REVIEW: ‘Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent,’ Issue #1

Jon is getting to enjoy a moment of anonymity as he enjoys a stroll through a park with Jay. But little does he know, a terror from his past is on the horizon. One that threatens not just his Earth, but perhaps all Earths in Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1, published by DC Comics, written by Tom Taylor, art by Clayton Henry, colors by Jordie Bellaire, and letters by Wes Abbott.

Superhero stories are filled with world-threatening villains and cosmic-sized dangers. Because of this, grabbing a reader’s attention with a threatening villain and truly selling the danger of their presence in a story can be a challenge at times. Glad to say that Taylor still knows how to sell a terrifying villain.

Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1 cold opens to a staggered Superman as he makes his last stand against the story’s looming threat. The Man of Steel is quickly dispatched, easily establishing the level of threat from this predator. As the scene closes, a clever wide shot of Metropolis shows us the sign for the Daily World, establishing that this wasn’t our Superman. But the implied threat is loud and clear.

The approach to this sequence is a superb example of the effectiveness of minimalism. Little is said and few actions are taken, yet the impact of the moments are felt as much as read. Taylor’s sparse script is a practice in efficiency, while Henry’s art coupled with Bellaire’s colors shows off the assailant’s aura of brutal glee perfectly. It is an opening that truly grabs the reader.

From here, Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1 jumps to our hero as he spends time with his boyfriend Jay, though trouble soon calls him away. While he deals with the immediate crisis, he comes into contact with a visitor whose presence is connected to the coming threat that is soon to appear.

This sequence works great to establish Jon’s skills and focus during a crisis. Even though signs of something to come seek to distract him, Jon never lets his focus waver from the current danger to innocent lives in the here and now. Just as I would expect of any Superman. He’s come a long way from his earliest adventures.

Also, as a small side note, I especially loved getting to see Babs back in the saddle as Oracle in this sequence. As I haven’t gotten to see her coordinating the superheroes of Earth like this in a long time, it was wonderful to see Babara at her best again.

The final stretch of Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1 lays out the details of the coming doom that Jon will be called to confront. Taylor mixes some great reveals and surprises throughout this sequence, helping to keep the reader engaged, rather than letting it turn into an overly long info dump. This sequence’s long exposition is also aided in its delivery by Abbott’s strong lettering. Despite some panels being quite busy with text, the letterer keeps everything laid out beautifully.

Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1 gets this series’ narrative off the ground with a wonderful mix of action and setup. It never fails to be interesting, even as it lays out a sizable amount of plot for the reader.

Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1 is available now wherever comics are sold.