Superman Unlimited #14 – Dan Slott, Writer; Lucas Meyer, David Messina, Artists; Giuliano Peratelli, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: As we head towards the upcoming Kingdom of Zod crossover, this title has descended into chaos in the best way. Dan Slott has always been good at balancing a large cast and going into deep dives on the competition’s iconic red-and-blue hero, and he’s bringing those same skills here to this tale of two Superboys. Jon Kent, undercover as Tomorrow Man, has been mentoring his younger self, but he’s been noticing more and more inconsistencies. Why doesn’t Jon seem to remember the supervillains his father taught him about? Why does he seem so quick to anger? Those could be chalked up to his trauma – but the seeming immunity to Kryptonite can’t be. Still, there are some things that match up, like a deep phobia of volcanoes. Jon doesn’t have any clear answers – and neither does Lois, who goes to talk to Jonathan and Martha about the doubts regarding her son that she can’t quite express.
A lot of subplots converge here, like the story of our lovable monkey Beppo, who gained superpowers from an experiment. He’s now living happily in Steelworks in a red sun enclosure to keep his powers from going out of control. It’s been great to see John Henry Irons (and his wife, Lana Lang) taking on a bigger role as the science moguls of Metropolis, and they wind up playing a key role when it comes time to investigate the mystery Jon. But the fears that everyone had about him bubble over in a big way when he finds out they’re trying to confine him once again, setting up a tense battle next issue. However, the reveal at the end – courtesy of the Bats, who have been on the case since this Jon showed up – throws me for a loop in a big way. It’s easy to assume things are going to go one way, but I think this story might be a lot more nuanced like that, and this next issue should be a hell of a ride.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
