Just watching the loving family dynamics of the Kents is unbelievably sweet as they teach Jon to use his powers responsibly.
Issue #2
Seeing Damian at least try to empathize with Jon's shock over seeing dead bodies for the first time shows a lot of character growth from his initial appearances as a psychopathic murderer.
Jon: Dead... They're all dead... I'm calling my dad! Th-This is—horrible... Damian: It is Jon, but you need to stay calm. We can figure this out.
Jon swallowing his nausea and shock from the previous incident to put up a brave front for a crying girl. Clearly his superhero instincts are showing.
Jon:[after jumping away from the warehouse] ...Gonna be sick... [hears someone as he turns the corner] Hnn?, who's there? [sees a crying girl] Hi there, I'm Jo— err... I'm Superboy. Did you run away from the warehouse? Girl: Y-Yes... I did... Jon:[walks over with a smile] I promise I'm here to help.
Issue #4
Lex Luthor actually being fairly nice to Sara while acting as "Superman".
Lex: Two things are important. One: Your brother is alive and we will save him so he can pay for his crimes. And second, you are obviously quite powerful yourself.
Issue #6
Jon's parents happily watching their son run off for his first official night of superheroics while making sure he has a snack and that he gets home on time.
Clark: And remember... what are we helping folks for, Buddy? Jon:[fist-bumping his dad] Good people get involved. Clark: Bingo. Take the skylight.
Jon and Damian do more than just stop robbers and purse snatchers, they also get cats out of trees and change people's tires. It's just a good reminder that superheroes are for helping people, not just punching supervillains.
Issue #7
Jon's face is filled with wonder and excitement while setting off with the Titans is heartmeltingly adorable.
When Kraklow is complaining about being foiled by a bunch of "ignorant children", Damian doesn't allow Jon to exclude himself from the Titans as part of his retort.
Damian: We're not children, we're teens. Jon: Actually, I'm— Damian: Shut it.
Issue #8
Damian reassuring Jon that the two of them were going to get off Eoroe and return home is pretty nice of him, given their interactions in the past.
Jon: We're gonna get home, right? Damian: Without a doubt.
Soon afterward, Damian shows genuine concern for Jon when the former reminisces on his last trip to Apokolips.
Jon: I've been to the moon and lotsa other weird places with my dad. You? Damian: Apokolips. Jon: What's that like? Damian: Hell. Pray you never see it.
Damian also begins taking Jon's ideas seriously at face value (albeit with a Backhanded Compliment), which shows how far along their partnership has progressed since they first met.
While also doubling as a funny Running Gag, the fact that people keep confusing Jon and Damian for brothers should say a lot about their friendship at this point.
Issue #10
Damian, Jon, Bruce, and Clark at the beginning of the issue. The four are there to watch Jon practice flying, as Jon takes flight, all of them have big smiles on their faces.
Jon trying to show Damian what it was like flying by having him lie on the roof of the truck, complete with him having Damian hold his arms out like he's flying and saying " Up, up, and away". The scene of the boys lying on their stomachs, with arms out in front pretending to fly, acting like children for a moment with huge smiles on their faces is very sweet.
Damian also remembering what it was like for him to have powers because of this, he even thanks Jon for making him remember.
Bruce commenting that Damian has changed since he met Jon, the implication being that he see's the change as good. Damian may try to deny all he can that he and Jon are friends, but Jon is still having a positive influence on him.
While Damian may not be too fond of the idea, Jon is absolutely ecstatic about the idea of Damian going to his school. While Damian is busy complaining, Jon can't help but get excited about the idea of them sharing lockers together, doing their homework together in their new headquarters, and generally spending all day together. A far cry from the first arc of the book where Jon just wanted Damian to leave him alone and get out of his life.
Teen Titans #15 (Super Sons of Tomorrow Part 3)
The first thing on Damian's mind as soon as he regains consciousness, Jon.
After checking on the Teen Titans' vital signs and determining them to be alright, the first thing Damian does is to try and find Jon and rescue him from drowning without even thinking about his own well-being in the process.
Not only that, but he sounds downright concerned for Jon's safety, acting very distraught and ordering his computer to search faster in locating Jon.
After regaining consciousness, Jon's own first thoughts were the status of the Titans, as he's afraid that he killed them by accident. Even though he's only spent a short time with them, Jon still considers them to be close friends.
Jon has a Freak Out over the guilt he feels over his first Solar Flare incident, Damian quickly assures Jon that he wasn't to blame and that he was going to make sure that everything was alright.
Damian finally admits that he sees Jon as a close friend.
Jon: Thanks, Damian. Damian: Friends help each other, right? Jon: I thought we were just partners? Damian:Shut up, Jon.
Superman #38 (Super Sons of Tomorrow Part 4)
The Titans of Tomorrow quickly put aside their differences with the current Teen Titans in order to save Jon's life.
The interaction between Superman and Connor Kent.
Connor: Who's in there? Superman: My ten-year old son. Connor: Jon?! Superman: I have to save him! Connor: You mean we have to save him. I failed him once... I won't again. Superman: We do it together.
Savior ultimately sacrificing himself to save the boy he tried to kill after seeing the combined efforts of Superman, the Titans and his friends to do the same.
Issue #12 (Super Sons of Tomorrow Part 5)
After seeing what Savior went through to kill Jon as well as the possibility that Jon will die while trying to stop Damian from doing something in the future, Superman has some second thoughts about letting the boys adventure together. Damian and Jon quickly step up to alleviate his fears, with Damian completely dropping his usual, standoffish tone to address Superman in a respectful, but firm way.
Damian:[to Superman] I swear to you, sir, I will never put your son in harm's way. Jon:[to his dad] Just like how you're here to protect me, I'm going to protect Damian and whatever world I have to in the possible future, if it ever happens. Damian: It's a two-way street, Mr. Kent. I'll be there to protect Jon. Jon:[puts an arm around Damian's shoulder as they both give each other a small smile] Staying close to Damian—being a friend in good times and bad—is the answer, not pushing him away. We only learn by making our own choices, Dad.
After the chaos that Savior brought and Damian's long-held insistence that Jon should not be allowed to join the Teen Titans since he was too young, the first thing Damian does after calling the Titans to order in the Watchtower is to call a vote to have Jon instated as a part-time member for the time being and a full-time member once he's of age. He's also so confident that Jon will be a Titan that he tells Jon that he shouldn't bother making a case.
Jon:[clearly forcing a smile] Guess I'll leave you all so you can have your meeting... [walks away quietly] Damian:[conflicted and troubled expression as Jon walks away, before finally slamming his fists on the table] Meeting's called to order! I move that we put Superboy up for a vote to be a half-member of the Teen Titans... and later be recognized as a full member once he turns thirteen years of age! Do I hear a second?! Jon:[rushing back to the table] Sorry, I overheard ya, is there anything I can do before you vote, to help convince you? Damian:[turns to Jon with a small smile and gives him a thumbs up] Not necessary.
Even better, Damian calls the vote with a beaming smile.
The Titans are ultimately too shaken by the events of Super Sons of Tomorrow to allow Jon into the Titans despite their earlier enthusiasm for it, with Damian providing the only vote in Jon's favor. Damian is clearly shocked and disappointed by the result, excusing himself to soften the blow to Jon.
And while Jon is very disappointed about how the vote went, he's still very thankful and touched that Damian was in his corner.
Damian:[putting a hand on Jon's shoulder] Sorry about the vote. Jon: That's okay. Thanks for having my back Damian, it means a lot. Damian: Hey, that's what partners are for, we look out for each other. Jon: That's what friends are for too, right? Damian: "Friends?" You just had to ruin it, didn't you? Jon: Sorry. Damian:[pausing] ...Don't be.
To reiterate, Damian and Jon just went through a pretty traumatic ordeal where they both find out they both could be responsible for the deaths of millions (Jon the gun, Damian the trigger) and just had someone from the future try to kill Jon. These revelations have left others wary about the Super Sons, with Superman uncertain he should let Jon continue to spend time with Damian, and the Teen Titans wary of letting Jon join their ranks due to his unstable power. Despite these grievances, the boys make it perfectly clear they still want to continue their partnership and friendship, and whatever trouble comers their way, they will look out for and protect each other. The fact that they have each others backs, Jon defends Damian when his father airs his concerns and Damian likewise shows his faith in Jon by trying to get him on the Teen Titans, shows how far their relationship has come since the beginning of this book where they couldn't really stand each other.
Issue #13
Jon goes to greet Damian every morning when he arrives for school.
When Jon says he will meet Damian for lunch, Damian responds with a no. Jon responds by saying he'll see him at lunch. And then during lunch, Damian shows up to meet him.
When Talia refers to Damian as a weapon, Jon responds angrily that Damian isn't a weapon, he's his friend.
A small one, but throughout the issue, Jon openly refers to Damian as his friend. Damian doesn't try to correct him or deny it like he did in the past.
Issue #14
Gotham is known for being full of shady crooks and many of the law-abiding citizens can still come across as selfish and self-centered. It's heartwarming to see a woman try to help Jon when he gets dogpiled by the League of Assassins, even if Jon doesn't need it and ends up saving her.
Damian flatout tells his mother that he doesn't need her because his father is his family and he has a network of friends to support him. This is one of those rare moments where he blatantly uses the word "friend" out loud without trying to hide how he feels about them. He also works hard to save Jon's mom, going so far as to make a Declaration of Protection when his mother challenges him on this.
Damian also doesn't bring up Jon's Secret Identity at all to protect him from Talia's retaliation, which Jon thanks Damian for. Damian then starts flying away on his hover cycle in a huff, only to to swing back around to speak candidly with Jon about what exactly motivated Talia and his past as an assassin.
Even though Jon is shocked by learning about how Damian was a killer assassin once, he ultimately looks past this to reaffirm their friendship and the fact that Damian is his own person, not merely an extension of his parents' ideals.
Damian: Just so you know... the things she trained me to do when I was a toddler... Jon: I know, D... all that blood, the people you hurt... must be hard to live with. Damian: It is, and I'm not proud of it... J. I've learned that I can be better. And that whenever I am, my mother loses and my father wins. Jon:[places a hand on Damian's shoulder] Hey, remember. You're the one making the choice, not them. The only one winning is you. That's why we're pals.
Issue #15
Damian's concern for Jon throughout the issue. Both when he's trying to prevent them both from drowning and after Jon's been taken by Kid Amazo.
Damian:[to Jon] There you go. Breathe deep. Stay with me.
Issue #16
When Cyborg tells Damian that they're a team now, Damian tells him that he already has a team. Jon.
Damian: I already have a team, Cyborg. And he needs my help.
Damian asks Jon to watch his back. When Kid Amazo attacks him, he doesn't even look up. That's how much he trusts Jon to protect him.
Cyborg: Look out, kid! Damian: Don't worry, Cyborg. My pal's got Super in his name.
Jon ruffling Damian's hair, and Damian letting him.
Superman and Batman expressing pride in their sons, and telling them that they're well on their way to surpassing their dads.
Superman: What so you say, Batman? Should we start planning retirement? Batman: You know something...(puts hand on Damian's shoulder) I can see it...a bit further down the road. Damian: (smirking) How much further? Batman: (also smirking)Further.
The Framing Device has an old man (apparently either Bruce, Clark, Damian, or Jon) telling the boys' stories to his granddaughter (who can fly like Superman and Jon) and a boy who resembles Damian. It's a nice moment of family bonding, plus it seemingly confirms that Damian and Jon will both live to adulthood and have families of their own. And if the old man is Damian or Jon, then the two families may intermarry.
