Superman Unlimited #6 begins with Superman in a rough spot. After traveling to El Caldero, the self-proclaimed “Kryptonite Kingdom”, he was ambushed by the Kobra cult and had his protective suit ripped wide open, exposing him to green Kryptonite. If that wasn’t bad enough, “Kryptonite King” Eduardo Castilho is obsessed with getting his hands on a Kryptonian sunstone, to the point of murdering any witnesses. There’s also the fact that Lois Lane is in El Caldero undercover – though that cover’s been blown.
If that sounds like a lot to process for a single issue, you’re right. Superman Unlimited #6 runs into one of Dan Slott’s biggest tendencies as a writer: packing in as much plot as possible into a single issue, with the intention to set up future storylines. This isn’t a bad idea; comic writers like Chris Claremont and Mark Waid have taken the same approach in their work. But balance is the key, and Slott’s script soon tips over by choosing to make Castilho the main threat instead of Kobra. To his credit, Slott does sow the seeds for El Caldero to become an important location in Superman’s mythology.
The inclusion of Lois also feels a bit over the top. Now, I’m a Superman fan who fully believes that if you’re going to write Clark Kent, you had better be prepared to write a good Lois Lane, and Slott refrains from making her a damsel in distress. But as the editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet, she’s currently spearheading a worldwide launch of the news – surely that requires her full focus. There’s also the fact that the stakes are already high enough with a weakened Superman and his fellow Planet reporter Ron Troupe in danger.
DC
While Superman Unlimited #6 may be extremely heavy on plot, it’s still a gorgeous looking comic courtesy of Rafael Albuquerque. Once again, Albuquerque and Marcelo Maiolo draw everything as if it’s bathed in a sickly neon green, since Superman is literally surrounded by Kryptonite. That also extends to the Krypto-Knights and their emerald green armor. Albuquerque knows how to draw a hell of a fight sequence too, especially once Superman triggers his “golden” state and knocks out the Kobra cultists.
The second half of Superman Unlimited #6 is drawn by Mike Norton, who’s a fairly underrated artist in my opinion. Norton drew the Gravity series for Marvel, which focused on a young hero that could, well, manipulate gravity. He applies the same sense of motion to Superman, turning the Man of Steel into a rocketing golden projectile as he races to save Lois. I wouldn’t mind seeing Norton illustrate future issues of this book, or even other DC heroes.
Superman Unlimited #6 may be stacked on plot, but it still delivers with action-packed art and setting up a new threat. With the next issue slated to focus on Jon Kent, I hope that Slott lets up on the storytelling pedal and delivers character-focused issues that remind fans why Superman and his world are worth reading.
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