Superman Unlimited #7: Jon’s New Fling

The Year of Superman continues with this action-packed new issue of Superman Unlimited. Superman Unlimited #7 is a one-shot story spotlighting the super son: Jon Kent. Jon has been living in Smallville, helping Steel and Lana Lang work at the new Steelworks facility. He is their top guinea pig as they test solutions to the now readily available green kryptonite. All seems well in Jon’s life, but Smallville is a “weirdness magnet”. When a rumor of a ghost cow spreads, it’s up to the Daily Planet’s junior reporter, Jon Kent, to follow the story. Is he up to the challenge? Find out in this issue full of mystery, flirting, and mole men.

This is an incredibly fun issue, which I hope sets up a series for Jon Kent! Dan Slott and Jeremy Adams manage to craft an interesting story in this new Superman world that doesn’t feel cliché. The dialogue in this issue is sharp and purposeful, balancing philosophical weight with classic Superman earnestness. This issue is the perfect setup for a mini-series focused on Jon Kent, and I hope DC editorial takes advantage of that. While Jon Kent is the world’s 2^nd best nepo-baby (after Damian Wayne), he still offers an interesting perspective on the dichotomy of Clark and Superman. This issue explores that dichotomy as Jon gets his own secret identity. This issue explores this dichotomy for Jon, but in the backdrop of a new world. It’s the perfect way of asking: how would Clark Kent, Superman, understand his relationship to Earth if he lived in modern times? This issue allows Jon Kent to be his own character, focusing on some of his own thoughts and challenges. One main challenge is his recent breakup with Jay. I was a personal fan of their relationship, but it did feel a little too copy-paste Clark and Lois. I’m excited that his queerness and environmental interests are still a focus in the story, as they are aspects of him that are distinct and relatable. I’m interested to see where his new hinted romance leads, and I do hope that this becomes a series. This is the perfect story for readers interested in the larger Superman family.

Visually, the book shines. Lucas Meyer and Marcelo Maiolo strike a balance between the grounded and the grand as Smallville is transformed. I was a fan of Meyer’s work on Titans, so seeing him draw one of my favorite characters is exciting. I had the pleasure of meeting Meyer at New York Comic Con this year, and his love for these characters shows. The panel layouts and action sequences are exciting and dynamic, the perfect mix for a Jon Kent Superman story. My only complaint is that I am not a fan of the suit design in this issue, but this seems like an editorial mandate. I hope if this becomes a series, Jon gets a new suit. I also hope that Meyer and Maiolo continue on the series. They deliver a stunning visual palette, clean, kinetic linework paired with bold colors that leap off the page.