Reading Superman Unlimited #13 left me a bit confused and more than a little frustrated. The confusing part comes from Dan Slott’s choice to turn away from the idea of having two versions of Jon Kent in the mainstream DC Universe and focus on a monkey. Granted, said monkey – named Beppo – shares a lot in common with young Jon: he’s lonely, suffering after going through unspeakable torment, and in possession of incredible powers. But the frustrating part comes from how little either version of Jon factors into Slott’s story.
I do give credit where credit’s due, as Slott starts off strong with a nightmare of young Jon being tormented by Ultraman on Earth-3. Even though he’s back in his own time, this scene shows that trauma like that doesn’t go away. Neither do the things that Beppo went through, which resulted in him going mad when his newfound friend Bibbo Bibbowski was shot during a robbery gone horribly wrong. It just feels like Slott was going in a great direction, with present Jon settling into his new identity as Tomorrow Man and past Jon reconnecting with Lois Lane, and then decided, for whatever reason, to take a detour.
The presence of Tomorrow Man also raises another wrinkle, this time with Tate Brombal’s run on New Titans. In that book, the adult Jon is a fully functioning member of the Titans, and seems to have finally found his place. Yet he’s also said he plans to stay as Tomorrow Man to prevent the timeline from collapsing in on itself. Considering how tightly plotted DC’s “All-In” era has been, to the point where books are actively playing off one another, this feels like a major misstep.
DC
Despite a rocky story, Superman Unlimited #13 is visually appealing thanks to the work of Lucas Meyer and Giuliano Peratelli. Meyer has a gift for drawing moments big and small, whether it’s something like Tomorrow Man lifting a massive ocean liner out of the sea before it sinks, or Beppo and Bibbo sharing a meal together. Peratelli’s colors are bright and vibrant, perfectly fitting the aesthetic of a Superman comic. In true Superman fashion, there’s plenty of red, blue, and yellow to go around, particularly in the t-shirt Beppo wears that sports the Man of Steel’s iconic S-shield. While Superman might not currently be in the DC Universe, his presence can still be felt.
Probably the best part of Superman Unlimited #13 comes toward the end, which doesn’t feature a massive battle but rather a heart-to-heart between a rabid Beppo and a young Jon. It’s fitting that these two would find common ground, yet it frustrates me because this could have and should have been the entire issue. I really hope that Slott refocuses future issues on the Jons and their place in the DC Universe, as there’s plenty of material to mine there.
Superman Unlimited #13 makes the baffling choice to shift away from the more compelling drama it set up and instead chooses to focus on what amounts to a one-off issue. For a book that’s meant to focus on the Superman family, this wasn’t the right move.
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