WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Future State: Superman/ Wonder Woman #1 by Dan Watters, Leila del Duca, and Nick Filardi, on sale now.

In most versions of the DC Universe, Superman is the embodiment of hope. For the people of Metropolis, he is their hope for a safe today and a better tomorrow. However, Superman's son, Jonathan Kent, is still trying to live up to his father's reputation in one of DC's Future State timelines.

But for Jonathan Kent, the simple fame attributed to bearing the giant red "S" might not be enough. Following the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal, this current Earth in Future State is a possible future that isn't quite the same as it once was. While the people of Earth might not be aware of such a change to the very fabric of their reality, the uncommon sight of Jonathan Kent flying through their skies is still noticeable. While the original Superman never needed a means of conveying his presence to the people of Metropolis, Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #1 finds Jonathan Kent's Superman writing a good morning message in the clouds over Metropolis, giving his city a kind of reverse Bat-Signal.

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Jonathan's decision to write “Good Morning, Metropolis” in the morning clouds above Metropolis with his eye lasers, while unnecessary in the grand scheme of things, is a perfect summation of who he is as a person. Superman is friendly, outgoing, and always ready to help someone smile. In his quaint country boy way, writing such a simple message each morning is a classic Superman move. Not only does this message act as a simple “Good Morning” it's also a means for the people of Metropolis to know that their defender is there for them.

An interesting parallel to this message is the classic symbol from another DC city, one that isn't quite as bright and cheerful as Metropolis. Gotham City, Batman's home city, is the antithesis of Metropolis: dark, grimy, and dangerous. While the people of Gotham know that Batman is ever vigilant, he's still only human. For all of his power and skill, Batman is still not Superman. The creation of the Bat-Signal was to alert Batman to a moment of great need; no matter what he was doing, the signal would light up the dark Gotham sky and call Batman to action.

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The Bat-Signal also performs another function, one that's equally as important as calling Batman to action: it acts as a reminder to Gotham's criminals that Batman is there, watching them. It acts as a deterrent to every thief, every murderer that Batman is the inevitable outcome of their life of crime. This is a stark opposite to Superman's message in the clouds. Where Batman's signal is a message of warning to his enemies, Superman's aerial message is for his allies, his friends, and the people that depend on them. The Bat-Signal is Batman telling his foes that he is hunting them down -- Superman's message tells the people that he is protecting them.

To invert the signals from both heroes would be to invert them as well. If Batman's symbol was displayed in broad daylight the villains of the dark would have full reign of the shadows to operate within. If Superman sent a “Good Night, Metropolis” message it would imply that he was gone, no longer capable of being its defender. Superman's “Good Morning, Metropolis” message is equal parts cute and reassuring, especially so as this Superman is not the normal Superman of Metropolis. It's a bit of an uphill climb for Jonathan, filling the hole that his dad left, but gestures like legitimately helped him build up goodwill in the City of Tomorrow. Even if Jonathan's Superman burnt that goodwill away when he miniaturized the city a few years later, this shows that his heart was initially in the right place.

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