Review: Adventures Of Superman Jon Kent #6

The Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #6 came out, bringing this series to a close. I'll start out by saying that I didn't like this series. And this finale didn't really elevate it. There is one clever moment, bringing something from the beginning of the series into play at the end in a different way. But outside that, this ended with a whimper.

I haven't really enjoyed what writer Tom Taylor has been doing with the character for a while. Jon is a socially conscious hero. But Taylor has veered so hard into it that Jon comes off as a jerk. Jon comes off as superior and condescending. What is worse, Taylor seems to make all the problems too easily solved by Jon. Taylor avoids the hard parts of the story, gliding over them or avoiding them. And he makes Jon seem almost self-contradicting in some of his ethics. 

In this story, Jon needs to show the world that the Injustice Superman is wrong. But the way we get there and the ending isn't satisfying. In the end, we get more of Taylor's odd take on super-heroics. The Injustice world isn't changed. Val-Zod and Red Tornado are still in the Phantom Zone. And the big face-off with Ultraman never happened. Get ready to cringe.

It's a shame that the story didn't hold up because the art by Clayton Henry is so smooth and polished that it seems wasted here. I hope he gets put on something soon. 

On to the details.

Jon knows that if he is going to save Batman and Harley and face off against Superman, he has to remove the JLA. 

He seems to fear the Flash the most, and so he talks to Barry asking that the Flash give him some space to do this. 

Of course, Jon being Jon, he somehow convinces Barry to do just that. You know, the Flash that has been walking lockstep with Superman on this world?

Taylor avoids actually showing us how Jon's words impact Barry by simply telling us they work. I might want to know what he said that could effect Barry so much. It is an out for the writer.

Jon then goes and works his way through the JLA. He rips the wings off Hawkgirl. He removes the Sinestro ring from Hal. He tricks Diana into flying to Jupiter, stranding her there. 

It's all done very quickly and it is all done nonviolently for sure. Because Jon can't throw a punch according to Taylor.

He says 'You are not the person you should be' to Diana, barely knowing what this Diana has gone through on this world. Jon is so judgmental, especially in this comic. 

I don't know if I am a big fan of other people being able to use the magic lasso. 

But Jon steals the lasso and shows Damien he believes in this Robin.

Worse, Damien holding the lasso says he doesn't want to kill Bruce.

Jon then tells Damien how to change Robin's life ... talk to Alfred.

Jon has been on this world for a hot second. How can he know what this Damien has been through enough to tell him this?

Meanwhile, Superman on this world remains completely unhinged. He is going to publicly execute Batman and Harley. And now he blames Jay Nakamura for 'poisoning' Jon. 

Superman knows that Jon had maybe one conversation with the Jay of this world. Does he really put that much stock in what normal civilian (on this Earth) Jay Nakamura has to say?

Or is this to show how insane this Superman is?

This moment seems so extreme it made me laugh.

Of course, Jon shows up ready to confront Superman. 

Surprisingly, the defeated members of the JLA don't use their communicators to warn Superman of Jon's attacks. Another easy out.

Okay, I'll say this is a nice call back to the famous line from Superman II.  But an homage from a movie from the 80s shouldn't be my favorite moment in a comic in 2023. Homages are the garnishes to good stories, not the meal.

In another easy out, Jon says he has freed Batman and Harley Quinn from their prison so there will be no execution. Of course, that was done off screen. How did he do it? Did he injure security guards? And given his verbal lashing of Harley last issue, I'm surprised he did save her.

And then the confrontation we have been waiting for ... 

Have we? I didn't sign up for an Injustice comic but that was I have been given. So this is the confrontation Taylor has been waiting for.

Jon talks about how Superman has to be good and helpful. He has to overcome anger and grief. He can't kill people. So now he'll show the Injustice Superman what justice is about!!

He hugs him.

He HUGS him ?!?

So this reads perfectly for a Tom Taylor Jon. Rather than take down the fascist dictator who rules this world with fear and violence and who has killed throngs of people ... Jon hopes a hug will soften up Superman and help him see the error in his ways.

Of course, what if it doesn't and Superman continues to kill throngs of people? But Taylor has to give us the high road.

But I have to compare this to last issue's tirade against Harley. There was Harley who has repented and actually is a force of good being yelled at by Jon and denied any forgiveness. And yet, here is Superman ... still evil and killing people ... being hugged. 

See how that seems contradictory in nature. See how moment to moment, Jon seems to skew his ethics to take some moral high road regardless of the potential outcome?

The hug doesn't work. Superman smacks Jon calling him sanctimonious. I bet this is some snide joke from Taylor. Critics of his portrayal of Jon have called Jon sanctimonious. Now those readers, me included, are stand-ins for the Injustice Superman. Taylor just took some moral high ground on his readers.

Jon does have a secret weapon. He plays the tape Lois gave him. The words, meant to be for Jon about Ultraman, echo what happened between Superman and the Joker. It is a nice little twist and I have to give Taylor credit for this. That speech works both ways.

But this story takes place (I believe) in the middle of the Injustice timeline. Fans of that world know this couldn't make any significant impact. And Jon can't stay and be a failure. He has to be pure and infallible. So Taylor has Cyborg use new tech to send him back to our world.

See how that is also a little too easy?

And sorry Val-Zod and Red Tornado. Hope you like the Phantom Zone. 

In the end, this is not the story I was promised in the original solicits. This series spent way too long defining the Injustice world for me. And it ends with a hug that we know changes nothing. 

It is a shame that Jon has been gutted in some ways by the recent books he has been in. I don't enjoy reading him anymore. I loved Tomasi's take in Super Sons when he was young. I liked Phillip Kennedy Johnson's take in the super-books. But this Jon? Maybe we need to shelve him for a bit. Or better yet, de-age him to the fun-loving young hero he was.

I know I glossed over it but Henry's art is beautiful.

Overall grade: C-