New Super-Man, Vol. 1: Made in China by Gene Luen YangMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Admittedly, I only picked this up because Gene Luen Yang wrote it. While I've only read a few of his works, I think all of them have been great. The idea of China creating its own Super-Man (and a sort of Justice League) turned out to be more interesting than I would have expected. With the rise of "American style super-villains", the Ministry of Self Reliance looks for candidates that will exemplify the qualities of a hero needed to defeat them.
Insert Kong Kenan. He's a bit of a punk, picking on some of the other kids from his school. The attitude that compels him to do this stays with him through most of the book, but he starts to show better qualities. I think if he did a 180 as soon as he was picked to get the Super-Man powers the book would not have worked as nicely as it does. Of the supporting characters, Batman might be the best. The attitude is right. Some of the best moments come from the interactions between Kong and this new Batman. Another good dynamic is between Kong and his father.
I liked the art. It is pretty high quality and there weren't any real confusing moments and it wasn't highly stylized either. The colors are great too. Together they capture the feel of the Chinese culture without beating you over the head. This book is friendly for new readers because you don't really need to know anything about Superman to be able to read this volume. If I get an opportunity to pick up the next part of the story, I'll certainly do so.
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