Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #3 – Tom Taylor, Writer; Clayton Henry, Artist; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: So far, this series has all been building up to one moment—Jon Kent colliding with the Injusticeverse. We got to that point last issue where the Injustice Superman showed up and killed the murderous Ultraman, immediately realizing who Jon was. And that’s the thing about Injustice Superman—yes, he’s a villain, but he’s not a one-dimensional monster. He’s what happens to a Superman who’s broken and has all the wrong people whispering in his ear. But more than anything, he still desires to make the world a better place for the people he cares about—including Jon. Jon’s acclimation to this world is intriguing, as he encounters an oddly friendly Lex Luthor and a Superman who wants to protect him—maybe a little too intensely. Superman does his best to conceal the truth about this world from Jon, but it all starts falling apart when Jon encounters another familiar face from his world.
Of course, the only people more screwed up than the Supers in this world are the Bats, and Damian is chief among them. Working for Superman and defiantly opposed to his estranged father after the (slightly absurd) death of Dick Grayson, this Damian is hardened and has none of the affection towards Jon that his counterpart does. Their first meeting goes badly, and only intensifies Superman’s desire to shield his son. But Jon insists on exploring the world, and Wonder Woman (who still feels out of place in this world) only amplifies Superman’s paranoia. There’s a brilliant, subtle scene towards the end of the issue where Jon saves a baby and in one moment realizes what’s so terribly wrong with this world that seems to be a little cleaner, a little more peaceful than his own. This is the best issue of this new series so far, and Taylor does an excellent job of ramping up the tension in this multiversal adventure.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
