Super Sons | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
First appearance | World's Finest Comics #215 (January 1973) |
Created by | Bob Haney Dick Dillin |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Clark Kent Jr. Bruce Wayne Jr. |
Species | Human/Kryptonian Human |
Place of origin | Earth-One (Pre-Crisis computer simulations) Earth-216 Earth-154 (Infinite Crisis) Earth-16 (Post-Infinite Crisis) |
Abilities | Clark Kent Jr.: Abilities equivalent to those of Superman, but at half the power level Bruce Wayne Jr.: No superhuman powers; highly trained fighter and athlete, armed with Batman-type gadgets |
The Super-Sons are a pair of fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The characters were created by Bob Haney and Dick Dillin and first appeared in World's Finest Comics #215 (January 1973). [1] The characters were featured in stories about the sons of Superman and Batman. [2]
In 2017, DC Comics launched a Super Sons monthly comic book series featuring new versions of the characters, going by the names Superboy (Jonathan Kent, the son of Superman and Lois Lane), and Robin (Damian Wayne, the son of Batman and Talia al Ghul).
The Super-Sons first appeared together in World's Finest Comics #154 (December 1965). Batman's imaginary son was seen first in Batman #131 (April 1960), Batman #145 (February 1962) and Batman #163 (May 1964). The Super-Sons, Superman Jr. (Clark Kent Jr.) and Batman Jr. (Bruce Wayne Jr.), were college-aged versions of their superhero fathers. Their mothers are never referred to by name, nor are their faces ever shown, though Superman's wife is dark-haired and Batman's wife is a redhead. The Super-Sons look almost exactly like their fathers and wear identical costumes. The characters spoke with a slightly exaggerated version of the slang popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They regard each other as brothers since both understand the pressures involved in being the son of a living legend. Like his father, Batman Jr. has no superhuman powers and relies on athletic prowess and gadgets. Superman Jr., who is only half-Kryptonian, has powers levels of only half that of Superman, Sr.
Although the very first Super-Sons appearance stated that these were actual stories in the lives of Superman and Batman, the final story in World's Finest #263, "Final Secret of the Super-Sons", written by Dennis O'Neil, revealed that the Sons had never really existed — they were merely computer simulations of what might have been, created by Superman and Batman on the Man of Steel's computer in his Fortress of Solitude.
They later inspired the characters Joel Kent and Bruce Wayne Jr. in the three Superman & Batman: Generations comic book series.
It was thought that the events of the Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series had erased Superman Jr. and Batman Jr. from DC continuity, but this assumption was later shown to be incorrect. [3]
A Super-Sons story by Bob Haney was published in the comic special Elseworlds 80-Page Giant (1999). In "Elseworlds" tales, "heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places – some that have existed, and others that can't, couldn't or shouldn't exist". Eventually, the Super-Sons reality would be named Earth-216 and designated a Hypertime reality unaffected by the Crisis. [4]
The Earth-154 variant of the Super-Sons (and their fathers) appear briefly during the Infinite Crisis limited series, during which time Alexander Luthor, Jr. of Earth-Three warps reality in an attempt to restore the DC Multiverse. Their planet and countless other Earths later contract into a single "New Earth". [5] In the limited series 52 , it is revealed that 52 identical parallel universes were created. During his subsequent attempt to consume the multiverse, the evil Venusian worm Mister Mind altered each of the parallel worlds, creating distinct histories for each. [6] According to DC Nation #89, one of those worlds is Earth-16, home of the Super-Sons. [7]
In September 2011, The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, the Super-Sons (Chris Kent as Superman and Damian Wayne as Batman) reside on Earth-16 as members of the Just—the sons and daughters of the classic JLA who have inherited a crimeless, utopian universe and so live as idle celebrities. [8]
The titles of the individual 'Parts' of the stories are presented here as they were written in the comic books; in other words, that of Part Two of Little Town With A Big Secret was actually shown in quotation marks and the number of The Angel With A Dirty Name Part 3 was in numerical form rather than being spelled out, as were the previous two parts. These variations have thus been reflected below and are not mistakes.
Unlike the other stories, Saga of the Super Sons and Final Secret of the Super Sons were not divided into parts.
It should also be pointed out that 'Super Sons' was spelled both on the story titles and on the cover of DC Comics' trade-paperback collection without a hyphen, as here.
In World's Finest Comics, the title of the series as given on the stories themselves tended to vary from issue to issue, i.e., Superman and Batman, Superman, Batman and their Super-Sons etc. These variations have been mentioned where they occur. Cry Not For My Forsaken Son bore only its story title and no series title was given to it at all.
Title | Issue | Date | Writer | Artist(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Superman and Batman: Saga of the Super Sons | World’s Finest Comics #215 | January 1973 | Bob Haney | Dick Dillin, Henry Scarpelli |
Superman, Batman and their Super-Sons: Little Town with a Big Secret | World’s Finest Comics #216 | March 1973 | Bob Haney | Dick Dillin, Murphy Anderson |
(Part One is untitled) Part Two: "The People Without Shadows" Part Three: Children of the Universe | ||||
Cry Not For My Forsaken Son | World’s Finest Comics #221 | February 1974 | Bob Haney | Dick Dillin, Murphy Anderson |
Part 1: Sharper Than A Serpent’s Tooth Part 2: Rendezvous on Massacre Island Part 3: Just an Ordinary Hero | ||||
Superman Junior and Batman Junior: Evil in Paradise | World’s Finest Comics #222 | April 1974 | Bob Haney | Dick Dillin, Vince Colletta |
(Part 1 is untitled) Part 2: The Human Test Tube Part 3: Who the Killer, Who the Prey? | ||||
Superman and Batman: The Shocking Switch of the Super Sons | World’s Finest Comics #224 | June/July 1974 | Bob Haney | Dick Dillin, Vince Colletta |
Part 1: A Chasm So Wide...! Part 2: The Mighty Marauder Part 3: The Breath of Death | ||||
Superman, Batman and their Sons, co-starring Robin: Crown for a New Batman | World’s Finest Comics #228 | March 1975 | Bob Haney | Dick Dillin, Tex Blaisdell |
Part 1: Avenge Thy Father Part 2: The Riddle of Smoke Island Part 3: Tomb of Ice | ||||
Superman and Batman and their Sons: The Girl Whom Time Forgot | World’s Finest Comics #230 | May 1975 | Bob Haney | Curt Swan, Tex Blaisdell |
Part 1: What the Satellite Saw Part 2: The Silent City Part 3: Sins of the Fathers | ||||
Superman, Batman and their Super Sons: Hero is a Dirty Name | World’s Finest Comics #231 | July 1975 | Bob Haney | Dick Dillin, Tex Blaisdell |
Part 1: Fathers on Trial Part 2: Unwelcome Allies Part 3: The Weather Bomb | ||||
Superman & Batman and their Super-Sons: World Without Men | World’s Finest Comics #233 | October 1975 | Bob Haney | Dick Dillin, John Calnan |
Part 1: Big Sister is Watching You Part 2: The Greatest Hate | ||||
Superman, Batman and their Super Sons: The Angel with a Dirty Name | World’s Finest Comics #238 | June 1976 | Bob Haney | Dick Dillin, John Calnan |
Part One: Those Who Play the Puppets Part Two: The Plague Giants Part 3: Between Two Worlds | ||||
The Super Sons of Superman and Batman: Town of the Timeless Killers | World’s Finest Comics #242 | December 1976 | Bob Haney | Ernie Chan, John Calnan |
Part 1: Trio of Fear Part 2: He Whom Evil Fights Part 3: The Epitaph that Saved a Superman | ||||
Superman and Batman: Final Secret of the Super Sons | World’s Finest Comics #263 | July 1980 | Dennis O'Neil | Rich Buckler, Dick Giordano |
Superman Jr. is no More! | Elseworlds 80-Page Giant #1 | June 1999 | Bob Haney | Kieron Dwyer |
In December 2007, DC Comics published a trade paperback collection of the series entitled Superman/Batman: Saga of the Super Sons. It collects the stories from: World's Finest Comics #215–216, 221–222, 224, 228, 230, 231, 233, 238, 242, and 263 and Elseworlds 80-Page Giant #1. The story in World's Finest Comics #263 is written by Dennis O'Neil, all the others by Bob Haney. ISBN 1-4012-1502-5
DC Comics presented a new version of the Super Sons in 2017. The two central characters are Damian Wayne, son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, and Jonathan Kent, son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane. The former is 13 years of age in this version (as of the 80-page DC Rebirth Holiday Special #1), while the latter is 10 years old. The advance releases describe them as "best frenemies forever" who will save the world together "if they don't kill each other first". [9] The series was launched in February 2017 and ended in May 2018 with 16 issues and one Annual.
Adventures of the Super Sons, a 12-issue miniseries serves as a continuation of the Super Sons series, with Peter J. Tomasi as the writer and art by Carlo Barberi and Art Thibert. [10] The first issue was released in August 2018, while the final issue was released in July 2019.
DC Comics released a digital-first series, Challenge of the Super Sons, from December 2020 to April 2021.
They were also featured in four one-shot stories: Superman & Robin Special (2022), "Back to School" (DC's Saved by Belle Reve anthology) (2022), "Trick or Treat" (DC's Terrors Through Time anthology) (2022), and Flash #797 (2023). They also appeared as adults in Tom King's Wonder Woman (2023), in a series of back up stories that take place many years in the future. [11]
In the Superman (2016) series, issues 20 to 25, a storyline known as “Black Dawn” features Damian Wayne (Robin) and Jon Kent (Superboy). While their roles are not central to the overall storyline, it does effectively highlight their individual strengths and weaknesses, and sets the stage for their future team-up in the Super Sons comic book series.
Superman (2018) issue #16 features the reunion of the Super Sons. This issue marks their first meeting since Jon aged five years ahead of Damian due to time travel, significantly altering their dynamic. Superman #16 is later collected in the trade paperback Superman Vol. 3: The Truth Revealed. [12]
An alternate version of the Super Sons named the Bizarro Boyz appeared in the four-part story "Boyzarro Re-Death". [13] Robzarro was a member of the Bizarro Boyz, along with Boyzarro. Both the team name and character names were influenced by fans on social media. [14]
Another alternate version appeared in the DCeased comic book series, in a world where a corrupted version of the Anti-Life Equation has infected most of Earth's inhabitants with a zombie-like virus. [15]
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent also featured a version of the Super Sons, where Prime Earth's Jon Kent teamed up with Damian Wayne from the world of Injustice . [16]
Title | Material collected | Pages | Publication date | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|---|
Super Sons Vol. 1: When I Grow Up | Super Sons #1–5 | 128 | October 17, 2017 | 978-1401274016 |
Super Sons Vol. 2: Planet of the Capes | Super Sons #6–10 | 121 | March 13, 2018 | 978-1401278465 |
Super Sons of Tomorrow | Super Sons #11–12, Superman (vol. 4) #37–38, Teen Titans (vol. 6) #15 | 124 | July 3, 2018 | 978-1401282394 |
Super Sons Vol. 3: Parent Trap | Super Sons #13–16, Annual #1 | 135 | October 2, 2018 | 978-1401284466 |
Super Sons Omnibus | Super Sons #1–16, Annual #1; Superman (vol. 4) #10–11, 37–38; Teen Titans (vol. 6) #15; DC Rebirth Holiday Special #1 | 608 | December 24, 2018 | 978-1401285579 |
Adventures of the Super Sons Vol. 1: Action Detectives | Adventures of the Super Sons #1–6 | 144 | April 16, 2019 | 978-1401290580 |
Adventures of the Super Sons Vol. 2: Little Monsters | Adventures of the Super Sons #7–12 | 144 | November 26, 2019 | 978-1401295073 |
Super Sons Omnibus: Expanded Edition | Super Sons #1–16, Annual #1; Superman (vol. 4) #10–11, 37–38; Teen Titans (vol. 6) #15; DC Rebirth Holiday Special #1; Adventures of the Super Sons #1–12 | 888 | November 24, 2020 | 978-1779506665 |
Challenge of the Super Sons | Challenge of the Super Sons #1-7 | 168 | March 29, 2022 | 978-1779515100 |
Super Sons Omnibus Super Duper Edition | Super Sons #1-16, Super Sons Annual #1; Super Sons/Dynomutt Special #1; Adventures of the Super Sons #1-12; Challenge of the Super Sons #1-7; Superman (vol. 4) #10–11, 37–38; Teen Titans(vol. 6) #15; and "My Best Friend" from Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 | 1056 | October 31, 2023 | 978-1779524065 |
Super Sons: The Complete Collection Book One | Super Sons #1-14, Super Sons Annual #1, Super Sons/Dynomutt #1, Superman (vol.4) #10-11, #37-38, Teen Titans(vol. 6) #15, and a story from DC Rebirth: Holiday Special #1. | 552 | June 18, 2024 | 978-1779525963 |
The Super Sons, Jon Kent and Damian "Ian" Wayne, are featured in a three-part graphic novel series by author Ridley Pearson and artist Ile Gonzalez. The first book, Super Sons: The Polarshield Project was released in April 2019. [17] Book two, Super Sons: The Foxglove Mission was released in November 2019. [18] The third book Super Sons: Escape to Landis was released in October 2020.
Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1. Lois is an award-winning journalist for the Metropolis newspaper the Daily Planet and the primary love interest of the superhero Superman and his alter ego, Clark Kent. In DC continuity, she is also his wife and the mother of their son, Jon Kent, the newest Superboy in the DC Universe.
Smallville is a fictional town in American comic books published by DC Comics. The childhood hometown of Superman, Smallville was first named in Superboy #2. The town, long in an unnamed US state that was first defined as Kansas in Superman: The Movie (1978), is the setting of many Superboy comics where Superboy defends Smallville from various threats. Since the 1978 appearance in Superman: The Movie, Smallville has been a setting in other non-comic book productions featuring Superboy / Superman.
Robin is the alias of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson to serve as a junior counterpart and the sidekick to the superhero Batman. As a team, Batman and Robin have commonly been referred to as the Caped Crusaders and the Dynamic Duo. The character's first incarnation, Dick Grayson, debuted in Detective Comics #38. Conceived as a way to attract young readership, Robin garnered overwhelmingly positive critical reception, doubling the sales of the Batman titles. Robin's early adventures included Star Spangled Comics #65–130 (1947–1952), the character's first solo feature. He made regular appearances in Batman-related comic books and other DC Comics publications from 1940 through the early 1980s, until the character set aside the Robin identity and became the independent superhero Nightwing.
Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to Adventure Comics and other series featuring teenage superhero groups.
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that take place outside the DC Universe canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realities that deviate from the established continuity of DC's regular comics. The "Elseworlds" name was trademarked in 1989, the same year as the first Elseworlds publication.
World's Finest Comics is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name. Michael E. Uslan has speculated that this was because DC received a cease and desist letter from Better Publications, Inc., who had been publishing a comic book entitled Best Comics since November 1939. Virtually every issue featured DC's two leading superheroes, Superman and Batman, with the earliest issues also featuring Batman's sidekick, Robin.
Earth-Two is a setting for stories appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in The Flash #123 (1961), Earth-Two was created to explain differences between the original Golden Age and then-current Silver Age versions of characters such as the Flash, and how the current (Earth-One) versions could appear in stories alongside earlier versions of the same character concepts. Earth-Two includes DC Golden Age heroes, including the Justice Society of America, whose careers began at the dawn of World War II, concurrently with their first appearances in comics. Earth-Two, along with the four other surviving Earths of the DC Multiverse, were merged into one in the 1985 miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. However, following the events of Infinite Crisis, the Multiverse was reborn, although the subsequent Earth-Two was not the same as its pre-Crisis equivalent.
Superman/Batman is a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular superheroes: Superman and Batman. Superman/Batman premiered in August 2003, an update of the previous series, World's Finest Comics (1941–1986), in which Superman and Batman regularly joined forces.
Elseworlds 80-Page Giant is an 80-page collection of Elseworlds stories published by DC Comics. The collection was withdrawn and pulped after DC became concerned about a scene in one of the stories.
The American comic book character Superman, created in 1938, has appeared in many types of media since the 1940s. Superman has appeared in radio, television, movies, and video games each on multiple occasions, and his name, symbol, and image have appeared on products and merchandise.
Superman is an American fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and featured pervasively in DC Comic books. The character debuted in Action Comics issue #1 in June 1938 and has since become a paradigm for superhero characters.
Superman and Lois Lane are a fictional couple and the first superhero comic book romance. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, both characters including Superman's alter ego, Clark Kent, first appeared in DC Comics' Action Comics #1. They have remained in a complicated relationship ever since. A supercouple, they are among the best known fictional couples and have appeared in multiple media adaptations.
The character of Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and has been continually published in a variety of DC Comics book titles since its premiere in 1938. There have been several versions of Superman over the years, both as the main hero in the stories as well as several alternative versions.
Superman, given the serial nature of comic publishing and the length of the character's existence, has evolved as a character as his adventures have increased. Initially a crime fighter, the character was seen in early adventures stepping in to stop wife beaters and gangsters, with rather rough edges and a rather looser moral code than audiences may be used to today. Modern writers have softened the character, and instilled a sense of idealism and moral code of conduct.
In most of the DC Comics media, the Multiverse is a "cosmic construct" composed of the many fictional universes the stories of DC media take place in. The worlds in the multiverse share a space and fate in common, and its structure has changed several times in the history of DC Comics.
Robert Gilbert Haney, Jr. was an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. He co-created the Teen Titans as well as characters such as Lance Bruner, Metamorpho, Eclipso, Cain, and the Super-Sons.
Jon Kent is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Dan Jurgens, the son of Superman / Clark Kent and Lois Lane, he first appeared in Convergence: Superman #2. Jon is the newest character in the DC Universe to assume the superhero persona of Superboy, and later Superman. As Superboy and Robin, Jon and Damian Wayne, son of Batman / Bruce Wayne, have appeared in several Super Sons comic book series featuring their shared adventures. Jon later takes on the Superman mantle and stars in the comic series Superman: Son of Kal-El.
Lois Lane is a fictional character first appearing in DC Comics Action Comics #1, an intrepid reporter commonly portrayed as the romantic interest of the superhero Superman and his alter-ego Clark Kent. Since her debut in comic books, she has appeared in various media adaptations, including radio, animations, films, television and video games. Actresses who have portrayed Lois Lane include Noel Neill, Phyllis Coates, Margot Kidder, Teri Hatcher, Erica Durance, Kate Bosworth, Amy Adams, and Elizabeth Tulloch.
Scribe Bob Haney and artist Dick Dillin introduced the DC Universe to an alternate timeline starring the World's Finest offspring in January's World's Finest Comics #215.