PKJ Action Comics Discussion and Spoilers

[Robanker]

https://twitter.com/cjwardart/status...069477890?s=21

Man if they could get Ward on a Superman book, that would be amazing

Led Zeppelin in capes on every page.

[Vordan]

Was just about to post this, what a gorgeous panel from Sampere. That shot of the Super Family floating in the sky is drawn and coloured beautifully. One thing I can't deny is that Sampere has been killing it on PKJ's Action Comics.

Sampere really makes Clark look iconic and radiating power in every panel he does. Very much hoping we get to see draw a big slugfest issue with Superman & Mongul or any of Supes’ Rogues.

Led Zeppelin in capes on every page.

His Red & Blue story with Spencer was glorious, I need that big cosmic Superman story from him lol.

[oneveryfineday]

It’s probably a long shot but I hope we get to see Sampere’s take on Conner too so we get the whole family.

[SuperX]

It’s probably a long shot but I hope we get to see Sampere’s take on Conner too so we get the whole family.

Keep dreaming, I know I am, and have been. They like the setup they have, and Conner isnt part of it.

[Vordan]

It’s probably a long shot but I hope we get to see Sampere’s take on Conner too so we get the whole family.

Won’t be any time soon since for now Kon is on the Suicide Squad.

[oneveryfineday]

Keep dreaming, I know I am, and have been. They like the setup they have, and Conner isnt part of it.

Won’t be any time soon since for now Kon is on the Suicide Squad.

I’m hoping that Conner will be off the Suicide Squad after the annual in August just in time for him to be used in the current AC arc or the October “event”. After all, a Superman event has to have Kon-El Superboy in it, right? Right?? There’s also the fact that Conner will be in the sort-of-in-continuity Titans United book in September, so I think it’s possible he’ll be done with the Squad then.

And with Clark leaving Earth, he should say goodbye to ALL his family, including the person he considers his adoptive brother.

Don’t let me down, DC.

[Sacred Knight]

Keep dreaming, I know I am, and have been. They like the setup they have, and Conner isnt part of it.

Pretty much, yeah. I don't like the move but its their move. I'll give Bendis that he tried near the end to re-establish a place for him, but it was obviously something the Superman office didn't care to continue. But then again the oddity these days is when the Superman office does something I like.

[Hypo]

Action Comics 2021 Annual #1 Preview
Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Artist: Siya Oum

[SuperX]

There is absolutely no chance they will use Conner when they are pushing Jon as hard as they are now. Unless they use kon to show how much better in some aspect Jon is to him.

Conner can't be used now, cause he is the same age range as Jon, but way more time as a hero with a bonus power to boot.

Let Jon shine, it's his time, we shall see if it is a win or loss for a actual son of superman, kon needs more independent type stories anyway, his character works better that way.

[Quinlan58]

Action Comics 2021 Annual #1 Preview
Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Artist: Siya Oum

The whole imagery with the dark-skinned Kryptonian descendents being slaves constantly in chains is still more than a little troubling. I mean, it's been a thing in the past few issues, but never did it hit quite as hard as here. When PKJ said his run would adress things like racism, I did not expect this. Thankfully the vast majority will feature Ronan and Rowan instead, who being classical heroes are as far away from the "black person as slave" imagery as possible. Pity that still manifests as the Warworld representative in the future (the symbol of how far they've come) being light-skinned.

Curious to see the storyteller apparently having information from the future. What exactly was the "heresy" that lead to the Phaelosians' exile? Some sort of future sight, as implied by Byla? Moondragon is clearly a reference to Future State Kara Zor-El, Superwoman. Does anyone know what "the two snakes and the wheel" could be referring to?

Seems Kara's presiding the wedding ceremony, in her full Superwoman outfit from Future State. Also looks like we'll get 3 stories here.

[kryptonian]

The whole imagery with the dark-skinned Kryptonian descendents being slaves constantly in chains is still more than a little troubling. I mean, it's been a thing in the past few issues, but never did it hit quite as hard as here. When PKJ said his run would adress things like racism, I did not expect this. Thankfully the vast majority will feature Ronan and Rowan instead, who being classical heroes are as far away from the "black person as slave" imagery as possible. Pity that still manifests as the Warworld representative in the future (the symbol of how far they've come) being light-skinned.

Curious to see the storyteller apparently having information from the future. What exactly was the "heresy" that lead to the Phaelosians' exile? Some sort of future sight, as implied by Byla? Moondragon is clearly a reference to Future State Kara Zor-El, Superwoman. Does anyone know what "the two snakes and the wheel" could be referring to?

Seems Kara's presiding the wedding ceremony, in her full Superwoman outfit from Future State. Also looks like we'll get 3 stories here.

I am certain that one of the arcs of the action comics series is about Superman realizing that krypton sold its darker skinned Vathlo natives into slavery, making Kal realize that there is no moral difference between krypton and humanity.

[rpmaluki]

The whole imagery with the dark-skinned Kryptonian descendents being slaves constantly in chains is still more than a little troubling. I mean, it's been a thing in the past few issues, but never did it hit quite as hard as here. When PKJ said his run would adress things like racism, I did not expect this. Thankfully the vast majority will feature Ronan and Rowan instead, who being classical heroes are as far away from the "black person as slave" imagery as possible. Pity that still manifests as the Warworld representative in the future (the symbol of how far they've come) being light-skinned.

Curious to see the storyteller apparently having information from the future. What exactly was the "heresy" that lead to the Phaelosians' exile? Some sort of future sight, as implied by Byla? Moondragon is clearly a reference to Future State Kara Zor-El, Superwoman. Does anyone know what "the two snakes and the wheel" could be referring to?

Seems Kara's presiding the wedding ceremony, in her full Superwoman outfit from Future State. Also looks like we'll get 3 stories here.

I thought I was the only one who had this reaction when I saw it.

I am certain that one of the arcs of the action comics series is about Superman realizing that krypton sold its darker skinned Vathlo natives into slavery, making Kal realize that there is no moral difference between krypton and humanity.

I'm hoping that's not the case.

Overall I don't know how to react to this preview outside of hesitation to see how they handle these "black slaves" and them almost certainly betting delivered by a "white saviour". Ugh,

[manwhohaseverything]

Overall I don't know how to react to this preview outside of hesitation to see how they handle these "black slaves" and them almost certainly betting delivered by a "white saviour". Ugh,

I hate clark being any kind of savior.Let alone white one.The thing is clark himself was in chains from the get go.A gladiator by definition is a slave.Why do you think he was called "champion of the oppressed"?The only reason you guys feel this impacted by it is because that superman as a whole is gone.You only see a flying savior with features of average white guy freeing people.His icongraphy,what he represented,his radicalism..etc..The appeal of superman as a whole changed...

this was partly superman.the chains comes with the territory of being superman.

There was something menacing about a superman...

[Superlad93]

Most of those characters in the preview seem to be drawn as afro Latino, or fairly racially ambiguous based on most of their hair, but yes the darker skin mixed in with the literal slave trappings does denote something more specifically African in origin.

However-- and this my be fairly controversial-- if you're going to deal with a character that is alien and happens to look like what we humans would call "black", and the aim is to deal with the very specific and intrinsic aspects of being black, then you're dealing with this one way or another. This goes back to why it's, generally speaking, a bit of a tightrope act having an alien character who happens to look like a minority and wanting to make that an bold point of their character. It wouldn't be, because they don't have the hundreds of years of systemic oppression and hate place upon them, and the obvious metaphor of them being an alien is more often than not more problematic than writers seem to understand.

Usually you're left with the idea that they just face racism when they get to Earth, and they act as an objective outside viewer who gets to say "what? This is dumb". In efforts to add to representation, and being able to write characters who a reader of similar color can relate to on an intrinsic level, what does *just* getting them to say "that's dumb" really amount to because they are ultimately alien to any form of that comparable struggle? And make no mistake, as a black man myself, I'm not someone who even remotely gets behind the exploitive nature of western media and its treatment of marginalized groups. More often than not it's our collective pain that's on display.

But in the very specific case of an alien character who happens to be black, and wanting to give that some sort of actual gravitas then Thao-La and her people (who don't all seem to be of darker skin based on the last two issues of Action), at the very least have some version of understanding when it comes to discrimination and oppression.

Thao's people, the Phaelosians, were a science colony that was specifically shunned by the rest of Kryptonian society and had to leave the planet long, long ago. In this respect, it's more akin to discrimination based on religion rather than it is based on skin color. This is further supported by the fact that the Phaelosians seem to pray to Kryptonian scientists who once lived rather than any sort of traditional Kryptonian gods.

So, lets suppose Thao does end up saying on Earth after all this is over? Maybe she even becomes the new Supergirl? Then lets say someone yells out "MY SUPERGIRL DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT" or "SHE'S NOT EVEN KRYPTONIAN"? Thoa isn't just an outside viewer who comes from a more enlightened place that gets to look confused and brush that off as something dumb. She gets to relate to that kind of systemic discrimination of being looked down upon. But most of all, her now having the power to stand up for herself now comes with a lot more narrative weight and is something that can relate back to us and be empowering beyond just the visual of a black person with power. It's a more layered and narratively rich empowerment.

It's potentially VERY, VERY messy, but I can very clearly see that PKJ didn't make this choice lightly, and he's covered his bases. It's now all about the landing.

Also, it's worth pointing that that Future State: House of El actually confirms that War World and all of its former slaves are in fact loyal to Khan-El, the full blooded Phaelosian, first and foremost even before the House of El itself. That implies that regardless of whatever help Clark is to the Phaelosians or people of War World, they still look to a former slave and Phaelosian as their leader 1000s of years down the line. Once again, PKJ has dotted his Is and crossed his Ts, and I respect the hell out of that.


______________


So...she's SERIOUSLY not going to be the new Supergirl??? Like, does it have to be the little girl from King's book? Seeing little Thao playing with a make-shift Superman toy and wearing a make-shift Super suit is so damn cute! Genuinely hoping the little girl becomes her own thing (like the moon dragon from Future State) so Thao can be Supergirl. There's already so much linking her to the overall Super family narrative, Lois, Clark, Jon, and even Kara to an extent. Like, starting things off with Jon, our new Superman, being kind of mad at her because she marks the day his dad leaves is an interesting spot to start that dynamic from. Lois being the person she seems to bond with first is also great. And Thao feeling a bit disillusioned with the whole idea of Superman and the House of El is a fantastic place to start.

But if it's that little girl from Woman of Tomorrow then the reaction is more like "oh. Hey. I'm sorry, who are you?" I genuinely be sad if Thao isn't Supergirl. And the idea that she takes the S that was branded onto her as a sick punishment-- the S that never came down from the sky to save her and her people-- and makes it into her own is freaking powerful.

[Vordan]

Man I’m bummed we’re apparently not getting a Future State House of El book like the Future State Gotham book. Would love to get more stories set in this time period. Preview looks interesting although I agree that PKJ is treading on some very tumultuous ground here. Hope he is ready for the inevitable Twitter backlash that’s going to erupt over this.