This year's One Book, One Chicago selection, The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, features two ambitious young men creating their own superhero in the late 1930s. Their creation owes a great debt to Superman, and in the same way that author Michael Chabon tips his hat to America's most iconic comic book creation, other writers have taken the idea of Superman and explored what this character means to our nation's psyche.
Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? is written by famed weirdo comic genius Alan Moore, who has frequently loved to explore the depths of comic book myth and meaning. This time around, he has a bit of fun wondering how you could get the Man of Steel to quit.
Red Son, on the other hand, wonders what would happen if America's strongest Boy Scout joined the other side. Instead of landing in Kansas, Superman's spaceship crash lands in the Ukraine. As a result, the infant alien grows up an ardent communist. The repercussions of this one small change upend the entire superhero universe.
Lots of people like to think of Superman as a metaphor for Christ, but given his roots, it might be better to think of him as Moses. Superman Is Jewish? explores the Jewish roots of Superman and a number of early superheroes. It's a fascinating look at how one subculture can impact an entire nation and beyond.
Over the years, Superman has been a bird, a plane, a savior, a stick in the mud, an utterly other alien, an ambitious immigrant, America personified and whatever other baggage we can fit into tights and a cape. There's lots to be done with the Man of Steel.
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