With the exciting news of Kon being in MAWS season 3 (!!!!!), do you have an specific recs for him when it comes to comics? (I know Young Justice is good for him, but not much outside of that)
hello! exciting news indeed!!! and hell yeah, here are some kon-centric comics outside of yj that iâve enjoyed reading:
Reign of the Supermen arc (1993)
this arc has konâs intro, well before he even had the name kon, and itâs worth a read if you havenât already because of the way he shows up and is peak annoying immediately (said with love). especially Adventures of Superman #501! (the storyline spans a number of titles, reading order here)
(and for a related rec, the reign of the superman (2019) animated movie blends aspects of the original comic arc with the âkon is made with lex luthorâs dnaâ reveal/retcon; itâs a fun watch! left me with Much To Think About pang-wise, too.)
the most concentrated amount of og jacket and glasses superboy youâll find in one series; thereâs a lot going on here, most of it so very 90s (both in the plot/world and on a more meta level) and also so many adorable kons. special shoutout to my favorite side character, krypto in his âtiny white terrier with a giant attitudeâ form. (and for a more specific rec iâll point to issues #60 - 61, in which kon is hopping through multiple realities and we see, among others, robin!kon and âsupergrrrlâ kon.)
this is the issue where cass goes âhmm, i should try to do A Romanceâ and shows up outside konâs window to see what all the fuss is about, and they proceed to have the most lavender date of all lavender dates. i adore konâs inability to shut up here, and also for obvious reasons need to give it a special shoutout for kon taking a âbat-babeâ on a date in the clouds.
Adventure Comics (Vol 2) #1 - 6 (2009)
this arc serves to re-settle kon into the world (and smallville) after the whole [waves hand] dying and coming back to life thing. (technically itâs 12 issues, but youâre asking for specific recs so my specific recs are the first six!) this is about kon starting life in smallville and having a prolonged identity crisis re: the superman + lex luthor of it all. cassie, bart, and tim all show up as significant guest stars (one of my fav tim & kon issues of all time is in here) but itâs very kon-centric! i also really enjoy the art, especially when it does wide/landscape shots.
this is a pretty direct continuation from the adventure comics arc, once again feat. konâs 21st century black t-shirt (sigh) and also kon wearing the tiniest, goofiest pair of Disguise Glasses. that said, itâs a fun, classic âteen superhero juggles school and crushes and a statistically high number of supervillains for a small town (seriously, what the hell was poison ivy even doing in kansas?)â series. also if there were any justice in the world simon valentine wouldâve been one of those crushes, but alas.
Convergence: Superboy (2015) #1 - 2
iâll be honest, iâm not super familiar with the overarching convergence storyline, but i really enjoyed this two-shot featuring a kon who has been stuck in metropolis without his powers, only to suddenly gain them back and immediately start brawling with alternate versions of heroes he knows. i also like the art in this one, and the character designs overallâleather jacket kon my beloved!
Action Comics (2016) #1020 - 1028 (âHouse of Kentâ arc)
this sequence brings kon back into the kent family fold after the timeline fuckery (and i think follows from the young justice (2019) gemworld arc where they re-find kon?)âso basically itâs konâs re-introduction to clark, and to lois and jon (whoâs visiting from his own future adventure) and kara and martha and jonathan. despite spelling connerâs name two different ways in the span of a few issues, itâs a neat speedrun of different kon+superfam interactions, and also a fun time for anyone whoâs a fan of kon being solidly part of the kent family. also: jacket kon is back đ
this is not at all an exhaustive list, just some of my favs--happy reading!