PKJ Action Comics Discussion and Spoilers

[Robanker]

Speaking for myself, I'm first gen American, and I have a very hard to pronounce traditional name along with an western/English name. This is common practice for a lot of people I know and have seen. But they only people that go through the trouble of identifying me as the hard to pronounce name are a select few people who are borderline stubborn about it. I frankly couldn't pronounce the damn name properly till I was like 12 or 13, and I've been bilingual my whole life. I introduce myself as my English name because that's the name I say in my head. It doesn't mean the other name isn't mine, but I'm not going to go out of my way to say it unless asked directly. It's like when Vegeta refuses to call Goku Goku. That's a him thing, and not a Goku thing.

And in Superman's case, I particularly like him introducing himself as Clark even when speaking the most ancient version of Kryptonian because it denotes a level of casual confidence that I want from him regularly. Kal-El is him straining to stand on ceremony. That's a Superman who has reconciled with the duality of himself, and come out from the other side being able to just say "hi, I'm Clark" and have that carry the weight of the life he's lived up to this point.

Plus, speaking as someone who is bilingual, I always love it when your speaking fluent in another language, and you throw in an English name or something that has no translation. It must've sounded like "blah blah blah blah blah Clark blah blah blah" And there's something really charming and real about that.

I can only speak for myself, but when I'm speaking Greek to family, I use the Greek version of my name to keep on the same cognitive track. I'm bilingual as well, and I only think of myself by my English name, but the other name is true too. Perhaps I'm a bit sensitive on the topic, but there's this very strange need to wash away Krypton and say "he's a HUMAN/AMERICAN" as if he can't be while embracing his heritage.

Ironically, I claim very little of my heritage in my day-to-day life. It comes up on these boards 1000% more than in my offline life, but nevertheless, I do see a consistent track along DC's history in downplaying Clark's heritage to enforce the idea he's "one of us" and it plays into a xenophobic vein very much a part of the USA.

[rpmaluki]

I can only speak for myself, but when I'm speaking Greek to family, I use the Greek version of my name to keep on the same cognitive track. I'm bilingual as well, and I only think of myself by my English name, but the other name is true too. Perhaps I'm a bit sensitive on the topic, but there's this very strange need to wash away Krypton and say "he's a HUMAN/AMERICAN" as if he can't be while embracing his heritage.

Ironically, I claim very little of my heritage in my day-to-day life. It comes up on these boards 1000% more than in my offline life, but nevertheless, I do see a consistent track along DC's history in downplaying Clark's heritage to enforce the idea he's "one of us" and it plays into a xenophobic vein very much a part of the USA.

I am the same way about this. I'm trilingual to some extent. I have an English first name but identify as the other traditional name most of the time, depending on the setting, like when I introduce myself to white people because they won't get my other name. I speak about 30% of my mother tongue and it's degrading due to lack of use, and besides English, I speak my adoptive language more often than my mother tongue due to my upbringing but I am intentional in never claiming that culture as my own. It may cause confusion initially why I have a Tsonga name but speak Zulu but I don't care, I want people to know what I am. Should I have kids, I am going to go out of my way to keep my heritage alive with them despite my situation being out of my control, much to my annoyance.

While I get Clark identify himself by his adopted name, I just found it weird he used a name that would have zero meaning let alone make an connection with someone he assumed could only speak an old language birth name is closest to. Clark does identify himself as Kal (not internally bit enough) but I feel some of these writers would rather do away with his kryptonianness for their own reasons which I find (annoying at times) ironic in a story about preserving what little is left of that even if it's also intermingled with other alien cultures. Introducing himself as Clark did not make sense to me on that level. He could have used both before switching to the one he's used to after making that initial connection of familiarity between himself and the refuge and possibly assuaging some of her fear.

Edit: I think some of my frustration with reducing what little of his kryptonianness Clark possesses stems from seeing a lot of indigenous cultures and languages being swallowed up by others. For someone who's Greek or Spanish or similarly, opting for English isn't such a big deal when there's still a whole country that speaks the language and its culture is still in tact. Every now and then I hear stories of the last sole survivor of such and such culture, the last one able to speak a specific language has died and that they have died with all of that knowledge, wisdom, a whole source of things not passed down due to globalisation or whatever and it saddens and frustrates me. Maybe it's too much to expect a little nuance to Superman's tale around Krypton.

[manwhohaseverything]

How about "it doesn't matter" what name the guy uses?It trivial and bears no meaning.He's superman...because his actions have defined him as such.
Edit-this kal/clark stuff being more important than superman is very much why i prefer Superman be who he is.Scratch that,maybe the guy could call himself humpty dumpty or queen victoria...

[Vordan]

My own take is that I can buy Superman defaulting to Clark, because that’s the name he grew up being called. He didn’t learn about being “Kal” until he was an adult, unlike you guys where I assume you were aware of your “other” name even as kids. But I do think he should use “Kal” when interacting with Kryptonians because it’s a way of building empathy, of saying “I’m like you and I want to help”. So even if he first introduces himself as “Clark” he should follow that up by reintroducing himself as “Kal”. If that happens I don’t have a problem with how PKJ is approaching it.

[Robanker]

My own take is that I can buy Superman defaulting to Clark, because that’s the name he grew up being called. He didn’t learn about being “Kal” until he was an adult, unlike you guys where I assume you were aware of your “other” name even as kids. But I do think he should use “Kal” when interacting with Kryptonians because it’s a way of building empathy, of saying “I’m like you and I want to help”. So even if he first introduces himself as “Clark” he should follow that up by reintroducing himself as “Kal”. If that happens I don’t have a problem with how PKJ is approaching it.

Sure, and that actually does make sense, but I've heard too many writers essentially throw his Kryptonian heritage in the trash on the basis of "he was raised in Kansas tho" that it's pretty insulting to the character's status as an immigrant. You can't have him be an outsider and a good ol' boy from Kansas at the same time. It just doesn't work. He's both.

This isolated instance isn't a huge deal (and it doesn't bother me as much as Diana calling him Clark as opposed to Kal), but it's indicative of a long tradition of "throw your heritage away" that pervades the United States of old and Superman's publication post crisis.

[Vordan]

Sure, and that actually does make sense, but I've heard too many writers essentially throw his Kryptonian heritage in the trash on the basis of "he was raised in Kansas tho" that it's pretty insulting to the character's status as an immigrant. You can't have him be an outsider and a good ol' boy from Kansas at the same time. It just doesn't work.

On that I agree, the Byrne take where he completely rejects his heritage and says he’s 100% human doesn’t work for me. Takes out an interesting source of internal conflict for the character.

[Superlad93]

This feels like a moot point to me given the fact that last issue and in this one Clark makes a point to say "there are so few of US left." He comfortably groups himself in with his people. This is most certainly not the Jurgens era feeling the need to stop and make sure you don't get it it twisted that he's Earth first.

Just look at how no nonsense he is right now. He dare not say it out loud, but this could be one of the most significant moments of his life, and his chance to save his race, and he's fighting like hell to do it.

Him introducing himself as Clark is not about his heritage or any lack of respect for it. It's about himself, and what feels the most natural to him in the moment.

[NaVi]

I understand that the idea is that he no longer has to hide, that's why he uses the name clark, the problem is that he is still in the kryptonian suit, if he feels lonely as clark and he no longer has to hide his identity, the suit does not make sense . the suit and the name of clark, is to stay half.

[Hypo]

DC's going to be restarting the numbering on the trade collections once again:

[MatthewFieldhouse]

DC's going to be restarting the numbering on the trade collections once again:

Makes sense, new era

[Vordan]

Makes sense, new era

Yeah the trades usually start over whenever a new long term writer begins their run. Is the two part with Hester collected his Superman trade then? Was wondering how that was going to be collected given the crossover.

I’m generally ok with renumbering in a few cases:
1. New long term writer
2. Someone else takes on the mantle like DickBats or what Jon is doing
3. Massive status quo shift

[The Frog Bros]

DC's going to be restarting the numbering on the trade collections once again:

According to Bleeding Cool the backups will not be included, only the main stories.

[rpmaluki]

According to Bleeding Cool the backups will not be included, only the main stories.

Thank you, just what I wanted to hear.

[Immortal Hulk]

Awesome. Couldn't care less about the backups!

[The Frog Bros]

From BC:

Time to start counting again! It looks like DC Comics will be reunumbering their collections for Action Comics and Detective Comics from Vol 1 again, for the post Future State/Infinite Frontier semi-relaunch. Which means that the Phillip Kennedy Johnson-written Action Comics run which began with Action Comics #1030 will be collected in a new Volume 1. Which won't be confusing at all. And the same will happen to the Mariko Tamaki-written Detective Comics. And it looks like they will just be collecting the main story from each issue rather than the back-up.

That's what they're saying now anyways.

I also checked the link to the collected volume on Amazon and there was no mention of the backups.