Jon Kent Appreciation 2019

[Superlad93]

However it (disappointingly) happened, Jon has lived all of those years and has grown and not just physically. For a period when he was still a child, we first saw him question whether he could live up to his father's legacy and he was put through the most grueling test any child could ever face and basically passed. We can only be grateful he hasn't lost his positive outlook despite being imprisoned for years and being trapped in a hopeless world. When he saw his grandpa come for him, he showed genuine joy and exuberance that finally things were turning for the good. I do not get a child trapped in a man's body when I read him. He may be seventeen but that doesn't mean he's fully cooked as a grown adult, there's still a little further to go but now he's back home and whatever comes next he faces it with his dad by his side.

Yeah, this is what Bendis said was illustrated with the full page spread where Ultraman is talking about how they were born to rule. While Jon recounts it to his parents Ultraman's face is obscured, his words are covered, and, most importantly, all Jon actually got out of the memory was realizing how pathetic and sad Ultraman was.

Bendis seems to be setting Jon up as a character with almost superhuman levels of faith and will even among his family. Kid spends several years in a volcano jail being taunted by a man with his father's face, and on a world where being good isn't rewarded, but he doesn't let any of it get to him. He even gets attacked by an evil version of his mom, yet all that makes him do is appreciate his actual mom and dad, and makes him realize he doesn't have any pent up issues about them.

Bendis' Jon is tried and tested optimism and hope incarnate.

As for the scar I'm down with it being there or being gone. But, I would love to get that Maguire version of the costume with the long black sleeves and what looks like a blue S shield tank top. It's all probably just an artist error, but it'd be cool if it were legit.

[Jackalope89]

I hope that boycot isn't strong.

Knowing DC, that will only cause Jon to end up in the limbo. I would not want that.

I really like Jon, even aged up Jon


Another thing, Jon was a prisoner for years, but it wasn't exactly 7 years. Jon was 11 when he travel with Jor-El, while a time passed between his escape from Ultraman and his "fight" with Superwoman.

Of course, around 5 years is still pretty horrible.

That boycott has only been growing, and not just because of the unwanted and unneeded changes to Jon. It began when Bendis was first announced to be coming on board and taking over the Super books. Then with each passing issue, and writing more and more characters badly/out of character, it has kept growing.

And sorry, but a kid, no matter how optimistic, after being held for years by psychotic people, especially evil versions of his parents, would not remain virtually unchanged personality wise. Which would probably lead to an angsty arc down the line, which I don't want. And I don't want the lazy/thoughtless writing of "kid held captive for years, completely fine" either.

Honestly, I would be fine if whoever came after Bendis, decided to just erase this whole mess since Man of Steel. Preferably with someone that can actually write Lois and Clark as decent parents again, and in characte.

[Yoda]

Physically he isn't.

Mentally is an entirely different story.

We really can't be entirely certain of that until he tries to settle back down into normal life. I think Jon remains very much a child in an adult's body (look at how enthusiastic he is at hanging out with Damien, essentially now a kid brother to him). Bendis could well be trying to give modern families something to relate to if they have someone that has special needs and ranges from a late teen to even older.

Every time Bendis has discussed Jon and the family he has compared Jon and raising a child with "special needs" so its not that big of a stretch to assume that he is going for some type of analogy there. He's still very much the same kid and while he had some adventures on Earth 3 on his own I think that he's going to have a pretty big adjustment once it comes time that this actually sinks in. He didn't even know how long he was gone or what happened until like 5 minutes before he got back to Earth. And both Lois and Clark have been written as barely holding things together this whole arc. It's a bit disingenuous to say all seem fine with everything and no one has been affected by this. That's the next arc really.

I think the point Bendis has shown is that Jon having been raised by Superman and Lois Lane, two people who won't break their beliefs just because things get tough, basically does have a Superman level of resolve and strength. You can throw him in a hole for 4 years and he's coming out stronger for it. Like Superman would. I greatly prefer that to a Tom King like approach or Injustice where all this trauma breaks these people down.

[Superlad93]

And sorry, but a kid, no matter how optimistic, after being held for years by psychotic people, especially evil versions of his parents, would not remain virtually unchanged personality wise. Which would probably lead to an angsty arc down the line, which I don't want. And I don't want the lazy/thoughtless writing of "kid held captive for years, completely fine" either.

I doubt he's unchanged from growing up on his own, but there's nothing that says the son of Superman and Lois Lane can't be THAT determined, and THAT unyielding in holding onto the values that his parents brought him up with before he left.

Yeah, I think Jon is THAT good a kid/dude with THAT good of role models playing in his head. I don't think that's lazy. I think that's a specific statement on his character and strength of will as a person. Doesn't mean he hasn't changed in other ways though.

[Konja7]

Every time Bendis has discussed Jon and the family he has compared Jon and raising a child with "special needs" so its not that big of a stretch to assume that he is going for some type of analogy there. He's still very much the same kid and while he had some adventures on Earth 3 on his own I think that he's going to have a pretty big adjustment once it comes time that this actually sinks in. He didn't even know how long he was gone or what happened until like 5 minutes before he got back to Earth. And both Lois and Clark have been written as barely holding things together this whole arc. It's a bit disingenuous to say all seem fine with everything and no one has been affected by this. That's the next arc really.

I think the point Bendis has shown is that Jon having been raised by Superman and Lois Lane, two people who won't break their beliefs just because things get tough, basically does have a Superman level of resolve and strength. You can throw him in a hole for 4 years and he's coming out stronger for it. Like Superman would. I greatly prefer that to a Tom King like approach or Injustice where all this trauma breaks these people down.

I don't think the "special needs" you are speaking are the same.

Jon needing a adjustment to his new life isn't the same that 17 year Jon has the mind of a 11 year old kid, which the first user who mentioned "special needs" seems to imply.

In theory, Jon will need an adjustment to his life after all these events. However, it isn't impossible that Bendis just make all to be fine without other consequence than the age change. We don't know how Bendis will handle this.

[rpmaluki]

Showing resilience in the face of extreme difficulty/tragedy should be the overall theme in all Super books. It began with a baby being shot through the universe when his home planet was destroyed. Enough with breaking the characters down so they no longer resemble who they are at their core.

I honestly don't see Jon's aging up reversed even after Bendis leaves the books at the end of his run. I think ultimately, DC/WB will make room for both young and old Jon to exist, albeit not in the same continuity.

[Superlad93]

Every time Bendis has discussed Jon and the family he has compared Jon and raising a child with "special needs" so its not that big of a stretch to assume that he is going for some type of analogy there.

Yeah, in an allegorical sense I think that's very true. I think like the parents of a special needs child Lois and Clark will need to make adjustments to their lives to accommodate Jon (*cough, cough* stepdad Clark *cough, cough*) going forward. Lois and Clark even say as much in issue 6 of Man of Steel. In fact, I'd argue that Lois quitting her job at first in MOS is a prelude to the continued adjustments that both Lois and Clark will have to make for their kid.

And I for one dig the hell out of that sort of "we make our own normal" allegory for the Superman family. I can't wait to dig into Jon on Earth, how he's going to adjust, and how they're gonna play it.

[Blue22]

Preferably with someone that can actually write Lois and Clark as decent parents again, and in character.

Yeah, aside from just plain not enjoying this run or the changes made, that's honestly my biggest complaint about the whole thing. This whole situation wouldn't have happened if Clark and Lois weren't written like terrible parents. Something they hadn't been until this point. Jor-El has given Clark zero reason to trust him and yet it took very little to convince him to give up his wife and kid to this guy. The whole reason Lois went up into space with them was to make sure everything stayed alright, and yet she bails at the first chance she got. Because Jon had apparently "grown so much", even though nothing we'd seen up until that point had suggested any such growth (in fact, through that entire issue, Jon actually seemed less mature than he usually is).

With how little Bendis had Clark and Lois care about their child's well-being, it's a miracle Jon even came back to them at all. They are uncaring at worst, incompetent at best. Something neither of them have EVER been. And his sorry ass excuse for why Clark would let Jor-El take Jon was even worse than giving no explanation. "Blinded by family". What BS. Jor-El isn't family. He's a psychopath. Clark's known that for...how long as it been now? Almost two years?

I'd have felt so much better about this debacle had Jon been kidnapped or wasn't given a choice in some way. Instead of Supes just letting the Kryptonian equivalent of that crazy uncle, nobody likes to talk about, take his kid.

All in all, this is also why I don't trust him to do a good job with whatever adjustment period he has in store for Jon and the family as a whole. Because he just...doesn't really seem to get this family in the first place.

[Miles To Go]

Showing resilience in the face of extreme difficulty/tragedy should be the overall theme in all Super books. It began with a baby being shot through the universe when his home planet was destroyed. Enough with breaking the characters down so they no longer resemble who they are at their core.

I honestly don't see Jon's aging up reversed even after Bendis leaves the books at the end of his run. I think ultimately, DC/WB will make room for both young and old Jon to exist, albeit not in the same continuity.

Young Jon will hang around a bit longer, he'll appear in DCCeased after all, and he's making an appearance in Justice League (likely as a flashback as the alternative Lois explains why she destroyed Superman and others)

[Yoda]

I don't think the special needs you are speaking are the same.

In theory, Jon will need an adjustment to his life after all these events. That said, it isn't impossible that Bendis just make all to be fine. We don't know how Bendis will handle this.

However, Jon needing a adjustment to his new life isn't the same that 17 year Jon has the mind of a 11 year old kid, which the first user who mentioned "special needs" seems to imply.

I think it is within the realm of an analogy. Jon wasn't magically aged ala Shazam! where he's literally an 11 year old in a 17 year olds body. He's lived 5+ years under conditions that wouldn't allow for typical emotional and psychological development. He's still very much the same kid, but he's closer to his 11 year old self than a true 17 year old version. So in that sense I'm not sure we're that far off form our POV on this.

[Superlad93]

He's still very much the same kid, but he's closer to his 11 year old self than a true 17 year old version. So in that sense I'm not sure we're that far off form our POV on this.

Interesting. What's making you say that? I haven't really gotten that sense at all yet. I'm seeing instances of maturing and self confidence not shared by his 11 year old self.

[Sam]

The strength of Jon as a character comes from his authenticity. He's powerful in a way that all kids wish they could be, but he's also incredibly sensitive. This is the kid who was heartbroken after killing the family cat by mistake, the kid who worried whether he and his dad would make it home from Dinosaur Island, the kid who felt such extreme joy in being included on a Teen Titans mission, the kid who dealt with the emotional difficulty of moving to a big city when he's a country boy. Jon has such a large fanbase because he's incredibly emotionally connected and relatable while dealing with these incredible situations.

This isn't that. This is the exact opposite. Jon is not acting the way anybody would. And all this talk about him surviving 5 to 7 years of confinement after being kidnapped by an emotional unstable grandfather that for some reason your parents left you with being a sign of hope and resiliency is crap. No one can endure that and come out the other side okay. Extended solitary confinement is one of the most inhuman things you can do to someone and to come out the other side well-adjusted and fine is completely unrealistic.

So if you want to hold Jon up as an example of someone who can come out of the other side of that totally fine, that divorces him from the emotional reality that made his character so damn strong in the first place. That's why this Jon is unrecognizable. Because what he has gone through and become is so far from made his character unrecognizable. It turns him from one of the most wonderful characters to come around to DC in a while to a bland and boring empty shell.

Again, I don't want Jon angsting for the rest of his life as a character because he was trapped in a volcano for 5 years for stupid reasons. But I don't want him to be bland and boring and unrealistic either. This age-up story has basically ensured that he'll be one of the other as long as Bendis is writing him.

The ridiculous part is that this change is so incredibly needless. If Bendis wanted to tell a cosmic story with Clark and Jon, there are some really interesting stories to tell there. Jon hadn't seen that much of the universe before Bendis took over and having him travel in space with Clark could have been an amazing story about a father opening his 10 year-old child's eyes to everything the universe has to offer, both the amazing and the horrible. THAT story could have been amazing. Instead, we got this garbage.

[Konja7]

I think it is within the realm of an analogy. Jon wasn't magically aged ala Shazam! where he's literally an 11 year old in a 17 year olds body. He's lived 5+ years under conditions that wouldn't allow for typical emotional and psychological development. He's still very much the same kid, but he's closer to his 11 year old self than a true 17 year old version. So in that sense I'm not sure we're that far off form our POV on this.

I guess I can understand why Jon shouldn't be a regular 17 year old. Although he and his mind still live those years, so he is still a true 17 year old (this is different from people who mind really stopped in childhood).

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if Bendis just use Jon being 17 to make him live apart from his parents. In the same way that he make Lois to live apart from Clark.

[Blue22]

I think it is within the realm of an analogy. Jon wasn't magically aged ala Shazam! where he's literally an 11 year old in a 17 year olds body. He's lived 5+ years under conditions that wouldn't allow for typical emotional and psychological development. He's still very much the same kid, but he's closer to his 11 year old self than a true 17 year old version. So in that sense I'm not sure we're that far off form our POV on this.

Interesting. What's making you say that? I haven't really gotten that sense at all yet. I'm seeing instances of maturing and self confidence not shared by his 11 year old self.

Honestly, I'm not seeing a big difference in his personality yet either. Like Damian, Jon's another one who's been interpreted differently depending on the writer, but for the most part he's always been really mature for his age. Still a kid at heart, but also a lot more grown up than most other kids his age that I know. if there's one source of amusement I've gotten out of this it's that Bendis writes Jon's 11 year old self in a way that I'd expect someone to write Jon if they thought his personality was just "he's a kid", while he writes the older Jon how the younger character usually is when in the hands of someone like Tomasi.

[Yoda]

Interesting. What's making you say that? I haven't really gotten that sense at all yet. I'm seeing instances of maturing and self confidence not shared by his 11 year old self.

I should have couched that more as I'm making some assumptions about what we are going to see. You're right that he seems far more self confident and mature in the superheroing sense. I think given that we now see that he actually spent a good chunk of his time away, if not the majority, stuck with Ultraman, he didn't have a lot of experience that you'd expect from 11-17. So in a sense, I expect that some of his optimism and attitude is a holdover from his old 11 year old outlook on life. The kinda picking up with Damian right away, or his eagerness to help his dad and be back with his mom. I'm having trouble articulating what I meant clearly I think, but I think we can kinda expect socially and whatnot, he's going to have a lot more of his 11 year old self still there than he would have had he aged "normally."