Superman Smashes The Klan #3

DC Comics

Writer: Gene Luen Yang

Artist: Gurihiru

Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru have done it. They’ve scored the hat trick. The third and final issue of Superman Smashes the Klan has just been released and I’ve loved all three issues.  It might sound like I’m getting a bit too excited but it’s an extremely rare occasion. Even Justice League Dark, my favourite title in recent years has had a stinker or two. Still, every comic book has its pluses and negatives and here they are for Superman Smashes the Klan #3.

Starting with the writing, this book rocks. The first issue mainly focused on the Lee family while also introducing the Klan members and the second one seemed more focused on Superman. Yang showed the human side to all these characters, particularly focusing on their feelings of alienation. It all pays off here.

Issue 3 starts off with Superman dealing with the Klan attack on the daily planet. It’s fun but it’s mostly just setting up what happens in the rest of the issue. It leads to a fantastic discussion between Roberta and Superman that really highlights the man of steels fear of alienation. A lot of people view Superman as overpowered. They see it as a failing of the character. After all, if he has all this power with no weakness or flaw then what could threaten him. The thing is Superman is and always has been an immigrant trying to adjust to a new home. He’s insecure and desperate to fit in and just wants to live a normal life around the people he loves. This book really takes advantage of this aspect of the character and it leads to a very compelling storyline. We see Superman afraid, doubting himself, trying to hide his heritage and eventually overcoming that in order to save the day. The best part is that it’s not a clean victory for him either. Once he reveals his history to the public as many people fear and hate him as continue to love him.

This sense of realism continues with all the other characters throughout this book. The villain throughout this story has been the Grand scorpion of the klan of the fiery cross. We get more of him in this issue as it explores his fears and sense of isolation. He’s a great villain here and a large part of that is that he has a lot of the same insecurities that Superman and the Lee family suffer from yet acts on them differently. This book really emphasises that, especially when he meets the head of the klan and his insecurities are laid bare. It makes for an interesting contrast.

Speaking of that meeting with the klan head I have to compliment Gurihiru on their work in this book. There’s a panel during the meeting where the grand scorpion lets all his rage out and he looks legitimately terrifying. That’s hard to do with an art-style like this but Gurihiru has managed to pull it off. The entire issue is a testament to how incredibly talented the two women really are. I’d honestly recommend this miniseries based on their art alone.

There are some things in this issue that might be considered flaws by some though. A lot of the best Superman books tend to re-tell his origin story. It’s a cliché at this point and it’s on display here. It’s used well since it’s tied into Superman’s insecurities about his alien heritage but it may seem uninventive to some. There’s also the Lee family. Roberta gets her fair share of the spotlight here but her brother and parents are pushed into the background. That may be a bit of a bummer for anyone who was invested in these characters due to earlier issues.

Overall this was a great book though. All the plotlines from the previous 2 issues were paid off nicely and the ending was brilliant. I’ve been left satisfied by this book but I’d still love to see more if there was ever a reason to revisit these characters. I think that’s the best compliment I can give any story. Definitely grab this and the previous issues if you’re a fan of Superman or even just comics in general. You won’t be disappointed.