This is the story of Clark Kent from Kansas, who developed superpowers as a teen, grew up to fall in love with a woman named Lois, became a successful writer, and leads a double life fighting injustice and saving innocents. Think you've heard this story before? Not on your life.
In this world, the Kents of Kansas name their baby boy Clark as a joke. He spends his entire childhood in the shadow of a fictional entity. He is shy, awkward, and bullied. He spends a lot of time alone, camping and writing. And then one day....he flies. What follows is the most realistic exploration of a super powered being in our world I ever ever read. Many writers have tackled the idea of teens who are suddenly thrown into a world of heroism, with or without powers, but few have explored this idea as thoroughly as Busiek does here. The book contains four stories, each focusing on a different time in Clark Kent's life. First, his teen years, where he discovers his powers and struggles with handling his new secret. Second, his young adulthood, where Clark begins his career in bustling Manhattan he meets the ravishing Lois Chaudhari, and for the first time truly learns what is at stake with his secret identity. The third story has Clark as a soon-to-be father, frightened of what effect his double life might have on his children, and finally coming to an understanding, albeit a grudging one, with the men who have hunted him his entire life. Finally, we see Clark Kent as an old man. His powers begin to fade, and he looks back on his life and work with bittersweet nostalgia.
Quite frankly, this story is beautiful. Every Superman story has dealt with Superman's secret identity as Clark Kent; this story deals with Clark Kent's secret identity as Superman. In print, it seems like a subtle difference, but in the reality of his day-to-day life, it is enormous. This is not the story of Superman, a crime fighter, the American ideal, a symbol of justice. This is the story of Clark Kent, a sociologist and writer, a husband, a father. He just happens to have super powers that he uses to help people on the side. It comes at a steep cost. He never truly feels safe. He often feels alone. In the regular DC universe, Superman is surrounded by super powered pals. His family is not only protected by himself, but also by amazing security, alien technology, and an entire second family of the world's strongest, smartest, heroes. He is a national treasure. Everyone loves Superman. Not so here. He must survive and protect his family through subterfuge, quick thinking, and constant vigilance. Nobody knows who he is. The American government calls on him to serve, and he doesn't always get a choice in what that entails. It's a hard life. A real life.
As for the art, while it isn't quite my cup of tea, it does fit the story well. It's a sort of simplified realism, with glaring colors that radiate emotion. One of my favorite segments comes near the end of the story, in a flashback. In the flashback, the different eras of Clark's life are represented in the art styles of different eras of Superman's existence. His youth is shown in Gold Age era art from when Superman was first introduced to the world. His young adulthood is done like the Silver Age superman of the 70s, his middle age like the neat, professional art of the 80s, and his old age is done in the Bruce Timm art of the animated 90s. It is quite excellent.
All in all I would describe this story as quiet, poignant, reflective, and real. A-
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