Superman: Father of Tomorrow #1: Super Daddy

The Kents have always dreamed of having a child. One night, they wished on a star that they would be able to grow their family. Their wishes were answered when out of that “star” came a grown man, who claimed his planet was destroyed. Superman: Father of Tomorrow #1 is the heroic new story that tells the classic Superman story, but asks the question: what if Jor-El was sent from Krypton instead of baby Kal? A spaceship lands in the farm town of Smallville, and from it emerges a grown man named Jor-El from the planet Krypton. He’s adopted by the Kent family, becoming a brother to the loving farmers. Jor finds that his new home seems to be primitive compared to his destroyed home of Krypton. With his incredible powers and his advanced alien technology, Jor knows he can save Earth. The only question is, will they let him?

The year of Superman is slowly becoming the decade of Superman. DC has been putting out a lot of great Superman content since “Superman” came out in 2025. With the amount of content being pushed out, some is better than others, but either way, I am excited to see the Super Family in the spotlight. This new series seems intriguing, and Kenny Porter has the opportunity to explore some interesting themes with this Elseworlds story. Porter is off to a great start with this first issue, and the way he has twisted the story thus far shows he understands the perspective of Jor-El. This twist to the Superman story works well because it can explore themes like survivor’s guilt, scientific morality, and human nature. Similar to Kara, Jor watched his world burn, but he had more memories and knowledge from his time on Krypton. His introduction of advanced technology brings up questions of morality, as humanity attempts to weaponize the advancements he provides. He also must grapple with human nature and the way his world has changed. I am putting some trust in Porter as I think he can handle the weight of making this story great. From this first issue, the pacing and tone of this story seem perfect. The fast pace in this issue works well because we already know the classic story of Superman and just need to know the small differences. This story is off to a great start, and while I was wary at first about how good this story would be, Porter has exceeded all my expectations.

The story is supported incredibly by the art and colors by Danny Earls and Nick Filardi. The more muted color palette by Fildari perfectly parallels the darker themes presented in this story. The panels in this story blend exceptionally and match the pacing of this fast issue. If I had one complaint about the art, it would be that some of the faces look strange. Whether it’s the proportions or colors, I cannot tell. It’s especially apparent in Lois Lane, who is supposed to look like a young girl but looks more elderly. However, this is a minimal issue and does not distract from the overall story.