PKJ Action Comics Discussion and Spoilers

[Myskin]

I don’t really get it. Is Jon popular (especially teenage Jon) and I just haven’t seen the fanbase? I don’t find teenage Jon appealing and I certainly haven’t seen a ton of love for the character on message boards. I don’t get DC’s need to have him front and center in the Superman books.

I don't think that it has much to do with popularity. Damian Wayne is definitely more popular than Jon Kent, and I doubt they will ever turn him into Batman if not for Elseworlds or out-of-continuity stories.
Again, it all depends on the reason why Jon was created in the first place. It's a speculation of mine, but I'd say that Jon was created because they wanted to pull a Damian Wayne stunt for Superman, but they clearly had something else in their mind, too.
The aging of Jon doesn't have much to do with Bendis or even Didio in my opinion. I seriously think that even with completely different writers and editors something similar would have happened. Bendis' entire run was basically a long stunt to put Jon in a position to become "regular" Superman. We have new writers and a new management, but they keep shoving Jon down the readers' throats, and it must mean something.

[Somecrazyaussie]

I've been pushing for fresh voices for a while so that fact alone doesn't bother me at all. Its purely the content right now that doesn't seem to be up my alley, but I'm very glad for a newcomer like Johnson and all the newcomers getting gigs here. And if his claim about the epic storyline is true, I'll probably have to at least venture in to see that one and where it takes things. As always my caveat is simple: don't replace Kal. For now though I'm still just keeping an ear to the ground. Its not upsetting news or anything, just kinda lateral as it stands right now. But the theories of not just dropping Bendis's stuff with quick retcons, rather working with it even if stuff will be reversed in the course of a story, that seems to be what they elected here.

I love Jon. But I agree. It is pretty clear Bendis intended to have Jon replace Kal for 5G. Hence why he abruptly left when it was nixed. I am all for a "saving Kal" storyline, but the over emphasis on Jon in the interview has me a bit cautious.

Also not a fan of one writer getting both books. Byrne needed it to set the status quo following CoIE. Bendis got both because, no matter what book he writes, he always gets two out of it (Uncanny/All New, Invincible/Infamous Iron Man, Avengers/Mighty, Superman/Action). I did enjoy The Last God, but that Cap Empyre run was boring. They should have gave him one book and the other to someone else. He is still relatively new on the comic scene. I really hope they have faith in the story he has to tell.

[manwhohaseverything]

We have new writers and a new management, but they keep shoving Jon down the readers' throats, and it must have some meaning.

Why do you think they decided to go for jon kent?Why not conner?More importantly,with all the essays about hope and nonesensical things with superman lore like the outdate fashion statement.There is contingent of superman fans that want the fatherly symbol of hope example figure.Non-superman fans don't give a damn about that and just want a cool character.Why is he not said to be "shoved" down Reader's throat?

[HsssH]

I don't think that it has much to do with popularity. Damian Wayne is definitely more popular than Jon Kent, and I doubt they will ever turn him into Batman if not for Elseworlds or out-of-continuity stories.
Again, it all depends on the reason why Jon was created in the first place. It's a speculation of mine, but I'd say that Jon was created because they wanted to pull a Damian Wayne stunt for Superman, but they clearly had something else in their mind, too.

To me it looks like it might have been latest in the series of "Superman is broken, lets do something" fixes that leaves him in the worse shape than he was before.

The aging of Jon doesn't have much to do with Bendis or even Didio in my opinion. I seriously think that even with completely different writers and editors something similar would have happened. Bendis' entire run was basically a long stunt to put Jon in a position to become "regular" Superman. We have new writers and a new management, but they keep shoving Jon down the readers' throats, and it must mean something.

Thinking optimistically maybe new management doesn't want to just throw things away and create new problems so they are trying to slowly stabilise things.

[Myskin]

To me it looks like it might have been latest in the series of "Superman is broken, lets do something" fixes that leaves him in the worse shape than he was before.

Maybe. But if you actually think about it, they have been trying to create a son of Superman for a VERY long time, I'd say since Cir-El. Who was - more or less - a prototype for Chris Kent. Who was a direct prototype for Jon.
IMHO they have had a specific endgame in mind, no matter the writer, the artist or the editor - not just "let's revamp Superman".

[DragonPiece]

Don't know how to fell about the idea of Jon taking the Superman book and Clark only getting action comics, but I am curious to see the new supporitng cast. I think that's probably why the superman infinite poster looks so uninspiring, most of the new characters won't be revealed till the event starts and DC just doesn't want to show anything from it yet.

[Factor]

I really don't like this. When compared with the Wonder Woman and the Batman covers I like it even less.

It looks like it was done in a hurry when side by side with the other two. Both Wonder Woman cover and Batman's are in a scenario that invokes the mythologies, Themyscira and Gotham and the characters presented actually interact with it, like Dr. Psycho leaning into a sculpture or Barbara sitting on the building using her laptop.
Superman's cover looks like a bunch of different drawings put together on a generic sky background with Luthor and Brainic as giant bald heads fading on the background. Really disappointing.

Yeah. This was not the kind of artwork that would generate any hype. All the others look way better.

[HsssH]

Maybe. But if you actually think about it, they have been trying to create a son of Superman for a VERY long time, I'd say since Cir-El. Who was - more or less - a prototype for Chris Kent. Who was a direct prototype for Jon.
IMHO they have had a specific endgame in mind, no matter the writer, the artist or the editor - not just "let's revamp Superman".

Maybe, but then you have to wonder how New 52 would fit into this? On the other hand, out of continuity stories with Superman/Wonder Woman kids had been a thing for a while as well so maybe they would have pushed for that.

[Myskin]

Maybe, but then you have to wonder how New 52 would fit into this?.

I don't know. Maybe it doesn't :-D
I would actually be way more comfortable with the concept of Jon if he was part of a group of super-beings of equal importance which was clearly detached from the main character (basically what we already have with the Batman family, in which every member is - more or less - equally important and detached from Bruce in the same way), or if Jon had different powers from his father. Since he was introduced, he had "super-heir" written on his forehead, and a youth eerily similar to Superman's (Smallville/Hamilton County) and the Legion.

[Last Son of Krypton]

From PKJ:

"Here’s the run-down: Superman 29/Action 1029 is a 2-part Hester story. Superman 30-32 is a 3-issue Scott Godlewski arc, and Action is a longer Sampere arc, building up to a massive event in Action with Mikel Janín."
https://twitter.com/PhillipKJohnson/...88367156948993

From Daniel Sampere:

"Practicing a guy I'll be drawing for some time "


https://twitter.com/Sampere_art/stat...37831662268416

March's solicits:

INFINITE FRONTIER #0

Written by SCOTT SNYDER, GEOFF JOHNS, JAMES TYNION IV, JOSHUA WILLIAMSON, GEOFFREY THORNE, PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON, BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, BECKY CLOONAN, MICHAEL W. CONRAD, JOËLLE JONES, and TIM SHERIDAN

Art by JOHN TIMMS, HOWARD PORTER, JOËLLE JONES, JORGE JIMENEZ, ALITHA MARTINZEZ, DAVID MARQUEZ, STEPHEN BYRNE, JAMAL IGLE, DEXTER SOY, RAFA SANDOVAL, ALEX MALEEV, JOHN ROMITA JR., and others

Wraparound cover by DAN JURGENS and MIKEL JAN�N

Card stock variant cover by JOHN TIMMS

The next phase of the DC Universe begins here! Dark Knights: Death Metal presented the darkest threats of the Multiverse. DC Future State revealed what may lie ahead. Now it's time to look into the Infinite Frontier of the current-day DC Universe.

In Gotham City, The Joker jolts citizens awake with an attack even the Dark Knight never expected. In Brazil, a young woman discovers her destiny and her connection to the Amazons. In Belle Reve, Amanda Waller plots an invasion of Arkham Asylum. In the far reaches of space, Mongul dreams of galactic domination, while the Green Lantern Corps hosts a summit of its greatest enemies. At the Hall of Justice, the League joins forces with Black Adam. Beyond the mortal world, Wonder Woman settles into a new role in the godsphere. And somewhere in the DC Universe--it's the return of Stargirl, in an all-new tale written by Geoff Johns.

64 pages, $5.99, (variant, $6.99), available on March 2.

SUPERMAN #29

Written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON

Back-up written by SEAN LEWIS

Art by PHIL HESTER and ERIC GAPSTUR backup story

Back-up art by SAMI BASRI

Cover by PHIL HESTER

Wraparound variant cover by JOHN TIMMS

Writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson jumps from DC Future State back to the present for a two-part story that spans Superman and Action Comics this month! In "The Golden Age," Jonathan Kent steps back to examine his father's legacy. When a monstrous foe from outer space attacks Clark--and nearly kills him!--this young hero must consider the fact that his father died once before, and the Legion of Super-Heroes told him he could die again. Any threat could be the one--including this one!

And in the new backup "Tales of Metropolis" story, writer Sean Lewis (DC Future State: Superman of Metropolis) and artist Sami Basri (Harley Quinn) follow Jimmy Olsen on a quest to meet of some of the city's more colorful denizens, beginning with Bibbo Bibbowski!

40 pages, $4.99, available on March 9.

ACTION COMICS #1029

Written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON

Back-up written by BECKY CLOONAN and MICHAEL W. CONRAD

Art and cover by PHIL HESTER and ERIC GAPSTUR backup story

Back-up art by MICHAEL AVON OEMING

Variant cover by JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO

"The Golden Age" reaches its conclusion in this issue that continues directly from Superman #29! Following an almost-deadly attack by an alien foe, the new Superman realizes that any threat could be the one! Neither Superboy nor Superman know what's behind this latest attack. Two words: the Wall.

Plus, in an all-new backup "Tale of Metropolis," writers Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad continue the Midnighter story they started in DC Future State. But is the DC Universe ready for Trojan Solutions?

40 pages, $4.99, available on March 23.

[Ascended]

OK, maybe. But I was actually thinking about the artists, too. I mean, Hester is good and Sampere may be a decent artist, too. But where are the A-listers?

Mostly doing Bat and League related books, it seems. But artists haven't seemed to impact sales (to any serious degree) since the 90's so I dunno how much of a factor they are on the business side of things. And with DC culling a lot of its talent and bringing in fresh blood (with lower page rates) it's not surprising that some of the bigger artists got let go too; artists get paid more per page than writers so if you're gonna cut high-paid employees you'd be foolish to ignore the artists.

As for Jon and the whole "revamp/replace Superman cause he's broken!" thing....that was clearly the opinion of former management but I'm not sure why the trend appears to be continuing. Jon isn't a sales powerhouse; Super Sons was rarely a high seller and Superman sales never changed drastically for his involvement so it's definitely not a matter of "this kid sells better so he's being promoted." It just might be that Jon is a relatively new character and writers want to play with the new toy. Or maybe someone liked the original 5G plans and wanted to incorporate a version of them. Or maybe the new management also believe that Superman is broken. Hard to say.

[Vordan]

I’ve thought about it and here’s a few reasons why the higher ups might prefer Jon:

1. Despite being written as more or less a copy of his dad, he’s still enough of a blank slate that you can do what you want with him, even take him in a new direction
2. He’s not locked in to one love interest. Clark is always going to end up with Lois, but Jon doesn’t have that defined love interest. Kathy was his “Lana”, they’re seemingly trying SuperWonder with Jon & Yara again in Future State, Bendis is having him date Saturn Girl, kid is really getting around lol.
3. Jon has an easy hook of “here’s Superman’s kid with Lois Lane who has to live up to the legacy of his parents”. That’s a quick easy to understand emotional hook. Jon can have daddy issues even if his dad is still alive, and writers love daddy issues

Jon basically let’s DC reboot Superman like they’ve always wanted without all the angry nerds who get mad when Clark isn’t written the way they want him to be (myself included in this ). That said I still don’t think Clark is getting replaced, like I said Clark is Superman in every major non comics medium, he’s still Superman even in Future State. I don’t see him going anywhere.

[Robanker]

I’ve thought about it and here’s a few reasons why the higher ups might prefer Jon:

1. Despite being written as more or less a copy of his dad, he’s still enough of a blank slate that you can do what you want with him, even take him in a new direction
2. He’s not locked in to one love interest. Clark is always going to end up with Lois, but Jon doesn’t have that defined love interest. Kathy was his “Lana”, they’re seemingly trying SuperWonder with Jon & Yara again in Future State, Bendis is having him date Saturn Girl, kid is really getting around lol.
3. Jon has an easy hook of “here’s Superman’s kid with Lois Lane who has to live up to the legacy of his parents”. That’s a quick easy to understand emotional hook. Jon can have daddy issues even if his dad is still alive, and writers love daddy issues

Jon basically let’s DC reboot Superman like they’ve always wanted without all the angry nerds who get mad when Clark isn’t written the way they want him to be (myself included in this ). That said I still don’t think Clark is getting replaced, like I said Clark is Superman in every major non comics medium, he’s still Superman even in Future State. I don’t see him going anywhere.

I mean, sure and that's fine, but Lois needs to be more important, damn it. She's just the womb that birthed him sometimes and that really, really sucks. She needs more influence, starting with making his eyes purple or even making him brunette. Just add some visual queue that he's not Clark's clone for Mogo's sake.

I bet Jon and Yara are not even interested in one another, and their book will just be a team-up book. I know I'm likely wrong, but still, my contrarian itch is bugging me so I'll make a poor bet. I'm not even against the ship, and it would be good to break away from "blonde telepath" as Jon's thing unless blond telepaths are his version of his dad's destiny to be tied to the initials LL.


That Sampre preview? My god, it's beautiful.

[manwhohaseverything]

As far as i am concerned there is only one ship that gonna sale.Jon kent x mary marvel for the win.Bring it to the mainline dc.

[Vordan]

As far as i am concerned there is only one ship that gonna sale.Jon kent x mary marvel for the win.Bring it to the mainline dc.

Huh. I don’t hate this idea actually.