Superman is one of the few names that transcends comics. The story of an alien fleeing his dying planet to then crash land in Smallville and join the Kent family is one as old as time. But what if it went a different way. In Superman: Father of Tomorrow, Kenny Porter and artist Danny Earls, craft a story that twists the age-old Superman tale slightly, leading to an alternate story that answer the question of what if a different family member crash landed on Earth?
In a corner of far-flung space, a world explodes. A lone rocket escapes the destruction and races through space, ultimately landing on a small farm in small-town Kansas. A kindly couple steps with trepidation toward the alien craft as the door opens. Out steps a man named Jor-El, the sole survivor of the planet Krypton! As Jor-El fits in to his new home, he realizes that he can help the world, not just with his newfound powers but with his intellect as well. Witness how a Man of Steel and Science saves the world!
As someone who knows the basics of the lore of Superman, having read a few comics and watched a few television and movies featuring the hero, it was nice to see another take on the story. Porter tells the tale of Kal-El’s father, Jor-El, escaping their home planet to eventually land on Earth instead of how it was originally written. This Elseworld’s story gives us a glimpse of a world where a full-grown adult joins the Kent family and the repercussions of this over time.
The Earthly events are similar, it’s how Jor-El reacts and handles such events that will change the future for humans. Kal-El crash-landing as a child allowed him to grow as a superhuman, but within the world of humans that he was able to fit in smoothly. An adult trying to blend into society as well as try to help can cause issues that maybe Clark had to deal with as much.
What made Superman: Father of Tomorrow click for me the most was how it honestly scared me. The unknown of how Jor-El will deal with certain impactful situations frightens me for those who will deal with the fallout of these decisions. The foundation set by Porter for putting Jor-El into the position he is in was wonderful, it’s how this series moves forward that scares me. Not because I am afraid of how well it will be told, but I feel for those surrounding Jor-El’s determination to help.
Elseworlds has been around for many years and has been used to tell other versions of the stories from the DC Universe. While the Absolute Universe tells drastically new stories based around classic characters, this story is more of a slight change that leads to drastically different repercussions. It’s a great way to enjoy classic characters in a different light.
Earls’ artwork has a gritty and more grungy feel to it that just leaned into the slight unease feeling I was getting from the story. This made the reading experience all the more entertaining. It’s big-two artwork, but with a real edgy independent feel that made its way more into my wheelhouse for sure.
Superman: Father of Tomorrow takes the familiar story of Superman and tweaks it into something a bit unsettling and really compelling. Kenny Porter and Danny Earls mange to keep some of the heart that makes Superman special while also exploring how different the world may be with Jor-El on Earth instead of Kal-El. Superman: Father of Tomorrow features strong world building, uneasy tension, and great artwork that matches the tone, making for a great Elseworlds story.
Superman: Father of Tomorrow #1 hit local comic shops on May 27, 2026 from DC Comics.
Superman: Father of Tomorrow #1 Preview
