If ever there was a time that the world could benefit from a do-gooding superhero, it is now. Alas, we will have to make do with fiction and today marks the release – in the U.S. at least – of the latest cinematic installment of one of the most iconic global crime fighters: Superman.

But while the on-screen persona battles super-villains, the Superman of the early comics was equally content turning his attention to corrupt politicians, dodgy lobbyists and social housing projects.

“In the early issues, Superman’s enemies were noticeably more earthbound and reflected the concerns of an audience reeling from the effects of the Great Depression,” writes comic books expert John Caro.

This more quietly radical Superman is content dealing with perpetrators of domestic abuse and arms dealers fueling overseas wars. And in 1939’s “Superman in the Slums” his solution to high crime is to raze dilapidated buildings to the ground “forcing the authorities to replace them with modern cheap-rental apartments.”

He is a super-man of the people, perhaps.

Elsewhere this week, we have been looking at how the fallout of the Iran-Israel conflict may change the trajectory of Lebanon and assessing the lasting legacy of anti-fascist movements in Italy.

Matt Williams

Senior International Editor, Metropolis
David Corenswet as Superman in the new film. Jessica Miglio/Warner Bros

Superman wasn’t always so squeaky clean – in early comics he was a radical vigilante

John Caro, University of Portsmouth

The initial version of Superman was a more flawed character.
Anas-Mohammed/Shutterstock

Israel’s Rafah camp – ‘humanitarian city’ or crime against humanity?

Shannon Bosch, Edith Cowan University

Israel’s plan to eventually move all Palestinians in Gaza into a camp in the south of the Strip is being widely denounced as tantamount to ethnic cleansing.
Who is going to replace the Dalai Lama? China’s bid to control the succession is controversial. AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia/Alamy

China’s interest in the next Dalai Lama is also about control of Tibet’s water supply

Tom Harper, University of East London

Access to water is one reason why China sees control over Tibet as increasingly important.
A gang member’s drawings of satanic symbols. Images courtesy Ashwill Phillips

Devil worship, muti and murder: what’s behind the growth of occult gangs in South Africa?

Dr Ashwill Ramon Phillips, University of the Free State

There are about 40 occult-related gangs operating in one province. Understanding what draws young people to them is key to combating them.