A big rumor on the comics sites on the Internet is that Jonathan Kent is going back to being a child again. Was it a big swing that missed?
HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SUPER, MAN
When what was being called the “5G” transition to a younger, “hipper” DC group of heroes was being announced, one of the changes that caught many fans’ attention was moving Jonathan Kent from a kid to a young adult. At that time, he and Damian Wayne/Robin would often team up as what was being called the Super Sons. There was even an animated film about them (which I enjoyed, by the way).
Jon developed a boyfriend, was more of a social justice warrior (somewhat reminding me of his Dad’s earliest adventures), and longed for his Dad to return from outer space. A lot of fans referred to him as “Superboy,” much like the name his father was called in previous decades of comics. Remember, “the adventures of Superman when he was a boy.”
I always read Superman stories (with my favorite creators, including Dan Jurgens and Phillip Kennedy Johnson, telling “super” stories for years). So, I bought each issue starring Jonathan, but I came away feeling he was not very “super” and not all that much of a “man.” The books just didn’t live up to being called Superman to me.
I wasn’t very surprised when, all of a sudden, Kal (or Clark, if you prefer) returned from his outer space odyssey, and he immediately reassumed the role of Superman. If the Legion of Super-Heroes had been around in the DCU at that time, I bet Jonathan would have returned to the future to participate in Legion tales.
I mean, this kind of thing had recently been tried with the character. The “new” Superman left when he proved somewhat unpopular, and the “old” Man of Steel and Lois took over the identity of Superman, and there was hardly a blip among the fans. It wasn’t long after that when Jonathan became “the” Superman, so it may have been doomed from the start.
Of course, right now there is no assurance that Jon will stay as a young boy for very long. Personally, I hope he does. I miss the Super Sons!
COMICS AND KIDS
You know, there is a faction of comics fans that doesn’t care for stories or even characters that are younger than a young adult. I can hear some of my friends now, calling out, “THAT’S NOT WHAT I WANT TO READ IN MYCOMICS!”
See, in years past, comic books were considered “kiddie fare,” the kind of thing that young kids could dive into without fear of being offended or even surprised. Then, creators decided it was time to “adult” the books, and we got things like Identity Crisis, in which a person tightly tied to a superhero experiences something I certainly never thought I’d see in a DC comic—rape.
Doctor Light was considered a laughing stock at the time (sort of like Aquaman), so the only way to make him more of a menace, it seems, was to turn him into a sexual predator. It marked a transition in DC Comics from “lighter” storytelling to the possibility of more “mature” stories. You could never again rule out that kind of thing happening in DC.
In response to this, local comics shops developed “kid zones” that were “safe spaces” for young kids to shop or browse, and they sold absolutely and completely secure comics that no adult would ever touch. But the kids they had sired certainly were supposed to!
Since then, “all ages” has become something of a “dirty word” to many comics fans. I had one friend of mine tell me, “If it’s safe for a kid, I don’t want to read it.” I had to tell him that this is not how I judge the books I want to read—I care about good stories!
SHOULD JON STAY YOUNGER?
I truly hope Jon stays as a Superboy (not the clone one we have now). Like I said, his working with Robin/Damian is a great contrast that makes for fun storytelling. Hey, their fathers are very different, and yet they work well together!
The fly in this ointment is Jonathan’s boyfriend. Will he be handed off to Tim Drake or another hero to continue participating in the superhero universe? Personally, I would say it would be better to make him quietly fade into the background, appearing only when his presence would move a story forward. And I don’t think that would happen very often!
I don’t understand the need to have almost ALL comics heroes be “adult.” I find it interesting to see how newer, younger heroes mature, gain experience, and learn how to be a better hero. Some of my friends just wretch when I say that to them, but I like to point out that I am a big believer in variety in my reading. Of course, they also don’t like westerns or romance stories or monsters either, so I’m not terribly worried about it.
I would say it’s time to give Jon and Damien an ongoing title again. Jon was the purer, less experienced hero (with superpowers, who needs to be a detective?), while Damian was indeed the more mature, seasoned, worldly of the pair.
That Super Sons book wouldn’t only appeal to kids, of course! As long as the stories are well told and interesting, I’m already on board! But nothing is certain about Jon yet, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
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