The continued story from Future State: House of El and Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s Action Comics returns this week with Adventures of Superman: The Book of El #3. Superman has been sent to the far future in a battle of mythic proportions with a godlike ally-turned-opponent. Stranded in the future where Brainiac keeps the public complacent, this latest issue has the two duke it out for the future of humanity.
This third issue opens in the middle of action while captions excerpted from “The Fallen Fortress” are read. The almost poetic writing cleverly loops into the events, as Brainiac tries to kill Superman, and its forces attack a very old Jimmy Olsen, and Superman’s descendant. The action bounces between the three, keeping the reader guessing and allowing artist Scott Godlewski to wow with impressive visuals.
Not every element soars. Brainiac’s dialogue occasionally slips into cliché, his grandiose villain-speak bordering on familiar territory. The issue also spends much of its middle section juggling plotlines that feel more decorative than essential in a “busy McGuffin-level” sort of way.
Brainiac has a wild look here.
Credit: DC Comics
The final act, though, offers redemption in the form of genuine surprise. Jimmy Olsen’s transformation both physical and symbolic might be the most emotionally-charged and visually stunning sequence of the series to date. It’s a bold swing that reasserts Jimmy’s importance in Superman’s mythology, and it gives the book a fan-favorite beat to hang their hat on.
Ronan Kent, Superman’s descendant, continues to be an intriguing enigma. Though his characterization is still underdeveloped, his inclusion expands the mythology in a way that recalls Marvel 2099—a future that feels both familiar and refreshingly unpredictable. Longtime readers may feel like they know Kent, but if you picked up this series, he’s mostly surface-level. There’s real potential here for Johnson to explore legacy and the ripple effects of Superman’s ideals across generations.
Adventures of Superman: The Book of El #3 is a gorgeously rendered, thematically rich continuation of Johnson’s exploration of hope across time. While some pacing hiccups and familiar villain beats keep it from greatness, its visuals, captions bringing a mythic tone, and emotional core ensure it remains one of the more ambitious Superman stories in recent memory. Like its hero, it occasionally stumbles beneath its own gravitas, but always stands back up, eyes forward, heart blazing.
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