Future State: Superman of Metropolis Spoilers Discussion Issues 1-2

I thought Guardian really rocked. I would read a Guardian book.

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Me too. I still can’t get over how his Seven Soldiers mini didn’t immediately launch a series. That mini was absolutely bursting with potential and then…crickets.

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:smile: :00_superman1:

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In all seriousness, though: I like Jon as Superman. I am not unbiased in this, but this is a big concession for me. In my personal Superman manifesto, Superman should not have been married and he should not have had kids. However, I have accepted the fact that the Post-Crisis version of Clark Kent won the hearts/minds of most fans, and the way I want to see him portrayed will not be accepted. So, my hopes and aspirations turn to the son, and I have not been disappointed with Future State in that regard.

The fly in the ointment here is Supersons. Many fans hate the notion of an adult or older version of Jon because they loved Supersons so much. And, yeah, it was a good read. But the argument is that they hate it because Jon isn’t characterized well enough post aging. I think that’s nonsense.

So, yeah, Jon was psychologically tortured by Ultraman. Also, that came about due to Jor-El’s neglect. So… doesn’t it kind of make sense that Jon’s first instinct in almost every situation would be to overprotect?

In Superman of Metropolis, Jon is in the middle of a bad situation. A fair percentage of Metropolis’ population is under a malignant influence. The US army is about to start dropping bodies. I would argue that Jon’s response is influenced by how his grandfather and father were not there to protect him from Ultraman. Let’s overprotect and bottle the city rather than lose anyone.

It also continues the trend of Jon tending to want to handle things alone rather than ask for help. See how he immediately tried to deal with Rogol Zaar in recent Legion of Superheroes issues or Solaris in the Superman/Wonder Woman Future State #1 issue for further examples of this. He had to escape Ultraman alone, so he has intuited that he needs to handle things alone even if he has teammates.

So… I wasn’t 100% sold on Superman of Metropolis. Things happened a bit fast and it would have been nice to have more build-up/context. But I am 100% sold on Jon as Superman, warts and all. I see in Jon things that I have wanted to see from Clark for over a decade. To me, no more Supersons is worth the sacrifice.

I also loved the back-ups. Grant’s Seven Soldiers is must-read material, and was done justice in these stories.

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:face_with_monocle:
Had to put on my slippers, get a cup of tea and use my monocle to read your think piece on Jon’s actions. After due consideration, I think you make a strong case for why Jon acted the way he did. It does make sense, you don’t go through what he did without scars that last. I thought aging Jon was a mistake but still enjoyed the story and since he’s this age now, might as well read the stories and judge them on their own merits bs whatever future I wanted

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@msgtv, thanks! I think that Jon’s suggestion of the United Planets is another good example of this: Give the universe the supervision that I never had.

I get it, the change to Jon was swift, and the consequences to his character weren’t explicit. But… I feel like they were always there. People can suffer with PTSD for years without anyone noticing.

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Nice finish. Mainly for me because Kara saved the day. Jon comes to his senses, though how anyone can blame Brainic Ball for Metropolis getting bottled is beyond me. BB may have nudged Jon, but it was Jon’s decision. Then for folks to cheer right away.
“Hey, sorry for sticking you in a bottle”
“Hurrah, it’s Superman. He totally messed up our lives with his impulsiveness! Cheers!”
That didn’t seem right. He should dedicate himself to the city, but it should take a very very long time for anyone to trust him.
Mister Miracle still didn’t do it for me, and unfortunately I’m out on the follow-on series. There just isn’t anything unique or interesting for me in either of his stories. There’s nothing particularly escape artist about his actions. Here’s a case where the original Scott Free is far superior character with his connections to Apokolips and the New Gods, his partner Big Barda, and the emphasis on the escape artist that makes the character unique.
Guardian on the other hand, love. Just a cool character, well written. Really would like to see more street level Metropolis action. Thought the line about taking science club in Metropolis seriously was spot on.

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Yeah, was good, and I do agree with your criticisms of the main story. Would have been more believable if Jon had his work cut out for him gaining the people’s trust. Though I think that Metropolis has been used to having a Superman for so long… it is conceivable that they would have a hurrah moment seeing Superman come back, do Superman things, and help save them from the bottle. Doesn’t mean skepticism won’t follow. Kara was the highlight of this one. I would read a series that showcases Kara and Jon’s relationship, both as family members and as 2 halves of a superhero team.

The other two stories were ok. I don’t know how much I see myself picking up either one if they go to series. The art in Mr. Miracle… I can’t decide if I love it or hate it :joy:. It’s so different from anything else, yet so lacking in detail. Guardian… I think makes for a great backup in one of the Superman series. Fun to see what’s happening in Metropolis away from Supes. There seems to be an error of sorts in the Guardian story. It shows Jon punching through the glass of the bottled Metropolis. Whereas in the Superman story it shows Jon breaking the empty bottle after Metropolis goes back to full size outside of it. Threw me off a bit, but no big deal.

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Agree Guardian would make a perfect backup for Superman title

The crowd should have been
“Yeah, it’s Superman!”
Small child “It’s the wrong one”
“Boo, city bottler!”