Should DC bring back Kal-L?

[K. Jones]

This will sound weird, because I'm down with there being like a zillion multiversal Supermen, versions of Superman, running around, meeting him in cosmic trippy team-ups.

Yes I'd like to see a redemption from how Superman-2 died in IC. But I'm really into the notion of there only being one Superman. Like, Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze, Dark, Modern ... just one dude. Same dude. His timeline rejiggered, but not his Earth completely reset. Because invariably they just end up re-mining the classic continuity anyway. So it's definitely the same dude anyway.

People really dig on that storyline advancement that led to Earth-2 and all the "Classic Versions" of characters actually getting to grow a little older.

But I'm a guy who believes that Garrick, Nelson, Scott, Grant, and the rest, should all be evergreen and youthful and revived constantly like Batman and Superman are. Though I'm very cool with them being "older" than younger legacy guys like Barry or Hal.

[Deathscythe]

Going by Convergence is a risky thing to do, since DC may not be going by it either, but if the COIE was averted, Kal-L is back on Earth-2 and living a happy life with Lois. Earth-Prime Clark Kent should be home as well, living out a peaceful life with Lori. I'd rather the bulk of Infinite Crisis be retconned out of existence. The story could still work with just Alexander as the villain.

[Patrick Gerard]

This will sound weird, because I'm down with there being like a zillion multiversal Supermen, versions of Superman, running around, meeting him in cosmic trippy team-ups.

Yes I'd like to see a redemption from how Superman-2 died in IC. But I'm really into the notion of there only being one Superman. Like, Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze, Dark, Modern ... just one dude. Same dude. His timeline rejiggered, but not his Earth completely reset. Because invariably they just end up re-mining the classic continuity anyway. So it's definitely the same dude anyway.

People really dig on that storyline advancement that led to Earth-2 and all the "Classic Versions" of characters actually getting to grow a little older.

But I'm a guy who believes that Garrick, Nelson, Scott, Grant, and the rest, should all be evergreen and youthful and revived constantly like Batman and Superman are. Though I'm very cool with them being "older" than younger legacy guys like Barry or Hal.

I had a thought for how to accomplish that once, actually. It's a really weird story because it's backwards from how you'd expect a story like this to work. It begins with the Justice Society of Earth-1. Process that.

[The Frozen Reptile]

if Kal-El doesn't get his Superboy years restored, then maybe Kal-L could be the Superboy that joins the Legion.

This only makes sense to me if the New 52 Legion is the only Legion (after all they mentioned Stepphenwolf in the last issue)

With Saturn Girl being in Arkham and Phantom Girl about to be introduced in The Terrifics, this would be an opportune time to do it.

[superduperman]

I wouldn't want him back on an ongoing basis, because I don't really see where he'd fit in the current DCU. Just bring him back long enough to give him a proper closure to his story. He deserved far better than what happened to him in Infinite Crisis.

This is basically all I'm asking for. He doesn't need to return to canon or anything but letting him keep his happy ending at the end of COIE is the least they can do.

[superduperman]

This will sound weird, because I'm down with there being like a zillion multiversal Supermen, versions of Superman, running around, meeting him in cosmic trippy team-ups.

Yes I'd like to see a redemption from how Superman-2 died in IC. But I'm really into the notion of there only being one Superman. Like, Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze, Dark, Modern ... just one dude. Same dude. His timeline rejiggered, but not his Earth completely reset. Because invariably they just end up re-mining the classic continuity anyway. So it's definitely the same dude anyway.

People really dig on that storyline advancement that led to Earth-2 and all the "Classic Versions" of characters actually getting to grow a little older.

But I'm a guy who believes that Garrick, Nelson, Scott, Grant, and the rest, should all be evergreen and youthful and revived constantly like Batman and Superman are. Though I'm very cool with them being "older" than younger legacy guys like Barry or Hal.

I think it's a matter of whether or not you consider him to be the "real" GA Superman. And that's more of a head canon thing. I don't, personally, but he's still a good character in his own right and deserved better than he got. I loved the Mr and Mrs. Superman stories. They are sort of like the superbaby stories of Earth 2. Cute, but not too serious.

[superduperman]

I had a thought for how to accomplish that once, actually. It's a really weird story because it's backwards from how you'd expect a story like this to work. It begins with the Justice Society of Earth-1. Process that.

I think they did a Justice League story back in the sixties where they met the Earth 1 Johnny Thunder who happened to be a bad guy.

[Buried Alien]

Yes, because his fate as of 2010 was unsatisfactory.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[plasticman101]

yes

I want him restored to earth 2 with all continuity back in full.

why is DC dragging their feet on bringing back the JSA? we haven't heard anything in awhile about johnny thunder !! & JAY!! the crickets are getting louder!! lol

[Stanlos]

I voted No.

I want DC to get past this Continuity Conundrum and not make more. Besides that, I don't trust them to honor the Originals.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Huh?

Infinite Crisis finished up as a series in 2006.
Geoff Johns' last issue of Justice Society of America was #26 from 2009.
The New 52 didn't happen until summer of 2011.

When the hell did you expect Geoff Johns to resolve his Kal-L / Power Girl stories after 2009?

Geoff has been pretty busy since then. With all the various titles and editorial mandates he's been juggling in addition to his other jobs managing DC's various media properties, I can understand why resolving the dangling plot thread of Kal-L/Lois/Power Girl was best left to wait until Action Comics #1000 rolled around.

[Patrick Gerard]

I think they did a Justice League story back in the sixties where they met the Earth 1 Johnny Thunder who happened to be a bad guy.

I have read that one.

[MajorHoy]

Geoff has been pretty busy since then. With all the various titles and editorial mandates he's been juggling in addition to his other jobs managing DC's various media properties, I can understand why resolving the dangling plot thread of Kal-L/Lois/Power Girl was best left to wait until Action Comics #1000 rolled around.

Is that a "it definitely will be resolved in Action Comics #1000", or just idle guesses / speculation?
(I haven't bothered reading the thread about what people are expecting for #1000 . . . it doesn't seem worth the effort to guess what DC might or might not do by then.)

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Is that a "it definitely will be resolved in Action Comics #1000", or just idle guesses / speculation?
(I haven't bothered reading the thread about what people are expecting for #1000 . . . it doesn't seem worth the effort to guess what DC might or might not do by then.)

Sorry, did I represent myself as someone with insider info about Johns's plans or something? No, no, this is simple speculation on my part. However, I think it's supported by evidence. Johns has planted seeds for stories and characters for years now. Sometimes they come to fruition, but sometimes they get derailed by editorial mandates and legal shennanigans, which I think is what happened with the Kal-L/Lois/Power Girl subplot.

Keep in mind that DC's hold on Superman had been stuck in a bit of legal limbo for a few years, which is why the name Superboy couldn't be used for a while and possibly why the New 52 Superman had to be so visually different from the classic version.

Again, all this is speculation on my part, but I don't think its a coincidence that the version of Superman that is the most similar to Seigel & Shuster's original from Action Comics #1 has been MIA for all that time. It was the version that DC had the least legal claim to. Everything since then DC owns outright, but that earliest version is what was in dispute for all that time.

Now that the legal battles are over, DC is free to use Superboy, and the more classic Superman without fear of legal wrangling.

[MajorHoy]

Again, all this is speculation on my part, but I don't think its a coincidence that the version of Superman that is the most similar to Seigel & Shuster's original from Action Comics #1 has been MIA for all that time. It was the version that DC had the least legal claim to. Everything since then DC owns outright, but that earliest version is what was in dispute for all that time.

Now that the legal battles are over, DC is free to use Superboy, and the more classic Superman without fear of legal wrangling.

But that doesn't mean they plan to / want to / intend to.

I think the excuses that Geoff Johns had / still has plans for something all these years later are a bit of wishful thinking and may likely have no basis in reality. I'm guessing it's more likely that Johns has definitely moved on.
(And I should add that I hope he's moved on, considering how he thought it would be an "improvement" to change Barry's back story so radically when we got Flash: Rebirth and Johns decided dead parents are soooooooooooo much better that everybody needs at least one.)