DC Reveals Absolute Superman’s Heartbreaking Split from The Kents

Absolute Superman stepped into its next chapter with issue #6, finally revealing Kal-El’s arrival on Earth and first interactions with Smallville, and hopefully, you were prepared for some heartbreak. Absolute Superman #6 picks up right after Krypton’s tragic destruction but soon brings some much-needed hope to Kal’s world courtesy of Martha and Jonathan Kent. Big changes follow though, and the ramifications of what happened in Smallville will likely play a major part in Superman’s story moving forward. Spoilers are incoming for Absolute Superman #6, so if you haven’t read the issue yet you’ve been warned.

After 8 months of searching for habitable planets, Sol finally discovers one on Earth. Unfortunately, the first encounter with Earth’s yellow sun leaves Kal-El in an almost coma-like state, but it’s Martha and Jonathan Kent who find him and take him in after he crash lands.

The Kents keep watch over Kal as his body attempts to adapt to his newfound powers. Kal floats in the air and almost sets the place on fire during his stay, but Martha is undeterred and continues to balk at Jonathan’s early objections. In her eyes, he’s a miracle, and that becomes even more true when he finally wakes up.

After that we see Martha and Jonathan step into a parental role that Kal has been missing for some time, and that bond strengthens even more when Sol finally recharges and helps Kal communicate. Jonathan and Martha both confide in Kal the immense effect his presence has had on them as individuals and in how they interact with each other and that only makes what happens next all the more tragic.

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After Sol takes out Lazarus’ weather-manipulating drones, which were put in place to force the Kents to sell their property to the corporation, Kal is reported to Lazarus by someone in the area. Citing immigration policies, an army of Peacemakers moves in and tries to apprehend Kal. Sol won’t let that happen, but when Jonathan tries to say something to the Peacemakers they hit him in the face with their weapons.

In a heartbreaking scene, Martha and Jonathan tell Kal to go and get out of there, with Sol telling Kal he can’t be apprehended. Kal looks at the Kents and knows what he has to do, soaring into the sky and leaving behind the home he thought he had finally found.

There’s one more wrinkle to this story though. We know Kal in the present is returning to Smallville, but he’s not the only one setting up shop there. At the end of the issue, we see that Martha is living in a senior living home, and someone is asking questions about her health. It’s revealed that she is in memory care, and then we see it’s Lois Lane asking the question, setting up for a much-anticipated conversation in issues to come.

This is building upon the very quick glimpse we saw of Martha in Absolute Superman #1, which showed her lying in bed and holding up a picture of herself next to Kal-El and Jonathan on the farm. Kal is her miracle, and at least at times she still fully remembers their time as a family. Hopefully, we get more insight into what happened after Kal left, as well as how she got here, what happened to Jonathan, and more.

What did you think of Absolute Superman #6? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics and DC with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!