Strangely enough, Superman, a superhero that was so seminal in the unifying of unyielding patriotism, is rooted in one of the most insular communities in the country. Somehow, many have forgotten that the brainchild of writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster is canonically Jewish. In the years since Superman’s inception, this particular aspect of the character was informed with less and less frequency. It looks like that may change.
Brian Michael Bendis joins DC Comics to pen Man Of Steel, a six-issue weekly miniseries set to debut on May 30. The series will be illustrated by several giants in the industry, some of which include The Spectre’s Ryan Sook, and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, who is working on the prelude chapter that will hit the shelves later in May.
Bendis, who is Jewish, aims to implement Kal-El’s (a name that takes inspiration from Hebrew) heritage back into the character. In an interview with Forbes, he characterizes himself as the following:
“A little Jewish boy from Cleveland, and my connection to Superman is very, very deep, genetically.”
This is a rousing bit of news. And what’s important is ensuring Jewish art and literature does all it can to celebrate its rich history. On how much Bendis aims to bring Superman back to his roots, he teased, "I can honestly tell you the choices we've made and bring to Superman are deeply connected to his origins. I don't want to say too much right now, but it's a reflection of where he came from and the world we live in now."
Few characters have the potential to uplift us from a poisonous mentality like the last son of Krypton. For many, Superman is the ultimate symbol of moral acuity. He’s representative of what we all should strive to be—empathetic, hardworking, patent and kind. He also happens to be Jewish.
