Plenty of Team-Ups in This Month’s SuperChat

It’s a Jon Kent team-up extravaganza on this week’s Superchat! DC’s newest Superman and Aquaman deal with the leviathan threat (not THAT Leviathan threat) once and for all—but interference from Bendix’s Gamorran super task force has cost lives. How responsible is Jon Kent for the lives lost? Find out, in Superman: Son of Kal-El #8, written by Tom Taylor, penciled by Cian Tormey, inked by Raül Fernandez, colored by Frederico Blee and lettered by Dave Sharpe. 

In the aftermath of the leviathan incident, Jon’s feeling lower than usual, with no clear idea as to what really happened. Enter Dick Grayson, to help cheer Jon up and get to the bottom of what really happened, in Nightwing #89, written by Tom Taylor, drawn by Bruno Redondo, colored by Adriano Lucas and lettered by Wes Abbott. 

Last, we check in to see how Jon’s dad is doing, as Clark Kent forges a new reputation for himself on Warworld as the Unbloodied Blade, much to Mongul’s displeasure. And when Mongul’s displeased, death is not far behind. Action Comics #1,040, written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, drawn by Ricardo Federici, colored by Lee Loughridge, and lettered by Dave Sharpe. 

Armaan Babu: I know we’ve both had our ups and down with Jon Kent’s adventures as Superman, but I gotta say, I found #8 to be a complete delight. On top of that, I’m happy to be able drag Nightwing in to Superchat for this two-part crossover and talk about it with you! Tony, how much Nightwing have you been reading, and how’d you enjoy the first part of this crossover?

Tony Thornley: One heck of a Superman month Armaan! And that Nightwing issue was such a bonus too.

Leviathan Rises

Armaan: There’s really only one thing I want to see when I’m reading a comic about young heroes taking on an important legacy: I want to see them fail. I want to see them learn the ways that things can go wrong, to feel the guilt that comes with the responsibility that comes with the colored tights that come with great power. I was beginning to worry that we were going to get a Perfect Jon under Tom Taylor’s pen, but even though it’s hard to see how Jon could have done any better in this situation, failure is still failure. He’s taken on the mantle of Superman, the Earth’s greatest hero. Guilt over the people you can’t save comes with the ‘S’ shield, and Jon’s feeling it hard this issue.

Tony: I think far and away this issue was the first since the opening issue that really and truly felt like a Superman story without any qualifiers. I think the series has a bit of a way to go overall, but this was a marked improvement.

Armaan: Much like the opening narration for this issue, though, I am getting ahead of the story a bit here. But speaking of that narration, what do you think of Jay Nakamura as a narrator here? I’ve always loved Superman stories where Lois Lane’s official report takes the place of narrative captions, and I enjoyed the parallel of Jay doing the same for Jon here.

Tony: Though I’m still not bought in on their relationship yet for a few reasons, I definitely enjoyed Jay as the narrator. You’re absolutely right that it evokes Lois in the best ways, and it echoes last month’s Action Comics as well. Thematically, I really enjoy that tie.

And I’ll be blunt about why I’m not bought in, and the issue with Jay himself. Outside of knowing that he’s powered and idolizes Lois, I feel like he’s kind of a cipher. Without a little more character development, this all makes Jay feel a little bit Mary Sue-ish. I think if Taylor were to make him a little more well-rounded as a character, I’d be a lot more bought in.

Armaan: I’m willing to wait. With a character this new, sometimes it takes a while to really get into what makes them tick, I can be patient. 

So, kudos to the art team here, the spectacle we see here is just the kind of epic challenge worthy of a Superman (and watery enough to be a challenge worthy of Aquamen, I s’pose). That title page of the leviathan rising from the water, waves crashing out from its exit point, was awe-inspiring. The rushing waters of the tsunami that hit the city feel like the overwhelming threat they must have been, all while using some very pretty blues besides. Freeze breath, super speed, super clapping to undermine the wave, it really feels like Jon was pushed to his limit here.

Tony: I loved the art here, and you’ve seen how cold I can be towards fill-ins. Tormey totally nails the feel of the book. I’m glad to seem him solicited again as a fill in a few issues down the road. He made Jon feel young again, while really nailing the action like you were saying. I dig it.

Armaan: We can’t forget about Bendix. Now, I’ve had a few complaints about how cartoonishly villainous Taylor’s villains can be, it can make it hard to take them seriously in a comic. I don’t know if it’s the art, or because Jon’s grief for those he couldn’t save hit me pretty hard, but I did find myself taking Bendix about as seriously as he’s meant to be taken here, and had the exact kind of reaction I am meant to have: absolute rage at what Bendix is doing to the Gamorran metas.

With the Rising, Bendix displays drone-like control over the metas he’s empowered. 

Tony: Oh I still think Bendix has a ways to go to be a convincing villain but this issue gave him something he’s lacked the entire run so far, we get a motivation! Sure, it’s largely greed, but it’s way more interesting than just simply “I want money.”

Risk-y Business

Armaan: One of my favorite pieces of obscure DC trivia is that Nightwing’s superhero name was not inspired by anything Bat-related, but by Superman’s recounting of a Kryptonian legend. As two of the most hopeful of DC’s heroes, I’ve always loved the relationship between Superman and Nightwing, and I’m thrilled at the idea of him growing close to Jon as well. 

Tony: One of the things I love the most about the DCU is the friendships between heroes. Dick Grayson is often at the center of those- Dick and Wally West, or Roy Harper or Donna Troy. I can’t say I have a favorite amongst those, but Dick and Clark’s relationship has always felt special. It’s a big brother sort of relationship, which you can see in Dick’s relationships with his younger siblings. It’s always felt to me that Clark is the reason why Dick isn’t the dark character that his father is.

Armaan: Tom Taylor has always done a good job of making the Bat and Super families actually feel like family, while incorporating the weird superheroics of it all. This opening flashback shows Batman and Nightwing helping Superman find a lost Jon Kent. Jon’s just learned to fly and got lost, having little control over that particular superpower. Though Batman’s the one who finds him, it’s significantly less scary Nightwing who helps calm Jon down with a little juggling from his circus days. 

This is also apparently the first time Nightwing has met Jon – it’s a little weird it took this long, but considering the weird continuity messabouts that brought Jon into existence in the first place, I’m not too bothered about that. It was a trip to see all those New 52 costumes again, though.

Tony: Did you notice it was a mix of costumes? Dick and Bruce were in their New 52 costumes, but Clark was in his Rebirth costume with the blue boots. Interesting little detail there, basically making it clear that DC continuity is confusing. 🙂

This scene was just great, and made me long for the time that Jon was still SuperBOY. I get we’re basically never getting Jon deaged back to what he was before (at least under the current editorial regime), but Clark’s dad personality, Jon as a kid that’s just struggling to be a kid and a Super… Taylor struck such a great tone, and Redondo’s depiction of this moment… I’m not emotionally affected by fiction often, especially not in print, but this one got me. It was so great and I don’t think there’s any way it would have had the impact it did without Redondo and Lucas’s art.

Armaan: I like the premise of this comic. Whatever else might be going on, what instigates this team up is the simple fact that Jon’s in a low place after the events of Son of Kal-El #8, and with Clark off world, Kelex turns to Nightwing to help cheer Jon up. 

It’s been established that Damian’s the member of the Batfamily that Jon’s closest to, but Superman made sure that if Jon was really in trouble, Nightwing would be the one sent for for help. It’s amusing that it’s not Damian, and kind of heartwarming that it’s not Batman – Superman understands the need for an older brother type here, instead of a stern parent. There are just some lovely family dynamics in play here, and now I just want to see Superfamily cameos on that WebToons comic.

Tony: Yeah, it’s Dick taking the role in Jon’s life that Clark took in his. It works, and I hope it continues to develop past these two issues.

Armaan: But that’s not the only thing going on here. The Rising has begun, and they’re taking out metas across the globe, including former Titan, Risk. Also, Dick Grayson, billionaire, checks out his investment in an important news organization that our Superman and his love interest both work for, much like Bruce Wayne sometimes does for the Daily Planet when he wants to check in on Clark. The patterns of an older generation showing up in the new is very interesting to me.

I’m very tickled that Dick immediately sees through Jon’s “disguise” of a singular domino mask, which reminds me of the best thing to have come out of the Green Lantern movie: “You don’t think I would recognize you ‘cause I can’t see your cheekbones?” 

Tony: I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of Dick being the one funding the Truth (I think it makes the world a little too small?) but I did like how the scene played out. It’s very Bruce Wayne, like you said. Regarding Risk, I never like seeing characters get murdered in plots like this, partly because it takes the toy out of the toybox. Also let’s be real, in Risk’s specific case, that kid has been through a LOT. It’s kinda cruel to do this to him.

Otherwise, this issue really just is set-up to have Dick and Jon meet up and realize Luthor is helping Bendix. Not a ton of meat on the bone but I did really enjoy it.

The Unbloodied Sword

Armaan: The adventures of gladiator Superman continue! It has to have been a few weeks since we saw him last. He’s got some new gear (courtesy of Natasha Irons, I assume), and has begun to embrace the ways of Warworld. I was initially worried to see he’s got some new iron as well, but as we’re quickly told, he’s gotten a new name on Warworld: Un Bahle’na Ghal, the Unbloodied Sword. He may have had a few arena victories, but he’s caused no one any serious harm to get there. 

Tony: This is something I like about what we see quite a bit. That name makes it clear this isn’t just Kal-El still, this is Clark Kent. This is the powerful man raised by Jonathan and Martha to be truly good and help those in need of it. He’s not just a warrior, he’s still Superman.

Armaan: Of course, it’s not just his life that he’s fighting for. By the very nature of superheroics, Clark isn’t a pacifist, but what he does preach is the strength that can be found in defending others, in protecting the weak. He’s in direct conflict with Mongul’s tyrannic preachings of strength in selfishness, and Clark’s been getting enough attention in the arena to warrant a visit from Mongul himself. 

Tony: This fight was quite unexpected, but the aftermath of it made perfect sense.

This is the sort of Superman story I love seeing. Though he’s doing it on Mongul’s terms, and struggling with his identity because of it, he’s still Superman. He’s inspiring others to be better. And when Mongul attempts to slay the pair of Phaelosian children that idolize him, Superman steps in. He inspires them, but also shatters the image of their fascist slavemaster as a hero. 

It’s Superman at his purest, even in the most unusual circumstance he’s ever been in. And again Federici just makes it look gorgeous. I’m still so disappointed to not have Sampere around any more, especially now that we know he’s left the title for Dark Crisis, but Federici and Loughridge are just doing fantastic things with the barbaric setting. Then we get a new mystery as a result of Midnighter reentering the story.

Armaan: Wanted to give a special shoutout to Loughridge this month, the colors on this were absolutely awe-inspiring. The shifts from the dry orange arenas to laboratory blues, eerie, beautiful and vivid dungeon greens and helping to capture the sense of awe appropriate to the Great Worms that create Warworld’s atmosphere. I’m loving it.

Tony: Midnighter is about to launch his revolution but it will involve taking out the power generators, which would kill thousands. So Clark’s Phaelosian allies present another solution. Genesis is naturally occurring in Warworld… and it apparently has the ability to restore Clark’s powers. Not just get him back to where he was at before the Warworld solar generators took his powers away, but it’s implied just a bit that it’s all the way back to original power levels.

Armaan: Y’know, I’m hoping for something a little more fun than that. Maybe Clark doesn’t get his powers back. Maybe, with Genesis, Clark gets a whole slew of completely different powers, exclusive to Warworld. Either way, I’m all in for the idea of him being powered by something inherent to Warworld as he fights for its people. 

With Midnighter taking the spotlight next issue, though, things are about to get pretty bloody. Midnighter’s approach to thing is a complete opposite to Superman’s, even more than Batman’s would be, so I’m curious to see how well that fits in with the story being told. Alas, we’ve got a month to wait before we get to find out, but I’m looking forward to it!

Daily Planet Headlines

• Martian Manhunter’s back-up series in Action Comics continues to be fun, but mildly so, and suffers from not being the focus; it’s hard to remember what the plot of this story even is, month to month.
• Barbara Gordon’s T-shirts on Nightwing are always fun to keep an eye on, and it’s delightful to find out she’s a fellow Teen Titans Go! Fan.
• Bendix needs a more distinctive look, I (Armaan) am constantly having to remind myself he’s not Lex Luthor.
• More second and third generation hero team-ups please. Maybe Jon and Conner? Or Jon and Yara?

Armaan Babu

Armaan is obsessed with the way stories are told. From video games to theater, TTRPGs to comics, he has written for, and about, them all. He will not stop, actually; believe us, we've tried.

Tony Thornley

Tony Thornley is a geek dad, blogger, Spider-Man and Superman aficionado, X-Men guru, autism daddy, amateur novelist, and all around awesome guy. He’s also very humble.