Superman, Vol. 1: Son of Superman

Prolific DC author Tomasi (House of Penance) focuses this umpteenth Superman, Volume 1 installment on a Kryptonian threat to Big Blue’s Earth family, with echoes of eugenics. In a merged timeline, one Superman is dead while another is trying to live a quiet rural life with his wife, Lois, and son, Jon. Jon’s youth and mixed genome mean that he has some of his dad’s powers, such as heat vision, but he is not yet invulnerable. When Jon tags along with Superman to rescue an ice-locked submarine and battle a sea monster, he is injured, leaving traces of his mixed blood behind. This “tainted” blood is discovered by the Eradicator, a Kryptonian creation of General Zod, who seeks to purify any remaining Kryptonian bloodlines. The punchfest begins with Superman defending his family but, in the end, both Jon and Lois are swept up into the fight. The art, mostly by Patrick Gleason, is fairly standard fare but certainly does the story justice. (Jan.)