It's been a few weeks since I read the issue, Spoiler: but as far as I remember there was time travel involved. As in Superman got stuck in the sixties for some time before he found a way back to the present. I think it was spelled out at some point, but I might be misremembering things.
Spoiler Didn't they just do this to explain how Green Arrow and Speedy were part of the Seven Soldiers in the 40s?
I just checked the issue. Spoiler: Direct quote from the book. Page 12 (not counting ads), panel 1 (completely black). Superman (off) #1: "It must have been around Winter 1963 -- six months before the Beatles hit it big in the USA..." Superman (off) #2: "I'd been lost in time." So, yeah, time travel seems to be the go-to explanation for certain heroes in past settings now.
Its not actually the first time something like this has happened in DC Comics Spoiler Pre-New 52, in the mid 1990s actually, Hippolyta basically "became" the Golden Age Wonder Woman through time travel. During the time Diana was dead in the mid 90s (killed during the Underworld Unleashed event by Neron) Hippolyta became Wonder Woman for a bit, and ended up time traveling to the 40s and joining the JSA, then time traveling back to the modern day, retroactively putting her into the spot of the Golden Age Wonder Woman (and everyone then remembering her as always having been the JSA's Wonder Woman on the prime Earth, at least from what I remember). So, this trick is definitely not a modern invention.
Sorry I didn't post, but I went back and looked at the issue again. It definitely seems like a "time travel" explanation with Clark's presence being covered up by the U.S. But it was weird that Clark offered to go to Dallas--was he trying to prevent Kennedy's assassination? (Rhetorical Question)
Apparently.... Spoiler Jon Kent is bisexual. https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/11/entertainment/superman-comes-out-bisexual-jon-kent-cec/index.html
Spoiler Wish I could find where I read this, but when the idea of Jon being bi was still just rumor and speculation, somebody described it as literalizing the idea that "no matter who you are, Superman can love you." I thought that was an interesting perspective on what's now a confirmed development.
Spoiler Rightist online meltdown and tirade about Woke and SJWs spoiling everything in 5...4...3...2...1...
The oddness is to do with the context of how this series was originally written - it was meant to be part of 5G and I bet originally Clark was from that time-period and when 5G got ditched, they added in the caption about Time-travel....
I think Jon's really lucky that he's dating a highly evolved and open minded girl from the 31st century.
January Solicits are out. - "Batman: The Knight", can't have a month without a new Bat-title, now, can we? This one's a 10-part story about Bruce's years travelling and training as a young man. Once again, pass. - Detective #1050, of course DC will celebrate anything that can be construed as a Batman anniversary. This one is notable for a back-up story featuring Superman, written by Mark Waid and is rumored to be setting up a new World's Finest series by Waid, so I might have to bite the bullet and buy this thing. - Justice League vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes, six-part mini-series by (surprise) Brian Bendis. What, you think I'm not buying that? It's the Legion and the JL, FFS. - Superman & Robin, one-shot reuniting Jon Kent (the current grown-up Superman version) and (still young teen) Damien Wayne, written by Super-Sons mastermind Peter Tomasi. Hell, yeah! - Peacemaker: Disturbing the Peace, mature readers one-shot (I definitely like the sound of that, one-shot, as in not having to commit to a whole bunch of issues) by Garth fucking Ennis. - With Hardware: Season One, the third and final of the current Milestone titles reaches its conclusion. Also concluding: Superman '78, Batman '89, Crush & Lobo, JL Infinity, and Robin & Batman - JL #72 appears to feature members of the regular JL and the JL Dark teaming up, and there's only one creative team listed, so this might be a book-length feature.
I'll likely get: JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1 BATMAN: THE KNIGHT #1 DETECTIVE COMICS #1050 DARK KNIGHTS OF STEEL #3 SUPERMAN & ROBIN SPECIAL #1 ACTION COMICS #1039 BLUE & GOLD #6 DC VS. VAMPIRES #4 JUSTICE LEAGUE #72 JUSTICE LEAGUE INCARNATE #3 ONE-STAR SQUADRON #2 SUICIDE SQUAD #11 SUPERMAN '78 #6 SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL #7 HARLEY QUINN: THE ANIMATED SERIES: THE EAT. BANG! KILL. TOUR #5 SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW #7 TITANS UNITED #5 PEACEMAKER: DISTURBING THE PEACE #1 JUSTICE LEAGUE INFINITY #7 plus the PENNYWORTH, HUMAN TARGET, and BATMAN VS. BIGBY! A WOLF IN GOTHAM series in trade.
Jay isn’t helpless…but an Olsen type communication device might be a good idea. Let’s say you are like Marvel’s Diamond Lil. You cannot be hurt. But an evil enough villain might throw you in cement. One of the worst things from the old SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES was Metallo immobilized by ocean muck—then lava…unable to die…as bad as “The Jaunt.”