Superman Unlimited #11 – Dan Slott, Writer; Lucas Meyer, Artist; Giuliano Peratelli, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Jon Kent has been a key part of this series, getting a new job in Smallville and trying to find his place out of his father’s shadow, but it’s been a while since he had a solo spotlight – something that plays into this issue in a big way. Because ultimately, he might be Superman, but he’ll never be THE Superman to most people – except, of course, his arch-nemesis, the 4th-dimensional Time Demon Master Txyz. Yes, that Master Txyz! What do you mean you’ve never heard of him? Well, Jon agrees, and that just sends the mysterious villain who is destined to be defeated by Jon in the far future even further off the deep end. Soon, Jon finds himself catapulted through time as he’s shown how little an impact he’ll have on the 30th century, as well as how little an impact humanity itself will have in the big scheme of things. But he’s seen worse – and he’s unfazed. So the villain will have to get more personal.
The dynamic here between hero and villain is a lot of fun. We have a villain who has been plotting his vengeance for eons against a hero who doesn’t remember him at all, and he’s not afraid to go for Jon’s weakest points. The horror Jon endured at the hands of Ultraman for several years is one of those things that gets brought up occasionally, but few writers are ready to reckon with. Here, we see the distinct branching paths between who Jon was before his trauma, and after – and Jon finds himself confronted with what he could have been. By the end of this issue, as has been spoiled in solicits, we’ve got two Jon Kents – one forging his own path with a new identity, and one plucked right out of time. I don’t know how long either of these new status quos for the character will stick around, but it’s a fascinating development that’s the most intriguing thing to happen to the character in some time.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
