WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT - THE KRYPTONIAN AGE #5!A long-standing fan criticism is the sheer absurdity that no one, not even his closest acquaintances, can recognize Clark Kent asSuperman, despite his flimsy disguise of glasses, a different hairstyle, and a mild-mannered attitude. And with the Man of Steel’s newest civilian identity, this criticism becomes even more glaring, making it almost laughable that Clark still tries to maintain a secret identity at all.
Superman officially makes his debut in Andy Diggle, Leandro Fernández, and Matt Hollingsworth’sBatman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age#5. ThisElseworldsseries, a sequel to the 1989 classicBatman: Gotham by Gaslightby Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola, reimagines fan-favorite DC characters in the 19th century.
In this world,Clark Kent remains the Kryptonian hero fans know and love, but instead of a mild-mannered investigative journalist, he’s a bumbling yet beloved sheriff.This new civilian identity also only further highlights how implausible it is that anyone could be fooled by Clark’s minimal disguise.
Gotham By Gaslight Proves Everyone Should Immediately Recognize Clark Kent as Superman
Superman Falls Flat on His Face to Dodge a Bullet
InBatman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age#5, Clark makes his debut by stepping into a standoff with Deadshot, and the entire scene is laughably absurd. Clark practically reveals he’s Superman multiple times. First, he arrives at superspeed, shaking the ground so much that the townspeople mistake it for a stampede. Unsurprisingly, the moment Sheriff Clark shows up, the mysterious"stampede"stops. The situation only gets more ridiculous whenDeadshot fires at Clark, and to avoid giving away his invulnerability, Clark awkwardly trips and falls face-firstto avoid the bullet. He even adds to the ridiculousness by saying,“So clumsy… Tripped over my own boots!”
But Clark’s charade doesn’t stop there. When shot at again, the bullet ‘miraculously’ ricochets off his sheriff’s badge, disarming one of the bandits. As if that wasn’t enough,Clark subtly uses his heat vision to overheat the other criminal’s guns, making them misfire before quipping,“My gosh, would you look at that. A double misfire!”Clark’s exaggerated, bumbling persona, meant to conceal his identity as Superman, only highlights how utterly unbelievable it is that no one sees through his flimsy disguise, especially when he’s pulling stunts this absurd.
Superman’s New Elseworlds Redesign is Not What Anybody Expected (But Also Sort of Perfect)
Clark Kent’s new Elseworlds redesign is sure to turn a few heads, considering it is now nowhere near what anyone expected the Kryptonian to look like.
Bruce Wayne Knows There’s More to Smallville’s Bumbling Sheriff Than Meets the Eye
“Hrn.”: Batman Is Already Suspicious of Clark Kent
After Superman’s antics lead to the bandits' capture,the scene shifts to Batman, observing from the shadows in his civilian guise as Bruce Wayne. With a simple, telling grunt—“Hrn”—he reveals his thoughts. This subtle reaction speaks volumes: Batman is intrigued, suspicious, and undeniably impressed by the Sheriff of Smallville. Clearly, Bruce senses there’s more to this sheriff than meets the eye. As the anticipation builds for the next issue, it’s clear that when these two iconic heroes cross paths,Batmanwon’t be one to play along withSuperman’sbumbling act.
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #5is available now from DC Comics!
Superman
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
