Superman issue #9 Spoiler discussion

[Rakzo]

Boy, this was dreadful.

And it didn't have to be this way. The idea of revisiting the Crime Syndicate is always welcomed but once again, Bendis simply kills the execution by how bad they all sound. You just need to compare to how Johns depicted Ultraman as violent and cruel but at the same time, cold and calculating, Bendis' Ultraman on the other hand is just stupid, whiny and pathetic, and Superwoman is not that better portrayed either. The bad narration makes things even worse if you can believe it.

Art was good, aside from that? Pure bad.

[Sacred Knight]

Bendis's Ultraman is manic. Different than Johns? Yes. Bad? I didn't think so at all.

The cursing gets too much with Superwoman though, I agree with that. If you can't actually write the words, trying to make her Negan doesn't have much an effect.

[Konja7]

oh and if DC wants Jon to be weaker than superman that's fine, it will make him tougher, cause he has to be. not to mention there is another hybrid who is already got the "potentially more powerful" thing on lock down

I'm pretty sure if Jon doesn't have "the potential to be more powerful", the other hybrid wouldn't have this either.

If DC wants Jon to be weaker, it would be because they don't want anyone to have the potential to be more powerful than Superman (although, as I said, they would never reach that potential).


As I said, I don't think Bendis or DC try to make Jon weaker. So far, his weakness is because the lack of sun.

[Journey]

This was actually a good issue I'm a sucker for angst. Doesn't change the fact that the road to this issue was a sloppily directed mess but whatever *shrugs*. Still not a fan of the idea to age up Jon but at this point in time I am willing to ride out whatever wave/storm Bendis is trying to make for the character. Though I still think 1 way or another all this will be undone in some fashion.

[Superlad93]

Well, I feel like there's no reason to concretely hammer home Jon potentially being either more powerful or less powerful than his dad when he's of age. When he was 10 that idea served as a lofty goal/"boy, I can't wait to grow up" deal, and it worked nicely. But things are a bit shifted now, and he needs to feel more of his own than just tested against his dad's muscle.

What I find most interesting about the kid if we're speaking only in terms of power is matter of, well, whatever the hell this power is....



I say "power" because I see literally nothing else on that page that even remotely looks like it's using something similar to Jon's construct.

I'm guessing we'll see more on this ability when Clark and Jon leave for space and they have to battle something or avert some sort of danger. Jon likely says he's got it and wants to show his dad a new trick. We get quick rundown, and we all collectively go "ooooooh, right, the thing from issue 8." Bendis is a fan of giving his younger heroes new powers to lay claim to. You saw that most famously with Miles and the younger Jean Gary.

I myself wonder what the heck this power is?? Like, my mind goes straight to some sort of limited form of light spectrum manipulation similar to Argent. I mean, Kryptonians are these beings that interact with light in very specific ways, right? Is it possible that Jon's unique biology allows for his to manipulate the visible light hitting him in interesting ways?

Like, I was thinking about how his solar flare power was so uncontrollable due to his biology, how Bendis brought that back up in Man of Steel, how much of an X-Men fan Bendis is, and how he more or less put Jon in "Jor-El's summer camp for gifted half kryptonians." So, I'm thinking Bendis treated the solar flare like Scott's eye beams, and Jeans, well, everything, and had Jon work to control it and use it constructively (literally. He literally builds things with it).

I mean, it was even said that his solar fare power became a "separate entity" when Jon was at his most angry. I can only imagine while Bendis--the big X-Men fan he is--was at his desk reading this to get ready for the run he smiled a big smile and said "oh Peter. You shouldn't have." hahaha

[adrikito]

Ultraman feels alone in this world.. Shazam and Lady

WOW.. I saw one woman with Jarry Garrick helmet..

Helena Wayne? Under Hawkman.. that kid... Grayson and Barbara son?

That "Superman Daughter" reminds me Talia.. Is the 2nd time that Superman pages show me one superman daughter.. Now that is too late for make her exist..

What a shame that many of these characters that appeared in the first pages will never appear in the future, they only exist in superman head..

[Superlad93]

Actually I just straight-up found the tweet where he compares Jon's summer vacation with Jor-El to the X-Men.

https://twitter.com/BRIANMBENDIS/sta...06184929583105

It says "coming soon in Superman... uh oh! Jon needs to get a paper route. #superboy #SuperMishpucha #mrozschoolforgiftedyoungsters" "Mr. Oz's school for gifted youngsters" obviously being a play on X-Men's "Xavier's school for gifted youngsters." And the issue the image is from actually lines up with the comparison. The older mentor takes the young student out on missions dedicated to peace and understanding that ultimately end in large scale conflict.

I think the comparison will also find its way into Jon's powers. Again, like in X-Men, we have a young kid on who just manifested an uncontrollable genetic power, and its implications are freaking them out (see Man of Steel issue 6). Then we have an older gentlemen coming to the family promising to help the kid with their troubles, and just generally see to their education. I bet you anything that the mysterious purple construct is a refined expression of his solar flare power.

________

Bendis may have picked up the idea that Jon's solar flare is linked to his emotions, and possibly given him some limited, jury rigged access to the light emotional light spectrum?

[ARIARAIDEN]

Can we expect that Supes and Lois will have a daughter in the near Future ?

[adrikito]

Can we expect that Supes and Lois will have a daughter in the near Future ?

Someone said me to that her perfect name would be Cir-El...

DC made one son and they will continue with the son. Unfortunatelly there is no place for one daughter.

[Sacred Knight]

I don't expect a Lois pregnancy, but to play devil's advocate it could be done without lack of focus on the son. Lois could be pregnant for any length of time considering the stagnant nature of comic book time, then when they were ready for her to have the baby, that baby basically isn't much of a character and more serves the parents' characterizations, and potentially Jon's as well.

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

Clark and Lois would have a lot of gall deciding they should have another kid after screwing up so hard on their first one. I feel like after you ditch one kid in outer space, who then apparently spends his adolescence being tortured in solitary confinement- you should probably lose the right to procreate again.

[Artemisfanboy]

I'm not okay with this at all and I'm sure there's noway I'm ever going to be going to be okay with it. There's no way Bendis can sell me on it. And if this isn't ultimately resolved by Clark or somebody else going back in time to rescue Jon successfully or if that's somehow barred off I'm going to be even more angry. If I was Clark right now I'd be planning to go back in time with the league and rescue my son. Nobody would be able to give a reason why I couldn't or shouldn't, timestream be damned. As far as I'm concerned the real Jon is need of being rescued If Clark doesn't try or even consider the possibility I''d consider it him being bad parent not trying to rescue his child. I've been against this age up from the beginning. I haven't been enjoying this at all at and have only been following so I know what the situation is so I can think of ways to fix it. Weighing it against my growing frustration it's reached a breaking point. I'll probably continue to follow till the end of the story since I'm halfway in but after that I'm through until this gets undone. If Bendis does it by the end of his runs I'll forgive him and try to give it a second chance on a reread. If it's done by the next writer(s) I'll come back. But for me to come back to this version of of the characters Jon needs to be successfully retroactively rescued.

[Yoda]

It'd be an interesting ethical dilemma for Clark to consider going back in time and rescuing Jon. Considering Jon has lived all this time and likely wouldn't want to effectively be killed by his father to go back to being a 10 year old. It's one thing when they put it in the context of saving someones life, but here Jon's alive, has made it through a really difficult situation apparently pretty intact and is actually proud of himself for making it.

Yeah it almost felt like a panel was missing or something.

I think he was going for like surprise or she maybe was freaking out a little bit? I don't know it threw me off. Reis facial expressions are kind of a weak point for me.

[rpmaluki]

It'd be an interesting ethical dilemma for Clark to consider going back in time and rescuing Jon. Considering Jon has lived all this time and likely wouldn't want to effectively be killed by his father to go back to being a 10 year old. It's one thing when they put it in the context of saving someones life, but here Jon's alive, has made it through a really difficult situation apparently pretty intact and is actually proud of himself for making it.
.

Superman basically killing his grown up son to bring back his younger version will not be a good look for him no matter how it's sliced. Like you said, Jon's alive, grown not just physically but mentally and emotionally and he's very proud of that. Ripping it away just to hold on to his childhood is backward and potentially destructive towards Clark's own development. Could DC bring young Jon back, I don't doubt it but I would loathe for them to use Superman actively forcing Jon's "regression" as if Jon is not his own person and is only around to service Clark as a father. That's horrible story telling. Bendis messed up aging up Jon but you don't fix it but screwing up the characters even more than he did. The only way for them to bring young Jon back without destroying Superman's character, is through a reboot and we know how much we all love those...*sarcasm*

[Yoda]

Superman basically killing his grown up son to bring back his younger version will not be a good look for him no matter how it's sliced. Like you said, Jon's alive, grown not just physically but mentally and emotionally and he's very proud of that. Ripping it away just to hold on to his childhood is backward and potentially destructive towards Clark's own development. Could DC bring young Jon back, I don't doubt it but I would loathe for them to use Superman actively forcing Jon's "regression" as if Jon is not his own person and is only around to service Clark as a father. That's horrible story telling. Bendis messed up aging up Jon but you don't fix it but screwing up the characters even more than he did. The only way for them to bring young Jon back without destroying Superman's character, is through a reboot and we know how much we all love those...*sarcasm*

Definitely. I wasn't advocating for it at all, I think it'd run completely counter to how Bendis has described what he is intending to do. And it would be a pretty evil act on Clark's behalf. But I could see it being set up as being his initial reaction, basically "I can fix this, I can save you" especially after this part and what seems to be coming. But Jon not going for it at all. With Clark then realizing the ramifications of what that fix would actually do. Unless there's some swerve to the story, I don't think it'll actually happen or be seriously considered.

Nothing Bendis has said has given me any indication that that is a direction he is considering though, just something for everyone wanting it to just be undone to consider. I think it has been intentionally set up this way too. I mean if Jon came back a mess or evil it'd be one thing. But that is not the way it's being presented.