Poll: Do you want Jon to survive the post-Bendis era?

[Vakanai]

But DC needs to handle this well if they're going to make it stick.. and we all know how I feel about DC's ability to make good decisions...lol

This is my one hope. They need to handle it well to make it stick - and thankfully there's still a good chance for them to screw it up and write Jon out.

I hate having to root for writers to screw up, but that's the position I'm in.

[Blue22]

You know what....Imma let you have it. I'd be a hypocrite if I got mad at that. Lol

I've been actively rooting for Didio, Glass, King, and Bendis to fail. Three down. One on the way.

[Hides Wallace West voodoo doll]

[Ascended]

Honestly, there was a LOT of potential in Jon. Not a "teen Superman," but an actual SuperBOY - even younger than the traditional Pre-Crisis SuperBoy. That kind of character in comics is uncommon, if not outright rare. So:

1: A very young hero character to grab younger readers (not a necessity, as a lot of us were young when we started reading Superman, but good to have) into the main books: AKA Superman "gateway drug" lol
2: A Super-character with good potential in younger-format books (as in his own stories, not just in the Super-titles).
3: A good filter for Superman - while i don't think it's necessary, Superman's self-held example nature *can* be hard for some people to grasp, and Jon could potentially help increase the number of people who "get" him.
4: More story potential: having a son can be enriching for the character - IF in the hands of a capable writer.

Superman being married and being a father always struck me as a good idea. I know others here disagree, including some here that I have a lot of respect for - and they make their points well! But DC needs to handle this well if they're going to make it stick.. and we all know how I feel about DC's ability to make good decisions...lol

Despite being one of the people who disagree about Clark having a kid being a good idea, I actually agree with you about what kid!Jon brings to the table. A hero that young isn't something we often see, it has potential to appeal to demographics Clark doesn't (which really is more about DC's mismanagement than anything, but still), and it offers narrative avenues we wouldn't otherwise get. I think Clark having a kid is a bad idea thematically but from the business side, I get the appeal of expanding the "S" brand with him.

Jon's been around in main canon for what, four years now? Another six and he might actually generate enough traction to last and become a regular part of the mythos and Clark's journey, just like Clark's death and marriage have; seen in multiple versions and adaptations and accepted as part of the core story of Superman. But I dunno if Jon will make it that far, DC has already taken the character off the rails as far as his fans go, and that kid still has that "new character" smell. I honestly don't think DC has the juice right now to make Jon a big enough deal that he sticks. I think the odds of Jon becoming the next Chris Kent or Cir-El are higher than the odds of him becoming the next Supergirl or Conner Kent. But who knows, time will tell. I wish Jon fans the best of luck with it, even if I personally think he's a pox on the franchise that only highlights how poorly DC understands who and what Clark is.

[witchboy]

It does help that Jon is getting a big role in the new Superman and Lois series - although giving him a brother is a surprising choice. I get that the brother is filling the Damien role, but I wonder if the brother will get included in the comics at some point.
Jon also has been seen in Young Justice, which is supposed to come back with another season, even if he is a small child, the idea of Superman as a dad is getting out there in the media.
I think that DC took the wrong approach in their "no marriages" rule. A diversity of lifestyles is best for the range. Let's have Superman as a family man, there are plenty of single super heroes out there to read if that's what you want.

[Journey]

It does help that Jon is getting a big role in the new Superman and Lois series - although giving him a brother is a surprising choice. I get that the brother is filling the Damien role, but I wonder if the brother will get included in the comics at some point.
Jon also has been seen in Young Justice, which is supposed to come back with another season, even if he is a small child, the idea of Superman as a dad is getting out there in the media.
I think that DC took the wrong approach in their "no marriages" rule. A diversity of lifestyles is best for the range. Let's have Superman as a family man, there are plenty of single super heroes out there to read if that's what you want.

Bendis with one poor decision made Lois and Clark look like two of the worst/incompetent parents ever they don't need any more kids.

[witchboy]

Bendis with one poor decision made Lois and Clark look like two of the worst/incompetent parents ever they don't need any more kids.

Oh, what Bendis did to them is horrible. I try to put the blame on Bendis as it's hard to understand Lois and Clark's actions. Under a different writer going forward I would hope they'd be better parents.
I just think of other characters like Jimmy Olsen, Renee Montoya and Harley Quinn, who were successfully introduced in the comics after their introduction in outside media.

[Blue22]

Yeah, if it's under a different writer, I'm okay with Clark and Lois having another kid (if I recall, that was actually the plan for Tomasi's run). Hell that'd be real good for the people who wished Jon had started off as a baby and grew up over time. Basically the DC equivalent to Franklin Richards.

[witchboy]

Yeah, if it's under a different writer, I'm okay with Clark and Lois having another kid (if I recall, that was actually the plan for Tomasi's run). Hell that'd be real good for the people who wished Jon had started off as a baby and grew up over time. Basically the DC equivalent to Franklin Richards.

I am one of those people who wish Jon could've been born and grown up over time, so getting that with a second baby would be great. I just suspect we're more likely to get another tween retconed in the next reboot. I'm not demanding that happen, it just seems possible. I guess the popularity of the character on Superman and Lois will influence that.
I have thought of the Fantastic Four as a sort of template for Superman combining kids with heroics.

[Blue22]

The reason I'd rather Jon just go back to being ten rather than starting over with him completely is because...well as a baby, there's not really much for him in the way of doing his own thing. He'd essentially be downgraded to a living prop and we'd have to wait years for him to go back to being a character. We'd be going years where the only point of his existence is to further Clark and Lois as characters, instead of letting him be his own person.

That's why I always felt like it was kinda perfect how we're introduced to him at ten. He's young but not so young that he doesn't have any agency, and he's older but not so much older that we'd miss out on seeing him grow up.

[witchboy]

I wouldn't want to start over with Jon. He has a fan base and is a character that can be used to carry a title successfully. But a second baby born in the comics would be nice.
Restoring Jon to being ten does seem like the best thing for the character, and I think has a good chance of happening.

[Jackalope89]

I wouldn't want to start over with Jon. He has a fan base and is a character that can be used to carry a title successfully. But a second baby born in the comics would be nice.
Restoring Jon to being ten does seem like the best thing for the character, and I think has a good chance of happening.

Honestly, if he was the same age as Damian (within months, a year tops), I would be fine with that too.

[Sacred Knight]

Oh, what Bendis did to them is horrible. I try to put the blame on Bendis as it's hard to understand Lois and Clark's actions. Under a different writer going forward I would hope they'd be better parents.
I just think of other characters like Jimmy Olsen, Renee Montoya and Harley Quinn, who were successfully introduced in the comics after their introduction in outside media.

I agree blanket edicts are a dumb idea. I just think Superman is the wrong character to give a family. Removing the ones that worked best, Flash for example, was a mistake. But making Superman a husband again and a father was a mistake too, imo. Its the same thing with legacy. Any blanket idea is bad. New 52 was one extreme where they got rid of it completely (well, in the beginning, before trying to ham-fistedly put some of it back). But making every single property have legacy elements as a backtrack was a bad idea too.

[witchboy]

Honestly, if he was the same age as Damian (within months, a year tops), I would be fine with that too.

Oh they definitely can't do a Jon and Damien relationship until they're either both adults, or a sweet innocent relationship if/when Jon is restored to being a pre teen. I didn't think to specify that.

[Jackalope89]

Oh they definitely can't do a Jon and Damien relationship until they're either both adults, or a sweet innocent relationship if/when Jon is restored to being a pre teen. I didn't think to specify that.

I just meant as friends...

[Vakanai]

I just meant as friends...

Eh, still kind of weird to have friendships with that big an age difference. I don't go around hanging out with children I'm not related to or have a similar relationship with. All the kids in my life are like my cousin, my adopted brother, my sister's new husband's kids (guess I'm an uncle now, weird). I don't have a kid as a friend, it'd be creepy no matter how innocent.