Mild Mannered Reviews – Superman: Son of Kal-El #3

Superman: Son of Kal-El #3

Scheduled to arrive in stores: September 28, 2021
Cover date: November 2021

“The Truth” – Part 2

Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: John Timms
Cover: John Timms
Variant Cover: Inhyuk Lee

Reviewed by: Adam Dechanel

Jon and his father Clark join forces when a residential building collapses in Coast City. While Clark tries to slow its fall so civilians below can evacuate, Jon rescues everyone from inside.

Scanning the area they see a youth named Fault Line, similar to the teenager with fire powers that Jon encountered before, this young woman also cannot control her powers and has amnesia too. It doesn’t take them long to connect the two events and realize something is brewing.

Clark advises Jon that they should take her to STAR Labs until she can calm down, control her powers and possibly remember her past.

Jon gets a call on his cellphone and Clark senses Jon’s lack of concentration. Jon’s call is from Jay, the secret host of The Truth vlog. The police are trying to arrest the refugees from Gamorra and that is something Superman cannot allow.

In full view of the world press Superman stands with the refugees and offers to be arrested with them and share their fate.

Jon takes the opportunity to explain that his father, Clark, was a refugee who was offered sanctuary by an American family and later the country. All he wants for the refugees is sanctuary and he questions President Bendix’s claim that they are welcome home to a safe haven, especially as they risked their lives on a literal sinking ship.

It may have been just 45 minutes in jail but thanks to Cat Grant’s live broadcast the Gamorran government have backed down and Clark has arrived to take his son home.

Clark meets the friend Jon left STAR Labs for and is surprised that Jay had also arrived to help bail Jon out of jail. Sensing their bond, Clark suggests that Jay join the Kents for a family dinner in Smallville.

Jay is lost for words meeting Lois Lane, his personal idol, and he is overcome with shyness. Jon takes his friend aside and comments that people usually have that reaction to Clark not Lois.

As a very nervous Jay meets his friend’s mother and grandparents Clark has a heart to heart with his son. Jon is nervous as the end of Clark’s career is close though the details are fuzzy. Clark points out that the future is not set and makes a deal with his son. After dinner he and Lois return to Metropolis.

Meanwhile unknown to the Kents, President Bendix has been tracking Jon and discovered the cloaked location of the Kent Farm. The President has also arranged for Fault Line to be kidnapped from STAR Labs.

While Jon and Jay spend some quiet time with Ma and Pa, Bendix orders Fault Line’s release from a plane as a gravity bomb.

Who survives?

To be continued…

Story – 5: The plot is quickening in pace and that’s a good thing as the character moments resonate better when the plot needs a break. Speculation on the young Superman’s sexuality is lightly touched on (though perhaps being rushed) and his heart breaking goodbye with his father is very well done. Bendix is shaping up nicely as the nemesis to Jon as Lex Luthor is to Clark.

I was puzzled as to Cat Grant being back as a reporter for the Daily Planet rather than the CEO of Media giant CatCo so I’m hoping that’s addressed (beyond a casualty of editorial error).

I’m glad that the stupidity of a cloaked Kent Farm is done but I hope that doesn’t mean we have said goodbye to Jonathan and Martha (again).

I like that Superman is firmly placing himself as a social justice champion, a nod to Superman’s roots.

I like these new progressions with Jon as Superman, I appreciate they may be a bit too progressive for some readers but let’s see how things develop.


Art – 4: My opinion still hasn’t changed, Timms is the master of dynamic composition. Just as the story does, the art benefits from the pacing and gives us beautiful character moments and plenty of energetic scenes to balance things. My critique stands that the inking is too vague in places.


Cover Art – 3: The pose is a bit confusing unless you read the interior. I initially thought it was Clark in jail and Jon breaking him out.


Variant Cover Art – 3: I like the action pose crafted by Inhyuk Lee but I’m not so hot on the ‘S’ shield. A silly thing to pull you out of the action but it just looks odd stretched out like that. I also wish that whatever Jon is forcing back was a bit more visible – what is it? Guess we’ll never know!


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