Posted in: Comics, DC Comics, Superman | Tagged: 5g, brian bendis, dan didio, dan slott, Jonathan Kent, one more day

DC Comics Brings Back Jonathan Kent Superboy As A Kid In 2026

DC Comics and Dan Slott bring back Jonathan Kent, Superboy, as a kid again in 2026... but for how long?

Published Thu, 22 Jan 2026 07:58:25 -0600

Last updated Thu, 22 Jan 2026 10:06:53 -0600

Article Summary

Jonathan Kent returns as a kid Superboy in Superman Unlimited #12, arriving April 2026.
DC originally aged Jon to a teen in 2019, ending the beloved Super Sons duo with Damian Wayne.
Fan backlash drove demand for a return to young Jon Kent’s classic, lighthearted adventures.
The new storyline teases time travel, reuniting Jon with Lois and possibly Damian once again.

It was one of the more controversial changes to DC Comics in recent years and one that many fans haven't forgiven DC for. Part of Dan DiDio's planned 5G reboot, and brought in early by then-Superman writer Brian Bendis. Jon Kent was introduced in 2015 as the young son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, depicted as around 10 to 11 years old, a cheerful kid discovering his emerging powers. He gained huge popularity through the Super Sons series by Peter J. Tomasi and Jorge Jimenez, where he teamed up with Damian Wayne, Batman's son as Superboy. In 2019, during Brian Michael Bendis' Superman run, Jon went on a space adventure with his grandfather, Jor-El. This led to him being captured by Ultraman on Earth-3, imprisoned in a volcano for years while only weeks passed on the DC Earth. When rescued, Jon had physically and mentally aged up to about 17 years old.

Part of plans to create a generational change in Superman for 5G and have Jonathan Kent take over the role of Superman from Clark Kent, it sparked massive backlash for skipping over years of organic character development, ending the beloved Super Sons dynamic as well as skipping over the psychological impact. It's the DC Comics equivalent of the Spider-Marriage annulment of Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker. So it seems appropriate at this point that Dan Slott comes along with the solicitation for Superman Unlimited #12 that brings back the younger Jonathan Kent, in Superman's absence, after the events of DC's K.O. But for how long? And is it a time travel thing as the solicitation to March's Superman Unlimited #12 suggests? And is Damian Wayne going to pop by?

SUPERMAN UNLIMITED #11
(W) Dan Slott (A) Lucas Meyer (CA) Dan Mora
THE FINAL MOMENTS OF JON KENT! What's worse than a fifth-dimensional imp? A fourth dimensional demon! Jon Kent faces off against his greatest archenemy, a terrifying time-bending foe who's attacking him years before they've ever met! Witness the final moments of Jon Kent, Superman. Also in this issue: Superboy?! No. Really? Wait. What?! Yeah. You'd better not miss this one. Call your retailer now. Reserve your copy now. Don't wait. Go. Call. Now! $4.99 3/18/2026
SUPERMAN UNLIMITED #12
Written by DAN SLOTT
Art by LUCAS MEYER
Covers by TAURIN CLARKE, KAREN DARBOE, GUILLEM MARCH, SALVADOR LARROCA
$4.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 4/15/26
Little (super) boy lost! Tomorrow Man has a shocking surprise for Lois Lane. His name is Jon Kent, and he's just a little boy. The Reign of the Superboys continues! (And, possibly… the reign of a super… monkey?)

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