New Super-Man Vol. 1: Made In China

New Super-Man #1

by Gene Luen Yang (Writer), Viktor Bogdanovic (Artist), Richard Friends (Inker)

#1 New York Times best-selling author and National Book Award nominee Gene Luen Yang continues his work at DC with New Super-Man, Volume 1, a part of DC Universe: Rebirth!

An impulsive act of heroism thrusts an arrogant young man into the limelight of Shanghai as China begins to form its own Justice League of powerful heroes. As the government creates their own Superman, will they live to regret the person they've chosen? Rising from the ashes of Superman: The Final Days of Superman and the death of the Man of Steel, will this New Super-Man step up to the challenge, or be crushed under the weight of his hubris and inexperience?

Award-winning writer Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese, Superman) and on-the-rise art star Viktor Bogdanovic (Batman: Arkham Knight) introduce readers to Kong Kenan, an all-new superhero who could change the world...or be the end of it, in New Super-Man, Volume 1.

Collecting: New Super-Man 1-6

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Superman, Young Adult, Comic Book

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 2017

About the author

Gene Luen Yang writes, and sometimes draws, comic books and graphic novels. As the Library of Congress’ fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, he advocates for the importance of reading, especially reading diversely. American Born Chinese, his first graphic novel from First Second Books, was a National Book Award finalist, as well as the winner of the Printz Award and an Eisner Award. His two-volume graphic novel Boxers & Saints won the L.A. Times Book Prize and was a National Book Award Finalist. His other works include Secret Coders (with Mike Holmes), The Shadow Hero (with Sonny Liew), Superman from DC Comics (with various artists), and the Avatar: The Last Airbender series from Dark Horse Comics (with Gurihiru). In 2016, he was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow. His most recent books are Dragon Hoops from First Second Books and Superman Smashes the Klan from DC Comics.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kong Kenan is picking on a schoolmate when a supervillain shows up. For whatever reason Kong throws a can of soda at him, knocking the villain senseless. The event is caught on video and he becomes an overnight sensation. This puts him in the sight of Dr. Omen who decides to make him the New Super-Man. So then Kong teams up with the Chinese version of Bat-Man and Wonder Woman to form the Justice League of China. They fight the Freedom Fighters of China repeatedly throughout the first arc. Who repeatedly say they are fighting for truth and justice while kidnapping and murdering people.

The Good: Kong is an interesting hero in that he's kind of a dumb jock with the other 2 members of the League constantly saving his ass. I liked that to keep his powers he needs to channel his chi. Yang also built up a nice backstory with Kong's family.

The Bad: Dr. Omen is a stereotypical villain that's not very interesting.

The Ugly: Superman is Kong Kenan, there's a reporter named Laney Lan and Luo Lixin is the kid he picks on in school. Do we really need this many parallels to the original Superman? It's all very hokey.

Received an advance copy from DC and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 1 out of 5]

This Chinese Superman book was one of the few Rebirth titles that genuinely intrigued me, not least because it featured the only original new character in the entire line - I know that’s deliberate though, that Rebirth is about bringing back classic characters/timelines, etc. So it’s disappointing that New Super-Man follows the Rebirth trend of being unreadable drek.

Kong Kenan is a bully who throws a drinks can at the first of many shitty Chinese villains he happens across. This one incident somehow singles him out to be the perfect test subject to become the Chinese Super-Man who is made in a Captain America-esque machine. That might be the worst origin story I’ve ever heard.

The story? Well, what are all shit superhero comics about? A baddie wants to drink everyone’s milkshakes so the goodie sets out to stop them. Yeah, it’s that archetypical and unimaginative. And speaking of unimaginative, there’s a Chinese Bat-Man (who’s fat for no reason) and a Chinese Wonder-Woman who make up the Justice League of China, as well as a Chinese Lois Lane, a Chinese Starro, and a Chinese Amanda Waller.

Aside from it being set in China and featuring Chinese people this is your run-of-the-mill superhero comic - Gene Luen Yang is doing nothing original nor making a convincing case for why there should be Chinese superhero comics. It’s certainly not entertaining to read!

But the non-blatantly derivative characters are even worse. The villain of the book is called Human Firecracker with a henchman called Folding Paper Man. At least I think they were on the same side - there are way too many groups rolling around this wreck! I get that the Justice League of China are the heroes, but how about the Ministry of Self-Reliance or the Great Ten or the Freedom Fighters of China? I think the first two are “good” even though they fight the JLC - that’s superhero comics for you - but I’m not sure. Gene Luen Yang overstuffs the book with far too many characters to make a coherent story.

Yang’s other Superman books have been mediocre at best but I hoped, given how his other Chinese-centric comics are so good, that his Chinese Super-Man would be good too - and it really wasn’t. Chinese knockoffs are usually inferior to the original but it’s about the same quality as the rest of the current Superman line these days: utter dogshit. Awful, boring stuff - don’t do it!

[Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 5 out of 5]

** received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this!

This is such an interesting take on Superman!

Kong Kenan is not your typical Clark Kent type because he’s kind of an ass. He starts this book bullying one of his classmates. Of course, we find out later that there’s a little more to why he singled out that classmate in particular but he’s not a nice guy. He’s arrogant, he doesn’t seem to listen to anyone and he’s rude. Yet, when Lixin, the kid he’s bullying, is in real danger, Kenan comes to his aid for reasons he’s unsure of. It’s this incident that leads to Kenan receiving an invitation to become a real superhero.

Now, I’m not against characters who start out as arrogant and become better people. I adore Tony Stark and that’s basically his life story. I will say, while Kenan doesn’t have a tone of humbling experiences in this book, I never found him obnoxious. I quite enjoyed his narrative and I laughed several times. Gene Leun Yang has excellent comedic timing. I like the moments where Kenan realizes he has to fight for something bigger than himself and I like that his mother had a lot to do with that. The scene where Kenan sees himself in the little girl Wonder-Woman saved was really moving.

The Justice League of China is a really interesting concept. Although, I wasn’t quite sure if they have the exact same powers as the JLA or if the experimentation made them slightly different. After Superwoman Rebirth, I thought perhaps they might have slightly different abilities but we don’t get a lot on that in this book. I’m still not sure if Wonder-Woman’s lasso makes people tell the truth or not? Anyway, I really liked her character and Bat-Man. I enjoyed Bat-Man’s chemistry with Kenan. It’s a little different from Supes and Batsy but entertaining all the same.

A large part of Kenan’s motivation comes from his poor relationship with his father. After his mother died, they’ve been rather distant with each other and later issues int his book reveal why. The explanation fits and it provides the catalyst for Kenan, Wonder-Woman and Bat-Man breaking away to form their own trinity.

The plot was rather interesting. I was actually surprised at a few of the reveals. I could have done without the fat-shaming, to be honest. I really enjoyed the art and, as I said earlier, I greatly enjoyed the characters. Definitely a recommend from me!

Check out this review and others on my new blog!

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kong Kenan lives in Shanghai with his auto mechanic father. He’s hardly hero material, something of a bully even. But, in a chance encounter in which he stands up to a super-villain brings him to the attention of Dr. Omen, a woman bent on creating her own team of heroes. She puts him through a procedure to give him powers, and the New Super-Man is born. But figuring out who the real heroes and villains are isn't easy ...

This was a fun debut. If nothing else, it's nice to read a volume 1 that actually is the beginning of the story, an all too rare event when dealing with DC or Marvel. Gene Luen Yang plays everything just slightly tongue-in-cheek, but his characters are engaging even if Kenan can be something of a jerk. There's real potential here, and I’m looking forward to volume 2.

I notice, near the end of the book, there's a martial arts trainer mentioned, Master I-Ching. This wouldn't be the same I-Ching from Denny O’Neil’s run on Wonder Woman decades ago, would it? If so, I'm kind of curious to see how Yang plays it …

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is def one of my fave DC Rebirth titles. Okay so what did I like about it? Let's hit the positives.

The main character is great. He's funny, charming, good (somewhat) and a nice contrast between this Super-man and our Superman.

The chemistry between the main trio (the justice league of china, it's amazing, go with it) is near perfect. Especially by the end you feel these guys are friends, and it's a nice way of building through issue 1-6.

The twist at the end is actually something that caught me off guard. I thought it would go safe but it actually went a little crazy and I kind of love it.

Solid art too, though sometimes little off.

My only negative is it feels safe at times. But it's really a story touching on new themes and talking about copying and based on China and their lifestyle. So for that i found it interesting throughout.

Check out New Super-man if want something a bit refreshing. Picking up volume 2 once it's out. In a year...Please don't get canceled.

[Artemy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of my GR buddies hated this book, but I actually thought it was alright. Yes, the concept is derivative, but that is the entire point, and I thought that Gene Yang managed to add enough of a twist to make it feel like an original enough creation. Also, like many others I was bothered by the fact that this Chinese Superman is a kid who's a bully and a dumbass, but by the end of this volume he starts to change, and I think there is enough room for him to improve and develop into an interesting hero.

That's all not to say that I don't have problems with New Super-Man, because I have plenty. First and foremost, how the hell do you give Superman's exact powers to another person? Superman is an alien, so unless the shady Chinese organisation found a way to change Kong's entire biology so he could be a Kryptonian, there is no way they could logically do that. This is the biggest problem with the premise of this book, and I had to get over that in order to keep reading.

The story gets really convoluted towards the middle-end, with a lot of different factions in conflict and with characters constantly switching their allegiances. It also doesn't help that the entire final act of the volume boils down to dumb punching and monologuing, which is something that uninspired superhero comics do. Oh, and the big twist was so heavily telegraphed that I can't imagine anybody being surprised by the revelation.

Still, I thought there were enough interesting elements in the setup of the book, and I feel like the comic has the potential to become better in the future. I wasn't blown away by New Super-Man, but I also didn't hate it.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually like this better than most Superman comics I've read! TRUE STORY !

I'm not the hugest fan of Superman comics. I like the movies, I've like some of the TV shows, I've liked some of the adjacent novels, like Gwenda Bond's Lois Lane series. But I like Gene's writing, and I just read Dragon Hoops, where he talks about getting this gig, so I wanted to try it. I was very pleasantly surprised. Honestly? Kong Kenan being a bully and a brat works for me. He stands up to a bad guy, sort of as a knee jerk reaction, and gets tapped to undergo superhero enhancement. Of course he's not going to suddenly become this moral paragon. He's still a bully and a brat. He's also very young, and has a distant father and no mom. He's untethered, and now he's superpowered. This all made a ton of sense, and it was really fun to see how having supers would play out in China. There's even a government agency of dubious provenance and mysterious secrets from the past!

[Corey Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5: I really wanted to like this like everyone else. But I just wasn’t a fan. The main problem for me is was the characters. Or more specifically one character. And of course it was the main character.

Kong Kenan is exactly the type of character I hate. Cocky, jerk, and absolutely stupid. Sometimes, these characters can be written well, but for me this was not the case. Which is surprising to me, since Gene Luen Yang wrote this. Usually I love his characters, but not this time.

There was some interesting concepts, but it was hard to get invested into a story with a character I despise.

[Wing Kee · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5.

This book rubbed me the wrong way.

World: The art is okay, it's a bit inconsistent but overall it's okay. There's not a lot of motion and the character designs are a bit similar. The world building here...where do I start. I like the idea of an Asian Supes (props for DC to represent and have a Chinese writer on it). The setting is different, and you can tell very much that DC wanted to set this book apart from the Superman norm. However, the world, especially the politics, political climate, Chinese mentality and culture is off. I grew up in North America and have been living in Hong Kong for over 12 years now and I know the political climate here and the perception of the Government and the difference in perspective from someone from Hong Kong and someone who lives in Mainland China and this book...is very carefully China leaning. I don't want to get into depth here cause that's a really huge conversation about so many things, but I have the exact same feeling when reading "Three Body Problem" that I do here. It's pandering, it's careful in not trying to be biased about China but at the same time glossing over and over simplifying some issues that are very real in that country. Yeah this world rubbed me the wrong way.

Story: The story was alright, it was enjoyable and very predictable but it was enjoyable. The tone and the story was a bit inconsistent in it's "Chinaness" being in one instance it hits the tone and feel of a Chinese hero and family dynamic and at the same time it's so very clear it's someone who is trying to write about a place he's never been or does not have the culture down. The idea of the Justice League of China was alright, I felt that it was trying to fit a square peg in a round hole too much and giving the idea that they needed to be a replica didn't really make any sense. I wish the story and the world would have leaned in way more towards something truly Chinese. The politics was too simple and bordering on oversimply pandering stupid in it's portrayal of the Chinese Government and also the people who are constantly fighting for democracy and rights in the nation. Yeah...I can't be objective for this book cause the subject matter is not handled properly here.

Characters: Kenan is an interesting character, very apparent "we wan't to be as unSupes as possible". Overall he's interesting but sometimes he becomes a cartoon character simply by the things he says and does. The rest of the cast of characters are okay, but I found the friendship and the character development throughout a bit choppy. The powers of Kenan and the explanation is good because it does feel Chinese and I wished they would lean more into it and also give a little more explanation for non Chinese readers so they understand, don't just always use "Chi" and leave it at that, readers are smart, please explain to them what Chinese people believe in in more depths please.

I feel that this book is written by a Chinese person who never lived in China for any extended period of time and honestly I will out and out say it that was a Asian who grew up Western. It's like having an African American write a book set in Africa...IT'S NOT THE SAME THING.

This review is really messy because I just have so many torn feelings about this book that I can't express without sitting down and just talking about it.

Onward to the next book!

[Diz · Rating 3 out of 5]

What if Superman's origin was that he was a real jerk? That's the case with new Super-man. He is in the process of bullying one of his classmates when he accidentally becomes a hero by saving that same student from a super villain. I really like that the relationships of Super-man get more complex as the story develops, and he has to ask himself who the heroes really are. Where the story falls down is when a group of freedom fighters who want to bring democracy to China betray their ideals to fight the government. It seems that the message is that it is better to trust stable government authority rather than in unstable activists. Tailor made for the Chinese government? Anyway, it's always fun to see different versions of the Justice League.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the DC Rebirth series, featuring a Chinese super-hero and written by Gene Luen Yang!

Tbh, I wasn't super impressed with this, mostly because I didn't like Kenan at all. He was an immature bully and only kinda changed for the better, but not really. I didn't really understand why he was chosen to be the new Superman—particularly if anyone had a single conversation with him—although teasers at the end hint to why he would have been selected. I also wanted more character development with Bat-Man and Wonderwoman.

As an original origin story, it was interesting. I liked that it was set in China and dealt with Chinese politics and problems, and the final teaser at the end was pretty neat. Hopefully the next installations get more in depth, as I kinda want to see something that's a little more...daring. This felt like it was a little bit too safe.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

[Michael J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I checked out many of the DC Universe Rebirth titles when they were originally published, but certainly not every single one of them and not that many beyond the debut issues. Still, I thought NEW SUPER-MAN was one of the better Rebirth titles, just not quite interesting enough to persuade me to keep reading beyond the first story arc. Give it credit for taking me that far before dropping it. (Economic reasons, mostly).
However, on a recent second reading all at one time, this continued to impress me in some ways, and felt a lot less like just another Super-Man family title. NEW SUPER-MAN lasted nine-teen issues plus five more as NEW SUPER-MAN AND THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF CHINA. I believe that’s longer run than any of the other brand-new Rebirth titles.
Kong Kenan is an impulsive, cocky young teen who bullies a fellow student (the reason for that explained later) yet comes to his aid (with a well-thrown soda can) when a super-villain gets involved. That goes viral on Chinese social media and draws the attention of a government agency crating their own version of the Justice League (a fat Bat-Man, a limber Wonder Woman). Using a process similar to the creation of Captain America, they transform Kong into China’s Superman.
Kong makes plenty of mistakes during his first assignments, including outing both his identity and the existence of the Justice League to the public, as he constantly tries to impress. The supporting cast of characters while very similar to their American versions is fun, as is the subplot involving conflict between Kong and his father, a member of the Freedom Fighters of China. THREE AND ONE-HALF STARS.

[Jenny Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent art and a story with a hero who has flaws. Interesting but not a must read.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Thought Kenan was an asshole at first. Hopefully he will become nicer. Seemed like he was starting to be. RIP Kenan's father. Is Dr. Omen Kenan's mom?

Can't wait to read All New Superman volume 2!!!!

[V ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was better towards the end

RTC

[Sesana · Rating 1 out of 5]

The worst Rebirth comic that I've read so far. Which is a damn shame, because the premise intrigued me. Superman as a character is very much a product of where and when he landed, and I love the idea of exploring what he would be like if he'd grown up somewhere else. See Superman: Red Son for an excellent take on that very concept. So I was really into the idea of a modern Chinese version of Superman, who couldn't help but be different from middle American Superman. Instead, I get a blandly unlikable dumb bully for a main character, surrounded by a cast of characters who range from bearable to awful. It would be possible for an incredible story, stellar characterization, and killer art to save a comic that's filled with characters I dislike. This book has none of that.

[MasterSal · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute book - more like Superboy than Superman. It was nice to see non-American characters but the story is fairly conventional. Powers are granted to kids who are not ready for it but over the story overcome their basic selfishness to save the day. The real charm of this book is the interaction between the New Justice League of China. The three kids are very cute together. Not necessarily funny as the humour didn’t land for me all the time but I was smiling.


I liked the art mostly but not sure the characters looked particularly Asian. They did look young with the art capturing the bravado of New Superman as he blinders about.

The villain plot was silly and I was not particularly engaged in the emotional arc. It held back the book from a higher rating for me. A charming frothy book which is a good time pass but will not be one of my favourites.

[Gulli · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this is intriguing: a series dedicated to a new and foreign hero with Superman’s powers. However, I was disappointed from the very beginning: the hero, Kenan Kong, is a bully with little redeeming qualities. Yang tries to explain why he was a bully later on in the narrative but unconvincingly. It sends out a negative message to young readers, considering a bully receives the gift of superpowers.

The heroes that Kenan works with are Justice League ripoffs: Wonder Woman and a needlessly chubby Batman. The villains are even worse… Yang fails to introduce new and complex characters with exciting powers and motivations.

However, it wasn’t all bad. It’s a coming-of-age story, which poses interesting questions about communism and oppression, hence the two stars.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this from Edelweiss and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review.

Very corny, and I'm not sure of the "why" of the plot. Just weird, overall, and not in a good way.

[charlotte, · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rep: Chinese characters and setting

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

The thing about starting a story with an unlikable protagonist is that you need to make him likable by the end, or at the very least bring the reader onboard so they understand their point of view and can sympathise.

While I did sympathise with Kenan by the end because of his tragic past, he still comes across as a real arsehole. He discovers that his powers only work if his intentions are aligned with the real Superman, meaning he has to truly believe he's doing things for Truth, Justice, all that stuff to be a Super-Man.

It reminds me of the school bully being rewarded for not being a prick, while everyone else is like "What the hell is our incentive?".

Anyway, ignoring my repressed childhood trauma, I do like that his powers involve the concept of "qi", an internalised vital energy that forms part of traditional Chinese culture and beliefs (I know that's really simplified but it's about as much as I know about it). I like that it combines China's older traditions as well as its newer ones that involve ignoring copyright and creating their own knock-offs of American creations, it's a really clever way of doing a Chinese Super-Man.

So, I was disappointed by the story because of how much I disliked Kenan and how he seems to be rewarded for that dickishness.

I will check out the next volume because Gene Luen Yang is awesome and I trust that he has a plan for making Kenan less of an insufferable jerk next time around.

But overall I much preferred his work on another Asian superhero book, "The Shadow Hero".

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally awesome! A whole new super-character with a whole new origin story. Gene Luen Yang is one of my favourite graphic novelists and though his run on the original Superman disappointed me, this new Super-Man of China totally rocks. A fantastic backstory with government and dissident organizations working behind the scenes and members of three new teams whose classification as superheroes or villains is blurry until the end. A spectacular job of introducing an army of new characters but especially Super-Man, Bat-Man and Wonder Woman of China. Great plot with lots of action and a shock ending make for an engrossing read. Both DC fans and Yang fans alike will want to get in on this new series.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review covers all four volumes of New Super-Man, since I read them all in quick succession.

Kong Kenan is probably the most unlikeable protagonist since Amazing Spider-Man's Alpha. For the first five or so issues of the series, he's an insufferable git, and I did wonder if I was going to enjoy the book. But his superhero origin really kicks into gear, and the metamorphosis is both subtle and drastic. The shift in his demeanour, in the way he deals with his situations, goes through such a change that's very well executed by writer Gene Luen Yang, so that by the time the book ended, I was really invested in Kenan's story.

The story itself expands well as it goes on. From humble(ish) beginnings, Kenan's journey from asshole to true superhero, as well as the expansion of the Justice League of China, and the revelations surrounding Kenan's parents, all feel like proper stepping stones for a new superhero, and the stakes get gradually higher without losing the personal connection to Kenan specifically.

There are some nice Rebirth links, including some stuff from the end of the New 52 era like The Final Days Of Superman, as well as a Superman Reborn tie-in issue, and the addition of Avery Ho (from Flash's Rebirth title) as the Flash for the JLC helps ensure that Kenan is a part of the DC Universe, rather than just sitting off to the side. And Superman himself shows up a few times, as well as the JLA.

The first 18 issues feel like one big origin story, and then the final trade is like a new beginning, building off of the first three and striking out in a new direction as the JLC tries to establish itself alone. I feel like there were a lot more stories to be told here, but the way Yang manages to wrap everything up by the end of issue 24 is satisfying enough that I didn't feel like we'd been left out to dry.

I really enjoyed how Yang crafted the world of New Super-Man - we learn a little about how China is set-up, and the politics surrounding its superhero community, as well as some insights into Chinese culture too. It's undoubtably there, and it gives the book a unique feel, but it's not so thrust in your face that it detracts from the superheroics at all - so you can learn things, and have them explode too! Yang also has Kenan's powers work in a different way to Superman's, tying them into his heritage and a traditional Chinese way of thinking that I think helps him continue to grow over all 24 issues - just when he thinks he's got a handle on it, some new wrinkle appears that keeps Kenan learning.

The book begins with art by Viktor Bogdanovic, or Greg Capullo-lite, which establishes a gritty side to the book. Billy Tan draws the majority of volumes 2 and 3 though, and his art is much sleeker, and actually seems to suit the book more. Brent Peeples takes the book over the finish line though, with some more standard superheroic visuals, but I definitely think Tan was the most impressive of the bunch by a mile.

New Super-Man was a surprisingly fun book; the main character feels fully formed and interesting, going through a real metamorphosis, and the world that he inhabits feels as much a part of the DCU as it does its own thing. The art's fairly consistent although better at certain points than others, which is to be expected across 24 issues. I do hope we continue to see Kenan, and characters like him, across the DCU in the future, especially if they're pulled off this well.

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was really a tough one to review.

Within the first few pages, it’s pretty obvious that Kenan, our protagonist, is a straight up jerk. I accepted that and continued hoping for the turn to occur sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, his redemption came really late in the game, which means the reader is subjected to a longer-than-necessary arc of him delivering corny lines, insults, being a jack ass, arrogant, hitting on anything that’s female with two legs, and charging headlong into trouble.

When I first heard about the title, I was interested in checking it out, but decided to wait for a collected edition. Considering it takes such a long time in the story for him to sort of redeem himself, I’m glad I didn’t pick this up in single issues. A few times, it’s remarked that Kenan is the new Super-Man as he has the heart of a hero. I think you really need to search for that aspect to shine through.

Also, I’ll just come out and say that I’m Caucasian, but at times wondered if some of the character names and their alter egos were trying to be clever, or just downright racist. “Human Firecracker”? Seriously, is that supposed to be clever or just way too on the nose for a costumed hero/villain out of China?

Another sticking point is about just bad, lazy writing. In several issues, the term “fifty center” is tossed around. Ok, that’s well and good, but when you decided to define that for the readers only in the fifth issue, well that just stinks.

For me, the best parts were far into the arc, with the turn involving Kenan’s father. That for me redeemed this whole story, but (for obvious reasons) isn’t enough to keep me interested in continuing with the title.

I salute DC for trying something new, but in the end it just wasn’t enough and offered some peculiar moments at times that made me cringe.

[Siona Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5 stars.

This one was really cool, but once again, I think it will be best read as a trade. I think the "Chinese Justice League" concept is really cool, and the designs of Chinese Batman and Chinese Wonder Woman look really cool, and the new Super-Man's outfit is interesting. I hope they have some other heroes besides those three though.

[Primo S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great series so far, the main character is funny and charming, he's very different than the Superman we're familiar with, while the side characters (Wonder Woman of China and Bat-man of China) are not as developed, I think we'll get more of them in the later arcs so I'm fine with that. The plot itself has some twists but it's nothing spectacular, so is the art.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story. I was skeptical after 1 issue, but intrigued after 2. I'm not quite hooked yet but I will check out volume 2.

[Rylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this a lot, I understand now why so many people recommend it. I honestly found it hard to put down at points when I needed to do something. Th story grabbed me straight from the the first page. I like how right off the bat we get a plot twist, the opening page sees a guy getting bullied and mugged. Instead of having this be the main character the one who is doing this to the person is. We get an introduction to Kenan through his inner monologue and get a feel for his character. He’s kinda a jerk and full of himself, but we see in the first issue when a super villain attacks the guy he was picking on, he steps up to do the right thing. Within this first volume you really get to know who Kenan is as a character. He flips a lot of the traditional hero tropes on their heads. He’s a good person but a lot of times he does selfish things like revealing his identity at the expense of his teammates among other things. Like I said he’s also a huge jerk and quite mean, he constantly picks on bat-man and other people. But we learn about his backstory so it helps us understand why he is the way he is. He desperately craves attention because his father doesn’t give it to him, he wants his father’s approval so bad that he goes to extreme lengths to get his attention. We even get why he was bullying his classmate in the beginning since he plays the guy’s dad for his mom dying. He goes through a bit of character development as the story progresses, he starts to become nicer and more understanding towards his teammates.
Like Kenan, the story does like to flip tropes and be unpredictable. Having a jerk as the main character isn’t the only thing. The stuff with Kenan’s parents and uncle being super terrorists is an interesting plot twist, it adds another layer complexity to the story. Even the big identity reveal was a shocking plot twist. I think the book does a good job at subverting expectations and making things unpredictable while not going to the lengths that some books do where things start to not make sense. Onto the Justice League of China. I really love the concept, another country making their own brand of heroes based off ones from the U.S makes a lot of sense. I always wondered, since superhero comics are very Americanized, what goes on in other countries. I mean we see New York City being attacked by aliens every other weekend. It would make sense that other countries would have their own. I like how it’s described that China is picking up on the U.S’ costumed vigilante trend. I really like how Kenan gets his powers it’s a solid set up for an origin. I love the cast of the JLC, they are vastly different than their western counterparts and very endearing. The bond that the characters come to develop is very heartwarming and you get really attached to them. I think these characters are some of the best that DC has introduced in recent years and they would be a fool not to utilize them to their full potential.
I like how the book does a great job at displaying Chinese culture. We see it through the world from things like the hyphens in the heroes’ names to what the characters are eating. Representation is important and it’s nice that there is are heroes that Chinese people can relate to. DC did a good job at being respectful to the culture that they are writing which is nice to see, so many times people get things wrong about other cultures and it ends up being a mess. The art is also really nice, I love how unique ever character looks. They artist also presents a lot of different body types in here which is nice to see, not everyone looks like a swimsuit model. Overall this was a very solid opening and an amazing origin for this character and team. I honestly think Kenan has as great of an introduction as Kamala maybe even better. I think the JLC despite not being closely tied to their counterparts aside from names, are great legacy characters. They represent the ideals the heroes stand for and try to carry on that legacy. My only gripe is the villains. They do the thing where the villain is making sense with what they want but then they make them commit war crimes with little build up to show they are a bad person *cough* *cough*FATWS

[Ondřej Halíř · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tak takhle si představuji dobře napsaný příběh o Supermanovi. Hlavní hrdina je Čínský egoistický, namyšlený šikanátor, který ke Superschopnostem přijde jako slepý k houslím. Jednoho dne když zrovna šikanuje jednoho tloušťíka za účelem aby mu dotyčný dal kolu, tak se dostane do křížku s jedním záporákem kterého Kenan sundá plechovkou. Poté si ho odchytí tajemná společnost, která mu nabídne že mu dá superschopnosti.

Celý příběh je podaný svěže, vtipně, napínavě a hlavně odsýpá, díky čemuž příběhu nějaká malá klišé odpustíte, protože vám to scénář ihned vykompenzuje nějakou vtipnou hláškou či povedeným zvratem. Postavy tu jsou navíc psané lidsky, mají své problémy, nezvládnou každou situaci vyřešit a po celou dobu příběhu si chovají asi tak jak by jste očekávaly.

Jediná výtka kterou mám můžou být již dříve zmíňované klišé. Kterým se ale podle mě moc vyhnout nešlo, protože se tvůrce snažil ukázat i dobrou stránku hlavní postavy a to si vybralo i lehce ohrané momenty. Ty ale nejsou nic hrozného, a New Super-Man si vtipnou, odlehčenou a zábavnou pózu drží skoro celou dobu.

Co se týče kresby, tak ta je klasický fajn mainstream. Nečekejte žádnou hravost s panely či tak, je to jen dobře odvedená práce.

Pokud nemáte rádi postavu Super-Mana tak klidně zkuste tohle, jelikož Čínský Superman je vadnej a dokonce jelikož je emocionálně labilní tak ho i superschopnosti opouštěj a to i v tu nejméně vhodnou dobu.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yo. This is one of the best titles in Rebirth. I don't care what anybody says, ITS ONE OF THE BEST.

Gene's writing in this was so funny, vibrant, and realistic. Kenan felt like a child, he acted exactly how you would expect a teenager to act if he were given superpowers and it was great. This trade is lighthearted and fun, has action, and heart.

Kenan is far from being Clark Kent, and that's what makes him such a great character. Honestly he's more Tony Stark than he is Clark Kent. He has Clark's powers, but he isn't Clark at all. What Kenan is, is a little shithead. I say that with love because by the end of the trade he has grown. He's still a little brat, but if he weren't he wouldn't be Kenan and then this trade would suck. The kid we are introduced to in the beginning is, different than the kid we see at the end. He's been knocked down and so he doesn't shine as bright, but the growth is noticeable.

This a new run with a new character so there isn't much I can say without spoiling the whole trade but here are a few things you will find in this trade: great characters, an unlikely team, broken family ties, lots of sarcasm, and teasing, a magic lasso, Chinese politics, and a plot twist that I saw coming a mile way, and a plot twist at the end that shocked the hell out of me.