Superman Unlimited #9 is Chock Full of Killer Jokes (Review)

If you’ve had your doubts about Superman Unlimited, this issue might be just what you need. Last year saw legendary Spider-Man writer Dan Slott come over to DC Comics after a long stint with Marvel, and he was one of the driving forces behind the Summer of Superman initiative. His book, Superman Unlimited, was meant to be a more episodic affair compared to books like Superman and Action Comics, and give fans a greater variety of adventures for Clark Kent and the people in his orbit. And it’s made for one of the most fun Superman books on the stands.

There are some larger elements to Superman Unlimited to help push the book forward. The Daily Planet has gone global, pushing the iconic paper into a new era. And Superman now has the ability to withstand kryptonite for up to 3 minutes. But there have been several new dangers, too. Thanks to a meteorite containing the radioactive material, kryptonite is positively ubiquitous on Earth, allowing villains to get creative when it comes to dealing with the Man of Steel. And Superman Unlimited #9 gives us the book’s most creative villain so far in another solid entry to the series

Rating: 4 out of 5

Superman Unlimited #9 is Cartoonishly Hilarious

Superman Unlimited #9 comes from Dan Slott, Mike Norton, Marcelo Maiolo, and Dave Sharpe, and jumps right into it with a meeting between several notable DC reporters who are all talking about the same thing: a series of strange murders, each one modeled after some kind of twisted joke or gag, from a classic pie in the face to a falling piano. As it turns out, there’s a gag-loving villain in town, and no, it’s not the Joker, but rather, Superman’s old foe, the Prankster. And this time, he’s working with his metahuman mentee to rake in the cash.

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Prankster’s new operation is simple: For enough money, he (or rather, the new metahuman Prankster) will make sure that the target dies and that they die in the most humiliating way possible. Worse, Superman’s old boss and current Metropolis mayor, Perry White, has been targeted by small-time crime boss Minnie Mannheim. So the Prankster cooks up a scheme to get White pelted to death by baseballs when throwing out the first pitch of a baseball game. Thankfully, Superman is in attendance and protects White, forcing the new Prankster to really up his game.

Prankster tries another attempt on White’s life, this time accounting for Superman with kryptonite, even going so far as to time out his new invulnerability. However, Prankster fails for a second time, forcing the mayor to be sent to a secret location. The junior and senior Pranksters watch Clark Kent’s report on the strange events, and Clark, now fully aware of who is behind these mad jokes, baits the Prankster by crediting the comical crimes to the Prankster. It works, and the new Prankster starts seeing red, vowing to kill Clark Kent in the most humiliating way possible.

Superman Unlimited Continues to Deliver Solid Superman Stories

I think what I really love about this series is that you never know what direction it’s going in. One issue we’ll get a story about Superman’s son in Smallville, and the next we’ll see the Man of Steel in space. This was a really entertaining issue that gave us everything that works with Superman Unlimited. Greater stakes, new kinds of threats, and the familiar heart at the center of it all. It’s the kind of book you can just pick up and start reading without too much worry about what you missed or what it’s building up to.

I will say, as someone who was a fan of the more modern Prankster, it feels weird to see Oswald Loomis return to his old Silver Age look. It’s also a little bizarre to see him switch up his business model, eschewing creating distractions for criminals to having people killed in tragically ludicrous ways. Then again, the pairing of Loomis and this new metahuman makes for an interesting dynamic. The book doesn’t give us too much information behind their relationship, but I can’t say I’m not interested in finding out more about their relationship and business.

This probably isn’t going to be the book that converts people who checked out Superman Unlimited and weren’t into it. It’s definitely more of the same that Slott and the rest of the creative team have been working on since last summer. But for those who are still into this series, I think this is another well-done entry. It’s an effective opening chapter that has me eager to know how Superman’s going to put an end to this new Prankster. All I know is that I hope the next chapter is just as twisted and funny as this issue was.

What did you think of Superman Unlimited #9? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!