Warning: spoilers ahead for The Jurassic League #2!
In the DC Universe, Superman is held up as a beacon of humanity. But surprisingly, it's his new Jurassic League dinosaur doppelganger that has a better connection with the people of Earth.
The Jurassic League reimagines classic DC characters as superpowered dinosaurs. This bizarre world includes regular dinosaurs as well as primitive humans. The villainous dinosaurs, which include dino versions of the Joker, Bizarro, and Black Manta, are abducting humans for a nefarious purpose involving a mysterious Dark Embryo. All the while, dino versions of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman try to stop them.
Not surprisingly, the dino version of Superman, called Supersaur, has a similar origin to his human counterpart. He was sent away from a dying planet and crash-landed on Earth, where he was adopted by primitive humans and raised to be considered one of their own. In The Jurassic League #2 by Juan Gedeon and Daniel Warren Johnson, it's revealed that Supersaur stands apart from the dino version of Batman because he can actually understand the human’s language. Having been raised among humans, Supersaur can communicate with both humanity and the superpowered dinosaurs. This language barrier has been frustrating for the dino Batman, who saved a human child and has been unable to communicate with him.
This language skill makes Superman not just an adopted member of humanity, but the sole bridge between them and the powerful dinosaurs with who they co-exist. It's as if a large society of Kryptonians also existed on Earth in DC's main reality, with Superman as the lone member who can speak to humanity on their behalf and vice versa. Given that the Jurassic League is assembling against a huge dino threat, Superman's role as an ambassador for humanity makes him vitally important. This is a fascinating new twist on his status as an adopted 'human,' and one that gives him a different kind of power and responsibility.
This changed dynamic is a subtle but an important difference between Supersaur and Clark Kent, even as it reflects on the original Man of Steel. Ultimately, any new version of a hero is an interpretation of the themes and ideas core to the character. In Superman's case, while Clark Kent may not be literally mediating between humans and Kryptonians on a daily basis, he is a symbolic expression of the best humanity can be. In this way, Supersaur's ability to speak to both humans and dinosaurs says something essential about Superman's purpose in seeking peace, and the foundational sense of teamwork and acceptance that the Justice League needs for its very different heroes to unite together against planetary threats like the Dark Embryo.
The Jurassic League #2 is available from DC Comics now.