For a More Humane Superman

Unlike the last open letter I wrote for this blog, the one that follows is more serious, at least to me.

Dear DC Comics,

Most likely, you've received letters like this one before, but, since the status quo on a particular issue is unchanged, I felt that it really couldn't hurt for you to receive another missive on a subject of importance to me as a lifelong Superman fan. This is something I've wanted to do for a while, and Superman: Rebirth #16 finally convinced me that the time had come, because that issue features the Man of Steel doing something that should be very much against his character. So, I'm writing this letter to tell you why Clark Kent should be a vegan, and why it's important for that to be publicly established across all media in which he appears.

Obviously, you've faced this issue before, most famously when Misters Millar, Morrison, Peyer, and Waid presented Superman 2000, their "plan to revitalize the Superman franchise for the new millennium," in 1998. In that pitch, those excellent writers, highly intelligent men all, asked: Can the "man with a code against killing [really eat] murdered animals?" Though the proposal was not accepted, you did allow Mark Waid to include elements of it in his maxi-series Superman: Birthright, which presented a Clark Kent who could see the auras of all living beings and thus was motivated to become a vegetarian. But, while parts of this "soft reboot" story became DC canon for a while, the ethical diet did not, because Clark/Superman was later depicted eating sloppy joes, hot dogs, etc. As "totalprocrastination" put it in a Reddit forum, the vegetarianism was apparently one of the "things from Birthright everyone seemed to agree as being too out there."

But it's not at all "too out there." In fact, it makes perfect sense for Clark Kent to maintain a diet that excludes animal products, if for no other reason than his aforementioned, much-vaunted personal no-kill code. Ever since the company's edict way back in the forties, clearly inspired by a growing awareness of the character's influence on children, that Superman would never take a life, countless plot devices have been invented to allow the Man of Steel to save the day without anyone dying. If he will bend over backwards to spare the lives of Lex Luthor and Brainiac, who represent a clear and present danger to innocent people, then surely Superman is not going to knowingly allow an innocent animal to suffer pain and be murdered for the sake of his titanium-strength stomach. These things are not mutually exclusive.

Speaking of that Kryptonian digestive system, there have been a number of comics stories to establish that Superman doesn't need to eat at all, because he gets his nutrition from solar radiation. This hasn't been consistent, but it could easily be, as it would only require an editorial or executive mandate to make sure all writers stick to it. Then they could establish the difference between the alter egos (and thus protect that secret ID) by having Clark follow a vegan diet, since he needs to "keep up appearances" and likes to eat, anyway.

If you think about it, the only reasons this has not been solidly established as canon before are old-fashioned prejudice and fear. Obviously, most of the folks at DC, including Superman's scripters, have always been meateaters and have viewed the Man of Tomorrow through their own personal lense. Because they eat animals, of course they assume that this alien who only looks human would do the same, especially since he was raised on a farm. And there is no doubt some fear that changing this tradition would alienate (no pun intended) carnivorous readers who think all red-blooded American males must consume meat. But anyone who makes or reads comic books has a strong enough imagination to see that Superman doesn't have to play by human rules, and his veganism after life on the farm can be seen as a personal ethical evolution, something that any dynamic character could experience. And, as long as the stories remain top-notch and his diet isn't made a big deal of, there's no reason to believe the fans won't stick with him.

Still, you'll want to establish this new normal across all media. Just as fans were outraged that Superman killed Zod in the movie Man of Steel because he wouldn't have done so in the comics or cartoons, his veganism in the funny books would have less impact if he continued eating meat in movies or on TV. You already made sure every version of the character adopted the no-underwear-on-the-outside costume; his new humane diet would be established everywhere, too, if you wanted it to be.

And I truly believe you should want it to be, because, even in our cynical 21st century, when the symbol of the Dark Knight is ubiquitous, Superman is still our role model, our ideal. Kids still look up to him. He's better than all of us, and he should be better in all things. So, he definitely should not be thoughtlessly chomping down on helpless frogs, like he did in Superman: Rebirth #16. He's everyone's hero, and he should act like it.

Thank you very much for your time.

Sincerely, P. Ryan Anthony Superman Fan #1

What do you think, reader? Should I send this letter to DC Comics?

#comics #communication