A big part of what makes One-Punch Man so much fun is the way that the manga/anime series takes the concept of Superman and gives it a hilarious satirical spin. Well, one fan of One-Punch Man is truly embracing the Superman legacy that shaped the series, with a nice tribute art homage.
Check out One-Punch Man Saitama, if he were featured on one of Superman’s classic Action Comics covers:
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The story of Saitama the “One-Punch Man” is built on the framework of decades of fan debate about how overpowered Superman is, and how arguably boring it makes the character. Throughout the One-Punch Man manga/anime, the biggest running gag is that no matter what dramatic battle between heroes and monsters is taking place, for Saitama it always boils down to an anti-climatic moment of simply bashing his threat to death or into submission in just one blow. One may imagine Superman would feel that way in actuality, after going through years of crushing so many foes in the DC Universe – and beyond.
Of course, Saitama’s trademark aloofness and naivety make him uniquely endearing and fun as a heroic character, which is why his fanbase is only growing by the day. One-Punch Man season 2 is currently earning both general critical acclaim and fan praise – despite the fact that there was some controversy about this long-awaited second season, which moved production houses from Madhouse to J.C. Staff. However, with an ever-expanding cast of characters and a mythos that’s also getting bigger with each chapter, One-Punch Man season 2 is capturing fans’ attention in a big way.
Alternatively, it might be fun to see DC Comics explore a Superman story that had a little One-Punch Man satirical flavor to it. Superman has struggled to find relevancy on the screen in modern times; if Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel was too dark and serious for fans, something like this could be a happy alternative. As for the next Superman onscreen appearance: after Justice League the future of Henry Cavill’s Superman is uncertain, but a Supergirl movie is said to be in the works.
One-Punch Man Season 2 is now streaming on Hulu, and on Crunchyroll outside of the United States. The season is directed by Chikara Sakurai (Naruto Shippudenepisode director), for new production studio J.C. Staff. Yoshikazu Iwanami serves as sound director, and Chikashi Kubota contributes new character designs.
