Keep looking up

It’s been almost a year since David Corenswet took to the skies as Superman, and I’m still looking up to the sky.

That depiction was one of the most hopeful I’ve seen since “Smallville.” Something about the way Corenswet carries Clark, that quiet midwestern decency underneath all that power, hit me somewhere I wasn’t expecting and opposite Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane? I crave to see more of those two together. That dynamic is everything. A reporter and a hero, both trying to make the world better with what they’ve got.

Honestly, I’ve needed that more than usual lately.

You may have read my editorial from March, but if you haven’t, know I’ve been suffering with crippling depression and a loss of self identity that I’m still working through. Fridays are therapy days. The rest of the week, I lean on what I’ve always leaned on: the world of DC Comics. When the real world becomes too loud, Metropolis is always there.

Which brings me to Superman Day, and a little history worth knowing.

Superman Day is now in April

For over a decade, June 12 was the date. DC and Warner Bros. designated it back in 2013 to coincide with Superman’s 75th anniversary and the release of Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel.” It worked. It stuck. But in 2026, the date finally moved to where it always should have been: April 18, the actual anniversary of Superman’s debut in “Action Comics” no. 1 in 1938.

Cleveland City Council made it official with a unanimous declaration, honoring the city where Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created the character as teenagers. Warner Bros. Discovery and DC went global with pop-up events in Los Angeles, Milan and Fuzhou. Daily Planet-themed newsstands. I’m not going to pretend I didn’t feel something seeing that.

June belongs to Metropolis

June 12 still belongs to Metropolis, Illinois, though, as they celebrate their annual Superman festival this weekend. However, they did still find a way to celebrate Superman day with a special weekend event around their landmark museum.

Last year’s Superman Celebration was one of my favorite experiences in recent memory. There is nothing quite like walking into a small southern Illinois town and realizing: these are my people. Fellow Superman nerds, cosplayers arguing about the best Christopher Reeve film, families with kids in tiny capes, collectors with binders full of things I’d never afford. It’s a comic con with a small-town soul and zero pretension. I left feeling more like myself than I had in a long time. I didn’t feel like a burden there. I felt like I belonged.

The 48th annual Superman Celebration runs this weekend, June 12-14. This year’s guests include Tim Daly, the voice of Superman from “Superman: The Animated Series,” and Neva Howell, who played Martha Kent in James Gunn’s 2025 film, both there Friday and Saturday. Caity Lotz, who played Sara Lance in “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” and Alex Garfin from “Superman and Lois” are appearing Saturday. A carnival is back in the downtown area for the first time in years. If you can make the drive, make the drive.

‘Supergirl’ to soar to theaters

On top of all that, “Supergirl” opens June 26 where Milly Alcock will debut as Kara Zor-El with Craig Gillespie directing. Based on Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s beautiful comic about a harder, lonelier Kara who has to find her own reason to be heroic with Jason Momoa as Lobo. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a long time.

Also, “My Adventures with Superman” Season 3 just premiered last night on Toonami, with episodes on HBO Max the next day. The season tackles its own version of the Reign of the Supermen storyline. Filming has also already begun on “Man of Tomorrow,” the Superman sequel, due in theaters July 9, 2027.

The Superman universe is thriving, which feels right because I think a lot of us need it right now.

I’ve gone through so much lately but I can always gravitate back to DC Comics for relief. I long for a world where others lift each other up the way the Kents do. The Kents didn’t raise Clark to hoard his gifts or protect himself first. They raised him to show up for people and to believe that helping others is worth the cost.

I aspire to make this Daily Planet a reality because of that. A safe haven from the continuing chaos. A place where people can come and feel less alone while being their full authentic selves.

I love Superman because he’s saved my life on more than one occasion, inspiring me to help others in return. I refuse to believe people are out for themselves. I choose to recognize that all good people want to help those around them, using their gifts for a better tomorrow.

Happy Superman Day, Planet. Go find your people.