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“I wouldn’t have it any other way. Dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us. And, on my soul, I swear… until my dream of a world where dignity, honor, and justice becomes the reality we all share – I’ll never stop fighting. Ever.”
Action Comics #775: Superman – solidifying his ideals & moral foreground.
Written by Joe Kelly, penciled by Doug Mahnke and Lee Bermejo, and inked by Tom Nguyen, Dexter Vines, Jim Royal, Jose Marzan, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Wayne Faucher, Action Comics #775 shows Superman going up against The Elite in an ideological battle about if killing bad guys is right or wrong. Superman struggles with a split world, with many seeing validity in The Elite’s tactics, which proposes a moral dilemma for The Man of Steel. Ultimately, Superman defeats The Elite without killing them, proclaiming the above statement and proving to the world that killing is a line that is dangerous to cross.
To address the elephant in the room, yes, the new slogan for Superman replaces “The American Way” with “A Better Tomorrow;” however, this doesn’t change the meaning behind the phrase. Looking back to Superman’s quote at the end of Action Comics #775, we can see that Superman refers to his philosophy as a dream. He strives for this dream, yet at this point in time, is just a bit too far out of reach. Back when Superman was created, this dream was colloquially referred to as the American Dream, the ability for someone to define their own destiny through hard work and perseverance. Unfortunately, this phrase has been bastardized by right wing media over the years, requiring DC to rebrand it in such a way so that Superman’s motto can stay the same, albeit without the negative connotations.
As a whole, this issue tackles the morality of killing one’s enemies, something Superman struggles to prove is wrong. He listens in on some good perspectives, such as the idea that people like Batman villain, Victor Zsasz, will always escape prison and kill more, so why not end his life now to stop the inevitable?
Superman sees children tackling this concept, with a group of kids proclaiming that The Elite will always be superior, since their solution is absolute. By the end of this issue, Superman does the unthinkable, he seemingly kills 75% of The Elite, shocking their leader, Manchester Black… but not really. It turns out that he plays this ruse in order to prove a point, tying back to the meaning behind the famous motto. This ruse proves that he is fully capable of killing, and that it is easy for someone to cross that line. But when humanity sees that, they instantly grow afraid, knowing that the man who can do anything has crossed that line. Superman’s endless fight for Truth, Justice, and The American Way (or A Better Tomorrow), means that he is responsible for upholding a standard, and if he crosses that line, then that standard falls apart. These standards are idealistic, possible, but not yet achieved, and it’s Superman’s job to fight for them to become a reality.
Another subject worth mentioning is The Elite’s connection to the Wildstorm team, The Authority by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch. Featuring characters who mirror the Justice League, The Authority took matters into their own hands, handling injustice in a much more violent way. Action Comics #775 was actually created in response to this book, since the moral debate started to rage amongst comic fans. Joe Kelly pitched this idea in order to remind readers why Superman is still important, and why The Authority’s ideals conflict with most super hero’s ideologies.
A funny thing about Superman’s motto is the word Justice, which in and of itself is problematic, since its definition shows that it’s up for interpretation. Oxford dictionary defines justice as “just behavior or treatment.” If you want to look deeper, you’d have to define what “just behavior or treatment” is. Thankfully, Superman answer’s this question in the book. He essentially proclaims that in order to fight for justice, he must allow the powers that be to hold a criminal responsible for their actions. If they decide to uphold the death penalty, then justice would be served in that form. The important thing here is that Superman looks to these governing bodies and higher powers for judgment so that he is not serving as the judge, jury, and executioner. Superman accepts that he is fallible and that he should not decide the fate of someone. This ties back to his final act against The Elite, where he shows the world what would happen if he took everything into his own hands. At the end of the day, Superman is only as powerful in meaning as he shows himself to be, and to hold himself to those standards, he must accept that justice needs to come from a governing body that can view things from perspectives that differ from his own.
For those looking for an on screen distillation of this story, DC comics also produced the excellent Superman VS The Elite animated film, also written by Joe Kelly.
Action Comics #775 is a perfect distillation of what it means to be Superman. Superman must constantly be a poster child for his ideals or else they will become meaningless. He understands that these are only ideals, and that he must constantly push through adversity in order to stand tall. The Elite represent humanity’s base instinct to take the easy way out, which is like the devil constantly tapping on your shoulder. Superman’s job isn’t easy, but his perseverance and willingness to uphold his standards are what make him the world’s greatest superhero.
What Does Truth, Justice, & the American Way Even Mean? - A Look Back At Action Comics #775
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