Superman: Son of Kal-El issue #1 Preview

[Yoda]

Time to create the Viltrumite empire ,I mean kryptonian empire.

That was so over the top and yes cringeworthy statements in anything written to prop someone up artificially that I can't believe you all just ate it up and with a giant sized spoon

You don't think the first new Kryptonian born since the destruction of Krypton would rank higher than an alien invasion? Given alien invasions are likely bi-weekly occurrences in the DCU?

[Superlad93]

You don't think the first new Kryptonian born since the destruction of Krypton would rank higher than an alien invasion? Given alien invasions are likely bi-weekly occurrences in the DCU?

I'd say the first new Kryptonian born over two decades after the destruction of Krypton would rank higher than most things on Earth or in the galaxy only short of a Crisis.

Not only is it the confirmation that a race of beings can continue on into the future, but it's also the actual establishment of the Superman blood linage.

On top of that, as stated before, you have the next generation of Superman being raised by Superman and Lois as role models. Conceptually, you quite literally *can't* lowball Jon's existence.

[Quinlan58]

Man, this is such desperate character shilling.

I mean, the repeated "attempted planetary invasion" dialogue is already doing mighty fine at selling how important in comparison Jon's birth is (and at portraying just how crazy the DCU is), and the fact that everyone is making sure Superman can be there for his son's birth is already selling how Jon represents the next step from the traditional DCU, how he's the successor of an entire era of heroes in a way even, say, Dick Grayson can't be.

You don't need to tell us he "could be the greatest hero the world has ever seen". That just comes across as crude compared to everything else.

[manwhohaseverything]

I don't know why people say this is desperate when they do this kinda nonsense with clark..hello?how many times do they have done "symbol of hope" hype and how many times do they have batman saying "more human" whatnot.As for the dialogue,the story is literally about a kid being put with too much expectations and struggling with it..
In tomasi's run,jon was put under scanner by jl because he was important and unstable to boot.He was the son of superman from another world and on top of that he was manifesting abilities...

[Quinlan58]

I don't know why people say this is desperate when they do this kinda nonsense with clark..hello?how many times do they have "symbol of hope" and how many times do they have batman saying "more human" whatnot.As for the dialogue,the story is literally about a kid being put with too much expectations and struggling with it..

To be fair, I do also find it desperate whenever the writers have to insist on referring to Clark as "the greatest superhero". I recall O'Neil's "Kryptonite Nevermore" run consistently calling him the greatest in every single issue, and then also repeatedly proving he wasn't.

"Symbol of Hope" is even worse. I think only Maggin, Ennis and maybe Waid have done something worthwhile with that idea in comics.

I'm a bit more permissive of the "more human" claim because at least there writers do constantly try to justify how that's applicable, though it has grown quite a bit tiresome.

[Vordan]

Yes that’s blatant character shilling as expected from Taylor lol. This is a common Taylor trope he did it with Laura too (and he’s hardly alone in having established characters talk about how awesome the main character is, Bendis did it with Miles, Morrison did it with Kyle in JLA, Johns shilled Hal in GL and Barry in Flash, it’s been done before for other characters). I’m wondering how much of Jon’s “status quo” will be established given how decompressed Taylor Nightwing is, and that this issue looks to be an origin.

[Superlad93]

I’m wondering how much of Jon’s “status quo” will be established given how decompressed Taylor Nightwing is, and that this issue looks to be an origin.

He may intermingle the present day with the past? The solicitation mentions his adventures with Damian, his travels with Jor-El, completely omits Earth-3, and then talks about his time with the Legion.

It then goes into greater detail about how he was sent to the future to prep to become Superman when he dad could no longer do it, and how the Legion's records are spotty as to when that is.

So maybe the meat of the issue will be some never-before-seen Legion stuff where Jon learns all of this in detail, and we'll cut back and forth to the present. Then likely set up him starting college for the next issue?

[sifighter]

Yeah I’m assuming the first issue is just going to explain or catch people up on Jon and his life story. I mean this is someone being called the 21st Century Superman in the promotion but his own life is a bit of a mess of crises and time travel. The way I see it you are going to have to explore who this new Superman is for people picking up Jon for the first time.

[Robotman]

I think the hyperbolic statement would be true if Superman was the only surviving Kryptonian, but there are a lot of them all over the place. Zod has a kid and is starting a New Krypton.

Time to create the Viltrumite empire ,I mean kryptonian empire.

That was so over the top and yes cringeworthy statements in anything written to prop someone up artificially that I can't believe you all just ate it up and with a giant sized spoon

It is rather funny how comics take a ton of inspiration from each other. Invincible obviously pays a lot of homage to the Superman mythos and now DC is trying to have their own version of Invincible. “The circle is now complete.”

[Superlad93]

Zod has a kid and is starting a New Krypton.

Not 10 years ago he didn't.

And the main point in how monumental his birth is is that it's a human and kryptonian mating. Lor-Zod is a full Kryptonian and a dead end in terms of repopulation. Kandor is still shrunken by then, and there's only about a dozen or so inmates in the Phantom Zone. Kryptonians wouldn't be able to repopulate with those odds. Jon being possible-- though however slim-- allows for the continuation of the species via crossbreeding, and we see that with Legion and with House of El.

[sifighter]

You know what I would like to see Lor-Zod come to Jon to help with New Krypton. It would make sense considering we’ve seen a future almost near perfect House of El, the sons of Krypton help bring it back as Clark goes to free it’s people.

[Superlad93]

You know what I would like to see Lor-Zod come to Jon to help with New Krypton. It would make sense considering we’ve seen a future almost near perfect House of El, the sons of Krypton help bring it back as Clark goes to free it’s people.

I'd honestly love that. By the 31st century Lor-Zod has married into the House of El, and is the great great grandfather of Mon-El, so eventually the Superman family rubs off on him.

It could all start now with Lor growing to respect Jon in a way his father never respected Clark.

[SuperCrab]

Based on the preview panels, this appears to contradict Superman Reborn, which clearly shows Superman wearing a New52 style costume when Jon was born.

The excerpt below is from Action Comics #978. A few issues prior, Rebirth Superman and New52 Superman merged, causing the timeline to rewrite itself around them.

Superman found he no longer remembered the merger itself, or his two separate identities, but remembered experiencing only one history and being only one man. Nevertheless, he has become aware that something in his personal timeline may have changed, and compares his memories with Kelex's records of his personal history, finding them to match. This is the history the current Superman has. No reboots or timeline changes that effect that past have occurred since then, to the best of my knowledge.

In these panels, you see the Reborn Superman with a costume that resembles the one he currently wears, but without the trunks, seemingly appearing in the events that way, but he isn't really there, that's a function of the history review program. He is just watching his own past. The "other Superman" who we see is the Reborn Superman wearing a New52 costume, part of the historical records being reviewed.

[manwhohaseverything]

it doesn't really matter.the story ain't about them...

[SuperCrab]

it doesn't really matter.the story ain't about them...

It matters to me. It feels like yet another thumb to the eyes of New52 Superman fans.

Either that, or it's really bad continuity editing, where they didn't even go back and look at the only issue of their comic that shows Jon's birth in the current timeline before doing a new scene that shows it from another angle.

Neither answer reflects well on the DC Comics team.