In this review of Superman Unlimited #13, we get a fight between a super-powered monkey and a rage-monster Jon Kent. Who will prevail?
SUPERMAN UNLIMITED #13
Written by DAN SLOTT
Art by LUCAS MEYER
Main Cover: TAURIN CLARKE
Variant Covers: GUILLEM MARCH, KAREN S. DARBOE, SALVADOR LARROCA, ANTHONY MARQUES
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 5/20/26
This review contains spoilers
As Superman Unlimited #13 begins, thugs show up to Bibbo’s food truck and try to shake him down for his cash, but Beppo bites the hand of one of the thugs, causing Bibbo to be shot. Enraged and possessing Kryptonian abilities, Beppo attacks the thugs, defeating them easily. Scientists from the lab are secretly watching this unfold, but Beppo detects them.
At the same time, young Jon has a nightmare in which he’s being beaten by Ultraman in the volcano world where he was previously trapped. Lois has to whistle for Krypto in order to stop Jon before he tears the apartment down.
Soon after, Tomorrow Man arrives and Lois gets news from the Daily Planet of Beppo’s rampage. The two Jons head off to check it out and discover what looks like a war zone, as Beppo has destroyed the secret lab. When Jon and Tomorrow Man try to remove the scientists, Beppo attacks them.
While Tomorrow Man is weakened by a Kryptonite bite from Beppo, Superboy is not. He takes on Beppo and is filled with rage. Fortunately, Tomorrow Man is able to talk him down, but the situation leaves older Jon with questions about his younger self.
Analysis
In Superman Unlimited #12, Dan Slott gave us some hints that there’s something wrong with young Jon Kent. In Superman Unlimited #13, Slott makes that even more evident. This Jon is broken and the brief glimpse into his nightmare with Ultraman could explain why. The rage that Jon shows when fighting Beppo is scary and looks to be a direct result of Ultraman’s conditioning while Superboy was trapped on the volcano world.
Older Jon realizes something is wrong, just like Damian did in the last issue. I like that Slott is writing a more complex set up than it first appeared to be. This younger version of Jon isn’t exactly the same as Tomorrow Man, so it should lead to an intriguing storyline in upcoming issues. The tagline at the end of this issue just says, “Next: The Unraveling.” It could be alluding to young Jon finally losing control of his rage.
Artist Lucas Meyer and colorist Giuliano Peratelli continue to turn in some good-looking pages with Superman Unlimited #13. The colors, shading, and line work all come together nicely to produce clean, sharp panels. The pages where young Jon goes into full rage mode against Beppo consist of a series of panels that, even without the word bubbles, tell you exactly what’s happening. Jon’s glowing eyes effect is well-done. I’m enjoying this art team’s current run on this title.
Final Thoughts
Superman Unlimited #13 brings us closer to the end of the Reign of the Superboys arc. Clear signs of trouble are present for Superboy and it remains to be seen what level of control he has on his rage. Have fun, comic lovers!
