Superman: Kal-El Returns

If you’re like me and you enjoyed “The Warworld Saga,” this is the follow up to that as we find out what happens when (wait for it…) Kal-El returns to Earth.  First on his agenda is making sure that the inhabitants of Warworld are now safe as they orbit the Earth as well as from any parties who come to investigate them, like say, the New Gods.  Then there’s re-connecting with those who he left behind on his journey such as his wife Lois Lane and their son Jon Kent.  Then you’ve got the one person who’s been dreading/anticipating Superman’s return ever since he left the planet:  Lex Luthor.  Superman’s greatest enemy has come to a realization about the Man of Steel’s and he’s ready to enact it on his own terms.  Not before setting up some plans of his own in case that falls through, however.

“Kal-El Returns” is a hefty collection, giving us four issues of “Action Comics,” three of “Superman:  Son of Kal-El,” and the “Superman:  Kal-El Returns” special.  That’s over 200 pages of comics for $20 and that’s a really good deal in this day and age.  So I’m just a little disappointed that the stories contained here aren’t better than what they are.  Phillip Kennedy Johnson handles the fallout from “Warworld” quite well and writes a fittingly arrogant and smug Luthor.  Tom Taylor also delivers an affecting reunion between father and son while introducing a promising villain to bedevil the latter in the future.  Their stories, and the shorts collected in this volume are perfectly fine, yet deliver no real surprises as they both catch “Action Comics” and “Son of Kal-El” in transition.

Until we get to the final issue collected in this volume, that is.  The 1050th issue of “Action Comics” is a three-hander, written by Johnson, Taylor, and Joshua Williamson.  While it’s not specified who wrote what, my assumption is that Johnson did the Luthor-specific parts, Taylor did the parts involving Jon, and Williamson handled the Superman/Luthor confrontation at the center of the issue.  If that’s the case then I may have to give Williamson’s “Superman” a look one of these days.

I’ve written before about how everything I’ve read from Williamson hasn’t impressed me, but the Superman/Luthor confrontation here was really well handled.  You get Luthor actually admitting that he may have been wrong about something here, but then going about and dealing with it in a way that’s true to his nature and serves his ego more than anything else.  We also get a Superman that’s genuinely angry about what’s been done, but utterly committed to dealing with it in a way that’s above board.  All of this is illustrated in an energetic fashion by Nick Dragotta that further enlivens the proceeds.

Most of the art in this volume is solid, coming from seasoned veterans like Clayton Henry, Riccardo Federici, Jack Herbert, Cian Tormey, and more.  The only one who really feels at odds with the material being delivered is Mike Perkins who has always had a dark style that favors photorealism.  Here, he tries to deliver something that’s lighter and more appropriate to your average “Superman” story and it never quite clicks.  Perkins is good with the action and drama, but still winds up feeling miscast in his contributions to this volume.

I was already planning on following Johnson’s “Action Comics” after “Warworld” and this collection also picks up on Taylo’rs “Son of Kal-El” with only minor spoilers as well.  What I wasn’t expecting was to have a reason to check out Williamson’s “Superman,” which I’ll likely do once his collections start hitting softcover.  All in all, “Kal-El Returns” suggests that even if he’s returning to Business As Usual, what’s coming next might be worth sticking around for.