Challenge of the Super Sons- A digital first series

[garazza]

With Challenge getting a physical print run, we can read it all over again with the coherency of a regular length comic, so we'll see how it reads.

[Blue22]

Whelp. Challenge has officially wrapped up. But from the sounds of it, there may or may not be more? I hope so. Because, aside from the back and forths through time, I really enjoyed this. Plus it's the only real Jon we'll probably be getting for a long time and I don't want his last outing to be one where the league swoops in and takes care his problems off-screen (seriously, what was up with that?)

Overall, this series was better than Adventures but not as good as the first one. Like I said before, these two work a lot better as shorter, one to three issue arcs rather than these drawn out 12-14 issue ones. It gives us tighter, more focused, stories and a lot more of them, at that.

[manwhohaseverything]

I hope this thing sold well.I have bought it the issues.Never had time to finish it.I am gonna now.

[HsssH]

Yeah, my main problem with Adventures was its length. If it was trimmed down to something like 8 issues I think it would have been really solid story.

As for how this ended, I'm not sure. To me main problem with Tomasi is that he often fumbles the ending. JL showing up makes sense since we saw Cyborg contacting Superman in earlier issue, but at the same time it does kill the hype a bit, does it not? But I'm more annoyed by previous issue. So this big curse that gets triggered if you see your own doom scroll is that... Savage and Faust get time portal from 15th age and... you can stop it by burning the scroll? I don't know, feels like they should have just told whats up to Flash or WW and solved the entire thing 10 issues ago.

In the end I'm not sure if I'd rate it above Adventures. Overall story was more enjoyable, but I think this one has the weakest ending from all three series and time jumps added nothing to the story asides of some confusion. Are we going to get more? We saw entire bookshelf of ideas so there is definitely potential there, but I think I'm ready for someone else to write them. Tomasi did some solid ground work in all three series, but to me it is clear at this point that he can't really do that big definitive Super Sons story.

[Blue22]

Yeeeeeeah. I love Tomasi but he hasn't been quite as great as he was back in his Batman and Robin run. I'd like to see Super Sons tackled by someone else (man I wish Gleason was still around) but I think at this point Tomasi is the only one who cares enough to use the real Jon. Taylor would have been my next best bet but he's currently on the replacement Jon and while I'm certain he'll still do a good job with him and his relationship with Damian...that ain't the Super Sons I'm interested in.

[garazza]

Someone on the DC subreddit suggested putting these kinds of Super Sons stories as back-ups in the Son of Kal-El book and I honestly...don't hate that idea. DC would think it would be sticking it to the boycotters, but they're just giving us we want, so joke's on them. If JLD can live with this treatment, then so could we.

[Blue22]

Someone on the DC subreddit suggested putting these kinds of Super Sons stories as back-ups in the Son of Kal-El book and I honestly...don't hate that idea. DC would think it would be sticking it to the boycotters, but they're just giving us we want, so joke's on them. If JLD can live with this treatment, then so could we.

I wouldn't want that because then that really is sticking it to the boycotters. If they did that then they'd be financially supporting the book that has the version of Jon that they don't want. That's just straight up manipulation. The whole point of not buying Taylor's book is to send a message that it isn't the Jon that they wanna see. If they stick Super Sons flashbacks in as back-up stories, they're not gonna know who's buying the books just for Super Sons. They're just gonna see people buying the books and they'll think "huh. We're onto something with this Jon thing. Guess the age up wasn't a bad idea after all."

Besides, Super Sons is only one small part of why I'm not buying these new Jon books. It's always been just one part of a bigger problem.

[garazza]

How does DC know who's buying JL for JL or for JLD? It's dirty for sure, but if DC can come with the compromise of Jon gets one book for those alleged fans and Clark gets his books for his fans, so why not go for the hat-trick and let the demand for Super Sons stories with Jon his proper age be met in the form of back-ups.

Back in the day, around the time of Hard Traveling Heroes with Green Arrow and Lantern, lots of characters had their stories put in books completely unrelated to them as back ups and that's how their stories were carried on. It's why we're getting more back-ups and anthologies.

It was a very interesting suggestion that gave even me, a stalwart Jon fan that's been fighting the age up day one, pause to think about.

[Blue22]

Unless these hypothetical Super Sons stories take place in some separate continuity where Jon is actually allowed to grow the right way, then it really is just pacifying his fans for a period of time. Then eventually it'll end, real Jon will go back to being gone, and we'll still be left with Bendis' Jon. That's the problem with relegating it to backups. Especially a backup for a book that I, otherwise, wouldn't want to support. Would it be better than nothing? Sure. Would it be enough? Hell no. Especially not when the only way to support it is by also supporting an idea that I hate. It's like how they're using Tom Taylor. Love the dude's work. I'm REALLY loving his Nightwing. I loved what he did with the Super Sons in DCeased. But I can't support this particular book of his.

Imma be as steadfast about this (within reason, of course) as I need to be. I want my son back lol

The absolute least I'd be willing to get behind is a long-running series (none of these 12 issue minis) that takes place in some alternate universe where the only difference is that Jon decided NOT to go with Jor-El (or...you know...his parents actually grew a pair and told their child "no" like any competent parent would have done). Something that lasts long enough to actually see Jon grow and develop into a man instead of skipping the growth stage altogether. I'd even be willing to compromise and say that I'd be alright with him still growing up to be Superman.

[Journey]

Unless these hypothetical Super Sons stories take place in some separate continuity where Jon is actually allowed to grow the right way, then it really is just pacifying his fans for a period of time. Then eventually it'll end, real Jon will go back to being gone, and we'll still be left with Bendis' Jon. That's the problem with relegating it to backups. Especially a backup for a book that I, otherwise, wouldn't want to support. Would it be better than nothing? Sure. Would it be enough? Hell no. Especially not when the only way to support it is by also supporting an idea that I hate. It's like how they're using Tom Taylor. Love the dude's work. I'm REALLY loving his Nightwing. I loved what he did with the Super Sons in DCeased. But I can't support this particular book of his.

Imma be as steadfast about this (within reason, of course) as I need to be. I want my son back lol

The absolute least I'd be willing to get behind is a long-running series (none of these 12 issue minis) that takes place in some alternate universe where the only difference is that Jon decided NOT to go with Jor-El (or...you know...his parents actually grew a pair and told their child "no" like any sensible parent would have done). Something that lasts long enough to actually see Jon grow and develop into a man instead of skipping the growth stage altogether.

I'm praying his book fails I won't buy it if it suceeds I feel it's the nail in the coffin to save Jon.

[Blue22]

You might as well start the funeral arrangements then cuz I think it's a wrap. I'mma still fight it. And best believe I will always bitch about it. But I think our boy may actually be gone this time. He had a fighting chance if it was just PKJ. But now they got Tom Taylor backing it and a HUGE social media push? This Super Sons book that we got today might really be it.

Then again, miracles have happened before. Snyder fans got their precious, mediocre (at best) movie. But I'd rather not become so obnoxious that I'm literally harassing and threatening people into giving me what I want.

[oneveryfineday]

Is there any reason why we can’t get another maxi series, even if it’s not written by Tomasi? They seem to sell well enough to keep making them. I’m okay with the occasional flashback Super Sons story in the backups, but we’re already going to get enough bat crossovers in the Superman book already. Plus there’s the added bonus of cover art.

[HsssH]

Yeah, I think it is done deal at this point. Bendis was moved from Superman, Didio was fired and we are still marching on with Jon being new Superman. It is clear that this is coming up from higher ups and they likely don't care that much about sales. If Jon's book will do badly they'll just fire someone or replace Taylor with another writer.

That being said I'm not a fan of back ups, but if that is the only option then I'll have to think about it.

[Blue22]

If it's a back up in any other book, maybe. MAYBE. But in a Jon Superman book? Hard pass.

Again, at this point, I think the best thing they could do is just split Super Sons off into its own continuity so it can keep going without being held back by the present canon.

[HsssH]

Yes, that would be ideal scenario. But I'd be fine with them continuing in Challenges format as well. We had full bookshelf of adventures and its not like it is impossible for comics that the boys had dozens of adventures before Jon was aged up.

I recently read classic Super-Sons collection by Haney and I think that format could work very well as well. About time we got another volume of World's Finest, no? Could feature some other characters as well when writer/artist needs a break.