Superman: Dawnbreaker

Superman: Dawnbreaker is a young-adult origin novel by Newbery Medal winner Matt de la Pena, the fourth book in the DC Icons series of standalone reimaginings of DC heroes' teenage years. It relocates a young Clark Kent to a contemporary Smallville grappling with real-world tensions.

As Clark's Kryptonian abilities emerge, he confronts racial prejudice, a stop-and-search initiative dividing the town, and the disappearance of members of Smallville's Mexican American community. His search for the truth entangles him with an ambitious businessman, human experimentation, and an enigmatic young Lex Luthor, forcing him to weigh secrecy against conscience.

Grounded and socially aware, the novel treats Superman's origin as a coming-of-age story about identity, belonging, and the choice to act, written for teen and crossover readers.