Superman #12

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

If Zarr is Clark’s secret brother then he should team up with Lincoln March, Jason Prince and Malcolm Thawne. And they should do it off page, in limbo. And never get mentioned again.

[Sacred Knight]

Yeah still not sure if I'm feeling a potential brother angle. A connection I'm down for, the character desperately needs it at this point. Just not sure how I'd feel about that one.

Frankly I might be more okay with a reveal that Kara is actually his sister.

[Yoda]

I can see Zaar being half Kryptonian, and in fact think that's really a strong possibility. But I don't see how he lines up with Jor El as a parent given he hasn't have been portrayed as being that old at the time of Clark's birth on Krypton and Zaar is an adult at the time of Krypton's destruction.

Being Zor El's kid would make a little more sense, given he'd only have to be a little older than Kara and his access to Zor El's tech (as the planet destroying device was shown to be in Supergirl) would make some sense.

Beyond all that, I don't particularly like Jor El or Zor El being responsible even indirectly for Krypton's destruction given they've been shown almost all along to be the only people who tried to do anything to prevent it. Plus, like making Luthor and Martian Manhunter, or Luthor and Clark friends in Smallville, it just makes the DCU too small for me. Every important character doesn't have to be connected to or have a history with everyone else.

[manwhohaseverything]

That panel is fire, though it would be even better if Jon was replaced with classic Jor-El. But that of course would require the status quo not being what it is in regards to him.

How would jor el fit into this story? This was story was about kents and father-son relationship in the kent family.Plus, It's not like Clark could teach jor el how to light up lanterns. This was a father-son kamehameha kinda thing with little jon and old man Jonathan being there in spirit,because of what they gave to clark. Pa kent gave him a straight path. Jon gave him an childish imaginative spirit to think outside the box to solve problems. The Last person i would call imaginative is Jor el.

[manwhohaseverything]

Rogol zarr is going half kryptonIan. What is his other half? Czarnian?

[rpmaluki]

How would jor el fit into this story? This was story was about kents and father-son relationship in the kent family.Plus, It's not like Clark could teach jor el how to light up lanterns. This was a father-son kamehameha kinda thing with little jon and old man Jonathan being there in spirit,because of what they gave to clark. Pa kent gave him a straight path. Jon gave him an childish imaginative spirit to think outside the box to solve problems. The Last person i would call imaginative is Jor el.

I don't think you're giving classic Jor-El enough credit. However, I don't think the super punch would have worked with him because Jor-El never got the opportunity to raise Kal. Whatever happened to current Jor, at least let's admit that he's no longer the man he used to be, a lot has happened to the man between the destruction of his planet and his stint as Mr Oz, he's a broken man (not villain as some have attributed since the reveal that he's alive).

[Superlad93]

I can see Zaar being half Kryptonian, and in fact think that's really a strong possibility. But I don't see how he lines up with Jor El as a parent given he hasn't have been portrayed as being that old at the time of Clark's birth on Krypton and Zaar is an adult at the time of Krypton's destruction.

Time travel while looking for Jon I'm guessing.

The fact that Zaar continues to wear the house of El cape, and how he characterized the Phantom Zone as both Jor-El's creation and where Krypton discards its shame, broken dreams, and unwanted things makes me almost 100% sure.

And normally I'd agree with you on how it makes the universe smaller, but, for me, that's mainly when a writer changes two established characters to link them together. Depending on how it's done, I can go with it, but most of the time I'm iffy. But in this case it's a totally new character who could've been anything. And I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I actually appreciate the fallibility it introduces to Jor-El as a character and House of El as a whole.

Reminds me of Tom Strong actually.

[Kuwagaton]

the only House i can think for this week.../sigh/

sorry for the out of topic but Rogol Zaarr really getting on nerves now and he has complicated face...

I think Jimenez is utterly tremendous, but it's just impossible to execute whatever it is Snyder put on paper in a way that doesn't make the "flying overhand of Pa Kent" not awkwardly hilarious.

And I like Zaar, for all the complications of his face. I was getting into the book of Joshua recently where they circle the wall and just go home. Day after day, just the weirdest thing from the opposite pov. I like that Zaar plays games like that. And I like the contrast here between him and Zod, who people happen to consider Superman's "supersoldier" foe. Zod is all over the place where Zaar thus faar is just himself. Zaar is consistent as he's only been written by one writer, and where everyone seems to assume he lives and dies on how his origin or role on Krypton shake out, I find I've been better able to enjoy him by not assuming that I'm entitled to that, just enjoying his current antagonism.

[Yoda]

Time travel while looking for Jon I'm guessing.

The fact that Zaar seems to continuing wearing the house of El cape, and how he characterized the Phantom Zone as both Jor-El's creation and where Krypton discards its shame, broken dreams, and unwanted things makes me almost 100% sure.

And normally I'd agree with you on how it makes the universe smaller, but, for me, that's mainly when a writer changes two established characters to link them together. Depending on how it's done, I can go with it, but most of the time I'm iffy. But in this case it's a totally new character who could've been anything. And I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I actually appreciate the fallibility it introduces to Jor-El as a character and House of El as a whole.

Reminds me of Tom Strong actually.

Forgot about the time travel aspect of it. That'd actually be an interesting twist on it.

As for the universe aspect, I agree on the existing vs. new character distinction generally. I was not a really big fan of the idea of Brainiac being responsible for Krypton's destruction for the same reason either. And I think that the death of Krypton society being caused by the population and political leaders ignoring the threat actually resonates a lot more today (to the point where it's like really on the nose actually) than a vengeful ignored kid will. So I suppose it'll come down to me how it's played out in the reveal if that is the case. They've already established Zor El's tech is what caused it, so there's already a connection there.

I think the time travel aspect of it actually would work better for me, it creates a time loop but the contemporary to Krypton's destruction Jor El is actually working against and trying to prevent a problem caused by his future self. So it's not so much the ghosts of his past coming to haunt him, but his own future actions.

[Sacred Knight]

How would jor el fit into this story? This was story was about kents and father-son relationship in the kent family.Plus, It's not like Clark could teach jor el how to light up lanterns. This was a father-son kamehameha kinda thing with little jon and old man Jonathan being there in spirit,because of what they gave to clark. Pa kent gave him a straight path. Jon gave him an childish imaginative spirit to think outside the box to solve problems. The Last person i would call imaginative is Jor el.

I'm not talking about relation to the actual story, I already pointed out in relation to story it doesn't fit. I'm talking just about imagery, that a pic like this of him being flanked by apparitions of his two fathers would be awesome.

[Superlad93]

I think the time travel aspect of it actually would work better for me, it creates a time loop but the contemporary to Krypton's destruction Jor El is actually working against and trying to prevent a problem caused by his future self. So it's not so much the ghosts of his past coming to haunt him, but his own future actions.

Yeah, natural causes is my go-to for any baseline Superman. That said, ever since the aspect of family has become so ingrained in Superman, and brought more to the forefront, I find myself being more okay with the idea that a planet was killed because of an abandoned child as the thematic coin flip of Superman's origin.

Reminds me a bit of the ideas behind A Song of Fire & Ice (Game of Thrones). George RR Martin like to bring up the William Faulkner quote "the human heart in conflict with itself which alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing about, worth the agony and the sweat." It's like Robert's Rebellion from GOT. A whole dynasty ended (and nearly a whole bloodline) in part because of the complicated feelings three characters had between them. Plus all of the political shady stuff in the back of both stories.

So in the context of Rebirth's family idea, and Bendis "broken boy alone in the universe idea" I can thematically get behind the idea because like with krypton it's still teaching Clark personally a lesson and acting as a cautionary tale. The potential issue that I'd naturally see with it is how nearsighted it makes the message: "take responsibility for your kids, idiot." But luckily this story isn't just about Clark taking responsibility for his family, it's also about Clark taking responsibility for the world and where it needs to go, so I can't quite fault it beyond my preferences.

[Vordan]

I guess this could be interesting. We’ll see how it plays out, but long-lost brothers don’t tend to stick around in the DCU.

[Kuwagaton]

Credit to Superlad if it ends up true, but that's not necessarily where we're headed as of now. Being half Kryptonian would mean Zaar needs sunlight, and he doesn't.

That's aside from my feelings. As JAK also did, I figured he'd be related to Cleric if anything. But that idea doesn't much please me either. I hope he's read Exile because it's good, but I'd rather see something out of left field. Something that doesn't just make this a shonen story or a callback. I wish Bendis would keep the mystery going to an extent, because he's actually a culprit in damaging Wolverine that way, but it's so likely he's got a big reveal.

[Yoda]

Credit to Superlad if it ends up true, but that's not necessarily where we're headed as of now. Being half Kryptonian would mean Zaar needs sunlight, and he doesn't.

In Man of Steel though Clark concludes that Zaar is getting a boost from the yellow sun and isn't as comfortable with it as he is. So maybe he doesn't need it, but he does get the boost from it.

55C9425F-7740-4F57-B49E-CBC4BE39D204.jpg

[Kuwagaton]

For all the logistic hurdles that poses for the rest of his story, that is a good catch and clever if Zaar is part Kryptonian.