Superman: True Brit is a DC Comics Elseworlds first published in 2004 in the US, and by Titan Books in the UK. Written by John Cleese and Kim Johnson, with art by John Byrne and Mark Farmer, it reimagines the origin of Superman, by considering how Clark Kent's upbringing would be different if his spaceship had crashed in Weston-super-Mare in England instead of the fictional town of Smallville in Kansas, America.[2]
The story aims to poke fun at the apparent desire to conform embedded in the British psyche, as well as mocking the British tabloid press, in particular the Daily Star. Characters with similarities to Superman regulars Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White make an appearance.
The book had a mixed reception from British critics, some of whom felt that the jokes and stereotypes used in the book were tired and no longer valid.[3][4]
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Kal-El, instead of landing in Kansas, was intentionally sent to England. He is found by the Clarks, who, viewing a headset video found with Kal-El, learn of his origins, but mistake 'Kal-El' for 'Colin' and name him Colin Clark. Being raised stereotypically British doesn't help Colin's self-esteem, being raised to believe in the philosophy of "What would the neighbours think." When Colin's powers begin to surface, each power causes a unique problem: when he learns to fly, he smashed the ceiling, and when he acquires heat vision, he accidentally burns his mother, and is given glasses made by his father out of the glass of his space ship to contain the heat. When Colin goes to college, he meets and falls in love with "Louisa Layne-Ferret" who ignores him completely. After a tragic cricket accident (the bowler was impaled by Colin's cricket bat, the bowler afterwards said, "it only hurts when I laugh"), Colin meets the British version of Perry White, who takes him under his wing to become a reporter for the British tabloids, because his parents hated it when he used any of his powers. After a heroic save of the "Rutles" Colin adopts the secret identity and garish costume to become Superman.