Review – Superman #26 (DC Comics)

Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Michael Moreci
Art: Scott Godlewski
Colours: Hi-Fi
Letters: Rob Leigh
Release Date: 5th July 2017

Superman and Superboy sure have been through a lot since they made their debut in the post-Rebirth continuity. We haven’t really had much in the way of downtime or father/son development, but this new arc seems intent on rectifying that. As we watch Superman struggle to keep his protegé under control we get to see some flashbacks of Clark and his own father as they enact similar events.

Michael Moreci provides a much lighter and more heartfelt tone than we’ve seen in the series to this point as we watch two generations of family try to connect. We see an overconfident son trying to impress and outdo his father and a concerned father trying to share his experiences and relate to his son’s feelings. This is all made way more complicated when we consider just how strong Jon is and how quickly any battle he is involved in can spin out of control. We also get to see a little of Clark’s past, which does help cement more of the old continuity from the pre-Flashpoint DCU and underscores the values that any responsible Father would try to pass on to his son.

Scott Godlewski is on art and brings us the familiar square-jawed Superman we have welcomed back with open arms in the prior issues of this series. His action sequences carry both the speed and impact that comes with having two Kryptonions as our main protagonists. My one complaint, which is fairly minor but still noticeable, is with his depiction of Jon and Young Clark. It is something I notice a lot of artists struggle with, namely his depiction of children. Both Jon and young Clark look like they have adult heads and tiny child bodies, giving them a slightly unnatural and distracting appearance.

Hi-Fi is on colours this issue and brings the familiar palette that we have seen on the pages of Action Comics. Clark and Jon and our two antagonists this issue all look fantastic with the warm tones deployed, and the pages really pop as a result.

This issue is part of a new arc but it feels standalone. The events prior to this book are not really referenced so a new reader could easily jump in if they chose to. Unfortunately, given its seemingly disconnected state it also feels entirely missable and it really does feel that by simply skipping this issue you wouldn’t have missed anything of any importance. While I do like the development between the two characters and the flashbacks to the old DCU, there really isn’t much here to stop the reader feeling like this is anything more than filler material.

Rating: 3/5.

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