Warning! Spoilers ahead for Superman: Son of Kal-El #2!
Superman: Son of Kal-El reveals that Superman’s legacy is hurting his son Jonathan’s career and life. Heroes like Batman and Superman are beyond iconic, they are symbols in society. This is because they are among the world’s best-known superheroes, whether in reality or in the comic book world. They overshadow almost everyone. Recently, Supergirl showcased just how big of a shadow Superman casts when she left the planet in search of meaning, as she has always been “twice as good, but second best” to him.
Naturally, the children of Batman and Superman (and surrogate children, in Batman’s case) are bound to live in their fathers’ shadows. Nightwing is an example of one of the rare circumstances of an iconic heroes’ child becoming someone all to themselves. Dick Grayson was trained and brought up by Bruce Wayne. As Robin, he was known as Batman’s sidekick and nothing more. However, when he started growing up he realized he had to make an identity for himself that is separate from Bruce Wayne and Batman. And it seems that Jonathan Kent’s Superman is starting to do the same thing, despite still fully admiring his father.
Batman and Superman’s enormous legacy doesn’t bode well for their children, but Jonathan is disproving this just like Nightwing did. In Superman: Son of Kal-El #2 by Tom Taylor, John Timms, and Gave Eltaeb, Jonathan acknowledges the struggles of living in Superman’s shadow. It’s great to see him acknowledging the impact that his father’s career has had on him. As portrayed in Taylor and Timm’s first issue, Jonathan is at a loss when trying to balance being Superman and being Jonathan Kent. During that issue, it was emphasized by Damien Wayne, who has also gone out on his own mission to redefine himself away from Batman in the new Robin series.
It’s clear that Jonathan will be building a new identity for himself, away from his father’s legacy, despite keeping the Superman name. His heroic ways will presumably have to change and come to define him, rather than doing the exact same thing as his father. Luckily for the new Superman, he has people like Nightwing who he can go to for advice. It’s not going to be easy as much of Jonathan’s life has become ingrained with him being obsessed with Superman’s legacy. But if he is to succeed in stepping out of his father’s shadow, the new Superman must adapt his ways.
DC Comics is shifting focus away, slowly, from the original Superman with his departure from the Justice League and his passing on the mantle to Jonathan. Obviously, Clark Kent will never be gone and readers won’t ever forget about him. But it acts as a good chance for the new Superman to make a name for himself, just as Nightwing previously made a name for himself separate from Batman. It seems, so far, things are going well in terms of the popularity of the new Superman: Son of Kal-El series, which is due for a reprint in September.
