The following article contains spoilers from "The Lesson" from Nightwing 2022 Annual, on sale now from DC Comics.

Though "The Lesson" from Nightwing 2022 Annual (by C.S. Pacat, Inaki Miranda, Adriano Lucas, and Wes Abbott) focused on Nightwing's skills as a teacher, it did a fair bit to shine a light on the perspective of Jon Kent. The new Superman trusted Nightwing to give him additional training to avoid accidentally hurting someone while in combat. In a moment of vulnerability, Jon demonstrated how he is one of DC's most human heroes.

The story also demonstrated just how different Jon's work as a hero is compared to others. His innate kindness is his greatest strength, but at the same time, it also means Jon has to deal with the reality that he could seriously hurt people if he's not careful. This fear even extends to hurting his enemies, proving just how compassionate he is.

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Why the New Superman Went to Nightwing for Training

Jon Talks to Nightwing

Jon specifically chose Nightwing because he needed help from a perspective that wasn't similar to his. He had accidentally broken the arm of someone he was fighting, and despite it being an enemy, Jon felt especially bad about it because he never meant to cause that kind of damage. As efficient as he is it's important to remember that Jon's heroic career has only just begun. There are still so many aspects of being a hero that he needs to learn. One of those lessons is how to use his abilities without unintentionally hurting anyone.

Of course, his father can teach him the basics, but Jon wants to avoid hurting people as much as possible. To do that he can't just be focused on holding himself back, because people would die if he did so. What he needed was someone who could teach him how to be a better fighter so that he can maintain control of the situation. Nightwing was the obvious candidate for him. This also shows just how far Jon's compassion for people reaches. The only reason he requested additional training is that he felt bad about hurting someone who wouldn't have hesitated to do the same to him. In an irony that mirrors his father, Jon is one of the most human people in the DCU. His plight also highlights the kind of pressure he is under every day.

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Jon Kent's Superman is a Different Kind of Hero

Jon Asks Nightwing for Help

As Nightwing's observations of Jon explained, most heroes spend their time trying not to get hurt. In that sense, they're mostly focused on themselves. Not in a selfish way, but for the sake of self-preservation. Jon, however, is focused on making sure no one else can get hurt. In his life, he is always the strongest person, and with that knowledge comes the responsibility to make sure his powers aren't misused because when that happens, people will be hurt.

It's more common to see a Kryptonian hero brush off everything that comes their way, but Jon's lesson points out that they must all share this burden. The knowledge that, for all their strength and durability, they could just as easily be dangerous to the people they protect, and even the ones they fight. It is on them to toe the line and make sure only the necessary amount of force is applied, to do anything else would make them more like villains. It can't be easy for Jon to deal with this every day, but he took an admirable step to alleviate his fear by approaching Nightwing.