Superman issue #9 Spoiler discussion

[Superlad93]

The crucible of Jonathan Samuel Kent.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I felt like this issue played ZERO games and very rightly makes you uncomfortable and genuinely scared for Jon's situation on Earth-3. It's a legitimate trial by fire, and a test of a the sort of immutable will that would make Hal blush and Clark and Lois proud. It's mythic in its conception: trapped in a volcano prison while the mad god captor bares their soul at our young protagonist's feet. It's like something out of a Greek myth. Like waiting for a dragon to go to sleep before you escape its cave.

Also the imagery of Jon coming out from the volcano, ending up naked, and having to heal being symbolic of a rebirth/crossing of a threshold isn't lost on me.

Speaking more in terms of Superman: it's a warped and cracked look at our Clark. And I noticed that Ultraman's issues were basically those of our Clark deals with. This ties directly back to last issue where Jon was talking about the pressures that came with being Superman's son, and how he couldn't fully talk to Clark about it because he still saw him as infallible. Know it or not, Jon just learned how human his dad was in that via Ultraman of all people. It reminded me of how Waid recontexulized all of Superman's classic hand-ups in Irredeemable, and by proxy you "got" Clark more thanks to that book. What's kind of most messed up is that Ultraman seemed to care for Jon, and just wanted to talk to someone who could maybe understand him (somewhat similar to Jor-El).

I tend not to say "badass" often, but Jon getting out of the trap was freakin badass, and was a great set of durability, healing, and solar reserve feats to boot (if you're keeping track of that stuff). The kids ingenuity and overall smarts on full display here.

Geez my heart legitimately broke for Clark and Lois having to hear this. But the kid is something to be proud of, man. If he was ever gonna turn evil it would've been here. And to think, the little dude thought he couldn't live up to his genes.

[qwertyuiop1998]

yeah,jon(or kryptonian,since ultraman also been pointed is more powerful than jon)was got an insane feat.but i also think ultraman reacting and interacting is intereting,i personally thinking ultraman has some father emotions toward to jon

[rpmaluki]

yeah,jon(or kryptonian,since ultraman also been pointed is more powerful than jon)was got an insane feat.but i also think ultraman reacting and interacting is intereting,i personally thinking ultraman has some father emotions toward to jon

I'm thinking the same. Who's to say he's not thinking this is the face of a son he could have, were he so inclined to procreate that is.

[manwhohaseverything]

Man!! This was an awesome issue. The first issue of bendis that sold me. Jon was pretty bad ass. Ultraman really reminded me of my father,before i was taken in by my aunt. The part that got me was, the part were jon said ultraman used to cry sometimes . It was weird and surprising reading about something that i can really empathise with so much in a comic book. This is what i wanted from this run regarding jon. I thought jor el was going to take the role. But bendis decided to use ultraman instead. Which works better in my opinion since ultraman looks exactly like Clark. Ultraman really seems interested in Jon. I wonder why? I would like to see more of jon and ultraman relation. I would love it if Bendis develops it. It was wicked. Being the son of superman isn't all that great. How many times does the kid have to tortured, sheesh! And now by guy wearing his father's face.

[theoneandonly]

Superwoman has already given birth to a baby with earth 3 Shazam who turned into darkseid. I don't think she is ready for another complicated pregnancy and birth.

[DragonPiece]

Good issue, I do feel like this story could have been stretched out more instead of being confined to just a arc, but I'm still enjoying it.

[manwhohaseverything]

Good issue, I do feel like this story could have been stretched out more instead of being confined to just a arc, but I'm still enjoying it.

Yeah! I would have loved that too. Heck! This should have been a book of its own.this is the first time Ultraman as a villain intrigued me.

[Yoda]

Was not what I expected but it was a pretty good chapter in these flashbacks. The Ultraman stuff was interesting, he's always come off more pathetic than scary or threatening to me and that really came through here. Particularly with the fake tough guy accent and all that. I wonder if the attachment (warped as it was) to Jon was based in part on the fact that all the times he's thought he had a kid, it ends up as Owlman's or someone. The volcano scenes and escape were pretty great. The page of just Ultraman was probably my favorite the way it was set up with the boxes down the middle.

But I was a little disappointed we didn't see where Jor El ended up and I hope he plays into the next part of things. Because we still have seen nothing close to "Grandpa's crazy!" yet.

And I hope we do see who is sending these visions of the Legion attacking to Clark and Zod in this arc. Dreamer maybe? Or Saturn Girl, though she's tied up over in Doomsday Clock.

Lois' facial expression after Clark tells her "We have this" was kinda odd to me. Not sure what Reis was going for there. It looked off given the conversation they were having.

Good issue, I do feel like this story could have been stretched out more instead of being confined to just a arc, but I'm still enjoying it.

Jon's adventures on Earth 3 would have been awesome. I still think that there's a Jon Kent: Lost in Space series in the pipe for Wonder Comics. There is just too much that they are leaving to our imaginations here. It's the second time Jon's talked about all the people they saved and helped off panel. This whole arc is like an outline for his own series. Particularly where DC seems interested in building out a Superfamily of books.