Superman: Birthright is a 12-issue limited series published by DC Comics, lasting from September, 2003 to September, 2004. Written by Mark Waid and drawn by Lenil Francis Yu, Birthright brought Superman and his origins into the 21st Century. Originally intended to be an alternate continuity, until the events of Infinite Crisis, it was actually retconned into Superman's Canon origin, replacing John Byrne's The Man of Steel miniseries. Waid described the project as being an "Ultimate" take on the the Superman mythos. He wanted anyone, be it long-time fans or newcomers, to be able to pick the comic up and enjoy the story. Waid also placed emphasis on making Clark Kent much more relatable and avoiding him being seen as "dull."