There’s just something about the Superman archetype that lends itself to reinvention. That’s part of the concept of Monumental, the new comic by Khalid Johnson.
The story features a hero named Caspar Kazmi, whose family immigrates to America illegally after the explosion of a nuclear power plant makes where they live in Iran uninhabitable. That same explosion also gives the story’s hero superpowers.
Within that framework, Johnson (who contributes comics reviews to The Beat) explores questions about power structures and oppression. Essentially, this well-told story features a Superman archetype grounded in our recognizable real world — taking on questions around immigration, surveillance, oppression by the billionaire class, and more.
The end result is an engaging and smart superhero comic book. The first issue is available now. You can read Monumental via Khalid’s website or on the Global Comix platform.
Check out the cover and a couple pages from the book below…enjoy!
