Superman: Unlimited #18: Brand New Day

A new chapter begins for Superman and his super-son, Tomorrow Man! After the epic conclusion of the Kingdom of Zod event, Superman has returned home from his King Omega journeys to pick up the pieces of his family. Superman Unlimited #18, written by Dan Slott and with art by Lucas Meyer, follows the Super Family as they navigate the changes in their dynamic. Superman returns to find his son no longer going by Superman, wearing the family crest, or being a junior reporter. In fact, his son is not even talking to him. Jon is on a journey to find who he is as a hero, and is convinced he doesn’t need his parent’s input. Can the Kents come together as a family? Plus, Natasha Irons is on her own journey of self-discovery as she starts her own aerospace division in National City. All of this and more in this exciting new chapter of Superman: Unlimited. 

Dan Slott has been at the whim of series-spanning event after series-spanning event throughout his entire run on Superman: Unlimited. From the Reign of the Superboys event to Kingdom of Zod, the Super Family has been through a lot. Slott has managed to remain flexible with his characters and stories. But now he has the opportunity to tell his own story, and he’s off to a great start. Just like Superman, Slott is picking up the pieces following the DC K.O. event. He’s setting up exciting new things for the next generation of the Super Family. Jon Kent is my favorite superhero ever, so I’m always excited to see him in the spotlight. This issue focuses on him starting anew as Tomorrow Man and sets up his next big adventure. I like the change to Tomorrow Man. He took up the mantle of Superman years ago in his own series, Superman: Son of Kal-El, but something about the title never felt right for him. He was never referred to as “Superman” in comic spaces; he was “Jon Kent Superman”. I even call him that in my reviews to avoid confusion. So I think the transition to Tomorrow Man is exciting. Slott is also extremely funny in this issue. He brings the perfect amount of action to the story, while still telling a heartwarming story about family. While some of the setup for the next arc is a little heavy-handed, the story is still impeccably written and a thrilling new beginning. 

As if this story couldn’t get any better, Lucas Meyer returns in this issue. Meyer is one of my favorite artists, and I was a fan of his work on Titans. I got to meet him years ago at New York Comic Con, and he’s just as sweet as he is talented. Seeing him on this book, I already knew I would love the art. Meyer made interesting decisions in the Tomorrow Man design, specifically choosing not to include the House of El crest. I love that the suit has a crest that looks more like Nightwing’s, especially knowing Jon’s relationship to Dick. However, I do agree with Superman that Jon’s face should ot be covered.