REVIEW: Superman: Son Of Kal-El #4

Superman: Son of Kal-El #4 is here and I have been eagerly awaiting its return. I’m loving what Tom Taylor is doing with this character and I cannot wait to see more.

But before we get into the issue itself, let’s take a look at the covers. The standard cover is by John Timms and it is a jaw-dropper! It shows the aftermath of the attack on The Kent farm and the detail is phenomenal and the blinding white sky shows the true impact of this attack. This is a heartbreaking and intriguing cover, which is superbly done.

The variant cover is by Inhyuk Lee and it is another magnificent piece of artwork from him. It shows Jon emerging from the wreckage of The Kent farm and you can feel the heat and blind rage radiating from him. The detail on this piece is excellent and so realistic. Jon looks truly intimidating here, especially with the red radiating from his eyes.

The issue opens up seconds before the attack in the previous issue and luckily no-one is hurt, thanks to Jon and his quick thinking. I love how writer, Tom Taylor is giving us an insight into his thought process throughout this moment. It really allows us to see how quick thinking and effective Jon really is.

It is also here that we find out a little more about Jay Nakamura (recently revealed to be Jon’s future partner), who was invited to dinner at The Kent farm. During Jon’s escapade of saving his grandparents, he learned that Jay also has powers, and that he is a post-human from the planet Gammora, who has been experimented on against his will. This really goes a long way to justify his dedication to this refugee cause that Jon is now a part of.

There are some really touching moments in this issue, particularly when it comes to the destroying of The Kent farm which Jon describes as his Fortress. That moment was heartbreaking as he reminisced on childhood moments that took place in that very house.

Not only that but his meeting with Wally West, Wally knows exactly how Jon has been feeling in terms of not quite feeling up to the challenge, so it’s great that this friendship has been introduced. Jon also handled that situation fantastically and was actually able to diffuse the situation between Fault-Line and The Justice League, who went into the situation in attack and apprehend mode.

It’s great to see that Jon now has his own network of peers and isn’t leaning on the Justice League to help him in his newly found mission. Not only does he have the members of ‘The Truth’, which include Jay Nakamura, Aerie and The Wink, but he also leans heavily on his mother and her advice, which I adore. Jon is clearly a family man, just like his father and it’s great to see those traits being passed down.

Jon amps up the stakes as he pays President Bendix a visit in order to get to the bottom of the attack and his place in everything. I really enjoyed this sequence, it seems like Jon has his very own version of Lex Luthor who is seemingly out to get him, or so it seems. It is here that Jon is really tested as he finds himself in a trap.

The artwork in this issue is by Daniele Di Nicuolo, with colours by Gabe Eltaeb and Hi-Fi and I have to say, the art is fantastic. Though I am a fan of John Timms’ work on this series so far, this really felt like a breath of fresh air and added a realistic yet cartoonistic take on the characters and the storyline around them. The colours go a really long way to compliment the artwork giving it a really optimistic feel to it. The facial expressions are fantastic in this issue, I have to say. You can instantly feel and understand how these characters are feeling with just one look.

Superman: Son Of Kal-El #4 is another fantastic addition to the series. I am so impressed with how far Jon has come and he is already having such a huge impact on the world and his peers in such a short space of time. I love that we are getting to delve into his thoughts and feeling throughout the series and this issue, I feel like it’s well overdue.

Haven’t picked up Superman: Son Of Kal-El #4 yet? You can get the standard cover by John Timms here (UK), or here (US). Or if you prefer the variant cover by Inhyuk Lee, you can get that here.

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