Posted on August 1, 2022

Superman Tackles Online Hate Groups in Essential Modern YA Story

Justin Epps, Screenrant, July 28, 2022

The hero Superman has tackled some pretty heavy issues before, but his next adventure may be his most important one yet. DC has announced an upcoming YA graphic novel that features Clark Kent encountering the influential nature of hateful online subcultures.

{snip} Racism, immigration, abuse, discrimination are just some of the heavy topics Clark Kent has seen in his personal and superhero lives. Since his creation, Superman has fought for social justice and been an outspoken advocate for the rights of all people. And while the hero has been around for nearly a century, hate is just as powerful as ever, even taking on sinister new forms.

And a new graphic novel plans to show just how DC’s greatest hero can deal with one of the most worrying topics facing young minds today. During San Diego Comic-Con, the publisher revealed Superman: The Harvest of Youth, a graphic novel from Sina Grace. The book reimagines Clark Kent as a modern teen attending Smallville High, grappling with several real issues facing teens today. The Man of Steel is going to face “the mortality of his friends and family, teen isolation and the seductive nature of online subcultures built around hate and anger.” {snip}

One particularly interesting aspect of the announcement was the mention that Clark would come face to face with hateful online groups and see the influence that they can have on developing minds. This is a relatively new topic that is just starting to get attention in the real world {snip}

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