First Look at the new Emo Superman in SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE
It looks like a little of that Peter Parker Spider-Man 3 EMO look rubbed off on the new Superman design for the new comic book Superman: Earth One.
Clark Kent is portrayed as a lanky modern 21-year-old that wears a hoodie. Nothing says Emo-Superhero Angst like the subtle, shadowy folds of a hooded jacket. He also wears low-cut pants and hipster skinny ties. This is not the Superman we have all come to know over the years.
The new look and new attitude are being used to kick off DC Comics' Earth One line of graphic novels, which reimagines iconic superheroes as young crimefighters in the modern age.. DC Comics' co-publisher Dan DiDio had this to say,
We wanted to tell a story that's hip, sexy and moody. We wanted to show a younger Superman at the early stages of his career, struggling with his identity and his place. He realizes he doesn't belong anywhere and doesn't fit in.
Well, I'm not a big fan of what they've done to this classic superhero.
Synopsis:
Clark Kent is a man looking for meaning in a new city and an age of failing newspapers, hand-held devices and instant gratification. But when you can fly through the sky and burn objects with a glance – things become a tad more complicated. Doubly so when a fleet of alien ships arrive on your doorstep. SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE channels the best tales of Superman with a look toward the future, by two of the brightest talents the industry has to offer.
The graphic novel was written by J. Michael Straczynski and according to wikipedia he... "wanted to retell the beginnings of Clark Kent coming out as Superman, but bring in the thoughts of what-if Clark thought of becoming something else instead of being a superhero. As JMS stated; “he could have been rich as an athlete, researcher, any number of things. There’s a flashback scene to when Martha Kent finishes his uniform and gives it to him as a gift, hoping he’ll go that way. He looks at it and says, in essence, “Shouldn’t there be a mask?” She says no, that “when people see how powerful you are, all the things you can do, they’re going to be terrified… unless they can see your face, and see there that you mean them no harm. The mask… is that what you’re going to have to wear the rest of your life.” Among his ideas; the villain featured will be brand new, and have a connection to Krypton to explain its destruction. Shane Davis’s approach was to remove all the stereotypes associate with the design of Clark Kent, both in his civilian and superhero identities. As a 21 year old male in the book, Davis had Clark wear layers of clothing, showing that he is trying to blend in; “he doesn’t want to stand out” as said by Davis. This of course strayed away from the classic Clark Kent look, wearing the suit, tie, and glasses, since it “didn’t make sense” to Davis. He also re-imagined Metropolis. Historically depicted as an art-deco expanse, Davis designed it to look and feel like a more realistic place."
The $19.95 hardcover, out in comic shops on Wednesday and book stores Nov. 2, is aimed directly at the youth market.
What are your thoughts on the new look of Superman?