Superman Unlimited #18 review

When is a number one not a number one? When it’s a DC Comic. Whereas Marvel have got into the habit of relaunching some titles every five issues, DC trusts the readers to buy the book even without a new set of numbers.

So here we are, 18 months since the debut of Superman Unlimited, and we have a new logo, a bold new direction and an injection of energy all round. Dan Slott’s been writing for awhile, Lucas Meyer has drawn a fair few issues, but now they’re the official ongoing creative team the book has a fresh confidence.

The Kryptonite Everywhere storyline is behind us, Superman has lost his daft 200-seconds-of-gold power and as Tomorrow Man, Jon is co-star of the book rather than fill-in Superman.

The only thing is I don’t like the mask – the chat with Booster Gold in the Kingdom of Zod Special had me expecting Jon to lose the cowl completely, but he has indeed just ‘cut a hole in your mask for your mouth’.

So, what happens this issue? We open with Lois and Clark chatting about their son. Superman is disappointed Jon doesn’t wish to be a Mini-Me.

Said Super Son is flying Metropolis fixture Bibbo to Smallville’s Steelworks so he can visit his new pal Beppo the Super Monkey.

Super-scientist Steel, aka Natasha Irons, has news – and an offer – for Jon.

While thinking about it, Jon tries some other possible career routes.

He even tries being a professional Pokemon – sorry, Poke-Mage – player, just as one of the DCU’s best-known villain teams shows up.

Jon almost relishes the arrival of trouble… less so the arrival of his old man.

I see his point. Jon’s trying to find his own way in the world and could use a little distance. While the original Gang could give the early Justice League a run for its money, modern versions have been lacklustre, and this bunch are no threat to Jon. So there’s no need for Superman to impose himself into the picture.

Fight over, father and son sit down – Super-style on a cloud – and their friendship smooths the moments of tension away. And in talking about the things they’ve separately been through, Jon finds his purpose. And it involves Ultraboy, the younger Jon of Earth 3, who sorely needs a role model.

What took you so long, Jon? Talk about unfinished business. Having spent years imprisoned on the parallel world where Evil wins, of course he’d want to find a way to help a little kid who’s basically been kidnapped by his thoroughly evil mother, Superwoman.

I don’t know if rescuing L’il Jon will be the thrust of the next few issues, more likely it’ll be a background thread along the lines of enlarging Kandor in the Silver Age, but it should certainly be on Jon’s mind. Meanwhile he could go back to college, and make some non-hero friends. While it looks as if his days of super-activism are behind him, it would be nice to see him doing some search and rescue work – not every crisis has to involve a villain.

Dan Slott deserves praise for writing Superman so thoroughly ‘Daddish’, reassuring his kid that he’s making great choices while bemoaning them to the wife.

And if Natasha Irons is going to be the third pillar of this series, great, she’s the most underused heroine this side of Firehawk. A good sign is that she chooses a new professional name here – OK, it’s not brilliant, but it’s better than her two previous shortlived Steel alternatives (points if you can remember them).

Line of the issue goes to Lana Lang – or is it Irons now? – about Smallville. How I laughed, even if I don’t recall her being a cyborg… perhaps it’s a reference to the terrible Millennium ‘sleeper’ agent business, or the Smallville telly show.

I’ve mentioned previously that I dislike the idea of Smallville being fundamentally odd, but if Slott is going to bring that phrase into the conversation, let’s have a Blue Devil team-up.

Oh, and the Pete Ross handshake made me smile, how very American – has that popped up somewhere previously?

All in all, Slott’s script is a winner, even the fight scene is great, combining theatricality with character.

And Meyer’s art is just spectacular – slick, dynamic, modern, cohesive… I hope he’s not going anywhere soon. He draws Superman like a god, but his human emotions are so clear. And his fight choreography is terrific – hopefully the Royal Flush Gang will return in their classic livery. Plus, he’s great at ensuring Clark and Jon don’t have the same hair.

Giuliano Peratelli continues to make this series even more glorious with his colour choices and application – keep an eye out for the skies behind Clark and Jon’s conversation, and the lighting effects on the opening page.

As for Dave Sharpe, his lettering is as good as ever, generally calm, with fun display fonts were they benefit the story.

All this, and we get a full-colour cover from Meyer that’s finished in a painterly way – just excellent. Mind, the new logo is far too quiet for a Superman comic, it looks like something you’d find on a Best Attendance trophy. I’d favour keeping the trad Superman logo – non-shiny version – and adding ‘and Son’. Some might say this diminishes Jon, but heck, what’s so bad about being the next generation of the world’s greatest hero? ‘Superman Unlimited’ was a story-driven title, and the story is over. Excellent editor Paul Kaminski, bring on Superman and Son.