When one considers what Superman is supposed to be, there are some basic concepts that come to mind and they all center around the general themes of truth, justice, hope, and simply doing the right thing at all times. Unfortunately, in practice—or more specifically on the pages of comics in recent years—some of those concepts have gotten muddled at times with various initiatives to push stories and continuities in different directions not to mention the poor execution of some ideas. One of those ideas that wasn’t especially well-executed was Brian Michael Bendis’ aging of Jonathan Kent as it never allowed for the character to mature emotionally or explore who he is in the larger Superman narrative. That is rectified in Superman: Son of Kal-El #1 and writer Tom Taylor delivers a beautiful exploration of Jonathan as a young man finding his place and his purpose and an exquisite return to the quintessential goodness at the very heart of Superman.
