Recently, I was perusing my cuñado's copy of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, when I came across this interesting page:
It's the start of a short prelude to the main story of the graphic novel. In it, a young Clark Kent and a young Pete Ross are playing baseball when a motorcoach carrying a young Bruce Wayne drives up. It's a short, interesting story about the two greatest superheroes in the DC Universe crossing paths as boys, but it sheds light on Superman's preference in baseball teams. Did you catch the hat that Clark is wearing on that page? Let's take a closer look...
To me, it makes a lot of sense for Superman to be a Kansas City Monarchs fan. Playing from 1920 to 1965, the Monarchs were longest running franchise in Negro Leagues history. Superman made his first appearance in June of 1938. Since the young Clark Kent is wearing a 1949 Monarchs hat, he must have been no less than ten or eleven years old when he crossed paths with the young Bruce Wayne. The time frame fits, as does the geography.
When his Kryptonian spacecraft crash-landed on Earth, the infant Kal-El was taken in by Jonathan and Martha Kent and raised in Smallville, Kansas. So the Monarchs were a local team for Clark Kent during his formative years.
What's more, it isn't out of the realm of imagination that Clark Kent would have no qualms rooting for the Negro League Monarchs, even though he was a white boy. Being the alien that he was, Superman was vastly superior to humans in essentially every way. It makes sense that, even as a boy, he would be above any form of racial prejudice that existed in that era.
It is perfectly logical that Superman--who fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way--would be a fan of the American pastime, and a fan of one of the most iconic teams in baseball history.
When his Kryptonian spacecraft crash-landed on Earth, the infant Kal-El was taken in by Jonathan and Martha Kent and raised in Smallville, Kansas. So the Monarchs were a local team for Clark Kent during his formative years.
What's more, it isn't out of the realm of imagination that Clark Kent would have no qualms rooting for the Negro League Monarchs, even though he was a white boy. Being the alien that he was, Superman was vastly superior to humans in essentially every way. It makes sense that, even as a boy, he would be above any form of racial prejudice that existed in that era.
It is perfectly logical that Superman--who fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way--would be a fan of the American pastime, and a fan of one of the most iconic teams in baseball history.
No comments:
Post a Comment