What do you think?
Rate this book
Superman presents: The Kents #1-2
Superman: The Kents
THE KENTS recounts Superman's adopted family's settlement in Kansas in the 1860s. Told against the backdrop of the Civil War and the western expansion movement, this book tells the epic tale of Nathaniel and Jebediah Kent, two brothers divided by personal and political differences. Featuring cameos by some of the most popular figures of the time including Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, Jesse James and George Custer, this volume is an excellent representation of the issues and events of that turbulent era.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
4 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
John Ostrander
2,082 books172 followersJohn Ostrander is an American writer of comic books. He is best known for his work on Suicide Squad, Grimjack and Star Wars: Legacy, series he helped create.
Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, Ostrander moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about the character "Sargon, Mistress of War", who appeared the First Comics series Warp!, based on a series of plays by that same Chicago theatre company. He is co-creator of the character Grimjack with Timothy Truman, who originally appeared in a back up story in the First Comics title, Starslayer, before going on to appear in his own book, again published by First Comics in the mid 1980s. First Comics ceased publication in 1991, by which time Ostrander was already doing work for other comics companies (his first scripts for DC Comics were published in 1986).
Prior to his career in comic books, Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes himself as an agnostic. His in-depth explorations of morality were later used in his work writing The Spectre, a DC Comics series about the manifestation of the wrath of God. His focus on the character's human aspect, a dead police detective from the 1930s named Jim Corrigan, and his exploration of moral and theological themes brought new life to a character often thought of as impossible to write. He has also worked on Firestorm, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, Suicide Squad, and Wasteland for DC.
Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, Ostrander moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about the character "Sargon, Mistress of War", who appeared the First Comics series Warp!, based on a series of plays by that same Chicago theatre company. He is co-creator of the character Grimjack with Timothy Truman, who originally appeared in a back up story in the First Comics title, Starslayer, before going on to appear in his own book, again published by First Comics in the mid 1980s. First Comics ceased publication in 1991, by which time Ostrander was already doing work for other comics companies (his first scripts for DC Comics were published in 1986).
Prior to his career in comic books, Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes himself as an agnostic. His in-depth explorations of morality were later used in his work writing The Spectre, a DC Comics series about the manifestation of the wrath of God. His focus on the character's human aspect, a dead police detective from the 1930s named Jim Corrigan, and his exploration of moral and theological themes brought new life to a character often thought of as impossible to write. He has also worked on Firestorm, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, Suicide Squad, and Wasteland for DC.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 1, 2015
I have a very, very fuzzy memory of reading this one, but I'm pretty sure I enjoyed it.
It was a little far-fetched though - the iconic 'S' shield, for example, is often featured in relation to Supe's birth family but here we see it's connections to his adopted parents as well.
To further disbelief, you can look at the various events the family has been involved with over the years - just by trying to find out the title, I saw mentions of abolitionists (including Harriet Tubman), John Wilkes Booth, Buffalo Bill...
I remember liking it, and I think I'll read it again, so it must have been good despite needing to suspend your belief for the story.
It was a little far-fetched though - the iconic 'S' shield, for example, is often featured in relation to Supe's birth family but here we see it's connections to his adopted parents as well.
To further disbelief, you can look at the various events the family has been involved with over the years - just by trying to find out the title, I saw mentions of abolitionists (including Harriet Tubman), John Wilkes Booth, Buffalo Bill...
I remember liking it, and I think I'll read it again, so it must have been good despite needing to suspend your belief for the story.
August 18, 2021
Superman is in his civilian identity the mild-mannered newspaperman from Kansas, Clark Kent. A great deal can be said about how being raised in Smallville by the loving human parents Jonathan and Martha had an impact in making him the hero he would grow up to be, while it his legacy as an alien that gives him his powers. This book focuses on that human heritage, on the history of his adoptive family. Indeed, the story itself is framed as Jonathan Kent reading through materials he discovered and writing letters to his superheroic son.
At its heart this 12-issue book is a story about two brothers, who, despite growing up together find themselves with a distinctly different set of values. These values lead them on different paths, and they even end up on opposite sides during the American Civil War.
This particular war is still a touchy subject due to racial issues. It would’ve been very easy for a less nuanced writer to simply make Jebediah Kent into a racist villain, but John Ostrander is too good for that. Instead Jeb has completely different reasons for siding with the Confederacy, and I think his is the most interesting character in the book. He consistently makes what I, and likely most of the readers, not to speak of the author himself, would consider to be the wrong choice. He does bad things. He alienates and antagonizes people who care about him. Yet he is not presented as some moustache-twirling monster, and as time passes he gets to see the same pattern repeat with another generation of Kents.
This is a multigenerational story, thought most of it focuses on the brothers Nathaniel and Jebediah. Nate is the much more proper and traditionally heroic figure between the two, and he takes up after his father Silas Kent, the abolitionist who tries to instil his values in both of his sons, with varying success. Nate is older, clearly more mature and sees what his father is trying to teach as being the moral thing to do, while Jeb, in his rebellious phase, resents authority and yearns for freedom. This pursuit of personal liberty doesn’t simply lead him to rebel against his paternal authority but to sympathizing with the Southern States’ desire for freedom from the Union. It is not the right to own slaves but the right to not have someone else tell him his business that makes him wear the grey uniform.
Jeb’s choices lead him to the very worst of company. He refers to a fellow called “Bill Quantrill” as the best friend he’s ever had, more of a brother than Nathaniel ever was. William Quantrill is just one of many historical figures who appear in this comic, and it is unpleasant to think a man capable of such evil was a real person. We are not spared his actions.
The Kents is not an easy, simple frolic to casually enjoy. Oh it reads very well and the artists Truman and Mandrake (with their helpers) make it a joy to look at, but at the same time it is still hard to look at the things it has to show, to read the stories it has to tell. It’s an emotionally draining, somber experience.
All these stories are not of overwhelming violence; sometimes the tragedy is smaller, more commonplace. Such is the case with Wild Bill Hickok confessing he is losing his eyesight due to glaucoma (possibly a reference to Ostrander’s own problems with this illness). The Kents is a story of human frailty and error, but it is also a story of what is good and pure in us, of the higher ideals we can strive toward and a hope for a better future. The Natives make a quilt with what we the readers recognize as Superman’s symbol, and with this recognition comes the recollection of the good he will do in the future thanks to the people whose lives we follow in this narrative.
The story and art work very well together and well it should, as by this point Ostrander had worked for a very long time with both artists. I think he might have collaborated with Mandrake on a triple-digit number of comic issues at this point. While both Truman and Mandrake are great artists, it is absolutely Ostrander’s writing that is the star of the show here, and if I had to pick a single book to exemplify why I think he is the finest American comic book writer, I would pick this one.
5/5
At its heart this 12-issue book is a story about two brothers, who, despite growing up together find themselves with a distinctly different set of values. These values lead them on different paths, and they even end up on opposite sides during the American Civil War.
This particular war is still a touchy subject due to racial issues. It would’ve been very easy for a less nuanced writer to simply make Jebediah Kent into a racist villain, but John Ostrander is too good for that. Instead Jeb has completely different reasons for siding with the Confederacy, and I think his is the most interesting character in the book. He consistently makes what I, and likely most of the readers, not to speak of the author himself, would consider to be the wrong choice. He does bad things. He alienates and antagonizes people who care about him. Yet he is not presented as some moustache-twirling monster, and as time passes he gets to see the same pattern repeat with another generation of Kents.
This is a multigenerational story, thought most of it focuses on the brothers Nathaniel and Jebediah. Nate is the much more proper and traditionally heroic figure between the two, and he takes up after his father Silas Kent, the abolitionist who tries to instil his values in both of his sons, with varying success. Nate is older, clearly more mature and sees what his father is trying to teach as being the moral thing to do, while Jeb, in his rebellious phase, resents authority and yearns for freedom. This pursuit of personal liberty doesn’t simply lead him to rebel against his paternal authority but to sympathizing with the Southern States’ desire for freedom from the Union. It is not the right to own slaves but the right to not have someone else tell him his business that makes him wear the grey uniform.
Jeb’s choices lead him to the very worst of company. He refers to a fellow called “Bill Quantrill” as the best friend he’s ever had, more of a brother than Nathaniel ever was. William Quantrill is just one of many historical figures who appear in this comic, and it is unpleasant to think a man capable of such evil was a real person. We are not spared his actions.
The Kents is not an easy, simple frolic to casually enjoy. Oh it reads very well and the artists Truman and Mandrake (with their helpers) make it a joy to look at, but at the same time it is still hard to look at the things it has to show, to read the stories it has to tell. It’s an emotionally draining, somber experience.
All these stories are not of overwhelming violence; sometimes the tragedy is smaller, more commonplace. Such is the case with Wild Bill Hickok confessing he is losing his eyesight due to glaucoma (possibly a reference to Ostrander’s own problems with this illness). The Kents is a story of human frailty and error, but it is also a story of what is good and pure in us, of the higher ideals we can strive toward and a hope for a better future. The Natives make a quilt with what we the readers recognize as Superman’s symbol, and with this recognition comes the recollection of the good he will do in the future thanks to the people whose lives we follow in this narrative.
The story and art work very well together and well it should, as by this point Ostrander had worked for a very long time with both artists. I think he might have collaborated with Mandrake on a triple-digit number of comic issues at this point. While both Truman and Mandrake are great artists, it is absolutely Ostrander’s writing that is the star of the show here, and if I had to pick a single book to exemplify why I think he is the finest American comic book writer, I would pick this one.
5/5
July 23, 2025
This was a great story. Essentially, we learn here what made the Kent family the paragon of hope that was passed down to their son from another world.
Set in the backdrop of America's near destruction over the issue of slavery leading towards the Civil War and the Wild West, the Kent family was set up in the East, but it eventually settled in Kansas. In comparison, Kansas today may be the epitome of American values, whether it's in the rural prairies or the wonderful cities. During the mid-1800s, it was rife with war and crime. Silas Kent decides to take his sons to fight slavery as well as make a new home alongside his two sons, Nathaniel and Jebediah.
I must admit that the best thing about reading this is that it's all a great Western. No superpowers necessary to tell a great story of adventure. I must admit that this was truly a great read. Since I love American History at this age, it was great having the fictional Kent family meet up with such legends. Jeb joining Quantrill's Raiders and Jesse James. Nathaniel meeting with Wild Bill Hickok and George Custer. There is also a nice reference to Jonah Hex, which I found great. Though it could have been bigger.
The Kent men were pretty amazing. Nathaniel is a better man than Jeb. But still, there is plenty of good and bad of each. Wonderful story. A-
Set in the backdrop of America's near destruction over the issue of slavery leading towards the Civil War and the Wild West, the Kent family was set up in the East, but it eventually settled in Kansas. In comparison, Kansas today may be the epitome of American values, whether it's in the rural prairies or the wonderful cities. During the mid-1800s, it was rife with war and crime. Silas Kent decides to take his sons to fight slavery as well as make a new home alongside his two sons, Nathaniel and Jebediah.
I must admit that the best thing about reading this is that it's all a great Western. No superpowers necessary to tell a great story of adventure. I must admit that this was truly a great read. Since I love American History at this age, it was great having the fictional Kent family meet up with such legends. Jeb joining Quantrill's Raiders and Jesse James. Nathaniel meeting with Wild Bill Hickok and George Custer. There is also a nice reference to Jonah Hex, which I found great. Though it could have been bigger.
The Kent men were pretty amazing. Nathaniel is a better man than Jeb. But still, there is plenty of good and bad of each. Wonderful story. A-
August 28, 2017
Hea pool oli põhjalik USA westerni käsitlemine enne ja pärast kodusõda, seda eriti Kansase osariigis toimunud unioonlaste ja konföderaatide veriste kokkupõrgete kaudu, aga ka hilisemate preeriaindiaanisõdade läbilõige on täitsa olemas. Niiet mõnusa ülevaate saab küll. Sitt on aga Supermani esivanema Nathaniel Kent'i poliitiliselt ülimalt korrektne, neegreid armastav, rassidevahelisest ühtlusest ja sõprusest jutlustav agenda, mida küll natuke tasakaalustab tema venna Jeb'i sattumine Lõunaosariiklastest mässajate, orjapüüdjate ja hiljem ka bandiitide poole peale. Westerni mõttes päris kobe lugemine, aluspesus ülivõimetega tulnuka saagat ei pea tundma ega armastama.
August 30, 2023
I read part of this in its original installments back in the day, and remembered it fondly enough that when I found a used copy of the collected version I jumped at the chance to revisit it. The Kents isn’t exactly a comic that would be made today; the closest would probably be Gates of Gotham or Origin, and both of those are years in the past. Although I guess Tom King’s Gotham: Year One, which just happened. But Kents is very much a product of its time, which at this point is itself about a decade in the past, when Civil War and outlaw stories were still part of the public consciousness.
And that’s really what it is, with a thin veneer of Kent family history/secret origin framing it. As a young reader I thought it was higher quality than it really is, and as such it’s probably one of those comics/experiences better enjoyed by the young, although it is a fine survey of the times. As a story it’s told with too much convenience and affected local color to be taken too seriously; there’s never really a sense that a strong creative voice is driving it, even if John Ostrander is a well-respected creator of that era.
It would be nice for comics to have more of the real world in them, whether historical or contemporary, but there are surely better and more artful ways to do it. As a starting point, though, Kents suggests ambition can make up for other shortcomings. How Superman’s morals were shaped, might not really be explained here, but anyone willing to revisit the concept would have a much better starting point thanks to these efforts.
And that’s really what it is, with a thin veneer of Kent family history/secret origin framing it. As a young reader I thought it was higher quality than it really is, and as such it’s probably one of those comics/experiences better enjoyed by the young, although it is a fine survey of the times. As a story it’s told with too much convenience and affected local color to be taken too seriously; there’s never really a sense that a strong creative voice is driving it, even if John Ostrander is a well-respected creator of that era.
It would be nice for comics to have more of the real world in them, whether historical or contemporary, but there are surely better and more artful ways to do it. As a starting point, though, Kents suggests ambition can make up for other shortcomings. How Superman’s morals were shaped, might not really be explained here, but anyone willing to revisit the concept would have a much better starting point thanks to these efforts.
May 26, 2019
I really wanted to like this. I love time-spanning generational stories. I love Superman. I love westerns (conditionally). I love Jonah Hex. I love John Ostrander. So what went wrong? Honestly I couldn't tell you. It was just very boring for me, to such a degree in fact that I didn't bother reading the last couple issues. Your mileage may vary though, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it more than I did.
July 25, 2017
Too much context and history with very little space for good characterization. As a history book, sure it was fine. The ties to Superman were shoddily constructed. It would have been better without the blanket that ended up meaning nothing.
February 28, 2020
A historically researched western that ties into the Superman mythos? It's like they made this book with a target audience of me. Strong art, terrific writing. Love it!
May 12, 2024
I won't sit here and tell you this story is flawless. I *will* sit here and tell you it's well-written, well-drawn, and thoroughly engaging. You should read it.
January 19, 2013
Admito que sou leiga em relação à Guerra Civil Americana e aos conflitos entre estados e que raramente procuro leituras que preencham esta lacuna em particular. Esta banda desenhada chegou-me às mãos por mero acaso e deixou-me intrigada por ser uma estória sobre os antecendentes da família terrestre do Super-Homem escrito em forma de western. E em que o Super-Homem não faz nenhuma aparição, excepto como recipiente da história dos antepassados que o pai vai juntando através de documentos dispersos e lhe vai enviando.
Como bom western tem tiroteios praticamente desde a primeira à última página (a Guerra Civil ocupa a maior parte do livro), mas a violência não é gratuita. É consequente e traz consequências, sem deixar indiferença. Opõe irmãos contra irmãos, pais contra filhos, estados contra estados, tribos contra exércitos, escravos e abolicionistas contra pró-esclavagistas, sem poupar ninguém e numa espiral crescente de destruição que parece não acabar.
Vale muito pelo contexto histórico e por interligar personagens que existiram na realidade como John Wilkes Booth, John Brown, os irmãos James ou Buffallo Bill (entre outros) com os personagens fictícios criados como motores do enredo. As cores da edição e os tipos de letra que diferenciam as personagens são também de realçar, no aspecto mais estético do livro.
Como bom western tem tiroteios praticamente desde a primeira à última página (a Guerra Civil ocupa a maior parte do livro), mas a violência não é gratuita. É consequente e traz consequências, sem deixar indiferença. Opõe irmãos contra irmãos, pais contra filhos, estados contra estados, tribos contra exércitos, escravos e abolicionistas contra pró-esclavagistas, sem poupar ninguém e numa espiral crescente de destruição que parece não acabar.
Vale muito pelo contexto histórico e por interligar personagens que existiram na realidade como John Wilkes Booth, John Brown, os irmãos James ou Buffallo Bill (entre outros) com os personagens fictícios criados como motores do enredo. As cores da edição e os tipos de letra que diferenciam as personagens são também de realçar, no aspecto mais estético do livro.
March 15, 2012
An interesting tale about ancestors of Superman's Earth parents, the Kents. The story is pretty dense mixing fictional characters with several historical figures and events. The book primarily focuses on events leading up to and including the Civil War, as well as some events taking place after the Civil War. At times the book errs too much on the side of giving you too much historical context at the expense of the drama. Still it is a solid book by a talented author and two great artists. Although the story takes place in the DC universe, don't expect very many references to Superman or any other characters running around during modern times. For example, they don't have Lex Luthor's ancestor appear and come in conflict with the Kents. In fact, with a few very minor tweaks, this story could have been straight historical fiction published by any company.
April 1, 2019
What I wanted was a fun western with ties to the Superman mythos. What I got was a dense Civil War story with a few characters named Kent. It could have been good, but it took itself too seriously. So many facts, so many historical figures. Not a compelling read.
We discuss some of our favorite westerns here: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
We discuss some of our favorite westerns here: https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
January 16, 2016
A very niche comic. If you like your Superman and your American civil war history then this is the book for you! I found it to be quite dull. If I wanted to learn about this part of American history I would read about it elsewhere, a Superman comic without Superman is a bit redundant in my opinion. It almost got exciting when Jonah Hex popped up but it didn't even last a page.
August 10, 2014
Great story about the ancestors of the family who adopted Superman. No superhuman feats or powers, here; the neat historical context and story about each of the family members and notable figures they encounter builds an interesting, if distant, backstory for the Kent family.
November 18, 2014
Wonderful weaving of history with fictional events.
Ostrander is a master of weaving history and fiction together.
Ostrander is a master of weaving history and fiction together.
January 20, 2023
A lushly drawn, damn good Western, whose constant need to explain things or sand off edges serve as the dealbreakers between a good Western and a great Western.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews