Though Superman's son, Jon Kent, has adopted his father's mantle for himself, DC seems insistent on going back to the age when Jon was still Superboy. The publisher's solicits for an upcoming story in Action Comics reveals a problem for Jon that DC definitely needs to address.
Jonathan Kent is the only son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, and was introduced in DC's Convergence event. With the merging of Superman's pre- and post-Flashpoint selves, Jon became the DC Universe's newest Superboy during DC's Rebirth push. Jon was an instant hit with fans, especially those who loved the Super Sons partnership between Superboy and Robin. But Jon's days as carefree youth came to an abrupt end after he was kidnapped and trapped on Earth-3 for years. Shortly after his return, Clark left the Earth liberate Warworld, forcing Jon to step up and become the planet's only Superman.
While Jon has adjusted to being the Man of Steel, it seems that DC is struggling to figure out the proper place for the more junior Superman. With Superman's work on Warworld now finished, Clark is returning to headline the main Superman title. Meanwhile, Jon’s series, Superman: Son of Kal-el is ending with its 18th issue. Jon is getting a follow-up miniseries, Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent, that will pick up where Son of Kal-El leaves off. But interestingly enough, that won’t be all fans will see of the character in this new era. Starting in January, Action Comics is being revamped to be an anthology title that will contain three stories, one of which is "Lois and Clark 2: Doom Rising" by Dan Jurgens and Lee Weeks. According to the solicit, the story revolves around a "young Jon Kent on the farm with his parents".
Jon Kent: Superman or Superboy?
While Jon Kent has been Superman for over a year, DC appears to be constantly revisiting the period of time in which Jon was Superboy. Since Jon was aged up, the publisher has not only released Challenge of the Super Sons, but several anthologies such as DC’s Terrors Through Time and DC’s Saved by the Belle Reve, all of which feature a Superboy-age Jon Kent. It seems that despite Jon being mostly accepted as the Superman for a new generation, DC still wants to court fans who prefer his younger self.
It’s not much of a stretch to say that Jon’s aging was controversial. Superboy fans were split on whether it was better for Jon to stay in the dynamic he had or to see where his new teenage form would take him. Realistically, Jon is more than likely going to stay at his current age. But the constant revisiting of his Superboy days isn’t doing him or his fans any favors. Its bait for fans desperate to see the younger Jon return and fuels the idea that Jon only had value as Superboy and not Superman. One way or another, DC needs to pick a direction for the young Superman and stick with it.