PKJ Action Comics Discussion and Spoilers

[Alpha]

Wanna bet that it's another character that looks like lois but is a lot cooler because she has super powers or is a super spy. I bet Clark and Lois will divorce and she will become Jon's new step mom. Jon will suddenly get her green eyes and eventually they will write a retcon where she was actually Jon's real mother all along, somehow.

[Alpha]

I'm just busting balls. It's nice to see Lois. Am I the only one confused by her eyes though? Don't they look kinda east asian? Not fully, but somewhat.

[Immortal Hulk]

Great to see Lois too!

[Superfamily]

Great to see Lois

[Robanker]

I'm just busting balls. It's nice to see Lois. Am I the only one confused by her eyes though? Don't they look kinda east asian? Not fully, but somewhat.

I can see it. Either way, this is the first we've heard of her in the run and Sampere's art is so good!

[rpmaluki]

Well knock me down with a feather, there's Lois Lane!

[Robanker]

Well knock me down with a feather, there's Lois Lane!

Don't tell anyone or they'll redraw the issue!

[rpmaluki]

Don't tell anyone or they'll redraw the issue!

Considering she looks somewhat Asian, they're halfway there already......*jokes*......*kinda*

[Superlad93]

More dumb theories!!!

Well, it's more an addition to an existing one, but still.

So, looking through issue 1 of Worlds Of War again, and it occurred to me that we have a clue that may point to my Kryptonian hybrids theory. Remember the page where one of the people at the memorial is talking about how they're *sure* that they're other Kryptonians out there? Well on that page that person says "they were space travelers. No way were Superman and Supergirl the only survivors. [...] what if the universe is full of displace Kryptonian despots and tyrants, looking for developing worlds like this one, setting themselves up as God-Kings? Seeing the cosmos with their DNA, over writing all technology with...with Brainiac A.I.? I think what Jon Kent did to Metropolis is just the beginning. I think Earth is well on its way to getting remade in Krypton's image."

Now, think about what PKJ said about what his plans were. He said that he's planning on taking a look at a section of the Superman universe that he wants to make feel "older" and more in depth because he feels its been under served so far. Most people would be like, "how in the world could you possibly think he means Krypton, Superlad? DC doesn't want to shut up about Krypton", and my answer to that is, no, DC doesn't want to shut up about Krypton as it pertains to the last maybe 40 to 50 years of its history. They only ever really care to go back as far as Jor-El and Zod, and the only things of note that happened to it have only ever been between then and Kal's birth. From the Phantom Zone discover to the taking of Kandor, it's all within that relatively small window.

Then over in a another interview PKJ also said that he's going to go into the reasoning behind the destruction of Kandor from Bendis' run.

So, with the idea that this is going to explore more about Krypton and make it feel more lived in and much, much older, it stands to reason that the idea of there being more space traveling Kryptonians long, long before Kal or Kara is likely true. Then you add in the idea that these other Kryptonians likely had kids (thus the "seeing the cosmos with their DNA" line) and that leads us to Action Comics' solicitation that reads "Superman searches for answers about the identities of its mysterious refugees and their apparent link to the planet Krypton, Could there be other Kryptonians in the universe?" And to our mysterious young lady and her friend.

I'm thinking my theory on the young woman and her friend being half Kryptonian holds true, and that their story will eventually be shifted over into Superman aka Jon's book specifically because Jon is featured in Action when it's supposed to be just the Superman book. And I think that's so very deliberate because Worlds Of War issue #1 brings up Jon when talking about the idea of these space traveling Kryptonians and their offspring. I think PKJ is trying to establish that link.

And I also think he's trying to establish the idea of Jon being a Superman of controversy no matter the timeline. Like, Jon may not shrink the city in our timeline, but something equally as controversial could be the people of Earth growing a little scared of the idea of half Kryptonians who may not know how to control their powers. And not just that, but what if said half Kryptonins came to Earth with tech that could change the way the world works? Notice that the lines "meanwhile, Atlantean scientists study the wreckage of the Warworld vessel…and make a shocking discovery that could change the balance of power on Earth" from the solicitation to Action 1031 and "over writing all technology with...with Brainiac A.I.? I think what Jon Kent did to Metropolis is just the beginning. I think Earth is well on its way to getting remade in Krypton's image" line from Worlds Of War #1 are very similar in intent. It pays special attention to say that it's not just the fact that they're power that we should be scared of, but also the fact that they have tech that makes us look like chimps throwing poop.

____________

So with that, I'm thinking once Clark leaves for space after the event, Superman will no longer be about Jon and Clark, but rather Jon and the young lady from Action 1031 as Superman and Supergirl. This would perfectly echo Future State Superman of Metropolis in the sense that it's Jon teaming up with a Supergirl, but it would obviously be a different Supergirl. In addition to that I think Jon's going to be navigating the fallout of this new tech being on Earth, and the idea of this new Supergirl and more hybrids being possibly on the way making Jon a controversial Superman just like, you guessed it, Superman of Metropolis...but different. And the controversy likely doesn't stop there because suppose they do in fact get together? That thought may not sit right with the rest of the world.

The set up also gives the Superman book and world so pretty solid representation as we'd have a co lead of color who is also of Kryptonian blood and using one of the Big Names in a main book. We have actually never seen that before with Superman...ever.

DC seems to like the idea of partnering Jon up with people, be it his dad, Kathy, Damian, the Legion, Kara (Future State), Jordan (TV only), and now possibly this young woman, so I think it's very likely this is the idea. As for Kara, I'm thinking she takes Clark's spot on the Justice League, or gets her own Superwoman book.

[Superlad93]

A little bit more to back the theory up.

From his Word Balloon interview, PKJ said "I love the Jon character on his own merit, but I also love how that changes the character of Superman. I think the concept of Superman as the person who cares about everyone-- that loves all life in the universe, and cares about all life on Earth-- I think it's hard for some people to warp their head around that. But we can apply that same love to his son and it makes total sense. We see the love that he has for his family, and now it's easier to see Superman in that context."

I think that's extremely important because PKJ's story will take Clark not just away from his supporting cast and family, but also the world, so it seems like PKJ wants there to be a very, very good, personal, and most of all relatable reason for Clark to do that. And based on his words, that reason will be something that relates to his love for his son. That's why I think it almost has to be other half Kryptonians being out there and endanger.

To relate this back to Clark's article on Watters in World's of War #2, it's a lot like how Watters fought so desperately hard, even while totally impoverished and on the street, for his son's scholarship foundation he founded. It's a case where even though these aren't his kids, they are kids in a similar situation, and the love for his son inspired him to go to these extremes. So, I'm thinking the idea that they're are kids like Jon that are in need out in the universe seems like a sound idea.

I'm also thinking it very much does start with those two refugees that escape from Warworld (the young lady I still think will become Supergirl and co lead the Superman book with Jon eventually).

___________

When asked "how do you get people to care about characters" PKJ said a string of things that seem to relate pretty much directly to what will be happening in the Superman line. PKJ said "I feel like the things that you really tend to remember about books are when you see them in a moment of reality. A conversation with a loved one, or something you can relate to-- like when they're talking to a child that they're trying to reconnect with again. Or when you see them getting forced out of a job because of an illness-- you see them trying to care for someone else who has an illness, or they have an illness [....] or they're struggling in someway that we struggle."

So to break it down:

"like when they're talking to a child that they're trying to reconnect with again"

That seems pretty obvious. As PKJ said, Legion was Jon's "coming of age", and he's been through all this adventure and growing up since he left when he was 11, and now that he's finally back it's Clark trying to pick up with his kid from where they left off, and getting to know the person he's become. Apparently the first arc (shared between both Superman and Action) will be about setting up both Clark and Jon, and there's going to be a "movie night", so I imagine that's part of the attempt to reconnect. Interestingly enough, there's going to be very little spoken words in this arc. It'll be a lot of face and body language, apparently some text messages, and similar narration to what we saw in World's Of War #2 because it's a storytelling device PKJ really enjoyed from the first issue of Snyder's Batman.

"Or when you see them getting forced out of a job because of an illness"

This also seems fairly obvious, but also seems to put the idea into proper context: it's Clark's powers fading/being reduced. What was being read as *just* Clark's age is now also an illness, and technically that goes along with feeling your age because how many of my older posters on here know full well that they can't go out and party all now, go to work the next day, and then make it to the gym right after work, right? It seems like the events of Death Metal making him feel his age are the equivalent of that. "Roa. Back in my 20s I couldn't gone through two Crisis events back to back, and then still fought Mongul the next day." But now between that and seeing his son get so grown, it's making him feel a little up there in years.

"You see them trying to care for someone else who has an illness"

This is basically the Jon side of the equation. He's heard from the Legion that his dad's not going to be Superman forever, and may not even be around forever, and seeing Clark apparently (as the solicitation says) really struggle to fight the creatures from the PKJ's opening Golden Age arc has Jon now, in a way, taking care of his dad. And this is likely why we see Jon going along to answer deep space distress calls with his dad. Like when you see your older dad trying to fix the roof. Before you'd just put it out of your mind and go "obviously he's got this", but after you saw his struggle to stand up a few time, or lift a box, you go "hey, you need a hand now". And you're dreading when eventually you gotta be the one up there-- not because you don't wanna help out, but because it means it's something that he physically can't do safely anymore.

Side note: It's apparently Jon who saves his dad from the leviathans of the breach as Clark's powers begin to fade (while Clark learns of the origin of these creatures), so this might be when we get an almost Gohan-like glimpse at Jon's potential that PKJ's been consistently teasing. I specifically mention Gohan as a comparison because it's also been made clear that Kara will be the new most powerful being on Earth after Clark's powers start to go down.

Add in the fact that Clark's "second act" will still be him out in space going on epic adventures even with his condition, and you have some pretty relatable ideas. Again, like the Watters story, Clark's not going to be the man he started out as in terms of ability, but, dammit, that won't stop him from protecting his kid, the universe, and all the kids like his kid. If he can thread this all in well enough this'll be an all-time kind of run. Easily.

[Robanker]

A little bit more to back the theory up.

From his Word Balloon interview, PKJ said "I love the Jon character on his own merit, but I also love how that changes the character of Superman. I think the concept of Superman as the person who cares about everyone-- that loves all life in the universe, and cares about all life on Earth-- I think it's hard for some people to warp their head around that. But we can apply that same love to his son and it makes total sense. We see the love that he has for his family, and now it's easier to see Superman in that context."

I think that's extremely important because PKJ's story will take Clark not just away from his supporting cast and family, but also the world, so it seems like PKJ wants there to be a very, very good, personal, and most of all relatable reason for Clark to do that. And based on his words, that reason will be something that relates to his love for his son. That's why I think it almost has to be other half Kryptonians being out there and endanger.

To relate this back to Clark's article on Watters in World's of War #2, it's a lot like how Watters fought so desperately hard, even while totally impoverished and on the street, for his son's scholarship foundation he founded. It's a case where even though these aren't his kids, they are kids in a similar situation, and the love for his son inspired him to go to these extremes. So, I'm thinking the idea that they're are kids like Jon that are in need out in the universe seems like a sound idea.

I'm also thinking it very much does start with those two refugees that escape from Warworld (the young lady I still think will become Supergirl and co lead the Superman book with Jon eventually).

___________

When asked "how do you get people to care about characters" PKJ said a string of things that seem to relate pretty much directly to what will be happening in the Superman line. PKJ said "I feel like the things that you really tend to remember about books are when you see them in a moment of reality. A conversation with a loved one, or something you can relate to-- like when they're talking to a child that they're trying to reconnect with again. Or when you see them getting forced out of a job because of an illness-- you see them trying to care for someone else who has an illness, or they have an illness [....] or they're struggling in someway that we struggle."

So to break it down:

"like when they're talking to a child that they're trying to reconnect with again"

That seems pretty obvious. As PKJ said, Legion was Jon's "coming of age", and he's been through all this adventure and growing up since he left when he was 11, and now that he's finally back it's Clark trying to pick up with his kid from where they left off, and getting to know the person he's become. Apparently the first arc (shared between both Superman and Action) will be about setting up both Clark and Jon, and there's going to be a "movie night", so I imagine that's part of the attempt to reconnect. Interestingly enough, there's going to be very little spoken words in this arc. It'll be a lot of face and body language, apparently some text messages, and similar narration to what we saw in World's Of War #2 because it's a storytelling device PKJ really enjoyed from the first issue of Snyder's Batman.

"Or when you see them getting forced out of a job because of an illness"

This also seems fairly obvious, but also seems to put the idea into proper context: it's Clark's powers fading/being reduced. What was being read as *just* Clark's age is now also an illness, and technically that goes along with feeling your age because how many of my older posters on here know full well that they can't go out and party all now, go to work the next day, and then make it to the gym right after work, right? It seems like the events of Death Metal making him feel his age are the equivalent of that. "Roa. Back in my 20s I couldn't gone through two Crisis events back to back, and then still fought Mongul the next day." But now between that and seeing his son get so grown, it's making him feel a little up there in years.

"You see them trying to care for someone else who has an illness"

This is basically the Jon side of the equation. He's heard from the Legion that his dad's not going to be Superman forever, and may not even be around forever, and seeing Clark apparently (as the solicitation says) really struggle to fight the creatures from the PKJ's opening Golden Age arc has Jon now, in a way, taking care of his dad. And this is likely why we see Jon going along to answer deep space distress calls with his dad. Like when you see your older dad trying to fix the roof. Before you'd just put it out of your mind and go "obviously he's got this", but after you saw his struggle to stand up a few time, or lift a box, you go "hey, you need a hand now". And you're dreading when eventually you gotta be the one up there-- not because you don't wanna help out, but because it means it's something that he physically can't do safely anymore.

Side note: It's apparently Jon who saves his dad from the leviathans of the breach as Clark's powers begin to fade (while Clark learns of the origin of these creatures), so this might be when we get an almost Gohan-like glimpse at Jon's potential that PKJ's been consistently teasing. I specifically mention Gohan as a comparison because it's also been made clear that Kara will be the new most powerful being on Earth after Clark's powers start to go down.

Add in the fact that Clark's "second act" will still be him out in space going on epic adventures even with his condition, and you have some pretty relatable ideas. Again, like the Watters story, Clark's not going to be the man he started out as in terms of ability, but, dammit, that won't stop him from protecting his kid, the universe, and all the kids like his kid. If he can thread this all in well enough this'll be an all-time kind of run. Easily.

Illness would be a good compromise because it ain't permanent and won't require some retcon to restore him later when it eventually happens. I really hope Lois is at that movie night. :/

[Lvenger]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eujo07eV...jpg&name=large

[Superlad93]

[Vordan]

Cool suits. That Earth they’re protecting I wonder?

[Frontier]

Art looks to be on-point .