PKJ Action Comics Discussion and Spoilers

[Vordan]

I think it's likely going to be the Genesis Fragment. Considering we know it can ressurect him already it'll eventually restore his powers.

Yep that’s my guess as well. Although I don’t think Clark will be returning to full power until they’re done with Jon, or they feel confident enough that he’s secure in the role that they let Clark come back to Earth full time.

[Sacred Knight]

I will say this...I love the name Genesis Fragment. I love names that feel important, ha.

[Vordan]

https://taylornetworkofpodcasts.com/...nnedy-johnson/

New podcast with PKJ, talks about his plans with Mongul and also the difference between his book and the others in the Superman line (haven’t listened myself yet, just repeating how others summarized it)

[Quinlan58]

Summary of the Superman-related parts of the podcast:

On Jon Kent and Clark as a father

• PKJ loves Clark as a father and will continue to explore in other ways even while he’s in outer space. The idea of Clark as a father will be a prominent part of the story even when Clark and Jon aren’t together.
• The first arc was mostly monologue because in space no one can hear you talk
• He tried some dialogue where Jon Kent was resentful of his father due to all the expectations that had suddenly been placed on him, but it felt wrong.
• The first crossover arc (The Golden Age) and his Superman arc (The One Who Fell) were both love letters to his son (which he has read to him), so he’s happy they’re in the same trade.
• He disagrees with the idea that DC doesn’t want to be a dad (called it a “crappy take”)
• PKJ once again emphasizes he’s convinced Jon will be de-aged eventually, but he won’t be the one to do it.
• PKJ says that Tom Taylor constantly stresses that Jon is not just Superman’s son, but also and equally Lois Lane’s son.

On the Warworld Saga

• The Warworld saga taps into PKJ’s feelings on human trafficking. He used to do a lot of anti-human trafficking work.
• He wanted to separate Mongul from other villains of the same archetype like Thanos or Darkseid. He believes he’s done it by having Mongul create a cult of slavery in Warworld.
• PKJ feels Mongul has the potential to be the true opposite villain to Superman in a way other villains aren’t. He’s a slaver, which makes him the antithesis to everything Superman stands for.
• Warworld over the course of millennia has become a sort of preserve to other annihilated species and their cultures.
• He’s excited about readers getting to see Warworld and how it works.
• Even if Superman goes there and knocks Mongul down, that doesn’t really solve Warworld’s problems, since they don’t see their situation as slavery but as something to be proud of.
• There’s a lot of misinformation and propaganda and Cult of Personality.
• He likes writing Kara as the older sibling.
• He had to play with a lot of concepts for it to make sense that Clark goes alone to Warworld and the Justice League or Jon don’t come along with him.
• The deal with Atlantis finding the Genesis fragment was actually part of a pitch for Aquaman that he adapted for this story.

On Superman & the Authority

• His take on Superman is different from Grant Morrison’s or Tom Taylor’s.
• His version of Superman is based on the Chris Reeve movies.
• The team is not who he’d normally expect Superman to team-up with. He feels Superman is thinking “well, if I can make heroes out of these guys, I can do it with anyone”.
• There’s a scene in this month’s comic that leads right into the Batman/Superman & the Authority crossover. Batman goes to talk to him, Superman tells him to just say what he wants to say, and Batman says “I hear you’ve put together another team”.
• The crossover is basically a test drive for the team.
• The crossover comic is leaning into having two different artists. They’re being encouraged to play up their differences.

[Vordan]

Thanks for the summary!

[manwhohaseverything]

When people bring up authority superman and chris reeve superman.i dread of it being preachy.it's like chris reeve superman is reduced to the paternalistic preachy jesus figure.Hopefully,pkj doesn't do that.Anyways,I am gonna miss Morrison's humour.hopefully,Tom strong superman gets expanded on by someone else.

[Sacred Knight]

Not getting good vibes with the dad comments. It sounds like forcing a theme when he's finally going to be on a different kind of adventure not tied to Jon. Its like even when he's doing something else, that's still going to be the end all be all of what the character is now. Just not my cup of tea.

[Vordan]

Not getting good vibes with the dad comments. It sounds like forcing a theme when he's finally going to be on a different kind of adventure not tied to Jon. Its like even when he's doing something else, that's still going to be the end all be all of what the character is now. Just not my cup of tea.

Well he’ll be the dad of the group in that he has to wrangle the little ****s in the Authority to stay on task

[garazza]

Just gonna peep in here and have some beef with one statement PKJ says like I usually do.

• He tried some dialogue where Jon Kent was resentful of his father due to all the expectations that had suddenly been placed on him, but it felt wrong.

My dude, that's like the one thing I would've wanted post-age up. Give me some goddamn conflict between these characters! Things have fundamentally changed between these characters, stop acting like it hasn't.

[Quinlan58]

Just gonna peep in here and have some beef with one statement PKJ says like I usually do.

My dude, that's like the one thing I would've wanted post-age up. Give me some goddamn conflict between these characters! Things have fundamentally changed between these characters, stop acting like it hasn't.

As someone who is very much enjoying this run, I agree with this sentiment (if not necessarily applied in this way to this statement). DC's continuous refusal to acknowledge the changes in Jon's life brought on by the age-up (beyond him being older and thus ready to be Superman), by insisting that "him and Damian still have the same age gap", or that "Clark and Lois were great enough parents that Jon wasn't affected by what happened to him", isn't just stupid, but they are neglecting potential storytelling opportunities there (which even the Robin book is taking advantage of apparently, by saying all of Damian's friends have left him or something like that). They're insisting on framing the age-up as "oh, kids grew up so fast" instead of the far more accurate "holy ****, my son got robbed of his childhood".

And that's all I'll say about Jon. Not interested enough in him for a long discussion (haven't been that interested in him since the Black Dawn/Revenge arcs back in Rebirth, to be honest) and I know those can go on for pages after pages in this forum.

[Vathlonian]

As someone who is very much enjoying this run, I agree with this sentiment (if not necessarily applied in this way to this statement). DC's continuous refusal to acknowledge the changes in Jon's life brought on by the age-up (beyond him being older and thus ready to be Superman), by insisting that "him and Damian still have the same age gap", or that "Clark and Lois were great enough parents that Jon wasn't affected by what happened to him", isn't just stupid, but they are neglecting potential storytelling opportunities there (which even the Robin book is taking advantage of apparently, by saying all of Damian's friends have left him or something like that). They're insisting on framing the age-up as "oh, kids grew up so fast" instead of the far more accurate "holy ****, my son got robbed of his childhood".

And that's all I'll say about Jon. Not interested enough in him for a long discussion (haven't been that interested in him since the Black Dawn/Revenge arcs back in Rebirth, to be honest) and I know those can go on for pages after pages in this forum.

Because bendis’s age up isn’t really that well liked despite Taylor’s book being a bestseller

This is why they refuse to give it the gravity and importance

There is no doubt in my mind that if they ever tried to give Jon’s age up any kind of gravity or importance, even Taylor wouldn’t be able to save the books sales

In fact…it is this refusal to acknowledge the age up’s significance that is keeping Jon popular despite the age up

[HsssH]

I see that certain person was finally banned for his obnoxious behaviour, but its funny that I agree with his last post here.

[Myskin]

I see that certain person was finally banned for his obnoxious behaviour, but its funny that I agree with his last post here.

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

[The World]

Summary of the Superman-related parts of the podcast:

On Jon Kent and Clark as a father

• PKJ loves Clark as a father and will continue to explore in other ways even while he’s in outer space. The idea of Clark as a father will be a prominent part of the story even when Clark and Jon aren’t together.
• The first arc was mostly monologue because in space no one can hear you talk
• He tried some dialogue where Jon Kent was resentful of his father due to all the expectations that had suddenly been placed on him, but it felt wrong.
• The first crossover arc (The Golden Age) and his Superman arc (The One Who Fell) were both love letters to his son (which he has read to him), so he’s happy they’re in the same trade.
• He disagrees with the idea that DC doesn’t want to be a dad (called it a “crappy take”)
• PKJ once again emphasizes he’s convinced Jon will be de-aged eventually, but he won’t be the one to do it.
• PKJ says that Tom Taylor constantly stresses that Jon is not just Superman’s son, but also and equally Lois Lane’s son.

On the Warworld Saga

• The Warworld saga taps into PKJ’s feelings on human trafficking. He used to do a lot of anti-human trafficking work.
• He wanted to separate Mongul from other villains of the same archetype like Thanos or Darkseid. He believes he’s done it by having Mongul create a cult of slavery in Warworld.
• PKJ feels Mongul has the potential to be the true opposite villain to Superman in a way other villains aren’t. He’s a slaver, which makes him the antithesis to everything Superman stands for.
• Warworld over the course of millennia has become a sort of preserve to other annihilated species and their cultures.
• He’s excited about readers getting to see Warworld and how it works.
• Even if Superman goes there and knocks Mongul down, that doesn’t really solve Warworld’s problems, since they don’t see their situation as slavery but as something to be proud of.
• There’s a lot of misinformation and propaganda and Cult of Personality.
• He likes writing Kara as the older sibling.
• He had to play with a lot of concepts for it to make sense that Clark goes alone to Warworld and the Justice League or Jon don’t come along with him.
• The deal with Atlantis finding the Genesis fragment was actually part of a pitch for Aquaman that he adapted for this story.

On Superman & the Authority

• His take on Superman is different from Grant Morrison’s or Tom Taylor’s.
• His version of Superman is based on the Chris Reeve movies.
• The team is not who he’d normally expect Superman to team-up with. He feels Superman is thinking “well, if I can make heroes out of these guys, I can do it with anyone”.
• There’s a scene in this month’s comic that leads right into the Batman/Superman & the Authority crossover. Batman goes to talk to him, Superman tells him to just say what he wants to say, and Batman says “I hear you’ve put together another team”.
• The crossover is basically a test drive for the team.
• The crossover comic is leaning into having two different artists. They’re being encouraged to play up their differences.

Christ almighty this is going to be really boring I can already tell. Expect a bunch of finger wagging and Superman having wit or sense of fun what so ever. Morrison is one of the few modern writers that writes a fun Superman, you should be trying to align your Superman to theirs as much as possible. And I have to say for every person I've seen say they write their Superman like the Chris Reeve Superman not once have I seen any of them have their interpretation eat dog food, NOT ONE.

[witchboy]

If DC likes Clark being a dad, they sure don't let Clark and Jon spend much time together.
First Jon is in space with Jor-El (I will never get over how badly Lois and Clark were written to allow that), then Jon is in the future, now Clark is going off to space. They're only allowed to occasionally see each other in passing for years now.