Review: Superman Son of Kal-El #18

Superman Son of Kal-El #18 came out this week, the last issue of the series, although this doesn't feel like a finale in any real way. This reads like a standard issue of this title with the usual mix of social commentary and minor super-heroics.  

I don't know if I was expecting a big final splash page with some platitude like 'the battle never ends' or 'I am Superman'. But there isn't even a final issue dress on the cover. I suppose with the 'Adventures of Superman Jon Kent' mini-series around the corner this is more of a pause than anything else.

Writer Tom Taylor has been consistent with his take on the character. Jon has gone a year and a half without throwing a punch. There are a couple of plot points here which are a little magical in terms of how they play out. And there is the clear social justice bend here, although not as ham-fisted as it usually has been presented. I'll take understated in the context of the story than overstated in place of story 100% of the time.

The art is dreamy by Cian Tormey. You can see how his style has evolved over the issues he has been here and there is always a nice flair to the action. I hope we continue to see him on other books. 

On to the book. 

We start with a fun scene of the Justice League repairing the Kent Farm. Like many, I like seeing heroes doing smaller tasks or interacting in a fun way now and then. Seeing Flash super-speed hammering is fun. Of course, I hope someone has rudimentary understanding of plumbing, wire work, etc. But it is clear, all the heroes love the Kents.

I did like this moment where we learn Batman has made a force bubble designed to thwart Superman. paranoid and caring.

The poor Kents though. Are they basically imprisoned in their home for safety? Perhaps getting the identity back into the genie lamp will be helpful for them.

The elephant in the room is that Jon was depowered in his fight with Red Sin and the detectives (Lois and Dick) have figured him out.

Luis Rojas is the son of LexCorp scientists who died in an explosion and on-line hater of Jon. He has sworn revenge.

Of course, the implication here is that Luis has been radicalized into hatred of Jon. His on-line presence shows that. With the means to deliver, the heroes ask Jon take some precautions.

A bomb threat gets called into the Daily Planet. Superman and Superman realize it may be a trap but they check it out. 

I have lots of questions about this section. They sweep the building and see a device in Perry's office. But instead of dealing with the device, the two heroes bring everyone out of the building first. It seems like a strange approach. Certainly that is a lot of rescue effort instead of dealing with the problem. 

Just then Jimmy's signal watch (we saw Luis get it earlier) goes off. Clark flies off to investigate the watch signal while Jon grabs the device.

The device turns out to be inert, a feint. This is why investigating the device first might make more sense. One line of dialogue about how it looked real and about to explode might help explain things here.

Tracing the still active watch, Jon sees Clark helpless. And then he loses all power. Red Sin is there.

And Luis goes old school, pulling out a gun and putting 3 in the chest of Jon. 

I won't bury the lede. Jon is wearing a kevlar vest at Dick's insistence. But this is the magical part. Luis could have shot Jon in the head. Or the knee. Or the neck.

Anyways, Luis thinks he has won.  

And then one more thing that sort of seems off. 

We learn the origin of Jon's gaudy belt. Brainiac 5 made it as a sort of one-time yellow sun boost. Jon breaks it and is immediately repowered.

The problem with things like this existing, whether it is Supergirl's yellow sun suit from Andreyko's run to the government's red sun rifles in World of New Krypton, is that you have to explain why they aren't used all the time.

Couldn't this have helped out Clark immensely on Warworld? Shouldn't all the team be wearing this?

Rejuiced, Jon deals with Luis from afar ... which might have been a good plan from the get go. 

Surely he should have been scanning the area of Jimmy's signal before just flying in?

But that would have meant we didn't get the chest shots or the belt scene.

The red sun tech is bonded to Luis so it can't be removed. So he instead is incarcerated. 

I do like that Jon decides to visit Luis in the prison in hopes of mending fences. (I can remember that this was something Steve Orlando had Kara do, visit the folks she put away to help.)

But it is clear that Luis isn't listening. He claims that Lois Lane has used her platform to program people into believing Jon is a force of good. She has brainwashed people. Of course, more likely is that he has been programmed to be violent.

Taylor could have used this moment to talk about how sides of an argument can be radicalized. Both sides can be fed misinformation. Is Lois brainwashing people? We know that isn't true. 

But in an era of algorithms and being shown the same info over and over, it is know people can be sheltered from different opinions

At least the conclusion is understated. 

I like that Jon is going to continue to visit Luis. And I like that he thanks Superman for raising him not to hate people he doesn't know. After all, Luis doesn't know Jon but he has already framed Jon as a villain. 

I mean it when I say, I loved this moment. A nice simple message. Don't hate people ... especially if you don't know them. 

If Taylor kept his social messaging and lessons like this, I would have no problem. After all, I am a Superman fan for a reason. I learned a lot from his inspiration. 

Taylor was very pointed in his issues and messaging though. So did Jon hate the people who didn't want illegal immigrants flown into Metropolis earlier in the series? Did he listen to their concerns? I know he didn't hate them. But did he know them and what they were worried about?

This is the problem with inserting real life issues into comics, or building your stories around them long term. Taylor is showing us his reality and take on these things. Is he 'programming' his readers? When the nuances around things are shown or discussed, it seems superficial. When you deep dive, you're reading an ethics journal and not a comic book. 

Luis is visited by someone else.

Lex arrives and recruits Luis. Luthor is planning something and Red Sin is part of it.

And so ends this title. 

I thought this issue was okay. The non-head shot, the solar belt, the second attack from far away all felt off. The understated message of non-hate was well received. The lack of follow-up commentary on the social issues again felt missing.

I read a lot of 'special' issues growing up where topics like racism, drug abuse, mental health, and child abuse happened. I read comics where the allegory for racism and homophobia were evident but it was allegory not story. As I have said before, creators need to walk a fine line when inserting a true real life issue into a world with super-powered aliens. I don't know if this title succeeded.

When Taylor concentrates on the character and not the issue, he shines. I have liked his work elsewhere. But this book has seemed heavy-handed. It is why a simple message like Jon talking to Clark here was so appreciated.

On to Adventures.

Overall grade: B-