Superman: Birthright (Review)

I finished Mark Waid and Leinil Francis Yu’s Superman: Birthright today. I went into this book with the same idea that I’m sure most people had: haven’t I heard/read about the origins of Superman enough? It seems that they are constantly reworking his origin, but each time the most important things remain the same. Why do we keep coming back to this story? What is it doing for us that we want to have it told and retold time and time again?

While I don’t actually have an answer to those questions, I do think that this retelling of “The Origin of the Man of Steel” is one of the best I’ve ever come across. Waid’s story is new, fresh, and exciting, while also maintaining those basic characteristics of the origin of one of the oldest comic book superheroes in existence. It is in this story that we see the farm-boy Clark Kent struggle with his identity and powers. Clark, with help and encouragement from Ma and Pa Kent, soon comes up with the idea of Superman - the alter ego. Yet, after Superman meets the sinister Lex Luthor, Luthor decides that Superman cannot be trusted. Thus, Luthor begins to discredit the name of Superman by using Superman’s own race - Kryptonians - and his past as a member of the world of Krypton against him.

The best part about this rendition of the origin story of Superman is that, much like the television show Smallville, Clark Kent and Lex Luthor know each other as adolescents. Through this back story Waid is able to humanize the villainy of Lex Luthor. Playing on the image of Luthor as a lonely outcast who just want someone “to talk to,” Waid locates the evil schemes of Luthor within his own insecurities. And this is what makes Superman and Luthor both so similar and so different. Kent has always had insecurities, but he must escape those insecurities (with the help of Ma and Pa Kent and Lois Lane) in order to become the hero that Metropolis needs. Luthor, on the other hand, is unable to escape the insecurities that have plagued him since childhood. Thus, Luthor becomes a villain because he is steeped in insecurity, and Superman becomes the hero because he is able to leave his insecurities behind. In this version of the story, it’s all about choices and one’s point-of-view.

I give this story a 5/5, unreservedly.