Warning: spoilers ahead for Superman: Son of Kal-El #1!
The cover art for Superman: Son of Kal-El #1 honors the original Superman in the perfect way. Superboy has been on a clear trajectory for a while as DC Comics position him to become the next Superman. It's clear that they see value in advancing Jonathan Kent's story, and that making him Superman is a great way of expanding Kal-El's legacy. Although comic book storytelling offers endless opportunities even for superheroes like Superman who are so iconic they've basically become archetypes, every once in a while publishers like to shift key aspects of their major characters. In this case, that means the end of Clark Kent's time as Superman, and his son's decision to take up the mantle.
Over the years, Clark Kent has been predominantly depicted as the main Superman. However, on occasions, alternate versions of Superman have been introduced, with Calvin Ellis, aka President Superman, currently enjoying renewed interest thanks to his importance to the new Infinite Frontier era. Likewise, Jonathan was shown as the Superman of the future in recent flash-forward event Future State. For the ex-Superboy, the progression was natural, as he attempts to live up to the name his father made famous.
In Superman: Son of Kal-El #1 by Tom Taylor and John Timms, Jonathan Kent officially becomes the new Superman. The new series is set to begin Jonathan's path to where he ended up in Future State, as the official Superman of planet Earth. In a new tweet, writer Tom Taylor highlighted something very neat about the first issue's cover. Timms' artwork pays homage to the original Superman #1 cover art by recreating the pose that Clark holds as he is suspended in mid-air - not to be confused with the iconic Action Comics #1 cover, which sees Superman lifting a car over his head. Jonathan, suited in his new Superman costume, holds the exact same position as he flies over Metropolis. Check out the two covers below:
It's extremely fitting, as a new hero stars in their own first Superman issue while calling back to the legacy that brought them to this point. Not only is there a new Superman, but the new series kicks off a new era of Superman as a concept, with Future State implying Kal-El will spend an extended period off-planet. After spending some time in the future, Jon has learned that Superman will soon disappear thanks to unknown events, but it appears Clark will be there to officially pass the torch, as Taylor has revealed the two will talk on the moon before Jon adopts his new title.
It's unlikely that Kal-El will never again be Earth's main Superman, but DC seems to be preparing for a long stretch with Jon in the title role - long enough for readers to truly see the new things he brings to being Superman, and how being raised by the original informs the former Superboy's idea of what the name means going forward. For now, fans can get excited to see a new Superman on July 13 as Clark Kent hands down his duties to his son in Superman: Son of Kal-El #1.
Source: Tom Taylor