Tom Taylor has been retaining a secret from you. When the critically acclaimed author introduced that he could be persevering with Jonathan Kent’s story in Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent, he didn’t inform you why. Not solely will the miniseries see a rematch between Jon and Ultraman, however it’ll additionally take DC’s youthful Superman to a spot he’s by no means been earlier than. The battle with Ultraman will drive Jon to discover the multiverse, and one of many locations he’ll find yourself will probably be enormously acquainted to followers of Taylor and his work for DC. It’s a spot of battle, a spot of betrayal, and a spot of…Injustice.
Sure, we are able to lastly reveal that Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent not solely continues Jon’s story that Taylor started in Superman: Son of Kal-El, but additionally builds on the legacy of storytelling he crafted for the favored DC online game franchise, which hasn’t been seen in a DC comedian e book because the Injustice 2 collection concluded in 2018. However how precisely will Jon discover himself in Injustice’s harrowing world, by which Batman finds himself combating for survival in opposition to a tyrant Superman? We have been as curious as you, so we sat down with Taylor for an unique interview in regards to the upcoming collection and its newly revealed twist.
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1 (Artwork by Clayton Henry)
You might have been teasing for a while that there’s a deeper motive for Jonathan Kent to be getting a brand new title.
Yeah, we have stored one thing hidden from the followers for a really very long time. We have now a kind of secret subtitle which we’re very joyful to be saying right this moment. That is Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent…Injustice.
Wow! Okay!
Okay, certainly. Lots of people know the premise of this collection: Ultraman, the person who stored Jon Kent, who enslaved him for thus lengthy, who primarily took his childhood from him, he’s on the market within the multiverse murdering Kal-Els. Val-Zod, and somebody who we cannot give away simply but, come to Jon Kent and let him know that they consider he is the one one who may cease him.
So, that is what all people is aware of, however what they do not know is the place within the multiverse that is going to steer Jon. A type of locations—and a vital half—is the world of Injustice.
How lengthy have you ever been desirous to carry Injustice into your Superman run?
Injustice for me is a really troubled time. I had a lot enjoyable on that e book. Clearly, I used to be on it for years. I feel I used to be initially employed for fifteen chapters, and I wrote over 150. However there’s rather a lot about Injustice that that rubs me up the fallacious approach. I do not consider Superman, it doesn’t matter what occurs to him, can turn out to be that individual. I do not consider Surprise Girl turns into that individual. So, for me, it is a actually fascinating Elseworld, and throwing Jon Kent as kind of that beacon of hope and in a approach, fairly an harmless character and a personality who needs the very best for the world, throwing him into that world the place his father has turn out to be a dictator offers us a lot to play with. I have been speaking about this story to all my mates who will pay attention for months, lengthy earlier than we knew the place we have been going with this.
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #2 (Artwork by Clayton Henry)
The unique Injustice saga kicks off with Superman reacting to the dying of Lois and an unborn youngster that may have presumably grown as much as be Jon. So, with all of this emotional baggage, how will the Injustice Superman react to Jon, the individual that his son may have been?
I do not need to give away his response. I’ve written their assembly and it is a large one. I do not need to give away precisely how that goes down, as a result of a lot of the fantastic thing about this—we nearly did not need to let folks know. However we have to let Injustice followers know that we’re going again. The primary assembly was a second. I can not actually describe it but. You are simply going to need to learn it.
The place is that this going to happen within the Injustice timeline?
It’s proper on the core of it. Round Injustice 2: 12 months 5, which individuals know is across the recreation time. It is a actually thrilling time and it is one among my favourite instances to put in writing as nicely—who’s alive throughout that point, the dynamics and what meaning for Jon. As a result of it is not simply his father. There are different characters, different gamers, and different those that he is aware of in that timeline who’re totally different. And seeing him work together with their totally different personas, and what’s occurred to them, and the way he hopes to assist is a large a part of this story.
Who’re among the heroes and villains of the Injustice world that you just’re excited to play Jon off of?
Clearly, Batman. There’s Superman, there’s Surprise Girl, and the way she reacts to Jon out of the blue displaying up. However I assume the largest one—and I wasn’t going to provide this away, however you understand what, for anybody studying this I’ll—there’s a totally different Damian Wayne within the Injustice world. Actually his greatest pal is basically not on the aspect of the angels on this world. That’s going to provide us a really enjoyable and entertaining dynamic and fairly a tortured dynamic to play with.
I do not know in case you’ve realized this, however that is the tenth Anniversary of your first Injustice collection. Did you ever suppose that this nook of the multiverse would have such a protracted shelf life?
I had completely no concept that this was the tenth anniversary. That’s unimaginable. As I stated earlier, I used to be employed for fifteen chapters. I believed that was going to be it on the time. We had no thought it was going to be the runaway success it grew to become, not to mention resulting in Injustice 2 and writing 75 chapters of that. It’s unimaginable that it is gone to this point.
Clearly, it is a testomony to the entire franchise—to the video games, to all the pieces Ed Boon and the workforce constructed at NetherRealm, to all the pieces that every one the artists have executed on these comics. They’ve gone on to be megastars. We have got Bruno Redondo, and Dani Sampere, who simply labored on Darkish Disaster. It spawned an enormous universe, but additionally some nice expertise as nicely.
Jon Kent and Ultraman. That may be a rematch that we now have been anticipating for a while, as a result of this man stole Jon’s life from him. How lengthy have you ever been planning it?
A very long time. It was one thing that I’d have beloved to have gotten to in Son of Kal-El, however there was simply no area actually, with all the pieces we would have liked for Jon, and with the large saga that we advised there. So, it was clear that this was the place to do this.
Ultraman is the catalyst for all of this. This isn’t an excellent individual, and he is already made Jon’s life hell. So, for him to be on the market murdering Kal-Els, which we discuss what that does to their worlds and to different worlds. It’s form of big. There’s this huge confrontation brewing, and also you’re all going to get to see it happen.
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1 (Artwork by Jordi Tarragona)
You talked about killing varied Kal-Els. How nervous ought to I be about a few of my favourite variations of Superman throughout the multiverse?
Yeah, be afraid. I am not spoiling something. I imply we have already seen one lifeless in Motion Comics #1050. You will note at the very least yet one more go, and there’s something very tough about watching Kal-El die. And Clayton Henry is such a terrific emotive artist. He’s somebody who simply will get some unbelievable appearing out of the faces of those characters. Shedding our first Kal-El in Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent is an enormous second.
Talking of Clayton Henry, his art work is phenomenal. Are you able to inform me extra about your working relationship with him?
He is only a phenomenal artist. He is a kind of guys that you just see his artwork and also you’re form of drawn to it. He’s extremely expressive. Each character, all the pieces they’re going by means of, you’re feeling it. Each time we e-mail, each time we discuss, he is enthusiastic about this. He is drawing a very huge subject proper now, and it’s a little bit of a mutual admiration society happening. However it’s simply because the work we’re doing is so enjoyable—it is so bombastic, large, and stuffed with cliffhangers and main moments, It’s superhero comics by means of an Injustice lens. Bringing that Injustice really feel to in-continuity comics is a very thrilling prospect.
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #2 (Artwork by John Timms)
How are issues going between Jon and Jay Nakamura?
After we open, it’s going fairly nicely. All people on the earth has forgotten that Jon Kent is Superman. Lex Luther has executed one thing known as Challenge Blackout, the place he is primarily erased Jon Kent and Clark Kent from folks’s minds. Their secret id is gone. Individuals now not know that Lois Lane is married to Superman. Nonetheless, Jay Nakamura kissed Jon on the finish of the large battle for Gamorra. They do not know that Jay is with Jon Kent, as a result of Jay kissed Superman. All the world nonetheless is aware of that Jay Nakamura is Superman’s boyfriend, in order that results in some stuff which we cowl straight up in subject #1.
Now Jay has to cover his face after they exit in public. It is fairly a swap from the standard secret id trope.
It’s. Jon Kent can stroll round fortunately free. He truly says at one level that that is probably the most free he is ever felt, simply strolling by means of a park. Jay is like, “Nice,” as he’s all hidden.
Jon has been having some fluctuations along with his powers recently. What are you able to inform us about that?
Jon has been having some main fluctuations along with his powers. It has been constructing to one thing for months, beginning in Superman: Son of Kal-El and going by means of to Lazarus Planet in that nice story written by C.S. Pacat. It has been going someplace, and sure, you’ll be able to most likely inform from the problem #1 cowl that we’re lastly going to see that energy unleashed for the primary time on this title.
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #2 (Artwork by Mike Perkins)
How far do you may have issues mapped out for Jon Kent? It feels like you may have plans inside plans.
Undoubtedly, I feel everybody has plans for Jon. I’ve seen him displaying up in a whole lot of locations all by means of the DC Universe. It’s nice to see our boy simply proceed to develop and proceed to take over and proceed to be current and save folks on this universe. We have now an enormous story deliberate right here, and we actually have mentioned some plans for after this. However this was one of many the explanation why this wanted to be a miniseries. Due to the story we’re telling on this, it didn’t really feel proper to inform it in Superman: Son of Kal-El. This wanted its personal title. That is an occasion in itself.
This all sounds very thrilling. Is there anything you’ll be able to tease?
One of many actually thrilling issues is the return of Val-Zod, who I co-created with Nicola Scott. The web page the place he first exhibits up, Clayton has simply drawn absolutely the hell out of that. It is a terrific second. It’s actually thrilling to carry him again.
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1 by Tom Taylor, Clayton Henry and Jordie Bellaire will probably be out there in print and as a digital comedian e book on March 7, 2023.
