Jon Kent Superboy Appreciation 2021

[rpmaluki]

I agree with the sentiment that kid Jon's story is well and done (as Rebirth presented him). Regardless of how well or poorly this book does after a year or two, we are never getting kid Jon back except for the occasional mini/maxi. One of the things that did bother me about Tomasi's Superman is how the book seemed aimless beyond showing us the relationship between Jon and Clark. There was some great stuff in it and it was more coherent that what we've gotten since but I was still left wanting more for a Superman book. When the book really started treding waters it suffered quite a bit. Like there wasn't really any plan beyond showing cute, rambunctious Jon and his daily antics. Ultimately, I wanted more.

[Blue22]

And nobody wanted him to tread water forever as the cute farmboy kid who did nothing but bounce back and forth between having adventures with Clark and Damian. Those adventures were great but you're right, eventually more needed to be done. It's just...this wasn't the way to go about moving him on from that. And now the character's just kind of a in position where I'm left not really caring where his journey goes anymore. Because what would have been the most fun parts of said journey were glossed over. I'll always think this did more harm to him than if he had just stayed where he was.

[Digifiend]

Yup, the X-Men are still doing it with teenage and adult versions of several characters coexisting in the 616 books.

Just Cable now isn't it? And that development only just happened, the teen Cable originally replaced his older self. The time displaced teen O5 went home before Hickman's run started.

[Korath]

This shows a lack of imagination. The world has changed a great deal since the 1940s and 1950s when the OG Super Boy stories were told most of which were little more than goofy filler anyway. With Kid Jon, I would have taken a Ben 10 approach for starters to show him growing up and coming to terms with his powers and place in the world over several "seasons". I'm not going to lie, to me as an aspiring author the ability to carefully build a new Superman from the ground up using more modern story writing conventions is tantalizing. It is sad DC threw this chance away.

He already came to term with his powers. In Rebirth.

We saw the whole basic journey for that kid : doesn't knew he had powers (Clark and Lois); started learning about using them (Rebirth Superman); had some future ass coming down his neck (TT/Superman crossover) and of course, full mastery of his powers in Super Sons (you know, the story kid Jon's fan can't ever stop admiring and calling back for more when it was tepid at best at the start, but I digress).

He had nothing of interest to be used for. He could have kept with the goody and terribly uninteresting stories he had in Super Sons of course. But it wouldn't have been anything than more of the same and it'd had remained the same for years, perhaps even forever (or close to it). I mean, did you really wanted to read more about Boyzarro and all that stuff ? Really, that's what you found interesting ?

[Lvenger]

Edit- What has happened to comic book Jon in recent years would be like if most of Izuku's from MHA (the insanely popular My Hero Academia) character development in the training school and big moments happened off-screen. Few would care about the guy if he just showed up after a time skip as an adult and starting kicking ass in full control of his abilities.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here but this is an ingenious observation. I've been catching up with the My Hero Academia manga and your point rings especially true in light of this comparison. Izuku would be nowhere near as popular or well liked if Horikoshi did what DC have done to Jon.

[Blue22]

He already came to term with his powers. In Rebirth.

He...actually didn't. The whole reason he went to space with Jor-El in the first place stemmed from that arc in Super Sons where it was revealed that there's still an aspect of his powers that he is very much not in control of. And that was never really resolved. It was thrown under the rug just as casually as his being upset at the Titans rejecting him.

At this point, I doubt I'd change your mind since we've been shown to fundamentally disagree (on just about every level) about what made Jon interesting, but that alone would have been a really good arc to explore further.

But yeah. At the end of day, we just have different ideas of what was so good about Jon and that's alright. I have no ill will to anyone who's been enjoying the ride that he's been on since Bendis' run began. I hope y'all continue to love it. But I don't love it. And I'm gonna keep voicing that because of how much I loved what came before and because of how much I think they wasted what could have been a better character arc for him.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here but this is an ingenious observation. I've been catching up with the My Hero Academia manga and your point rings especially true in light of this comparison. Izuku would be nowhere near as popular or well liked if Horikoshi did what DC have done to Jon.

Deku gets A LOT of shit from other fandoms but he really is one of the best shounen protagonists I've seen in a LONG time. I really need to get caught up on the manga because I hear it's gotten wild. I just gotta get through this villains arc and...man I don't want to. I love MHA as a whole but I've always found its villains to be super uninteresting.

[Celgress]

Just Cable now isn't it? And that development only just happened, the teen Cable originally replaced his older self. The time displaced teen O5 went home before Hickman's run started.

Ah, yes (my memory was a bit fuzzy on the subject), but they were around for quite some time.

[Celgress]

He already came to term with his powers. In Rebirth.

We saw the whole basic journey for that kid : doesn't knew he had powers (Clark and Lois); started learning about using them (Rebirth Superman); had some future ass coming down his neck (TT/Superman crossover) and of course, full mastery of his powers in Super Sons (you know, the story kid Jon's fan can't ever stop admiring and calling back for more when it was tepid at best at the start, but I digress).

He had nothing of interest to be used for. He could have kept with the goody and terribly uninteresting stories he had in Super Sons of course. But it wouldn't have been anything than more of the same and it'd had remained the same for years, perhaps even forever (or close to it). I mean, did you really wanted to read more about Boyzarro and all that stuff ? Really, that's what you found interesting ?

Once again, I think you are wrong. An imaginative enough writer or writers could easily tell a wonderful multilayered coming-of-age story for Jon. But no, we got a rushed hatchet job instead. Deku, Ben 10, Kid Goku, the list goes on and on there are so many ways they could have told a good story here rather than using a cheap ass age up off-screen. If traditional comic book writers can't tell these stories bring in people who actually can. See, I'm tired of whiny comic book writers who have to have things just so or they have a meltdown; "oh no, a married hero ruins everything because I can't tell the same stories my favorite childhood pro told when I was a kid, woe is me! I hate kids I can't write for them, help! I don't want these characters to progress, let's reset! I just want to do punch, kick, kick, punch stories!" Grow the f'up whiners. This is why Manga is eating the floppies alive, or rather one of several key reasons.

I never said I found Super Sons interesting, cutesy yes but not interesting. That said, it was still better than what we are getting now if for no other reason than it felt genuine to me not contrived or rushed.

[Lvenger]

Deku gets A LOT of shit from other fandoms but he really is one of the best shounen protagonists I've seen in a LONG time. I really need to get caught up on the manga because I hear it's gotten wild. I just gotta get through this villains arc and...man I don't want to. I love MHA as a whole but I've always found its villains to be super uninteresting.

I wasn't aware Deku got dumped on by other fandoms. He's a loveable cinnamon roll that has gone through some really great development and is an excellent spiritual successor to the Spider-Man model of heroes. And yeah the manga is currently very intense. The War arc has some major plot twists that change the game dramatically for the endgame of the manga's story. I feel kind of similar to you about MHA's villains. I'm not keen on the League of Villains, and I find Shigaraki to be highly overrated. But I would say that Stain, Overhaul, Gentle Criminal and All For One are good to great villains.

Bringing this back to Jon though, I wish Jon had been given the kind of character journey that Deku underwent in MHA.

[Celgress]

I wasn't aware Deku got dumped on by other fandoms. He's a loveable cinnamon roll that has gone through some really great development and is an excellent spiritual successor to the Spider-Man model of heroes. And yeah the manga is currently very intense. The War arc has some major plot twists that change the game dramatically for the endgame of the manga's story. I feel kind of similar to you about MHA's villains. I'm not keen on the League of Villains, and I find Shigaraki to be highly overrated. But I would say that Stain, Overhaul, Gentle Criminal and All For One are good to great villains.

Bringing this back to Jon though, I wish Jon had been given the kind of character journey that Deku underwent in MHA.

Indeed he is.

*major sigh* A lot of us do.

I'm pained when I see other companies in recent years doing so many interesting things with Superman-type characters while DC who has the original, does almost nothing of note with him and/or his supporting cast.....

[Blue22]

I wasn't aware Deku got dumped on by other fandoms.

Yep. People really like to trivialize his development and unfairly paint him as some overemotional crybaby who didn't earn his powers. Just cuz he's not the typical hot blooded alpha male shounen protag stereotype. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone incorrectly claim that Deku didn't train to get where he is. Or "Deku can't get anything done because he's too busy crying!"

It's crazy.

[Celgress]

Yep. People really like to trivialize his development and unfairly paint him as some overemotional crybaby who didn't earn his powers. Just cuz he's not the typical hot blooded alpha male shounen protag stereotype. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone incorrectly claim that Deku didn't train to get where he is. Or "Deku can't get anything done because he's too busy crying!"

It's crazy.

"Didn't earn his power" lol, some people are no too bright. The poor kid could not use even a minuscule portion of his power after months of intense training without literally wrecking his body. Sure he is emotional, but that is part of his charm (as you pointed out). His faith in basic goodness while a tad naive and deep-seated desire to persevere despite how difficult things become are his greatest strengths. He does indeed remind me of Superman or Spider-Man come to think of it.

Edit - My favorite chapter was when Deku saved the abused girl turned inadvertent weapon Eri. Despite knowing he was going to fail & die due to a psychic warning from a guy who was never wrong (until then) he didn't give up, he saved her; IMO, that's the heart of a true hero.

[Myskin]

Sorry, wrong thread.

[garazza]

I suppose I'll be the guy to post this: https://twitter.com/JorgeJimenezArt/...38125416697861

[Blue22]

Looks good. Under better circumstances, I would have loved this. As well as the idea of Jimenez drawing an older Jon.