Superman kissed a boy, and DC figured out Jon Kent’s purpose

When Superman came out as bisexual, the news was everywhere, and it’s been reported that Superman: #Son of Kal-ElThe increase in interest has been supported by 5’s sales. Now that the issue is out, it’s canon: Jon Kent, son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, smooches boys, specifically Jay Nakamura, the pink-haired news broadcaster that combines the superpowered heroics of Jon’s father with the journalistic integrity of his mother to create one of comics’ most talked about new characters in recent history.

DC Comics revealed that Jay and Jon would be locking lips with each other in October to both positive and negative reactions. “I’ve always said everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes and I’m very grateful DC and Warner Bros. share this idea,” Kal-El’s Son writer Tom Taylor shared in the company’s news release. “Superman’s symbol has always stood for hope, for truth and for justice. This symbol today represents more. Today, more people can see themselves in the most powerful superhero in comics.”

Jonathan Kent first debuted back in 2015’s Convergence: Superman #2. He made his first continuous appearances in the main DCU timeline as a plucky tween, buddying up with Batman’s son Damian Wayne — despite some initial personality clashes — to become the junior superhero duo the Super Sons. Following that, Jon did a stint in the far-flung future with the Legion of Superheroes and was lost in time and space for a while, allowing him to age up to a teenager in only two weeks of real time, but there hasn’t been a lot of room to develop him outside of a few key arcs.

That’s right, up to now. Kal-El’s Son.A stunning cover features the issue’s first issue that harkens to Action Comics#1 was the famous first Superman appearance in 1938. Being the son of two of fiction’s most famous figures is everything it’s cracked up to be, but that Jon has likewise been dealing with the incredible pressure of the rest of the world’s expectations that he become “the greatest hero the world has ever known.” With his dad off-planet, he was urged by his parents to step into the role of Superman.

Time has passed, and Jon has matured necessarily fast, but he’s still only 17 and most of his friend group consists of his parents. In the early days of his career. Kal-El’s SonHe reaches for his father’s hand. Super Sons costar Damian Wayne, who lightly chides him for not having anyone close that he isn’t related to. As much fun as Jon’s character arc has been, he has lived a life surrounded by legends, leaving precious little space for him to get to know himself. Damian asks Jon, “What do you want that symbol to stand for?” and that has become the central question of the story.

Jon and Jay first met when the former was trying to have a secret identity — another way of following in his dad’s footsteps — for about five seconds. Jay disguised himself as a reporter at the underground news website The Truth and revealed his identity to be Jay Nakamura (a pink-haired teenage). Jay and Jay instantly hit it off, as their shared interest in daredevil journalists seems to be ingrained in their family.

Jay is currently an undergraduate at Metropolis University. Jay was a refugee in the fictional Gamorra Island totalitarian state. He’s a “post-human,” created via experimentation by the old school Wildstorm villain Henry Bendix, along with his friends Wink and The Aerie (characters Taylor created for his run on Suicide Squad). Jay is now able to transcend time. His resemblances to Lois Lane are also noted in-story. It is clear that Jay idolizes Lois Lane in many ways and that his career is based on hers. Jay and Jon also go to boy scouts, which is why they share a kiss at #5.

Image by Tom Taylor, John Timms/DC Comics

John Timms (series creator) and Tom Taylor (series writer) have both spoken openly about the excitement surrounding Jay’s introduction. While there is some hostility to the show, it feels very much like an effort of love. While the usual fan reaction to DC and Warner Bros. being accused of making a profit by introducing a bisexual Superboy is understandable, Jon was desperate to have someone flesh out his character in order to keep appearing on the comedy books.

Jon was born as a superhero and was in an unusual position. His challenge from a creative perspective was to make him more relatable for readers. Taylor and Timms were able to make Jon a more complete character in six years.

Over the last 80-plus years of comic book history, Superman’s heroism has seldom, if ever, been in question, and so each generation of creators has to find a new way of making the perfect man relatable to readers. Superman: The Son of Kal ElIt is treading a fine line between calling back to Superman’s past while paving new ground. This book is getting a lot of attention from readers.

Taylor and Timms began the series by telling us that Superman can’t fix every problem. Even though he has all the power in the world, he cannot do much more than try to be an example for us. Yet, with a new love interest, an increasingly emotionally rich relationship with his parents, and plenty of superhero cameos along the way, Jon Kent’s future is looking bright.