Superman Unlimited #13 Review
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Lucas Meyer
Colorist: Giuliano Peratelli
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Cover Artist: Taurin Clarke
Variant Cover Artists: Guillem March; Karen S Darboe; Salvador Larroca; Anthony Marques, J Bone & Dave Stewart
Editors: Jillian Grant & Paul Kaminski
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock
Release Date: May 20, 2026
President Castilho may have banished Lois Lane and her staff from El Cordero. Still, that won't prevent Lois from expanding the Daily Planet's reach. Lois knows she can count on her son to run the new Smallville office, even if she hasn’t heard from Jon Kent lately. And with her husband missing, Lois could use some help raising her young son. She hopes the mysterious "Tomorrow Man" who brought Jon back to her as a child will help her raise the Kryptonian boy in Clark's absence.
Will Jon reveal his identity and tell her that he won his younger self in a fourth-dimensional contest with Master Txyz? And how will Subject 06638, aka “Beppo”, react to the experimental Green K serum? Let’s stop by a phone booth, leap into Superman Unlimited #13, and see!
Story
After researchers injected Subject O6638 with their experimental serum, the chimpanzee escaped his captivity. While the staff searched Metropolis, the monkey found Mr Bibbowski’s stall and gobbled up his dinner. But instead of reacting with anger, “Bibbo” befriended the monkey. And after misreading his wristband, Bibbo unintentionally dubbed his new friend Beppo. When the researchers find their escapee the next morning, watch to see if Earth’s yellow sun gives the monkey superpowers.
Jon Kent faces a dilemma in Superman Unlimited #13. After Master Txyz ripped Jon’s younger self out of time, he worried about creating a paradox. Despite combating Master Txyz’s assertion that Jon can never grow into the Superman title, now Jon can't even resurrect his former Superboy name, as it belongs to his younger self. Forced to shield his features to prevent a time paradox, Jon must also craft a new identity without another recognizable hero to introduce him to the world.
In Dan Slott’s story, Lois also struggles to come to terms with becoming a single parent again. With Jon’s middle years stolen away from her, Lois invested in her career. After taking the reins of a worldwide media company, she and Clark kicked Jon out of the nest to find his feet in Smallville. Lois doesn’t understand how Jon could have reverted to his childhood. Worse, Clark isn't there to help the Human woman raise a superhuman son in Superman Unlimited #13.
Art
Like their names, the researchers' similar likenesses suggest their origins. Sharing the same dress sense, the silver equipment hanging from their necks links with Beppo's silver collar. After sharing his perogies with his new friend, Bibbo gifts Beppo a symbol of his friendship. While Beppo dominates a page, chains separate green-tinted scenes from his recent past.
As Lucas Meyer portrays Beppo, young Jon, and Lois’ journey into fear, older Jon tries to mitigate their trauma. When Beppo grows frightened amid the lush greenery of Hob’s Bay, Bibbo seeks to alleviate it with a roll of green. Yet Beppo’s green eyes grow red when the chimpanzee grows angry, just as red fabric surrounds young Superboy’s face when Ultraman strangles and dunks him in lava. While lavishing a nuanced palette on Superman Unlimited #13, Giuliano Peratelli pairs an all-red scene showcasing Beppo’s response to fear with a later scene featuring young Jon.
Dave Sharpe places uppercase black dialogue in white dialogue balloons and thoughts in colored narrative boxes. Words grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and shrink for lowered or distant voices. While Tee-Nah’s bold words fill roughly drawn balloons, Beppo’s translated speech appears as small lowercase letters. Sound effects accompany knives shattering, guns blazing, bones breaking, and jaws chomping. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.
Final Thoughts
People often obey an aggressor when threatened or tortured. Others react violently to threats or ill treatment. As Jon Kent deceives the world to protect everyone, Superman's absence forces all the characters to face their fears and level up in Superman Unlimited #13.
Rating 9.8/10
To look inside, see my preview of Superman Unlimited #13.
For what happened last time, see my preview of Superman Unlimited #12.
For how this series started, see my review of Superman Unlimited #1.
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