REVIEW: Superman: Son Of Kal-El #10

Superman: Son of Kal-El #10, “Reputation”  is out and continues to show Jon Kent worthy of the Superman mantle. The action takes a brief break in this issue, but the intrigue continues to build. 

One thing that doesn’t take a break is the quality of the cover art. Travis Moore and Tamra Bonvillain deliver a simple yet classic cover of Jon flying above Metropolis. The art really speaks for itself on this cover. Jon is prominent in the foreground looking so calm in his element. The detail of Metropolis below him is just magnificent and the hues of the sunrise behind him add such a hopeful feeling to the piece. 

In contrast, Simone Di Meo gives us a much more dynamic take of the same scene. A manga style Jon is still in the foreground, this time flying through Metropolis. The use of blurred lines on the flock of birds with the city skyline skewed to the side gives the image a real sense of motion. Honestly, these two covers could take place moments apart from each other which elevates how great they both are. 

The third cover, by Rafa Sandoval and Matt Herms, again has Jon in the foreground heading into action.  This time the background is a great montage of Superman being super. One constant throughout this series is Jon’s persistence to help whomever needs him and this cover captures this brilliantly. 

Cian Tormey is back on art duties after Bruno Redondo’s guest work last issue, along with colourist Federico Blee, these two make the art so easy to follow. Jon spends a portion of this issue traversing the globe and there’s no doubts where he is in the world at all times. The emotive nature of the art and the great use of colour makes for a truly immersive experience. 

Tom Taylor takes us more into the thought process of Jon in this issue as he maneuvers an emergency situation. Though not as action packed as the last few issues, the overall plot gets moved along nicely. We clearly get an idea of how the fallout of recent events have affected the worldview of our young Superman which does little to dissuade Jon from helping wherever he’s needed. 

The main battle takes place between Lois and Lex as Luthor tries to write a specific narrative against Jon.  Taylor nails a great Lois Lane: Intrepid Reporter moment as she calls out Lex and almost instantly nails a great Lois Lane: Mom scene when Jon reveals some recent developments. The issue closes with a promise of new revelations making next months issue not here fast enough. 

With such quality Superman related projects being produced, Superman: Son of Kal-El #10 is no exception to how exciting it is to be a Superman fan.