Jon Kent: Superboy Appreciation 2020

[Superlad93]

Bendis held an AMA on his IG, and there were some Jon related questions and answers.

Q: "Due to the surprise ending of LoSH-3 I was wondering whether the “fun and being able to experience each other in a new and exciting way” was still upcoming for Jon and Damian and whether the wait time on that arc would be similar to the wait time like their initial reunion in Superman-16."

Bendis: "Jon will be bouncing back-and-forth between Legion and Action. There is going to be more chances for super sons than you might think"

Q: "So Jon will be Superman right? As told, Conner would still be superboy well jons superboy ?"

Bendis: "All Jon, Connor and other content kent related questions will be answered in the upcoming action comics: the house of Kent. All John Conner questions will be answered in terminator"

Q: "Will you add #Supergirl into your comics now that her current comic run was cancelled by @dccomics?"

Bendis: "yes! see action comics: the house of kent"

[Ascended]

Honestly I love it when creators get a little salty with the fans. As long as the fans start it first.

Not *too* much salt either, they're supposed to be professionals after all and their actions reflect the company. But they should be allowed to defend their views too. And it's not like Bendis said anything that's actually insulting or offensive.

[manwhohaseverything]

Honestly I love it when creators get a little salty with the fans. As long as the fans start it first.

Not *too* much salt either, they're supposed to be professionals after all and their actions reflect the company. But they should be allowed to defend their views too. And it's not like Bendis said anything that's actually insulting or offensive.

I don't have full idea what happened. But, from image this was a response to a general comment made by a fan that wasn't really directed at bendis. If that's the case then it wasn't needed.He too came to the same conclusion. That's why he deleted it.
I get his frustration, though .He seems to be really trying. But people still keep piling on him. That's not really good.

[Sam]

Honestly I love it when creators get a little salty with the fans. As long as the fans start it first.

Not *too* much salt either, they're supposed to be professionals after all and their actions reflect the company. But they should be allowed to defend their views too. And it's not like Bendis said anything that's actually insulting or offensive.

But the fans didn't start in this case. Bendis went to comment on something that wasn't addressed to him. He was looking for the fight. It was unnecessary and condescending.

[Ascended]

I don't have full idea what happened. But, from image this was a response to a general comment made by a fan that wasn't really directed at bendis. If that's the case then it wasn't needed.He too came to the same conclusion. That's why he deleted it.
I get his frustration.He seems to be really trying. But people still keep piling on him. That's not really good.

No, people need to chill the F out and realize these are fictional people and don't really exist. There's far more important things in the world to get worked up over than superheroes in funny books.

But still, nothing in Bendis' post seems like it's stepping over the line. He didn't insult anybody, directly or indirectly. He just said he and DC felt teen Jon offered more than little Jon. It's a valid opinion.

But I don't know the whole story either, so maybe this did cross a line somewhere. Though the fact that this wasn't posted at him doesn't really make a difference in my mind. He was replying about a character/story that he wrote. He's allowed to do that. All I'm saying is, just looking at what was posted here, it doesn't seem like anything crossed a line. Can't blame Bendis for deleting it, since people can be super sensitive and whiny about the dumbest things, but still. Plenty of people say far worse about Bendis here on CBR every day than anything I saw in the posts above.

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

That looks amazing. I hope it's not just one last trip.



What an incredibly tone-deaf response from him. My understanding is he deleted it almost immediately, as he got tons of blowback, which was well deserved. There's nothing bold about what he has done with Jon. He's made him a teenager among teenagers. That's par for the course, not bold.

Plus it’s derivative as hell. They did the same thing with Chris Kent. Didn’t work then, didn’t work now. It’s not bold at all. If he had done something new, I’d at least have some respect for that.
And I agree he comes across as condescending, just like how he keeps insisting people will apologize to him.

[Sam]

No, people need to chill the F out and realize these are fictional people and don't really exist. There's far more important things in the world to get worked up over than superheroes in funny books.

But still, nothing in Bendis' post seems like it's stepping over the line. He didn't insult anybody, directly or indirectly. He just said he and DC felt teen Jon offered more than little Jon. It's a valid opinion.

But I don't know the whole story either, so maybe this did cross a line somewhere. All I'm saying is, just looking at what was posted here, it doesn't seem like anything crossed a line. Can't blame Bendis for deleting it, since people can be super sensitive and whiny about the dumbest things, but still. Plenty of people say far worse about Bendis here on CBR every day than anything I saw in the posts above.

So glad we have to be the arbiter of what's worth getting annoyed about. If people miss old Jon, they have every right to voice that view point. Bendis doesn't have to jump on them and condescending tell them what is a better use of their money. It's necessary and not a great look for Bendis. Of course, he has a right to defend himself or his work, but this wasn't what happened here. It just comes off as petty and thin-skinned.

[Ascended]

>shrug< I don't see what's condescending about it. Bendis says he and DC thought this was a better direction. Sure, there was a tiny bit of snark (and that seems like it's more in good fun than any attempt to be mean) but I don't see anything here worth getting annoyed or upset by. Someone commented on Jon's direction, Bendis replied.

Not like he said he was trying to actively kill of Jon or that Jon was redundant, boring, and made Clark look old. Maybe being a big Nightwing fan and having Didio crap on the character in interviews and social media for years (to say nothing of what's actually been done in the pages) has shifted how I perceive things like this.

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

>shrug< I don't see what's condescending about it. Bendis says he and DC thought this was a better direction. Sure, there was a tiny bit of snark (and that seems like it's more in good fun than any attempt to be mean) but I don't see anything here worth getting annoyed or upset by. Someone commented on Jon's direction, Bendis replied.

Not like he said he was trying to actively kill of Jon or that Jon was redundant, boring, and made Clark look old. Maybe being a big Nightwing fan and having Didio crap on the character in interviews and social media for years (to say nothing of what's actually been done in the pages) has shifted how I perceive things like this.

Go complain over on the Nightwing boards then. Oh wait, you always do. Because you’re just as much a butthurt fanboy as anyone else here. You just act above it all when it’s a character you’re neutral about.

[Sam]

>shrug< I don't see what's condescending about it. Bendis says he and DC thought this was a better direction. Sure, there was a tiny bit of snark (and that seems like it's more in good fun than any attempt to be mean) but I don't see anything here worth getting annoyed or upset by. Someone commented on Jon's direction, Bendis replied.

Not like he said he was trying to actively kill of Jon or that Jon was redundant, boring, and made Clark look old. Maybe being a big Nightwing fan and having Didio crap on the character in interviews and social media for years (to say nothing of what's actually been done in the pages) has shifted how I perceive things like this.

If you don't see what's condescending about it, that's fine, but it doesn't mean other people are being unfair for perceiving it that way and reacting negatively to the comment. As for why it's condescending, it's up the original poster what he wants from Jon Kent. No one else gets to decide that. If he misses seeing Jon do chores, it feels dismissive and condescending for Bendis to swoop in and basically say I know what you want better than you do.

[Superlad93]

>shrug< I don't see what's condescending about it.

Seriously. It's like the most benign, tongue-can't-go-any-further-in-the-cheek, comment I've seen. Like, someone more or less said "boy, we really missed out on the rip snorting adventures of Jon playing Fortnight, doing homework, and doing chores around a farm". Like, I don't care what you have in mind, in the inherently high concept and adventure seeking world of comics (Superman in particular) saying "dang it, but I wanted to see him learning algebra" sounds ridiculous and almost farcical. It's compounded by the fact that the post ends "homework!" being exclaimed. A tongue in cheek response to an inherently (based on the context ie superhero fiction) strange comment is all I see. Also for more context this post is from last year just before Legion came out, so the Jon stuff was still fresh.

[manwhohaseverything]

Seriously. It's like the most benign, tongue-can't-go-any-further-in-the-cheek, comment I've seen. Like, someone more or less said "boy, we really missed out on the rip snorting adventures of Jon playing Fortnight, doing homework, and doing chores around a farm". Like, I don't care what you have in mind, in the inherently high concept and adventure seeking world of comics (Superman in particular) saying "dang it, but I wanted to see him learning algebra" sounds ridiculous and almost farcical. It's compounded by the fact that the post ends "homework!" being exclaimed. A tongue in cheek response to an inherently (based on the context ie superhero fiction) strange comment is all I see. Also for more context this post is from last year just before Legion came out, so the Jon stuff was still fresh.

Dude, jon needs the level of relatablility. Otherwise, why would anyone care if jon does those high concept adventures. As i said, handling jon like clark kent or barry allen is a mistake. Jon is more a kin to peter parker or wally west. He is postive arc character. He has his innocence, mischiefs, thril seeking sides and selfish goals. That's what people mean. He is supposed to be a growing person. Making him a grown one just removes everything from the character.Just like making superman into spiderman is a mistake. Turning jon into superman like character is also bad. Peter has to content with the most mundanest of stuff. Jon needs to as well.

Superman is about purest form of ideals in a world that might not understand it. He is the ben parker.Jon is peter who has to cope with burden of those ideals while doing the normal things. Facing rejection, having the power being a curse, making wierd friends... Etc. Jon works best when he is learning. Clark is the opposite.He works best when he teaches something. Jon works best when he is changing. Clark works best when the world is changing.

With jon most mundane thing like baseball or music band seizes to be that, combined with his wierd ass friends and family.

[Sam]

Seriously. It's like the most benign, tongue-can't-go-any-further-in-the-cheek, comment I've seen. Like, someone more or less said "boy, we really missed out on the rip snorting adventures of Jon playing Fortnight, doing homework, and doing chores around a farm". Like, I don't care what you have in mind, in the inherently high concept and adventure seeking world of comics (Superman in particular) saying "dang it, but I wanted to see him learning algebra" sounds ridiculous and almost farcical. It's compounded by the fact that the post ends "homework!" being exclaimed. A tongue in cheek response to an inherently (based on the context ie superhero fiction) strange comment is all I see. Also for more context this post is from last year just before Legion came out, so the Jon stuff was still fresh.

I think you're missing the point. It's not about the chores themselves, but what the chores represent. One of the strengths of Rebirth era Superman and Super Sons was how authentically Jon seemed liked a ten-year-old. He saved the world and went on crazy adventures, but Tomasi grounded it all in moments like Jon doing his chores or going to school that made the character feel very real. Bendis's version of Jon has cast aside all those trappings, and people miss that relatable 10-year-old who was replaced with a bland generic 17-year-old version.

[Superlad93]

Dude, jon needs the level of relatablility.

"Relatability" is an incredibly vague idea. On the one hand I've seen people relate to the idea of Peter Parker being late on his rent, and on the other hand I've seen people relate to a time eating chronovore eating up the few minutes that Clark could've spent with his dad before he died in All Star Superman. It's fiction. Both schools of thought are valid, but more regularly with comic book fiction they tend to be more allegorical and symbolic because they stakes and ideas are always going to be greater than your average person's. Like, I've seen quite a lot of comments from people saying how the really related to Clark's "coming out", but obviously when they came out they didn't hold a press conference, but I bet it must've felt like that.

[Superlad93]

I think you're missing the point. It's not about the chores themselves, but what the chores represent. One of the strengths of Rebirth era Superman and Super Sons was how authentically Jon seemed liked a ten-year-old. He saved the world and went on crazy adventures, but Tomasi grounded it all in moments like Jon doing his chores or going to school that made the character feel very real. Bendis's version of Jon has cast aside all those trappings, and people miss that relatable 10-year-old who was replaced with a bland generic 17-year-old version.

No, I understand that. I'm specifically talking about the clear tongue-in-cheek nature nature of the response to what reads as an inherently ridiculous comment.