When asked to name my favorite book, I usually rattle off the same three or four by my favorite authors. Or I might mention the best book I’ve read in the past year. And then there’s Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, which is the only novel I can remember reading more than twice. But my favorite books have always been comic books.
Over the years, the Superman stories have meant the most to me. The character of Superman is iconic, and his S-shield is recognized around the world as a symbol of hope. He fights for us. He rescues us. He helps us in our hour of greatest need.
He can outrace as speeding bullet. He can fly. He can punch through steel. But the stories that mean the most to me are the ones that focus on his greatest strength: his humanity.
You see, when Superman was originally created, he was more alien than human. His true nature was alien, and he was able do all those amazing things because he was from the planet Krypton. But to use his powers to help his adopted planet, he needed to disguise himself as one of us. That word “disguise” is an important one. Because he didn’t see himself as Clark Kent. That was merely a mask he wore to pass as human.