Summary
- Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #2 reimagines Superman's origin, suggesting he's from an ancient human race rather than an alien.
- The comic explores the Arctic ruins of the Kryptonian Age, revealing carvings of Earth's solar system and sun worship.
- This origin echoes an early Superman concept by Jerry Siegel, where Kal-El was a human from the future, not an alien.
WARNING: May Contain Spoilers for Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #2!
DC's latest Superman’s origin story, suggesting that the Man of Steel is from an ancient race of humans rather than an alien. For fans experiencing déjà vu, there's a reason: it harks back to the very beginnings of Superman when Jerry Siegel was at the creative helm.
The preview for the July 10, 2024, release of Andy Diggle and Leandro Fernández’s Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #2 reveals the significance of the second half of the comic's title and provides more hints about the mysterious Kal-El, who has yet to appear on page.
The first pages thrust readers into a Bruce Wayne-funded expedition where Adam Strange tracks down claims about whalers and seal hunters, leading him to the Arctic. After part of their team goes missing while scouting the continental interior, Strange leads a search and rescue mission and discovers the ancient ruins of the Kryptonian Age.
Steampunk Superman Officially Arrives in Sequel to Iconic 80s Comic GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight—The Kryptonian Age kicks off with Superman's arrival, giving the Man of Steel's origin story a 19th-century twist.
Adam Strange Discovers the Ruins of the Kryptonian Age, Suggesting Superman Comes From an Ancient Race of Humans
Upon their discovery, Adam Strange and his search party enter the seemingly abandoned, ice-encased city. During their exploration, they come across carvings on the walls depicting the solar system, with Earth and Mars interestingly aligned. The prominence of the sun in the carvings leads Strange to question if these people were sun worshippers, as some of the images suggest they made offerings or sacrifices to the sun. These ruins and carvings imply that Superman is an ancient human, or at the very least, a descendant of these ancient humans.
However, there is still the possibility that the Kryptonians were an alien race that settled on Earth, though the carvings focusing on Earth’s solar system make this unlikely. Adding to the mystery is the revelation in issue #1, where Martha and John Kent discover a crashed spacecraft. While the comic doesn’t reveal who or what was in the craft, it is likely Kal-El, mirroring his mainstream origin. This makes the ruins of the Kryptonian Age even more perplexing, raising the question of where Kal-El and his spacecraft came from, as it doesn’t make sense that he would originate from the ruins found in the Arctic.
Superman Was Almost A Future Earthling, NOT An Alien in Early Story Iterations by Jerry Siegel
What makes this development in Superman’s Gotham by Gaslight origins particularly interesting is that it echoes one of the earliest iterations of the Man of Steel’s beginnings in comics. Siegel went through various versions of Superman’s origins before settling on the one we all know today—baby Kal-El arriving on Earth via space pod after the destruction of his home planet. Before this iconic origin was solidified, Siegel and Russell Keaton created sample comic strips where Kal-El was a human from the future rather than an alien. Thus, it seems that Superman’s human origins may be making a return to comics.
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #2 is available July 10, 2024, from DC Comics!
BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT - THE KRYPTONIAN AGE #2 (2024) |
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- Alias
- Kal-El, Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent
- Created By
- Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel
- Franchise
- D.C.
- Race
- Kryptonian
- First Appearance
- Action Comics
- Alliance
- Justice League, Superman Family
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
