to the DC world (which Rebirth wasn't really about, it was more focused on bringing back original stories and the superheros' origins...).

The main hero in this story, Kong Kenan, starts out as a bully. He is a very unlikeable character, and somehow we should forgive his shabby character when we find out he has daddy-and-mommy-issues? I didn't bite. I have to admit, though, he goes through a massive character development throughout this story and there are hopes that he might turn into a decent human being sometime.

When he rescues the kid he bullies from a super-villain, he gets chosen to become the Chinese Super-Man. Dr. Omen basically kidnaps him and performs a scientific experiment on him (kind of Captain America like), and now he has Superman's powers (at least he should, in this version he has to be able to channel his Qi to access his powers). And then he goes on a superhero quest with the Chinese Justice League (where there is a Chinese Wonder-Woman and a Chinese Bat-Man), to fight the so called super villains. It becomes a bit unclear though, who are the real villains and if the Chinese Justice League is truly the "good guys" here. All in all, the story is well built up, but I would have enjoyed more originality.

This is an interesting reboot of a storyline we have all heard a thousand times. The storyboarding was really well done, the artwork is pleasing and I want to see more from this series.

Part of the DC Rebirth series, featuring a Chinese super-hero and written by Gene Luen Yang!

Tbh, I wasn't super impressed with this, mostly because I didn't like Kenan at all. He was an immature bully and only kinda changed for the better, but not really. I didn't really understand why he was chosen to be the new Superman—particularly if anyone had a single conversation with him—although teasers at the end hint to why he would have been selected. I also wanted more character development with Bat-Man and Wonderwoman.

As an original origin story, it was interesting. I liked that it was set in China and dealt with Chinese politics and problems, and the final teaser at the end was pretty neat. Hopefully the next installations get more in depth, as I kinda want to see something that's a little more...daring. This felt like it was a little bit too safe.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Seriously who thought this was a good idea? Superman, or better said, Superboy who is Asian? Did no one pay attention to the disaster that was the Hulk in Marvel? Regurgitation, whether to ease your social conscious or to pander to a market that has no interest in you other than to whine on social media, is still a regurgitation.

I was really excited to read this because I'm a big Superman fan, and I wasn't disappointed. This is the kind of story that would have resulted had Superman been invented in China. I'm not Chinese, so I don't know if this overturns any of the usual cultural stereotypes but it does have Asian writers, so how bad could it be?

Kong Kenan is your typical teenage bully, until he attacks a supervillain, which prompts his father to send him to be experimented on by Doctor Omen, who promises to turn him into a superhero. I thought this was a really novel approach to creating a superhero. It also has shades of Captain America, as it overturns his idea that human bullies should not have superpowers.

This book was a lot of fun, and had some great messages about being a hero, family loyalty and bravery.
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This one was kind of interesting - what do you get when you take the legend of superman (and his genes) and apply this in the setting of China years in the future? This graphic novel. I liked the creative nature of the story with a some-what Red Son feel. I also like reading rebirth comics just because you don't need to know anything to be caught up!

This is a graphic novel I expected to dislike. Another "Superman rebirth" story...sigh...
What a very pleasant surprise to find this new take on the 'Superman' story, to be both engaging and immensely satisfying. Great character development and wonderful subtle humor. I can't wait to read more. Well done.
---Ronb

I liked the friendship dynamic between Kenan, Baixi, and Deilan. I was also intrigued by the secrets and hidden history behind the difference super-powered factions/orgs. I'm not usually a big comics reader, but I'm following this series for sure. :)

This was a horrible plot idea. I don't know if this was created to try and cash in on Chinese market, but the characters just came off as being stupid and annoying. I honestly DNFed this over half way thru. Just bad story.

I finished this novel on the car journey to Wales last week. This comic was on my to-read list, but I didn't really know much about it. As it was available via NetGalley I decided I might as well request and read it now.

China has begun to see more and more Western-style criminals, one of which Kong Kenan decides to stand up to. Kenan, a teenage bully, soon finds himself in the spotlight - and the focus of Laney Lan. And then suddenly he's Super-Man. He even gets to work with Wonder-Woman and Bat-Man, making up the Justice League of China, to defend the streets from the masked villains prowling them.

But when he finds out the identity and origin of a certain group of these villains, Kenan finds himself straddling the line between good and bad. Which side will he choose?

Kenan is a bully, and so he has the crappy, douchey attitude of one. But I found him too much of an idiot, too rude and stubborn and just annoying. My boyfriend said it kind of makes him more relatable, more human, but I just did not like him. The story is never quite as interesting when you dislike the protagonist.

The story wasn't too similar to the original hero's, which was good, but I'm not all that keen on the whole "Super-Man" title or whatever. The hyphen is more annoying than anything, and I just feel like they could've taken the opportunity to be more creative. And there were a fair few similarities to Superman, too, such as him learning to control his powers. Yet, this was still made different - his way of harnessing the powers was very different to Superman's. I kind of thought the powers would be more similar, as they are meant to be the same, technically, but oh well.

I'm not mad on this comic, but maybe it will improve later on. As for this volume, I'm going to say 3.5 stars. It's okay, but I'm not all that interested in it.

A bully confronts a super-villain with a can of soda and gets his moment of fame. That fame led to him being chosen as a new super-hero by Dr. Omen, head of the Ministry of Self-Reliance. He joins the Chinese Justice League along with a version of Bat-Man and Wonder Women. The fun of this book lies in the interaction of the characters and their coming together as a team to confront The Great Ten and The Chinese Freedom Fighters plus their own misconceptions. The end leads open plenty of intrigue for the next volume.

Published by DC Comics on June 27, 2017

And now for something completely different ....

New Super-Man is a new title from DC Comics. Volume 1, "Made in China," collects the first five issues and recounts the origin of the Chinese version of Superman. I have been a Superman fan for more than half a century and I still follow the icon of truth, justice, and the American way. New Super-Man, however, is a new take on the character, one that blends Superman's classic virtues with a quiet commentary on the need for truth and justice in modern China.

Kong Kenan is bullying a fat kid when Shanghai supervillain Blue X shows up. Kong throws a soda can at him, an impulsive act that stems from Kong’s general lack of smarts. Thanks to a viral video, Kong is an instant celebrity. The Ministry of Self-Reliance, a shadow government group that conspiracy buffs love, wants to give Kong superpowers -- Superman’s powers, to be precise. But he’s still sort of a selfish brat, so it’s up to the Chinse Batman and the Chinese Wonder Woman to contain him. Yes, there’s a Justice League of China, although the Chinese Batman is a little chubby.

They eventually encounter the Freedom Fighters of China, with names like Human Firecracker and Sunbeam, who claim to be fighting for truth, justice, and democracy, three values that are scarce in China. Presumably the Freedom Fighters represent Chinese dissidents, but are they heroes or villains? And what about the original Chinese superheroes, the Great Ten? Good guys or bad guys? You need to read the story to find out.

Kenan has some family drama that turns into superhero/supervillain drama. The family angle evolves through the first four issues and takes center stage in issue 5. The plotting is surprisingly clever.

New Super-Man had me chuckling consistently. It’s a commentary on China and on America, but it’s true value lies in its ability to demonstrate that people all over the world are the same … boorish, vain, shallow, self-involved, but occasionally capable of rising above their faults and doing the right thing. It’s one of the better attempts at DC to do something different without departing from the strengths that made the company a success.

Viktor Bogdanovic's art is perfectly suited to the story, but it’s the sharp writing that earned my applause. I suspect that any Superman fan will be pleased with the new Chinese version.

RECOMMENDED

New Super-Man sounded like a cheesy idea when I first heard of it. But after reading some previews, and getting to read this volume, my opinion has went from "Meh" to "This shows promise". The concept is just unique enough to set it apart, and the characters are the same. However, the plot is pretty predictable, I was only surprised by one twist, and the twist doesn't really matter unless you keep reading. So, will I? If given the chance, but it wasn't really groundbreaking, just a relatively good story and the same goes for the art.

Kong Kenan is picking on a schoolmate when a supervillain shows up. For whatever reason Kong throws a can of soda at him, knocking the villain senseless. The event is caught on video and he becomes an overnight sensation. This puts him in the sight of Dr. Omen who decides to make him the New Super-Man. So then Kong teams up with the Chinese version of Bat-Man and Wonder Woman to form the Justice League of China. They fight the Freedom Fighters of China repeatedly throughout the first arc. Who repeatedly say they are fighting for truth and justice while kidnapping and murdering people.

The Good: Kong is an interesting hero in that he's kind of a dumb jock with the other 2 members of the League constantly saving his ass. I liked that to keep his powers he needs to channel his chi. Yang also built up a nice backstory with Kong's family.

The Bad: Dr. Omen is a stereotypical villain that's not very interesting.

The Ugly: Superman is Kong Kenan, there's a reporter named Laney Lan and Luo Lixin is the kid he picks on in school. Do we really need this many parallels to the original Superman? It's all very hokey.

Received an advance copy from DC and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

We learn pretty early in that Kong Kenan is the New Super-Man. But, after that there are still some big surprises for sure.

He is joined by Bat-Man and Wonder-Woman and they become the Justice League of China. It's definitely not smooth sailing for Kenan. He sorta destroys his 'secret ID" and then he has a thing that happens with his father that is super interesting, and then the ending, yikes.

It's an interesting story. Kenan is stuck between two sides and he doesn't seem to know which to choose. Not to mention that the sides (at least to Kenan especially) aren't exactly clear cut. I can't wait for the second volume!

I got this ARC through Netgalley on behalf of DC Entertainment.

quite different take on Superman. Young Asian superman a tubby batman and very different wonder woman. I enjoyed this story for a new take on very familiar characters in new settings

Three and a half stars for this. I actually managed to enjoy the origin story here - while it got to be a little cheesy at times and far too teenagery too often, it was actually quite enjoyable. There is in-fighting amongst the superheroes, because it's DC and people are just NOT allowed to get along, but it all works out in the end. Or it would if the artwork didn't just let the side down big time, at the most kinetic moments. That aside, it's not too bad, and actually one of the better Rebirth volumes, so low has the bar been set.

I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This comic was a lot better than I expected. As always, the art in any DC comic is stunning. The premise of rebooting Super Man, a character I kind of feel is the ultimate bland and predictable "good guy" (that has his cool moments), was one I was neutral to. The main flaw I originally had with this was, even though it was a new twist on old characters, they're still old characters. I now think that the originality of the characters in their new forms is interesting, mainly New Super Man himself. New Super Man, or Kong Kenan, has a personality that is very different from your typical Super Man. His introductory scene shows an unlikeable teenage bully picking on an overweight, nerdy, classmate of his, named Lixin. King is bullying him about his weight and is hell bent on stealing a can of soda from him. Kong picks on Bat-Man's weight through the book as well. Kong's true (if quite petty and sad) motivation for picking on Lixin is revealed later. Kong's family brings interesting twists to the plot, which I won't spoil. Though New Super Man can be a jerk, but I see this as a great opportunity to see him grow as a character. It sets him apart. We see his positive character traits in moments throughout the story. Kong's power fluctuation also adds an element of vulnerability to his character, showing that he's not an all out Man Of Steel just yet is refreshing.
Wonder Woman and Batman are pretty much the same, other than their designs being slightly different, but they look pretty cool.
This comic didn't really do anything wrong, in my opinion (but honestly I'm a comic plebeian and I know nothing about professional reviewing), but it didn't do enough that was absolutely amazing to the point where it would be a 5 star read.
This was a good start to a hopefully interesting series and I will definitely request the next volume. :)

A REVIEW COPY WAS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR A FAIR AND HONEST REVIEW

Title: New Super-Man Vol. 1: Made in China
Author: Gene Luen Yang
Artist: Viktor Bogdanovic
Release Date: June 27, 2017
Publisher: DC Comics
Review Spoilers: Moderate

So far a lot of the Rebirth titles I’ve read have been pretty hit or miss but I am happy to say that I really enjoyed the first volume of New Super-Man. I had been exited for this series ever since it was announced. I loved that DC was creating a new, Chinese superhero and Gene Luen Yang is such a phenomenal writer that I couldn’t wait to see what he did with the story.
While this volume – which includes the first six issues – presents a largely stereotypical origins tory in many ways, New Super-Man is still a lot of fun and Kong Kenan is certainly a different kind of hero.

I mean, Kenan isn’t exactly the kind of person whose personality screams hero at first look. That’s one of the things I like about him. At the beginning of the series he’s basically just a powerless nobody. His defining characteristic is that he’s a selfish bully who takes out his frustrations on a rich classmate he’s terrorized for years. When that kid is nearly abducted by a costumed bad guy, something comes over Kenan and he ends up rescuing this kid.

Since he’s got no powers this is kind of a big deal. And in true Kong Kenan fashion he makes the most of it. His first thought is to use his newfound fame to hit on a hot news reporter. When he’s approached by a government agency that offers to give him essentially the same powers as the American Superman, he jumps at the chance. And when the opportunity arises to take credit for the new Super-Man’s heroic deeds he doesn’t hesitate to out his own secret identity.

He’s pretty full of himself and it’s kind of great.

When he’s given his powers he finds himself forced to join the Justice League of China alongside Bat-Man and Wonder-Woman. (The book isn’t shy about pointing out the ridiculousness of all these names and imitations – or taking jabs at the lack of an Aqua-Man.) The other two, Baixi and Deilan, take it all way more seriously than Kenan probably ever will. But their relationship changes and grows as the book progresses. I also love their interactions and I really look forward to seeing the team come closer together.

Now, as I said before, this book provides a pretty stereotypical origin story to Kong Kenan as our New Super-Man. While the character has his own set of unique quirks, he’s still your basic teenage superhero. Even the major plot twists will feel familiar to anyone whose read a comic or two. Still, it’s a fun book and Kenan is a great character. I think he has a lot of potential moving forward and I suspect he’ll have a lot of opportunities for personal growth.

What I love most about the book is probably it’s unique setting and I hope that the book continues to base itself primarily in China. One of the biggest ‘plot holes’ so to speak in both DC and Marvel comics is their general lack of interest in setting their stories anywhere but the United States. Even when they do include characters from other countries they, too, are generally stuck in America – or in the case of Marvel Comics, usually just New York City. But China is the most populous country in the world. Imagine the potential for storytelling!

New Super-Man Vol. 1: Made in China is a great start to what I’m sure will be a really great series. While story-wise it’s not be breaking the usual superhero mold, the character and setting offer a fresh look at a familiar story. Kong Kenan is a great character and Gene Luen Yang and artist Viktor Bogdanovic are doing a fantastic job bringing the character and his story to life. It’s definitely worth a read!

The story is well written, with great characters that you will want to invest in. The writing is humorous in all the right places, complete with sarcasm. The plot twist at the end is worth it. You won’t see it coming.

Read more at http://jasoncstanley.com/comic-review-new-super-man-vol-1-made-china-rebirth/