If there’s an enduring Superman story, it’s the one about his origin, and how he went from Kansas farmboy to the champion of Earth. It’s also an unusually flexible one that can be retold any number of ways that we’ve seen over the years, from John Byrne’s modern reinvention to Mark Millar’s curiosity at what a Russian Superman would be. But none of them are quite like Max Landis’ take in American Alien.
Last issue saw Clark, mistaken for Bruce Wayne in a witty bit of needling DC’s tendency towards dark-haired white guys as their heroes, partying it up on a yacht and unexpectedly meeting a girl he could relate to… Barbara Minerva, the future supervillain Cheetah. He also met a host of DC royalty, most importantly Oliver Queen, the new head of Queen Industries and recent escapee from a desert island.
But Clark eventually got off the boat and has found his way to Metropolis, as an intern at the Daily Planet. And he’s about to make the worst possible impression on Lois Lane…
To see if Clark can salvage any hope of Lois not kicking his butt professionally, and we’re putting long odds on that one, pick up Superman: American Alien Wednesday in comics shops and digitally.