Superman Unlimited #14 review

That’s a scary young Superboy Jon Kent looming over older version Tomorrow Man in Taurin Clarke’s terrific cover illustration, just look at the levels of detail. Can the interiors possibly match the cover?

The issue opens with the newest heroes of Metropolis interrupting an attempted tech theft by Superman’s old foe Professor Thaddeus Kilgrave. Big Jon fully expects his younger counterpart to recognise the bad guy.

What does Jon mean, it’s as if he expects Lois to be Superwoman permanently?

As for where Lois is, she’s in Smallville, with questions for her parents-in-law.

‘There’s a chance…’ Lois, as seemed obvious the first time she met him, isn’t convinced Little Jon is her Jon. The fact his grandparents haven’t seen older Jon for awhile points towards things being as they were presented to Lois by Tomorrow Man, who introduced Young Jon believing he was with his younger self, plucked through time from a volcano on Earth 3. Lois is going to have to do some investigating.

Back in Metropolis, Big Jon and Little Jon are facing their second meta-menace of the day, Black Lightning foe Volcana, who controls lava, which proves a tad triggering.

One thing that doesn’t scare Superboy is green Kryptonite, as Tomorrow Man spots when they bid to rescue complicated villain Metallo from the much more evil Dabney Donovan clones seen last issue.

While the boys clean up Metropolis, Lois has reached Steelworks outside Smallville, where hero scientist John Henry Irons, Steel, has been helping newly Super-Monkey Beppo.

Why has Lois arranged a euphemistically named ‘enclosure’ for her supposed son? Batman and Robin, who met Young Jon briefly, think they know…

Ultra Boy? But… but… he doesn’t look like Jo Nah of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Oh, hang on, Ultraboy, one word, son of alternate Earth Super-Scumbags Superwoman and Ultraman. The implication is that our Jon Kent, when he escaped from that volcano, was later replaced by Ultraman’s own son, in some kind of toughening-up exercise. Perhaps his Jon had come across the original’s S-jacket and, in his father’s eyes, had to be taught not to be like the Earth 1 version he saw as soft. That would fit Ultraman’s twisted nature.

Who saw that coming?

Well, I did write this in the comments for Superman Unlimited #12, in response to our pal Murray’s suggestion Slott and friends were going for a ‘Return of Barry Allen vibe’.

OK, I have been arguing for years that Big Jon was Earth 3 Jon, but I finally got there, a whole two months before the comic’s big reveal. Can I have the win?

Writer Dan Slott again shows he can write a truly compelling Superman, comic, one so absorbing that I don’t miss Superman one bit. More than any other writer he’s cracked original flavour Jon, showing him to be smart, compassionate but no longer a super-pacifist – he’ll look for the best in people but go in with fists flying as necessary.

I’ve recapped a lot of the comic, but there’s some great stuff in here I’ve not even nodded to, as Slott adds to the texture of Metropolis life and shows the disadvantage of the Tomorrow Man costume.

There is one thing I don’t get.

Given there’s currently more green Kryptonite on Earth than ever before, should it not be cheaper?

Regular artist Lucas Meyer is spotted for a few pages this time by David Messina; the latter’s Volcana scene is slightly more cartoony than the rest of the book, but only just, and not in a negative way. The energy levels match Messina and the storytelling is great, I’d be very happy to see some full-length work by Messina (I was singing a similar song back in 2016).

As for Meyer, he again proves he’s the best thing to happen to this book since it started, his sharp work bringing Slott’s script to glorious visual life. The dynamism of the layouts and humanity of the characters is up there with anything else at DC, he’s even making me like the busy Tomorrow Man outfit; get rid of the mask and we’d have a winner. The work with Lois and the Kents sells the mystery of Jon’s identity masterfully, while the action scenes – all three of them – crackle. And details such as the Supermobile peeking out of the Kent barn and Damian Wayne giving us his Burt Ward add to the fun.

Colour artist Giuliano Peratelli shows a real mastery of tone and light, adding to the excellence of the visuals. And Dave Sharpe’s letters convey a different kind of tone, ensuring Slott’s words are always inviting.

At the top of this review I asked if the contents of the issue could live up to the promise of the cover. They do, and more besides. Don’t sleep on this one, it’s a winner.