I have been such a fan of Gene Luen Yang's work ever since American Born Chinese. So when I saw Yang's name on this latest superhero comic, I knew I had to give it a chance! As I said before, I was never a huge fan of Superman. He seemed so put together, so confident, and so powerful. But in Superman Smashes the Klan I saw a new side of him. A man who was still figuring out who he was, what his origin was, and trying to balance a life of extremes.

Great story with wonderful illustrations. The end notes are particularly interesting. This will be a definite inclusion to my middle school collection and is sure to be a hit.

This was my first Superman graphic novel, but if they are all this amazing, it will not be my last! I have gotten into graphic novel and comics recently due to wanting to draw the pictures. This has a perfect amount of humor along with a great storyline that flows amazingly. I had also never read this author before, and plan to read more of their work. I would recommend this to people of all different ages and genders. Excellent work. Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this Superman story that seemed to follow in the footsteps of the original Superman stories and their purpose.

Gene Luen Yang may be my favorite writer. He's certainly my favorite writer of graphic novels. While this book did not pack the same emotional punch for me as American Born Chinese, it still shows off his unique imagination and creative perspective. We don't often get to see Superman feeling insecure about his place in the world. The idea that such insecurity prevents him from reaching his full potential is powerful. I definitely recommend this book.

Superman Smashes the Klan sees Superman take on the Clan of the Fiery Cross just as he did in the early radio shows. The story flows smoothly and is a throw-back to a classic Superman before he embraces all of his powers. The artwork is a nice mix of classic style and almost manga-style drawings, colors, and lines. The story highlights the conflicts faced by immigrants and the hate and fear others express towards otherness.
I also really enjoyed the history lesson included at the end of the book. A great way to put the fictional story into historical perspective.
I would recommend this book to anyone hoping to enjoy a well-told, thought-provoking story accompanied by excellent artwork.

Thank you to NetGalley and DC Comics for the DARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

This was originally done as an old radio show. It is set in 1946 and a family leaves Chinatown for the father to take a job. The Lee's are trying to adjust, but the experience a lot of racism.

There are times that this book is hard to read. Sometimes the racism is so intense you want to yell st fictional characters. One character has a family member active in the Klan. It is heartbreaking to watch him try and understand everything.

Creative Team
Writer Gene Luen Yang
Art Gurihiru
Letters Janice Chiang

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel. This book harkens back to the simpler comics of yesteryear. The graphics are not annoyingly complicated or bizarre that you tend to find in current graphic novels. The story is likewise simple but effectively told. The story is an interesting take on Superman's early years when he has recently gone out on his own and is still 'finding' himself. One would not realize that he had to learn that it was OK to fly while being a good deed doer.

Superman Smashes the Klan was a great read. It has an old-school feel to it, while bringing an interesting perspective to the character through his relationships with others and through the POV character, Roberta. I really enjoyed the way Roberta's struggles to feel at home in her new surroundings mirror Superman's fears of standing out too much. The plot was more meaningful and the stakes higher because Superman is holding back and a lot of it was coming from the Lees' points of view as targets of the racist Klan. The combination of the classic storyline and upbeat message mixed with the internal struggles and character growth was a nice combination. It's definitely worth checking out. Also, as always, the art by Gurihiru is excellent.

I'd definitely recommend this to Superman fans and fans of comics in general looking for a positive story.

In 1946, the Superman radio show did a story over many nights where Supes fights a group strongly inspired by the KKK. In this tribute comic, Yang gives more life and agency to the Lee family from that story and helps Superman realize that he's as much an outsider to metropolis as the Chinese immigrants, but that their presence in the community makes it great. I loved the art, the story, the message. Everything. This is just a uniquely good story encapsulated in one relatively small volume.

A genuinely new and interesting take on Superman in a historical children's comic? Yes, it's possible! I was vaguely aware of the "Clan of the Fiery Cross" storyline in the Adventures of Superman radio show back in the '40s but I really appreciate the extensive contextual notes in the volume's endmatter. Superman Smashes the Klan centers around a young Chinese American girl whose family has just moved to the suburbs of Metropolis from Chinatown, and Superman's journey toward embracing his alien origins and abilities is mirrored by her realization that her worries about fitting in are holding her back. (There's a recurring motif of her anxiety and travel sickness making her vomit, FYI for any readers with emetophobia -- not sure if that's a subtle nod to Raina Telgemeier's Guts or not.) Gurihiru's art is ADORABLE, and I'm so glad that they're continuing to illustrate American comics! Gene Luen Yang's name speaks for itself -- the writing is great, perfect for a middle-grade audience but still interesting for adults. I'd definitely recommend it for young Superman fans (it's aimed at the same approximate age as Super Sons), and I think it might also be good for late grade school/early middle school classes studying American history.