Earlier this month, headlines circulated in comic book fan circles that claimed fans were rejecting the newest edition of the classic superhero, Superman, and that DC comics sales were plummeting. This could not be farther from the truth. In fact, the sales for Tom Taylor’s “Superman: Son of Kal-El” is reported to be “doing well in terms of sales, at least digitally,” according to Screen Rant writer Justin Epps.
While comic book fandoms are becoming increasingly more welcoming and inclusive, there are still online comic book communities that are not so welcoming. Several of the more unwelcoming communities have been attacking Taylor and his take on Superman. While Taylor’s “Superman: Son of Kal-El” has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from both fans and critics, several alt-right groups have effectively called this series the death of DC comics.
Several comic book sites have repeated these claims about DC comics’ falling sales, including Cosmic Book News and Bounding Into Comics, both of which have a history of bigotry and spreading misinformation and rumors. These sites, and those that agree with their beliefs, have targeted Taylor’s series.
According to CBR, a fan favorite news site for all things nerd culture, “writer Tom Taylor addressed the rumor that Jon Kent’s sexuality hurt the series’ sales. Taylor posted screenshots of multiple articles and videos claiming that, though “Superman: Son of Kal-El” #5 experienced a sales spike over the announcement of Jon’s sexuality, the series tanked in December and didn’t appear on any charts. Taylor waived off these takes by offering a simple explanation — there was no issue of “Superman: Son of Kal-El” in December.”
The right-wing groups targeting Taylor’s Superman really missed the mark by claiming this series ruined sales for DC comics before the comic was even published. Even in early February, nearly a month after the initial publication of Taylor’s “Superman: Son of Kal-El,” sales numbers have not even been released.
Comics, especially DC and Marvel comics, have historically been adamantly opposed to bigotry. Whether it be Captain America punching Nazis in his first appearance, or LGBTQ+ representations or the X-Men being a metaphor for racism and civil rights movements, comics have never shyed away from calling out bigots. Yes, although sometimes comics can be a little tone deaf—I’m looking at you, pink kryptonite—there has always been that attempt to address bigotry.
These critiques have not stopped Taylor, who has continued to publish and promote inclusivity and awareness in his comics, and based on the reviews, his comics are doing pretty well, much to the dismay of his opponents.
