Warning! Spoilers for Future State: Superman of Metropolis #1 & Superman: Worlds of War #1
DC’s Future State is making big changes across the comics universe, one of which is the introduction of a new Superman. In the wake of Clark Kent’s disappearance, his son Jon has stepped up to take on the role, but the new Superman is already ruining his father’s reputation.
Future State: Superman of Metropolis #1 by Brandon Easton and Sean Lewis puts Jon in a difficult position. When a conflict between the military and Brainiac’s spawn, Braincells, threatens to plunge Metropolis further into chaos, Jon takes the drastic measure of shrinking the entire city into a bottle. While Jon did what he did to protect the citizens of Metropolis, one can’t help but draw a comparison to Brainiac himself, who kept a collection of shrunken cities from the various worlds he destroyed. Unfortunately, Jon’s good intentions are lost on the public, who only see a rash, inexperienced Superman, and their doubts continue to grow.
In Future State: Superman: Worlds of War #1 by Philip Kennedy Johnson, DC reveals that Superman’s exile creates a new religion on Earth. Smallville is now a hub for fans, followers, and worshippers of the Man of Steel, many of whom have problems with his replacement. At a gathering of people once saved by the original Superman, a few say they are refugees from Metropolis, their families still trapped in the now bottled city. As they discuss where they think Kal-El has gone, one man speaks up. “I think [Superman is] dead,” he says, “After what his boy did to Metropolis, I don’t see how he could still be out there. He would have done something. In fact, without Superman around, I think Earth’s days are numbered as long as there are other Kryptonians out there…I think what Jon Kent did to Metropolis is just the beginning.”
Despite being the son of the original, DC’s new Superman is quite different from his father, and the people know it. Had Clark shrunken the city of Metropolis, perhaps people would have given him the benefit of the doubt, but Jon has yet to earn that level of trust. In taking such a severe course of action, Jon has instilled the public with doubt about Kryptonians in general, causing them to question whether or not the dangers of their immense power outweighs their intentions. The reputation Superman spent years cultivating so people would be more trusting of him and his kind was just thrown out the window by his son, and whether or not he can repair it remains to be seen.
The public is definitely being a bit too hard on Jon. Taking on the responsibilities of Superman is a difficult task, especially since Jon isn’t a true Kryptonian, but his heart is in the right place. Hopefully that will be enough to win back the people’s favor down the line.