Superman: Son of Kal-El #17 – Tom Taylor, Writer; Cian Tormey, Ruairi Coleman, Artists; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Now that Kal-El is back on Earth and he and Jon have reunited, there’s one question hanging in the air—when is Jon going to come out? Of course, this is sort of a foregone conclusion, as Jon and Jay are a public couple and the odds are Clark found out about them five seconds after appearing on Earth. And naturally, Superman is one of the kindest and most tolerant people around. So why is Jon so hesitant to open up to his father? This issue does an amazing job of fleshing out that relationship and showing some of the painful fractures that may have formed in it due to Clark’s long absence. Clark narrates this issue, putting us squarely in his head as we see how he views Jon, and it’s a great way to set this issue apart from the rest of the series. Taylor’s run has been dominated by the Gamorra story for the entire run, so these last two issues have been a vital change of pace.
So many characters get great spotlights this issue, particularly the Kents as they dig out from the rubble and plan for the future. I’m always a sucker for scenes that show Clark’s vulnerability, and one scene in Smallville is fantastic. But amid all this emotional content, there is a threat looming—the new villain, Red Sin. This character first appears in Metropolis, seemingly a cheerful young man who finally cracks a tech puzzle he’s been working on for a long time. He loves his family and wants to do them proud—seemingly by ambushing Superman, stripping him of his powers, and nearly killing him. He may have ties to a larger plot that Luthor is cooking up, but if I had to guess, it’s a weaponized form of the red sun that depowers Superman—and adds a new threat beyond the hard-to-find Kryptonite. These action scenes nicely set up a brilliant seen between Clark and Jon towards the end of the issue. As always, the Superman family is in great hands right now.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
