In Short
Superman: Secret Identity presents the story of a young man named Clark Kent who develops amazing super human powers. However, this isn’t the Superman of DC legend. Clark lives in a world much like ours, was named after the Superman of comic book lore, and otherwise exists in a world devoid of super powered beings. This incredible work explores what would happen if Superman existed in the real world, what would drive him in life, and how he would ultimately choose to use his powers.
The Physical Thing
This 208 page softcover book is a good to average value for its $19.99 price tag. The art is good and gives the title a certain unique feel. It’s difficult to describe as a non-artist, but works that are paired with a good artist who draws for the whole run are a wonderful treat. The paper quality is also average for a comic book collection, sturdy but not overly so.
The Ideas
Clark Kent’s life almost exactly mirrors that of his comic book identity, only he has fewer friends and has had to live with the stigma of such a famous name. Imagine his surprise, and joy, to discover his can fly after camping out one weekend night. What is he? Where did his powers come from? What should he do? So begins the tale of Superman, a great hero born into an otherwise normal world just like ours.
This complete series covers Clark’s life from his teenage years to the end. During that time he struggles with normal problems. He falls in love, has children, maintains a career, and otherwise lives life like any of us might. Through all of this he has the burden of being a hero, a super hero, but it is a burden tempered by our world. This Superman has to worry about his family. He has to worry that the United States government might capture him and perform horrible tests. Those are the two big conflicts throughout the series: trust and responsibility.
Trust is a problem for this Superman in our world. The United States government wants him, badly, and perhaps has experimented with creatures like him before. This causes him to use his abilities in secret, trying to avoid any recognition. Ultimately he changes the world for the better every day without anyone being the wiser. Trust plays the biggest problem where it meets his other concern, family.
This Clark Kent does fall in love with a Lois, but she is nothing like Mrs. Lane. Soon Clark and Lois have a family all their own, and things change for Superman. He has to be more careful now, because if the government discovered who he really was it could result in the death of his family. Superman changes under the weight of his responsibilities. The continuing evolution of the character throughout this miniseries is interesting and reasonable.
My Take
This is a fantastic comic. It sets out to tell the tale of a Superman born to a world more like ours, and it does an excellent job. The comic isn’t about how the world changes because of Superman, however, but how Superman changes because of the world. It’s an introspective vision of the sorts of problems Clark Kent must deal with in the real world, and how he ultimately chooses to live his life. I strongly recommend it.
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