Superman: True Brit
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Superman: True Brit is a Hardback book first published in 2004 in the US by DC Comics and by Titan Books in the UK. Written by John Cleese and Kim Johnson, with art by John Byrne and Mark Farmer, it reimagines the origin of Superman, by considering how Clark Kent's upbringing would be different if his spaceship had crashed in Weston-Super-Mare in England instead of the fictional town of Smallville in Kansas, America.
The plot follows Superman's (named by his parents as Colin Clark) formative years, being encouraged by his parents to suppress his powers and abilities for fear of standing out otherwise. Humour arises from the fact that as a result of this, Colin is not fully in control of his abilities. Colin spends some time attempting to find his role in life, before settling on something bearing close resemblance to the original Superman's mission. As a result, Superman becomes the most famous celebrity in Britain and the tabloids set out to destroy him, solely for the sales to be generated from the story.
The story aims to poke fun at the apparent desire to conform embedded in the British psyche, as well as mocking the British tabloid press, in particular the Daily Star. Characters with similarities to Superman regulars Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White make an appearance.
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[edit] Criticism
The book has come under fire most notably for the humour contained within. Some critics (especially British ones) feel that the jokes and stereotypes used throughout the book are tired and no longer valid.[1][2] Others are surprised by the type of humour employed as the humour is radically different to Cleese's 'typical' output.[citation needed] Some cynical critics believe his name was only added to the project in order to get the book to be published.[citation needed]
[edit] Trivia
- Other members of Monty Python make appearances or are referred to, such as a couple in Antarctica mentioning 'the nice Mr. Palin'.
- When Colin is walking down the street, the grandmother from the Giles Family cartoons in the Daily Express can be seen walking down the street in the opposite direction.
- Superman's first mission was to rescue two members of The Rutles from death.
- The Union Jack depicted on the book's cover is upside down.
