Superman Son of Kal-El #14 Featured Reviews 

“Superman: Son of Kal-El” #14

By | August 11th, 2022
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

“Superman: Son of Kal-El” has always carried an impressive sense of plotting. The series has also been devoted to forging a new cast for Jonathan Kent, the Son of Superman. Former WildStorm villain Henry Bendix has joined the DC Universe and is set on a path leading directly to Kent. Watching Kent catch the ire of a WildStorm villain for the past couple issues has been mind-melting. With Kent continually standing in the way of Bendix’s world domination, it’s nearly time for the hero and villain to face off in an important issue of “Superman: Son of Kal-El” #14!

Cover by Travis Moore and Tamra Bonvillain
Written by Tom Taylor
Illustrated by Cian Tormey
Colored by Federico Blee
Lettered by Dave Sharpe

Henry Bendix has threatened and manipulated and killed without consequence. Now, after a shocking coordinated attack on Earth’s heroes, it’s time for Superman, Jay, and the Revolutionaries to strike back. But first, Jay Nakamura must embrace his powers and become the hero Jon knows he can be.

It took Tom Taylor time to establish the plotting in “Superman: Son of Kal-El” but now the gears of the series are turning at feel speed. Lois Lane immediately identifies Bendix as the core foe to the series, subverting any pretense that nothing but a massive fight is now on the way for Jon and Bendix. The issue pairs Jonathan Kent and Jay Nakamura with Tom Taylor’s The Revolutionaries team. Taylor expands on the mythology around their “Suicide Squad” series using “Superman: Son of Kal-El” #14, enriching both series as a result. Taylor isn’t even done with the characters listed above as numerous additional guest stars grace the impressive character count in “Superman: Son of Kal-El” #14. This chapter of the series really feels like the culmination of everything Taylor has been building on the series for years.

Taylor does a careful job continuing to characterize the relationship with Jay and Jon. The conversations between the pair feel incredibly authentic and slowly begin to advance the relationship between these characters at a quick pace. The feeling of self-discovery and themes of living up to your potential throughout the series really manages to make this issue feel special. One aspect of the issue from a writing standpoint holding this issue back is the sense of pacing. While I appreciate how densely Taylor has built up the supporting cast, I wanted him to take bigger strides on the battle between Kent and Bendix. However, this issue still packs lots of new developments and features a beautiful splash page showing off the big cast of the series all working together towards one common goal.

Artist Cian Tormey lends a strong perspective to the issue. There are so many characters sharing one comic book here and so many individuals look incredibly distinct. Tormey is able to balance a lot of action in the series as well. Tormey lends a great sense of physicality and acting toward each of the characters in the issue as well. Jonathan Kent moves in a sloppy way towards certain moments in the issue that perfectly capture his more youthful aesthetic. When the series moves into the action space, Jonathan moves as gracefully as his father in certain moments. The double-page spread featuring The Revolutionaries and Superman cast members teaming up with each other is a remarkable duo of pages that show off the best parts of Tormey’s art. Unfortunately, I did find that some of the faces in the issue are a little too close to each other in certain moments. If the color work from Federico Blee wasn’t so clear, it may have been tricky to tell some of these heroes apart.

It is remarkable to consider just how many plots threads Taylor and Tormey are dangling in “Superman: Son of Kal-El” #14. The issue even touches on aspects of previous WildStorm comic book series through the lens of Bendix. I appreciate how much time Taylor has invested in fleshing out this version of Bendix who has served as a heroic protagonist in other series. Jay personally goes through tons of development alone in the issue. Jay is really starting to develop a personality that is distinct from Jonathan as he is incredibly motivated in some moments and loaded with fear in other moments.

Over the past year of comics, “Superman: Son of Kal-El” #14 has built up a vast sense of continuity and plotting. Taylor has carried a focus on the villains like Henry Bendix and is devoted to pushing Jonathan Kent’s life forward. There are so many different elements of this series to enjoy. If you are a longtime reader, there’s a fascinating sense of connective tissue here. If you are looking for the next generation of the DC Universe, this is the place to be. Taylor and Tormey use the pages of “Superman: Son of Kal-El” #14 to head towards a crescendo and massive battle with Bendix. The Revolutionaries are incredibly strong characters that continue to develop a sense of personality as the series develops as well. I’m already counting down the days until the next issue of this subversive series.

Final Verdict: 8.0 – “Superman: Son of Kal-El” #14 utilizes nearly every plot point of the series to head into a thrilling battle.


Alexander Jones

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