Superman: son of Kal-El

[Superboy-Prime]

You should see what Superlad writes based on less.

He's always on the money, though.

[oneveryfineday]

Keep doing your thing, Superlad

[Superlad93]

Awww!

Any guesses? Doesn’t seem like it could be Lex then.

At first I was ready to say it was some other country's character, and nearly looked up a list, but from the way he made it sounds seems to be clearly US based.

So I wanna say like, I dunno, Major Force? Maybe Metallo since he started out as a solder? Some sort of hyper jingoistic perversion of the "American Way" aspect of the pervious Superman's motto. A reimagining of a the solder patriot villain type who can act in total contrast to Jon's Superman, and allow him to usher in the "Better World" and "Superman of Earth" aspect of himself, thus letting the reader know "this guy is unambiguously for everyone".

OH!! Hey, maybe it's a reimagining of Cyborg Superman? A full out perversion of not just Jon's family crest, but his dad's face. And his new stance is to take over as the Superman who's for America first. This would also be a chance to decidedly start off by showing Jon is in fact stronger than his dad since Henshaw is Clark's equal physically.

Edit: Actually, I don't know about it being Henshaw. I'd love it to be, but it sounds like it may actually be Trojin, and that's cool I guess, but we've hardly seen him in any role let alone this, so it's strange to talk about him like an established character. Hmmm...

[Blue22]

All this over one page? Yep, I can't wait for tomorrow.

To be fair, there is more. Pretty much the whole scene got leaked

Actually kinda surprised nobody posted it here.

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/tom-...son-of-kal-el/

[Superboy-Prime]

To be fair, there is more. Pretty much the whole scene got leaked

Actually kinda surprised nobody posted it here.

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/tom-...son-of-kal-el/

Seems in line with Joshua Williamson's Damian Wayne. He wears a random outfit every appearance!

[sifighter]

Any guesses? Doesn’t seem like it could be Lex then.

What about Simon Stagg’s son Sebastian that was introduced in the Terrifics and last seen in Endless Winter trying to gather energy from the fortress of solitude.

[Vordan]

Hope it’s not Lex. Metallo would be cool but I think it’s Trojan.

[Superlad93]

I don't even remotely see the issues.

I'm sure someone going to come out and say "Damian wouldn't say those words" or something like that...but then I've seen other people say that about Super Sons' Damian, and the shoe being on the other foot for people who liked that book. And as you do with all things you like, you rationalize it "well Jon brings out a different side of Damian because he's closer to his age" or something like that.

Thus can someone who likes this scene not rationalize and say because Jon is older and not a kid now, Damian doesn't feel like he should pull verbal punches with him anymore. This is no longer a Superman-to-be or a maybe-someday-Superman, but rather the Superman we have now. I think it's similar to how he viewed his TT team as "the next Justice League", and wanted them to be better than the pervious team, so he didn't pull verbal punches with them.

See. Rationalized. Taylor may have said their dynamic remained the same, but instinctually he knew that wasn't the case, and thus we have Damian challenging Jon to ask for more from himself in a way he simply wouldn't when they were kids.

[Superboy-Prime]

I don't even remotely see the issues.

I'm sure someone going to come out and say "Damian wouldn't say those words" or something like that...but then I've seen other people say that about Super Sons' Damian, and the shoe being on the other foot for people who liked that book. And as you do with all things you like, you rationalize it "well Jon brings out a different side of Damian because he's closer to his age" or something like that.

Thus can someone who likes this scene not rationalize and say because Jon is older and not a kid now, Damian doesn't feel like he should pull verbal punches with him anymore. This is no longer a Superman-to-be or a maybe-someday-Superman, but rather the Superman we have now. I think it's similar to how he viewed his TT team as "the next Justice League", and wanted them to be better than the pervious team, so he didn't pull verbal punches with them.

See. Rationalized. Taylor may have said their dynamic remained the same, but instinctually he knew that wasn't the case, and thus we have Damian challenging Jon to ask for more from himself in a way he simply wouldn't when they were kids.

The issue is that Jon isn't a little kid anymore who eats boogers!!!!!

[Superlad93]

Crazy thought, but what if it's Morgan Edge? I mean, the show, right? And he fits all of that pretty well.

But I just can't shake this feeling that Hank Henshaw fits so well. We even see him in the Action Comics annual, and Future State Worlds of War says that the Kent farm was destroyed by a cyborg.

And we haven't seen Henshaw in a role like this before, but we've clearly seen the likes of Lex, Edge, and even Trojin (who is so knew we don't know anything else but this for him) in similar roles. The whole thing could end with Jon putting him in the Phantom Zone especially since he's now got the Fortress for himself.

Basically a commentary saying "you're not what Superman stands for. I am."

[garazza]

I don't even remotely see the issues.

A lot of this has been covered extensively, so I'll just say it's because we're looking at this book from two very different perspectives.

I'm sure someone going to come out and say "Damian wouldn't say those words" or something like that...but then I've seen other people say that about Super Sons' Damian, and the shoe being on the other foot for people who liked that book. And as you do with all things you like, you rationalize it "well Jon brings out a different side of Damian because he's closer to his age" or something like that.

Thus can someone who likes this scene not rationalize and say because Jon is older and not a kid now, Damian doesn't feel like he should pull verbal punches with him anymore. This is no longer a Superman-to-be or a maybe-someday-Superman, but rather the Superman we have now. I think it's similar to how he viewed his TT team as "the next Justice League", and wanted them to be better than the pervious team, so he didn't pull verbal punches with them.

See. Rationalized. Taylor may have said their dynamic remained the same, but instinctually he knew that wasn't the case, and thus we have Damian challenging Jon to ask for more from himself in a way he simply wouldn't when they were kids.

I'd be inclined to agree with that, but the side that tends to get brought out is "editorial mouthpiece" and not "friend who keeps it real with his bestie."

The majority of Damian's dialogue suggests to me it was written by someone who thinks Damian views Jon as Superman and not his best friend. Damian is the exact opposite person who would say "Suck it up and accept fate" because that's something Damian's been fighting and struggling against. The closest to Damian being in-character is that last panel in the BleedingCool article.

And in regards to his TT being the next JL, I don't recall where he said that, whether it as the Percy or Glass run, but Damian is a very different person when he's sitting at the head of the table and leading a team. Further, he never struck me as someone to really care about the JL like that, and so the only reason I can imagine him saying that with any amount of sincerity is that the writer needed him to say something along the lines of "We're better than the A-Listers."

It reminds me a lot of when certain fans try to claim Damian is/was sexist because the writers' own biases bleed through and manifested in Damian putting down women for the simple fact of being women.

The issue is that Jon isn't a little kid anymore who eats boogers!!!!!

Don't forget he tucks his shirt into his underwear.

[Superlad93]

I'd be inclined to agree with that, but the side that tends to get brought out is "editorial mouthpiece" and not "friend who keeps it real with his bestie."

Well, I'm sure that's what it must sound like to you since you don't like the idea to begin with.

I feel like my point still stands pretty firm.

[garazza]

Well, I'm sure that's what it must sound like to you since you don't like the idea to begin with.

I feel like my point still stands pretty firm.

I'll just say this: it didn't read like someone who said "My friends either left me or grew up too fast."

But I'll sulk while you have your fun.

[Superboy-Prime]

I'll just say this: it didn't read like someone who said "My friends either left me or grew up too fast."

But I'll sulk while you have your fun.

I don't think that one line should be used to determine the entirety of their current relationship, nor do I think it implies what you think it does.

[DragonPiece]

All those interviews sound great. So much exciting superman content lately, can't wait to read issue 1 of this. And it really is great to see people geniunely excited for a new Jon Kent storyline thanks to Tom Taylor writing this, hopefully this finally gives aged up Jon some slack among the kid Jon fans.