Did My Hero Academia sneak in a shout out to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with the newest chapter of the series? One of the major reasons fans have come to love Kohei Horikoshi’s take on superhero pop culture over the years is the fact that the creator often wears his influences on his sleeves. Not only does the series slip in several nods to various western comic book superheroes and other pop culture figures, but some of those references and Easter Eggs have been much more prominent than others. This could include a reference seen in the newest chapter.
Chapter 300 of My Hero Academia continues exploring the fallout of the war between the heroes and the Paranormal Liberation Front, and society has lost faith in its heroes. This leads to one prominent panel that features a defaced statue of All Might that might immediately look familiar to fans who had checked out Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as All Might is essentially this series’ stand in for Superman.
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One moment in Batman v Superman‘s ultimate edition release sees someone so distraught over Superman’s actions that he spray paints “False God” onto a tribute statue for the famous DC Comics icon. In My Hero Academia, that same sentiment is shared as someone puts an “I Am Not Here” (which is a reference to All Might’s “I am here” catchphrase) on the All Might tribute statue. It’s decidedly less aggressive than the original material, however.
Given just how many references to superhero comics Horikoshi has made over the years, this one is likely a connection between the two properties as it mirrors how much faith has been lost in Japan’s hero system as a result of the major public losses the heroes took from the villains. But until it’s fully confirmed one way or the other it’s just a fun potential Easter Egg hidden among an eventful chapter.
What do you think? Do you think My Hero Academia was making a shout out to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? What other Superman references have you seen with All Might? Where do you think My Hero Academia can even go after making such a massive change to its world? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or you can even reach out to me directly about all things animated and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!
