Calls for a Boycott of DC Comics are growing after news came out on April 27th that the newest issue of the Superman comic book will have the man of steel renounce his US citizenship.
In the Action Comics series number #900, Superman rebuffs his being used as a tool of US foreign policy and informs a National Security Advisor for the President that he is renouncing his US citizenship to become a citizen of the Universe.
He’s just so sick of being pigeon-holed as an instrument of U.S. policy. And “truth, justice, and the American way“ are ”not enough anymore.” That’s why Superman, in the latest Action Comic, has announced he is “renouncing” his U.S. citizenship.
Although he’s traditionally seen as an American hero (remember, though, he is an alien), Superman is fed up with being connected to the USA. According to the Comics Alliance blog (and reported by BoingBoing), in Action Comics #900 Superman tells the president‘s national security adviser that he’s had enough of the Red, White, and Blue: - The Blaze
Symbols have and always will be an important part of American society. Whether it is the flag, the bible, or fictional characters such as Superman, removing them, or demeaning them in the public eye, will always bring forth a strong reaction from a large portion of society.
In this case, a boycott of DC Comics is growing and being discussed by many people.
This better be some one shot crap shoot or everyone will need to get to work on boycotting DC Comics and the new Superman movie. I am getting tired of these leftist writers taking characters to push their own twisted agenda on the guise of some greater cause. This is Goyer using an icon to slam America and its values. Nothing more. – nrbosa.com
Bleep Superman. I urge a boycott of Warner Brothers, all DC franchises, and particularly Superman. They intended this to be a political statement, but it is really a slap in the face of the American identity. Show me any one country that has done more for the world than America. We have fought for more people and sacrificed more treasure than any other country in history.
Superman’s real kryptonite is lack of comic sales. Hit them where it hurts, and I bet they’ll be doing a special issue where he retakes the citizenship oaths. – Swamp Fox Press
There is even a Facebook page that was created called Boycott DC Comics over the Dark Knight franchise, however its popularity never took off.
Comic books, and the characters they spawn have been a large part of American society going back to the early 20th century. Their popularity has waxed and waned, and much of this has had to do with artists choosing to adapt the character to the societal changes of the time. Characters such as Captain America and Superman were instrumental symbols during World War II, and the comic book industry led the way in the fight against Adolph Hitler and Nazi Germany. During that time the industry experienced the golden age of comic books, and revenues soared all through the war years.
However, the same attempts to use comic book characters to show the disagreements of society with the Vietnam war led to a massive spike downward in sales and revenues, and the industry nearly closed as Americans don't read comics to entrench their fears and anger, but instead to instill hope and a picture of the better side of man.
Whether a growing call to boycott DC Comics comes to fruition over the controversial move to have Superman renounce his citizenship has yet to be seen, most Americans know that the boycott is one of the greatest tools of protest we have to show our distaste of a product, industry, or company.
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