Warning! Spoilers ahead for Action Comics #1059!A beloved Justice League friendship has just broken up. For months, Kenan Kong, the Super-Man of China, has become a permanent member of the new and improved Super-Family. However, a new story reveals the reason for Kenan’s placement on the team and the close friendship he was forced to sacrifice.
In Action Comics #1059’s story “Secret Identity Part Two” by Gene Luen Yang and Viktor Bogdanovic, Kenan recovers from the psychic attack brought on by learning Superman’s secret identity. Super-Man pieces together that a recent reporter’s death must have been caused by a similar attack. At the same time, Super-Man’s ally Baixi, aka Bat-Man from the Justice League of China arrives to aid his friend.
Super-Man tries to explain the reporter’s death to Bat-Man, but realizes he can’t without putting Bat-Man at risk. To keep Baixi safe, Kenan obstructs Bat-Man’s investigation and sides with the Super-Family. While his plan works, Super-Man’s partnership with Bat-Man is left destroyed.
The Justice League of China’s Super-Man and Bat-Man Friendship is Over
Kenan Kong was once nothing more than an average bully until he was recruited by China’s Ministry of Self-Reliance to become the nation’s new hero, Super-Man. As Super-Man, he was placed on a team with other government-backed heroes Bat-Man and Wonder-Woman to create the Justice League of China. While the team operated as an official arm of the Chinese government, the heroes eventually broke out on their own and became a private entity, free from any influence. Though Kenan was hard-headed, he eventually grew into a leader who gained the respect of his friends, including Bat-Man.
No one was more critical of Kenan on the Justice League of China than Baixi. To be fair, when they first met, Kenan was a fool at best and a jerk at worst. But as Kenan mastered his powers, he softened and developed a powerful bond with his League comrades. Unfortunately, that growth is the same reason that Super-Ma isn’t being completely honest with Bat-Man. Kenan knows that Baixi is just as dedicated to solving mysteries as Batman and won’t stop digging until he discovers that Clark Kent is Superman (the knowledge of which will kill Baixi). Sadly, the only way Super-Man could protect his friend was by betraying him for the Super-Family.
Super-Man Joining the Super-Family Was a Sacrifice
It’s sad to see Super-Man and Bat-Man become enemies, as their developing friendship was one of the best parts of Kenan’s previous title, New Super-Man. But turning against his friend and keeping him at a distance is the only way Kenan can keep Baixi safe for now. It’s not a permanent solution, because if Bat-Man is anything like his inspiration, he’ll keep digging until he finds answers. While it isn’t what Super-Man wanted to do, he sacrificed his relationship with his Justice League ally to keep him alive.
Action Comics #1059 is on sale now from DC Comics.
