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Over the course of the first arc, Jason Aaron delved into Kal-El’s childhood and his years on Krypton, bringing a new importance to his time there and the effect his parents had on the man and hero we now see before us. That’s become even more important as Kal attempts to navigate a world that is asking something of him at every turn, and it’s difficult to block out the noise, let alone attempt to figure out who he can actually trust.
While Kal’s own internal conflicts and evolving views towards Earth are at the center of everything, the issue also builds the world that surrounds Kal quite a bit. Throughout the issue, Aaron pulls back the curtain on the Omega Men, especially in regards to Jimmy Olsen, but we also get more context for Ra’s Al Ghul, Lazarus, Lois Lane, and perhaps most importantly, Sol and the Father Box.
That last bit is really important, as we start to get a bigger understanding of just where Kal is at this present moment regarding his own feelings. Sol has been his lone sounding board and ally since what happened with the Kents, and he’s being pulled in so many different directions these days that even Sol’s often sterile and safety-focused advice is starting to feel like just another person trying to get what they need from him as opposed to taking his own feelings into account. Kal’s ability to see the good in others has been chipped away at a bit, and you can’t help but be endeared to someone who is still finding a way to push that aside and stand in front of the bullets for others.
