#kon.zip

good things:

personality-wise, it's on spot!

"what would superman do?" always makes me emotional.

i can tell that there was a real careful consideration of what kon's current status in canon is put into this work, and that it was compared with his initial place in the narrative. and this is, unfortunately, very rare for dc nowadays.

i can also tell that all people involved have real love for kon and their 90s solo series.

the new characters look so fun. i hope they're here to stay! i'm getting some ravers vibes from the space setting (and i'm hoping for some lanterns cameos.) (i'm also hoping that yj will not get in here. i'm sorry but i do)

tactile telekinesis! let's go, be annoying about it, babe <3

not so happy about:

kon being referred to exclusively as "conner..." in the field too... it makes me so annoyed and it's just so dumb, imo "conner" should be his (even if barely existing) civilian persona – he got his kryptonian name first and it's the "real" them, his primary identity, the first he got after being just referred as a "clone," "subject 13," "superman," "superboy" and "kid" for long long months... (maybe it was different after all of 2003 retcons. i don't remember nor care tbh... i will find didio in hell anyway)

it's been years and i'm still not sold on kon in smallville, but perhaps it serves purpose in illustrating how isolated from the main narrative (and the world) they are,

kon already has every trait that makes superman a superman (minus the authority and the trust of the people); but it will always be out of their reach. it was first explained by his immortality and forever-a-teenager status, and then it became even further pushed away from them by being literally misplaced in the multiverse. and on the meta level, it just wouldn't be sensible to even consider a progression in which he ascends into his dream role; because he was written to be someone aspiring, which means someone lesser.

in a way, this limbo status is what prevents them from any other character development. in-universe he was created for something he will never get to be; and it's a set-up that will never let them find a proper place for themselves. the only relief he gets is from affirmation from the rest of the superfam; it's something that he desires, and the only sense of home they can get. but staying in this position means that they will never truly get rid of the crushing guilt complex & people-pleasing tendencies, because there's no other choice but to forever pretend that it's enough. so a good understanding of their place in the narrative means, unfortunately, that these traits will be endlessly fed into.