Written by: Dan Slott
Art by: Rafael Albuquerque
Colors by: Marcelo Maiolo
Letters by: Dave Sharpe
Cover art by: Rafael Albuquerque, Marcelo Maiolo (cover A)
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: May 21, 2025
Is Superman Unlimited #1 Good?
Plot Synopsis
Dan Slott's inaugural turn on Superman begins with introductions at the Daily Planet. Imani Edge, Morgan Edge's ex-wife, obtained the newspaper in her divorce settlement, and she intends to use the Daily Planet brand to establish news and media outlets around the world, including misinformation policing for several of the world's biggest social media platforms. Edge insists she'll remain a silent, impartial benefactor while Lois Lane runs the global media empire. During the big announcement, Clark flies off when Superman is needed.
Superman's rounds of good deeds are interspersed with snippets of history that recount Superman's history, from the destruction of Krypton to his present as a husband and father, drawing heavy inspiration from the Superman '78 film. For his last good deed of the day, Superman receives a call from the Watchtower about a massive meteorite made of Inertron headed for Earth. The meteorite wasn't detected sooner because Inertron is invisible to modern warning systems. Privately, Superman knows Inertron will be a highly prized organic alloy in the 31st century.
When Superman gives the meteorite a super-punch, the Inertron falls away since it's only a thin layer covering a meteorite made of Kryptonite! Superman has little choice but to try and push the meteorite to an uninhabited part of the world. Through pain and scenes of his life flashing before his eyes (again), he succeeds in guiding the meteorite down, crushed under its massive weight.
Superman wakes up three months later aboard the Watchtower, and much has changed. Kryptonite is now readily available across the Earth, and the nation-state of El Caldero converted the nearby mega-supply of Kryptonite into a mega-business, making it the most advanced nation on Earth. If you're wondering how Superman survived getting crushed under a Kryptonite meteorite, his body...somehow...developed a spectrographic resistance to Kryptonite.
First Impressions
Ehh...well, okay. Dan Slott uses his first full-issue take on Superman to give you a small setup with big consequences and a whole lot of rehash. If you've never heard of Superman, this first issue makes for a good primer with an intriguing cliffhanger. However, if you, like most of the planet, are already familiar with Superman, you may feel this issue is mostly filler.
How’s the Art?
Rafael Albuquerque's artwork and presentation for the Man of Steel at his heroic best looks great. The power and scale for the action scenes are wholly on point. That said, Albuquerque makes odd face-shape choices with Clark Kent and his supporting cast. In a few spots, Clark's face looks like it's melting. In short, the art is mostly good.
What’s great about Superman Unlimited #1?
Dan Slott's debut ticks all the familiar notes for a tried and true Superman story, even going so far as to give readers a mini-retrospective on Big Blue's history to set the foundation for Slott's version of the character. All the historical notes feel correct, and there's even a heartwarming nod to the Donner films for a teeny bit of fan service.
Finally, the cliffhanger is strong because it sets up a new status quo for the world and the entire Superfamily. Whether or not it sticks is TBD.
What’s not great about Superman Unlimited #1?
If you're a Superman fan and well-acquainted with one or more versions of the character's history, this issue will look and feel like a lot of rehashed filler that doesn't tell you anything you didn't already know. For all you Batman fans out there, imagine a new creator (Matt Fraction will be taking over Batman soon) coming onto the book and spending 75% of the first issue recounting Batman's origin story, including the grossly overused pearls in Crime Alley.
There's technically nothing wrong with the facts Slott presents, but they're a redundant recap that takes time away from the original story introduced. Who thought that was a good idea?
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Superman Unlimited #1 finds the Man of Steel flying off on a suicide mission to stop a meteorite made of Kryptonite, but the end of the mission is the start of a new era. Dan Slott's big idea is a doozy. Unfortunately, the promise of the idea is lost in a sea of recaps about Superman's history. Plus, Rafael Albuquerque's art is generally good during the action scenes but a bit rough with the faces. If Slott can put his creative spark behind a fully original issue, we'll see if he presents a noteworthy story for Superman fans. For now, it's a wait-and-see.
7/10
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