REVIEW: Superman: Son Of Kal-El #5

Superman: Son Of Kal-El #5 is finally here and this is the issue that we have all been waiting for. The announcement of Jon coming out as Bisexual had a huge reaction from Superman fans, with many supporting it and many against it, so it will be interesting to see how this issue goes down with audiences.

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 excellent. President Bendix eerily looms over Jon and Jay who both look to be in peril. I love the vibrancy of this cover and the detail is great. This is a cover that will instantly draw in readers.

The first variant cover is by Inhyuk Lee and shows Jon and Jay chilling upon a rooftop. As always the detail is incredible, the sky, the building texture and clothing details all look so realistic. I love how laid back Jon is in this cover, it’s clear that he feels comfortable around Jay.

The second variant cover is by Travis Moore & Tamra Bonvillain and shows Jon and Jay’s first kiss. This is a lovely and romantic cover, the detail is great and you can instantly see the passion between them in their body language and facial expressions. I particularly love the flurry of the autumn leaves in the background.

Superman: Son Of Kal-El #5 opens up right where we left off with Jon feeling the affects of President Bendix’s solar attack. I adore his determination here, though Bendix planned to leave him overwhelmed with the simultaneous cries of many, he believes that he can save them all.

This is a confident and determined Superman and his father would be so proud. He is (for the time being) in complete control of himself despite the attack, he is treading carefully in every way as he knows the slightest little offset can do a huge amount of damage. Jon is much more prepared than myself and I’m sure other readers first thought. He takes time for each and every one of the cries he heard, he doesn’t prioritise any in particular, just takes the time to save each and every one of them. That is classic Superman and I love that writer Tom Taylor has explored this side to him, which is so similar to his father.

I love how he also speaks the native language of each and every country he visits to make people feel more comfortable. My personal favourite moment was Jon Saving the lost little girl in Costa Rica, the smile on her face mid flight is perfect. Tom lets the artwork do the talking in a lot of these moments, which works perfectly in tandem with his story telling. It’s safe to say that Jon makes sone pretty impressive feats in these moments.

With that said he really his pushing himself to the limit and I love how civilians take the time to ask him how he is feeling. People care about him just as much as he does them. This sequence shows an age old burden that Superman has always had to deal with, he can’t be everywhere at once, and in these circumstances that task is an even harder one.

We also get a bit more of an insight into the powers that Jay has and the way that Jon instantly drops everything to ensure that he is ok is just the beginning of their relationship, not to mention their first kiss! Jay is really the only one that has been able to talk some sense in to Jon and he raises an excellent point. No-one knows what to expect from Jon, he is the first of his kind – half Kryptonian and half human. This has really made me excited for what’s to come, there are so many scenarios that can be explored and this is what really sets him apart from his father.

The artwork is by John Timms and Hi-Fi and it is fantastic. The moments where Jon saves the individuals from numerous different situations are incredible, they’re so detailed, and so realistic. I love how on one page you can see the red streaks across the city, just showing how quickly Jon is moving and how much he is doing to help, that is really effective. I also love the focus that this creative team show when it comes to Jon and Jay talking to each other and of course engaging in their first kiss. It really shows that they are all one another sees in each others eyes.

Superman: Son Of Kal-El #5 is an iconic issue that really explores Jon’s determination and stamina, whilst introducing a problem which many have not thought about before, his race. Not only that but we get a closer look at his and Jay’s blooming relationship and I cannot wait to see what these two can do together.

Haven’t picked up Superman: Son Of Kal-El #5 yet? You can get the standard cover by John Timms here (UK), or here (US). If you prefer the second variant cover by Travis Moore, you can get that here.

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