Could King and Mann's Action 1000 Story Mean the Kents are Coming Back?

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

Some say that it actually means that DC isn't planning to bring them back, but...pay attention to the epitaph:



Why would they have "grandparents" on their epitaph if they died well before Jon was even born? Honestly, would Jon's birth prompt Clark (or anyone) to go back and add "grandparents" to their gravestone? I don't know many people who would do that.

I may be reaching, but do you think maybe this was a little hint by DC that they're bringing them back soon (or at least bringing back Martha since she was the only one alive Pre-Flashpoint anyway)?

[Sacred Knight]

Standing alone, I think it means virtually nothing. Its possible to be a beloved grandparent with said grandchildren never able to tangibly know them. All that's required to be "beloved" is that someone love you. And its more than possible for a grandchild to love the idea and memory of his deceased grandparents, based what they learn about them second-hand. Hell in a mythos such as Superman's, you can even go a step further and imagine something like time-travel or alternate realities could gain Jon the means to meet his grandparents without the necessity to retcon them back to life.

Now do other things make me think they might bring them back? Sure. I hope not, but sure. Frankly until Watchmen 2 is over I'll have it on my mind and not consider the case closed one way or another. But this doesn't really make me think twice.

Thematically though IMO this short just shows how the relationship between the adult Superman and his parents is so much more powerful when its in this classic vein.

[Superlad93]

Why would they have "grandparents" on their epitaph if they died well before Jon was even born? Honestly, would Jon's birth prompt Clark (or anyone) to go back and add "grandparents" to their gravestone?

In the story King establishes that Clark goes back often to keep the marker in tip top shape. If he didn't go back at all, then it would've have degraded down to an illegible pile of scrap long before then, so I don't see why it's at all a stretch to say that he wrote "grandparents" on the marker too. I mean, I know people who introduce their kids to their dead grandparents' gave sites, and I'm sure they'd all add the title if they could. He's Superman, and he can, so he did. Nothing really suggest otherwise.

I don't know many people who would do that.

To be perfectly fair, none of us know people who have lived for billions of years and visit the grave makers of their dead adopted parents just before the Earth gets sucked up into a red giant, so I figure it's safe to play this one by ear.

[RepHope]

I doubt King has any clue whether the Kents are coming back or not, since it seems Johns is playing his cards close to his chest.

[Zero Hunter]

Man I really hope so. I HATED that Morrsion got rid of them just because "they were dead in the golden age, and I love the golden age" nonsense. They just bring a deeper layer to Clark as character when they are still around. That and seeing them interact with their grandson would be great.

[Sacred Knight]

I doubt King has any clue whether the Kents are coming back or not, since it seems Johns is playing his cards close to his chest.

My strong hope is that when it comes to Superman, he doesn't have any cards to play anymore.

But if he did, it is highly unlikely King and Mann would have any clue about it to even make a hint about it in a short story, I agree.

And you know, the reason often given to bring back so much post-Crisis stuff is that it worked for 20 years. I say its more than fair play to throw out there that this worked for about 50. Making them deceased again is not just a call-back to the Golden Age. Its a call back to every single age, and indeed the bulk of his existence, prior to the Crisis.

Would I be surprised though if there are plans to bring them back, or at the very least Martha and bring back the verbatim Brainiac story arc? Not at all. They're in a post-Crisis frame of mind today. Not unlike the early 2000s when they took on a Silver Age frame of mind. When they want a renaissance, they go for it. So if it happens, and that's the last of the post-Crisis love affair to seep back in, I'll actually consider myself lucky. Still will be disappointed, I'll contend its the wrong move, but there could be worse moves.

[superduperman]

My strong hope is that when it comes to Superman, he doesn't have any cards to play anymore.

But if he did, it is highly unlikely King and Mann would have any clue about it to even make a hint about it in a short story, I agree.

And you know, the reason often given to bring back so much post-Crisis stuff is that it worked for 20 years. I say its more than fair play to throw out there that this worked for about 50. Making them deceased again is not just a call-back to the Golden Age. Its a call back to every single age, and indeed the bulk of his existence, prior to the Crisis.

Would I be surprised though if there are plans to bring them back, or at the very least Martha and bring back the verbatim Brainiac story arc? Not at all. They're in a post-Crisis frame of mind today. Not unlike the early 2000s when they took on a Silver Age frame of mind. When they want a renaissance, they go for it. So if it happens, and that's the last of the post-Crisis love affair to seep back in, I'll actually consider myself lucky. Still will be disappointed, I'll contend its the wrong move, but there could be worse moves.

I suspect that Johns is either off of Superman or he's at least relinquished complete control over him. With Doomsday Clock occupying most of his time, I would imagine Superman isn't his biggest concern anymore. Keep in mind they also did a story where he has both glasses and heat vision in the fourth grade so we know at least some aspects of SO are out. So my guess is that Johns doesn't have the influence over Superman he used to. 1000 raised a number of questions going forward about Superman's new status quo. See the thread about Supergirl possibly being his sister based off some offhand comment that Terrax ripoff made.

[MajorHoy]

Man I really hope so. I HATED that Morrsion got rid of them just because "they were dead in the golden age, and I love the golden age" nonsense. They just bring a deeper layer to Clark as character when they are still around. That and seeing them interact with their grandson would be great.

The idea that John and Martha had died before Clark was active as Superman in Metropolis had actually lasted into the Silver and Bronze Ages, too.
It wasn't until the post-CoIE relaunch of Superman under John Byrne that we had them still alive when Superman was much older, and it was a very strange concept to some of us readers when it was first introduced.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Man I really hope so. I HATED that Morrsion got rid of them just because "they were dead in the golden age, and I love the golden age" nonsense. They just bring a deeper layer to Clark as character when they are still around. That and seeing them interact with their grandson would be great.

They were also dead during the Silver Age and Bronze Age. Out of Superman's entire history, the Kents have been dead more than they've been alive. The death of Jonathan Kent has been a formative event in the Superman story in mass media as well, with the DCAU and Lois & Clark being the only exceptions.

That said, I think DC should just split the difference and keep Pa Kent dead while having Ma Kent alive. While this won't please everyone, I think it allows Superman to get whatever deeper layer they got out of him being able to still talk to his parents while also keeping the death of Pa Kent as a painful lesson to him that he can't save everyone, even with all his powers.

[Jon Clark]

They were also dead during the Silver Age and Bronze Age. Out of Superman's entire history, the Kents have been dead more than they've been alive. The death of Jonathan Kent has been a formative event in the Superman story in mass media as well, with the DCAU and Lois & Clark being the only exceptions.

That said, I think DC should just split the difference and keep Pa Kent dead while having Ma Kent alive. While this won't please everyone, I think it allows Superman to get whatever deeper layer they got out of him being able to still talk to his parents while also keeping the death of Pa Kent as a painful lesson to him that he can't save everyone, even with all his powers.

Please, we don't need the DC equivalent of Aunt May with Superman's life revolving around an older female relative. Especially not when we now have Lois and Jon to oversaturate Superman with immediate family issues. We really need some supporting cast that Superman isn't related to, not the addition of more family.

[Zero Hunter]

They were also dead during the Silver Age and Bronze Age. Out of Superman's entire history, the Kents have been dead more than they've been alive. The death of Jonathan Kent has been a formative event in the Superman story in mass media as well, with the DCAU and Lois & Clark being the only exceptions.

That said, I think DC should just split the difference and keep Pa Kent dead while having Ma Kent alive. While this won't please everyone, I think it allows Superman to get whatever deeper layer they got out of him being able to still talk to his parents while also keeping the death of Pa Kent as a painful lesson to him that he can't save everyone, even with all his powers.

I know. I am just saying that every version of Superman outside of the comics since the original Superman movie has had at least one parent alive. It was just one of those things that everyone just looked at that idea and went "yeah it is more interesting if Clark has at least one parent around". The only ones who don't think so are the die hard old school pre-crisis Superman fans, and they are a dying breed. If you asked 1000 people on the street about his parents at least 95% of them will say yeah Ma Kent is alive. It is a big disconect between the general public and the die hard golden/silver age fanboys writers.