Superman Unlimited #18
"The Family Business"
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Lucas Meyer
Colorist: Giuliano Peratelli
Publisher: DC Comics
Superman is back and ready to resume the Never-Ending Battle... but how does he feel about the changes his son Jon made while he was gone?
His Father's Son
Clark Kent—Superman—is back, and he's brought his wife Lois Lane to a beautiful tropical area that no one else has seen before. After describing his time away, Clark turns the conversation towards their son Jon, who no longer wears the House of El crest and goes by Tomorrow Man.
Speaking of Jon, he knows he doesn't want to be a reporter or Superman, but he doesn't know what he does want to be. So he sets out to "find himself." Chef, race car driver, professional trading card game player—none of them quite work.
After a visit from Dad that doubles as a fight with the Royal Flush Gang, Jon knows what he wants to do...
"No Capes."
This was some of the best Jon Kent material I've seen since he was first aged up.
I'm not one of those people who violently hates adult Jon, but I'm also not completely enamored with the idea, either. I thought kid Jon was a terrific character who had a ton of potential. When Brian Bendis first aged Jon to an adult, there were some interesting stories to be told about the time Lois and Clark lost with their son. Then the 5G initiative was supposed to happen, and Jon would have been the Superman.
Instead, 5G never happened, and Jon has flailed since.
Making him Tomorrow Man, with his own look (albeit one very influenced by Nightwing) was a step in the right direction. This issue's focus on what Jon himself wants to be and do with his life takes it even further.
I love the montage scene of Jon trying different careers, and the fact that it's all inspired by the box of childhood items that Natasha Irons gave him. It makes sense if you're a young adult who's trying to find yourself, so start with the things that meant so much to you as a child.
While in Las Vegas for a Poke-Mage card game tournament, Jon is present when the Royal Flush Gang tries to rob the casino. Next thing you know, Superman is on the scene as well. Seems he was "helicopter parenting" from across the continent... Father tries to help out his son, but Jon isn't too happy with his dad. The Royal Flush Gang all take offense at the two men working through their family issues in the middle of a fight scene, which is quite funny.
It's hilarious how, as a family themselves, the Royal Flush Gang can immediately tell that Superman and Tomorrow Man are working through family issues of their own. The two men even beat up the Gang's very expensive robot man at the same time, which does nothing for its durability.
Following the fight, father and son have a genuine heart-to-heart conversation. This is incredibly well done, as both men have completely understandable points of view and no one comes across as completely wrong. That's not always easy to do, so major kudos to Dan Slott for that.
In the end, Superman does manage to help Jon decide what he wants to do. He's going to do something that even Superman can't do: find a way to Earth-3 and rescue his young counterpart—Ultraman's son. This is a great mission for Jon, and I'm glad that the Ultraboy character from the Reign of the Superboys arc has not been forgotten. I'm looking forward to seeing how Jon tries to pull this off as well as what happens if he ends up facing Ultraman, given everything that he went through at that man's hands.
One issue into this new co-lead venture featuring both Superman and Tomorrow Man, and I'm more invested in Jon Kent's story than I have been in years.
Oh, and I have to mention the opening scenes between Lois and Clark. It is so refreshing to see a married couple in comics that not only have stayed together, but that deeply and genuinely love each other. Seeing how well these two are written makes me angry about how Marvel treats Peter Parker and Mary Jane all over again. I won't go off on a tangent, but I just don't understand why it can be done so well here without "hurting" or "aging" the characters, but Marvel refuses to do the same for their flagship character?
Okay, rant over. Sorry about that. Let's move on.
Shifting Gears
Dan Slott is bringing his A-game to this book, and I'm excited to see it. As I said above, this is the most invested I've been in Jon Kent in a long time. He feels like his own man here, and not "mini Clark" like some writers portray him. The Tomorrow Man identity serves as a blank slate, freeing him from the baggage of the House of El (well, except for Dad always being around, but that's kind of Superman's thing). This issue is very well-paced, moving Jon through quite a few activities and a lot of soul-searching in short order but not making any of it seem rushed. And perhaps most importantly, the relationship between father and son feels genuine and not forced at all.
This issue features art by Lucas Meyer, and he delivers a strong effort. The initial scenes with Clark and Lois are well staged, with the tropical spot they steal some time in appearing as beautiful as Clark made it sound. As for our favorite Super-couple, even if there were no dialogue, you'd be able to tell just how much they love each other by their body language and facial expressions. The montage of Jon trying out different jobs is a lot of fun, and the fight with the Royal Flush Gang is a blast. I've always liked them as a smaller-scale group of villains—they've got a unique look, and the family aspect makes them different than most other baddie groups.
Giuliano Peratelli colors this issue, and does a good job. As you'd expect a Superman book to be, everything is heavily on the brighter side of the spectrum, with not a lot of shadows. Tomorrow Man's suit stands out on the page, especially with his glowing chest emblem, and the black of his mask seems to suck in the light around it. It's a striking visual that stands out as clearly different than your standard Superman look.
Family Ties
Superman Unlimited #18 delivers some of the best Jon Kent material since he was a child and puts him on the path to being his own man outside of his father's massive shadow. He may still be trying to find himself, but as the Tomorrow Man, he's more than up to the challenge.