In this review of Adventures of Superman: Book of El #10, Superman takes on an undead Mongul, but a far more dangerous foe arrives at Tamaran.
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN: BOOK OF EL #10
Written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON
Art and Main Cover: SCOTT GODLEWSKI
Variant Covers: LUCIO PARRILLO, SERG ACUÑA
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 7/1/26
This review contains spoilers
As Adventures of Superman: Book of El #9 ended, an undead Mongul had an unconscious Otho by the hair. As Adventures of Superman: Book of El #10 begins, Superman unleashes a punishing assault on the resurrected corpse to protect his daughter. In the midst of their battle, Kryl-Ux makes his return.
The Promethean King is after Theand’r, as she is the vessel for the Passion of Olgrun, another god-aspect.
Meanwhile, Ronan, Rowan, Osul, and Brainiac-4 find the remnants of a Warzoon ship. Brainiac attempts to use the ship’s network to remotely take control of the invading Warzoon armada on Tamaran.
With her planet being destroyed, Theand’r agrees to give Kryl-Ux the Passion of Olgrun if he swears upon his wife and children’s souls that all he wants is to resurrect his family. At the same moment she hands it over, the armada is called away from the planet by Brainiac. Kryl takes the god-aspect and leaves with his fleet.
He seeks out, and finds, Thularamm (last seen in Adventures of Superman: The Book of El #6) to recruit the sun-eater for the final battle against the House of El.
Analysis
When Mongul showed up at the end of the last issue, I was excited for what I thought was going to be an epic fight between him and Superman. Unfortunately for me, Philip Kennedy Johnson had other ideas. While the battle between the two is exciting, it was too short for my liking, covering only about four pages.
However, I must say PKJ makes up for it with the return of Kryl-Ux. The Promethean King, now more corrupted by the god-aspects of Olgrun, appears more menacing than ever. He’s also grown more massive, able to hold Theand’r in one hand. By the end of the issue, he has three of the god-aspects, making him even more powerful. I expect that he’s going to be too strong to beat physically, so I’m anxious to see how Superman and his family members take care of him.
Another great moment in Adventures of Superman: Book of El #10 comes when all of the Els are reunited. Clark has been fighting hard to get his two children back and that moment has finally arrived. The team up by Kryl-Ux and Thularamm is going to shorten that joyful reunion soon, though. I’m hoping that we’ll get to see at least a little family time at the beginning of the next issue before the fighting starts up again. After all, this series is about the love of family.
There’s a whole squad of talented people working on the beautiful artwork in Adventures of Superman: Book of El #10. Scott Godlewski and Vicente Cifuentes handle the drawing duties, while Lee Loughridge and Matt Herms take care of the colors. As with the rest of the series, this one looks excellent. The last couple pages with the interaction between Kryl-Ux and Thularamm while floating in space is definitely my favorite part. It features some solid linework and visually appealing colors that make the characters stand out nicely against the background.
Final Thoughts
Adventures of Superman: Book of El #10 sets the stage for the final two issues in what’s sure to be a massive confrontation between Kryl-Ux and the Els. If there’s one thing for sure, it’s that the entire House of El will be needed to stop this monster. Have fun, comic lovers!
