Chapter 27 Serialisation

I will do a 5 chapter mass upload if this fic gets 200 stones (130 stone more).

*Note - Patreon is now 30 chapters ahead at chapter 57.

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Chapter 27 Serialisation

Jimmy left.

He left the newspaper office with Colin's discount guarantee and a new slogan.

Shortly after, the weekly Messenger News was printed.

At the same time, on the streets of New York, the content sung by the newsboys changed from the popular Hoover nursery rhyme to the new slogan.

"It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!"

Although the content of the slogan did not resonate with people as much as the original nursery rhyme, the mention of Superman by the newsboys still managed to attract the attention of passersby.

After a few weeks of publication, the Messenger News successfully attracted a small group of readers.

The majority of them had lost their jobs due to the Great Depression and were dissatisfied with the current situation, especially with President Hoover.

By buying the Messenger News, they followed the tradition of looking at the front-page criticism of Hoover. The sharp content provided them with an outlet for their frustrations during the difficult times of the Great Depression.

"...That's right, even if they choose a dog instead, it would be better than Hoover. At least a dog can be fed with a bone, but Hoover's one meal could feed a poor family for a month..."

Complaining while flipping through the newspaper, a four-panel comic quickly appeared before the readers.

"What's going on?"

As readers looked at the serialized comic in the Messenger News, a hint of confusion flashed in their eyes.

"Why is there so little content criticizing Hoover this time? They're serializing some comic out of the blue!"

Clearly, the readers did not appreciate the approach of serializing comics in the Messenger News. Instead, it triggered their dissatisfaction.

After all, their reason for buying the newspaper was to read criticism of Hoover.

However, since they had already spent money on the newspaper, it seemed a bit wasteful to not continue reading. Although the price of the Messenger News was not high, it was still an expense after all.

With this thought in mind, these people had no choice but to hold their noses, suppress their dissatisfaction and complaints, and continue reading.

"...In the vast universe, a planet named Krypton is nearing its destruction due to its lifespan coming to an end. A pair of scientist parents placed their son in a newly designed spaceship and launched it towards Earth!"

"The spaceship landed in the middle of a farm on Earth, where a couple without children found and adopted the sleeping child from the spaceship, naming him Clark Kent."

"The physiology of this child far surpasses that of Earthlings by millions of years, and from a young age, he displayed astonishing abilities."

"As he grew up, he discovered that he could easily do things like leaping over twenty-story buildings, moving faster than a speeding bullet, possessing strength greater than a locomotive, and even withstanding the explosion of a bomb with his impenetrable skin. Soon, Clark decided to use his god-like powers for the benefit of humanity, thus giving birth to Superman!"

"This hero vowed to use his powers to help those in need..."

Constrained by the limited space of a four-panel comic, the content of the comic was not complex.

In the first issue, it briefly described Superman's origin, particularly in the last panel where Colin attempted to explain Clark's powers using "scientific" methods.

This pseudo-scientific explanation may not have satisfied professional scientists, but for the readers, it had a convincing power that allowed them to better accept the setting of Superman in the comic.

Flipping through the newspaper, the content of the second issue of "Superman" appeared before the readers.

In this chapter, the power of the superhero Superman is clearly demonstrated. When he effortlessly lifts a car high up and saves the passengers inside, even the readers who had complained about comics couldn't help but exclaim in awe.

This kind of superhero setting is nothing short of a groundbreaking existence for readers in this era.

Especially when compared to many serialized comics currently available in the market.

Superman's story is not set in a distant fantasy world, but rather in a modern city called Metropolis.

Just like any ordinary big city, this city has both well-dressed gentlemen and hardworking blue-collar workers; it has both criminal gangs and police officers and soldiers...

It's almost a reflection of the real world, which creates a strong sense of immersion for readers, as if Superman exists in the world they live in.

"What?! Superman's strength is so great that he can lift a car!"

"With just one hand, Superman can easily break this thick iron chain..."

Unlike the plotlines serialized in the market, where the protagonist faces adversity and crisis, Superman's power in the comic is absolutely invincible, a formidable presence like a deity.

Therefore, the comic's storyline often involves dangerous situations that are perilous for ordinary people but easily resolved by Superman.

With three consecutive chapters, readers who read the comic experience a thrilling and exhilarating feeling.

When they see Superman solving a crisis and saving a beautiful female reporter named Lois Lane, readers begin to fantasize about what will happen between Superman and this journalist. With anticipation, they flip through the pages of the newspaper, only to find that it's already the last page of the Messenger.

On the back page of the newspaper, there is a cover image of Superman wearing a tight suit, a cape flowing behind him, and a shield-shaped "S" symbol on his chest, lifting a car high above his head.

Due to the limitations of black and white printing in the newspaper, the Superman cover on the page lacks color.

However, looking at the man lifting the car on the newspaper, readers now have a completely different feeling in their hearts compared to before.

"Why don't they serialize more content about Superman!"

The content of their complaints has shifted from questioning why they should serialize comics to why they have so few.

The discussions sparked by the comic are not limited to the readers of the Messenger.

The setting of aliens, superpowers, and superheroes has successfully captured the readers' hearts and created a ripple effect.

After all, compared to the previous content of newspapers, the storyline of the "Superman" comic has a broader target audience, thus having a greater impact on newspaper sales. In this world, the number of extremist and hateful individuals is ultimately small, and most people still enjoy reading normal content.

With the help of the discussions generated by the comic, the circulation and sales of the Messenger have successfully surpassed tens of thousands of copies, and this is just the beginning.

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Special thanks to Chunchunmaru_Lord, N1ukEz, for the stones