- Say goodbye to Clark Kent because Superman
is ditching his secret identity!
It's time for DC Comics to say bye-bye to Clark Kent,
and no, this isn't the start of a new Death of Superman arc
like in the '90s, but something different.
If you haven't hit up a comic shop in awhile,
it's not an understatement to say that it's been
an interesting ride for the Man of Steel
over the past decade.
Not only has he's seen a couple of reboots
with both New 52 and Rebirth, along with the rest
of the DC Comics universe, but he's also become a dad
and even seen his own father, Jor-El,
come back from the dead.
And now, it's looking like DC Comics
is ready to shake up the status quo yet again.
In December's upcoming Superman Number 18,
it's going to be revealed that the last son of Krypton
will be getting rid of one of the things
that has defined him from his inception:
his secret identity as the reporter Clark Kent.
That's right, in December, Clark Kent
will take off his glasses and reveal to the world
that he is, in fact, Superman!
This change comes thanks to prolific comics writer
who is currently in charge of Superman,
Brian Michael Bendis.
If the name sounds familiar, it's because his bibliography
is longer than Superman's cape.
Not only did he co-create Jessica Jones
for Marvel's adult line, Max,
Bendis is also responsible for characters
like Miles Morales during his Ultimate Spider-Man run
and Riri Williams AKA Ironheart in Iron Man,
as well as credited with reinvigorating the Avengers
for Marvel Comics back in the day.
So when he decided to switch teams
and begin working for the distinguished competition
in 2018, it was no surprise that he wanted
to kick off his run in a big way
by shaking things up in Metropolis,
like retconning the cause of Krypton's destruction
and aging up Superman's son, Jon.
But Superman revealing his alter ego of Clark Kent
is definitely major news for the character.
According to Bendis, this has been in the works
for awhile as he told the New York Times.
"On some level, this is what DC brought me here for.
"I didn't wanna stir things up right away."
Then adding, "I had to earn my place."
And in case you were thinking that this is just some sort
of gimmick that everyone on Earth would be immediately
mind-wiped from remembering, ala Spider-Man in One More Day,
Bendis also said, "I don't do fake-out stories."
Of course, this brings us to our next point.
This isn't his first time unmasking a hero.
He famously had Matt Murdock's secret identity
as Daredevil revealed to the world
during his run with the character.
Sidenote: while Daredevil's secret identity
has been reestablished, it is worth pointing out
that it didn't happen under Bendis's watch.
In fact, a lot of Bendis's quotes
seem to highlight the fact that this reveal
is not a gimmick, that there will be consequences,
and it won't be easily resolved and tucked away.
While this isn't the first time this has even happened
to the Man of Steel, Lois Lane let the secret slip
back in New 52 continuity in Superman 43,
but that version of Superman is dead now so who cares?
The real question is what does this mean going forward
for Kal-El and why now?
Bendis revealed that, "We wanted to do this
"because behind it is 1,000 brand new Superman stories
"that have never been told."
He then added, "Everybody who's ever been in contact
"with him is going to have
"a completely different perspective and reaction to this.
"Some heroes are going to be thrilled,
"some heroes are going to be livid,
"some villains are going to change their ways."
If nothing else, this does open a whole world
of possibilities for the character.
Arguably, his identity of Clark Kent
is part of what makes Superman so special.
It's the human part of his persona
that connects him to the people around him.
How he navigates the world without his mild-mannered facade
will be interesting to see,
along with how he handles things and what new problems
this will bring forward.
But we do have to ask won't this reveal
ruin the journalistic integrity
of all the things Clark has written about Superman
in the Daily Planet?
Will the public be able to trust his bylines
and what about Lois Lane's work?
Well, fans of ethics never to fear!
Bendis has your back.
Telling the New York Times, "I promise you
"that is the first thing that Lois Lane writer Greg Rucka
"stormed up to me with when we started working on this."
That's good to know.
So how long will this change last for?
Well, Bendis himself claims
that this will be the new status quo moving forward.
Honestly, we can't see it lasting forever.
This being comics and all.
While this change could potentially last for years,
eventually, some other writer will come down the line
and change things back.
Obviously, this might ruffle the feathers
of some hardcore fans, but others will be thankful
for the breath of fresh air that this could provide.
We'll just have to wait until Superman Issue 18
hits shelves in December, along with its follow-ups
to find out.
But what do you folks think?
Do you like this Superman reveal?
What do you think it'll mean
for the character moving forward,
and what other heroes would you want to see unmasked?
Let's discuss.
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