PKJ Action Comics Discussion and Spoilers

[Dispenser Of Truth]

[NaVi]

superman gladiator = church speeches. The only thing we have seen so far of the gladiator superman is that without his powers he is useless that anyone can defeat. Now I understand why Jon will become superman, it's because Clark will become superpriest

[Flash Gordon]

Talk about burying the lead. Those covers made this seem like a sci-fi epic.

[DragonPiece]

Talk about burying the lead. Those covers made this seem like a sci-fi epic.

I think I prefer what the story actually is.

[Vordan]

Love the Golden Age feel of this variant:

Was thinking about it more, and it occurred to me, THIS may be how PKJ plans to tackle the idea of discrimination (something he talked about in an interview not long ago).

Follow me on this one for a sec.

What if the big revamp to Mongul Jr. is that he's basically like "okay, I get that I can't touch you and your family, Superman. But these little random hybrids that no one seems to know about or care about? They're mine. And I'm going to build a got damn galactic economy on their backs, and I couldn't give less of a f#%k about you." I recall PKJ saying that Mongul Jr. would be unlike his father in that he'd be less single minded and focused on Clark, but rather he'd have bigger goals in mind. What if those goals are to build what is essentially a galactic Roman empire off the slave trade and labor of the bustard children of long lost old Krypton?

Going full tilt Roman emperor with Mongul fits both the "Superman War Lord of Mars" and "Superman as Spartacus" hints PKJ gave in regards to his take. The dehumanizing of the hybrids also plays into Jon's feelings of self worth as a worthy Superman, and makes thing even more personal for Clark than when Mongul Sr. showed up with the Black Mercy. This is literally attacking the very idea of his son while not laying a finger on him. It also allows Clark to go on a quest, and I have to imagine his new supporting cast will be some of the hybrids (allowing Clark to think back on memories with teaching his son).

But Mongul as not just an evil Roman style emperor, but also a flat out slave trader and owner could be the thing that puts him on the map as not just the guy Superman gets to punch real hard. It would catapult him to maybe the top of the heap when it comes to just straight up "holy ****, this guy is actually evil" rakings, and it would do it in a pretty no bullshit way.

I would love this to happen. Mongul as a mix of Caesar and Caligula, trying to forge an Interstellar Empire is 100% the type of thing I want to see. I also like your idea about New Krypton coming into play, hope that means PKJ will write Zod, I’d be curious to see how he approaches him.

[Vordan]

Along with the preview Dispensor posted there was a brief interview with PKJ. Only real new bit of info is that House of El will have teases towards the long term game plan of the Superman books, and while PKJ will give one up, it looks like he sticking around for a while or at least plans to since he mentioned “this year and beyond”: https://www.cbr.com/future-state-sup...mpression=true

[manwhohaseverything]

Love the Golden Age feel of this variant:

This certainly put a smile on my face(Except for the costume).I always loved it when clark broke through a wall or did something crazy and these bad guys were like "what?????".I love the look the on their faces.

[Vordan]

I wonder if after the Super event in Sept, given its likely Jon will take over one of the books as co-Superman, will Jon then just be contained to one book or will he be showing up in Clark’s book too? I’d rather Clark show up in Jon’s book then Jon show up in Clark’s, but PKJ is making a pretty big deal out of the father-son bond between Clark and Jon.

[Robanker]

I wonder if after the Super event in Sept, given its likely Jon will take over one of the books as co-Superman, will Jon then just be contained to one book or will he be showing up in Clark’s book too? I’d rather Clark show up in Jon’s book then Jon show up in Clark’s, but PKJ is making a pretty big deal out of the father-son bond between Clark and Jon.

Because Clark's life is generally our own but exaggerated, I wonder what "dad teaching you to drive" would be for Jon.

"Alright, son, we're putting the Multiverse in reverse now. No pressure, you'll be doing this all the time soon. Just carefully move the Crisis shift backwards--"

CRASH

Clark looks behind to see a red '11 wagon with gold rims and spoiler backed into them, license plate reading "Flshpnt"

"Dammit, Barry!"

"It wasn't me this time! It was a blue guy!"

"Yeah, yeah. It's always something, Barry."

Clark turns back to Jon who has been retconned into a child again, but wearing a Robin costume. He looks down to his own duds to see himself in a tuxedo as the window rolls down and Batman sticks his head in.

"Alfred, Robin. So that's where you've been."

[Superlad93]

https://www.cbr.com/future-state-sup...mpression=true

My big take away was "Superman: House of El is practically NOTHING BUT Easter eggs, both for other Future State titles and for literally everything I have planned for the upcoming year and beyond. We're playing the long game with the Superman titles for the foreseeable future, and the Future State: Superman titles are very much a part of that."

That's pretty big to me. House of El functions as both a speculative future, and a double sized comic full of hits for the next year and over of Superman comics. I imagine it'll be a really good idea to continue to look back at that story as PKJ's run presses on. Reminds me of the dreams Clark and Zod both had in Bendis' run. Both ended up pointing towards more than a few things in both Superman and Legion.

So, in the interest of some speculation based on what little we know and see, I'm gonna make a guess: the young black woman (who may be a half Kryptonian) that Jon is holding in his right arm on the cover for Action Comics will be set up as Jon's love interest within PKJ's first year. I'm thinking this because House of El features Jon's direct descendants (one of whom is the new Superman, and I think that's a clear hint towards Jon being the next Superman) the twin brother and sister, Rowan and Ronan Kent, as being black. Yes, clearly it's been 1000 years and having someone in a family line be a whole other race isn't much of a leap, but, as PKJ said, these are hints, so I'm taking them more along those lines.

Now to piss some people off....

In the sprit of the semi "New 52.0" vibe they're somewhat evoking with Jon, that young black possibly half Kryptonian may be the in-house "Wonder Woman" DC's been looking to transplant into the Super office since 2011. As before, follow me on this one: fish out of water, possibly temperamental, has likely killed before and is willing to do so again (seems to be from the fighting pits where Clark is now), and the crown jewel of it all, "we're not like them over there, or them over there. We're something in between" which closely echoes the roof top "we're not like the gods or the mortals" scene between New 52 Clark and Diana in JL.

And with Jon having what is likely the most first hand experience being a powered up half Kryptonian that's been trained by multiple full bloods, and if she's going to be sticking around Earth like it seems, he's in the position to help her adjust, and to do it with a level of intimate first-hand knowledge that was never had by any of his teachers. And once again, that echoes how New 52 Clark would teach Diana about man's world sometimes.

It's also possible that we're looking at our next Supergirl. With the show ending DC doesn't have to keep Kara as Supergirl to keep the brand up. They can flat out move her up to Superwoman. That would really set in stone that she's just as powerful as Clark (well as Clark was before he weakened), thus making her top dog. So that leaves the Supergirl IP up for grabs, and Jon being a Superman who trains a fresh-of-the-boat Supergirl who proves that he's not the only one of his kind is a nice remix on the classic take. But in this version they're not related, so they can--you know. Plus, she'd also conjure comparison to New 52 Kara along with Diana.

And to tie a pretty bow around the whole thing, THIS may be what Jon's been "searching" for. That's in reference to PKJ explaining that Jon is a character that's "unmoored" and "without and anchor" because he's (and go ahead and see if you can guess where I'm going with this) grown up in several different places and time periods, and now feels like he doesn't know where to call home. You know who else might feel like that? A literal intergalactic slave who has been traded across the galaxy her whole life. As PKJ pointed out, "to be a kid going through all of that". Plus, PKJ has brought up the whole surviving on Earth-3 after being tormented by an evil version of his dad. That's likely not hard to relate to surviving on War World and being tormented by Mongul. They could be the two people that really, actually get the particular brand of f%&ked up the others life has been.

*self high-five*

But screw all that Clark Diana ****, IT'S SORTA KINDA TOM STRONG Y'ALL, SO I'M HYPE!!!!

[Dispenser Of Truth]

With how much I loved the first issue of Worlds of War, god I hope that preview isn't setting up a #2 of "this guy was disabled, and black in the 40s, and maybe some other institutionally ****-on stuff, but he still turned out nice and also was a good American soldier!" If the big "this is what it is about us that Superman sees value in" thesis for the run ends up being a white dude making up inspiration porn of a disabled black man being a solid Joe in the face of oppression, that's gonna be a fundamental concern no matter how many aspects of this run I do end up vibing with.

[Vordan]

Because Clark's life is generally our own but exaggerated, I wonder what "dad teaching you to drive" would be for Jon.

"Alright, son, we're putting the Multiverse in reverse now. No pressure, you'll be doing this all the time soon. Just carefully move the Crisis shift backwards--"

CRASH

Clark looks behind to see a red '11 wagon with gold rims and spoiler backed into them, license plate reading "Flshpnt"

"Dammit, Barry!"

"It wasn't me this time! It was a blue guy!"

"Yeah, yeah. It's always something, Barry."

Clark turns back to Jon who has been retconned into a child again, but wearing a Robin costume. He looks down to his own duds to see himself in a tuxedo as the window rolls down and Batman sticks his head in.

"Alfred, Robin. So that's where you've been."

Dealing with your rebooted origin I’d guess lol.

But screw all that Clark Diana ****, IT'S SORTA KINDA TOM STRONG Y'ALL, SO I'M HYPE!!!!

Given all the Future State stuff, I figured they’d just straight up have Jon and Yara get together. Wouldn’t be surprised if you’re one off, not Jon but Jon’s son is the one who gets with the black woman and has the twins. That’s close enough to Jon and Clark for them to have a direct link, but distant enough that it still leaves Jon’s romantic life somewhat open. And I just can’t see DC wanting to lock Jon into one LI given how much they’ve tried to undo Clois and how they’ve paired Jon up with multiple women pretty quickly (Kathy, Saturn Girl, Yara, etc). If Jon is going to be Superbro 2.0 I think they’ll keep his options open as to who he ends up with.

Unless like his dad they give Jon multiple wives lmao.

[Superlad93]

Given all the Future State stuff, I figured they’d just straight up have Jon and Yara get together.

I'm gonna keep it a buck with you and say this bluntly: I think Yara's gay. I think DC's gonna do what they ultimately won't let themselves do with Diana, and let a Wonder Woman (or "girl" I guess) be gay. And I think her and Jon are just straight up best buds like we've seen them to be in the Future State books.

And I just can’t see DC wanting to lock Jon into one LI given how much they’ve tried to undo Clois and how they’ve paired Jon up with multiple women pretty quickly (Kathy, Saturn Girl, Yara, etc). If Jon is going to be Superbro 2.0 I think they’ll keep his options open as to who he ends up with.

See but with that thinking you're treating Future State as a concrete future. It's not. In the very interview you posted, PKJ says that it's speculative and more so something that gestures at storylines rather than hard locks them in. The creative teams were given a fair amount of freedom (to varying degrees) on how they wanted to tie their books in, and in PKJ's case, he's making more like hints at what's to come in his first year and beyond. Like he said, "we're playing the long game with the Superman titles for the foreseeable future, and the Future State: Superman titles are very much a part of that"

If they ever wanted to hook Jon up with someone else, they just could. The twins are his descendants 1000 years in the future. But in PKJ's mind right now, and for the functionality of this run right now, I very much think it's a gesture towards his current girlfriend to be.

[Superlad93]

The downed space ship with the young black female (possibly half Kryptonian) being flown to safety by her Superman (Jon) seems like a dead ringer for a high octane modern homage to Action Comics #252 from the 50s aka Supergirl's first appearance.


[/I]

[Alpha]

Because Clark's life is generally our own but exaggerated, I wonder what "dad teaching you to drive" would be for Jon.

"Alright, son, we're putting the Multiverse in reverse now. No pressure, you'll be doing this all the time soon. Just carefully move the Crisis shift backwards--"

CRASH

Clark looks behind to see a red '11 wagon with gold rims and spoiler backed into them, license plate reading "Flshpnt"

"Dammit, Barry!"

"It wasn't me this time! It was a blue guy!"

"Yeah, yeah. It's always something, Barry."

Clark turns back to Jon who has been retconned into a child again, but wearing a Robin costume. He looks down to his own duds to see himself in a tuxedo as the window rolls down and Batman sticks his head in.

"Alfred, Robin. So that's where you've been."

Hahahaha. Please keep going