It’s time again for a brand new review! This time, we’ll be reviewing DC Comics’ newest series first volume, Superman Son Of Kal-El: The Truth.
In this new series, Jon Kent has had quite an eventful life, being the son of Earth’s Greatest Hero, Superman, fighting crime with Robin (Damian Wayne), and living in the future with the Legion of Superheroes, going under an intense training regiment for the day when his father could no longer be Superman.
But, there is a hole in the Legion’s History that prevented Jonathan from seeing when that day will come. But all signs are pointing to it happening very soon. Now, the time has come for Jon to wear his father’s cape and continue the never-ending battle as a symbol of hope for his home planet.
But now, Jon faces a similar issue that his father faced, can he be Superman and live a normal life? The son of Clark Kent, and Lois Lane, is about to learn the hard way while he heading to college and combats the dangers of the modern world.
If you have followed the Future State Event, it offered readers a look into a timeline of when Jon took up the mantle of his father. However, that was a possible future but with how time changes so frequently in the DC Universe, as the old saying goes, “Time will only tell.”
Speaking of time this new series was handled by the creative team of writer Tom Taylor (DCEASED, Injustice Gods Among Us, and Nightwing), and artists John Timms, and Cian Tormey. If you have been following the story from before, Clark is off-world on a new mission, and Jon took on the mantle of his father, who is starting to realize that wearing the shield and being the only person wearing it are two different things. Jon finds himself battling newer supervillains that are vastly different from the ones he has come across, that’s when Taylor introduces President Henry Bendix of Gamorra, who has begun to target the new Man of Steel.
It also introduced another new player in this new story, an organization called The Truth, a group of activists that combats injustices committed by those in power who are never held accountable for their actions. Tom Taylor does a great job in setting up Jonathan’s new world, giving him a voice that’s much like his father, but making sure there is a subtle difference to where he isn’t considered to be a mini-version of Clark or a mini-version of Lois. He may be the son of Lois Lane and Clark Kent, but he is his own man and with his own problems.
The complaint I had for this first arc, was that it was solved too quickly, even though Taylor is setting up Bendix’s Larger threat. To me, this felt like Jon was completing a ‘To-Do’ List when it came down to what causes to support on a long list of issues. It does bring up an opportunity for philosophical discussions. Meanwhile, the big reveal is here, and I’m all for it. There have been complaints and even death threats over it. But you have to remember, Jonathan is his own man, even though he wears the mantle of his father, the legacy for truth, and justice lives on. The whole idea of Superman has been about representing the best in humanity, and Tom still embodies that idea for Superman. He brought forward a variety of issues in this first story arc, like global warming, the refugee crisis, authoritarianism, etc. Jonathan, like his parents, is a social crusader but he has a long way to go.
Coming this July to Entertainment Earth: The DC Multiverse Superman Jonathan Kent Future State 7-Inch Scale Action Figure features up to 22 points of articulation, comes packaged in a blister box and comes with a collectable art card that features comic artwork on the front, and character biography on the back. Jon Kent is based on his look in the DC Future State comic book series and comes with an alternate pair of hands and a flight stand base.
The artwork in this series is phenomenal, John Timm’s line-work is mixed with a skilled composition of form and dynamic movement. I have mentioned in the first issue review of this series, that smooth transitioning from action scenes to intimate moments is accompanied by his detail of landscapes. Speaking of artistic transitioning, artist Daniele Di Nicuolo joined the creative team in Issue Four. Di Nicuolo’s art style is a good fit for a superhero story, giving it a simple, and vibrant feeling for the Son of Steel’s newest adventure.
If you’re looking for a good superhero story, then I would recommend this to you, Tom and his team have brought the Father and Son of Steel’s adventures to a new audience. It collects Issues 1-6 and is worth adding to any collection. It’s available at your local comic book shop or digitally. If you’re interested in reading more of my reviews, click here to check them out!
Final Grade:
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