5 Super Sons Team Ups We Need to See
Super Sons #1 landed this week and it is already one of our favorite series of the DC Comics [...]
Super Sons #1 landed this week and it is already one of our favorite series of the DC Comics Rebirth. Of course, this concept isn't brand new. Throughout the current run of Superman the idea of a young Jonathan Kent learning about his responsibilities and role has been building. When Damian Wayne was introduced to his ongoing story, it was clear that lightning had struck. The two personalities play off one another beautifully. That they combine two of the greatest legacies in the superhero genre is simply a bonus. It's a dynamic duo filled with personality, fun, and a long road of lessons to learn.
Part of that learning process comes from the people Jonathan and Damian encounter, not just the villains or obstacles, but the heroes who will help and guide them. They're already off to a great start with two of the most super dads imaginable, but as they say "it takes a village". While Superman and Batman are busy defending their own cities or saving the world alongside the Justice League, they'll need others to tutor them and show off other aspects of the sprawling DC universe. To put it simply, Super Sons is a comic primed with team up potential.
Here are the five team ups we most hope to see in the issues to come as Jonathan and Damian learn what it means to be heroes in the world of DC Comics.
Wonder Woman
This is the most obvious team up and it's nothing short of a requirement. Jonathan already has a superb maternal figure in Lois Lane, but Damian is lacking one… to say the very least. Both boys may have great superpowered dads, but they need the third member of the trinity to show them a different perspective on how the world works. Diana would no doubt be excited to meet both of her friend's children and help teach them about her areas of expertise.
Obviously this includes martial arts and strategy. Wonder Woman is a warrior in a way that neither of the other two men are, trained her entire life in the ways of war. Yet that's hardly the only thing she has to offer. As an ambassador of Paradise Island, Diana is skilled in diplomacy and what it means to pursue the path of peace. She can reinforce the ideas of social justice and feminism in two young men bound to be leaders one day.
The Doom Patrol
Wonder Woman and the dads represent the flashiest side of DC Comics, the straightforward superheroics. The Doom Patrol represent the flipside of that equation; they tackle the stuff that goes beyond strange. It's important for Jonathan and Damian to know there's more to the world than punching bad guys. The DC universe is a very diverse place filled with lot of oddities and challenges that aren't so obvious.
The Doom Patrol can help them learn about the weirder stuff they might have to confront one day, but they can also help these two learn about empathy. All of the heroes of the Doom Patrol have gifts that also threaten to hold them back. Seeing the men and women of this team confront their challenges and help others ought to inspire the boys. It can serve to teach them the important lessons that our obstacles don't define us and to never underestimate someone based upon their appearance.
Green Lantern (John Stewart)
The super sons need to team up with a Green Lantern and it needs to be John Stewart. That's because Stewart is really the only Green Lantern prepared to handle this pair and whip them into shape. His experience in the military and as a regular leader in the Green Lantern Corps. makes him a perfect drill sergeant and mentor. He appreciates the importance of teamwork and can stress that no matter how powerful an individual is, they're even more capable when collaborating.
Stewart is also someone well versed in rebellious attitude. He knows what it's like to be put in the second spot when you're ready to shine, and can teach patience and the value of refining your skills as well. He's a Green Lantern with an incredible reservoir of wisdom to aid these young men in becoming heroes. John Stewart is one of the best teachers in the DC universe and Jonathan and Damian would be lucky to meet him.
The New Gods
If the Doom Patrol can teach this pair about the strange and John Stewart can teach them about the cosmic, then the New Gods can teach them about the truly epic. Never in the history of the DC universe has anyone reached the explosive heights of Jack Kirby in his Fourth World stories. Of course, there are a lot of New Gods to choose from and none of them would be better suited for this team up than Mister Miracle and Big Barda.
Miracle and Barda can not only teach the pair about the biggest conflicts to ever exist, but how to work together with very different personalities and strengths. Despite being polar opposites, this couple are the absolute best romance in all of DC Comics history. It's their differences that make them strong and keep them together. That's a lesson Damian and Jonathan could afford to learn, even as a platonic pairing.
Ambush Bug
All of the team ups so far have been about teaching Jonathan and Damian something about themselves and the world they live in. Ambush Bug isn't here to educate them though, he's here to keep them on their toes. While superhero comics explore big ideas and grand virtues, they're also simply a lot of fun. This green suited weirdo is all about having fun.
Whether he (literally) pops up as a returning gag or confounds the two as a playful antagonist, Ambush Bug is bound to both frustrate and delight. His antics are harmless, but his persistence makes him impossible to ignore. As the sons of Superman and Batman, these two boys might possess big egos and it will take someone as silly as Ambush Bug to remind them to never be too confident and to just have fun every once in awhile.
