Warning: spoilers for The Other History of the DC Universe #3 are ahead.
DC Comics has recently acknowledged in The Other History of the DC Universe #3 (written by John Ridley, layouts by Giuseppe Camuncoli, finishes by Andrea Cucchi, color by José Villarrubia, and letters by Steve Wands).
As a part of John Ridley's The Other History of the DC Universe series that spotlights the perspectives of superheroes of color, issue #3 focuses on Katana (Tatsu Yamashiro). It begins with Katana's origins in Japan, where she became a deadly contract killer after her husband and children were murdered by her brother-in-law, and continues through with her recruitment by Batman to come to the United States and his new team, the Outsiders. The Other History of the DC Universe #3 places events from Katana's life in the timeline of DC Comics, as well as the cultural and political contexts of 1983 to 1996 in America. The issue has a special regard for how anti-Asian and anti-Japanese racism in America impacted Katana's experiences as a superhero, leading her to make a pointed observation about Superman.
While processing the death of Superman, Katana reveals the conflicted feelings that her and other superheroes of color had about Kal-El's acceptance into American society. She says,
"I mean no ill when I tell you that many of us had a very complicated relationship with Kal. We were jealous, or envious, or disheartened, or aggrieved by the way society so readily accepted him when many of us were so readily rejected. We did not blame Kal, but we understood that while he was a symbol of all that was right with America, he also represented what was systemically wrong with America. But there was not a single one of us who did not ire his fearlessness, his self-sacrifice, and the example he set for anyone who would dare call themselves a hero."
It is clear that many superheroes of color like Katana related to Superman and his story, particularly in the fact that he was also an outsider like them. But Katana's words provide a much-needed perspective on Superman, acknowledging how his ability to as a white American man from Kansas fundamentally impacted his trajectory as an icon of American values. Like Katana, Kal-El was also an immigrant with a dead family, but while she had to field American racism, Superman became a universally adored hero in mainstream society.
This perspective of Superman brings the core aspects of his character into new focus, namely the social ramifications of how xenophobic America unknowingly championed an alien hero. Superman's Kryptonian appearance made him more palatable as a hero to white America than actual human superheroes like alien with almost limitless powers. It is this contradiction that colors Katana's view of Superman, and opens additional doors for understanding Superman as a product of twentieth century American prejudice.
Katana's View Of Superman Calls Into Question Aspects About His Popularity.
To Katana, Superman is a representation of both America's best and worst qualities, namely in how he was received by the American public. On one hand, his warm reception as an alien refugee was a promising step forward for America, echoing the ethos of national monuments like the Statue of Liberty. But at the same time, America's embrace of him as a hero also meant that he set a certain standard for what a hero should look and act like, which had a ripple effect for superheroes of color like Katana.
The bitter truth that The Other History of the DC Universe #3 presents is that Superman's acceptance and popularity in society is partly due to the fact that he did not have to bear the weight of existing prejudices in American society. The issue details the history of anti-Asian and anti-Japanese racism in the United States, particularly in how people of Asian descent like Katana have been demonized for centuries. This made her acceptance as a superhero by the public a much more difficult process than it was for Superman.
Superman's Vision Of The "American Way" Differs From That Of Society's.
Even with the complicated feelings that heroes like Katana had for Superman, the respect that they had for him speaks volumes to how he has inspired both ordinary and super-powered people to be the best versions of themselves that they can be. In his mind, the "American Way" that Superman represented was a culture of service to the public. While definitions of the American Way have changed since he first debuted, Superman's willingness to go above and beyond in order to protect the vulnerable has provided a model of heroism in the DC Universe that will continue in decades to come.
Superman's version of the American Way is more a reflection of his experiences as a Kryptonian refugee on Earth than a reflection of the values he internalized while ing for human. Because while Superman was accepted by mainstream society at the same time that heroes of color were looked at with distrust, Kal-El demonstrated a commitment to creating a less prejudicial world. Even as a prejudiced society accepted him, he himself did not take on their prejudiced ideals, and actively worked to make the world more egalitarian in its heroes. This is an important distinction, and ultimately, is Superman's greatest legacy.
John Ridley's The Other History of the DC Universe provides an important reckoning for not only the less savory parts of American comics history, but also the nation's history as a whole. With stories like Katana's, Ridley demonstrates how spotlighting the specific experiences of people from underrepresented communities is crucial to recovering lost histories. The Death of Superman event looms large in DC Comics lore, and here it is made even more complex through Katana's eyes. As Katana's relationship to Superman shows, even the light has a dark side.
