US publishing company DC introduced an all-new Superman comic book series starring a 17-year-old teenager from Shanghai named Kenan Kong.

DC Comics, home to a number of superheroes such as Batman and Wonder Woman, announced it will have a newbie on its Superman lineup at WonderCon. Entitled New Super-Man, the story line will be penned by Chinese-American Gene Luen Yang and illustrated by Victor Bogdanovic.

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"Everybody in the world recognizes Superman," Yang said. "The reason he transcends culture is that he embodies these ideals that are international, that are cross-cultural."

"We wanted to tell a story that was about the Superman ideal but tell it in a different culture. Regardless of where you grow up, you know what he stands for," she said.

DC Comics admitted it has already prepared for possible critics from fans, Quartz reported.

Meanwhile, talking about the more Japanese-sounding name of Kenji Kong, Yang defended it was intended to keep American readers from getting tongue twisted.

"I wanted to find a name that works in Chinese and is immediately pronounceable to an American reader. With Kenji Kong, we stuck with the hard-K sound like Clark Kent," Yang said.

With regard to the details of what supernatural abilities Kong will possess were not disclosed yet, but process of inheriting powers will be challenging, the comic-book publisher hinted.

"Getting those powers, it changes his body obviously, but it also changes his heart," Yang revealed. "When he starts off, he's kind of a jerk. Once he gets this piece of Superman in him, it will change who he is."

The Asian-American cartoonist has already written a number of books circling about ethnic identity in the United States such as American Born Chinese and The Shadow Hero. Yang said this project offered him a chance to show his experiences as an immigrant and portray them on superheroes' secret identities.

"I'm hoping he finds a place in the DC universe. I'm hoping he finds a place in the hearts of DC comics fans," Yang said.

TagsDC comics, china, Kenan Kong, Shanghai, superheroes, Comics