Bisexual 'Superman' Comic Coming to an End after 18 Issues

A comic book series centered on the bisexual son of Superman will complete its run after 18 issues, UK newspaper the Daily Mail reported.

DC says it's not a case of the book being canceled, and vows the character will be back as the main character of the "Adventures of Superman" title.

"Superman: Son of Kal-El'' debuted in July of last year. The series is set at a time when Clark Kent and Lois Lane are married and have two teenage sons who have inherited their Kryptonian father's super powers. "Son of Kal-El" follows the adventures of 17-year-old Jon Kent, who came out as bisexual and fell in love with another young man early in the series' run. DC announced the character's status as a member of the LGBTQ+ community for National Coming Out Day last year.

The Daily Mail recalled writer Tom Taylor saying, "The idea of replacing Clark Kent with another straight white savior felt like a missed opportunity."

Though DC says the title's imminent end is not a case of it being canceled, the Mail cited its comparatively low sales. "The fourth issue of 'Superman: Son of Kal-El'... sold 37,500 copies, placing it 55th in October 2021 sales," the article noted. "And it was down again to 34,000 last month."

"Historically, there have been multiple titles that feature Superman, including 'Action Comics,' 'Superman,' and 'Adventure Comics,'" a DC spokesperson told the newspaper. It was always our plan to have Clark Kent return to the main Superman title and Jon Kent's story is continuing in 'Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent.'"

Commenting on this, Taylor said: "I couldn't be more excited for Jon Kent to headline the iconic 'Adventures of Superman.'"

The Mail noted that "Taylor always wanted his series to be called simply 'Superman' and not 'Superman: Son of Kal-El,'" and added, "The new series 'Adventures of Superman' may be a step closer to labelling Jon as just Superman, although it will keep Jon Kent's name in the subheading."