PKJ Action Comics Discussion and Spoilers

[Ra-El]

I guess I'll be the odd man out (like usual) and say that I really, really, really dig Clark's powers dimming and him, as PKJ put it, "really feeling his age".

There's a lot to chew on there especially because Clark is now going to be operating on the biggest scale he has yet. And more than that, out in the greater universe, again, as PKJ put it, Clark is known as "the toughest guy in the universe". He now has to take on this new, larger task while trying to live up to expectations he can no longer meet in the same way because he's now starting to feel the "twilight" of his super life. That's really interesting to me because that sets up for so many new situations.

On the Jon side, I really like incredibly relatable idea of a son seeing his dad as human for the first time rather than the superhero they seem when you're small and always looking up. Accepting his upcoming role as Superman means accepting his dad's limitations and mortality. That's a tough one for anyone, but infinitely more so when you pop is Superman. I mean, just look at how fans can go pages of arguments defending the idea that Superman should never grow old. But with Jon there's the added idea of "I just kind of figured he'd do it forever, and I'd help out when I could. I never actually thought I'd have to be The Guy".

If PKJ uses Clark losing his powers to show how capable he is as a hero and not just his powers than I'm all for it, but if the take is that with his powers diminishing he'll have to retire than it's a no for me.
Probably this will be what explains why Superman end up enslaved on Warworld and just didn't kicked Mongul's ass.

[Robanker]

With all their other plans, it just seems like the way they're trying to get him off stage so Jon could take over.

[LordUltimus]

If Superman gets taken off Earth, it really makes him revealing his secret identity feel extremely underexplored at best.

[Frontier]

If Superman gets taken off Earth, it really makes him revealing his secret identity feel extremely underexplored at best.

I mean, it basically just set him up to be Superman 100% of the time now, which is what we seem to be getting.

[Superlad93]

With all their other plans, it just seems like the way they're trying to get him off stage so Jon could take over.

I mean, that goes without saying by now, but I still like that there's a story with some nice emotional heft to it beyond "and then Clark just flew away".

If Superman gets taken off Earth, it really makes him revealing his secret identity feel extremely underexplored at best.

Seems like it'll be explored more with Jon and his family. PKJ said that the Kent family is now sort of being positioned in the center of the universe almost. So I guess we work the famous family angle.

[NaVi]

So many years waiting for a great cosmic story and the first thing they do is weaken it, it seems that dc reads superman fans, but decides to do the opposite of what is asked. I hope it at least serves something and not like last time. Superman cannot be intelligent, he cannot be an expert in combat, he cannot use the fortress, now his powers are also taken away, there is something he can do or he has everything forbidden.

[Vordan]

With all their other plans, it just seems like the way they're trying to get him off stage so Jon could take over.

It’s clearly a way of justifying why there are going to be two Supermen, but Clark is seemingly going to be keeping Action, so he won’t be shoved completely out of the spotlight. So far it looks like they’re continuing the Rebirth/Bendis set up, one book is the Superman & Jon show, the other for solo Superman adventures. Yang’s Batman/Superman book is also going to seemingly keep the focus on Clark & Bruce (although the Multiverse setup easily justifies bringing in other versions if he wants).

I’m also still holding out hope for some Black Label Superman projects, King has one coming, hopefully Waid does too.

[LordUltimus]

I mean, it basically just set him up to be Superman 100% of the time now, which is what we seem to be getting.

Well, him being in space sort of takes that aspect away, since he's been in space for long periods of time with his secret identity intact before.

Seems like it'll be explored more with Jon and his family. PKJ said that the Kent family is now sort of being positioned in the center of the universe almost. So I guess we work the famous family angle.

Yeah, but Clark could be dead for all it matters for that aspect.

[Robanker]

It’s clearly a way of justifying why there are going to be two Supermen, but Clark is seemingly going to be keeping Action, so he won’t be shoved completely out of the spotlight. So far it looks like they’re continuing the Rebirth/Bendis set up, one book is the Superman & Jon show, the other for solo Superman adventures. Yang’s Batman/Superman book is also going to seemingly keep the focus on Clark & Bruce (although the Multiverse setup easily justifies bringing in other versions if he wants).

I’m also still holding out hope for some Black Label Superman projects, King has one coming, hopefully Waid does too.

I just really don't care for Clark conveniently getting weaker now that his son's of age even though his son should actually still be 10-11. The whole thing just doesn't work for me. It'd be one thing if someone just beat Clark within an inch of his life and Jon realized his dad will one day have to stop. It'd be one thing if Jon just started rising to the call or realizing maybe he doesn't want to do things exactly like his dad. It'd be one thing if they didn't have to diminish Clark to in some way show Jon is worthy of Superman.

As it is, they're saying "Clark isn't as up to snuff, so now Jon." Which sucks. I like Jon, I like the story of him one day being Superman and I wouldn't mind reading his adventures, but I don't want to stop reading Clark. I don't understand why this had to be main continuity and why Clark has to seemingly buckle under losing something again to serve another goddamn supporting cast member or other IP. It's like they don't understand that if you eternally undermine an IP, you strip it of the charm. Clark getting old at ~40 doesn't track when he apparently lives into the year 3000 and sires a ton of heirs really doesn't make any sense. His cells begin degrading and yet he's Space Arthur? Alright, man. Alright. It's just some thinly-veiled excuse to say he sucks, now whichever young protoge is better so like them please. It's just another form of jobbing.

I want to be optimistic about this, I really do, but this just looks like Clark takes another backseat for five years. And for what? The son they made almost explicitly his goddamn clone? At least if Jon was a lot different I'd get it, but by nearly every account, he's his dad. I don't know, it's really hard to stay positive when they are so cavalierly taking the entire draw of the franchise and shuffling it off stage because they're embarrassed of Superman or something.

Moreover, getting positioned to an important role doesn't mean much. It's like saying Wally was positioned in an important role after Flash Forward. He's on Metron's chair and has Manhatten's powers. They going to tell stories with that? Yeah, one where he gets used as a battery and then shunted off. Bravo. "Positioned" doesn't mean **** if they have no intent to tell stories, and by all accounts, Clark's stories are "look at how important Superman is/was, his legacy" which we've seen a million times and shuffling him off so everyone can write about his son.

I love Jon. I really do. I just don't prefer him to the guy I come to these books to read about. This reminds me a lot of when I used to work at a hotel and they were so convinced on selling additional services they were demanding we badger new guests with offers, not realizing that being inundated with sales ads the moment you walk in is the antithesis of hospitality. We had so many people turn away and leave because they didn't like getting hit with a pitch as they came in. There were other hotels to stay at that didn't treat them like cattle. "But you didn't pitch it right," they'd say. DC reminds very much of the same right now. It's like they've given up on Clark and hope that Jon will apparently make everyone who loves Superman a born-again fan, which makes no sense at all.

You know what's not going to appeal to people who saw an adaption of Superman and want to read the books? What doesn't appeal to long-time readers? What doesn't appeal to people who like the idea of Superman and want to read his adventures? Who want to see what 80 years of storytelling has turned into? Stripping the character down time and again, giving the meat to other characters, and then some lip service about how damn much you like Christopher Reeve. I'm sorry, but each new bit of news on this run sounds worse.


I'm still in for the opening two-parter and one arc each after to convince me. I think that's a fair attempt. About 7 issues of each book. KSD's run on Aquaman had all the warning signs of bad news ahead (movie synergy, amnesia, splitting up him and Mera, etc) and it turned out great. Maybe PKJ's run does the same and I'll give him a shot based on the strength of his work elsewhere... But goddammit, man. It might be time for me to take a break from the Superman news cycle because it is really bumming me out. The art looks so good but everything I hear about the story is just compounding on "this is Jon's story now, grandpa. EAT IT."

[LordUltimus]

What was the movie synergy with KSD's Aquaman? Literally the only one I remember is Arthur having a beard again (which I have no problem with, I think it makes him look better).

[Robanker]

What was the movie synergy with KSD's Aquaman? Literally the only one I remember is Arthur having a beard again (which I have no problem with, I think it makes him look better).

Beard, shirtless and tatted up to look more like Jason Momoa. She also said she wanted to give Arthur more of his demeanor since she found it a good draw.

[Sacred Knight]

I mean, it basically just set him up to be Superman 100% of the time now, which is what we seem to be getting.

If it is, it'll fail. Guaranteed. Its really the only positive to take from such a situation, knowing it won't work and they'll have to walk it back. Only question will be how long till they admit defeat and walk it back, and how much damage it does to Clark in the meantime. Though likely it'll serve to do more damage to Jon. Superman can always bounce back. A 5 year old supporting character whom undeservingly was forced into the main role, more or less supplanting who Superman fans want to read about? That might poison him beyond salvage when all is said and done. Not that I'd care, but it could happen.

If they want this to have any chance at any modicum of success, Superman will need to get his powers back at some point during his space adventures. Trends with the fanbase tend to show its not desired for him to be depowered for long, outside of a specific storyline, and even that wears thin fast. It won't sustain long term, much less an idea of him eventually handing everything over to Jon for good in the end. By and large he'll have to be on general even ground with his kid. If not, they screw themselves.

Only other alternative? The off chance The Elseworld ends up being a New 52/Ultimate like imprint. Then maybe they have a shot because fans would be able to get the real Superman elsewhere. But these thoughts are based off of all things being equal to as they stand now.

I mean, if I end up wrong, his journey ends up with him losing most of his powers altogether and handing Jon 100% of the reigns and it succeeds, I'll own it. But history makes me pretty confident I won't have to.

[LordUltimus]

Beard, shirtless and tatted up to look more like Jason Momoa. She also said she wanted to give Arthur more of his demeanor since she found it a good draw.

Well, he's been shirtless before too, but I take your meaning.

Sounds like a writer choice than an editorial mandate, though.

[Prime]

If you are gonna give me Superbro, just give me Superbro.im not interested in Jon.

[Robanker]

Well, he's been shirtless before too, but I take your meaning.

Sounds like a writer choice than an editorial mandate, though.

Oh, it was all KSD, but the point is if you're coming onto a new run and the team is telling you:

"We're going to change his look and personality to fit the movie more. He's getting amnesia. We're separating him from his love interest who everyone likes. Trust us!" Then the first art came out and they're showing a new female character who Arthur is going to spend time with while he can't remember Mera who he's estranged to and you can understand the concern.

You're probably going to think "oh not this **** again." But I knew of KSD's work and she didn't strike me as the type to fall into that boring, tired old relationship drama crap, so I gave her a shot. And she delivered several times over. Her Aquaman run was different, certainly and had some lows (the source of Arthur's amnesia for one), but overall it was a great ride. I'm glad I stuck with it despite everything in my gut feeling like it was about to crash the momentum Arthur had since New 52 (not counting the six Bunn issues).

I hope PKJ's run can do the same because right now all signs point to me dropping this direction after the first arc.