WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Superman: Son of Kal-El #1 on sale now.
Even though he's taking over as DC's new Superman, Things are already tough for Jonathan Kent at the moment. With everything that's going on in Action Comics, his own powers becoming greater while his father's recede, the youngest Kent has a lot going on. However, there's one particularly heartbreaking problem that's as agonizing as ever, and it's been going on for most of his life.
Superman: Son of Kal-El #1 by Tom Taylor, John Timms, Gabe Eltaeb and Dave Sharpe sees the Super Sons reunited once more, as Jon goes to Damian Wayne for a very important heart-to-heart talk. Debating whether or not he did the right thing in a forest fire incident, he seeks his friend's advice. As Robin points out though, the reason Jon came to him specifically for help is a sad one.
Damian bluntly states that he's Jon's only friend who he isn't related to in some capacity, which isn't wrong. With Clark Kent revealing his identity to the world a short time ago, and Jon not having a secret identity since he was a kid, he can't exactly live a normal life, which in turn means he can't go out and make normal friends. And without other friends, the only people he can talk to are members of his family or other heroes like Damian.
The reason DC's newest Superman doesn't have any friends is through little fault of his own. It's mainly down to how chaotic his upbringing has been and the challenges he faced, challenges unlike those of any ordinary kid. Ever since Jon's time as a refugee from another Earth in Rebirth, he and his parents led a secretive life. Even when his father revealed himself to the world, their move to Hamilton County didn't exactly equate to friends either.
During his time in this rural town, Jon made two friends. One was Damian Wayne, but the first friend he ever had was a young girl named Kathy. Kathy knew about Jon's powers from the start, which was probably why they got along so well, along with being neighbors. When Hamilton was revealed as a ploy by Manchester Black to corrupt Jon, Kathy was revealed as an alien. Though shared alien heritage would be something for them to bond over, it wouldn't be long before the Kents would move back to Metropolis, which also meant that Jon had to leave one of his few friends behind.
Even Jon's school life didn't provide the environment needed to create and maintain lasting friendships. Super Sons #10 by Peter J Tomasi, Jose Luis, Scott Hanna and Hi-Fi showed Jon, along with best friend Damian, forced to attend a private school in Metropolis. Due to the difference in age between the two, Jon couldn't even attend the same classes as his friend. The future Superman's attempts to find some super friends in the form of the Teen Titans didn't work out either, with only Robin wishing for the young Superboy to join the team.
Jon didn't get much time to acclimate to his new school, or Metropolis life in general, thanks to a trip into outer space with his grandfather Jor-El. When the trip went wrong, Jon was left trapped alone on Earth-3 for years, with only evil Superman substitute Ultraman for company.
When Jon returned, he was 17 years old and Damian was still his only friend. When the Legion of Superheroes asked Superboy to join, things seemed like they would change. However, his membership there was only ever temporary and he soon returned to the present, unable to see any of his future friends again.
Superman's best friend has a solution to his heartbreaking problem. Robin offers to make a new identity for him, so he can live a normal life in between his heroics and develop meaningful relationships. Although Damian acts like it's a simple task, he doesn't usually go to such lengths to help anyone, even his family. This indicates that the iconic Super Son partnership means as much to Damian as it does to Jon.