Superman: The Men of Tomorrow TPB [2014] by Geoff Johns | John Romita Jr.

SUPERMAN: THE MEN OF TOMORROW TPB

Geoff Johns and John Romita Jr. take on the Man of Steel by mirroring the events of the last day of Krypton. In a lab three miles below Omaha, two scientists send their son to the Fourth Dimension as the lab self-destructs. The Fifth Dimension is the home of Mister Mxyzptlk. After 25 years the man Ulysses thought he was Last Son of Earth after helping Superman defeat an alien being. 

Clark Kent asks Perry White about the Ulysses Research Lab. Clark slowly pieces the identity of new Superman together until Ulysses arrives to visit Clark at the Daily Planet. His real name is Neil Quinn and Superman reunites him with his parents who are still alive. After meeting his parents, both Ulysses and Superman find the Machinist who Ulysses kills. However they both discover the Machinist was only controlling the body and Ulysses has killed an innocent man. 

Geoff Johns and John Romita Jr. continue their Superman epic leading to January’s issue where Superman undergoes a costume change. Both Superman and Ulysses track down the Machinist who works for Mr. Oz. Ulysses realizes the world he has left continue to hunger for war so he makes a worldwide announcement offering six million people sanctuary in a new world in the fourth dimension.

Superman #36 begins as wants to take six million people to another dimension within 24 hours. Citizens gather to leave and aliens from the other dimension are ready to take them. Ulysses visits Klerik and his parents who he refuses to take. Superman arrives to find out what is really going on and the two battle it out. Ulysses reveals he has done this exodus before and a perfect world has a cost which Earth must pay for it. The problems I have with this issue is that there are no translations with the alien conversations. It seemed like blank pages of comics when the writer and artist do this and not allowing the readers to figure out what they are saying. 

Superman is imprisoned by Ulysses and discovers Klerik is his adoptive father in Superman #37. The battle with Klerik was a ruse to gain Superman’s trust and the world so when the time came to take them to the Fourth Dimension then there will be no resistance. Ulysses manages to take six million people as well as his parents back to his adoptive world. Ulysses is a seeker who seeks life energies to replenish his adoptive world. Superman discovers Ulysses’ parents are on transport ships and convinces him to free him. Together they send the people back to Earth however the energy used deleted the planet and it explodes. Ulysses blames Superman for its destruction. The next issue promises a new costume for Superman in January. 

Superman #38 gains media attention as he gains new powers and a new upgraded costume for the New 52 Universe. Ulysses blames Superman for destroying his world so he decides to destroy Earth using the energy from his world. However Superman tries to stop him which triggers his new powers. Superman wakes up in the Batcave with Batman explaining to him his new power the Super Flare which depletes his powers and makes him as human as Batman. The five dollar book ends with Clark Kent revealing to Jimmy Olsen his Superman identity. I had doubts about this story however it paid off at the end with Geoff Johns and John Romita Jr. at the helm. 

This paperback collects

Superman #32-38

RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT OF 5