Superman: son of Kal-El

[Vordan]

Yeah colors are definitely going to be a lot better now.

[Robanker]

Get Tamra Bonvillain on this book. Right the hell now.

[Last Son of Krypton]

Now the question is, can this momentum be carried forward? Will issue 5 essentially be a spiritual first issue?

It sort of work like a "first issue" because it'll be a jumping on point for readers that weren't following the series before the news of Jon's coming out, and the issue will have value as collector item due to the news/controversy around it. Collectors and speculators will buy multiple copies of it as well as the early issues. As a recent example, Miracle Molly debut issue had 200k+ copies pre-ordered (twice as Tynion BM usually sell).

If the momentum will carry forward... you'll see with #7, I guess. Doubt it'll make any difference, it could drop in the cancellation zone and Jon would stick around anyway as the "bisexual Superman" just because they made already a big deal about it.

[Quinlan58]

Someone pointed out to me that Jon is holding a Batman mug and now I can't unsee it.

So if I have to suffer, you'll suffer too.

[Marko Lane]

Someone pointed out to me that Jon is holding a Batman mug and now I can't unsee it.

So if I have to suffer, you'll suffer too.

Well ok then, lol. Now I'm suffering too I like that he has a Batman mug.

Neither of them are surprised by the kiss, they're very much relaxed. They're in an apartment- Jays perhaps and just chilling

[The Frog Bros]

I was thinking about it, and I really hope Janin got moved from Action Comics because they're planning on moving him to Son of Kal-El.

I mean, Action Comics is going to have Riccardo Frederici on it very soon, and, according to PKJ in a very recent interview, Frederici will be on Action "for the foreseeable future".

I'm thinking that it's very possible that DC started to see how well Son of Kal-El is doing in relation to all of the other Superman books, and how high profile it would be getting by having a bi main continuity Superman and they're now deciding to throw some more artistic weight its way with a higher profile artist.

And I think Janin would really fit Jon's book well. Bring in some of that Grayson sleek and modern feel to what is current one of the most talk about books DC has running. I really, really hope this pans out being true.

I don't think he'd be a side artist in this instance. I think he'd just flat out take the book from him because the profile for it has gone up.

I honestly feel like it's not impossible for DC to remove Timms (maybe move him over to Bendis' JL) after they've seen the profile of Son of Kal-El go way up. Now there's more eyes on the book and it's the best selling Superman related book running right now. It would be a good look for DC to throw a super star artist at this book. Son of Kal-El also beat out a Morrison Superman related #1 (granted Morrison doesn't sell like they used to, but still. And that was before Jon came out). And Janin was working on that.

I'd welcome Janin on the book. I wasn't too big on the artist for the most recent issue. I mean it seemed okay but I can't get past the weirdness of the eyes, particularly in Jon's case. Just doesn't look right to me. I don't love Timms, but I'd prefer him to Di Nicuolo.

Nice, Hi-Fi is the guy coloring Action right? Dude is fantastic, hopefully he brings out the best in Timms art.

As for Gabe "What Would Dean Cain Do" Eltaeb, bye bye. Hi-Fi co-colored this issue so hopefully in the long run it will be better when he's fully at the helm.

[ZuLuLu]

Trying to keep track of digital sales. Note these numbers improved since Tuesdays.

Superman: Son of Kal-El #4
#3 in 45-Minute Comic & Graphic Novel Short Reads
#5 in Superhero Graphic Novels
#15 in Superhero Comics & Graphic Novels

Also, issues 1-3 continue to sell really well, no wonder these books are getting a second printing

Son of Kal-El #1
#8 in 45-Minute Comic & Graphic Novel Short Reads
#17 in Superhero Graphic Novels
#35 in Superhero Comics & Graphic Novels

Son of Kal-El #2
#9 in 45-Minute Comic & Graphic Novel Short Reads
#19 in Superhero Graphic Novels
#41 in Superhero Comics & Graphic Novels

Son of Kal-El #3
#10 in 45-Minute Comic & Graphic Novel Short Reads
#25 in Superhero Graphic Novels
#54 in Superhero Comics & Graphic Novels

[Darkspellmaster]

The whole thing with Jon reminds me a lot of the age up of Bart Allen. There's a lot of similar beats in regard to what happened, and in a scary way that has me rather worried we're going to see the same ending here if DC decides to play the same game.

Both Jon and Bart were abused in some way by a version of superman, in Bart's case it was Prime in the speed Force during the whole Crisis thing.
Both Jon and Bart were aged in a different dimension, in Bart's case it's only four years verse the seven, but both ended up in the early college age area.

When Bart came back he had a lot of PTSD and was dealing with his friends who were sad he'd changed.
Bart became best friends with another fellow college student/worker at Keystone motors, Griffin Gray, who was his room mate who had powers, and later turned evil and became the main rival outside of Inertia to Bart.
Bart also hooked up with the daughter of one of the villains for the flash.

So far Jay has hit at least some of these: Fellow College Student, works with Jon on things, is probably going to become a room mate to Jon in the near future, has powers, possibly will become evil, and he kills the second bird as a love interest with one stone.

What has me worried is that over time the stories became less good for Bart and what ended up happening was in the end, rather then keep him around and you know, de age him, they killed him by having the rogues find out his name and try to steal the speedforce from Bart and then kill him in the process. It was a mess and what I'm worried about is that by the end of this we're going to see the same issue crop up with Jon.

While you'll get a short spurt of YA fans for the early issues the longer the series goes on there's going to be a drop off, and in some cases there will be a drop off with some readers if Jay either becomes "Dull" as in they have to figure a way to put him in the story naturally, see the Gwen Stacey issue, or he goes evil and they break up and some readers will not like that. Another issue is the same thing that Bart had. While there was a pick up for some new readers for a while, the longer running Impulse fans did not want this, and the sales numbers kept coming down. Not to mention once Taylor's run is done, who takes over it going to be an issue. If you get a good writer you're safe. If you get someone like, I don't know Dan Slott, you're going to see a huge shift in the story telling and the situation.

So again my worry is that by aging him up too fast, and throwing him into a relationship this fast, you're going down the Aged Up Bart Allen path, or the Aged up Chris Kent path. Both which ended up crashing and burning due to issue in the writing and not spending the time to grow the character.

And let's be real here too. Clark has been known as Superman since the 1930s. You can change how he looks, do elseworlds, but the moment you try to replace him, problems happen. Look at Peter when Ben took over, or when Spider-Oct happened. The only reason Miles was able to do the take over is the same reason Wally was, Peter was dead. So unless you intend to kill Clark, again, or him retiring, I don't see Jon over taking his father in Any media out there. Clark is too well known. The same with Bruce and Diana. You can argue the same of Hal too in some ways and of various marvel properties, see the whole issue of Black Panther and Wolverine for a while.

[witchboy]

I'm not a fan of there being two Supermen. Let Jon use the Superboy name and Clark be the only Superman.

[Vordan]

That seems like a dubious argument given Superboy has been historically known as Conner and before that it was Clark. If it’s possible to replace the person who originally held the name, then Jon has nowhere to go. Clark is Superman and Conner is Superboy. Guess we’ll have to just kill Jon off and erase him from continuity

[TheKryptonMan]

That seems like a dubious argument given Superboy has been historically known as Conner and before that it was Clark. If it’s possible to replace the person who originally held the name, then Jon has nowhere to go. Clark is Superman and Conner is Superboy. Guess we’ll have to just kill Jon off and erase him from continuity

I have this weird feeling that something big is going to happen in the Superman books.
My guess is that either Lois dies or that Jon follows the same path as the older Bart and ends up dying too.
It's also possible that Superman himself ends up dying, but that's been done before and too soon to do it again.

[Vordan]

I have this weird feeling that something big is going to happen in the Superman books.
My guess is that either Lois dies or that Jon follows the same path as the older Bart and ends up dying too.
It's also possible that Superman himself ends up dying, but that's been done before and too soon to do it again.

Don’t see any of those happening. The “big thing” was Jon becoming bi lol, made the news! I can’t even get the Kents killed off despite wanting it, no way is Lois or Clark getting killed. Utterly bizarre that you guys think they’ll kill off their LGBT Superman after he made the news and had his issues go back for reprints.

[Last Son of Krypton]

Don’t see any of those happening. The “big thing” was Jon becoming bi lol, made the news! I can’t even get the Kents killed off despite wanting it, no way is Lois or Clark getting killed. Utterly bizarre that you guys think they’ll kill off their LGBT Superman after he made the news and had his issues go back for reprints.

Killing him will make the news and get more variants and reprints too.

[Robanker]

Killing him will make the news and get more variants and reprints too.

It would also kill the good will they earned with the LGBTQ community while not winning back the bigot dollar because their response will be "good, now the rest."

Killing Jon is a zero-sum game for an organization that wants money.

[Last Son of Krypton]

It would also kill the good will they earned with the LGBTQ community while not winning back the bigot dollar because their response will be "good, now the rest."

Killing Jon is a zero-sum game for an organization that wants money.