SUPERMAN FATHER OF TOMORROW #5: Magic Versus Steel

Lex has come to Metropolis with newfound power and a hate burning brighter than a thousand suns as every hero falls trying to stop him. It’s now up to Superman in a magic versus steel fight to save not only Metropolis but the world as General Lane is going critical.

Creative Team: Kenny Porter, Danny Earls, Nick Filardi, and Lucas Gattoni.

The Story:

All Hell has broken loose in this issue and Luthor is a menace with Porter showcasing Lex’s ego and abilities right off the bat. This issue is a beautiful blend of heavy action mixed in with intense emotional beats. Kenny takes us into what happened with Jor-El and why he survived Krypton and not his family. Bring the tissues because the sequence between him and Martha is going to induce plenty of tears. It’s impressive however, how Kenny switches gears and invokes laughter moments later and sets us up for what will be an incredible final issue to come.

The Art:

I would love to see the conversation with Danny and Nick and whether they looked at Doom inspired artwork heading into this issue. There is a moment with Lex on his throne that could be Doctor Doom and it’s an incredible homage that nails the moment. The way that Lex’s armor shines a bright Green and Gold is a testament to how great Nick is on the colors. There’s a heavy mix of intense colorwork in the background as the fight drags on in many places. Meanwhile Danny hits the emotional and darker beats perfectly. The heaviness that Jor-El carries in his eyes while talking to Martha really shows the weight he has carried with him. Conversely there’s a scene with some heroes impaled to a tree by Lex that was shocking and hammers home the gravity of the situation. I loved the various ways Lucas captures the dialogue but, none more so than the smart-ass manner in which Constantine speaks. The heaviness of the letters matches the softness and weight of the dialogue once again with Martha speaking in a loving tone to Superman. This issue is a visual feast without a doubt.

Final Thoughts:

We are now set up for an intense finish to this incredibly fun run by the whole team. Each issue brings about something exciting and the intensity is ramped up with the penultimate issue. I cannot wait to see how they conclude this!

Overall Grade: 10/10

Let us know how you feel about this issue and check out more reviews by Matt!