Superman: Father of Tomorrow #4: Hex Luthor

Superman: Father of Tomorrow #4 continues the epic Elseworlds comic miniseries by writer Kenny Porter and artist Danny Earls. What if Jor-El, not baby Kal-El, escaped Krypton’s destruction and crash-landed in Kansas? Becoming family to the Kents as “Jordan Kent”, this adult Jor-El uses both his powers and his brilliant scientific mind to forcibly improve Earth. With his incredible powers and his advanced alien technology, Jor knows he can save Earth. The only question is: how far will he go to save this new world? And will the humans 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 Elseworld story. 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 has many 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 also like the twist on Lex Luthor, going from a man of science to a man of magic. Something else that works well is the clear capitalistic human mindset and how it stop sus from advancing. It’s a great way to include real-world parallels. I also love any time Zatanna is mentioned on page. I am putting some trust in Porter as I think he can handle the weight of making this story great. However, while the last issue felt too much like filler, this issue feels too rushed. This miniseries has a limited number of issues to get this story across, so it makes sense that events escalate quickly, but some of the motivations and actions of General Lane seem hurried. Despite this, Porter still manages to deliver a compelling story.

The story is supported incredibly by the art and colors by Danny Earls. 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. At first, I could not tell if it was the proportions or colors causing strangeness, but it is definitely the proportions. They are distractingly off-proportion. It’s especially apparent in the character’s hands.  Everyone looks slightly alien. Maybe it’s intentional? However, this is a minimal issue and does not distract from the overall story.