Jon Kent Superboy Appreciation 2021

[sifighter]

Wait...Jon's going to college at age 17? Also I don't think he has much of a secret identity if his Dad outed himself? At least his own personal fortress of solitude sounds cool.



Superman: Son of Kal-El #2

story by TOM TAYLOR
pencils by JOHN TIMMS
cover by JOHN TIMMS
ON SALE 8/10/21
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES | FC | DC
card stock variant by INHYUK LEE
US $4.99
Suicide Squad Movie card stock variant by SAMI BASRI $4.99
Jonathan Kent now dons his father’s cape, but can he be Superman and still have a normal life? It’s tough in this modern world. Danger is everywhere. The new Superman learns this the hard way on his first day of college, and a deadly attack forces Jon to step from the shadows and into the spotlight—where his identity is exposed to the Truth, an activist news machine ready to upset everything.
But first, the son still has some things to learn from his father—and a few cool toys to inherit. Ask yourself, what would you do with your very own Fortress of Solitude? This all-new chapter in the legacy of Man of Steel has only just begun to reveal its surprises!

[Blue22]

I'm guessing he tried going by some sort of alias or whatever since, yeah, he was outed alongside Clark. His opportunity for a normal life should have already been over. Either way....still not interested. In fact I'm even less interested.

[rpmaluki]

He's going to college (I wanted this) and has his own fortress (I didn't expect this), ugh so lovely. His identity "reveal" or whatever it is seems weird after Clark outed himself or people just never assume the Jon Kent in front them is THE Jon Kent, son of Superman?

[Superlad93]

Wait...Jon's going to college at age 17?

Generally speaking kids graduate high school at either 17 or 18, wait the summer, then go into college at 17 or 18, so that checks out. We've just now recontextualized the Legion years as high school.

Also he's the other cover. Really wouldn't mind them drawing Jon with brown hair from now on. It's been looking really good in these covers.

[oneveryfineday]

It would be funny if he went by “Jordan” lol

And going to college at 17 isn’t unusual since sometimes with the way birthday cutoffs work it happens, even without skipping a grade.

I was hoping to get a feel of what Jon’s villains or supporting cast would look like from the covers, but I guess we’ll have to wait. His own Fortress of Solitude sounds cool though.

[Rac7d*]

He's going to college (I wanted this) and has his own fortress (I didn't expect this), ugh so lovely. His identity "reveal" or whatever it is seems weird after Clark outed himself or people just never assume the Jon Kent in front them is THE Jon Kent, son of Superman?

Wow he really skipped elementary high school
And gets into college np

[Rac7d*]

It would be funny if he went by “Jordan” lol

And going to college at 17 isn’t unusual since sometimes with the way birthday cutoffs work it happens, even without skipping a grade.

I was hoping to get a feel of what Jon’s villains or supporting cast would look like from the covers, but I guess we’ll have to wait. His own Fortress of Solitude sounds cool though.

He’s going to college before Kara and Tim Drake

[Blue22]

Wow he really skipped elementary high school
And gets into college np

Yeah that's another thing I was really confused about. He was barely at the end of elementary school before he died and came back broken. Now he's just kinda back, having skipped over basically all of the US educational system, and he can go to college?

[Superlad93]

There's any number of way that could be explained. For example, just have Damian or Bruce create the documents for his 12 years of schooling. Or maybe the college staff knows who he is coming in, and as a favor to his family and all they do they let him take some aptitude test or something like that to get in. It's no stranger than Kara or Conner going to school at any point in their publication history because both are always coming in with no elementary school on file. Not a big leap.

But I am wondering if Jon was just keeping a low profile or if he had a full on fake name before this. I'd be good with either honestly because both will be moot once he's shows himself.

I'm really, really happy to see Taylor using college as his setting. It's super easy, and comes premade with a supporting cast and Daily Planet-ish base of operations and setting. Plus, it moves him out from home. And it works as the perfect metaphor for him now taking on the responsibilities of being a man/Superman.

Also PKJ said that Jon had his own hopes and dreams outside of being Superman. Us seeing him in college is a great way to explore that. It's that Peter Parker vibe where the hero identity is allowed to be a responsibility and burden that can get in the way of what our hero wants to do, but in the end he knows that identity IS him, and it's not something he can walk away from.

[Artemisfanboy]

There's any number of way that could be explained. For example, just have Damian or Bruce create the documents for his 12 years of schooling. Or maybe the college staff knows who he is coming in, and as a favor to his family and all they do they let him take some aptitude test or something like that to get in. It's no stranger than Kara or Conner going to school at any point in their publication history because both are always coming in with no elementary school on file. Not a big leap.

But I am wondering if Jon was just keeping a low profile or if he had a full on fake name before this. I'd be good with either honestly because both will be moot once he's shows himself.

I'm really, really happy to see Taylor using college as his setting. It's super easy, and comes premade with a supporting cast and Daily Planet-ish base of operations and setting. Plus, it moves him out from home. And it works as the perfect metaphor for him now taking on the responsibilities of being a man/Superman.

Also PKJ said that Jon had his own hopes and dreams outside of being Superman. Us seeing him in college is a great way to explore that. It's that Peter Parker vibe where the hero identity is allowed to be a responsibility and burden that can get in the way of what our hero wants to do, but in the end he knows that identity IS him, and it's not something he can walk away from.

He still doesn't have the actual education experience from, you know, being tortured in a volcano from age 10 to 17.

Whatever. I'm never going to be ok with aged up Jon and I'm never going to stop complaining about this until he's de-aged. So I have a long time of unhapinness with the Superman sector of the DCU coming. At least another year or so at best case scenario.

[oneveryfineday]

He’s going to college before Kara and Tim Drake

Kara’s 21 so that’s not really an issue. Jon going to college before Tim though...lol.

Yeah that's another thing I was really confused about. He was barely at the end of elementary school before he died and came back broken. Now he's just kinda back, having skipped over basically all of the US educational system, and he can go to college?

Eh, I don’t think the American education system does much for Jon in terms of academics. His brain has super-processing speed and he’s been shown tinkering with advanced Kryptonian algorithms even as a kid. His dad brought him everywhere to train him to respond to crisis or diplomatic situations. His real education was far beyond normal than even the regular college graduate.

One thing that school does crucially provide is socialization though. I hope that Taylor addresses the fact that Jon’s only form of socialization for years was freaking Ultraman.

[sifighter]

He’s going to college before Kara and Tim Drake

Tim actually went to college during Rebirth, he just left to continue being Robin and find his Young Justice friends.

[Superlad93]

He still doesn't have the actual education experience from, you know, being tortured in a volcano from age 10 to 17.

Clearly he does. Over in Superman #31 he's able to do a new trick with his heat vision specifically because he figured out how the water molicues in the air react to it. And over in Action #1031 he's able to recognize how cellular structure reacts to sunlight.

In terms of general book smarts he doesn't seem to be lacking.

[Sam]

Yeah, that compounds the problem.

Jon demonstrating all these moments of scientific knowledge run counter to what we've seen on the page and what makes sense for him to know. This was all just a rush job to get him to a certain age and moments like this demonstrated how unearned his whole journey is. What DC wants him to be is different from what he is, so they'll get him there even if it makes no damn sense.

[Blue22]

Yeah, that compounds the problem.

Jon demonstrating all these moments of scientific knowledge run counter to what we've seen on the page and what makes sense for him to know. This was all just a rush job to get him to a certain age and moments like this demonstrated how unearned his whole journey is. What DC wants him to be is different from what he is, so they'll get him there even if it makes no damn sense.

From the very start this has been nothing but a rush job to fit Jon into a position that he didn't need to be rushed into. So him being so well adjusted despite the fact that he honestly shouldn't be doesn't surprise me. Him being able to go college even though he honestly shouldn't be doesn't surprise me. It just makes me even sadder that he's currently in such a messy state when he didn't need to be.

Like....none of this is exciting. It's just sad. Made even sadder by the fact that it's got a favorite writer of mine attached to it.