DC Is Teasing Superboy’s Long-Awaited Return And It Better Be Permanent)

The pint-sized Kryptonian hero Superboy is coming back as revealed by a tease from one iconic artist. It’s been years since Superman’s son Jon Kent ventured out into space and returned nearly fully grown. But a few select teases hint that DC Comics is ushering in a return of the fan-favorite hero.

On X, Batman artist Jorge Jiménez posted a tease of a piece of art he’s working on. Jiménez posted no words in his message, though he did post two emojis, one showing a curious face while the other is shushing. The image itself was a picture of Jon Kent, but rather than the adult he is now, he’s back to being a kid.

In particular, Jon appears to be his “Rebirth” era age once again, and is even wearing his old Superboy costume. It’s hard to make out other details in the image, but Superman is by his son’s side.

Jorge Jiménez Brings Jon Kent Back to His Superboy Era

Is DC Comics Really Turning Back the Clock on Jon?

Jon Kent debuted at the end of the Convergence event in 2015 and became Superman’s sidekick Superboy during DC’s “Rebirth” period. Jon quickly became a fan-favorite character, largely due to his friendship with Damian Wayne, which was explored during the series Super Sons (also drawn by Jiménez). However, Jon’s time as Superboy came to a close when he chose to go into space with his grandfather Jor-El, only to be kidnapped by Ultraman and held hostage for years on Earth-3. After returning, it wasn’t long before Jon took the title Superman alongside his father and has remained so since.

Of course, DC Comics has revisted Jon’s time as Superboy without actually de-aging him. The publisher has put out several additional Super Sons miniseries, as well as other stories set before Jon was aged up. That being said, DC is de-aging Superman’s son in a future issue of Shazam!, so it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Superboy’s return isn’t just a one-off gimmick (especially if Jiménez’s tease is for a bigger project involving a younger Jon). A proper Superboy return would arguably be a good direction for the character who, admittedly, has been lost the last few years.

A Superboy Return is a Good Second Chance for Jon

Jon Going Back to Superboy Can Be More Than Nostalgia

Jon suddenly aging up was controversial to say the least, but DC Comics tried finding a spot for him by having him be the Superman of Earth while his father traveled through space. But since Clark’s return Jon’s been really lacking a spot in the DC Universe. To his credit, he did get a prominent role in Absolute Power, but it just added more trauma onto a character who still hasn’t properly reckoned with his stolen childhood. Jon becoming Superboy again might be controversial to some, but it could be a great fresh start for the character.

Again, there’s no indication that Jiménez is teasing a real Superboy return. It could wind up just being a one-off, a flashback, or even just a variant. But with DC revisiting Jon’s childhood soon, Jiménez’s artwork is a good reminder of how beloved Superboy was among fans (which DC obviously knows given how often it revisits that period). Hopefully, if Jon does become Superboy again, it will be a permanent change to explore the dynamic that was upended so many years ago.

Source: X