It’s been some time since he was aged up, but Superman’s son finally has the perfect identity for himself. If there’s one thing fans of DC’s Rebirth era look back on fondly, it’s the debut of Jon Kent. He was a fantastic addition to the Superman mythos, and fans everywhere really took to the idea of Superman as a father. However, almost as soon as fans got to know the Boy of Steel, he was taken on a trip into the cosmos, a trip that resulted in Jon coming back as a fully-grown teenager.
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It wasn’t long before Jon took on his father’s identity to fill in as Earth’s Superman. And once Superman returned from liberating Warworld, Jon fell into a period of stagnation. Despite DC’s heavy push, no one really took to him as Superman, because let’s face it, it’s hard to compete with the genuine article. DC did experiment with the possible new moniker Super Son, but that didn’t have the right vibe. It seemed like Jon was doomed to remain a lesser Superman, but thanks to a new identity, Jon has just taken the first step out of his father’s shadow.
Goodbye Superman, Hello Tomorrow Man!
Superman Unlimited #11 by Dan Slott, Lucas Meyer, Giuliano Peratelli, and Dave Sharpe starts with Jon Kent in a lurch. He’s facing down his greatest enemy, Master Txyz. Txyz hails from the Fourth Dimension, the realm of time. So in an effort to prevent Jon from eventually destroying him, Txyz has brought Jon several hundred years into Smallville’s future. Txyz attempts to make Jon despair by showing him the complete history of the DCU and its ultimate end. But Jon remains firm, saying that as the next Superman, all that matters is making every second count.
Txyz decides to go for a more personal attack, showing Jon his own personal history, highlighting his carefree days as Superboy and the struggles he’s faced since coming back as an adult. Txyz points out that Superman is remembered in every future, but Jon, especially as Superman, is always an afterthought. With Jon now feeling hopeless about his role and who he is, Txyz launches an attack. The demon pulls out dinosaurs and fighter planes, and even soldiers from the future, to finally bring Txyz’s greatest enemy to his end.
Despite everything Txyz has done, Jon isn’t as defeated as he thinks. Jon tears away his Superman uniform, saying that if he doesn’t leave a mark as Superman, then he’ll simply defy history by writing his own story. He faces the future soldiers and steals some of their armor and costumes. Jon tells Txyz that he was proud of being Superman, but that because of his enemy, Jon will aim higher as his own person, calling himself Tomorrow Man. Ironically, Jon looks exactly the way he does when he eventually defeats Txyz in their final confrontation.
Tomorrow Man is the Right Direction for Jon
I’m not going to lie, I’ve been really worried about Jon as of late. Just a few issues ago, it seemed like DC was content letting Jon be nothing more than a younger version of Clark, down to working at the Daily Planet while being Superman on the side. Thankfully, this entire issue says what I think many of Jon’s fans have been saying for years: Jon’s role in the DCU has been minimized over the last few years, and he deserves better. And even though he just adopted the name, Tomorrow Man is a real breath of fresh air.
If Superboy represented Jon’s potential, Tomorrow Man is that potential realized. The act of taking that name for himself is a demonstration of autonomy we haven’t seen from Jon in years. Look, I love Jon as a character, but so much of his life in the last few years is because he just goes with the flow. His grandpa wants to take him to space? He goes. His dad wants him to be Superman? He does it. But for the first time in I don’t know how long, Jon feels like a non-passive character, and I’m happy to see it.
I know Tomorrow Man is still just Jon. Nothing’s really changed about him other than a new codename and clothes. But as someone whose faith has been waning in DC when it comes to Jon’s development, I’m elated to see this. I don’t know if Tomorrow Man really is going to stick like this book implies (remember, Jon is joining New Titans, and he still has his old look there). But, I sincerely hope Tomorrow Man is a permanent change, because this could be the start of the second chapter Jon has been in sore need of.
What do you think about Jon’s new look and name? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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Courtesy of Shueisha / Kadokawa / Square Enix / Shogakukan
