>DC Comics has revealed a new cover for July's New Super-Man #1, and with that a revised name for the Chinese superhero. In an essay by Gene Luen Yang, the series writer describes how the character went from being called 'Kenji Kong' to Kenan Kong' to avoid the misconception that he didn't understand Japanese culture.
>"There was a problem, of course. Kenji is a common Japanese name and this would probably cause some confusion, at least at first," Yang writes. "I was only thinking about how I’d make this character and his name work in the particular story I was going to write. I’d missed the forest for the trees."
>After consulting with his editors, creators with ties to China, and his own parents, Yang settled on a new name: Kenan Kong.
>"Ke means 'to overcome.' What could be more Super-Man than 'to overcome'?" The writer explained. "Nan means 'south.' Appropriate for a kid from Shanghai, since folks from Beijing like to call folks from Shanghai 'Southerners.'"
>>81966910
So he gave a Chinese character a Japanese name?! And he's Chinese himself?!
I liked the designs with the chinese symbols better desu senpai
>>81966910
I really want this to work. I hate minority characters that are just murrikans.
That's why the first batwing was extremely cool and the second was just another american nigger.
>it's chinese Superman!
Whatever happened to Thundermind?
>>81966970
He claimed Kenji was a Chinese name too but I guess he was getting some shit for it
>>81966910
I've got a pretty good feeling about this.
>>81967018
> DC writers not named tomasi paying attention to morrison stories
I thought they were going to make post crisis Superman and New52 Superman Superman Red and Superman Blue. Looks like I was close.
>>81967104
I guess that means no Great Ten then huh? Welp there goes my interest.
>>81966910
So will Kenan Kong love orange soda?
>>81967295
Mmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm
>>81967207
the Great Ten are actually meant to be in the book, iirc
>>81967295
AW HERE WE GO
So does this mean we're getting more Mother of Champions? AKA the most fetishy superpower in mainstream comics ever?
>Chinese pandering intensifies
>>81967207
Actually i think they're in it senpai.
>>81967397
>>81967339
Well color me intrigued.
> japanese-chinese don't exist
>>81967387
Grab some Kryptonite, Lex Luthor's hair and issue nine of OMAC, then meet me on Oa!
i don't like this feeling of being targeted as an audience desu senpai
>>81967519
Well maybe you should've thought about before becoming chinese.
>>81967050
But Kenji is really associated with Japan, so I can understand why ppl were wary of the name. Considering the history of Japan and the mainland.
>>81967018
Thundermind operated out of Beijing, plus he's more Martian Manhunter+Captain Marvel type deal.
>>81967207
>>81967339
Time to dust off my Ghost Fox Killer pitch and get hopes up for nothing.
>>81967579
>Rape of Nanjing, what's that?
>>81966910
WHY IS CHINESE SUPERMAN HOLDING THAT FAT BOY LIKE THAT ?
WHAT ARE THE CHARGE ?
ENJOYING A MEAL ? A SUCCULENT CHINESE MEAL?
>>81966910
Are we getting july solicits tomorrow?
>>81966970
>>81967050
>>81967579
He goes into detail about it on a DCComics.com write-up.
Basically, one of his stipulations about the name was that it couldn't sound Japanese; he didn't want people to become confused about the point of origin.
Though he DOES then acknowledge that "Kenan" can be confusing, though I guess since it's between China and America that more people might default to China.
>>81967686
Probably
>>81967686
Most likely, yes.
Third week and the sales numbers were released last week.
Is that FCO who coloured the new cover? Looks leagues better than the cover coloured by Blond. Really hope FCO or another decent colourist is on the interiors instead of someone like Blond.
>>81967137
Superman Blue is Superwoman
Superman Red is Super-Man
>>81966910
I'm interested. It's nice to see some more non-American heroes.
Kenji actually is a chinese name too, just uncommon, and pronounced with a Q sound.
But it's also one of the most common Japanese names in the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh5ciFnwnuw
>>81967567
Whens the next racial draft? With a little luck, I'll go estonian next round.
>>81967696
maybe it would work better as Ken-an?
I would think that a professional author with loads of chinese people, and a completely open name field to pick from would be able to do a better job of picking something unambiguous and distinct.
>>81968036
>I would think that a professional author with loads of chinese people, and a completely open name field to pick from would be able to do a better job of picking something unambiguous and distinct.
He wanted something that starts with a K for the alliteration
>>81968036
http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2016/04/14/naming-super-man
Gene Luen Yang's self-imposed constraints:
>The name would need to be a plausible Chinese name.
>The name’s meaning should relate to the character’s journey in some way.
>The English version of the Chinese name should be derived using Pinyin.
>The English version should have the initials K. K.
>The English version should be immediately pronounceable by American readers who haven’t studied Pinyin.
And after rejecting "Kenji",
>The Pinyin version cannot sound Japanese.
And that's how he settled on 孔克南 (Kenan Kong).
>Kenan isn’t quite as easy to pronounce (in Chinese, it’s closer to “Ken Ann” than “Key Nan”), but it’s pronounceable enough. And it definitely satisfies constraint #6.
>>81968203
This is paradoxically attempting to demonstrate how authentic they are by pandering harder than imaginable.
>>81968422
It was all Yang's choice, not DC. All that DC did was ask him to pitch a Chinese Superman.
name shoulda been zian xiaotong or shun jianyu
>>81968203
It's obvious that Yang is putting a lot of effort for this new character. I'll probably check out the first issue
>>81968203
That is a lot of work just for a name.
>>81966910
Is that a Nightwing I see on the cover
I'm pretty interested in this so it is probably doomed to early cancellation, gone by #8.
>>81968724
Names are very important.
>>81967390
I feel like he already said the Great Ten wouldn't show up a lot. Tomasi might use her in the buildup arc though.
>>81968203
>Yang putting in all this effort
>it'll sell like shit
Poor guy
>>81968486
The pandering is in demonstrating how great and respectful they are in the way they chose the name. Let the story speak for itself. If the name wasn't 100% "authentic" and the story is still great then the only people who would get mad are outrage seekers anyway.
>>81968875
>Names are very important.
I'm definitely not complaining. It certainly seems to be a passion project.
That is doomed to fail.
>>81968875
It's minority + Superman. At the very least 3 trades.
>>81968937
After the "Pakistanian" debacle, they're probably trying to mend fences.
>>81966910
Wait so superman is chinese now? Is this for rebirth? What the fuck is going on?
>>81968924
>meanwhile Batman and Robin Eternal sells like hotcakes
World is unfair.
>>81968937
I think you're taking more from this than intended. It's just the creator explaining his thinking process. No different from Paquette designing the architecture in WWEO to look yonic.
>>81968972
Superbooks don't really have that kind of pull. It will be like what happens to the GL side books. Maybe it will settle around 20k if we're lucky.
>>81968875
If you can be sure to pre-order it at your local comic bookstore and if possible convince others to as well. I know I'll be doing that. And hopefully the Super-Man name will help it stay afloat for a good while.
Also comic book stores have three issues of this with 100% returnability so that might help with the sales.
>>81969003
Nah, Clark just decided to become a major weeb.
>>81969003
Yes, Kal-El is Rebirthed to be found by Chinese farmers.
>>81968203
Like 95% of people are gonna pronounce it Key-nuhn. A lot of wasted effort here.
>>81969035
Holy fuck a weeb is a fan of Japanese not Chinese you stupid fuck.
>>81969008
Fair enough, but I doubt we would see this detailed of a thought process behind any other new character name.
>>81966910
>dat wannabe Capullo art
no me gusta
>>81969003
This is New Super-Man.Notice the hyphen
It looks like Superman will be losing his powers (and possibly his life) whilst Lois Lane and this new character will gain them instead for a Superman Red & Superman Blue type thing.
>>81968972
How many trades did Batwing have?
>>81969003
Yes. DC changed Clark's race to Chinese.
>>81969003
New 52 Supes is terminal so they're replacing him with Chinese Supes, New 52 Lois as Superwoman, and pre-Flashpoint Supes. Also there's a new Clark Kent shows up and there'lll be a mystery there.
>>81969096
He made it to thirty issues somehow, didn't he?
>>81969114
>Also there's a new Clark Kent shows up and there'lll be a mystery there.
I still don't think that's meant to be a new character or a mystery for the reader, but it's been stated ambiguously enough I guess.
>>81969127
34+ Futures End, according to wiki.
>>81969096
5 volumes, 34 issues + Futures End tie in
But they changed David to Luke after 18 or so issues
So yeah this will get at least 3 trades worth of stuff. One of the few asian guys too. Ryan Choi and New 52 Omac are the only other asian guys I can think of from DC that have had a solo. Dunno about Marvel.
![dc142c5b5[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/IuOSP6q.jpg "dc142c5b5[1].jpg")
>>81968073
Still leaves literally hundreds of names.
>>81969023
I read one or two of gene's stuff, and they both sucked hard. What's his best shit?
I think the expanded constraint, "Name should NOT be misreadable", instead of not obviously japanese is a better rule here. You've already got pic related in the namespace.
>>81969174
Gene's best Superman stuff was when he was doing the mythological fight club he actually cared about.
>>81969161
>Dunno about Marvel.
>not knowing about first Asian superheroine
>>81968203
>I chose 孔 Kong because Kang is a conqueror in the Marvel Universe.
Based Yang. Really hope New Sper-Man is good and a success
>>81969174
>What's his best shit?
American Born Chinese. Boxers & Saints.
>>81969199
I think that was #45-47
It was fun, making the majority of Truth an awful crossover instead of just letting them play around with it for a while was a mistake.
>>81969199
>Yang will never get a book comprised solely of Mythological World Wrestling
>>81969234
>asian guys
>silk
>guy
>>81969234
Asian-American
Yang seems like a pretty cool guy and is doing equality right, that if you want more representation, make that representation. How was his Superman run?
>>81969280
Ah. I thought "guys" was overall.
Shang-Chi, anyway. 40 years ago he had solo.
>>81969307
Eh beginning because he spent too long setting up how his identity was outed, good middle, bad end because he was just another cog in the crossover machine and the villain he set up in the first part of the arc was unceremoniously killed.
>>81969352
Ah simple mistake
>>81966910
They are making a crossover with the main Superman title, it's called
"Kenan & Kal"
How long till we got the comedy team-up book 'Kenan and Kal-El'?
>>81969307
His run was mostly mediocre but I blame that on the fact that it was a crossover that I'm not sure any writer had proper control over.
Tomasi's stuff during Truth compared to his storyline now (of course being sold as a crossover but seemingly written just like a normal arc across multiple books) is like night and day.
>>81969161
>But they changed David to Luke after 18 or so issues
Im still mad
>>81969441
>>81969454
would read/10
>>81969265
And Avatar.
>>81969499
Me too.
>>81969499
Same
Mad they tried sticking David back with the Gotham guys and everybody basically ignored him in favor of Batman, Damian, and Dick's hair.
>>81969234
Cassandra Cain
>>81969499
What was even the point of that?
>>81969671
They thought keeping the book in Gotham would save sales but sales still tanked after it
>>81969441
>>81969454
I DID IT! I DID IT, Kenan! I'm sorry man. It was an accident. I didn't mean it. I. Dropped the Kryptonite in the tuna! I DROPPED the Kryptonite in the tuna! It was me!
>>81966910
But most importantly,would you?
>>81969671
Because Gotham is the only relevant place in the world
also in regards to pandering African-Americans>Africans
>>81969718
I'dhold hands withhim
>>81967686
Today or tomorrow, probably.
>>81969744
DC is usually Monday so today hopefully
Western Kenan rolls off the tongue better than Chinese Kenan, especially when you're all iterating with Kong.
>>81969725
To be fair, it's hard to write I story about Africa when you're not from there.
It's one thing to write a made-up nation like Wakanda, but David was from Congo.
>it's ok when DC does it
is this shit earth0
>>81969742
Lewd.
>Maybe he eventually has to team up with a Japanese super hero, someone like Katana or a member of that crazy Japanese super-team that Grant Morrison made up. Maybe they fall in love.
Yang please.
>>81969875
yes
>>81969861
This isn't Superman, this is Super-Man.
>>81969885
Well now Yang needs to deliver or I'll hate him forever
You can't tease me with best boy and not follow through
>>81969718
>>81969742
I'd do both. Then spit in his mouth and call him a worthless slut.
>>81969234
>>81969234
>who is Psylocke
Is Marvel even trying with their shilling?
They can't even check their own archives?
>>81969973
No, he is not for sexual.
>>81970124
No, he's for super sexual.
>>81970117
That line came from a comic journalist, not Marvel.
>>81969234
>first Asian superheroine
Who is Cassandra Cain?
>>81969114
This all sounds unnecessarily complicated.
>>81970179
His explanation is shit, here's a simpler one:
New 52 Clark is getting depowered and his powers tossed onto Lois and Kenan, pre-Flashpoint Superman takes over as actual Superman.
>>81970179
Less so than the outcome of Death of Superman
>>81970266
But why?
>>81970273
Hey, what ever happened to E-RAD-icator?
>>81970298
>But why?
Nobody likes New 52 Superman and Lois is a woman and Kenan isn't white.
>>81970124
He's definitely a slut, I can tell by looking at him
>>81970298
>But why?
because
>>81970312
I like him ;_;
>>81970312
>bad characters
>not bad writers
When will people learn?
>>81970339
>I like him ;_;
Nostalgiafags were louder than you.
>>81970316
This
He's smug, smug people are always sluts too
>>81970353
I like old Superman too though. I just want them to hang out and have adventures together.
>>81970352
I can't wait for some writer to write pre Flash point Superman like people have been writing New 52 Superman.
>>81970117
Psylocke's not really Asian. Marvel has a few more Asian heroines but Silk might be their first to have a solo. Cass Cain has her beat by a decade though.
>>81970381
Unless DC has gotten less like they were a few years ago, it'll happen eventually.
>people didn't like Nu52 Superman
>people liked American Alien Superman
>>81970117
>who is Psylocke
A white British woman in a Japanese woman's body.
>>81970441
What does this say about people?
>>81970381
They were already doing that pre-Flashpoint with trash like Grounded
>>81970441
>>people liked American Alien Superman
Is something wrong with that?
>>81970494
Yes
>>81970485
You're a gun.
>>81966910
>Kenan
Is his Jimmy Olsen going to be Kel?
Why no earth 23 superman ongoing?
>>81970517
I legit don't think anything in the new 52 has been that bad. Maybe some of the Lobdell shit? I didn't read it.
>>81970508
"Yes" isn't an answer, use your words anon.
>>81970545
Lobdell Superman was basically Dragonball Z.
>>81970542
>no Earth-11 Superwoman ongoing
it hurts
>>81966910
It looks like a Robin with an S in the chest.
>>81970542
>not an Earth-13 League of Shadows book
>>81970573
Nobody cares about your waifu
>>81970680
Girl Clark best Clark
>>81970485
Yes but people didn't have an entire reboot to blame for that shit story.
>>81970668
>no Earth-16 book where Chris steals Damian from Lexie
truly why even live
>>81967390
>power to give birth to a rapidly aging litter of supermen
How is this a character? Playing off the stereotypes of tiger mothers and china's overpopulation while giving the reader disturbing images of rapid birthing
>>81970750
What about Earth-13 or Earth-18 or Earth-44?
>>81970825
Grant Morrison
>>81970825
Morrison.
>>81970825
Morrison
>>81970843
most interested in E36 tbqh
>>81970825
She's not really a character at all. At best she's supporting cast for the more active members of the Great Ten.
>Supers coming out the woodwork
>pre-Flashpoint Superman hanging around the universe now
>Superman's son becoming Superboy
>Super-Woman
>literal Chinese cartoon Super-Man from China
That super-cancer is gonna kill New 52 Clark, isn't it?
>>81971652
Probably. Or he'll be that mysterious Clark Kent. Without memories of being Superman, maybe?
>>81966910
I really dont understand what the fuck is going on with Superman now.
>>81971719
I don't understand why you don't understand. He's currently sick. That storyline will lead to others gaining his powers and pre-Flashpoint Superman being the main one in the Superbooks starting with Rebirth. There's some things that aren't clear yet of course (mainly what exactly happens to new 52 Superman) but it's fairly straightforward.
>>81970825
How is that not the best character tho? Like there's nothing that you just said that I don't want more of.
>>81971790
How did this Gook get Superman's powers?
>>81971869
I thought gooks were Koreans not Chinese?
And that's the current storyline happening in the Superbooks right now. It has not finished yet.
>>81969968
>we'll never get that Great ten vs Super young team crossover
>>81966910
Hopefully he last longer than terrorist Green Lantern.
>>81970153
Who is Shang-Chi?
>>81970266
>New 52 Clark is getting depowered and his powers tossed onto Lois and Kenan, pre-Flashpoint Superman takes over as actual Superman.
Does that mean that they have half the power of the actual Superman and thus significantly less powerful?
>>81972074
>Heroine
>Shang Chi
>>81972074
His Secret Wars comic was pure sex in terms of various martial arts schools.
>>81967295
That's Kel Kong that loves orange soda.
>>81972168
Anyone can become a heroine if you put your mind to it.
>>81967579
Yes but China is just going to claim that Japan is China Jr so every Japanese name is a Chinese name.
>>81972038
Terrorist Green Lantern is part of the JL and co-headlining a GL book
>>81972375
Don't sexualize Dick, he's my husbando you creep.
>>81972375
I need Dick to fuck Kenan while in China doing stuff for the Owls
>>81972525
Dick is for sexual
so is this just going to be chinese propaganda so it'll sell in japan?
>>81972468
Simon Baz haven't appeared in Justice League for quite some time. He has been replaced by Power Ring. As for the Green Lantern book, dunno what is currently going on with it. It is a mess from what I last remember.
>>81972582
Well that's a slip. I mean so it'll be sold in china.
>>81966910
Is this confirmed to be his uniform? What happened to those sketches with Chinese characters on the chest?
>>81972588
I'm talking about Rebirth, Simon and Jessica are part of the main JL team
>>81972588
They're giving him some attention now. After Rebirth he'll be in JL and starring in Green Lanterns with Jessica. You need to go over all those announcements m8.
>>81972714
>those two fuckers will have two books
>Guy will be wallpaper
Fuck everything.
>>81972771
The HJGLC book sounds like a clusterfuck
>>81972793
With Venditti still writing it and the four main Lanterns in one book, it's easily going to be one of the most hated Rebirth books.
>>81972651
These
>>81972847
This looks great, sad they didn't stick with this.
>>81972793
That book is one I least trust. It'll be bad. Probably. Of course, I'd love to be wrong but after Venditti's tenure so far...
>>81972847
>there'll never be story set in main universe with top right Supercommunist
>>81973001
the final costume is basically that streamlined and with some gold trim
>>81973085
But it has the traditional S instead of the chinese characters, sadly
Also, they kept the upper right one, when the two on the lower right look much better
>>81973085
I was thinking more because of red stars on shoulders.
>>81973135
I think that second to lower right would be bitch to color constantly.
>>81972847
The S looks better.
>>81973413
But why would he use a Latin letter?
>>81974195
Directly inspired by Superman. Remember that it is indeed the El family seal in-continuity. Can't only think of the irl origin of it.
>>81966910
>Ke means 'to overcome'
>Nan means 'south'
>overcome south
>>81974405
He should have just been called Ke Kong.
>>81974255
irl it's an S
I hope we see mythological wrestling federation's China tour in this book.
>>81966910
That Superman costume looks quite nice. Easier the 2nd best behind DC 1 Million Superman's costume.
>>81968203
>it’s closer to “Ken Ann” than “Key Nan”
Yang, you poor deluded fool.
>>81976047
>Quitely gave the idea of V neck to Lee
REEEEEEEEEE
>>81966976
This
Also it's more unique
>>81966970
he didn't actually name the character.
He came on to the book with it already in development.
>>81978947
What?
http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2016/04/14/naming-super-man
>>81972627
Like are DC really going to publish Chinese version along with the English version? Instead of getting pirated by translated copies?
>>81972878
Chinese fans had a good laugh at the letters on his chest.
>>81967659
>30 million chinese died in the heavenly kingdom war
>15 million chinese died in WWII because of japan
>the second one is worse because china can get money from japan if they whine enough
>>81980535
Japan pls just admit your war crimes.
>>81972627
>>81972582
>china
>letting american comics threaten sales of chinese manhua
It is funny that DC has their anti-Trump stuff as Marvel does, when they and most other businesses would benefit from Trump forcing China to open themselves up to actual free trade and thus they'd make more money.
>>81980632
japan has done that many times
That was clearly a mistake since China and Korea use it as a way to try and guilt Japan into giving up various islands which would give Korea and China access to the underwater resources those islands have
>>81966910
I want the over all artwork to look like TTGL and I want the motherfucker to have special attack names.
>>81980720
Trump can't force shit
Gump
>>81980441
Maybe? DC translates some stuff. I saw Kerschl tweeting about the person who did the Japanese version of Gotham Academy.
Updated the Rebirth checklist with the OP pic and some others.
>>81984224
Thanks, anon.
>>81972250
IS IT TRUE?
