Review: Adventures Of Superman Jon Kent #6

The Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #6 came out, bringing this series to a close. I'll start out by saying that I didn't like this series. And this finale didn't really elevate it. There is one clever moment, bringing something from the beginning of the series into play at the end in a different way. But outside that, this ended with a whimper.

I haven't really enjoyed what writer Tom Taylor has been doing with the character for a while. Jon is a socially conscious hero. But Taylor has veered so hard into it that Jon comes off as a jerk. Jon comes off as superior and condescending. What is worse, Taylor seems to make all the problems too easily solved by Jon. Taylor avoids the hard parts of the story, gliding over them or avoiding them. And he makes Jon seem almost self-contradicting in some of his ethics. 

In this story, Jon needs to show the world that the Injustice Superman is wrong. But the way we get there and the ending isn't satisfying. In the end, we get more of Taylor's odd take on super-heroics. The Injustice world isn't changed. Val-Zod and Red Tornado are still in the Phantom Zone. And the big face-off with Ultraman never happened. Get ready to cringe.

It's a shame that the story didn't hold up because the art by Clayton Henry is so smooth and polished that it seems wasted here. I hope he gets put on something soon. 

On to the details.

Review: Adventures Of Superman Jon Kent #5

Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #5 came out this week, the penultimate issue of this mini-series.

I'll be honest. I have struggled with this series since its beginning. This was billed as a Jon/Ultraman book and then jumped the tracks and became an Injustice book. If this had been billed up front as an Injustice mini (something I don't read), I may not have picked it up to begin with. The face-off against Ultraman was a plot worth examining but was cut short.

Writer Tom Taylor instead is mining the Injustice world again and I can understand why. It has been successful for him. And, I suppose, seeing Jon see some other darker version of his father has some potential. But most of the character beats have fallen flat here. In this issue, we see a haughty Jon being superior and almost insulting to other heroes. This is either a bad turn for the character or a set-up for a revelation next issue. Either way, not much else happens in this issue.

Clayton Henry continues to shine on art. His work is smooth and clean. There is a nice flow to everything. I don't necessarily like the Injustice versions of costumes but he brings a nice polish to them.

I don't know how this will wrap up in any satisfactory way. From what I have been told, this whole story happens early in the Injustice timeline. So I don't know how it could impact that world in a meaningful way.

On to the book. 

Review: Adventures Of Superman Jon Kent #4

Last week, I reviewed Dark Knights of Steel #11 and gushed a bit. In that comic, writer Tom Taylor has done a great job of world building and crafting character. That feels like a complete world and everyone there feels three dimensional. Huzzah. Kudos Tom Taylor.

Right below it on the read stack was Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #4 written by Tom Taylor. This book didn't grab me anywhere near as much as Dark Knights did. There is things about this issue, this series, and indeed the recent characterization of Jon that just aren't working for me. 

This is basically an Injustice book meaning I am being thrown into a universe I know little about. I don't know the motivations of these versions of the characters. I don't understand what is going on here. I don't collect Injustice by choice. Now I do. This was a lane change from the way the book was advertised.

But here is the thing. I don't know this world. Neither should Jon. He is just learning that his father is very different in this world. You think he would take some time to learn about this world because people can be very very different from his world. But here he somehow can figure out which people are trustworthy based on how they act on his world. Seems naive or dangerous. But despite putting total faith in those people, he can't really decide who is on the side of right on this world. He thinks both Superman's dictatorship and Batman's rebellion are wrong. 

The Ultraman plot which was supposed to be the main plot of this book is brought up again but only to introduce a deus ex machina that I am sure will come into play later.

Darick Robertson is on art this issue. I've always liked Robertson's art so was glad to see him on a book. This issue is pretty busy with a lot of characters walking in and out of the book. Robertson shines on the action sequences, especially with Jon's electric powers. His style is different than usual artist Clayton Henry so I wonder how it will seem when the story is read in one lump.

Still, overall this book isn't one I can easily recommend. On to the particulars.

Review: Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #3

Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #3 came out this week and I just think I need to take a deep breath about this title. As I discussed in my review of last issue, I feel like the the character of Jon has been moved far away from the best rendition, the energetic, funny kid learning the ropes from his dad. Instead we have the traumatized, aged-up version guest starring in his own politicized book. When Superman Son of Kal-El got canceled, Adventures of Superman began.

The book had a decent pitch, Jon finally dealing directly with Ultraman who is working his way through the multiverse killing Kals. I thought getting some closure on the Ultraman story was a pretty good idea. But it turned out that was a feint.

Writer Tom Taylor gives us 2 issues of that story until Ultraman is killed by the Injustice Superman, snipping that plot thread before Jon can get closure. It irked me for a couple of reasons. One, this is a 6 issue mini-series and 1/3 of it was, in a sense, wasted by setting up a story that is ended abruptly. Two, I wanted Jon to face Ultraman. There is great character conflict with them; that is a story I want. But it was taken away.

Instead, and perhaps slyly, Taylor sends the series to the Injustice universe. I know there are those who tout that Son of Superman was a success. I can't imagine DC would have ended it if it was flourishing. Injustice was a success for Taylor. So maybe he was thinking that if I send my version of Jon to a universe with a dedicated fandom I might upgrade sales. But I don't follow Injustice and now I have to get caught up on that universe. This issue is basically a primer of that world catching me up. But because this issue is mostly exposition on the versions of the DC characters there, it seems like we will be 50% through the series before we will reach the story that is being told. Now, just like with Ultraman there is some juice in Jon facing Injustice Superman. The book ends with a decent hook. Still, I can only think that I wasn't given the story I wanted and sent to a universe I don't care about. And because I am going in a little sour, things I think I might usually like are falling flat.

All that blather aside, Clayton Henry continues to give us a smooth, beautiful book. His art flows well. He gives us a lot of characters and a lot of action here and it all works. This is a more of a team book right now given all the heroes we meet and he handles them all very well. The art definitely elevates the book.

On to the details.

Review: Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #2

Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #2 came out this week and I was a bit of two minds about it. There are parts I like but the overall feeling when I was done reading it was sort of lackluster.

Part of that feeling is that I am struggling with the Jon Kent character a bit. I loved his introduction in Convergence. I loved the Super Sons. I loved seeing Clark and Lois being parents, giving their versions of wisdom like Ma and Pa gave Clark back in Smallville. There was an energy there, a vitamin shot to the Superman family. 

And then he was aged. Aged up through trauma. Sent to the Legion where the book never really took off. Came back to Earth and replaced Superman. Was put in an overly simplified, overtly political book where he felt like a guest star in his own title, observing the action around him without joining in. 

I knew who young Jon Kent was, tromping around the farm and sparring with Damian. 

I don't feel I know who this Jon is anymore.

I had hoped this mini-series might solidify that a bit. We were told he would finally confront Ultraman and we would get some resolution to that part of his life, a very important and very personal part his history. And yet, even then, I feel we were denied that moment in this very issue.

Tom Taylor is able to bring us some nice character moments in this book. He writes a solid Lois. But given the events of this issue, I now don't know where this mini-series is going.

It is a shame because Clayton Henry has the chops to bring us some good super-hero action. His characters are fluid and powerful. The poses are iconic. The action has movement and flow. This thing looks gorgeous.

We still have a ways to go. And maybe this will be the book I am looking for in the end. But right now, this just isn't grabbing me.

On to the details.

Review: Adventures Of Superman Jon Kent #1

Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #1 came out this week, the first part of this mini-series which will send Jon out into the multiverse with a new set of powers. I am trying to come at this with a fresh and clean perspective. And overall I thought this issue grabbed my attention and wanted me to read more. So kudos to the team.

Writer Tom Taylor is at the helm again, guiding Jon into this next phase of character growth. I admit I didn't love the Son of Kal-El  title. Jon seemed like a background character when compared to Jay Nakamura. Jon seemed extremely passive in the book. It was a badge of honor for Taylor that Jon never threw a punch. The politics were ham-fisted and overly simplistic. So the 'powers that be' decided to end that title and bring us this.

And it looks like, perhaps, the idea is to distance Jon from all that. Jon will not only off-world, he'll be out of the universe. He is going into what looks like a very physical confrontation with Ultraman. It also looks like his power set will change to the Electric Blue Superman. I applaud it all. Jon has a history with Ultraman. There are a lot of supers out there now - Kara, Conner, Otho, Osul - so why not differentiate Jon. I am hopeful.

The art is by Clayton Henry who just brings a smooth, gorgeous line to the proceedings. His work continues to improve. While much of the book is conversational, the book is just wonderful to look at.

Is this a move to phase Jon out of the universe for good? We'll see. 

On to the book.